Mental Train: The Island Years 1969-1971 is a deep dive into the wild, wooly years before Mott the Hoople discovered glam. In other words, it's Mott the Hoople before they had anything resembling a hit but were still one of the hardest, heaviest, and weirdest rock bands to roam the land -- and one of the most prolific, too. This six-disc box set covers a mere three years, but it was three years where they released four albums, piling up B-sides and other strays along the way. Mental Train rounds up what seems to be every surviving scrap and adds them as bonus tracks to Mott the Hoople, Mad Shadows, Wildlife and Brain Capers, and presenting two discs of non-LP material: a disc of unreleased music and a disc of live material. While some of this material might not amount to much more than a fragment or alternate takes, it all amounts to a towering collection of ungainly, thrilling rock & roll. Hardcore fans know what to expect and will delight in the rarities, yet this is the rare band where neophytes may be well-served by utter immersion, as this box is bound to make the uninitiated a convert. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

• Genre: Rock and Pop
• Format: CD
• Released: 11/09/2018