We are Motörhead, and we don’t have no class!
If you’re reading this today, Thursday September 22nd; today signifies the first, of the last hundred day stretch of the 366 Days Of Motörhead crusade. It’s possible that the intention of this comment will be perceived as being more greatly aligned to feelings of relief, than the intended feeling of achievement. Practically speaking (as I so often do), both sentiments are true. I am looking forward to completing this crusade, and to that sense of achievement – even if it was essentially the resultant discipline of focusing on a discrete bunch of records, just as I was forced to in my teen years. For context, return to the beginning. The first post of the 366 Days Of Motörhead Crusade.
And even with a hundred days to go, I can already tell you already that:
- When it came to nominating a band to listen to exclusively for an entire year; Motörhead was 100% the correct choice. In fact, it was the only choice.
- That the concern with possessing more and more records comes at the expense of deep and repeated listening, and the rush inherent in traversing said depths.
- That listening to Motörhead for an entire year was nowhere near as difficult as people seem to imagine.
When I focus on point 3, I’m almost disappointed that it wasn’t harder. Appreciate I’m talking about it like it’s done, but with only eight days left of Q3 (the ‘95 to ‘04) era, and five new studio LPs to bring into the mix (the ‘05 to ‘15 era) it’s not difficult to see this as a foregone conclusion. I’m going to mix things up a little for December though. Each day will be dedicated to a studio* LP. I’ll roll them out sequentially; padding the other days with whatever compels me.
December 1 = On Parole
December 2 = Motörhead
December 3 = Overkill and so on.
23 studio albums (have to count On Parole), 31 days of December; it’s not as 1:1 as I may wish. Making room for the No Sleep LPs, and No Remorse makes it 26. Xmas day will be tough to get much listening in; try as I may. I live in hostile (to Motörhead) territory. A work in progress at any rate.
The one year anniversary of Motörhead’s last ever Canadian show ticked over this week – Riot Fest in Toronto. It’s not difficult to view there being a significant link for Lemmy, Motörhead and Canada, even If I’m basing this on little actual evidence, and more my own perceptions. Lemmy’s arrest, and subsequent exiting from Hawkwind, possibly played on his mind each and every time he entered the country. Then, there’s the massive impact Motörhead had on the Canadian metal scene. I often think of those photos of Lemmy jamming with Exciter; or of Away from Voivod discussing how Motörhead was the inspiration for them to do with they do. That Blower Bass couldn’t have been coincidence, could it? There’s always that element where the Canadians gathered at that September 2015 show, couldn’t have guaranteed this would be the last time they’d see the band play – at least on Canadian soil. With the amount of reported health scares Lemmy had experienced in the final years of his life, the 2010 Australian tour seemed probable as their last – Australians, for a long time, thought the 1991 tour was going to be the final nail. A belief that held good for a sound 15 years – but the impact isn’t quite the same – from an expectations perspective. And considering Motörhead only performed 18 shows after this Canadian date, the chances were even slimmer. When you consider that (based on the accuracy of SetlistFM data) that Motörhead did 2735 shows across 40 years of touring, 18 shows isn’t a lot. The distance between September 18 and December 11 is less than three months. And despite the ongoing reports of Lemmy’s health, you really don’t expect it’s going to come true – that day when Motörhead ceases to be.
It would have been Philthy’s 62nd birthday on the 21st of September. What a drummer! What a personality! Motörhead was called home by a few eccentrics over the years, and Philthy was undoubtedly among the elite of them. His fast and loose style, without compare. The way he leaned back on his stool; that strange, propulsive arm technique he used, and that sound! Oh, what a sound. I never intend to elevate Philthy at the expense of any of Motörhead’s other drummers, but so complete he was – the archetypal Motörhead-er. Perhaps more than even Lemmy – though it’s a weird conceptual passage to enter, and far too subjective to adjudicate. It’s easy to understand the reverie for the Bronze Age line-up, rounded out by such an over the top force as Philthy. It’s important to note that he made some great records with Wurzel and Phil Campbell too. I don’t declare it as being by design, but I think Pete Gill’s performance on Orgasmatron was influenced by the wild one. I’d never make that argument of Mikkey’s style however. I think the early 90s records are a little tarnished by his untimely exit from the band in 1992. I say untimely through the lens of would it have ever not been ideal not to play with Philthy? Obvious scenarios exempted of course. I don’t think these events impacted his personal legacy however, though time has its way of neutralising the turbulence of the past. Mikkey offered the band an approach Philthy wouldn’t have been able to. It simply wasn’t his style to lead the charge as Mikkey did on tracks like Burner. At any rate, Philthy’s impact on Motörhead has no measure. It was incredible, and I for one am indebted. Thanks for the rock ‘n’ roll Philthy!.
Gone, but not forgotten…
Philthy on Banger Vault from 2010.
Philthy, as the Hammer! Live in Belfast, 1981.
Sacrifice, for reasons I can’t rightly declare, is the second LP in the 366 Days Crusade to have cracked the 100 spins for the quarter milestone. Orgasmatron is not surprisingly the other. I didn’t necessarily set out for this to be a thing, but it looks like it has become. These milestones also assist on slow news days. You’d think for a band that operated for 40 years would be rife with noteworthy calendar events. You’d also be wrong. Even worse, when multiple happenings manifested on the same date. Got to get real creative then.
Speaking of lists, I plan to throw up my own Killer to most Killer Motörhead list. Mine will be different however in that I’ll plead the fifth, and rank based on the following criteria.
- Ranked by the number of spins.
- Ranked by the amount of hours spent playing each during the 366 Days Crusade.
The logic for the latter being that Inferno is a lot longer than Orgasmatron; allows for relativity, supports my desire to change out the records I hold in the highest esteem, and gives me a chance to put a stake in the ground no matter how loose it would appear. I can already tell you that Sacrifice isn’t my second favourite Motörhead LP. So even I will have capacity for contention with these lists. This is going to be fun.
Stay clean, be true.
In order of recording:
- Beerdrinkers and Hellraisers, #1980. Big Beat.
- Sacrifice, #1995. Steamhammer.
- Overnight Sensation, #1996. Steamhammer.
- Snake Bite Love, #1998. Steamhammer.
- We Are Motörhead, #2000. Steamhammer.
- Hammered, #2002. Steamhammer.
- Inferno, #2004. Steamhammer
Total Week 38 album plays = 51
Total MotörMania Hellbanging Listening time for week 38 = 31:38
Clouds and poison rain: Fast Eddie Clarke on Philthy’s passing:
“My dear friend and brother passed away last night. He had been ill for some time but that does not make it any easier when the time finally comes. I have known Phil since he was 21 and he was one hell of a character. Fortunately, we made some fantastic music together and I have many, many fond memories of our time together. Rest in peace, Phil!”
How can you keep up to date with this crusade?
Good question, glad you asked.
Twitter: @Motorhead366 – Post at least once a day.
Facebook: 366 Days Of Motorhead – Post 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 are now less likely to evolve, but always subject to change. For your reading pleasure, the Rules of 366 Days of Motörhead.
366 DAYS OF MOTORHEAD 