Motorhead-Another perfect day, 1983

I remember hearing this one for the first time in the mid-1980's and I wasn't too fond of it. Then one day in 1992 I pulled out my vinyl copy and gave it a spin. I realized that I had indeed underestimated it and I think a lot of people did. Right after the release of Iron Fist in 1982 Motorhead were on a roll and they had established a certain sound. Guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke left and things changed. Former Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian "Robbo" Robertson was brought in to be the new guitarist in Motorhead. Robertson had a very different style from Clarke. Where Clarke was more direct and straightforward, Robertson was a bit more groove oriented and detailed in his playing. The result was a very different sounding Motorhead album as it kicks off with "Back At The Funny Farm". This track certainly shows the typical humor from this band, but the music is a bit more layered perhaps. Tracks like "Shine" and particularly "Dancing On Your Grave" show a bit more melody to Motorhead's sound. Although mentioning melody and Motorhead in the same breath might at first seem cringe worthy, it works very well on these tracks. I think the album manages to mix things up a little more than the previous albums and make it interesting. The guitar sound and the overall approach make it stand out, but it's certainly enjoyable. In retrospect trying a slightly different sound was probabaly the right move for this band. It seems like Lemmy has always wanted the guitarist (or guitarists) to bring something of their own sound rather than just copying their predecessor. While the album worked, Robertson's relationship with Lemmy and Phil Taylor became strained throughout his 17 month stint. Reportedly he did not want to play the band's classic tracks live and that was a big factor involved in his dismissal in late 1983. It would have been interesting to see where the band went with this line-up had he stayed. Still this line-up has left behind this very solid album.