Motörhead -

Motörhead was an English metal trio that released a 1977 self-titled album on Chiswick, followed by five studio albums and a live disc between 1979 and 1984 on Bronze. Ex-Hawkwind bassist Lemmy Kilmister fronted Motörhead through numerous iterations across four decades.

The classic lineup with guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke and drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor recorded the 1979/80 albums Overkill, Bomber, Ace of Spades, and the 1981 live disc No Sleep ’til Hammersmith. After their 1982 album Iron Fist, Brian Robertson replaced Clarke for 1983’s Another Perfect Day. Motörhead reconfigured as a quartet with guitarists, Phil “Wizzö” Campbell and Michael “Würzel” Burston for the 1986/87 albums Orgasmatron and Rock ’n’ Roll.

Members: Lemmy (vocals, bass), Lucas Fox (drums, 1975), Larry Wallis (guitar, 1975-76), Philthy Animal Taylor (drums, 1975-84, 1987-92), Fast Eddie Clarke (guitar, 1976-82), Brian Robertson (guitar 1982-83), Phil Campbell (guitar, 1984-2015), Würzel (guitar, 1984-95), Pete Gill (drums, 1984-87)

Background

Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister (1945–2015) assembled Motörhead in mid-1975, immediately after his four-year stint with Hawkwind. His career stretched back to the late 1960s when he served as a roadie for the Jimi Hendrix Experience and played in the bands Sam Gopal and Opal Butterfly.

The original Motörhead lineup featured drummer Lucas Fox and erstwhile Pink Fairies guitarist Larry Wallis. Lemmy named the band after the b-side to the 1975 Hawkwind single “Kings of Speed.” They rehearsed in the basement of a furniture store and played their first concert at London’s Roundhouse in July 1975 as an opening act for Greenslade. Three months later, they opened for Blue Oyster Cult at the Hammersmith Odeon.

Edmunds Demos, On Parole

Motörhead first contracted with United Artists, Hawkwind’s label. With producer Dave Edmunds demoed four songs: “City Kids,” “Motörhead,” “Leaving Here,” and a lengthy rendition of their early staple “On Parole” (6:58).

Fox cleared for drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor. Between December 1975 and February 1976, they recorded nine songs at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, Wales, with producer Fritz Fryer.

A1. “Motörhead” (2:57) — Lemmy Kilmister
A2. “On Parole” (5:38) — Larry Wallis
A3. “Vibrator” (2:53) — Wallis, Des Brown
A4. “Iron Horse/Born to Lose” (5:17) — Phil Taylor, Mick Brown, Guy “Tramp” Lawrence

B1. “City Kids” (3:43) — Wallis, Duncan Sanderson
B2. “The Watcher” (4:50) — Kilmister
B3. “Leaving Here” (2:56) — Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Edward Holland
B4. “Lost Johnny” (3:31) — Kilmister, Mick Farren, originated on the 1974 Hawkwind album Hall of the Mountain Grill.
B5. “Fools” (5:35) — Wallis, Des Brown

Lemmy Kilmister – lead vocals, bass
Larry Wallis – lead guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on “Vibrator” and “Fools”
Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor – drums

United Artists vetoed the intended album’s release. The nine songs later appeared as On Parole, released in October 1979 after their first two Bronze titles.

The album captures Motörhead’s initial sound as a power trio of Lemmy Kilmister on lead vocals and bass, Larry Wallis on guitar and vocals, and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor on drums, who replaced Lucas Fox late in the sessions. Wallis handles lead vocals on “Vibrator” and “Fools,” while Lemmy leads the remainder. The recordings reflect raw, hard rock energy with the band still shaping its signature style.

Musically, the album alternates between jagged, riff-driven tracks and heavier, more contoured pieces. “Motörhead” and “The Watcher” carry forward Lemmy’s Hawkwind-era compositions, while “City Kids” presents a sharper-edged Pink Fairies reimagining. Wallis-penned tracks explore playful, rhythmically tense expressions of youthful rebellion.

