host(1) claims, under the -t option,

Note that the default is to look first for ``a'', and then ``mx'', except
that if the verbose option is turned on, the default is only ``a''.

This is the correct behavior, IMHO.  However, the default behavior does
not, in fact, report MX records:

huff% rpm -qf /usr/bin/host
bind-utils-8.2.2_P3-1
huff% /usr/bin/host www.semiotek.org
www.semiotek.org has address 208.133.44.40
huff% /usr/bin/host -t mx www.semiotek.org
www.semiotek.org mail is handled (pri=100) by bounty.bcca.org

Similar behavior is observed on a 5.1 RedHat box with
bind-utils-8.2.2_P3-0.5.2.  Both are Intel platforms, in case that matters.

Please bring back the advertised behavior, viz. (except this lacks the
Linux priority field in MX reports)

irix% host www.semiotek.org
www.semiotek.org has address 208.133.44.40
www.semiotek.org mail is handled by bounty.bcca.org