What are you currently listening to?

[Sumez]

Before leaving the Bowie topic completely behind (or moving it to a new dedicated thread ), let me drop off a list of what I consider some of his best, rarely celebrated tracks, in reverse chronological order. A testement to his body of work being so much more than a pop musician with a ton of hits.

Valentine's Day - somehow the point when I realised the song was about a school shooter, it changed how I perceived the music, a modest masterpiece by a 66 year old maestro

Days - Feels like a callback to the folk style of Hunky Dory. Another really simple song, but it's just so, so well made that it really gets to you

I Would Be Your Slave - All of Heathen sees Bowie crooning like never before, and this is just one great example out of a bunch of them

Outside - The title track from the same album is probably one of the best ones on here, despite being less profilic as stuff like Hello Space Boy or Deranged

You've Been Around - Really representative of the unique funky electronica mix Bowie went into on Black Tie White Noise. Not a particularly solid album, but it was a great way to get out of his 80s sludge

Teenage Wildlife - A lot of Scary Monsters feels like a callback to his own earlier material, and this is a really obvious attempt at revisiting the sound of Heroes. And to be honest, it does a very good job, all the while taking jabs at the time's modern cookie cutter pop music, namely Gary Numan

Repetition - A hilariously monotone Bowie rightfully belittles wife beaters. "Can't you even cook? What's the good of me working when you can't damn cook!" Didn't I mention already that Lodger reminds me a lot of Talking Heads? That goes beyond just mimicking Byrne's vocal style on "DJ"

Breaking Glass - Dealing with domestic disturbance in a more self reflective manner, disguised as one of the fun, short upbeat pieces of Low. Really, almost every individual track on Low is overlooked.

Moonage Daydream - Alright, pretty much every single track on Ziggy is super popular, but why don't people realise that Moonage Daydream is the best track on the album? Or maybe it's Five Years.

Song For Bob Dylan - Oh how pretentious to make a song named after Bob Dylan, mimicking the man's own style, and doing it better than he ever did (alright, that was a little facetious - I like Dylan's music, I just dislike the man)

Cygnet Committee - Bowie's long winded, bitter retaliation at the hippie movement is a beautiful thing that must be experienced in its full length

The Laughing Gnome - I'm so glad this exists

Did somebody say Tin Machine?

I tried shortly, but it didn't click with me. I know a lot of people claim they are underrated, so I really should try again some time.

[BIL]

(or moving it to a new dedicated thread )

I was pondering giving the albums thread a bump, for some hardcore track-by-track deep diving. However it's the "favourite albums" thread, and CMoon's not around much lately, so I dunno if it'd be appropriate for more critical discussion. The art of the finely-tuned (or not) slab is certainly a thread-worthy subject!

Related, I've found chopping a few tracks out of W.A.S.P.'s debut turns a fun glam record into a firebreathing Priestly monster, while ditching half of "down w/ the kids" 90s effort Kill/Fuck/Die turns a blah LP into a cool EP!

[Sumez]

I was at a festival where WASP played last week, did I miss out by not seeing them? My gf wanted to see them but had teh hangovers. It seems like the style of music I usually go at lengths to avoid :3 - I did randomly end up at a Steel Panther show though, which was a pretty hilarious parody of the exact same thing.

[BIL]

Given my own experiences - there are certain forms of music and film where I decidedly prefer well-done parodies to the real thing - I'd say you made the right call.

In the first album's defense, it's a solid harder hair metal effort provided you chop out a trio of milquetoasts. "The Flame" and "School Daze" are snoozers, and Obligatory Sensitive Ballad "Sleeping In The Fire" isn't bad but gets in the way. Uninspired cover of "Paint It Black" can fuck right off too.

The rest is consistently catchy and raucous. I particularly dig "On Your Knees," that's a quality hook. "The Torture Never Stops" bangs pretty hard too, evil opener riff and almost Blackmore-esque gallop.

This is all a bit tongue in cheek, of course. I find the "controversial" shock rock elements terribly amusing. "I nail your ass to the sheets!" Not a record or band I'll go to war over, just something I've enjoyed blaring lately. "The Headless Children" is a solid pick if you like the ST, a bit loftier but just as balls-out loud, catchy and ridiculous (again, ditch ballad "Forever Free" - he can write them but I'm not interested!). "The Crimson Idol" is a genuinely excellent melodic metal album imo, if fairly up itself in concept pretensions.

At one point I was all "end to end or bust" with albums, but lately I've said fuck it. Sometimes it's better to carve an EP (or single) out of a lacking long player. That tired trudge through "God Save The Queen" on the otherwise aerodynamic buzzsaw We Are Motorhead is another whose absence greatly improves its LP.

[Marc]

All I know of Bauhaus is Dark Entries and The Passion of Lovers, absolutely love both tracks and need to check out more.

Sumez, yes, Moonage Daydream is absolutely the best Ziggy track that isn't Five Years or Hang On To Yourself (the live version of this from the final Spiders gig absolutely smokes).

Currently spinning Adam Ant's 'Dirk Wears White Sox'. Great album overshadowed by the stuff that came after. Believe that band he wrote this with split not long after and formed Bow Wow Wow. Wonder who had the last laugh there.

[Randorama]

Sumez, thanks for the list, and yeah, finding an artist that could deserve such thorough listening across the whole spectrum may be hard...

We can defer the task to next Monday, and start a new "focus" discussion for the week. BIL will bring the topic, since he keeps fiddling around with chandeliers in the Castlevanias (ahem!).

On a different note...

After five years of Sweden, I kinda miss the Midnight Sun (with capital letters), so I am listening to Stereolab, which I always felt to have a "Scandinavian summer" feeling. Now, these guys are/were rather indebted to the Bowie of the Berlin trilogy, Krautrock (and a bit of Glass-style minimalism), plus a bit of '60s easy listening such as Bacharach and Piccioni. The mix is surprisingly enjoyable, I believe.

[BIL]

I'll respectfully defer to Zen. ;3 Wouldn't mind hearing more about Mr. Waits myself.