Classic Lineup

In March 1976, guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke joined Motörhead. The subsequent departure of Wallis trimmed Motörhead to its classic three-piece lineup of Lemmy, Taylor, and Clarke. They covered the 1963 Holland–Dozier–Holland song “Leaving Here” for a slated Stiff Records single but UA intervened on the plan. It appeared on Sky Dog (France) and Blitz (Sweden), backed with the band original “White Line Fever.” In 1977, the two songs appeared respectively on the Stiff compilations Hits Greatest Stiffs and A Bunch of Stiff Records.

By April 1977, Motörhead was on the verge of collapse when Chiswick founder Ted Carroll offered them two free days at Escape Studios to cut a single. They instead cut 11 songs with producer Speedy King (Thunderclap Newman), eight of which formed their self-titled debut album, released in August 1977.

Motörhead

Motörhead released their self-titled (second recorded) debut album on August 12, 1977, on Chiswick.

The eight-song album (32:52) presents their early three-piece configuration on a fast, overdriven set built on distorted bass leads, clipped guitar accents, and rapid rhythmic pacing. It captures the sound that defined their 1977–82 core period with bassist/singer Lemmy, guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke, and drummer Philthy Animal Taylor.

Lemmy wrote “Motorhead” and “The Watcher,” both rooted in material he developed while in Hawkwind. He co-wrote “Lost Johnny” with Deviants frontman Mick Farren, who also contributed to “Keep Us on the Road.” The group collectively wrote “White Line Fever.” They close with a cover of Tiny Bradshaw’s “Train Kept A-Rollin’,” popularized by the Yardbirds.

Motörhead’s debut hits with a blunt, forward thrust: short themes driven at a constant push, bass lines that surge at the front of the mix, and vocals delivered in a grainy, forceful bark. The title track sets the pace with a fast, grinding undercurrent and clipped, insistent accents that never ease up. “Vibrator” runs on a straight-ahead, hard-pulsing drive with quick chord turns and a tightened rhythm pattern. “Lost Johnny” slows into a heavier, more weighted march, its low-end pressure and thickened edges giving it a darker cast.

“Iron Horse/Born to Lose” drops into a looser, mid-tempo sway built on a broad, unhurried riff. “White Line Fever” sharpens the attack again with constant background guitar runs that streak behind the main figure, while “Keep Us on the Road” settles into a steady-travel pace with a central break where the bass surges upward in a raw, overdriven line. “The Watcher” shifts into a thinner, more treated sound marked by processed vocals and warped guitar shapes, and the closing “Train Kept A-Rollin’” pushes the familiar progression with heightened volume and harder, more forward motion.

A1. “Motorhead” (3:13) — written by Lemmy in his Hawkwind tenure; he frames nocturnal desperation with restless imagery. First recorded as a 1975 Hawkwind b-side.
A2. “Vibrator” (3:39) — originated as a Larry Wallis and Des Brown number.
A3. “Lost Johnny” (4:15) — Lemmy and Mick Farren capture disorientation and road-level defiance.
A4. “Iron Horse/Born to Lose” (5:21) — Clarke, Taylor, Mick Brown, and “Tramp” Lawrence recount outlaw momentum.

B1. “White Line Fever” (2:38) — group-written piece about perpetual motion and chemical reliance.
B2. “Keep Us on the Road” (5:57) — Lemmy and Farren address endurance and survival.
B3. “The Watcher” (4:30) — Lemmy’s acoustic Hawkwind-era piece.
B4. “Train Kept A-Rollin’” (3:19) — popularized by the Yardbirds; the song traces to Myron Bradshaw, Howard Kay, and Lois Mann.

Sessions occurred in April 1977 at Escape Studios in Kent with producer Speedy Keen (ex-Thunderclap Newman) and engineer John Burns.

Motörhead features artwork by Joe Petagno, who introduced Snaggletooth, a fanged hybrid creature that became the band’s emblem.

Chiswick preceded the album with “Motorhead” on June 10, 1977, backed with the Pink Fairies cover “City Kids.”

The label later drew further material from the session for Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers, a four-song EP released in November 1980. It features one song from the core Motorhead trio (“Instro”) and the Larry Wallis contribution “On Parole,” plus coveres of ZZ Top and the Bluesbreakers.

