I heard this track on the Nice Enough to Eat sampler album from Island in early 1972 when I was going through a really bad time in my life. I have followed Mott ever since and they are a great band. I still play this track 51 years later. Mott the Hoople never really fulfilled their potential despite being a great band with some great songs. This is still one of my favorites
That ending is one of the best I've ever heard. The Mott were soo unlucky, just think during the late 60's, whole 70's and early 80's how many world class bands they had to compete with. This song was hardly known and I cant stop listening to it. Even all the young dudes was underated. One of the best songs I've ever heard yet it wasnt even a No.1 so shit for Ian Hunter to put his heart and soul into music and receive nothing in return!
(1) Mott The Hoople were the genuine document. (2) They were one of the greatest hard rock, proto-metal, proto-punk bands that ever existed. (3) This is a country song. (4) They could play stone-cold country music, be who they were, and DAMN WELL MEAN IT. There is nothing ironic here. No excuses or apologies for playing country, unlike many contemporaries. (5) There is 100% commitment in this song. Pain, loneliness, rage, bitterness, fear, desperation, denial, pleading, devastation, and the slightest hint of forced hope-just enough to stay alive. It's in the voice and ALL of the instrumentation. Close your eyes and let your mind go to "that place." For me, "that place" is small town Texas in the early 1960's. Some poor young man just lost his whole world. He has no idea where to go, what to do, or who to cry to. This song takes my heart à la George Jones, but with five musicians expressing that feeling of devastation in unity. Mott is the only band to ever pull that off. Nailed it.
Your comments are insighful and poinient. Mott the Hoople was the most interesting band ever. "All the Young Dudes is the 80th best song. Just go through each album the cut. Wild Life may be one of the best records ever mad. Ballads, Country, Old rock and covers plus Angle of 8th Avenue. Nobody does it better than Ian, Mick< Verden, Pete and Dale. Everyone can go fuck themselves with the VAPID Rolling Stones and the Ego maniac Beatles. This group does it all. Man did Bowe SANDBAG the album he produced. Mama's Little Jewel SUCKS compared to Black Scorpion!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ready for Love was never promoted as a single. Two Miles from Heaven proves what a lunatic Guy Stevens was. Some of the best material to never make an album...Going Home...the Debt are only two gems that never made it. Even Mott after Ian and Mick left did two amazing albums after Pete got off his ass and kicked it in the goal. Stiff upper lip is as good as it gets!!!! Long live independent people who recognize band that are great that others never know of like Son Volt, Shawn Phillips, Les Dudek and others. Even hidden gems Like Jorma Kaukonen "roads and roads" from Barbeque King. We the people declare ourselves as Eagles over the Crows who cannot climb high enough to see Mott the Hoople and Ian Hunter as the greatest soul fillers of all time
I first saw them play the Lyceum in London in December 69 alerted by this song. Just love the growl of verden's Hammond. The start of a 50+ year love affair.
@daveapple205 ..He is a wise n beautiful brother......I had a friend, long gone now, loved Mott....At the crossroads always reminds me of him.......along with the album " Brain capers".....Happy days n memories......
@@fjoliva710 Thanks @ F J. Oliva, for the tip. Haven't thought of The Sir Douglas Quintet in years, and had no idea At The Cross Roads was original with them. I'll definitely give them a listen!
