No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)

Motorhead have one song, then endless, watered down copies of it.

The only way to feel the noise is when it's good and loud. I hope the fine people who attended these gigs realize they saw something special. Motorhead has been a favorite band of mine for over 40 years. This is the soundtrack of my life. Just in case.

Let me tell you something. The world did not need nearly two hours of live Motörhead. Especially since a) the recording quality is super low and b) they blew their wad early by putting "Ace of Spades" as the very first track. It's 100% downhill from there with each track progressively sounding more and more similar. The end result is two hours of growling over a bed of fuzzy mess.

Of course Motörhead is mainly known for the albums "Ace of Spades" and "Overkill" but this live recording just pretty much combines some of the best songs from these albums and also some of the best takes and versions of these songs. The whole album is full of raw and energetic Heavy Metal and Hard Rock and in pretty much the best way you could imagine. It's noisy, aggressive and full of loud and over the top performances. Of course the album starts with the all known and legendary 'Ace of Spades' and it is without a doubt on one level with the studio recording. In fact, this is an even nastier recording with much more loudness and noise and it's just so grimy. It starts with the short outro from the song played before in the show but quickly turns into the iconic riff and the the raspy vocals of Lemmy which in this version add really much as some parts feel even raspier. A perfect start to the album and also a pretty perfect song as a whole. Second song 'Stay Clean' captures the essence of Motörhead and the album pretty good. It's really strong Heavy Metal with Hard Rock mixed in as well as some Speed Metal parts. The hook's pretty memorable even if it isn't as crazy as 'Ace of Spades' for example. The riffs and the whole flow of the song is pretty nice although it would've needed some more dynamic or melodic changes throughout but still, it is a really well made and incredible track. 'Metropolis' is introduced by Lemmy and starts with some cymbals and an epic sounding guitar that is quickly turned into the Metal beauty that the track is. The song in general feels epic mainly with how it's structured and how the vocals are delivered. The lead guitar really rips this thing up and the lyrics just add to the atmosphere of the song. It's an incredible song, nearly perfect if it had a little more memorable hooks. Even if many people really love 'The Hammer', I have a hard time really loving the song. Don't get me wrong, it is incredible but I feel like some people give this track much more credit than I think it deserves. It is pretty well structured and the isntrumentals work really well but for me the song starts to get really good halfway through. The first half just feels a little off even if I can't pin down why I feel that way. But yeah, still a really great track. The less heavy and less noisy 'Iron Horse' feels like a much more centred and "sentimental" track. It feels not like the standard Motörhead song but it is really great nontheless. The way the guitar adds to the more melancholic feeling by perfectly breaking through the verses is just incredible. If they had shortened it, this would be one of the best songs they ever recorded. The albums first half ends on 'No Class' which brings the rebellious and heavy sound back with some pretty melodic deliveries and performances. It is a pretty great song although it feels much less incredible when compared to some of the tracks so far. The chorus is fantastic but some parts in verses and bridge are a little bit off and uninteresting which harms the already pretty short song into being a little less memorable. The legendary 'Overkill' starts the albums second side with fast and rumbling drums and bass that make it feel like a helicopter flys above them when performing. It is an incredible track that even at over 5 minutes never stops to rock even the bridge that at first feels like the song is about to end but then picks it up again with some great guitar work which is repeated multiple times and works every time perfectly. It is one of the most energetic tracks on the album as well as one of the best. Just a pretty perfect song. '(We Are) The Road Crew' keeps the fast and energetic Speed Metal sound and although it isn't as full on mind blowing like 'Overkill', it is still very memorable and catchy especially with the chorus which is performed really f-ing good. The whole song is performed really f-ing strong and easily one of the best songs on the album. Up next is 'Capricorn' which is one of the weaker songs even if it still is a great song. It just feels a little less focused and it takes much less of a presence even when some of the details are really great especially the echoing vocals and the guitar riff. The return to Speed Metal is made with 'Bomber' which is another incredible song. It is fast and energetic and full of great moments and performances both with the instruments but also with the vocals and the chorus. It's pretty much another perfect track. The song 'Motorhead' which gave the band their name actually brings in some Punk deliveries while still keeping the Heavy Metal & Hard Rock sound. It is a mix of genres that work suprisingly well and this performance is just a great showcase of that. It is raw and full of energy and closes the album with some noisy and rebellious deliveries which is why this is another perfect song. favourites: Ace of Spades, Overkill, Motorhead, (We Are) The Road Crew, Bomber, Stay Clean, Metropolis least favourites: Capricorn, No Class Rating: decent to strong 9 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Well if you’re gonna listen to a Motörhead album, this is defo the one. They really were a band best enjoyed live (albeit I saw them later in their career than this ‘peak’). So this really is a greatest hits album with all the intensity from their live show. The drumming is immense (the double kick drum in this style must have inspired the thrash metal bands), bass so slick and fast and great guitar solos. I think they are best described as just ‘relentless’ and unique of course. Not sure any regular album would score high, but this is a 5 for sure.