Unless you guys feel like sifting through 40 years of Motörhead and hearing me extol the latter-day perfection of Motörizer and the wilderness years gem that is Another Perfect Day, because Lemmy is my dad.



And hell, I've still not given his Hawkwind tenure or solo projects a proper go, so I'd be down in the trenches with you!

[mycophobia]

essential 2 tom waits albums are Small Change (early style, jazz, beautiful piano ballads) and Rain Dogs (later style, weird shit, horns, guitars)

I mean most of his catalog is well worth checking out but those are the easiest entry points.

[Sumez]

Unless you guys feel like sifting through 40 years of Motörhead and hearing me extol the latter-day perfection of Motörizer and the wilderness years gem that is Another Perfect Day, because Lemmy is my dad.

Motorhead is a band I've been curious to dig into a few times. Though I'm by no means a metalhead by any stretch of the definition, I always did appreciate their style and attitude. Most of their stuff seems good, but I'm also afraid of fatigue, as a vast majority sounds like it follows the same formula, and it's hard for me to tell it apart.
Occasionally, I guess, they have produced badass gems like God Was Never On Your Side. However, I also checked out the rest of the album that song comes from, and it's booooooring.

essential 2 tom waits albums are Small Change (early style, jazz, beautiful piano ballads) and Rain Dogs (later style, weird shit, horns, guitars)

I mean most of his catalog is well worth checking out but those are the easiest entry points.

Thanks!
I always appreciated Tom Wait, though never felt intrigued enough to go down that rabbit hole. But checking out two albums can't hurt.

[Zen]

I'll respectfully defer to Zen. ;3 Wouldn't mind hearing more about Mr. Waits myself.

Waits is arguably the most important and most talented curator of musical "Americana". I am a poor chonicler and wouldnt be able to do him justice.

Impressed with the level of insight within the last discussion, on Bowie.
Getting down to the core of what Bowie's music is, or what Waits' music is etc., is the aspect I find most interesting.

With that being said and in your own time;



BRING IT THE FUCK ON!

[Zen]

I always appreciated Tom Wait, though never felt intrigued enough to go down that rabbit hole.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAkZT_4vL_Y

[BIL]

Motorhead is a band I've been curious to dig into a few times. Though I'm by no means a metalhead by any stretch of the definition, I always did appreciate their style and attitude. Most of their stuff seems good, but I'm also afraid of fatigue, as a vast majority sounds like it follows the same formula, and it's hard for me to tell it apart.

They decidedly relied on a relatively small handful of song templates - the Overkill proto-thrash barnburner, the Iron Horse bluesy grinder, the vintage rock n' roll Bomber boogie, later the blunt percussive violence of Sacrifice - but I think of it like good STG design. Here's the sniper tank onslaught, now the huge battleship, ohshi IREM crushing walls puzzlebox, aww fuck it's the endgame miniboss parade - you've seen it all before, but provided it's done with sufficient verve and venom, it's a not unpleasant familiarity.

Generally speaking they kept it up manfully - there's only a few real dips in there, conspicuously around times Lemmy was either fatigued by years of nonstop touring (the infamously half-cocked Iron Fist), tied up in legal BS (late 80s, Rock And Roll) or struggling with his health (early 00s, the confusedly wandering Hammered). He also had a certain longing for commercial success that could occasionally get the better of him - he wasn't incapable of writing for radio without sacrificing quality (1916 exemplifies this) but it culminated in their least-loved record, the watered-down March or Die.

Overall they were remarkably tireless, and they also had a knack for roaring out of setbacks with renewed fury and grace (Bastards and Inferno were much-needed adrenaline shots that would persist for at least a couple albums down the road). It also has to be said, it's hard to find a truly irredeemable Motorhead LP... even the stuff I've slated above tends to have at least a couple reminders of why they were and are so beloved by a healthy swathe of rock, metal and punk fans.

Occasionally, I guess, they have produced badass gems like God Was Never On Your Side. However, I also checked out the rest of the album that song comes from, and it's booooooring.

Oof, yeah, Kiss of Death has a few standouts (I love One Night Stand, just total feelgood rock n' roll hedonism! I've been a slut all my life...), but more outright clunkers than their average. "Living In The Past" and "Going Down" are instant writeoffs, and tbh "Kingdom of the Worm" tests my patience a bit. imo it's joint-weakest of their fourth and final decade along with the catchier but somewhat safe-feeling The World is Yours.

With that being said and in your own time;

Spoiler

BRING IT THE FUCK ON!

Hell yeah motherfucker.



I'll write up a quick reference list of my picks, will post it in a bit. There's a fair amount of ground to cover. ;3

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Just when you would think he was gone for good, along would come something like, "The Hearts Filthy Lesson" from Outside (1995),
(which bedsides being a fantastic piece, features one of the angriest guitar riffs ever)

The single came out on the same day that I got drunk for the first time as a kid. I remember exactly where I was. (singles were only 99p if you snagged them before they charted too.) I also unintentionally named my daughter after that song.

Did somebody say Tin Machine?

I tried shortly, but it didn't click with me. I know a lot of people claim they are underrated, so I really should try again some time.

II is better than the first.

[FinalBaton]

Not saying it's even approaching the same level of influence and legacy as Bowie and Tom Waits : it is not. but to me, that "band with a huge discography" that I happily dug into and became enthralled with, is The Cure.

the changes in styles from different eras are small ones, so those looking to discover new music genres/get eclectic selection, go elsewhere. but to me that was exactly what I was looking for at the time : all kinds of fun sounds within the genre that is post-punk.

I love so much stuff in Fat Bob's output : the early punk swagger, the existentialist post-punk of Three Imaginary Boys, the cold and introspective sound of 17 seconds and Primary, the savage Goth onslaught of Pornography, the warm and upbeat synth-pop of Japanese Whispers-era singles, the weird pop of The Top, the shimmering pop of Head on the Door and Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, the dark and seductive Disintegration... all the way up to Bloodflowers, a beautiful, reflective, slow record with lots of acoustic guitar in the mix.



