366 Days of Motörhead – Dissecting Week 7

Overview/Overkill

Technically speaking, I started listening to Motörhead to the exclusion of all else a few days before January 1st. So while tomorrow marks Day 50 of the 366 Days of Motörhead campaign, I have in fact been solely devoted for 50 days already! Hallelujah!

This one goes!

I’ve been pleased to learn that I’m not the only acolyte for the Fast Eddie serenade, “Step Down”. So much so that I decided to seek out a little truth about it. Focusing especially on that immortal line, “I’m a secret fox.” I mean what sort of Motörhead fan isn’t hell bent on getting to the bottom of that riddle? I pursued this with what I believed to be the greatest source of truth (oh, the people you’ll find on Facebook) really hoping there was some sort of story, meaning, anecdote, divination even – lurking beneath this seemingly innocuous phrase. What I did learn is that this was exclusively penned by Lemmy, and as he passed on, so did the meaning of this mystic prose. While I’ve avoided some potential disappointment, I haven’t come up with anything insightful to take even an active position on the sentiment. All comers welcome. Let’s solve this enigma together.

Meanwhile in cyberspace…

1. Decided that the Wendy O collaboration with Lemmy and Philthy was only reasonably terrible, and as a result, of increased interest to these ears. I love terrible, but some things are sacred. Recently updated from profane, to Swiss. The fact that nothing new is ever going to emanate from Lemmy is also part of what makes mining this epic catalogue of Motörhead’s somehow more definable.
2. “What’s Words Worth” is a frightfully good live LP from 1978. Exists somewhere in that quasi-bootleg realm – legend having it that this live at the Roundhouse recording was only semi-intentionally captured. The between song banter is great, and it appears that Larry Wallace was in the audience – Lemmy acknowledging Wallace as the author of “On Parole”, and Kilmister as the acquirer. I didn’t hear abuse or an ensuing punch on. Assumption is that Wallace was OK with the transaction. The way that the band’s rendition of John Mayall’s “I’m Your Witchdoctor” rolls into “Train Kept A Rollin” is gold, and should the liner notes be true, no overdubs were committed to the recording. A very, very professional bootleg vibe, but it’s Motörhead – even if a scant 33% of it bears the Kilmister mark. Lemmy very much makes it his own. No “Motörhead” too. Had to have been a first.
3. 50 days is one thing, but this week also marked the more than 50% through the first quarter mark. I found myself lamenting the fact that this initial decade of Motörhead will be sidelined until 2017 once March plays out. April through June is dedicated to the ‘85 to ‘94 era and while exciting – “Rock n’ Roll” anyone? I’m going to definitely miss the dedicated and repeated assault of the Bronze age. If my record collection could pose an intervention, I’d have a thousand angry pieces of wax screaming for vengeance…
4. The BBC Live and In Session collection that spans ‘78 to ‘84 is very, very good and has been commanding my attention this week. While the compare who underhandedly salutes Lemmy and the crew for making it into the charts deserves to be hammered by Philthy’s Iron Fist (the literal one) the  bombastic, 70s as fuck drum sound intro of “Stay Clean” literally bursts my head off. No doubt all those gathered at the BBC to see it unfurling before them.
5. Bomber kicks off with Lemmy declaring, “This is it!” Another question I’d love the answer to. Is this is a what, a who. I don’t think when factors.
6. In pursuit of the essence of the Motörhead experience, I found that lyrics from “Rock it” from the splendiferous “Another Perfect Day” sum it up pretty well. Not quite as well as the “Killed By Death” video, but you get the point.
   
   Let me hear it all the time
   It’s the only way
   Gonna make you feel alright
   You can’t excuse it
   
   Rock n’ Roll – it’s synonymous with (for) Motörhead.
7. Today passes the combined 200 hours of listening to nothing but Motörhead. Approximately 4 hours a day. Read that and weep. My tinnitus wasn’t caused by Motörhead, but I doubt it helps. 

Week 7 Playlist/Vital Statistics:

1. What’s Words Worth, #1978/#1983. Astan Music.
2. Motörhead, #1977. Chiswick.
3. Overkill, #1979. Bronze Records.
4. Bomber, #1979. Bronze Records.
5. No Sleep Til Hammersmith, #1981. Bronze Records.
6. Another Perfect Day, #1983. Bronze Records.
7. No Remorse, #1984. Bronze Records.
8. BBC Live and In Session.

January through March focuses on the 1975 – 1984 era.

Total plays for the week = 27.

Total time spent playing Motörhead = 25:37 hours.

Shut it down/Lemmy quote for the week.

A kid once said to me “Do you get hangovers?” I said, “To get hangovers you have to stop drinking.

How can you keep up to date with this crusade?

Good question, glad you asked.

Twitter: @Motorhead366 – Post at least once a day.
Instagram: @jaseofspades – Post few times a week.
Facebook: 366 Days Of Motorhead – Post maybe once or twice a week.
e: jaseofspades366@gmail.com

And in this very location. Each channel serves a different purpose, but the math ain’t hard.

What, there are Rules for 366 Days of Motörhead?

Rules will continually develop and be subject to change. For your reading pleasure, the Rules of 366 Days of Motörhead.