''Mad Shadows'' was the second album by

Mott the Hoople Mott the Hoople were an English rock band formed in Herefordshire. Originally known as the Doc Thomas Group, the group changed their name after signing with Island Records in 1969. The band released albums throughout the early 1970s but fai ...

. It was recorded in 1970 and released in the UK on Island Records in September 1970 (catalogue number ILPS 9119) and in the US by Atlantic Records (cat. no. SD 8272). It was subsequently re-released by

Angel Air Angel Airlines, trading as Angel Air, was an airline based in Bangkok, Thailand, which was operational between 1998 and 2003. Destinations Over the years, Angel Airlines flew to the following destinations: Thailand * Bangkok — Don Mueang In ...

in 2003 (SJPCD158). As with their debut album, it was produced by

Guy Stevens Guy Stevens (13 April 1943 – 28 August 1981) was a British music industry figure whose roles included DJ, record producer, and band manager. He was influential in promoting R&B music in Britain in the 1960s, gave the rock bands Procol Ha ...

. The original pressing reached No. 48 in the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

in October 1970.

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

gave the album two stars out of five and stated:

Track listing

All songs written by Ian Hunter except where noted. Side one # "Thunderbuck Ram" ( Mick Ralphs) – 4:51 # "No Wheels to Ride" – 5:49 # "You Are One of Us" – 2:22 # "Walkin' with a Mountain" – 3:52 Side two # "I Can Feel" – 7:15 # "Threads of Iron" (Ralphs) – 5:11 # "When My Mind's Gone" – 6:25 * Note: the times on the sleeve and record centre on early pressings are incorrect for "No Wheels To Ride" (listed as 6:02), "You Are One Of Us" (listed as 3:22) and "Threads Of Iron" (listed as 5:51). The times above are correct. 2003 CD bonus tracks #

"It Would Be a Pleasure" (Ralphs) – 1:50 # "How Long? (Death May Be Your Santa Claus)" (Hunter,

Verden Allen Verden Allen (born Terence Allen, 26 May 1944, Crynant, Neath, Wales) is a british organ player and vocalist best known as a founding member of 1970s rock band Mott the Hoople. Before that band formed, he had in the mid-1960s been in a rhythm ...

) – 3:54

Personnel

Mott the Hoople * Ian Hunter – lead vocals (tracks 2-5, 7-9), co-lead vocals (6), piano, rhythm guitar * Mick Ralphs – lead guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (track 1), co-lead vocals (6) *

Pete "Overend" Watts Peter Overend Watts (13 May 1947 – 22 January 2017) was an English bass guitar player and founding member of the 1970s rock band Mott the Hoople. Early life Watts was born in Yardley, Birmingham, on 13 May 1947. He moved as a child to Worthin ...

– bass, backing vocals *

Dale "Buffin" Griffin Terence Dale "Buffin" Griffin (24 October 1948 – 17 January 2016) was an English drummer and a founding member of 1970s rock band Mott the Hoople. Later, he worked as a producer, and produced many of the BBC Radio 1 John Peel sessions from 1 ...

– drums, backing vocals *

– organ, backing vocals Additional personnel *

– "psychic" piano, "spiritual" percussion Technical * Guy Stevens – producer *

Andy Johns Jeremy Andrew "Andy" Johns (20 May 1950 – 7 April 2013) was a British sound engineer and record producer who worked on several well-known rock albums, including the Rolling Stones' '' Exile on Main St.'' (1972), Television's '' Marquee Moon'' ...

–

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...

* Ginny Smith, Peter Sanders – cover design * Gabi Naseman – front cover photography

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1970 albums Mott the Hoople albums Albums produced by Guy Stevens Island Records albums Albums recorded at Olympic Sound Studios