Motorhead Rock 'N' Roll CD

. 2 Bonus Tracks

Motorhead: Lemmy Kilmeister (vocals, guitar); Wurzel, Phil Campbell (guitar, slide guitar, background vocals); Philthy "Animal" Taylor (drums).
Additional personnel: Michael Palin (spoken vocals).
Recorded in 1987. Includes liner notes by Stefan Chirazi.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
You really don't need all that many Motörhead albums. Certainly, you need one with "Ace of Spades," and maybe "Overkill" and "Bomber." But do you need one with harmonies? Not really. And yes, that is slide guitar you can hear in the background. The best track on this so-so collection is "Eat the Rich," which accompanied the film of the same title in which Lemmy attempted to act. Now, this writer is all for artistic growth and exploration of one's inner child. But, sh*t, this is Motörhead. They were one of the things you used to be able to count on in life. ~ Alex Ogg
Though they are usually pegged as heavy metal, Motörhead are actually a rock & roll band in the purest sense. And this aptly titled release reminds you that despite their outrageous speed and ear-shattering distortion, Motörhead tunes have much more in common with Chuck Berry than Black Sabbath. Unfortunately, the songwriting here is rather uninspired for the band's standards, and the one-two punch of the phenomenal title track and the amusing "Eat the Rich" (the album's only true highlights) are over too soon. Most of the tracks ("Blackheart," "Stone Deaf in the USA," "Dogs," et al.) are just plain dull, and while "All for You" is a lousy attempt at a commercial single, the downright silly "The Wolf" probably could have done without its Monty Python-esque intro. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia
With the dual guitar attack of Wurzel and Phil Campbell solidified after the release of 1986's ORGASMATRON (Motorhead's strongest studio album since 1980's classic ACE OF SPADES), the band went directly back into the studio to record a follow-up, 1987's ROCK 'N' ROLL. The album featured the welcome return of original drummer Phil Taylor, who had been briefly replaced by ex-Saxon drummer Pete Gill.
As the title suggests, ROCK 'N' ROLL is another slice of no frills, straight-ahead Motorhead power rock. While not as consistent as the aforementioned ORGASMATRON, the band offers another in a long line of tasteless classics in the form of "Eat the Rich." Other standouts, such as the title track and "Stone Deaf in the U.S.A.," will please longtime fans.