Todd - You are going to love this.....So happy I got to see all of them..Traffic 2 times....Mott 1 time (they were an opening act!) and Ten Years After at Shaefer Music - Wolman Skating Rink..$3.00. Alvin Lee on Lead Guitar "Love Like A Man!" Also on the show was Jeff Beck with Rod Stewart as lead singer - "Morning Dew" "Those Were The Days My Friend" Maryann Faithful. We got to see the best didn't we? Mountain, the Airplane, The Dead, The real Elton John before he became a clown, The Youngbloods with Jessie Collin Young, Johnny Winter, Neil Young, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Santana (opening act!) The Chambers Brothers (opening act!), Van Morrison (he was totally drunk), BB King, Albert King, Procol Harum, Led Zepplin (Concert Series NYC - $3.00) , Canned Heat "Going Up The Country," Savoy Brown, Allman Brothers, Jethro Tull (3 times), Leon Russell (2 times), It's A Beautiful Day "White Bird" Jackson Browne (2) times, Boz (2 times). If you loved the Filmore, check out this site. www.concertarchives.org/venues/fillmore-east--3?page=11#concert-table
@@BaahBen Damn! I enjoyed your comments enourmously! This is a veritable "who's who'. It sounds like very epic times could be had for a mere $3.00. Unfortunately, I did not get to see most of them. I would have liked to see Alvin and TYA, Van Morrison, and the Airplane, Mott and Traffic the most. I saw The Grateful Dead 5 times before Jerry died. For my $$, they're the best live band America has ever known. I also would have loved to see the Allman Bros at Fillmore East. I've seen the Stones twice, Peter Gabriel, et. al. I must tell you, Seger is damn good live! Thanks again. Todd
@BloodyBrain4 Thanks for mentioning Doug Sahm's original. I've just listened to it. Excellent. I really like both versions. The Mott version sounds more convincing about 'you'll be beside me one more time'. Doug's version really comes from the soul, and I feel he doesn't really believe he'll see her again, which makes the song sad and human.
Unsurpassable!! The lyrics ... Leaving me girl and moving on down the road You left me many burdens such a heavy load And it sure does bring me out when I think about what went down Well the crossroads all my life it has been And I'm so afraid but now I'm trying to see I just rode on through life till I took the time to concentrate on you Well you can preached me like a lesson You can bring me a lot of gold But you just can't live in Texas If you don't have a lot of soul I'm leaving here tonight for the very last time Yes I'm leaving you babe cause now I know that you ain't mine And where you're living now you'll find out and how that you never had a friend Well you can preached me like a lesson You can bring me a lot of gold But you just can't live in Texas If you don't have a lot of soul Well I'm leaving here tonight for the very last time Yes I'm leaving you girl cause now I know that you ain't mine Some day a change will come and you'll be there beside me one more time One more time
one of my first album purchases..and a solidly enjoyable one...this...2 great instrumentals=You Really Got Me and Rabbit Foot and Toby Time..excellent version of Laugh at Me, RnR Queen rocked! & then Half Moon Bay just melted my mind back then. Good work boys!
No veo ningún comentario en español. Esta es una de las mejores canciones que he escuchado en mi vida. Me trae los mejores y más gratos recuerdos de mi época universitaria. Saludos desde Oaxaca, México.
Lead singer Ian Hunter is on tour at 79 years young ! Wow and it sucks I am not near the venues. Like others posts, I heard them 1st time in 1969 The Album sampler 'Nice Enough to Eat' my 1st LP I bought, promoted then "new bands" and just look who else was on that LP ..Traffic, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Free, Spooky Tooth, it was a an amazing and magical time. At the time in London we didn't even know the song writer Doug Sahm was from Texas. We didn't have google. Such a great composition.
If you're not moved by this song then you got no soul! Cuts the original. And their version of Laugh at Me is also on the same level. Groups & singers like the Replacements & Alejandro Escovedo were heavily influenced by Mott & Ian Hunter.
Great track! I loved this from the moment I first heard it on Nice Enough To Eat - though I was sadly less impressed with most of their subsequent stuff. This is very reminiscent of Dylan's heyday - Queen Jane Approximately, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, etc. The organ sound especially is very much Al Kooper's Hammond from those days. And weren't Island brave for putting out such a lengthy album, with this at 5½" and Heavy Jelly clocking a massive 8'19, amongst 4 others on side 1!!
On 'Nice enough to eat', what a magical sampler it was, jeez how lucky I was to be 14 when it came out, so much wonderful music, and this powerful emotional track from Mott, - at the crossroads, which way to go?