A1. “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” (3:27) — Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, Frank Beard; originated on ZZ Top’s 1973 third album, Tres Hombres.
A2. “On Parole” (5:57) — Larry Wallis
B1. “Instro” (2:27)
B2. “I’m Your Witchdoctor” (2:58) — John Mayall, originated as a 1965 non-album Bluesbreakers side.

Overkill

Motörhead released their second album, Overkill, in March 1979 on Bronze.

The album presents their sharpened three-piece sound with rapid pacing, overdriven bass leads, clipped guitar patterns, and dense, compressed sonics that defined their 1979–82 output. Lemmy wrote everything apart from to Clarke contributions (“Stay Clean,” “No Class”) and “Damage Case,” a three-way creation with Mick Farren.

Overkill pushes forward with constant propulsion, each track driven by Phil Taylor’s rapid, unbroken patterns and Lemmy’s clipped bark over Clarke’s charged lines. The title track opens the album at a dead sprint, its barrage of percussion setting a breathless pace that only tightens when the riff returns after brief feints of silence. “Stay Clean” keeps the acceleration but swaps in a lighter, quick-stepping figure that lets Lemmy’s delivery tilt toward a more relaxed contour before the bass rises for a short lead break. “(I Won’t) Pay Your Price” moves with a bouncing cadence built around Clarke’s chopped end-of-line accents, which expand into a longer, spiraling figure after the second verse. “I’ll Be Your Sister” pivots on a front-loaded bass introduction before the band surges in; tension spikes at each refrain and opens into a bright, upward-driving solo.

The mid-album shift arrives with “Capricorn,” where the pace slows and the atmosphere thickens: echo-laden drums, a low, stalking riff and Lemmy’s strained shouts create a darker pull that Clarke answers with a stretched, grave-toned lead. “No Class” snaps back to blunt, fast motion, its riff carved in single, forceful strokes. “Damage Case” adds a blues-tinged contour to its forward push and then hardens after the midpoint when the central figure returns in heavier form. “Tear Ya Down” races on a brief bass lead-in that cues a tightly wound charge, while “Metropolis” drops to a slower, grinding march punctuated by Clarke’s staggered, weighty lines. “Limb from Limb” closes with a deceptive, blues-leaning intro that erupts into a faster, more jagged second half, ending the record in a burst of raw, unsettled energy.

A1. “Overkill” (5:12)
A2. “Stay Clean” (2:40) – Clarke
A3. “(I Won’t) Pay Your Price” (2:56)
A4. “I’ll Be Your Sister” (2:51)
A5. “Capricorn” (4:06)

B1. “No Class” (2:39) – Clarke
B2. “Damage Case” (2:59) – Kilmister, Clarke, Farren; confronts duplicity with terse, accusatory lines.
B3. “Tear Ya Down” (2:39)
B4. “Metropolis” (3:34)
B5. “Limb from Limb” (4:54)

Sessions occurred between December 1978 and January 1979 at Roundhouse Studios and Sound Development Studios in London with producer Jimmy Miller and engineers Ashley Howe and Trevor Hallesy.

Overkill features artwork by Joe Petagno.

Bronze preceded the album with “Overkill” (b/w “Too Late, Too Late”), issued in February 1979. “No Class” followed in June (b/w “Like a Nightmare”).

B. “Too Late, Too Late” (3:25)
B. “Like a Nightmare” (4:27)

Overkill reached No. 17 in France and No. 24 in the UK.

Bomber

Motörhead released their third album, Bomber, on October 12, 1979, on Bronze.

The album tightens the attack of Overkill with clipped guitar figures, rapid rhythmic pacing, and contoured riffs shaped around Lemmy’s distorted bass leads. Motörhead group-wrote and arranged during a short mid-1979 break in touring, resulting in a direct, hard-edged set recorded at speed with minimal reworking.

Bomber moves between relentless forward motion and slower, heavier stretches. “Dead Men Tell No Tales” opens with a hard, immediate strike, its line running with sharp, contoured turns over a bright, overdriven edge. “Lawman” drops into a slower, weightier pace where the guitars thicken and the late-track lead widens the tension before it cuts off. “Sweet Revenge” pushes the descent further, its dragged tempo and dense low end carrying a short, warped instrumental break that coils into a brief, unstable solo.