Oh and speaking of Lemmy, I saw him in a cameo(guest on live show) as I discovered a new band last week : I had never heard, to my great dismay, of the great hardcore punk band The Plasmatics. And boy was I in for a treat. Wendy O. is seriously the most badass chick in rock, bar none. a force of nature. Even Lemmy worships the queen of punk rock, Wendy O.
I had a blast watching a bunch of performances of the group, with all the stunts they pull off. I won't spoil for those who haven't seen them, but take my word for it, it's some fun concerts

[BIL]

Lemmy had some memorable stories about Wendy... My favourite being her blowing up a police car, getting the shit beaten out of her by the cops and escaping conviction due to that, then celebrating by promptly blowing up another one. I wouldn't want me or mine living that life but somebody's gotta do it!

caveat: Lemmy was known to sometimes just make shit up, occasionally forgetting whether it was true or not himself. "We drove all the way there with no windshield, just this bird in a massive fur coat on me lap!" "No it had a windshield!" "There was no windshield in it, you cunt!"

[FinalBaton]

Holy shit ^^^^^^


Also : those two bands befriending each other, is the best example of metal heads and punks finding common ground. The two genres weren't always best-buddies, but on some occasions they were. And some metal bands borrowed the speed and crass of punk and some punk bands borrowed the loudness and power of metal.

Motörhead themselves are pretty damn punk, as far as metal band goes, of course.

[BIL]

Here's my thoughts on Motorhead's discography. Warning, might get kinda warbly! Not working with much expertise here, mostly feels.

Just studio albums for now, plus Hammersmith because it is transcendentally important to Motorhead canon. Writing this up makes me want to revisit four albums I rated low: Rock N' Roll, March Or Die, Hammered and The World Is Yours. If you think I've been a bit fuzzy on 'em you're probably right.

Quick ratings reference (clusters ordered chronologically):

Spoiler

Super Recommend
OVERKILL
BOMBER
ACE OF SPADES
NO SLEEP TIL HAMMERSMITH
SACRIFICE
WE ARE MOTORHEAD
INFERNO
MOTORIZER
AFTERSHOCK

Strong Recommend
MOTORHEAD
ANOTHER PERFECT DAY
1916
BASTARDS
OVERNIGHT SENSATION
BAD MAGIC

Ok Recommend
IRON FIST
ORGASMATRON
ROCK N' ROLL
SNAKE BITE LOVE
KISS OF DEATH
THE WORLD IS YOURS

Meh Recommend
MARCH OR DIE
HAMMERED

Not Recommend
N/A

Turkey Recommend
N/A

---

Individual album reviews (ordered chronologically)

MOTORHEAD [1976] (Kilmister/Clarke/Taylor)


Swaggering, horny, good-humoured rock n' roll wreathed in punk sneer and prog grandeur. The punk aspect would soon explode forth as the prog sharply receded, making this a refreshing listen when you want something adventurous yet primordially raw from the classic lineup.

"Motörhead! Remember me, now! Motörhead, alright?"

Although it's the subsequent trio of albums that defined Motorhead, this shouldn't be thought of as a false start. The chassis is similar, but the balance of rock/punk/prog is very different, and results in some excellent oneoffs you won't hear elsewhere - like the stoical march through fever dreams of "Lost Johnny," rock-steady Fast Eddie showcase "Keep Us On The Road," and sleek, sinister dark rocker "The Watcher."

MOTORHEAD
WHITE LINE FEVER
THE WATCHER

OVERKILL [1979]


Lemmy, Eddie and Philthy arrive in earnest. Crunching bluesy rock n' roll exuding punk savagery and explosive proto-thrash speed. Not averse to trippier passages either - cascading "Metropolis" and pummeling yet ethereal "Capricorn" - as blues crushers "I'll Be Your Sister" and "Damage Case" swing lethal heft to seamless grooves.

"I'm gonna tear you limb from limb."

This album's sole weakness is Hammersmith having 50% of its songs in even harder, faster form - but the rock-steadier studio takes hold their own, and the exclusives are uniformly killer.

I'LL BE YOUR SISTER
DAMAGE CASE
LIMB FROM LIMB

BOMBER [1979]


"Talking Head" is a vanishingly rare early dud that Lemmy himself disliked. Chop it. Otherwise, the resolute middle chapter of the classic trilogy. Released in quick turnaround to press the advantage of Overkill, though its quality gives no hints of a rushed production.

"Ain't a hope in hell! Nothing's gonna bring us down!"

Eddie Clarke once said he disliked this record, but he would seem to be its clear MVP, right from the opening air-raid wails of "Dead Men Tell No Tales." "Poison" an underrated, anthemic, autobiographical blast of venom with a paint-strippingly intense solo; career highlight "Stone Dead Forever" finds him in a more contemplative, lyrical mode. Elsewhere, a one-time and excellent lead vocal from Clarke makes up the poon quota: "Step Down," a yowl of indomitable lust from man and guitar alike. "Bomber" is the boppier yet no less relentless rock n' roller to Overkill's jackhammering proto-thrasher. "Sweet Revenge" a bit daft, but also genuinely atmospheric and hilariously OTT.

POISON
STEP DOWN
BOMBER

ACE OF SPADES [1980]


Their masterpiece and benchmark. The prior two classics' violent, punk-encrusted rock n' roll, subtly metallized and streamlined for lethal airspeed. Tuned to slash more than smash, with a rack of razor-sharp riffs.

"Take one look and die."

The famed title burner and speed demons like "Fire Fire" and "The Hammer" are far from this LP's only mode. "Love Me Like A Reptile" and "Shoot You In The Back" throttle just enough for their irresistible hooks to sink in, while "We Are The Road Crew" expertly leverages its beat for head-stomping intensity; the midtempo is well-stocked by twin blues pounders "Fast And Loose" and "Jailbait." Even as the cowboy-cosplaying blitzkrieg rains, authentic boogie "Dance" and easy-grooving "Chase Is Better Than The Catch" affirm these men as no mere ruffians, but consummate masters of rock n' roll. Even runt of the litter "Live To Win" is a sleek killer by lesser bands' standards.

