Published on Oct 17, 1999
I remember the glorious time I spent as a teenager getting into
the British metal stalwarts Motorhead. As I searched for all their
albums (at a time when imports were much harder to find; there was
no CDNow), I treated each new one I found like I had discovered
Montezuma’s treasure.
Bomber, the 1979 release from Lemmy Kilmister and crew, was
an album that contained some great, unheralded surprises for me.
Now, 20 years after its release, there are still a lot of tracks
that never got their fair shake with the crowds – though portions
of this album are starting to show some signs of age.
Bomber will forever be remembered for two songs. Obviously,
the title track became a live favorite, especially when a specially
constructed bomber with lights and gadgets came down from the
rafters during this song. (If you can find the video
The Birthday Party, get it and watch it; you’ll see the
“bomber” in action.) The original studio version, to my surprise,
sounds a little too slow, even though its tempo could hardly be
called plodding. The other track, “Stone Dead Forever,” is one that
often is included on any of the greatest hits compilations. Each
band member — bassist Kilmister, guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke, and
drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor” — gets their own chance to
shine on this particular track.
But the real diamonds in the rough await you if you listen to
Bomber closely. “Sweet Revenge” is a bluesy number that
gives Kilmister a chance to put his vocals through a meat grinder.
If you don’t have shivers up your spine at the end of this track
when he shouts the word “revenge,” you’d better check your pulse.
Likewise, “Poison” is a fun track whose biting sense of humor
carries the song through to new levels. Musically, it’s great as
well.
The one track on
Bomber that I thought never got its due is “Dead Men Tell No
Tales,” something I’m reminded of the morning after seeing
Motorhead perform in Chicago. Everybody talks about the band having
to play “Ace Of Spades” or “Overkill,” and those songs are fine and
dandy, but when the opening riff for this one was played, I almost
soiled myself with joy. The studio version of this track is
incredible, and it makes me wonder why it’s not held in the same
esteem as some of Motorhead’s other well-known songs.
Even Clarke gets a true moment in the spotlight as he makes one
of his rare appearances as a singer with Motorhead. “Step Down” is
a groove-based, bluesy track that is surprisingly good. (This one
remained a favorite of mine for many years.) No slam against
Kilmister, but Clarke was such a good singer (even if he wasn’t
note-perfect) that I wish he had taken more turns at the
microphone. (Apparently, the band tried to get him to sing more,
according to a quote from Kilmister on the band’s official Web
site; it’s just that Clarke didn’t want to do it.)
For all the greatness on
Bomber, there are some weak moments. “Lawman” has never been
a particular favorite of mine, though I’ll write that off to
personal preference. “All The Aces” and “Talking Head” are not of
the same caliber of quality as many of the other tracks; chances
are, on another album, they’d have been unstoppable. The bonus
track on this release of
Bomber, “Over The Top,” is an okay song, but it really
doesn’t fit the mood or style that Motorhead was playing in
1979.
It should be noted that the latest re-release of
Bomber has four live cuts from the EP
The Golden Years, tracks which were tacked on to
No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith when I bought the reissues in ’93.
So it’s not that I’m forgetting to talk about them – in fact, when
we reach
No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith, you’ll hear a lot more about
them.
Bomber is still not always the easiest of Motorhead’s albums
to find, and it might not be the most perfect of all their discs,
but it’s got enough unmined treasures to justify the search and
purchase.