“Sharpshooter” and “Poison” swing back to high acceleration; the first drives on quick, clipped patterns while the second tightens around a darker, compressed guitar tone. “Stone Dead Forever” stands out for its pronounced bass line, which runs in long, grinding shapes that Clarke expands with an extended, rising solo. “Step Down” shifts to a looser, blues-based stride under Clarke’s vocal, easing the attack before the closing title track reverts to full thrust with a fast, continuous charge that ends the album in a final blast.

A1. “Dead Men Tell No Tales” (3:07)
A2. “Lawman” (3:56) – Clarke
A3. “Sweet Revenge” (4:10)
A4. “Sharpshooter” (3:19)
A5. “Poison” (2:54)

B1. “Stone Dead Forever” (4:54)
B2. “All the Aces” (3:24)
B3. “Step Down” (3:41) – Clarke
B4. “Talking Head” (3:40)
B5. “Bomber” (3:43)

Sessions occurred between July 7 and August 31, 1979, at Roundhouse and Olympic Studios in London with producer Jimmy Miller and engineer Trevor Hallesy.

Bomber features artwork by Adrian Chesterman, who illustrated the trio inside the cockpit of a descending Heinkel aircraft with Snaggletooth painted on the fuselage.

Bronze promoted the album with “Bomber” with the exclusive b-side “Over the Top.” The single reached No. 34 in the UK.

B. “Over the Top” (3:21)

Bomber reached No. 12 on the UK Albums Chart.

Ace of Spades

Motörhead released their fourth album, Ace of Spades, in October 1980 on Bronze.

Spades advances the trio’s fast, clipped attack with contoured riffs, compressed bass leads, and rapid, tightly locked rhythms shaped by their tightened stage act. Vic Maile’s production sharpens the separation of each instrument across the album’s twelve group-written tracks.

Motörhead drive Ace of Spades with a near-constant forward surge, but the album still shifts its weight in distinct ways. The title track sets the pace with hard, clipped accents that tighten and release in quick succession, its brief percussive break acting like a jolt of dry air before the band slams back in at full tilt. “Love Me Like a Reptile” follows with a lower, grinding pace where Clarke’s riff swerves in short, guttural shapes and his solo slices upward in sharp, needling lines. “Shoot You in the Back,” cut live, moves with a looser, rattling cadence; the drum rolls crack like warning shots while the crowd noise frames the band’s attack in open space.

Mid-album bursts such as “Live to Win” and “Fire Fire” accelerate the set with clipped rhythms and abrupt end-sections where the guitars flare and collapse in quick meltdown figures. “Jailbait” hinges on a tumbling drum fill that drops the band into a tight, driving pattern, while “The Chase Is Better Than the Catch” settles into a slower, weight-bearing pulse that lets Lemmy stretch his phrasing over a steady, unbroken line. The closer, “The Hammer,” snaps the album back to high speed with short, hammering accents that carry it straight through the fade.

A1. “Ace of Spades” (2:48)
A2. “Love Me Like a Reptile” (3:23)
A3. “Shoot You in the Back” (2:39)
A4. “Live to Win” (3:37)
A5. “Fast and Loose” (3:23)
A6. “(We Are) the Road Crew” (3:13)

B1. “Fire, Fire” (2:44)
B2. “Jailbait” (3:33)
B3. “Dance” (2:38)
B4. “Bite the Bullet” (1:38)
B5. “The Chase Is Better Than the Catch” (4:18)
B6. “The Hammer” (2:48)

Sessions occurred between August 4 and September 15, 1980, at Jackson’s Studios in Rickmansworth with producer Vic Maile, who also engineered and mixed the album.

Bronze preceded Ace of Spades with the title track (b/w “Dirty Love”), issued on October 17, 1980. The single reached No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart.

B. “Dirty Love” (2:57)

Ace of Spades reached No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart and peaked inside the Canadian Top 30.

