My Top 5 Motorhead Albums.
He was out, so I lived even more dangerously. I put the tape into my brothers hi-fi, rewound it to the start and pressed play. Before that day, the only cassette I owned was a Shakin Stevens one. Don't get me wrong, I like Shakey to this day, but this new tape altered the flow of my history forever.
Back at the Funny Farm, the first song from Another Perfect Day, opens with a little bit of speech, presumably from out-takes, followed by Lemmy's dirty, groovy bass riff, much like Ace of Spades. As the song, and album played, I realised that this was the moment that I knew I would be a musician. It was my first taste of rock, and I wanted more. Three decades later, the butterfly effect of that tape playing still ripples out in wider and wider circles.
When Lemmy died, I cried a lot. He was to me, an inspiration, hero, and in many ways, a mythical beast. One that took no prisoners, and lived life his way. I've had a lot of ups and downs in life, and it was always Motorhead that helped me through. Lemmy once said that he wanted his music to make people feel twelve foot tall. He knew the rough end of life, and was one of us. He knew what his people needed in music, and he knew it needed to be genuine. When Lemmy died, it was for the loss of many things. The man himslef, the legend, the music, and perhaps the gravest of all; the realisation that there would never be a world with Lemmy, or anyone like him in it again. There will never be another Lemmy, purely because he was a one off, and that is what made him an amazing human.
This is very late, as I hate to do things as part of a crowd. Also in many ways, I have had such a personal jouney with Motorhead, that I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to write anything. However, Motorhead helped me through some very tough times, and if someone happens to read my list and decide to give one of these albums a try, and it helps them, like it helped me...my work will be done. I feel like my list will be a bit different to many fans, as the albums represent times in life as much as the songs, and sound.
So, in tribute to one great band, and one legend of a man, here are my top 5 Motorhead albums. Top notch!
This album, and it's surrounding promotion has the unique quality of featuring Lemmy without his moustache. I can never get used to watching the video for I don't believe a word, with a clean shaven Lemmy singing in a tuxedo.
This album, I feel was overshadowed by it's predecessor (more on that later), however I rushed out to get it and found it at a pivotal time. Crazy Like a Fox, and the title track really have a sense that nothing matters except you. It's a deceptively positive album that may not make many people's top 5 perhaps, but it's well and truly cememented in mine.
Lemmy himself said that this wasn't their greatest album, and I agree. However, it is a classic. Ace of Spades is perrenial. There aren't many songs that get my blood pumping after the 200th play, but this one does it still. It is though, the deeper cuts on the album that really make this a classic. Shoot You in the Back is such a grower, and I just love the fact that Lemmy shouts 'Western Movies' as an announcement to what the song is about. A unique touch that makes me smile everytime. The Chase is Better than the Catch is probably my favorite track all told. The groove on that is just insane, mainly down to Phil Taylors laid back beat. The album is probably the starting point for many, as it was for the band in a lot of ways..in terms of mainstream success anyway.
More than just the album that influenced modern metal masters, such as Lars Ulrich to start playing, Overkill represents an early crossroads for Motorhead. The production stands out as more refined as the previous, debut album, Motorhead, (not including On Parole), it is the album which could have sent the band in any direction. You can still hear the Hawkwind in there, and the blistering speed and sound were not yet fully formed. However the songs were melodic, and in some ways quite technical. I see Overkill as the Motorhead equivalent of Judas Priest's Sin After Sin. I imagine new fans going back through the back catalogue of Motorhead albums and being surprised with Overkill's subtlety. The title track to me is more overplayed than overkill, but that could just be me. The real gems on the album, Metropolis and Damage Case and intermixed with funky dittys like Pay Your Price, and as a result, the album really flows. It is to me, the most classic rock albums of Motorhead's catalogue. It is also the first Motorhead album I bought, and I listened to it over and over for years, standing in my pokey bedroom, over my old record player. Pure gold. I feel sorry for the youth of today.
And here we are back to the beginning. I know it's possibly seen as a bit 'edgy' to rate this album so highly, however I like to think that even if I didn't have a huge amount of sentimentality for it, it would still be up there. The uniquely Robertson era writing really captures a different Motorhead, where, along with the chainsaw bass, which is still very present, lies a sublime, almst meloncholic vibe. unny Farm, Shine, Dancing on your Grave et al, are all massively overlooked. In a way, this album is what Orgasmatron wanted to be. Just on the cusp between lounge lizard and maniac. I personally prefer this album to any of the Fast Eddie ones, however, Iron Fist comes closest, being its predecessor. I guess I have a thing for the albums that slipped through the net in some ways, and my number one in this list is the epitome of a great album that never got the recognition it deserved.
I have to thank my brother again for this one. Fast forwarding a few years from that bedroom discovery of APD, I was all about the metal. Long hair, metal T shirts, smoking all sorts of things. you name it. One Christmas my brother handed me my present and it was a tape. The black Bastards cover got me so excited, and once again, I took a tape out and played it. On Your Feet or On Your Knees kicked off and I was hooked. It was heavy, well produced and satisfying. The previous effort, March or Die was a mixed bag, and I wondered what Motorhead would do in response. Mikkey Dee, now firmly ensconsed on his rightful throne, where he would stay until the end, kicked the band up three gears. It was in retrospect a golden era, in terms of playing, if not promotion. Record company issues dogged the album, meaning that it never got the attention it deserved. To me, it blows every other Motorhead album out of the water, and that is saying something, as I love them all like they are my own children. Bastards is full of amazing songs with absolutely no filler. Lost in the Ozone is probably the greatest of the great in terms of Motorhead 'ballads', as well as the surprisingly tender, yet dark Dont let Daddy Kiss Me. Burner is a song that Zues would choose to be buried too, putting Motorhead back on the map of thrash. I realise that the list is very subjective, and I can accept any of my top five not being in someone elses, except this album. Want to start listening to Motorhead? Get this, Ace of Spades and Overkill, and then see which way the wind blows you. Every direction is a winner.
Long live Motorhead.
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