1065. Motörhead / No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith. 1981. 4.5/5

It tends to follow in a band’s career that once you have released three or four studio albums the band is comfortable enough in itself and in its craft that it decides the time has arrived to release a live album. Why? Well a live album shows the real talent of the band, the ability to relate to their audience, and the ability to showcase the songs they have spent time on in a studio and examine just how they sound in the live environment, which is where a band spends most of its life. And so it was with Motörhead when they brought out this album No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith.

No doubt Motörhead was always a live band. I say this not having had the pleasure to see them live, but they built their reputation on loud raucous shows which is what enabled them to get a record deal in the first place. So the usual problems with recording a live show now come to pass. Firstly, to try and transfer the energy and sheer belligerence of a live show onto vinyl and not lose the impact, and to have a great set list that will showcase the very best that the band has to offer.
So how does No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith stack up? On the first point it is difficult for me to judge not having seen them live to compare, but to my ears this sounds great. The band sounds great, the mix is right, and the crowd noise is at the right level, not overbearing the songs not in the background. It is noticeable the lack of banter from the band between songs, but perhaps that just got taken out in the editing process.
In regards to the set list, that’s another matter. The band had the best songs from four albums to choose from, not only for their touring list but for what they wanted to put on this album. And many of them are their very best. The opening blazing of “Ace of Spades” into the rocking “Stay Clean”. The speed of “The Hammer”, the spitting of “No Class” and the excellence of “Overkill”. The tribute of “(We Are) The Road Crew” and the great finish of “Bomber” and “Motörhead”. All of these songs are terrific. But then the middle gets a little dreary with “Iron Horse” and “Capricorn” and “Metropolis”. Surely “Damage Case” had to be in there? Still, those three songs do sound better live than I would say they do on the studio versions, but for me they just pull this back a little from greatness.

As a live moment in time, capturing the band at one of their theoretical peaks, this is a great listen, and it doesn’t muck around either, 40 minutes from start to finish. It perhaps cannot fully reflect the greatness of Motörhead as a live band, but it comes as close as you are going to get.

Rating: “Another beer is what I need, another gig my ears bleed”. 4.5/5