Mr. Big (the British version, not to be confused with the American band of the same name) had already issued two albums and a bunch of singles before hooking up with producer
Ian Hunter to record
Seppuku in 1978. This was projected as the band's third album, but although two songs from the sessions ("Senora," which
Hunter co-wrote, and "Death Boy," both included here) were released as a single, EMI did not release it. In 2001, it made its belated appearance on this CD.
Hunter was quoted in Melody Maker in 1979 as follows about lead singer Dicken: "Dicken is England's
Bruce Springsteen, if he can only get himself together." But not only was Dicken not remotely in the same league as
Springsteen artistically, he (unlike, say, John Cafferty) did not sound remotely like him either. And nor does
Mr. Big sound much like
Mott the Hoople or
Ian Hunter. To be blunt, this sounds far more like a minor-league, somewhat earthier
Styx, and Dicken's high-pitched voice also bears some resemblance to
Jon Anderson of
Yes at times. The failure of this undistinguished mainstream arena prog-tinged '70s rock effort to reach the racks should not be bemoaned. Yet as usual, Angel Air does its best to puff up the music's importance, with an elaborate 20-page booklet containing lengthy liner notes by Dicken and a full discography. ~ Richie Unterberger