MOTÖRHEAD – Rock ‘N’ Roll (Remastered)

It’s really hard for someone to believe that almost 30 years have past since the release of Motörhead’s debut album On Parole. The band was formed somewhere in 1975 when Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister left Hawkwind, where he was the bass player. Actually, Motörhead was the title of the last Hawkwind song with Lemmy in line up.

Rock ‘n’ Roll was originally released in 1987 as the successor of Orgasmatron. The release marked the return of Phil “Animal” Taylor behind the drum set, taking back his position from Pete Gill, who was his replacement after Another Perfect Day had seen the light of the day.

Strangely enough, the album didn’t make it in the UK charts, reaching #34. On the contrary, the USA metal scene embraced Rock ‘n’ Roll, bringing the album to number 150 on the “Billboard” charts.

So, what were the elements that got through to the USA fans and started a most successful tour? Well, the album was written to be played live where it reveals all of its power.

The standard drum intro opens the album with the homonymous track that is the perfect Punk, Metal, and Blues blend, taking the listener to the Overkill days. The next track is a real gem; it was initially written for the namesake British comedy film where Lemmy played the role of “Spider,” a character not far removed from himself. The song has the grooviest bass guitar rhythm and features some slide guitar playing from Philip Campbell. Next, is the Bluesy “Blackheart,” and another Motörhead classic “Stone Deaf in the USA.” Campbell and Wurzel have done an excellent job on the guitars, especially in the solos, with an old school sound introducing the slide technique.

Just before the fast-paced song “The Wolf,” Michael Palin from Monty Python states a small and hilarious “prayer” for Motörhead to have enough success to give them enough money to buy a second pair of trousers. The funkiest guitar riff and another very good solo are next during “Traitor,” while the track “Dogs” kicks in with the classic Lemmy catchy bass guitar sound. The mid-tempo song “All For You” has a melodic Bluesy groove that fits perfectly to the sing-along and melodic chorus. Lemmy’s bass guitar solo opens for the last song of the album, entitled “Boogeyman.”

The remastered edition comes with a bonus CD containing “Cradle to the Grave” and “Just ‘Cos You’ve got the Power,” which are the b-side songs of the Eat The Rich single. The first is a typical Motörhead song and the second features the band jamming in the studio, playing some enjoyable guitar solos. In this CD, there is the band’s live performance at the Castle Donington Monsters of Rock Festival on August 16, 1986. The 13 live tracks are an audio proof of how powerful and energetic Motörhead can be upon the stage.

Besides the absence of a lyric booklet, the deluxe edition of Rock ‘n’ Roll is ideal for collectors to replace the vinyl version, and for all those who want to know more about this historic band.