Motörhead
The Best Of

THE REVIEW

Does it make sense to review anthologies?
Let's be clear: often no.
Certainly not in the cases of "greatest hits", self-referential lists of career-aligned blockbusters.
Frequently it doesn't even mean anything in the cases of "best of", although these latter, when compiled by the artists themselves or by those who know the artists well, can be useful and economical compendiums for those who not only want to listen but also want to understand who and what they are listening to.

This juicy double CD dedicated to Motörhead belongs to this category, released in 2000 by Sanctuary Records and available on the market for about 10 euro, (well) investing which you bring home a piece of the history of heavy Rock across time.

The comprehensive liner notes guide us along a journey that began at the end of 1975 by Lemmy Kilminster, bass player emerging from the space hippies Hawkwind.

From the first recordings, it is clear what the source of inspiration that kick-started the Motörhead saga is: Punk.
However, the interpretation of the affair is not exactly politically correct; indeed, it has little or nothing "philosophical" about it.
What remains is the uncompromising approach to music, simple, violent, and direct, while Lemmy transforms from the 70's psychedelic hippy origin into a black-clad biker, devoted to speed, "live fast die young" and all the customary rock'n'roll clichés, which, unlike others, he doesn't hesitate to experiment concretely on himself, surviving more than honorably to this day - check the points given to various Godz Of Metal peers during a recent summer festival on the topic.

Scrolling through the 40 tracks present, we encounter the classics produced by each of the 6 lineups under the moniker Motörhead.
We start with the historic "Ace Of Spades" and "Overkill" (to which Metallica owe their early rhythmic setup) continuing with various "Too Late Too Late" and "Iron Fist" to conclude with the more recent "Orgasmatron", "Eat The Rich" and "Overnite Sensation".
There are even a few not-so-obvious gems: the collaboration with our alter ego of the female kind, the Girlschool, present with their interpretation of the mega-standard Bomber, or in the "mixed" performance, under the name Headgirl, of "Please Don't Touch".
Also curious is a version of "Motörhead", in its original speedfreak version by Hawkwind.
Several covers are present here, two of which are indicative for correctly plotting the band's coordinates: the sixties classic "Louie Louie" and the punk anthem "God Save The Queen".

As Lemmy puts it, "I'm in love with Rock'n'Roll / It satisfies my soul.......".

If you agree, you know what to do.