I get that totally, I was 13 when it came out, then came Bumpers and El Pea. Island was very much 'my' label, such a great range of bands and styles and I loved nearly all of them, none so more than Mott.
At the time we didn't have a clue, the variety of music was all taken for granted, musicians brought up playing live. Do you remember 'Heavy Jelly's ''I keep singing that same old song'?
+D'Ascoyne I know that it's not a Dylan song, but one can liken it to his early stuff as on 'Highway 69' and 'Blond on Blond'! 😎 I just love it and have done for 40 odd years!
God I would love to hear "Half moon Bay" and "Rabbit foot and Toby time" off this album. Loved the Reptiles album from my brothers collection when I was 12 in 1969
Doug could make you FEEL this one. I always liked Mott The Hoople, and it's cool that they covered this, but it does kind of pale in comparison. They changed some lyrics, too, it's almost like a different song.
@@LEWFROST2 Just a parasite. We know whose talent he lived off next. The whole business did. Admittedly he read The Curve and WAS bloody acute as a musical director. But he was NO ONE before Ronson projected him with his musicality and R&B les Paul tone. Ronson made the Lou Reed Iggy thing happen so Bowie could make out he had some R&R balls. Visconti controlled it all anyway.
Grew up listening to Mott and thankfully still have all my original vinyl.Great years..great memories
Ditto.
I heard this track on the Nice Enough to Eat sampler album from Island in early 1972 when I was going through a really bad time in my life. I have followed Mott ever since and they are a great band. I still play this track 51 years later. Mott the Hoople never really fulfilled their potential despite being a great band with some great songs. This is still one of my favorites
I always liked Mott The Hoople. Their first album was great. Ian Hunter is my favorite musician. He still performs and tours today.
Mott the Hoople was one of the most underrated 70s bands of all time
'Unter ad arrived!
Gorgeous slow burn is utterly timeless....
Gravitas like few others in the genre.
Shout out for Guy Stevens... Legend. ❤
That ending is one of the best I've ever heard. The Mott were soo unlucky, just think during the late 60's, whole 70's and early 80's how many world class bands they had to compete with. This song was hardly known and I cant stop listening to it. Even all the young dudes was underated. One of the best songs I've ever heard yet it wasnt even a No.1 so shit for Ian Hunter to put his heart and soul into music and receive nothing in return!
I bought this on vinyl the day it was released. Puts me back there again. Damn!
*cool*
still have mine - have to get it on CD
Great on you!!
(1) Mott The Hoople were the genuine document. (2) They were one of the greatest hard rock, proto-metal, proto-punk bands that ever existed. (3) This is a country song. (4) They could play stone-cold country music, be who they were, and DAMN WELL MEAN IT. There is nothing ironic here. No excuses or apologies for playing country, unlike many contemporaries. (5) There is 100% commitment in this song. Pain, loneliness, rage, bitterness, fear, desperation, denial, pleading, devastation, and the slightest hint of forced hope-just enough to stay alive. It's in the voice and ALL of the instrumentation. Close your eyes and let your mind go to "that place." For me, "that place" is small town Texas in the early 1960's. Some poor young man just lost his whole world. He has no idea where to go, what to do, or who to cry to. This song takes my heart à la George Jones, but with five musicians expressing that feeling of devastation in unity. Mott is the only band to ever pull that off. Nailed it.