An indestructible slab of utterly rare rock/punk/metal alchemy.

LOVE ME LIKE A REPTILE
FAST AND LOOSE
THE CHASE IS BETTER THAN THE CATCH

NO SLEEP TIL HAMMERSMITH [1981]


Live album of legendary intensity, effectively a greatest hits of the preceding five years. #1 UK hit; Lemmy forever rued the perceived impossibility of topping it. Worth it. I suggest sticking to the original, single-disc release... the extra tracks found on later deluxe editions are fun, and worth hearing, but they slightly diffuse the bunker-busting impact of the original runtime.

OVERKILL
THE HAMMER
WE ARE THE ROAD CREW

IRON FIST [1982]


Stumble! What the fuck are you doing with Viking cosplay?! Troubled production and an audibly exhausted band deflate this one. A rung beneath the debut, never mind the classic trilogy. However, there are certainly some solid hits here - chiefly the canonically classic title track. Even the lesser stuff is more middling than anything offensive. Passable album that feels like a brutal flop given what came immediately before.

"Can't go on but you can't go back!"

IRON FIST
GO TO HELL
LOSER

ANOTHER PERFECT DAY [1984] (Clarke out; Robertson in)


Underrated! And utterly unique! A marginally slower and more melodic record... by Motorhead standards. In mortal terms it's absolutely balls-hard, swiftly annihilating the fatigued Iron Fist. Brian Robertson's short tenure was infamously troubled, with Lemmy taking particular offense at his love of headbands and battyriders. Musically, though, his shimmering tone and seamless licks are unimpeachable - the contrast with Lemmy and Phil's thundering presence creating an unlikely gem of the canon.

BACK AT THE FUNNY FARM
DANCING ON YOUR GRAVE
ANOTHER PERFECT DAY

ORGASMATRON [1986] (Taylor and Robertson out; Gill, Wurzel and permanent fixture Campbell in)


Lemmy continues to battle hard but without direction, in the wake of a laser-focused early run. Now Philthy's gone too, as is Robertson, with Lemmy opting to double up on guitarists Phil Campbell and Wurzel for a four-piece. Ironically, the weak production makes the band sound thinner than they ever did as a trio (or ever would again as a quartet).

This marks the start of what I term Motorhead's "ordinary period," spanning roughly to the end of the decade. They're entirely professional, but are losing their signature punk/thrash hybrid edge in favour of generic 1980s hard rock. Likely no coincidence that Lemmy was embroiled in legal bullshit around this time, and pursuing a minor acting gig.

As usual, Lemmy refuses to go down without landing a few solid hits - most notably the cathartic bellowing kickoff "Deaf Forever," and concert opener mainstay "Doctor Rock" (whose infectious bounce easily redeems Iron Fist's lame attempt at Carry On Matron-esque antics). Would-be title track "Ridin' With The Driver" has impressive pace and incandescent lyrical fury, but the crap mix blunts its impact. About the only song not tarnished by the mixing desk is the pulsing, theatrically diabolical title track - good albeit gimmicky fun, and Lem's first brush with a cosmic malevolence that'd become prominent in later years.

"I hope you sons of bitches see the light!"

DEAF FOREVER
RIDIN' WITH THE DRIVER
DOCTOR ROCK

ROCK N' ROLL [1987] (Gill out, Taylor returns)


See Orgasmatron, basically. Solidly mundane hard rock, bolstered by Lem's sheer presence and a couple truly ferocious hits: the invincibly catchy anthemic rocker "Black Heart," and devastating speed metal assault "The Wolf."

But then, regarding "The Wolf..." I generally love Monty Python, and it's cool they got Michael Palin to do an intro, but this was not the fucking time. You've also got to sit through the wowling of a conspicuously fruity-sounding "wolf" before, at fucking last, Philthy's drums save the day. What should be a bloodening racket is more of a rescue from inanity. It's like they wanted to bury this proud shredder under a ton of dumb shit.

Ah well. Skip the fuck out of it (or do like me and chop the file in an editor ).

BLACK HEART
THE WOLF

1916 [1991]


This is more the fuck like it! Lemmy gets a much-needed boost by moving to LA and cashing in on his now-esteemed stature in the rock/metal community. Although 1916 is undeniably commercial-leaning, sometimes sleepily so (chop out "Angel City"), it largely restores the gashing fury lost in Hammersmith's wake. "The One To Sing The Blues" packs a granite-crackingly hard riff, propelling one of Lemmy's most soulful laments to lost booty; "Make My Day" stokes its raw carnality into a positively plaintive howl of want, Phil Campbell's solo an incendiary lyrical release. Tribute to close friends and fellow punk/rock crossover heroes "R.A.M.O.N.E.S." dispels any potential mawkishness with a savage street-level barrage to do both outfits proud.

"Pretty mean when it wants to be!"

I'm not big on ambient experiment "Nightmare: The Dreamtime," chop chop. However "Love Me Forever" is excellent, a blistering dark crooner presaging Lem's knack for stoic balladry. The title track's cello-accompanied requiem may seem a Spinal Tap disaster on paper, but acquits itself with brevity and humility.

Overall, a bit too commercial a record for my tastes - but the quality is undeniable, and it's not without some of the entire canon's most potently lustful vitriol.

THE ONE TO SING THE BLUES
MAKE MY DAY
R.A.M.O.N.E.S.

MARCH OR DIE [1992] (fuckton of drummers sessioning, incl. future fixture Mikkey Dee)


Slippin' back down again. Not offensive, just forgettable, again. This would be Lemmy's last overt attempt at chasing mainstream popularity - the best thing to come out of this period is probably his earning more by writing a couple songs for Ozzy than he had in his entire thirty-year career up to then.

I find this record kinda uninspiring tbh - it's easily the one I've put the least hours into here, so I may well be lowballing (or even highballing) it. Again, my favourite thing isn't the music itself, but Lemmy's rad story of recording vocals at the studio during the LA riots, seeing a burning building on the TV, and realising it was the one he was standing in.

