Motorhead - Not The Classic That Some Consider It, But Still A Good Album - You ve got to love Motorhead. These guys have been around since the mid-70 s, have forged their own style and pretty much stuck to it for 30 years. It is basic rock n roll at it s most primal with band leader Lemmy leading the charge. Most fans consider Ace Of Spades to be the band s all time classic album, and indeed it is a good one, although not without it faults. The title track is probably the band s most recognizable tune (they have never really had a hit at least here in the U.S.) and the rest of the album is also quite strong. There are a few clunkers on this one though, I really don t care much for Fire Fire, Dance, Jailbait (talk about clichéd lyrics), but there are also some classics like We Are The Road Crew, and The Chase Is Better Than The Catch along with the title track. Moterhead were a little bit ahead of their time in many respects and never reached the commercial success that many of their imitators would later in the 80 s and 90 s. I find Ace to be a good, but not necessarily classic Motorhead album, but a lot of the band s fans would probably disagree.
A Winning Hand - As I sit here listening to the Ace of Spades album I can t help but say a few words even though another positive review of this classic album isn t at all necessary.You ve undoubtedly heard of this album, own it or at least have heard the title track. Ace of Spades is the most popular and famous Motorhead album. It s their British Steel, Number of the Beast, Dark Side of the Moon, Agents of Fortune, etc, etc. And like those albums, it s very strong and very solid. It s not the best album Motorhead has done, nor is it the only one someone should buy. These guys continue to put out great stuff(look no further than 2004 s Inferno for that).One of the best qualities of Motorhead is that there is no B.S. with these guys. They achieved their legendary status by simply being themselves and never having to compromise. Wanting to continue in the tradition of the original concepts of Rock and Roll music-music that is loud, wild, energetic, tough, dirty and bugs the hell out of parents-Motorhead have made it their mission to be the rowdiest, dirtiest and loudest rock band in the world. And they pull it off in....ahem....Spades.Motorhead hate being categorized as a heavy metal band. In many ways they are quite different than the metal bands of that time, but they do share the same intensity of those bands, even surpassing many of them. Because of it s volume and energy, it s quite easy to see why they earn this label. It is easier to think of them more as a very loud and energetic biker type rock band. The album cover pretty much sums up the sound of the band-Rough looking outlaw looking types who don t look like the kind of guys you wanna screw around with.Ace of Spades is a very good intro to the newcomer. Some disagree with me, but I really don t feel there are any filler songs on this album. It is a great starting point, but don t think it s the only great album they did.
Ace Of Spades - Motorhead-Ace Of Spades *****Before I start my official review I just want to say that Motorhead is without a doubt one of the all time greatest bands in the history of rock n roll. Much in the same way The Ramones are one of the best and have a amazing following yet are not hardly ever given their dues, Motorhead is in the same category.This is by far Motorheads best album. Ace Of Spades is an unrelenting, take to prisoners, punch you in the face and buy you a beer afterwards sort of rock n roll album. Lemmy wrote so of his best straight up rock lyrics here, while not as politically charged as some of his later work the lyrics still are great. His vocal performance is rough and satisfying as always. His rumbling bass playing along side Philthy Phill s killer drum grooves and Fast Eddie Clark s amazing, and I do mean amazing guitar work is incredible.From the rumbling opening riff of the classic title track, Ace Of Spades through the sloppy Fast And Loose (though I think sloppy was the point), the honest Jailbait and the cliche yet okay when done by a band like Motorhead Bite The Bullet Ace of Spades is a damn near perfect album.Some versions of the album come with three bonus tracks. These were originally released on a Ep with the band Girlschool. Dirty Love Please Don t Touch and Emergency are all great additions to the end of the album and always make for a great and interesting listen.It just doesn t get much better than this. This is the kind of rock n roll album that can truly wear the badge of rock n roll. It is unapologetic, loud, fast, angry at times and not during others. So if your looking for a Motorhead album this is the one!
Unrelenting - Motörhead has the reputation, much like AC/DC, of having made the same album again and again. But a quick comparison of Ace of Spades with other notables from Motörhead s catalog, notably Overkill, which has a somewhat more atmospheric bent, and later releases like Inferno and Kiss of Death, which are very bluesy by comparison, reveals a band that has pursued a number of variations in style, and all to great success. With that in mind, Ace of Spades is representative of the most commonly perceived Motörhead style. Much of the album is in the speed metal vein that they helped to create (despite the claims that We are Motörhead. We play rock n roll.), though there are some clear blues influences (The Chase is Better than the Catch, for example), and punk (The Hammer and many others) as well. As such, the album is an unrelenting assault on the senses. Its goal? To beat you into submission! And to this end it is successful. I find, however, that despite its claim to fame, this is far from the best Motörhead album. All three of those mentioned above are stronger in their execution and songwriting though, much like The Number of the Beast to fans of Iron Maiden, this one lays claim to a special place in the hearts of the fans and in metal history. In addition to the quality of the album as a whole, the bonus tracks here are a worthwhile addition and add a great bit of fun at the end of an already strong album.
ACR OF SPADES - MOTORHEAD. - If you a metal fan you already know about his album. It should be in everyones collection. Fast raw heavy thick energy. If the ramones are tin foil, this album is concrete and steel. The pace of this album is like sprinting a marathon.