Rock. Finally.

"No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith" is pure, unfiltered rock 'n' roll at its finest. From the first thunderous notes of "Ace of Spades" to the last electrifying chords of "Bomber," this live album captures the raw energy and sheer power that only Motörhead can deliver. Lemmy's iconic gravelly voice, the blistering guitar solos, and the relentless drumming create an unforgettable sonic experience. This album isn't just a recording; it's a high-octane celebration of everything rock stands for. A must-listen for any fan of the genre. Absolutely flawless.

I'd probably like this better if I knew the studio versions of more of the songs. Otherwise most of the songs are quite samey with the beat and vocal cadence. Good in short doses though if you are wanting some thrash

Best live album ever!!!!

It's been maybe the longest stretch of this experiment so far that I've seen a guarantee 5 star. Motorhead. Everything louder than everything else. Don't like it? Fine. They are the best rock band ever. I remember a lot of the experience of buying the cassette. Used, 6 years ago, Washington DC, with someone I fell hard for and ended up breaking my heart. Still have the cassette though, and something of this magnitude is worth many times the $6.99 I paid. I remember one specific experience driving to this. I was working a comic book convention in New Hampshire with a local shop, and while the owner drove the box truck with all the inventory back to the shop in Massachusetts, I drove his bigass truck and put this on. It gave me focus for such an ungodly beast. Really wish I got to see them just once. I love Motorhead old and... older, I guess. Not just the s/t and Iron Fist but also Bastards and Kiss of Death. I have a Motorhead / Star Wars mashup (sorry) tattoo of a clone trooper helmet with Snaggletooth on top, saying "BORN TO LOSE / LIVE TO WIN." Maybe even better than the Ramones at keeping things simple.

If Motorhead were a drug they'd be speed amphetamine. Because they were not really a heavy metal band and they encapsulated a lot of what was punk with some of the biker attitude to. This is basically the arc of the curve. A Greatest Hits live. No double album, no indulgence. Just in and out. Start with the biggest and best song and play a load of others that sound not too dissimilar and then fuck off. Perfection.

I have been listening to this album since I was 11. It was definitely my favourite back then. I want to explain all the exciting nuances to the reviewers who think it's all just the same song. E.g. Lemmy's bass solo on Stay Clean! And to ask them to try jumping around their bedrooms with a tennis raquet while listening, so they can access its thrills.

Rockin' high energy Motorhead! I enjoy how Lemmy tells you the name of each song. Also, lots of additions to my workout playlist.

Opening with Ace of Spades is ballsy, and exactly what you would expect from Motorhead

Classic metal album

LEMMY!!! Favourite songs: Overkill, Ace of Spades, (We Are) The Roadcrew, Jailbait, Motorhead, No Class, The Hammer, Iron Horse/Born to Lose, Stay Clean, Over the Top, Shoot You In The Back, Leaving Here, Fire Fire, Metropolis, Bite the Bullet/The Chase is Better Than The Catch Least favourite songs: Capricorn 5/5

Motorhead at their fiercest.

Absolutly insane music. Pioneere of the genere of heavy metal. Intense, rapid and raw. Never had a chance to see them live and I kind of males me sad. Their energy live was huge you can hear it in the crowd. Amazing selection of songs. I kind of dont like live albums cause I feel it chatong havong all the good songs in There but this is the really good stuff

Five starts. No sleep it's a must in any list of the top live albums of all time.

i am pretty new to motorhead, but what i appreciate about this live album is that their sound, their energy translates INCREDIBLY WELL to a live setting. in the studio they are great, but live they are HUGE. this is just a balls to the wall live album, no holds barred. the playing is aggressive yet incredibly well done. and lemmy's vocals are iconic. just a great example of motorhead in their purest form.

Motörhead is one of the all-time greats, and for good reason! Thanks for the awesome ride, Lemmy.

Lemmy Kilmister was a man of few words, with simple yet efficient pleasures. He loathed long intellectual takes such as the ones I routinely churn out on this app, often seeing them as condescending, pretentious, and unsincere. Which is food for thought, very ironically. Whether Lemmy was right or wrong in his distrust of "music critics", their tastes, and their long-winded paragraphs, is not for me to say. Yet I'm gonna keep my own review short as a loving tribute to the man, God rest his soul: This live record KICKS ASS! Most early Motörhead bangers can be found in it, and they SLAP. 5/5, what else? Number of albums left to review: 145 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 368 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 217 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 274

One trick, but it's a fun one. Probably wouldn't listen again.