BASTARDS [1993] (Taylor out again, Dee in)


1916 mkii, tuned towards the harder end of the spectrum. As there, it effortlessly balances airplay-friendly rock and shattering punky intensity. "Burner" is not the only battering assault! See also derangedly rambunctious ass-shaker "On Your Feet Or On Your Knees" and grimly catchy martial duo "Death Or Glory" and "I Am The Sword." The rollicking singalong of "Born To Raise Hell" isn't my thing, but it's eminently respectable radio material. "Lost In The Ozone" continues Lemmy's establishment as a deceptively adept balladeer...

...though he somewhat sabotages his own LP by placing the overwhelming "Don't Let Daddy Kiss Me" smack in the middle. Not for any lack of quality (it is superb on all counts), it is just a punishingly tragic song whose impact can't help colouring the rest of the album. Legend has it Lemmy had originally shopped it to Joan Jett, Lita Ford and other female peers to positive reception, but after no agreements emerged he decided to just do it himself. He sounds like he's pleading with God to intervene while silently yearning to punch his fucking lights out in disgust. I know that feel, I know you all do too. I like to move it to the penultimate track so the others can breathe a bit.

Super solid record that, just like 1916, is a little soft overall but never dishonourably so.

ON YOUR FEET OR ON YOUR KNEES
BURNER
DEATH OR GLORY

SACRIFICE [1995]


Finally back to remorseless, unvarnished form. A gruelingly sludgy guitar tone, a relentlessly guttural Lemmy and sometimes punishingly un-hooky writing may turn some off... but as a fan of doomier, more percussion-driven stuff, this record is motherfucking catnip. It's no one trick pony, either - packing speedy headbangers "Sex & Death" and its groovier companion "Dog Face Boy," a couple mini-epics in heroic fantasy "All Gone To Hell" and darkly autobiographical "In Another Time," plus the authentic honky-tonk of "Don't Waste Your Time" and slow-burning tribal death roar "Make 'Em Blind." Super unforgiving, super solid.

Cold, in the arms of the dead
I still hear them talk
Telling jokes in my head

SACRIFICE
SEX & DEATH
ORDER / FADE TO BLACK (I love this song sooo fucking much! ;-; )

OVERNIGHT SENSATION [1996] (Wurzel out; Lemmy/Phil/Mikkey lineup persists for rest of band's career; fuck "revolving door lineup" rock journo cliches)


Underrated pt2! A bizarrely yet excellently dualistic record. Not only is it almost 50/50 between violence and pop... it also loves to deploy each side in alternating sequence. "Civil War"'s murderous opening blast is as grim as anything they've ever done; "Crazy Like A Fox"'s joyous quest for poon sounds like Lemmy is doing backflips in the vocal booth. "Eat The Gun" is knowingly ridiculous, violence-crazed macho-mania; "Broken" is gleaming pop metal with a chromium-plated chorus hook, conspicuously near Judas Priest's "Turbo Lover."

And so on, right to the end. "Shake The World" rumbles with morose amelodic doom, while "Listen To Your Heart" is every bit the acoustic hippy sing-along of Lemmy's youth that its name suggests. It's all consistently good, as well - the only real misstep coming in otherwise affecting dirge "I Don't Believe A Word" being a couple minutes overlong.

A lesser-feted Motorhead record, with total command of its unusual split personality. Highly recommended if you appreciate both extremes of the band's palette!

CIVIL WAR
CRAZY LIKE A FOX
BROKEN

SNAKE BITE LOVE [1998]


Solidly unremarkable in the main and yet still, yes you guessed it, packing a few supremely worthy cuts. You could really make a compilation album of all these. Actually that's a great idea, if I do say so meself!

"Love For Sale" is an impeccably bog-standard raucous rocker; "Joy of Labour" a bluesy cruncher, unexpectedly vulnerable in its rasps of confession. Absolute standout is the wounded requiem "Dead and Gone," a dynamic masterpiece of enveloping verses and earth-shattering hooks.

Turn me down, turn me down
Step back and I hit the ground

Turn me on, turn me on
Everything I do is wrong

LOVE FOR SALE
JOY OF LABOUR
DEAD AND GONE

WE ARE MOTORHEAD [2000]


A punky light-alloy murder machine, with something foreign jamming up its works. Ah! It's a nice but pointless Sex Pistols cover. Chop it the fuck out, and let's get the fuck going. Lusty fusillade "See Me Burning" sets the tone, heavier but equally resolute poon-chaser "Slow Dance" expertly dials back, the marvelously-titled "STAY OUT OF JAIL" rockets off again... and here is where that crummy cover would jam things up, but it's gone now and "OUT TO LUNCH" is here!

Built for speed with simple, catchy, relentless buzzsaw riffs; also packs perhaps Lemmy's most sparely affecting ballad in the gently defiant "One More Fucking Time," plus a stirring mini-epic of beautiful interplays in "Wake The Dead," and a blistering barnburner to match Ace of Spades and Iron Fist in the closing title track.

We are the ones you love, or we're the ones you hate
We are the ones always too early or too late
We are the first and we just still might be the last
We are Motorhead! Born to kick your ass!

Excellent record - I blast this one from end to end without regrets every time. After, uh, chopping the Pistols. Yep. Covers don't count imo, unless they're good!

SEE ME BURNING
SLOW DANCE
WAKE THE DEAD

HAMMERED [2002]


Lemmy's health takes a hard knock as he is confirmed diabetic, and this record perhaps understandably doesn't excel. Diehard fans might find its more offbeat elements worth investigating - "Walk A Crooked Mile" sounds like nothing they ever did, and honestly isn't bad for a milder, melodic album opener. "Voices From The War" is an isolated metal goodie, though nothing much in the grand scheme of things.

