Eric R. Danton on Ian Hunter

"There's no question Ian Hunter is best known for singing 'All the Young Dudes' when he fronted Mott the Hoople. There's also no question that he's done an awful lot since the band broke up in 1974. … [T]he New Milford transplant has released a slew of solo albums, including the excellent new collection 'Man Overboard' (New West). Hunter's solo material bears little resemblance to the glam-rock sound of Mott the Hoople. Like its 2007 predecessor, 'Shrunken Heads,' 'Man Overboard' is rock 'n' roll with a rootsy cast and an emphasis on Hunter's wry, often gleefully cantankerous lyrics. The songs are full of acoustic guitar, mandolin, accordion and various keyboards, with subtle electric accents on guitar. Hunter has a knack for vivid descriptions, running for his life from an impending brawl on opening track 'The Great Escape' and marveling at advances in technology on the title track, singing, 'They got lasers that zap, they got cures for the clap, you can see your insides on TV' before concluding, 'they ain't found a cure yet for me.' All the same, a heart beats underneath his prickly exterior, and there's genuine feeling in his weathered voice" ("CD Review: 'Man Overboard by Ian Hunter,'" Sound Check, 7/27/09).