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Rating: This album that is an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT album that influenced bands like Venom, Possessed, Slayer, Metallica, and the list would be even longer. In 1979, Motorhead gave birth to this magnificent album "OVERKILL":
The album opens with the title track "Overkill", the most famous song by Motorhead that I would define as proto-thrash together with "Ace of Spades" is supported by Taylor's stratospheric drumming, Lemmie's hoarse voice does the rest to deliver this song to the history of metal and rock (Motorhead has always been great friends with the Ramones, in fact, they composed the song R.A.M.O.N.E.S. for them). The song after "Stay Clean" is much closer to hard rock, heavily backed by Clark's guitar and a catchy chorus, followed by "(I Won't) Pay Your Price", this song is all mid-tempo with Taylor's drumming creating a fantastic smoky pub atmosphere, and in "I'll Be Your Sister", everything is built on Lemmy's bass with Taylor and Clark following to give it energy.
"Capricorn" which is the most atypical track on the album, opens with very soft drumming that seems to come from deep space, showcasing the English combo's more hard rock and bluesy side, in "No Class" it starts with some great guitar riffs from Clark, joined shortly by Taylor, the solo brings this beautiful song to completion along with the title track as the album's best pieces. "Damage Case" covered along with "Overkill" by Metallica in Garage Inc., who as youngsters were big fans of Motorhead, the drumming here is quite fast and accompanies us throughout the song with Lemmy's magnificent voice leading us to the next song "Tear Ya Down" which opens with Lemmy's bass, with Taylor creating a fantastic mid-tempo. "Metropolis" dedicated to Fritz Lang's film about a bleak future à la Blade Runner brings us back to a great '70s hard rock sound. "Limb From Limb", the last track on the album where Lemmy plays the guitar instead of his usual bass, begins with a Lemmy solo and ends with beautiful drumming that concludes this magnificent album delivered to history.
In 1998, five bonus tracks were added, the first "Too Late, Too Late" (B-side of Overkill), the beginning is similar to "Capricorn" and follows the song along the same lines, "Like A Nightmare" (B-side of No Class) starts with a great guitar riff on which the entire song is built. "Louie, Louie" instead is much closer to punk than to hard rock or metal, the instrumental version of "Tear Ya Down" is very close to hard rock and in my opinion more beautiful than the original version, the last bonus track "Louie, Louie" in another version even closer to punk rhythms (Motorhead also covered "God Save The Queen" by the Sex Pistols).
LINE-UP
Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister - Vocals & Bass
Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor - Drums
Edward "Fast Eddie" Clark - Guitars & Backing Vocals
TRACKLIST:
- Overkill
- Stay Clean
- (I Won't) pay your price
- I'll be your sister
- Capricorn
- No Class
- Damage Case
- Tear Ya Down
- Metropolis
- Limb From Limb
BONUS TRACKS:
- Too Late, Too Late (B-side of Overkill)
- Like A Nightmare (B-side of No Class)
- Louie, Louie
- Tear Ya Down (Instrumental Version)
- Louie, Louie (Alternative Version)
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Overkill (05:13)
Only way to feel the noise is when it's good and loud,
So good you can't believe it's screaming with the crowd,
Don't sweat it, get it back to you,
Overkill, Overkill
On your feet you feel the beat, it goes straight to your spine,
Shake your head you must be dead if it don't make you fly,
Don't sweat it, get it back to you,
Overkill, Overkill
Know your body's made to move, you feel it in your guts
Rock 'n' roll ain't worth the name if it don't make you strut,
Don't sweat it, get it back to you,
Overkill, Overkill
02 Stay Clean (02:42)
I can tell, seen before,
Know the way, I know the law,
I Can't believe, can't obey,
Can't agree with all the things that they say,
Oh no, don't ask me why,
I can't go on with all the filthy white lies,
Stay Clean (x4)
Don't you know, all the time,
You got yours and you know that I have mine,
Grab a hold, don't let go,
Don't let them rob you of the only way you know,
Oh no, no-one else,
Got the right to make you sorry for yourself,
Stay Clean (x4)
Alright
So you see, the only proof,
Of what you are is in the way you hear the truth,
Don't be scared, live to win,
Although they're always gonna tell you it's a sin,
In the end, you're on your own,
And there is no-one that can stop you being alone,
Stay Clean. (x4)
03 (I Won't) Pay Your Price (02:57)
Move out it's time for someone else
Quit thinking only of yourself,
You're really a nasty piece of work,
You know you thought you were a hero but
you're really just a jerk,
On my way, you know I Won't Pay Your Price
You can't stop me dontcha even try,
Gonna stick my finger in your eye,
You don't deserve my admiration,
And I'll sling you out the window
if you give me aggravation,
On my way, you know I Won't Pay Your Price
I'm tired of listening to crap,
I'd rather stab you in the back,
I'm telling you the only real reason that
you ain't gonna get it is 'cos skunk is outta season,
On my way, you know I Won't Pay Your Price
Shut the door behind you when you go,
Why you're still here I don't really know,
I'm gonna count up to three and if you're still here
I'll get a gun and blow away your knees,
On my way, you know I Won't Pay Your Price
04 I'll Be Your Sister (02:54)
I'll Be Your Sister, be your lover yeah,
Be your mother, if you need somebody,
If you need someone to love,
I'm the one you should be thinking of,
If you need somebody, I'm your hand in glove
Hand in glove
I'll be your lover, be your sister yeah,
I'll be your mother, if you need somebody,
If you need you're feeling tired,
Need someone to set your heart on fire,
It's so lonely, hanging on the wire.