Lemmy struck up a close friendship with pro wrestler and longtime fan Triple H around this time, and Motorhead contributed his next ring entrance theme. I think that song was on some pressings? Don't believe I've ever encountered it. More than one person has said it helps redeem an otherwise blah record. Next to "March or Die" this is the MH album I've spent the least time with... I should probably give it another crack sometime.

INFERNO [2004]


The triumphantly hellacious benchmark of the band's clobbering fourth and final decade - bolstered by the producer who'd stay to the end, Cameron Webb. Tonally reminiscent of Sacrifice, balancing gloriously grueling downtempo ("Suicide") with blasts of ripping speed ("Fight"); Webb adds killer mass to already bludgeoning compositions. There's also some supremely catchy - yet heavy! - radiofriendly stuff here, too ("Life's A Bitch," "Down On Me," "In The Black"). A profoundly heavy yet sublimely agile, well-balanced record, and a perfect entry point for latter-years Motorhead.

IN THE NAME OF TRAGEDY
SUICIDE
IN THE BLACK

KISS OF DEATH [2006]


A competent enough holding pattern for the abrasive, violent Inferno sound, but its songwriting just isn't as strong. Not to be ditched entirely, but as discussed in my previous post, be prepared to chop a few. "Living In The Past" and "Going Down" are among the most forgettable tracks of this era. "Kingdom of the Worm" is a monstrously beefed-up Sacrifice, gaining bone-jarring bulk but losing too much velocity. "Sword of Glory" is lyrically one of Lem's finest anti-war efforts, but seems continually at odds with its upbeat disposition. Missed the mark slightly there.

Of the better militant tracks, the snarlingly contemptuous opener "Sucker" is an excellent start. "God Was Never On Your Side" is a fairly standard acoustic ballad given weight by Lem's always compelling mastery of tone and some fine arrangement.

Otherwise, despite the album art's awesome show of arms, ol' Lem seems to have fared much better with the shagging songs. "One Night Stand" is a bucking hedonistic joy; "Under The Gun" is the absolute filthiest blues grinder he ever wrought; "Be My Baby" has a killer gnashing riff with a winningly cathartic chorus. "Christine" is a charmingly modest no-frills paean; its opposite number "Devil I Know" sports a wicked pulsing riff, driving an amusingly venomous tale of romance gone bad. In ambiguously darker territory, athletically bounding "Trigger" invokes harried pursuit, offset with some wryly self-deprecating nods to Lem's advancing years.

Never mind the dicky ticker!

I get the feeling this album could've used different presentation. It's a cheerfully brazen sex record with a light dusting of BRUTAL WAR, not the other way around. Oh well! Some pressings include a cover of Metallica's "Whiplash," which Motorhead won a Grammy for (to Lemmy's bemusement). I don't care about all that, but the cover itself is quite excellent and easily worth swapping in to boost a slightly underwhelming record.

ONE NIGHT STAND
UNDER THE GUN
BE MY BABY

MOTORIZER [2008]


A swift return to form, for my money surpassing even Inferno. Bullseye after bullseye across the entirety of the band's not especially wide but always masterful gamut. Obscenely catchy boogie ("Runaround Man"), bad-tempered hard rock ("Teach You How To Sing The Blues,") bluesy stomp ("Back On The Chain"), floor-shattering heavy metal ("When The Eagle Screams"), joyfully rollicking paeans to poon ("English Rose") and streamlined punky slashers ("Buried Alive"), all present and blazing. It also has an excellent stab at something entirely different in "The Thousand Names of God," an emphatic climax with soaring dual leads and an addictive rhythmic strut.

You don't like the way we fight?
You don't have a fucking clue

RUNAROUND MAN
WHEN THE EAGLE SCREAMS
BACK ON THE CHAIN

THE WORLD IS YOURS [2010]


Probably the most overtly poppy record of this set. I find a lot of it nearly as unremarkable as Hammered - though I get a shameless kick out of rollicking, self-plagiarising "Outlaw," and "Brotherhood of Man" is a formidably imposing visit from Orgasmatron's eponymous tyrant. Not bad, per se, but one of those Motorhead records that starts to blur together for lack of sharp edges.

OUTLAW
BROTHERHOOD OF MAN

AFTERSHOCK [2013]



Lemmy's health was deteriorating in earnest by this point, though it's not quite evident just yet. His once-impervious rasp is thinning, imparting the warning he strains to yell over apocalyptic kickoff "Heartbreaker" with an affecting fraility.

"Careful where you stand now, boy! Everything has changed!"

A hard-hitting record with a few runts - "Paralysed" can go; "Queen of the Damned" thrashes convincingly, but feels like a play for time compared to the intensity elsewhere; catchily galloping "Going to Mexico" likewise. These add up to only five minutes' runtime - all is obliteratingly pardoned by a much larger raft of razor-sharp, strikingly diverse killers.

Opening duo "Heartbreaker" and "Coup de Grace" combine reckless velocity and body-slamming time changes with bittersweet hooks, amplifying Lem's tales of collapse and sorrow into an irresistible howl at the vortex. "End of Time" proves Overkill's proto-thrasher of yore is yet to leave the band's grasp; "Do You Believe" likewise effortlessly invokes the relentless bop of Bomber. "Death Machine" sports a coolly funking bassline and one of Lemmy's most vividly evocative scenes, while smoothly desolate "Lost Woman Blues" and haunted "Dust and Glass" confirm his easy mastery of subtler tones. Meanwhile "Silence When You Speak To Me" is positively ass-shaking in its audacious pulse, while "Crying Shame," "Keep Your Powder Dry" and "Knife" indulge in richly well-earned feelgood rocking. Amidst all the aural and lyrical cataclysm, they are positively welcome contrasts!

Gloriously indomitable record, even ignoring the band's hard circumstances... or maybe it was those circumstances that provoked such a ferociously life-affirming response, as happened so many times before in their career? Whatever the reason, this thing hits like a fucking freight train, and cares enough to patch you up with some inimitably curative rock n' roll.