St. Valentine’s Day Massacre

On February 13, 1981, Bronze issued St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, an EP collaboration by Motörhead and Girlschool.

The recording captures the two bands duetting on three tracks, with Girlschool drummer Denise Dufort performing throughout as Motörhead’s Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor was unavailable due to an arm injury. Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister and “Fast” Eddie Clarke share duties with Girlschool’s Kelly Johnson, Kim McAuliffe, and Enid Williams, producing angular guitar lines and tightly paced rhythms.

The EP features a cover of Johnny Kidd & the Pirates’ “Please Don’t Touch” performed collaboratively by both bands, Motörhead performing Girlschool’s original “Emergency,” and Girlschool performing Motörhead’s “Bomber.”

A. “Please Don’t Touch” (2:49) – Johnny Kidd, Guy Robinson; both bands perform with Lemmy Kilmister on bass and co-lead vocals, Kelly Johnson co-lead guitar and vocals, “Fast” Eddie Clarke lead guitar, Kim McAuliffe rhythm guitar, Enid Williams bass, and Denise Dufort on drums.
B1. “Bomber” (3:30) – Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor; performed by Girlschool covering Motörhead, with Kelly Johnson lead guitar, Kim McAuliffe rhythm guitar, Enid Williams lead vocals and bass, and Denise Dufort on drums.
B2. “Emergency” (3:03) – Dufort, Johnson, McAuliffe, Williams; performed by Motörhead covering Girlschool, with Lemmy Kilmister on bass and backing vocals, “Fast” Eddie Clarke lead guitar and vocals, and Denise Dufort on drums.

Sessions occurred in December 1980 at Jacksons Studios, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, with producer Vic Maile.

Record label promoted St. Valentine’s Day Massacre with the 7″ and 10″ releases. The EP reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. The artwork depicts both bands dressed as prohibition-era gangsters with their molls.

Motörhead later included “Please Don’t Touch” and “Emergency” on the 1984 compilation No Remorse and the 1996 Castle Records reissue of Ace of Spades.

No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith

In June 1981, Motörhead released No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith, a live document of their spring shows in Leeds and Newcastle.

The album documents performances from the Short Sharp Pain in the Neck UK tour in March 1981, capturing the band’s pace-driven, hard-hitting heavy-metal style with angular guitar lines and Lemmy Kilmister’s commanding bass and vocals. Most tracks are drawn from Ace of Spades (1980), Overkill (1979), Bomber (1979), and their 1977 debut Motörhead, with additional tracks from singles and live European shows.

Lemmy Kilmister performs bass and lead vocals, “Fast” Eddie Clarke plays guitar and contributes backing vocals, and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor plays drums throughout. The album includes covers of Motörhead’s own “Leaving Here” (debut single) and songs previously released on singles (Over the Top) alongside their core studio material.

A1. “Ace of Spades” (3:01) – Ace of Spades; Kilmister delivers lead vocals and bass while Clarke executes guitar lines and Taylor drives the rhythm.
A2. “Stay Clean” (2:50) – Overkill; fast-paced arrangement with Kilmister’s bass propelling angular guitar riffs from Clarke.
A3. “Metropolis” (3:31) – Overkill; sharp turns in guitar phrasing and rhythmic shifts characterize the performance.
A4. “The Hammer” (3:05) – Ace of Spades; live execution emphasizes rhythmic drive and alternating vocal lines.
A5. “Iron Horse/Born to Lose” (3:58) – Motörhead; recorded during the 1980 European tour, combining dual guitar textures and heavy tempo.
A6. “No Class” (2:34) – Overkill; features tightly synchronized bass, drums, and guitar with concise vocal phrasing.

B1. “Overkill” (5:13) – Overkill; Kilmister’s bass anchors the track, punctuated by Clarke’s guitar accents and Taylor’s drums.
B2. “(We Are) The Road Crew” (3:31) – Ace of Spades; celebrates the touring experience with driving instrumentation.
B3. “Capricorn” (4:40) – Overkill; angular guitar motifs interact with a steady bassline.
B4. “Bomber” (3:24) – Bomber; live rendition maintains the studio track’s brisk pace and layered guitar attack.
B5. “Motörhead” (4:47) – Motörhead; Kilmister’s vocals and bass propel the song, with Clarke’s guitar punctuating sharp turns.

