Background- I have argued this point with a friend who did not agree with me. However, I still feel that Motorhead were at a crossroads when this album came out. It had been over three years since their last studio lp and "Another perfect day" didn't exactly tear it up when released in 1983. A lot had happened in the world of metal between spring of 1983 and summer of 1986. A lot of heavier and faster bands were getting noticed. Motorhead had already earned a place as a major metal influence and they would have maintained a following in the UK for sure and likely in Europe. Yet, I think in 1986 that if this album fell flat that here in North America that Motorhead could have gone the way of bands like Venom, Saxon and Raven who had showed potential in the early 80's but failed to follow up and now they were being left behind. In 1986 there were teenage metal fans (like myself) who loved Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer, but didn't know of Motorhead's influence on those bands.
First Impression-I first bought this in fall of 1986. It was the first Motorhead album I ever heard and it instantly sucked me in. I remember taking a long walk listening to the tape on my walkman and just soaking it in. Let's toss on cd (yes, I have upgraded this since 1986) and see how it pans out.
Review-
Deaf Forever-The opening track comes on at a medium-slow pace, but it has a good solid drum beat and you can feel your head nodding to the beat right away. It's about a battle, but it takes on the form of an anthem and it works quite well.
Nothing up my sleeve-This one races on and is lead by a great raw guitar sound. Lemmy sounds very relaxed and natural on this one.
Ain't my crime- This is a really great song, but you know what it sounds a little too much like the previous song. I always wished they had switched this song with Doctor Rock or Built for speed and then it wouldn't be as obvious that these two songs were similar. I used to have this album on tape and it felt like all the fast songs were on side one and all the slow ones were on side two.
Claw-A very direct sound for Motorhead. It's really solid without being polished. It has a nice thick, chunky sound to it as opposed to the two previous tracks that were fast, but not necessarily heavy. I think it works very well. Do you know what your claw is for?
Mean Machine-This track flies on at a break neck pace and never looks back. A little different for Motorhead in some ways. I like it, but I am not sure that they are totally comfortable with this sound.
Built for speed-Out of all of the tracks on this album, this may be the one that sounds the most like earlier Motorhead. Yet it's really just a very decent song and doesn't stand out too well. There is a good solo and some sharp drumming in it though.
Ridin' with the driver-A pounding drum beat kicks off and this one just goes. Everything clicks here and it's my favorite track on the album and one of my favorite Motorhead songs of all time.
Doctor Rock-Even by mid-80's standards, this is a cheesy title. Yet they pull it off because they go at it with the normal no flinching, no excuses kind of style they had perfected. Not overwhelming, but severely tight.
Orgasmatron- If you sit and really listen to this song it will bring up all kinds of images and none of them are pretty. That's what the song is about and it effectively paints an image. This was certainly not a typical a Motorhead song at this time. Yet it became a staple for the new Motorhead. It spoke volumes about what this band could be and could do.
Verdict/Final Word-I won't mince words, I am a huge Motorhead fan and this is my favorite album of theirs. So I may be biased, but I definitely believe it's every bit as good as when I heard it 20 years ago. The reason I believe that is because Motorhead rarely suscribed to following trends. They played solid heavy, guitar driven rock and it just doesn't sound that dated. For Motorhead this album was a success and they were back on the map. They were off onto their second decade of making music and now they into fourth decade of putting out solid metal.
***The 20 year old album review for September will be David Lee Roth's Eat 'em and smile.
it's funny how usually the first record you really get into from a band ends up being your favourite. in the case of motörhead, my favourite is, also, the first one i got into, 'overkill'. but i really love 'orgasmatron', and it's nice to see someone else does. usually people don't rate this record very high on motörhead's career, mainly due to 'ace of spades'-centrism or something, and i think it deserves everything you just said about it.
ReplyDeleteI will give Motorhead credit for doing their own thing and not following trends. Your review covers this album very well, it shows that you're a big fan.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to DLR.
-- david
I wasn't a big Motorhead fan when this came out but I do remember it being treated as a new lease on life for the band.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really get into Motorhead until Overnight Sensation. I always respected them but it wasn't until this album that I became the huge fan that I am today. I like the this line up the most. They are devestating. The new album is on the way!
