MÖTORHEAD – No Sleep ’til Hammersmith [40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]

The Backstory

Motörhead’s first and finest live album No Sleep ’til Hammersmith is getting the 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition treatment. It features the original album remastered, plus for the first time ever, all three shows that were recorded to put the original album together; Leeds Queens Hall (March 28, 1981) and New Castle City Hall (March 29 & 30, 1981).

In addition, you are getting three songs from Motörhead’s soundcheck. The 40th anniversary edition comes in multiple formats and configurations including 2CD, 4CDs, 3LPs, and various merch bundles. Included in each version is a book that tells the story of the album and shows.

The Album

The original recording has never sounded better. The clarity, the sound, and the energy is simply top notch. The 13 song set list comes at you hard and fast, and is chock-full of Motorhead classics such as “Ace of Spades,” “Stay Clean,” “Metropolis,” “No Class,” “Bomber” and “Motorhead.” These songs were still part of the band’s set list in their final years. New to this edition of the album are soundcheck versions of “Stay Clean,” “Limb From Limb,” and “Iron Horse.” All three are pretty impressive for three guys just messing around before the show.

Where the 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition differs the most from previous deluxe editions is the inclusion of all three shows recorded for the final product. In previous editions you only got a song or two from each show, now you have it all. All three sets are identical, except the final night Motörhead adds “Iron Horse” to the set. The Newcastle & Leeds live sets are equally as impressive as the final track listing presented on the original album, but they are more raw and natural sounding. The mess ups, mic feedback, and other issues are present. They are more refreshing than distracting, because you are finally getting a more realistic presentation rather than a “produced version.”

It was interesting to see that quite a few songs were cut from the 3 nights of recording to get down to 13 songs. Of course back in 1981, getting 13 songs on an LP was rarity anyway. Songs that were cut from the original set are; “Shoot You In the Back,” “Jailbait,” “Leaving Here,” “Fire Fire,” “Too Late, Too Late,” “Bite the Bullet,” and “The Chase is Better Than the Catch.” The songs sound perfectly fine the way they were performed and anyone of them could have replaced the Aerosmith cover.

The Verdict

When it comes to anniversary editions the question is always the same; is this new version worth buying if you already own a previous version? No Sleep ’til Hammersmith [40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition] goes way above and beyond its previous incarnations with the inclusion of all three shows that made up the original recording. The addition of 3 sound check recordings in a nice bonus, but even if they weren’t included, they wouldn’t be missed.

Lemmy always maintained that Motörhead was a live band, and No Sleep ’til Hammersmith solidifies that statement with its energy and Heavy Metal thunder. If you are a die-hard Motörhead fan, spring for the big box set, you won’t be disappointed. It’s a shame that a video doesn’t exist of this epic performance.

Tracklist

NO SLEEP ‘TIL HAMMERSMITH

1. Ace of Spades
2. Stay Clean
3. Metropolis
4. The Hammer
5. Iron Horse
6. No Class
7. Overkill
8. (We Are) The Roadcrew
9. Capricorn
10. Bomber
11. Motörhead
12. Over The Top
13. Train Kept A Rollin’
14. Stay Clean (soundcheck)
15. Limb From Limb (soundcheck)
16. Iron Horse (Soundcheck)

LIVE AT NEWCASTLE CITY HALL 30/3/1981

1. Ace Of Spades
2. Stay Clean
3. Over The Top
4. Metropolis
5. Shoot You In The Back
6. The Hammer
7. Jailbait
8. Leaving Here
9. Iron Horse
10. Fire Fire
11. Capricorn
12. Too Late Too Late
13. No Class
14. (We Are) The Road Crew
15. Bite The Bullet
16. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch
17. Overkill
18. Bomber
19. Motörhead

LIVE AT NEWCASTLE CITY HALL 29/3/1981

1. Ace Of Spades
2. Stay Clean
3. Over The Top
4. Metropolis
5. Shoot You In The Back
6. The Hammer
7. Jailbait
8. Leaving Here
9. Fire Fire
10. Capricorn
11. Too Late Too Late
12. No Class
13. (We Are) The Road Crew
14. Bite The Bullet
15. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch
16. Overkill
17. Bomber
18. Motörhead

LIVE AT LEEDS QUEENS HALL 28/3/1981

1. Ace Of Spades
2. Stay Clean
3. Over The Top
4. Metropolis
5. Shoot You In The Back
6. The Hammer
7. Jailbait
8. Leaving Here
9. Fire Fire
10. Capricorn
11. Too Late Too Late
12. No Class
13. (We Are) The Road Crew
14. Bite The Bullet
15. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch
16. Overkill
17. Bomber
18. Motörhead

Motorhead 1981 was

Lemmy Kilmister – Vocals, Bass
“Fast” Eddie Clarke – Guitar
Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor – Drums