I used to think I don't like Motörhead. Attending a concert by my friend's Motörhead cover band changed my mind. They're a quintessential rock band and simply fun to listen to. In terms of production and sound quality, I will always prefer studio recordings over live recordings and the mere presence of live albums in this book is a peeve of mine. That said, the track list being mixed and matched from different sets saves us from too much annoying crowd dialogue, but it also feels less organic. As for the music itself, the bands' playing is extremely tight and they achieve an impressively full sound for a three-man outfit. The guitar work is fantastic, but the compositions would probably have benefited from a second rhythm guitarist. Would have to judge that properly with studio recordings though. A nice listen either way.

Great live album and great classic messy hard rock. Loved it.

This is how all live albums should be.

lemmy is god

Motorhead. 5 🤘

Everything you need a live album to do. The band sounds incredibly tight and the energy is through the roof.

Right from the opening this blows you away. I like the live versions of these songs better than the album versions.

I was at first surprised to see a live album, but then remembered Johnny Cash. (Oh, and Fela Kuti!) Still, I feel like if you are going to include live albums on the list, there have gotta be better options than this? What makes this so special? It's not even one show! It's a compilation of live songs from several different shows. I prefer to hear one live show straight through, but perhaps there is also merit to culling the best songs from a tour? It kicks off with "Ace of Spades," and I give it a chance. It's the Motörhead song I'm most familiar with. Look - Lemmy doesn't have a great voice. But it kinda works with their sound. "Ace of Spades" also has some terrific guitar work. "Stay Clean"... not so much. It's a little more uneven after "Ace of Spades," but there is still some decent stuff worth noting. The soloing on "Metropolis" sounds like it probably inspired Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard - sounds a lot like the guitar vibe of "Ten" (which PJ never quite repeated). The start of "Iron Horse" also sounds pretty grunge-y. Motörhead is credited with inspiring the trash metal of the 80s, but their sound seems to have influenced a lot of grunge and alt rock as well. The riff in "No Class" reminds me of Queens of the Stone Age, but either the composition of the song is a bit rough, or the performance was. Parts of "No Sleep 'til Hammersmith" made me wonder where the line between metal and punk or grunge lies, and I like hearing stuff that walks the line between genres rather than playing things too safe and familiar. With early summer's hope of hearing live music again soon now fading, if you are looking for more classic live albums, check out Rolling Stones' 50 best live albums of all time - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/50-greatest-live-albums-of-all-time-173246/

I was kinda into this until I got to the 4th song, “the hammer,” which sounds exactly like—like, *exactly* like—“ace of spades.” I kept listening but I’m not sure why

Yeah, love this!

My only regret with this album is that my headphones only play music so loud.

Lemmy is God

5 Stars. Absolutely awesome. Miss Lemmy.

Peak album from a band that was the best at what they did

I fxcking love Motörhead!!! This is like a greatest hits with more energy and more rock 🤘Fly high Lemmy

Fast, loud, metal! Love it! 5/5

Possibly the best album to choose to decide if you love Motörhead. I already knew the answer to this question, and already knew where I stood on this album. I just wish my speakers were 20x as loud.

Awesome stuff. Need to listen to them more. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ah, Another Motorhead album. The first one i looked at was very good and this one, No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith, is very good too. The songs still had that high energy I expected from Motorhead and the songs were all very high quality being played live. The songs do sound a bit more samey but not enough to ruin the album for me. While its not as good as Ace Of Spades. It is still a very good album Best Song: Iron Horse/Born to Lose Worst Song: (We Are) The Road Crew

Just awesome, this is the best album so far. Lemmy has such a distinguishable voice and Motorheads sound can't be compared to any other band. It's crazy to think that this album came out over 40 years ago

Slaps front to back

I'm not typically into live albums as they usually just sound bad but Motorhead is made for live performances. Motorhead are legends with Lemmy's distinct snarl and the fast and aggressive sound that would have been out of this world for the 70's or even 1981 when this came out. Musicianship is tight, the songs are well crafted even if we don't get a lot of versatility. Anybody who is just getting into metal or wants something a little heavier from their normal rock rock music check out Motorhead.

Honestly this is one the greatest heavy metal bands ever. Lemmy is a demi-god who now watches over us with beer and a fag hanging from his crooked mouth. I went to see them a year before this when the warm up band was the Plasmatics led by Wendy O Williams and it was banned can you believe because they wanted to blow up a Rolls-Royce on stage! I mean what's wrong with that?! So there we were after the gig- two 14 years olds staggering out into the night surrounded by burly bikers in leather who made sure we got on the tube ok. I was a wreck and one of my ears was bleeding at the end. I was a mess the next morning in Spanish. Never forgotten it.