Bonus tracks on CD editions include “Over the Top” (Bomber, single), “Train Kept A-Rollin’” (Motörhead), and unreleased Newcastle soundcheck material.

Sessions occurred between 7 February and 20 April 1980 for European tour tracks, with March 28–30, 1981 performances at Queen’s Hall, Leeds, and City Hall, Newcastle, England, captured and produced by Vic Maile.

The album was initially promoted with the single “Motorhead” (b/w “Over the Top”), which reached No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart in July 1981.

No Sleep ’Til Hammersmith entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 1 and also charted high in Finland (No. 5) and Germany (No. 12). The 40th anniversary 2021 reissue featured remastered tracks and previously unreleased full concerts from the Newcastle and Leeds shows.

Iron Fist

Motörhead released their fifth studio album, Iron Fist, in April 1982 on Bronze.

Iron Fist is the final album of the classic Three Amigos lineup of Lemmy Kilmister, “Fast” Eddie Clarke, and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor, featuring their signature speed-metal attack across twelve group-written songs.

The album continues the aggressive, riff-driven approach of Ace of Spades but with sharper rhythmic turns and a tighter focus on speed and metallic punch. The title track references the band’s prior live pseudonym Iron Fist and the Hordes from Hell, establishing a thematic continuity with their stage persona.

Iron Fist launches with the title track, a machine-gun barrage of sandpapered bass, propulsive double-kick drums, and stabbing guitar lines. “Heart of Stone” drives forward with clipped 2/4 percussion and taut, contoured guitar riffs, while “I’m the Doctor” and “Sex & Outrage” hit with concise bursts and jittery tempo shifts. “Loser,” “Go to Hell,” and “America” inhabit the mid-album stretch, moving with moderate pace and layered, angular guitar figures.

The final sequence—“Shut It Down,” “Speedfreak,” “(Don’t Let ’Em) Grind You Down,” “(Don’t Need) Religion,” and “Bang to Rights”—accelerates into relentless, tightly wound attacks, with surging bass, sharp-edged solos, and insistent drumming that push each song to its apex. Across the album, the trio maintains an aggressive intensity, balancing short, direct bursts with longer, high-velocity passages.

A1. “Iron Fist” (2:55)
A2. “Heart of Stone” (3:04)
A3. “I’m the Doctor” (2:43)
A4. “Go to Hell” (3:10)
A5. “Loser” (3:57)
A6. “Sex & Outrage” (2:10)

B1. “America” (3:38)
B2. “Shut It Down” (2:41)
B3. “Speedfreak” (3:28)
B4. “(Don’t Let ‘Em) Grind Ya Down” (3:08)
B5. “(Don’t Need) Religion” (2:43)
B6. “Bang to Rights” (2:43)

Sessions occurred 26–28 January and 1–28 February 1982 at Ramport and Morgan Studios in London, with Clarke producing and Will “Evil Red Neck” Reid engineering. Charles Harrowell handled engineering and mixing.

Iron Fist features album design by Martin Poole, photography by Alan Ballard, and Joe Petagno’s Snaggletooth logo.

Bronze promoted the album with the single “Iron Fist” (b/w “Remember Me, I’m Gone”), which reached No. 29 on the UK charts. The German single “Go to Hell” followed in April 1982.

B. “Remember Me, I’m Gone” (2:18)

Iron Fist reached No. 4 in Norway, No. 5 in Finland, and No. 6 on the UK Albums chart.

Stand by Your Man (EP)

Lemmy and Wendy O. Williams released the Stand by Your Man EP in 1982, recorded at Eastern Sound Studios in Toronto, Canada. It features three tracks, including a duet of the Tammy Wynette classic that precipitated Clarke’s departure from Motörhead.

All performances feature Lemmy and Phil Taylor alongside Wendy O. Williams and the Plasmatics’ Richie Stotts and Wes Beech. The EP showcases a crossover of punk energy with Motörhead’s metallic edge across a brief eight-minute runtime.

