Ian Hunter-Rant (2001)
Artist: Ian Hunter
Title: Rant
Year of Release: 2001
Country and Year of Edition: US2 2001
Sell Price: $5.99
Sell Date: 2/17/26
Condition: M/M
Discogs Last Sold: 12/19/25 VG+/VG+ $6.76
Low: $1.00
Median: $3.77
Average: $4.02
High: $7.00
Current low price: $3.51 NM/NM
Current Number on Sale at Discogs:19
Have/Want: 301/13
Where Sold: Hixon, TX
Time It Took To Sell: 2 years
Where and When Bought: Facebook $2 lot
Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B+
Sad To See It Go: No
Ian Hunter had a big stretch of albums I never paid attention to between "All Of The Good Ones Are Taken" and Shrunken Heads from 2007, which I would have ignored if it wasn't recommended to me. I saw him around that time as well at a free outdoor gig on one of Manhattan's Pier stages. I pulled this out of somebody's $2 liquidation lot a couple year ago. The shrink wrap never came of and I've been acquainting myself with this via streaming.
Well Rant is pretty good. The UK version had an alternate track listing and cover on the Papillon label, but the US one I sold on the Fuel 2000 label is what is online. It opens with a mission statement "Still Love Rock and Roll" which closes the UK version. The song sounds like a cross between "All The Way From Memphis" and Keith Richards. There is a self effacing wink in the lyrics not having the experience of his forbearers, but he still had the feeling and he is going to impart it upon us all until the end of time.
The next track, "Wash Us Away," sounds like a good Rod Stewart track. This is turn of the century classic rock without the crappy sound that engulfed 70's classic rock artists in the 80's into the 90's. Gone was the idea that the music was going to garner commercial radio play and the attempts to molify their deaf corporate ears like the late 80's Hunter/Ronson title that sold with this. I'll write about that one later in the week, this is the one that is actually good to hear multiple times. Rant is stripped of a canon-like snare, no synths and buried guitar.
The songs don't sound like anything that would stick, although "Wash Us Away" is the one that showed up in setlists regular beyond the tour cycle. 8 out of 12 made it to the stage around the time the album was released, "Dead Man Walkin' (Eastenders)'" was the only one that was played more than 10 times according to Setlist. He seems to prefer the ballads here on Rant. "Death Of A Nation" came up in 2010 as a one-off, perhaps something happened where Ian wanted to make a point. The record seems a bit autobiographical which didn't hold the same weight 50 years in as it did 30 years on. That said, one could say he has been reflecting since 1974 when he wrote his book Diary of A Rock 'n' Roll Star. A "Good Samaritan" (wink, wink) walking among the "Morons" dodging an "American Spy."
Ian is still with us at EIGHTY SIX (yup an older British rocker, born in 1939), although 2019 seems to be the last run of live performances. Mott The Hoople also did an apparent curtain call that year which I somehow missed. Funny with Rock 'n Roll, eternal youth is expected and the stage is meant to be a forum until the grim reaper calls whether you are Ozzy or B.B. King. In 2001, Ian looks like the same middle aged 70's rocker he did in the 80's and in all honesty, when I saw him 5-10 years after that he didn't look much different. He still lives and there is always a chance since the last album, Defiance, Part 2:Fiction came only two years ago, a year after Defiance, Part 1.
Rant is the type of release you expect this type of artist to release for all eternity. An after thought in it's day buried by the weight of the success of youth. A CD that glistens untouched on the merch table of a big hall as scores of people walk past hoping to hear "All The Young Dudes" and call it a night. Neither a "comeback" or a bad record but buried in a way some other things weren't past his commercial heyday. The benefit of being a solo artist vs. a band as time goes on means you aren't stuck to logo that implies players that are deceased or have moved on. This means the release will also be taken more seriously than a 50 year old band touring on the name with only the original (non-singing) drummer and some ringers. Or even worse some private equity firm now owns the name and logo and sends out some hired hands. It might not be one of the ten best things Hunter has done, but something like "Soap 'n' Water" sounds like something Keith Richards could cover and make good 'n clean.
Ian Hunter does a fine job himself thank you.
FOR FURTHER REVIEW:
All Of The Good Ones Are Taken (1983)
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