On the wire
Stand up
I'll be your lover, be your sister maybe
I'll be your mother, if you need it baby,
If you think that it's the end,
I'm gonna prove I can come back again,
If you need somebody, I'm your only friend
Only friend
05 Capricorn (04:11)
A thousand nights, I've spent alone,
Solitaire, to the bone,
But I don't mind, I'm my own best friend,
From the beginning, to the end,
My life, my heart, black night, my star,
Capricorn
December's child, the only one,
What I do, is what I've done,
I realize, I get so cold,
When I was young I was already old,
My life, my heart, black night, my star,
Capricorn
I always knew, the only way,
Is never live, beyond today,
They proved me right, they proved me wrong,
But they can never last this long,
My life, my heart, black night, dark star,
Capricorn
06 No Class (02:41)
Shut up, you talk too loud,
You don't fit in with the crowd,
I can't believe you exist,
I've crossed you right off my list,
Too much, too soon,
You're way out of tune,
No Class, No Class
Way out, you're way out of line,
No buddy I can't spare a dime,
Fade out, baby that's right,
No bark and even less bite,
Your perfect smile,
Betrays your lack of style,
No Class, No Class
Ah No Class, No Class
Too late, you can't catch up now,
You face the wrong way anyhow,
I know you ain't got the brain,
To come in out of the rain,
Too bad, no magic,
I'm afraid you're merely tragic,
No Class, baby No Class
No Class, ah No Class
07 Damage Case (03:04)
Hey babe don't act so scared
All I want is some special care
I'm on the run from some institution
All I want's a little consolation
And I can tell by your face
I'm a total disgrace
Let me inside your place
Move over for a Damage Case
Hey babe wait a minute stop
Don't run away don't call the cop
I ain't looking to victimise you
All I want to do is tantalise you
And I can tell by your state
I'm all over the place
I can tell by your face
Got no time for a Damage Case
Hey babe don't turn away
I'm here tomorrow I'm gone today
I don't care what you think your game is
I don't care even what your name is
And I can tell by your face
You're all over this place
Let me inside your face
Move over for a Damage Case
08 Tear Ya Down (02:41)
Gonna show you what I'm all about,
I'm gonna make your toenails curl,
Gonna show you how to make me smile,
I'm really into long legged girls,
I was talking to you all night long,
Every line was a favourite song,
Gonna show you how to make me laugh,
I'm gonna Tear Ya Down
Gonna show you what I'm all about,
I'm gonna shoot ya down tonight,
I don't really wanna freak you out,
But I'm gonna make ya feel alright,
I was talking to you all night through,
And I knew you were rolling me too,
Gonna shake you till your lips turn blue,
I'm gonna Tear Ya Down
Gonna show you how to strut your stuff,
I'm gonna make your dreams come true,
Gonna show you how to change your luck,
I'm really gonna do it to you,
I was talking to ya hours and hours,
I promised you hearts and flowers,
I'll give you supernatural powers,
I'm gonna Tear Ya Down.
09 Metropolis (03:37)
Metropolis, the worlds collide,
Ain't nobody could be on your side,
I don't care, I don't care
Metropolis is something new,
Ain't nobody got their eye on you,
I don't care, it's nowhere
Metropolis, the worlds collide,
Ain't nobody on the other side,
I don't care, I'm not there.
10 Limb From Limb (04:54)
Well I've never done nothing,
That's ever gonna shame my life,
Well I've never done nothing,
That's ever gonna shame my life,
Come around any time you like honey,
There ain't no shame in my bed at night
Long legged lover,
I'm gonna rip you Limb From Limb,
Long legged lover,
I'm gonna tear you Limb From Limb,
Get you smashed as a rat in some bar,
Sink my claws into your velvet skin
Harsh, cruel words babe,
They're gonna cut me like a knife,
Harsh, cruel words babe,
They're gonna cut me like a knife,
I don't care what the hell you call me,
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Other reviews
By BathoryAria
Overkill, the band's second album, marked their shift from rock and roll to a faster, more metallic sound.
It's impossible to stay still in front of this adrenaline rush!
By Nando77
Motorhead is the quintessential group that determined the evolution from hard rock to heavy metal.
The perfect summary of Motorhead’s sound: lightning-fast drums and bass and rock and roll guitar amidst a thousand distortions.
