MOTORHEAD

ROCK 'N' ROLL

  1/  Rock 'n' Roll                                                            3.49
  2/  Eat The Rich                                                             4.34
  3/  Blackheart                                                               4.03
  4/  Stone Deaf In The U.S.A.                                                 3.40
  5/  The Wolf                                                                 1.02
  6/  Traitor                                                                  3.28
  7/  Dogs                                                                     3.17
  8/  All For You                                                              3.48
  9/  Boogeyman                                                                4.10
  10/ Cradle To the Grave (Bonus Track)                                        3.07
  11/ Just 'Cos You Got the Power (Bonus Track)                                4.05
  12/ Untitled                                                                 7.30

          Recorded at Master Rock and Redwood, London
          Engineered by Guy Bidmead
          Assistant Engineers : Roland Herrington, Arabella Rodriguez, Caroline Orme
            and Phil Dane
          Engineers on track two: Bill Laswell and Jason Corsaro
          Mixed at Britannia Row, Eden Studios and The Roundhouse, London
          Track 2 remixed by Guy Bidmead
          Produced by Motörhead and Guy Bidmead
          Track 2 originally produced by Bill Laswell and Jason Corsaro
          Mastered at CBS Studios, London

Lemmy: vocals, bass, 3rd lead guitar (9); Philthy Animal Taylor: drums, howling Leg, etc.; Wurzel: guitars, backing vocals, slide guitar (4); Philip Campbell: guitars, backing vocals, slide guitar (2).

          1987 - GWR Records (France), 24709 (Vinyl)
          1987 - GWR Records/Profile (USA), PAL 12408 (Vinyl)
          1987 - GWR Records (UK), GWLP 14 (Vinyl)
          1992 - Castle Classice (UK), CLACD 284 (CD)
          2004 - Sanctuary Midline (UK), SMRCD067 (CD)

Note: Bill Laswell does not play on this album.
Note: Tracks 10, 11 and 12 only appear on the CD issues.

REVIEWS :

Rock'n'Roll is an important Motorhead release for a number of reasons. The first reason is the signifance of the title, which hopefully should go a long way in proving that Motorhead was neither metal nor punk, but a rock and roll band in the highest sense of the term. Motorhead's influence comes from Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, rather than Judas Priest and Black Sabbath. It is Motorhead's subsequent influence on metal, particularly thrash, that seems to cause the association with metal. Secondly, Rock'n'Roll features the triumphant return of Phil Taylor to the drum throne, although Lemmy offers a punch in the face to Phil in the liner notes (albeit tongue-in-cheek). Finally, Rock'n'Roll, while not the band's best effort to date, contains more than a few rather good songs that should be seen as Motorhead classics.

Compared to its 1986 predecessor, Orgasmatron, Rock'n'Roll has a very solid production that isn't so sonically squashed. The album has a much more spacious sound, giving everyone a lot of clarity. The band also seemed to be focusing on songwriting more than adrenaline infused aggression. "All for You" actually features Lemmy attempting to croon and harmonize. Other songs are simply well done, with catchy hooks and/or hilarious lyrics: "Eat the Rich" (a leftover from the Bill Laswell sessions on Orgasmatron), "Traitor" and the romping "Boogeyman". The general sound of the album finds them playing more like a regular rock band, only with ample amounts of distortion and of course Lemmy's vocalizing. In the end, it comes across fairly well and the good songs on the album make it worthwhile.

The Castle reissue appends a couple b-sides from the "Eat the Rich" single. Both tracks are fitting for the album. The liner notes, on par with the rest of the Castle reissues, are very informative and well done.

John Chedsey (courtesy of the Satan Stole My Teddybear website)