Motörhead
The Chase Is Better Than The Catch

"The Chase Is Better Than The Catch" is a compilation by Motorhead in which the band presents us the A-side and B-side of singles ranging from 1978 to 1984. It’s a rather rare album, so much so that I bought it at a low price from a box of CDs in a supermarket, but it summarizes very well the glorious start of Lemmy & Co.'s career.

All the greatest hits of the band are present, from the very famous "Ace of spades" to the wild "Bomber", along with their B-sides from the old 45 rpm records. The first CD, that is, the A-sides, starts with an old Chuck Berry cover titled "Louie Louie". But from the second song onwards, the music changes in every sense thanks to the wild drum intro of "Overkill" which is quickly joined by the bass and Taylor's grating guitar and Lemmy's charisma. It continues with the raw "No Class", introduced by a good riff and a sustained and pressing rhythm. This track is truly a knockout! The fourth song is "Bomber", where the classic Motorhead sound is felt this time with wild riffs and solos, frenzied drums, and a chorus that, once it gets into your head, you can't get it out.

"Leaving Here" and "Stone Dead Forever", in live version, are an authentic lesson in healthy hard rock. It continues with the historic and omnipresent "Ace of Spades", where any comment one can make about it is superfluous in front of such a success. The eighth song is the anthem "We Are Motorhead", recorded live, which immediately became a flagship of the band, as you can hear in this explosive live version. "Iron Fist" is introduced by a very fast and heavy riff, like the drums and everything else, with Lemmy continuing to hammer his instrument and churning out historic yet incisive refrains. "I Got Mine" shows the more "melodic" side (so to speak) of Motorhead, with a nice guitar intro and a good performance from the rest of the group, while "Shine" is a mediocre track. The last track of the first CD is the majestic "Killed By Death".

We move to the second disc, that is, the B-sides, with the explosive "Tear Ya Down", which opens with a bass riff (in "Ace of Spades" style) and proceeds with the compact "Too Late Too Late". The following tracks, "Like A Nightmare" and the beautiful "Over The Top", showcase Clarke's masterful work, especially in the spectacular solos, while Lemmy still demonstrates his skills. "Dead Men Tell No Tales", live, is another knockout. The penultimate track is a live version of the cover "Hoochie Coochie Man".

The disc definitively concludes with energy and pure rock 'n' roll with "Under The Knife", a wild and damn raw piece like their whole career.