Your comments are insighful and poinient. Mott the Hoople was the most interesting band ever. "All the Young Dudes is the 80th best song. Just go through each album the cut. Wild Life may be one of the best records ever mad. Ballads, Country, Old rock and covers plus Angle of 8th Avenue. Nobody does it better than Ian, Mick< Verden, Pete and Dale. Everyone can go fuck themselves with the VAPID Rolling Stones and the Ego maniac Beatles. This group does it all. Man did Bowe SANDBAG the album he produced. Mama's Little Jewel SUCKS compared to Black Scorpion!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ready for Love was never promoted as a single. Two Miles from Heaven proves what a lunatic Guy Stevens was. Some of the best material to never make an album...Going Home...the Debt are only two gems that never made it. Even Mott after Ian and Mick left did two amazing albums after Pete got off his ass and kicked it in the goal. Stiff upper lip is as good as it gets!!!! Long live independent people who recognize band that are great that others never know of like Son Volt, Shawn Phillips, Les Dudek and others. Even hidden gems Like Jorma Kaukonen "roads and roads" from Barbeque King. We the people declare ourselves as Eagles over the Crows who cannot climb high enough to see Mott the Hoople and Ian Hunter as the greatest soul fillers of all time
Fucking well put! ❤
MTH. You Got It and understood the relevance of their influences, or it went right over you.
@@garyprice6504 No way, baby. Just telling you what I think.
I first saw them play the Lyceum in London in December 69 alerted by this song. Just love the growl of verden's Hammond. The start of a 50+ year love affair.
Doug Sahm wrote fantastic songs. Mott did a fantastic cover that has all the feel of the original and adds a new dimension to it.
I always wondered what Doug Sahm thought of this version- I would think he would approve!
one of my 1st albums .....at the crossroads is great ...
One of my first albums as well....I was 10 years old. My older brother told me to get it.
@daveapple205 ..He is a wise n beautiful brother......I had a friend, long gone now, loved Mott....At the crossroads always reminds me of him.......along with the album " Brain capers".....Happy days n memories......
Unbelievable how underrated and underappreciated Mott, Ten Years After, and Traffic were. Exhibit A: Mott The Hoople- At The Crossroads
Check the original version by The Sir Douglas Quintet.
@@fjoliva710 Thanks @ F J. Oliva, for the tip. Haven't thought of The Sir Douglas Quintet in years, and had no idea At The Cross Roads was original with them. I'll definitely give them a listen!
Todd - You are going to love this.....So happy I got to see all of them..Traffic 2 times....Mott 1 time (they were an opening act!) and Ten Years After at Shaefer Music - Wolman Skating Rink..$3.00. Alvin Lee on Lead Guitar "Love Like A Man!" Also on the show was Jeff Beck with Rod Stewart as lead singer - "Morning Dew" "Those Were The Days My Friend" Maryann Faithful. We got to see the best didn't we? Mountain, the Airplane, The Dead, The real Elton John before he became a clown, The Youngbloods with Jessie Collin Young, Johnny Winter, Neil Young, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Santana (opening act!) The Chambers Brothers (opening act!), Van Morrison (he was totally drunk), BB King, Albert King, Procol Harum, Led Zepplin (Concert Series NYC - $3.00) , Canned Heat "Going Up The Country," Savoy Brown, Allman Brothers, Jethro Tull (3 times), Leon Russell (2 times), It's A Beautiful Day "White Bird" Jackson Browne (2) times, Boz (2 times). If you loved the Filmore, check out this site.
www.concertarchives.org/venues/fillmore-east--3?page=11#concert-table
@@BaahBen Damn! I enjoyed your comments enourmously! This is a veritable "who's who'. It sounds like very epic times could be had for a mere $3.00. Unfortunately, I did not get to see most of them. I would have liked to see Alvin and TYA, Van Morrison, and the Airplane, Mott and Traffic the most. I saw The Grateful Dead 5 times before Jerry died. For my $$, they're the best live band America has ever known. I also would have loved to see the Allman Bros at Fillmore East. I've seen the Stones twice, Peter Gabriel, et. al. I must tell you, Seger is damn good live! Thanks again. Todd
This is just such an utterly UTTERLY amazing version of this song. Milo
Had over 7000 albums at one time in my life. Now I have a out 20. This is included. No album is wrapped in memories as much as this.
always been my favorite song by Mott.
it's exceptional
Fantastic!!!
I bought this albumin 1970 and still remember the moment I thought "anyone that has an M.C. Escher cover is awesome".