A. “Stand by Your Man” (3:06) – duet with Wendy O. Williams
B1. “No Class” (2:32) – covers the Motörhead classic
B2. “Masterplan” (2:55) – co-written by Rod Swenson and Richie Stotts

Clarke and Will “Evil Red Neck” Reid produced, engineered, and mixed the EP, with Michael Frondelli assisting on engineering.

Another Perfect Day

Motörhead released their sixth studio album, Another Perfect Day, in May 1983 on Bronze.

It is the only Motörhead studio album to feature lead guitarist Brian “Robbo” Robertson, formerly of Thin Lizzy, and the final album released on Bronze. The record presents a more contoured, melodic approach compared with previous albums, while retaining the band’s heavy-metal intensity.

The album mixes high-speed metal with sharp-turn solos and occasional piano flourishes, with tracks like “Shine” and “Back at the Funny Farm” demonstrating the interplay between Robertson’s guitar and Lemmy’s bass-driven lead. Motörhead group-wrote all twelve tracks.

Another Perfect Day opens with “Back at the Funny Farm,” a brisk, angular romp anchored by Lemmy’s signature bass, with Robertson weaving sharp, contoured guitar figures over the rhythm. “Dancing on Your Grave” slows the pace into a spacious, deliberate arrangement, layering drawn-out solos atop a lightly rolling tempo, while the title track begins with a calm, almost delicate arpeggio that expands into heavier bursts, punctuated by a mid-song guitar ascent and a reflective reprise.

“Shine” balances quick, staccato guitar flourishes with a fluid tempo, its riffs twisting and leaping across the sonic space. “One Track Mind” stretches over six minutes with alternating measured and soaring guitar passages, creating a sense of tension through length and repetition. The closing trio—“Marching Off to War,” “I Got Mine,” and “Tales of Glory”—returns to a more propulsive pace, blending clipped, racy riffs with intermittent harmonic runs and piano accents, while “Die You Bastard!” ends the album with a blunt, hard-hitting burst layered with looping, high-register guitar lines.

A1. “Back at the Funny Farm” (4:14)
A2. “Shine” (3:11)
A3. “Dancing on Your Grave” (4:29)
A4. “Rock It” (3:55)
A5. “One Track Mind” (5:55)

B1. “Another Perfect Day” (5:29)
B2. “Marching Off to War” (4:11)
B3. “I Got Mine” (5:24)
B4. “Tales of Glory” (2:56)
B5. “Die You Bastard!” (4:25)

Sessions occurred February–March 1983 at Olympic Studios and Eel Pie Studios in London, with Tony Platt producing and mixing.

Another Perfect Day features album art by Joe Petagno, depicting a chaotic tableau reflecting the band’s internal turbulence at the time.

Bronze promoted the album with the May 1983 single “I Got Mine,” backed with the exclusive “Turn You Round Again.” In July they lifted “Shine,” backed with a live version of the R&B standard “(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man.”

B. “Turn You Round Again” (3:57)

Orgasmatron

Motörhead released their seventh studio album, Orgasmatron, in July 1986 on GWR.

Orgasmatron is the first Motörhead studio album with two guitarists, Phil “Wizzö” Campbell and Michael “Würzel” Burston, and the only full-length album with drummer Pete Gill. The record presents a denser, layered sound that accentuates the band’s signature heavy-metal attack while experimenting with tempo shifts and angular guitar interplay.

Lemmy group-wrote all nine tracks with Würzel, Campbell, and Gill. The songs combine high-speed metal with moments of slower, rapped phrasing, and the title track expresses Lemmy’s revulsion toward organized religion, politics, and war.

Orgasmatron rides sharp contrasts between controlled drive and unrelenting intensity. “Deaf Forever” opens with tight, deliberate drums and a single guitar cutting through a steady pulse, Lemmy’s bass and vocals locking the rhythm. “Nothing Up My Sleeve” accelerates with subtle syncopation and serrated guitar lines. “Ain’t My Crime” escalates further as drums and guitars collide in bursts of speed while Lemmy’s vocals cut across the tension.

