Motorhead March Or Die CD

Live Recording

Motorhead: Lemmy Kilmister (vocals, guitar, bass); Phil "Zoomster" Campbell, Wurzel (guitar); Mickey Dee (drums).
Additional personnel: Slash (guitar); Peter Solley (keyboards).
Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Zoom (guitar, acoustic guitar); Slash, Würzel (guitar); Lemmy (acoustic guitar, bass guitar); Peter Solley (keyboards).
Recording information: Music Grinder Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA.
Photographer: Marlene Rosenberg.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Mikkey Dee; Motörhead.
This is where everything almost went horribly wrong. Encouraged by a new distribution deal through Epic Records and his recent collaboration with old friend Ozzy Osbourne on his wildly successful No More Tears album, Motörhead's Lemmy set out to pursue commercial success like never before and, as a result, almost managed to toss their impeccable legacy in the dumpster. Sure, Motörhead (arguably the most important underground band in rock history) had flirted with accessibility before, but with 1992's March or Die, the English legends shed much of their unbridled power and skull-crushing distortion in order to break down the radio barrier once and for all. Needless to say, it didn't work in attracting new fans, and lukewarm material like "Hellraiser" (in a different version than on No More Tears), the piano- and acoustic guitar-laced "I Ain't No Nice Guy" (a duet with the Ozzman featuring Slash), and a straightforward cover of Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch Fever" (it just sounds wrong -- maybe if they'd tripled the beat or something) had longtime fans gritting their teeth in frustration. Elsewhere, tracks like "Stand," "Bad Religion," and "Too Good to Be True" found Lemmy making a serious effort to transform his trademark croak into actual singing, and only a few numbers ("Name in Vain," the title track) bear any vague resemblance to the Motörhead of old. At the end of the day, simply attacking the band's motives may seem rather harsh (and is certainly subject to opinion), but there is no denying that March or Die ranks among Motörhead's least-celebrated offerings; nor can one ignore Lemmy's swift about-face toward more extreme fare on 1993's excellent Bastards. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia
1992 seems to be the year of accessibility for veteran heavy metallurgists. Lemmy Kilmister and his hoary band of rockers Motörhead remain as dependable as ever on their 15th outing March or Die. The original punk-metal fusion band (going back to 1977) continues to play it raw as sushi. But, like many oldtime noise-mongers, Motörhead have come out this summer with their most user-friendly and well-produced work. The toned down fury even allows for an emotive ballad-duet with Ozzie Osbourne on "I Ain't No Nice Guy," and with guest guitar courtesy of Slash from Guns N'Roses. The piledriving "Name in Vain," a bulldozer cover of Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch Fever," and the title track's ominous, death-metal rap will please the hardcore following. ~ Roch Parisien
As with another legendary hard rock act, AC/DC, when Motorhead issue a new release you know what to expect. 1992's MARCH OR DIE was no different. Motorhead's previous outing, 1916, received critical raves but didn't fulfill the record company's dreams of finally breaking the band into the big time stateside. Hence, several tactics were employed here in a last ditch effort to push Motorhead over the top--most obviously the appearance of notable musical guests such as Ozzy Osbourne and Slash from Guns N' Roses.
But the classic buzzsaw Motorhead sound remains intact, highlights being the Osbourne-led ballad "I Ain't No Nice Guy," a spirited cover of Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch Fever," and "Name in Vain." MARCH OR DIE would be the last Motorhead album to be issued by a major label; the group subsequently jumped to an independent to regain complete control of their musical direction.

Entertainment Weekly (8/14/92, p.62) - "..MARCH OR DIE surges way beyond the confines of ordinary heavy metal.." - Rating: A
Q (9/92, p.78) - 3 Stars - Good - "..probably the best--certainly the most interesting--Motorhead album for some time.."