@BloodyBrain4 Thanks for mentioning Doug Sahm's original. I've just listened to it. Excellent. I really like both versions. The Mott version sounds more convincing about 'you'll be beside me one more time'. Doug's version really comes from the soul, and I feel he doesn't really believe he'll see her again, which makes the song sad and human.
Unsurpassable!! The lyrics ...
Leaving me girl and moving on down the road
You left me many burdens such a heavy load
And it sure does bring me out when I think about what went down
Well the crossroads all my life it has been
And I'm so afraid but now I'm trying to see
I just rode on through life till I took the time to concentrate on you
Well you can preached me like a lesson
You can bring me a lot of gold
But you just can't live in Texas
If you don't have a lot of soul
I'm leaving here tonight for the very last time
Yes I'm leaving you babe cause now I know that you ain't mine
And where you're living now you'll find out and how that you never had a friend
Well you can preached me like a lesson
You can bring me a lot of gold
But you just can't live in Texas
If you don't have a lot of soul
Well I'm leaving here tonight for the very last time
Yes I'm leaving you girl cause now I know that you ain't mine
Some day a change will come and you'll be there beside me one more time
One more time
Class. ❤
Great version. Love Mott the Hoople. Great bass.
Pete, much overlooked but underpinned the space Ian used.
Hunter could project pain. This is more authentically country than anything on "country" radio over the past 20 years.
saw them once in the early 70s
one of my first album purchases..and a solidly enjoyable one...this...2 great instrumentals=You Really Got Me and Rabbit Foot and Toby Time..excellent version of Laugh at Me, RnR Queen rocked! & then Half Moon Bay just melted my mind back then. Good work boys!
Wonderful cover version of a Doug Sahm classic. While the original has flavors of country, Mott brings out the Dylanesque undercurrent.
No veo ningún comentario en español. Esta es una de las mejores canciones que he escuchado en mi vida. Me trae los mejores y más gratos recuerdos de mi época universitaria. Saludos desde Oaxaca, México.
!es verdad!
Enjoy!
Lead singer Ian Hunter is on tour at 79 years young ! Wow and it sucks I am not near the venues. Like others posts, I heard them 1st time in 1969 The Album sampler 'Nice Enough to Eat' my 1st LP I bought, promoted then "new bands" and just look who else was on that LP ..Traffic, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Free, Spooky Tooth, it was a an amazing and magical time. At the time in London we didn't even know the song writer Doug Sahm was from Texas. We didn't have google. Such a great composition.
If you're not moved by this song then you got no soul! Cuts the original. And their version of Laugh at Me is also on the same level. Groups & singers like the Replacements & Alejandro Escovedo were heavily influenced by Mott & Ian Hunter.
FANTASTIC! MOTT THE HOOPLE!!, the dj
Great Band, Great song. I need to hear their first 4 albums .
Shows it age this one, but what a finish.
My favorite of their songs....
FYI this isn't a Dylan song it was written by the late great Doug Sahm.
I know that, but reminicent of Bobs early work! thought you'd realise what I was saying.....!
I feel sorry for the kids today. They have no idea what good music is. To think that when I hit this page it only had 1,189 hits.
our generation took the best and left the rest - that's why there's only shit for music today
a packet of Job papers haven't seen them in years!lol
Lol
Great track! I loved this from the moment I first heard it on Nice Enough To Eat - though I was sadly less impressed with most of their subsequent stuff. This is very reminiscent of Dylan's heyday - Queen Jane Approximately, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, etc. The organ sound especially is very much Al Kooper's Hammond from those days. And weren't Island brave for putting out such a lengthy album, with this at 5½" and Heavy Jelly clocking a massive 8'19, amongst 4 others on side 1!!
It's like the Kinks and Bob Dylan had a wonderful wonderful baby.
Greatly underated band!
On 'Nice enough to eat', what a magical sampler it was, jeez how lucky I was to be 14 when it came out, so much wonderful music, and this powerful emotional track from Mott, - at the crossroads, which way to go?
