56. Motörhead / Ace Of Spades. 1980. 5/5.

There would be a fair majority of people who have listened to Motörhead that would cite Ace of Spades as their introduction to the band. Not just the album but no doubt the title track. This is pretty much true for myself. My first taste was of the band playing this song of the “Bambi” episode of the irreverent British comedy “The Young Ones” back in the mid-1980’s. That raucous and amusing two and a half minutes eventually led to looking for more of the band and with it this album itself.

Like many bands there is a period where you need to become acquainted with the music that they produce, a timeframe to get used to the style and the nuances of the music. Motörhead are no different, and this album for me was one where I came in too amped up and initially left disappointed. I wanted everything to be a repeat of “Ace of Spades”, to be high octane and breathlessly easy to jump around to, and not everything here is like that. So I would listen to it for awhile and then put it away and forget about it. It wasn’t until I had left it for a couple of years and gravitated back that I came to realise just how good an album it really is. Because it’s not really a heavy metal album in the classic sense of either a Black Sabbath poise or an Iron Maiden machine gunning. It’s a rock album, but it is a heavier version of that without pushing itself into that easily defined category of ‘metal’. And for me that’s what really gives it the extra kick.
Away from the utter glory that still revolves around “Ace of Spades”, there is so much more here to catch your ear. “Love Me Like a Reptile” has a great groove and pace about it and is the perfect follow up song to the opening track. I love Eddie’s riff in this song, it comes across as guttural in places, and is followed by his perfect foil of a solo. “Shoot You in the Back” slots into a perfect tempo and rocks along jauntily. The pace and tempo jumps up enthusiastically with “Live to Win” which is one of my all-time favourite Motörhead songs with a great riff from Eddie and Lemmy’s vocals. “(We Are) The Road Crew” is a classic, a great tribute to the band’s roadies and to roadie’s everywhere. “Jailbait” is driven by a great drum fill from Phil and solid riffing from Eddie again. “The Chase is Better Than the Catch” slugs along on a constant momentum while Lemmy croons over the top, and the album ends with the fury of “The Hammer” that fires all the way to its conclusion.
The three members are at the top of their form. Lemmy’s rumbling bass and grating vocals never sounded better than they do here. Phil’s drumming is terrific, and even when he sounds like he is just playing along and keeping the band in time he is doing it with a style and a presence. Eddie guitaring is street core, mixing the great rhythm riffs with fast paced and high energy solos that cut through the middle of the songs. Such is the sound the band creates on this album it is hard at times to believe that it is just a three piece.

I’m not sure the band want people to cite this as their favourite Motörhead album. In many ways it changed people’s opinions of the albums that were to come throughout the rest of the decade, in that they were constantly compared to this one. It’s a tough call as this is a hard act to follow. It might seem like I climbed aboard the bandwagon myself when I say this is what I consider Motörhead’s finest album, but for overall strength of songs and their arrangement on the album, and the fantastic production which brings every element of the band out in front of the mix and not hiding in the background, this is the one where it all comes together the best.

Rating: “Read ‘em and weep, the Deadman’s hand again”. 5/5