HEARTBREAKER
LOST WOMAN BLUES
DEATH MACHINE

BAD MAGIC [2015]



The end of the line. Undeniably Aftershock Part II - all too understandably, with Lemmy just four months for the world at release. Lacks its predecessor's remarkably varied arsenal, but lands its hits with the same unmistakable sense of renewed fury. Lem opens business by spitting square in the reaper's face before dropping the fiend with shattering Old Man Combination VICTORY OR DIE + THUNDER AND LIGHTNING.

"Who knows what the fuck it's all about?!"

I never wanted to be nowhere else
I spent my whole life pleasing myself!
Standing on stage
The thrill never fades
The ultimate rage
Raving and fighting
Maybe you'll shake
Maybe you'll break
You'll never escape
Thunder and Lightning!

True to form, death sent packing for now, this is not an album overly concerned with tomorrow. "Til The End"' is an affectionate but uncompromising reminder to let things be, come what may. "Fire Storm Hotel" is Lem wanting to cover Cat Scratch Fever again, I think? Whatever the motive, our protagonists nail the fuck out its swaggering riff as Lem paints ghoulish visions of opulent damnation. Brian May-augmented "The Devil" punctuates its nimbly stomping verses with a sledgehammer chorus, broken necks and bodies left cold by an ambiguously diabolic force. "Evil Eye" shows the band's slight but ever-persisting capacity for new tricks, conjuring maelstroms of glass-gargling malediction over a mischievously funky scratch. "Tell Me Who To Kill" gets in one last raucous tale of rock n' roll banditry, the threat of a fearsome chair shot looming! "Choking On Your Screams" is the final and most horrific hurrah of the Orgasmatrons... and then, "When The Sky Comes Looking For You" ends a forty-year underdog odyssey in agreeably bouncy, radio-friendly fashion, an appropriately zero fucks given for epitaphs. They were too busy, give them a break.

What do you think's going to be your reward?
Sixty year watch or a kick in the balls?
Time is a wasting you don't get it back
Move out and prove out and always attack!

VICTORY OR DIE
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING
FIRE STORM HOTEL

---

Ta Lemmy. You did great. ;-;7



Ta Philthy, Eddie & Wurzel. God speed @ Phil and Mikkey, Lem's tireless comrades and star performers for a full half of Motorhead's forty years (a full three decades for Phil). Any hack critic who uses the phrase "revolving door" about this band should be caught in a revolving door and subsequently beaten with a chair by Triple H.



Here's to all disciples of excellence, no matter their chosen medium. Be for always OVER KILL

[Zen]

Superb!


The Lemmy seal of approval

1976 to 1982 Motorhead dude, myself (Overkill - 1979, being my top choice also) but I'm going to grab this opportunity to give the later stuff another chance.

Looking forward to see what others (including perhaps, those new to Motorhead) make of what the fuck is going on here!

[BIL]

Ta! Did I ever tell you you've got impeccable GIF sense?

[soprano1]

Wow, I'm glad to see this thread exploding with greatness. Good job, everyone.

[FinalBaton]

Some more '80s J-pop these last few days.

Takako Mamiya's LP Love Trip. very nice record, pretty much the whole thing is superb. Sounds very sophisticated and the melody of her voice always leans on the music in a beautiful way. makes for smooth and touching chords every goddamn time. her voice is delicate yet soulful af. she got such masterful control of it


Also, Tasturo's hit singles Love Talking (a beastly sassy-funk number. hot damn... insane track), and Magic Ways (a dazzling love song, one of the best i've heard. light, airy and heartwarming fun).

[Randorama]

BIL, 6/5, you convinced me to try out Motörhead"s discography (I am using a Chinese IPad so no "o" with dieresis I, sorry). Once we Ave a chance, the drinks are on me!

I would add that this thread is going places: thanks everyone for your work. I say without an ounce of irony that these posts should be commercialized 9except mine, of course), given their quality.

I admit that I would be delighted to discuss and dissect a few artists that I cannot make my mind about, starting from one that will make your eyes rolls for sure: Trent Reznor/Nine Inch Nails.

I find myself listening to his works from time to time and I find appropriate and evocative for moment, but I cannot say that I like his work...thoughts? (Once you’ve stopped laughing, of course!).

[FinalBaton]

I'm not gonna laugh at you Rando, as these days I also have a bit of a controversial position on TR/NIN I guess.

when I was in college I really dug his stuff. I loved PHM, Broken, DS and TF. But these days it doesn't really interest me anymore. I will still ocasionally spin Pretty Hate Machine though. great, great new wave album.

I would never fault someone for liking it though. It's amazing music in the genre. It has just fallen out of favour with me personally.

[mycophobia]

i loved NIN in middle/high school, but I stopped listening after With Teeth.

I consider Broken to be his best up until then; raw and angry as fuck. though Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral are fine. I even have a soft spot for The Fragile because there's some genuinely great sound design and some really good songs (Into the Void, We're in this Together, The Fragile, Where is Everybody), just god those lyrics are awful sometimes.

I've tried at various times to listen to his post-With Teeth stuff with little success. even if it's as good as or even better than his old stuff I'm not in a place where I can really see that anymore, it's just not my thing I guess.

but NIN introduced me to Aphex Twin and by extension a whole world of great electronic music that comprises most of my listening material nowadays so trent will always hold a special place in my heart at least for that.

[Sumez]

Will check out some of those Motorhead jams real soon. Looks like it's gonna take a damn while! :O I had no idea they made THAT many albums!

BIL, 6/5, you convinced me to try out Motörhead"s discography (I am using a Chinese IPad so no "o" with dieresis I, sorry).

I refuse to spell it Motörhead. Everyone pronounces it "motorhead" anyway!

I admit that I would be delighted to discuss and dissect a few artists that I cannot make my mind about, starting from one that will make your eyes rolls for sure: Trent Reznor/Nine Inch Nails.

I find myself listening to his works from time to time and I find appropriate and evocative for moment, but I cannot say that I like his work...thoughts? (Once you’ve stopped laughing, of course!).