I get that totally, I was 13 when it came out, then came Bumpers and El Pea. Island was very much 'my' label, such a great range of bands and styles and I loved nearly all of them, none so more than Mott.
At the time we didn't have a clue, the variety of music was all taken for granted, musicians brought up playing live. Do you remember 'Heavy Jelly's ''I keep singing that same old song'?
Yeah, remember it well!
@@bannork I still have the vinyl ... 'slightly' worn out :-)
Wow, thanks for uploading this video. I'm a long time fan of Mott's. What a great song from their first album.
I still have the vinyl. Left to me by a girlfriend. Pity she never came to retrieve it ( and me)
i hears ya
Saw these guys in Asbury Park NJ in 1970...spectacular...opened for Cream I believe...those were the days!
Very beautiful!!
this song hits me where I live
Love you. You have great taste in music. Even though I have everything I had to buy the new box set.
First band i ever saw brilliant
The cover is drawn by the Dutch artist M C Escher around 1943
Doug Sahm cover ... AWESOME!!
FANTASTIC!!
first thing I ever heard by MTH, starting a 40 year love affair. On the Island Records sampler 'nice enough to eat' 1969
Mott The Hoople drawback to fame is that they relied too heavy on cover songs throughout their career.
Ha Ha, Mott The Hoople plays Dylan! Great stuff!
Not a Dylan song. Doug Sahm wrote it.
+D'Ascoyne I know that it's not a Dylan song, but one can liken it to his early stuff as on 'Highway 69' and 'Blond on Blond'! 😎 I just love it and have done for 40 odd years!
+D'Ascoyne I mean Highway 61 revisited!
Allen Wells Yeah I agree. Ian Hunter was very much influenced by Dylan.
God I would love to hear "Half moon Bay" and "Rabbit foot and Toby time" off this album. Loved the Reptiles album from my brothers collection when I was 12 in 1969
I hate country music but this is Brill! It's like disguised as Rock even!
Still all up in the loft. When LPs were so thick they wouldn’t flex…
lol😊
Same here!
AMAZING.
Nice Enough To Eat certainly is
RIP Pete
The Kinks & The Stones are/were both terrific, but OH so different
🖤
@iamthepope Oh yes please, I love that one!!
Mott the Hoople at the crossroads
Doug could make you FEEL this one.
I always liked Mott The Hoople, and it's cool that they covered this, but it does kind of pale in comparison. They changed some lyrics, too, it's almost like a different song.
Well, it's not Sir Doug but pretty good anyway
Superman the clique
✌😎🚬
@MissHonaloochie " a kink's throw away "
This is one of my favorite songs, but I know it by Doug Sahm. I had no idea that Mott covered it. This is a good version, but I prefer the original.
@MissHonaloochie The Stones are only a Kink's throw away from the Kinks
Doug Sahm original.
Nice Enough To Eat
who is really interested in your private life, get on with the music
I've heard of Dylan tributes but this is sycophantic.
yes my friends.....this is the band that produced 1 good album thanks to BOWIE....laughable live and quite overrated!!! # tsk tsk
@John Deneen people who BOUGHT this album were dumb asses! it stinks quite badly
And Bowie was just Ronson’s talent in drag. Robbed every **** he ever met.
@@garyprice6504 weird...some how / some way BOWIE survived with out Ronson ? actually flourished 😁
@@LEWFROST2 Just a parasite. We know whose talent he lived off next. The whole business did. Admittedly he read The Curve and WAS bloody acute as a musical director. But he was NO ONE before Ronson projected him with his musicality and R&B les Paul tone.
Ronson made the Lou Reed Iggy thing happen so Bowie could make out he had some R&R balls.
Visconti controlled it all anyway.
You are in for a pleasant surprise if you listen to "Brain Capers," on Atlantic, the album before ATYD. A rock and roll masterpiece.