Motorhead were formed way back in 1975 and are still going today. They have been fairly productive over that time and pretty consistent for the most part. So what else have they done? I think when all is said and done that this band will be thought of as one of the most important metal bands of our time. They have largely had a solid metal sound and they were hugely influential on the NWOBHM and the speed metal outpouring of the mid and late 1980's. I think that their impact is still heard today. The pace, the heaviness, Lemmy's vocals and the driving beats helped define their sound, but all of those things were part of what this band brought to metal. I think they developed and have maintained a unique sound, but they have not been afraid to experiment at times either. Also their simple image, the humor and the lack of rock star attitudes are all part of what has made this band so great.
Motorhead rules! It's a pity they never got to play over here in SA. They were supposed to come over for the Monsters of Rock tour with Dio and unfortunately the tour got scrapped due to some political issues.
ReplyDeleteAmazing they're still in this business after all that.
ReplyDeleteAnd Lemmy just looks so damn metal.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the "Ace of Spades" dvd from the "Classic Albums" series. Great interview footage with THE classic lineup of Lemmy, Eddie and Philthy.
ReplyDeleteNot bad for a dude for Coco Puffs on his cheeks! I'd forgotten he and Wendy O. Williams did the speed metal cover of "Stand By Your Man" while I was writing something on the blog about Wendy. But most importantly, you're right that Motorhead will stand the test of time whenever they finally give up the ghost. If anyone saw their DVD from last year Stage Fright, it's the best Motorhead video I've ever seen and they're just potent as hell still. I think it was 3 years ago when I saw them in a club and the earplugs were mandatory, holy hell...
ReplyDeleteYou are right on the influence--a handful of bands in the 70s kept metal alive during the growth of punk and disco, and Motorhead was one of them.
ReplyDelete-- david
andre-I have unfortunately never seen them live.
ReplyDeletePhoenix-They have had some rough times.
Fuzz-True
Lemmy's white boots-I will be reviewing their Ace of spades album later this week.
Ray-The time they worked with Wendy O. reportedly frustrated Fast Eddie Clark alot was part of what prompted him to leave. It sounds he though this was a silly idea to work tih her.
David-Absolutely. Some hard rock bands like Zeppelin and Sabbath were falling upon hard times then. However bands like Motorhead, Priest, AC/DC, Van Halen, Rush, Thin Lizzy, the Nuge and others kept it going until it really exploded in the early to mid 1980's.
motorhead is like nothing else in metal. certainly these are the guys who truly keep the faith.
ReplyDeletewhile they never hit the big time, they kept on rocking, and true metal fans have stuck by them. for me, someone is not a real metal head until they know who motorhead is.
they're not front and center, and in the spotlights or on the charts, but they're deep down inside, at the heart of that which is truly metal.
as for lemmy, he's that indestructible force that just keeps going. he can't be killed, reasoned with, or stopped in anyway. i suspect that when the year 2300 rolls around, and we're all gone, he will still be here.
I think Lemmy's vocals are arguably the best in metal. How could you not love that deep growl. I love to immitate singing him.
ReplyDeleteSome mainstream journalist recently refered to Motorhead as a "long forgotten metal band." Just goes to show you how much american journalists know about what is going on musically outside of their little world of pop garbage.
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