Motörhead Overkill Song by Song Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Zoot Marimba, Jan 20, 2018.

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  1. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I love "Stay Clean" on No Sleep Til Hammersmith with Lemmy's great bass solo and opening drum salvo of Phil Taylor. Outside, of that, what do you say? "It rocks" (because it does).

    I'm going to find it hard to go through a song by song for Motörhead and breaking down songs for their little nuances. Motörhead is kind of like AC/DC in that stuff just kicks butt because it's high energy rock 'n' roll played at loud volume. Sure there are little things here or there that make a song, but it's kind of futile with a band like Motörhead to try and examine things in that it's just the pure spirit of the band that makes any record. Obviously, with Overkill this the band at the height of their power and songwriting, but I only find marginally it better than something like Iron Fist. I'll just leave it that for this line up (Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor) this is arguably their best studio album, but saying that, it's not head and shoulders above the others they released.
     
  2. The Hud

    The Hud Breath of the Kingdom, Tears of the Wild

    I found a brand new and sealed one for $24, and I couldn't pass it up.
     
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  3. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    True story, brah! I know it's crazy, but, as I said, it's too much music and too little time. I truly feel like no studio cut from Motörhead is going to trump anything I've heard that's live, so it's just kind of the Pat Travers album title: Go For What You Know. Am I missing out? Maybe, but it doesn't make me any less of a fan IMO. I've bought all their records and seen them live. I think that's enough.
     
  4. Diamond Dog

    Diamond Dog Cautionary Example

    I totally get the time-constraint thing. It's a really good album. Treat yourself ! :righton:

    D.D.
     
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  5. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Funny thing, unlike @GodShifter, I heard the studio albums and then I heard No Sleep, and damn, Classic Motörhead really was a force to be reckoned with live, just overwhelming and consuming with the sheer power, and that came through live in a way that you never could in a studio, though this album comes close
     
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  6. Brenald79

    Brenald79 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    I highly recommend the new Motörhead book by Popoff about the early years and first 5 albums. Super in-depth and unreleased interviews with the original line-up. They all, especially Lemmy, have interesting things to say. White Line Fever his autobiography and the new Mick Wall bio are also good.
     
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  7. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    I hate to seem nitpicky, but this is not the original lineup, since there was a guitarist and drummer before Fast Eddie and Philthy, and they were on the first album.

    But thanks for the recommendation.
     
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  8. Brenald79

    Brenald79 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    MP calls it the classic line-up not original in the intro. My mistake.
     
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  9. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    No problem
     
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  10. Musicman 1998....
    How do find the time for these threads?
    I know in the past I've fine a few and they are very time consuming.
    Great work tho...

    Got into Motorhead with this album back in late 79'.
    I was discovering all the big Rock/metal bands around that time.
    I'm really starting to struggle with why and how etc over individual songs... but I'd like to contribute best I can.
    Just starting work so hopefully later I'll post more.....
     
  11. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Have no idea.
    Also, I hope your job goes well.
     
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  12. redfloatboat

    redfloatboat Forum Resident

    My favourite of theirs is Orgasmatron, i think it's head and shoulders above all their other albums. It's one of the few albums where i don't skip a track or two because each song is very good.
     
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  13. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    That's a great one for sure, definitely my favorite post-Fast Eddie album. And guess how surprised I was to see Bill Laswell's name on there.
    Also, I hope you stick around in this thread
     
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  14. Stephen Birkett

    Stephen Birkett Forum Resident

    I think as there is no more Motorhead to come we will immerse in the back catalogue more fully and start to really appreciate what a quality discography it really is.
    Some of the later stuff like Aftershock, Bad magic and Inferno have seem real Stella moments.
     
