Has there ever been a better rock ‘n’ roll band than Motörhead?

OilCityPickups

Firstly I saw Motorhead only once live back in the Seventies with the classic lineup ... and they were awesome. I was pretty much converted to metal from punk by a combination of seeing Motorhead live and buying a second hand copy of Masters of Reality by Sabbath. I had a mahoosive soft spot for Motorhead all the intervening years ... but I never really understood it till my Missus was working as a production manager at the Royal Albert Hall, and I used to wait for her after gigs she ran ... down in the 'Artists bar' buried deep in the heart of the RAH. One day ... I cant remember the gig that had been on ... might have been Clapton or similar, I wandered into the Bar and there was Lemmy say unassumingly in a corner having a drink. I fell into conversation with him, and the first thing I realised chatting about music was that, like me, he loved 50s/early 60s stuff like the Johnny Burnette Trio, The Pirates, Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps ... guitarists like Grady Martin. He was like an rock and roll encyclopedia. The light clicked on in my head and I realised that basically If you turn up ridiculously loud and play old fashioned rock and roll - lead by a distorted bass and a somewhat insane drummer ... you get Motorhead ... simple but genius. 
He was also a seriously nice guy.    

iseverynamegone

A friends band toured with Motörhead back in the day and he said Lemmy was right up there with nicest folks he ever met. 

Basher

They were the first live band I saw, back in '79. Also went to the Ace of Spades tour (1980, I think).
I lost interest once the classic trio split up but, as others have said, they were a special band and they always felt like "one of us", as opposed to the rock stars of the day. Always approachable, they signed autographs and chatted after gigs to spotty Herberts like me and my friends. They mixed a punk attitude with classic hard/stoner rock and the greasier side of the original rock 'n' roll and created a wonderful racket. RIP chaps.

RocknRollDave

I’m a fan of the final lineup, with Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee. OK, they didn’t play the classics quite the same, but they did record a long run of consistently strong albums, including the very last one, Bad Magic.
Kiss of Death is probably my favourite, though.

Lemmy had an excellent way with words, and many of his lyrics make me chuckle.

 I caught a plectrum of his at a gig, too, which is nice.

https://youtu.be/f--uyZXxu8A?si=Tbun3AdV-0yIOyCw

OilCityPickups

RocknRollDave said:

I’m a fan of the final lineup, with Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee. OK, they didn’t play the classics quite the same, but they did record a long run of consistently strong albums, including the very last one, Bad Magic.
Kiss of Death is probably my favourite, though.

Lemmy had an excellent way with words, and many of his lyrics make me chuckle.

 I caught a plectrum of his at a gig, too, which is nice.

https://youtu.be/f--uyZXxu8A?si=Tbun3AdV-0yIOyCw

A couple of years ago I saw Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons supporting Airbourne ... huge fun and total mayhem, Lemmie would have approved of the whole gig! 

EricTheWeary

Love a bit of Motörhead and possibly the peak of my musical career was appearing on the same bill.
They do get very samey so I’m probably up for about three songs and then I’m off but those three songs are quite glorious. 

[I do still have a Motörhead t-shirt but I saw them live twice and bought a few albums so I think I’m okay to be challenged on it] 

 

guitars4you

Not for me at all - But I know many who have enjoyed many hours listening to them and watching them 

There is a Motorhead tribute band that I believe comes from the Northants/Peterborough/Melton Mowbray area - The bass player goes out with my mates neighbor - He has that Lenny look about him - If you saw him in the street and someone said he plays in a tribute band, you'd instantly know he is Lenny 

Musical_Mystery_Tour

I too briefy bumped into Lemmy after a gig and like everyone else says, he was really good to chat with; totally unpretentious. And he was pretty unique on bass, with his raucous high speed melodic stuff helping to carry that amphetamine rock at a thousand miles per hour, rather than more traditional-type bass playing. Everything on eleven and who cares if there is some fret buzz. It's interesting to note too, that like McCartney, who was also a somewhat unconventional bass player, both of them favoured the Rickenbacker 4000 series.

p90fool

Having seen them in '78, '79 and '81 I'd honestly have to agree that in the early days when they were little more than a rumour outside London there was a massive and genuine buzz about seeing them live, and backstage and in local pubs before the gigs they were funny, likeable and unpretentious. 

I've seen a LOT of big bands across most genres since the 1970s and almost nothing has given me goosebumps like the bass intro to "Motorhead" on an as-yet unlit stage in a packed, small venue. 

I practically never listen to them or any other metal these days, but yeah, if you were there it was a thing to behold. 

octatonic

I like them, I've been listening to them since 1984, had a Motörhead back patch on my green military jacket as was popular for metal kids in Australia at that time.
Saw them live a couple of times.

But they aren't even in my top 10 in terms of a live act and a lot of the recorded output is rough and under produced.

The most exciting live act I saw was Canadian band 'The Tea Party' who I saw at last a dozen times.

Then it would be (in no particular order) Refused, Converge, TOOL, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Strapping Young Lad, NIN, The Young Gods, Clutch, RATM, Rammstein, The Cult.

Motörhead are waaaaaay down the list.
Maybe in the 70's it was more powerful but we've come a long way since then.

I will admit that a lot of the musicians I admire were influenced by them.

OilCityPickups

p90fool said:

Having seen them in '78, '79 and '81 I'd honestly have to agree that in the early days when they were little more than a rumour outside London there was a massive and genuine buzz about seeing them live, and backstage and in local pubs before the gigs they were funny, likeable and unpretentious. 

I've seen a LOT of big bands across most genres since the 1970s and almost nothing has given me goosebumps like the bass intro to "Motorhead" on an as-yet unlit stage in a packed, small venue. 

I practically never listen to them or any other metal these days, but yeah, if you were there it was a thing to behold. 

I saw ACDC Just after my 17th Birthday in July or August 1976 at the Marquee - and they too were an absolute force of nature. 

Offset

They were iconic, unique and there will never be anything quite like them again.  I was never been a huge fan of their music but I admired their vibe.  Stood next to Lemmy as he played a fruit machine in a Notting Hill pub (can't remember which one) back in the '80s.  His white cowboy boots always stuck in my memory.  His demeanour said 'leave me alone' and so I did - but then some kid nervously approcahed him and he was as sweet as a nut.

My mate still has this from when he played a pre-gig game of pool with Lemmy, Phil and Eddie.  Love Lemmy's comment.  Top guys.

bertie

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bertie

munckee said:

Nearly all other bands. 

this. 

dazzajl

Svartmetall said:

If the 'No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith' versions of 'Ace Of Spades'. 'Overkill' or 'Motörhead' don't make you smile at least a little, then you just flat out don't like heavy rock'n'roll. Sorry - that's it, you're out. Stick to Barry Manilow or Oasis.

I like Motörhead and I like Barry Manilow but I don’t like Oasis. Not sure what that adds to the conversation but hey ho. 

EricTheWeary

p90fool said:

Having seen them in '78, '79 and '81 I'd honestly have to agree that in the early days when they were little more than a rumour outside London there was a massive and genuine buzz about seeing them live, and backstage and in local pubs before the gigs they were funny, likeable and unpretentious. 

I've seen a LOT of big bands across most genres since the 1970s and almost nothing has given me goosebumps like the bass intro to "Motorhead" on an as-yet unlit stage in a packed, small venue. 

I practically never listen to them or any other metal these days, but yeah, if you were there it was a thing to behold. 

They were greatly loved by Sounds which probably made them unhip for the NME and Melody Maker so perhaps it’s ironic that they later came to represent a sort of permanent state of cool. But almost weekly coverage in a national paper gave them some sort of wider following even if the reality was mostly gigs in London pubs. 

They were certainly not trying to be Metal in their early days, Eddie wanted to be Jimmy Page so that pushed them a bit further in that direction and then they got a bit caught up with then NWOBHM and their iconography became metal iconography and vice versa. But Lemmy wanted to be The MC5 and Little Richard so he definitely thought in terms of rock’n’roll. 

Voxman

imalrightjack said:

That’s it. So much brilliant, stupid unpretentious music -totally genuine, groovy and fun. 

I’m actually not a regular listener or avid fan but that classic era kicked arse. 

Don’t misunderstand me, they’re not the best at anything, but they do encapsulate the spirit of rock ‘n roll better than anybody I can think of. 

Can't stand them, sorry... Just tuneless noise to me. 

Musical_Mystery_Tour

EricTheWeary said:

They were greatly loved by Sounds which probably made them unhip for the NME and Melody Maker

Sounds was the best one of the bunch. It was the only one I used to get regularly.

Grumpyrocker

I often don't think of Motorhead when I'm choosing something to listen to. But any time I do, I have a very good time.

Fantastic band. 

CaseOfAce

I got into them cos a metal-er at work was listening to No Sleep Till Hammersmith (my favourite track on there is Stay Clean - complete with THAT bass solo - it's superb). It's just straight out great rock and though I think they did the best stuff with the original lineup there's still gems in the later years - and surprisingly melodic - Dancing On Your Grave, Iron Fist. And no rock drummer has ever looked at cool as Filthy Phil Taylor.