1081. Motörhead / Clean Your Clock [Live]. 2016. 3.5/5

And so here we are, at the end of the road. The final curtain has been drawn and we have the last release from a band that spanned 40 years and inspired several generations of musicians and artists. A live album, a final live album, to round out a discography that managed to continue to be relevant through the multitude of changes in the popularity of music during that time. It’s a chance to listen, to take stock, and to enjoy.

When it comes down to it, this album really only owes its existence to the fact that it was recorded live just six weeks before Lemmy’s untimely death. That may seem like a simplification, but in essence it is the truth. Yes the tour it was recorded on was to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band’s formation and would no doubt have found its way into our hands at some stage because of that. And though there is a changing of the guard when it comes to the set list – not entirely, but probably enough to just make it interesting in comparison to the great live albums of the band’s past – would most people have been inspired enough to buy it if not for the position it now holds?
That position of course is the last ever professionally recorded material by Motörhead prior to Lemmy’s death and the obvious closure of the band as a result. It’s interest does lie in listening to Lemmy performing a mere six weeks before he was diagnosed with the ravenous cancer that took his life a couple of days after the diagnosis. He had been having health problems for a long time, and many shows in the past 18 months had been cancelled because of it. But on these two days he managed to get through both gigs, and the result of that first night is here.
Nostalgia will always win out in the end, and that is what I feel here. Lemmy is noticeably weaker vocally than in the past, and it isn’t just age that is wearying him. The DVD video of this gig shows a man who is wasting away in front of your eyes, and that does come across in the music here. Not so much that it destroys the songs, but in comparison to even the dual live releases of 4-5 years ago it isn’t the same. Still, to hear “When the Sky Comes Looking For You” from the Bad Magic album and “Lost Woman Blues” from the Aftershock album is worth it.

An era ends and it’s a sad way to go. But perhaps this album is a fitting way to do so. Motörhead was always known as a live band, THE live band. They played for their fans and gave their all on stage. Motörhead performed only nine times more after this gig, which gives this recording a special place in music history. It may not be the best live album you will ever hear, but it’s one you should listen to at least once and reflect on the legacy that Motörhead left on the world of music.

Rating: “Only way to feel the noise is when it's good and loud, so good you can't believe it's screaming with the crowd”. 3.5/5