Mid-album tracks like “Mean Machine” and “Ridin’ With the Driver” ratchet aggression with dense twin-guitar textures, rapid-fire fills, and alternating bursts of momentum and restraint. “Built for Speed” and “Doctor Rock” temper the intensity with more measured pacing, drums and guitar interweaving over steady pulses that sally forth. The title track slows to a crawl, guitars layered and twisted, creating a menacing, droning atmosphere with Lemmy’s voice tracing long, contoured lines over the rhythm.

A1. “Deaf Forever” (4:25)
A2. “Nothing Up My Sleeve” (3:11)
A3. “Ain’t My Crime” (3:42)
A4. “Claw” (3:31)
A5. “Mean Machine” (2:57)

B1. “Built for Speed” (4:56)
B2. “Ridin’ with the Driver” (3:47)
B3. “Doctor Rock” (3:37)
B4. “Orgasmatron” (5:27)

Across the album, arrangements emphasize contrast—songs shift from compact bursts to expansive, grinding sequences, guitars vary from clipped attacks to sustained distortion, and drums alternate between precise hits and rolling flurries, keeping each track kinetically distinct while maintaining a cohesive drive.

Sessions occurred in 1986 at Master Rock Studios in London with Bill Laswell and Jason Corsaro producing and engineering.

Orgasmatron features album art by Joe Petagno, depicting a stylized train that alludes to the original working title, Ridin’ with the Driver.

GWR promoted the album with the single “Deaf Forever” (b/w “On the Road” / “Steal Your Face” live) in June 1986. The 12″ single included a bonus live track, and “Deaf Forever” reached number 67 on the UK Singles Chart.

Rock ‘n’ Roll

Motörhead released their eighth studio album, Rock ‘n’ Roll, in August 1987 on GWR.

Rock ‘n’ Roll marks the return of drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor to Motörhead. The album maintains the band’s aggressive pace and high-volume sound.

Lemmy and Taylor group-wrote the album’s ten tracks with guitarists Phil “Wizzö” Campbell and Michael “Würzel” Burston. “Blessing” features spoken word by Monty Python alumnus Michael Palin. They composed “Eat the Rich” for the namesake film by Peter Richardson.

On Rock ‘n’ Roll, the band delivers a mix of brisk, hard-charging numbers and slower, more deliberate pieces. The title track opens with a driving, insistent riff that pushes forward with sharp, angular turns and a bright, prominent solo. “Eat the Rich” rides a bouncy, mid-tempo rhythm with playful phrasing and sardonic vocal lines. “Stone Deaf in the USA” builds around a taut, almost staccato bass line with sliding guitar fills that accentuate the vocal contours.

Tracks such as “Dogs” and “All for You” alternate between muted, restrained verses and bursts of open, strident guitar, while faster numbers like “The Wolf” feature jagged, speed-driven drumming that propels the arrangements forward.

A1. “Rock ‘n’ Roll” (3:49)
A2. “Eat the Rich” (4:34) – written for the Richardson film Eat the Rich
A3. “Blackheart” (4:03)
A4. “Stone Deaf in the U.S.A.” (3:40)
A5. “Blessing” (1:00) – Palin’s spoken word invokes a ceremonial prayer

B1. “The Wolf” (3:28)
B2. “Traitor” (3:17)
B3. “Dogs” (3:48)
B4. “All for You” (4:10)
B5. “Boogeyman” (3:07)

Sessions occurred in 1987 at Master Rock Studios and Redwood Studios in London with Motörhead and Guy Bidmead producing, and Roland Herrington, Arabella Rodriguez, Caroline Orme, and Phil Dane engineering. Michael Palin recorded the spoken word segment on “Blessing.”

Rock ‘n’ Roll features cover artwork by Joe Petagno, depicting Snaggletooth descending from a bomb-like projectile.

GWR promoted the album with the single “Eat the Rich,” backed with the non-album tracks “Cradle to the Grave” and (on the 12”) “Just ‘Cos You Got the Power,” followed in the Netherlands by “Rock ‘n’ Roll” (b/w “Cradle to the Grave”). “Eat the Rich” also appeared in a music video aligned with the Peter Richardson film.

Discography: