Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

This live Motorhead album commemorates the band’s 30-year career.  Listening to the album, one may find it hard to believe that band has been around for that long.  Motorhead are able to tear through a set of classic and newer songs side by side, with no change in enthusiasm, tone, or crowd reaction.  Lemmy Kilmister (Bass, Vocals) says all a listener needs to know in the opening of the album when he says, “We are Motorhead.  We play Rock n Roll.”  The band proceeds to rampage through 23 songs with the energy of a young band trying to get noticed, rather than the aging veterans they are.

Lemmy’s gravely voice, and almost crooning vocal delivery compliment the band’s high speed, hard as nails flavor of Rock.  Phillip Campbell’s competent, screaming guitar work (which is sometimes drowned out on live tracks by Lemmy’s distorted Bass thunder) maintains the band’s appreciation for early Rock chord arrangements and song structure played with Heavy Metal’s appreciation for noise.  Mikkey Dee’s solid drum work is showcased in a drum solo during the song Sacrifice. 

While the band proves they can still play their songs as ferociously as ever, this album’s greatest downfall is that it is merely the latest in a long line of live Motorhead albums (No Sleep ‘till Hammersmith, Everything Louder than Everyone Else, etc.)  With a few exceptions, the set contains many of the same songs featured on former live albums, such as Ace of Spades, Metropolis, and Iron Fist.  Songs that were glaringly missing from the set include Orgasmatron, Born to Raise Hell, and Capricorn.  Making up for those missing favorites are R.A.M.O.N.E.S., Over the Top, a song dedicated to the Hell’s Angels, and the acoustic blues song Whorehouse Blues. 

 

Whorehouse Blues, where no drums are played, and Motorhead even incorporates a harmonica in their only acoustic track, is my pick for highlight of the album.  It showcases the band’s traditional ability, while holding true to the bad-boy persona that is expected of them.  This album may not be for the casual listener who already has a live Motorhead album; however, for the collectors out there, Better Motorhead than Dead offers a wonderful snapshot of a band celebrating 30 years of playing under their own rules.  After all, this is Motorhead, and they play Rock n Roll.