I'm a big industrial head myself (or maybe I used to be, can't decide), but I was never big on industrial rock/metal, or at least not the mainstream side of it, so I didn't have any interest for NIN for at least their first 15 years.
Decided to soften up over time, I mean, there's some objectively really good stuff in there, so why shouldn't I be able to appreciate it. Pretty Hate Machine is such a fun wannabe Skinny Puppy record, that it's at least enjoyable. It's just not that interesting, IMO.

Broken and Fixed is probably the "sound" most people think about when they think NIN, even if it's much more upbeat and aggressive than Reznor's usual style. I like that though. I wouldn't have minded more stuff in this style.

Things get interesting around The Downward Spiral though. It's hard to say there isn't some really good stuff here. Trent starts using his vocals as the driving force, which works well. Without his characteristic vocal style, his music really wouldn't sound like NIN, and the more he screams and cries, the better. Hurt is a big classic for a reason. Reptile actually channels some genuine industrial sounds - I can't say no to songs that sound like machinery. March of the Pigs has some of that aggression that I want. I guess this is the most definitive NIN record?

Fragile is definitely my favourite though. Once again, the vocals are a driving force. I don't really know if this is rock or industrial or pop or what you want to call it, I just like Trent Reznor singing and giving it all. You could probably snip away all the superfluous tracks, reduce the album to a single CD, and have an amazingly solid album, but I can't fault an artist for wanting to make a two disc epic.

Just like most other people, he lost me with With Teeth though. When that album came out, and I heard it playing in a local store, I thought it was some nu metal band. I don't know, I guess NIN was always "pop" to some extend, but this is not the kind of pop I dig. I don't really have a good insight in the stuff he released since that. Most of what I have heard is either plain bad, or good but either boring or forgettable. Some of the good stuff probably takes some more indepth listening sessions, but I'm not a big enough of a NIN fan to do that, at least not at the moment.

The stuff he's been releasing recently sounds really promising though. Not the same level as Fragile, but we might be looking at a real comeback here. I haven't given it a decent chance yet, but he's slowly dripping one single at a time, and I think we're at the point now where there are enough new tracks to gather it up and digest it in bulk.

[FinalBaton]

Pretty Hate Machine is such a fun wannabe Skinny Puppy record, that it's at least enjoyable.

Very much agreed. SP's Dig it, obviously, and others such as Stairs and Flowers are all over PHM.

I don't dig industrial metal anymore. I used to enjoy a few bands in that style, but I dropped them a long time ago.

However, I still listen to the trve horror of Skinny Puppy's nightmarish sound collages, the cold, detached big beats of Cabaret Voltaire, and to some early industrial/Krautrock


*speaking of Skinny Puppy, Sumez : did ya know Nettwerk reissued Remission and Bites on vinyl this past winter? I picked up Bites a couple months ago. Hope they'll reprinting Mind : The Perpetual Intercourse soon.

[BIL]

I would add that this thread is going places: thanks everyone for your work. I say without an ounce of irony that these posts should be commercialized 9except mine, of course), given their quality.

Haha, thanks. I like to think of my OKposts as restitution for all the shitposting I do on Bloodf's dime. If I ever really piss him off I'll squeal for mercy with that discography post, I know he likes Motorhead too! This assuming he doesn't think my views on their work are a bannable offence in themselves, obviously.

And yeah, the last several pages since Baton posted his Bowie haul have been superb! Then again this is a superb forum, so that does happen.

Not saying it's even approaching the same level of influence and legacy as Bowie and Tom Waits : it is not. but to me, that "band with a huge discography" that I happily dug into and became enthralled with, is The Cure.

the changes in styles from different eras are small ones, so those looking to discover new music genres/get eclectic selection, go elsewhere. but to me that was exactly what I was looking for at the time : all kinds of fun sounds within the genre that is post-punk.

I love so much stuff in Fat Bob's output : the early punk swagger, the existentialist post-punk of Three Imaginary Boys, the cold and introspective sound of 17 seconds and Primary, the savage Goth onslaught of Pornography, the warm and upbeat synth-pop of Japanese Whispers-era singles, the weird pop of The Top, the shimmering pop of Head on the Door and Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, the dark and seductive Disintegration... all the way up to Bloodflowers, a beautiful, reflective, slow record with lots of acoustic guitar in the mix.

Much appreciated btw Baton! Yet another important band I'm nowhere as familiar with as I should be, given my tastes. I can (and do ) blast the fuck out of Pornography with authority, and like quite a bit of Wish and Disintegration, but I get lost pretty quick from there. I tend to pile all my free time and excess brainvolts into Real Obsession #1 aka gaming, so I often let other stuff fall behind until someone comes along with handy tips.

Like my ol' buddy Cecil McWoot posting this rather nice burner!

"I WISH YOU WERE DEAD!
I wish you were..."

(oh Jesus, it's really been 11 years! )

[FinalBaton]

No problem bud! definitely check out the records I highlighted (which is all of them up to Disintegration actually, haha. But at least now you got pointers to help you sort which record to start with, depending on what sound you feel like listening to ATM). They are actually all great, except maybe The Top which has a couple more whack tracks(but still it's fair share of brilliance). Oh and the pure punk phase is only available on compilations. The started in angular post-punk territory right at the first LP, pretty much (although a couple more punky sonds on there). Speaking of that first album : it was released as Three Imaginary Boys, but the US got a compilation of sorts called Boys Don't cry, that is actually great. BDC includes songs from TIB and more singles from the era. Both records are great.

I love Wish too. Oh and The Kiss is always superb live. A real banger

[Sumez]

Not a big Cure fan, but I definitely dig most of the earliest albums. I'm really not into their happy sounding songs, I'm too bitter for that.

I gotta admit I'm not too familiar with their later material. Coincidentally though, I was pretty impressed with Bloodflowers when I heard that one. Watching Me Fall is really good stuff.

[Steamflogger Boss]

Some solid discussion going on here. Even someone dropping Aphex Twin, damn fine taste. I could never really get too much into NIN. Hurt is a great song though.

Anyway, this is what I am listening to rn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV-zuw2z8n4

Some prog metal bullshit.