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  15. Overkill
    The template for so much that followed .
    A truly great track whatever the genre.
    5/5

    Stay Clean
    Another barnstorming track... ' Its your only hope....'
    5/5
     
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  16. oates

    oates Forum Resident

    Overkill is my favourite Motorhead album. I had seen them play live many times in 1977 and 1978 (and had the first Chiswick LP of course). We all wanted the next Motorhead record to really capture the live sound. It seemed to be a long time coming through 1978. The new songs that were played live in 1978 were "Damage Case", "I'll Be Your Sister" and "Tear Ya Down" but they didn't really give a hint of how great the album would be. It has been suggested that the title track was 'inspired' by Deep Purple's "Fireball", though I didn't notice this at the time. I saw them play Overkill live twice in 1979 and then went to my last Motorhead gigs during the Bomber tour. At this point they were moving a bit more towards the heavy metal market and the audience were younger kids in denim rather than the former fans (bikers, punks etc). I didn't keep up with them after that - I reckoned I'd seen them at the peak.
     
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  17. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Hope you stick around
     
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  18. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    (I Won't) Pay Your Price:

    Now we come to Track Three, which is basically telling off someone who puts you through hell.
    The track starts with Lemmy muttering I'm so drunk, before we launch into a beatwith that kind of classic rock n Roll feel but done Motörhead style, with Fast Eddie spiking up the beat, and Lemmy starts barking out the lyrics at :14, and holy crap, thank @GodShifter for this comparison, but I do hear a lot of AC/DC in this tune, mainly Bon era, and I can easily hear Bon singing this, but the similarity makes sense when you consider both bands' influences, a lot of Chuck Berry or Fats Domino or Little Richard, that fifties rock n roll. While I love Phil Campbell, Wurzel, Robbo, Mickey Dee, I don't think they quite captured that feel in the later albums, even though they're more technically proficient.
    What can I say, this song rules. Another sign of how awesome this band is
     
  19. (I Won't) Pay Your Price
    Great example for me of why the classic trio stands alone.
    Ballsy Rock N Roll delivered with no apologies.
    4/5
     
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  20. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I mentioned this in another Motörhead thread, but how frustrating for a guy like Phil Campbell to be in the band for over 30 years and still be thought of as “the new guy” or “Fast Eddie’s replacement”. That would suck.
     
  21. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Saying this as a much bigger Fast Eddie fan, i can see how that would get to you. But obviously, things weren't too bad for Phil considering how long he stayed.
     
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  22. rubberhead

    rubberhead I've never made a bad record

    Location:
    NYS
    Yeah, I always felt badly for Campbell. Unfortunately this is the perception many people around the world have (I mean, those first five albums aren't called the "classic era" for nothing) and while I feel it is correct from a creative standpoint, I can totally empathize with him — if in fact it bothers him at all. Maybe it doesn't, after all he's earned a living for more than 30 years playing in a great band. A LOT of guys in NWOBHM bands in 1981 would probably be pretty happy if they had his career. Maybe Laurence Archer? Dunno why he was the first one to come to mind.
     
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  23. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Yeah, I doubt it really affects Phil or Mickey much anymore at this point, they have proven themselves, they've got respect from themselves, from Lemmy, and from metalheads. And of course, they had a steady gig for years on end, and the fact that Lemmy was willing to stick by them rather than reunite with Fast Eddie and Philthy for bigger money says something.
     
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  24. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I remember reading something re Phil where he said it bugged him. It would me, too. Perceptions by the fan base are often not fair.

    Let’s take this a step further: Phil is in a band for 30+ years that tours heavily, but you aren’t getting rich. Not by a long shot, but he persevered. The pay was obviously adequate and he is musician first and foremost, but the perception has to bother him. Hell, I’ll admit it, I still consider him Eddie’s replacement. That’s not fair, but it’s the way it is.

    Cheers, Phil, saw you on your first tour with Würzel and Pete Gill.
     
  25. BluesOvertookMe

    BluesOvertookMe Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX, USA
    How I Discovered This Album:

    I was aware of Motörhead but didn't become very aware until I heard Killed By Death in late 1984. So that led me to buy No Remorse, which led me to realize these guys had a lot of great songs. That led me to buy Another Perfect day, Iron Fist and Overkill.
     
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