Published on Nov 28, 1999
Nearly 20 years after its release, is Motorhead’s 1980 album
Ace Of Spades still their crowning moment?
If you ever want to start a fistfight amongst Motorhead fans,
this is the question you should pose. There are so many differing
opinions on which of Motorhead’s albums are their best that no
concensus will easily be reached. I don’t propose to settle the
argument here; in fact, I find myself more partial to some of the
band’s more recent works.
But there is no denying one thing: with only a few minor
exceptions,
Ace Of Spades is a kick-ass album. I remember searching the
specialty record stores for a copy of this disc for damn nearly two
months in the mid-’80s, and I treated it like the Holy Grail once I
had it in my filthy little hands.
This disc is a good portion of any “greatest hits” package that
has been assembled for Motorhead. “Jailbait,” “Bite The Bullet,”
“The Chase Is Better Than The Catch,” “(We Are) The Road Crew” and
the title track all have been featured in some shape, and
rightfully so. Once you hear Lemmy Kilmister’s bass line that
intros “Ace Of Spades,” it’s like a switch is thrown in your
brain.
I could easily fill this review with words of praise for the
better-known songs – but there are some tracks that haven’t gotten
as much attention that are just as deserving. For example, “Love Me
Like A Reptile” is a song that only Kilmister could sing and make
it sound so natural; this is a track that just as easily could have
been a classic – but for some odd reason, was never given the
chance.
“The Hammer” is a little better known, and is just as powerful
of a track – a speedfreak, in-your-face slamfest that challenges
you to remain standing once the carnage is finished. “Fire, Fire”
is of the same ilk, and remains one of my favorite “hidden” tracks
from Motorhead to this day.
There are a few weak moments, however, that (at least in my
mind) challenge a claim that
Ace Of Spades is the ultimate Motorhead studio album. “Live
To Win,” “Dance” and “Shoot You In The Back” just are not of the
same caliber that the classics on
Ace Of Spades were carved from. One other track, “Fast And
Loose,” improves as the song progresses, but it does start out
weaker than expected. (I think the harmonized vocals in the outro
help to seal it for me.)
Even with the less-than-perfect tracks,
Ace Of Spades is still an album that must be experienced at
least once – and don’t be surprised if you can’t stop after one
listen. Even though a lot of the killer tracks can be found on any
of a half-dozen compilations out there, there’s still nothing like
hearing them in their original environment.