Jose-Overkill's a great one too. I have two friends who like Motorhead but often refer to Orgasmatron as being very different and they both prefer the follow-up Rock and roll. Orgrasmatron was different from the Fast Eddie albums, but Another perfect was as well. I often have problems with Rock and roll because I think it has too many filler tracks.
ReplyDeleteDavid-Thanks. I have not heard Eat 'em and smile in at least nine years. I have it on vinyl, but may track it down on cd when I review it. I have Skyscraper and listen to that every once in a while.
Fred-I was into a lot of other metal bands before I got into Motorhead, but the connection was automatic. I think their worst album is probably "March or die" and it's decent which speaks a lot for their consistancy. I think they often get the label of doing the same thing over and over. I don't think that's totally true.
I like this album Mark, not as much as "The Ace Of Spades", but still it's a good review.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they do the same thing over and over either, especially on the newer albums. They've really been stretching.
ReplyDeleteMark - The more I listen to this album the more I like it. Funny that back in 1986 I wasnt too crazy about it, but rediscovered it when I started doing the top 10 lists. I just reviewed that list and I had it at number 6, but now I would be more inclined to put it at number 3 or 4.
ReplyDeleteBen-Ace of spades might be my third favorite album of theirs.
ReplyDeleteT-bone-It's a little dark for Motorhead, but it works. I won't reveal where I have it in my top ten because I will be doing that in December. I will say it's certainly up there though.
Steve-I already had it on cd and vinyl, but a friend of mine had doubles of the two disc sets of this one plus Another perfect day and Rock and roll. So I got those.
I actually already have all of Helloween's stuff on cd so I won't be buying the reissues.
That was actually me above as I forgot to log in.
ReplyDeleteExcellent choice. That was one of their best albums, and there were probably none released after this that were as good.
ReplyDeleteEarl- I love this album and it my introduction to a great band.
ReplyDeleteIf you can indulge me with my review of the re-release of this album that I wrote for Live4Metal.com:
ReplyDeleteMotorhead – Orgasmatron (reissue) (Sanctuary Records Group) By: Ray Van Horn, Jr.
I remember a friend of mine and I passed this tape (yeah, young ‘uns, what’s a tape, right?) back and forth when it came out in 1986 and I couldn’t stop playing “Deaf Forever” over and over like it was my personal anthem, one I grooved inside my metalhead’s addled brain in the hallways of high school, then a sophomore-turning-junior. I strutted the headbanger’s walk as Motorhead strutted back into fashion with Orgasmatron, another moment of transition in one of metal’s longest running heralds.
When you listen to Orgmastron in the same sitting as Overkill, Ace of Spades and then later albums like Bastards and Overnight Sensation, one of the things that rings clearly about
Orgasmatron is that even as a foursome, Motorhead rides high atop the vibrato of Lemmy Kilmister’s thrumming bass and snarling vocals. His bass sounds as fuzzy here as it did on On Parole, and the supplement of contrasting guitarists Phil Campbell and Wurzel added pure metal and psychedelic splendor to the dirty, riff-driving rock that comprises Orgasmatron.
A future Motorhead classic “Ain’t My Crime” was born on this album, and while the general melody is nothing you haven’t heard out of this band no matter what album, the simplistic rock and roll tone is given a breezy lift that sounds at home in your local pub as it does on headphones on some obscure park bench. Immediately thereafter is the thrashy fan-favorite “Claw,” which indeed tears your colon inside-out before running like hell all over it on the even faster “Mean Machine” and “Ridin’ With the Driver.” “Built For Speed” ironically turns the velocity down in what has always seemed (to me anyway) like a cheeky swipe at Motorhead’s historical propensity for alacrity. That would be Lemmy’s style, would it not?
Orgasmatron is one for the true fans of Motorhead, made even better with a second disc featuring a live recording from 1984 as well as an alternate version of “Claw” that is just as punchy. After the three-year layoff following Another Perfect Day, Motorhead had something to prove, and as silly as songs like “Doctor Rock” and the title track (one dear to many a metalhead’s heart) are, Orgasmatron may not be one of the band’s most discussed albums, but it’s one of the heaviest Motorhead ever recorded and it has more sweat-soaked balls than a boy’s locker room after gym period. www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.com | www.imotorhead.com