Shit, this rocks so fucking hard!!! Fav Track: Metropolis

Outstanding live album. A lot of Motorhead songs can sound the same but the energy and rawness of their music is incredible. Bomber :bowdown::bowdown:

A very tight live performance, recorded well.

What am I meant to say? I am a man of metal, and Motorhead (despite Lemmy's frequent protestations that they were just a good ol' rock 'n' roll band) were a lodestone for so much that fucking ruled about heavy music - a cool look, intense volume, badass logo, killer albums. This is raw, raucous and delivered at 100mph. The best Motorhead albums are Overkill, Bomber and Ace of Spades; the vast majority of choons on No Sleep... come from Overkill, Bomber and Ace of Spades. Perfect. If you don't like music that sounds like it could kick your head in, you won't like this; if you're a metal fan, surely it's an automatic five stars? I was born in Hammersmith, you know...

Another Motorhead album already, you're too kind! Sadly I imagine this might be the last to make the list. If you ask me Bastards and Overkill deserve a spot at the very least. The album itself: its fun. The songs are from the first 3 Motorhead albums and they are performed marvelously. Not much more to say. It's Motorhead they bleed rock'n'roll and don't give you any bullshit. Rock gods.

Fucking duh.

I’m sure Motörhead shredded live at this concert but for the uninitiated this is just a wait through some same sounding songs until Overkill.

Still about the same for me with Motorhead. Being a live album doesn't really improve things for me. I do like the wider range of material they're drawing from though, especially the earlier stuff from the first album. Favorite track is "motorhead." Like the plane sounds and air raid sirens at the end of that one. Lemmy certainly does have an oddly compelling voice and he really has incredible stamina with it too, sounding like he's pushing it to the max through the whole set.

I loooove Motorhead! Jam packed with raw, knuckle dragging, rock and roll goodness.

Not quite as intense as seeing them in person at the Commodore in Vancouver, but still about as intense as straight-ahead power trio rock can get.

FUCK YEAH !!!

Long live Lemmy!!

Hard hitting unrelenting rough edged punk metal.

I loved this album. 40+ minutes of hard, fast, rock. Lemmy's vocals are unique but work. Amazingly full sound produced by just three guys.

I can't quite remember a time I haven't enjoyed Motorhead, despite having not really explored them all that much. My brother is a massive fan of the Overkill album, while I have a soft spot for their self-titled debut. 'Iron Horse' and 'Motorhead' are great songs. Rediscovering 'Overkill' and 'No Class' was a joyful experience. The energy that comes across even in the studio recording is multiplied several times live, and all that comes out in this album. I can only imagine how it must have felt actually being there to take it all in. One of the special efforts which I'm sure I'll never tire of. 5/5.

amazing. Classic

Crikey, from the drivel to the Sturm und Drang in one album.....LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! I wonder if the people sitting in the Tracy Island 1001 Albums command centre are watching our reactions and playing with our minds, "Sooo Pet Shop Boys has disturbed your equilibrium...here have a cleansing dose of Motorhead.".. This is one tight well rehearsed battle tested hard touring band. Who else would write a cracking tune about their road crew? Phil and Lemmy swing, great rhythm section, it takes a damn fine bass player to make the Rickenbacker rock and he absolutely kills it. Fast Eddie is just a sonic boom, I'd have killed to see Motorhead, what an experience that must have been. As Beavis once eloquently put it "Lemmy rules". They were on the Young Ones for a reason. 10/10.

Doesn’t let up for a moment. Usually when I find expanded and deluxe I stop at the original version of the record. This time I kept going.

YEEEEEEAAAAAAAA ROCK THE FUCK ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ace.

Pure metal \m/. A must have.

Superb. Favourite band and made me feel like I was seeing them live again.

Love this

Best live rock and roll album ever made. Made the bands reputation rock solid. ( no pun intended)

Holy crap. Is this the best live metal album of all time? Full throttle from the start. Amazing versions of "The Hammer," "Ace of Spades," "Overkill," and the finale of "Bite the Bullet / The Chase is Better Than the Catch" is incredible.

Sleep is for the weak

Love it. Lemmy and Motorhead live are a true force. RIP Lemmy

I was lucky enough to see Motörhead live before Lemmy died, and they rocked every bit as hard as they do on this album, and the show I saw was 30 years after this was released. Rock solid heavy metal and a voice that grinds through every song. An absolute blast to listen to and if Overkill doesn’t make you want to play heavy metal music then nothing ever will.

These guys rock. No question there. Damn.

This album is turning 40 this year… but they are all dead, sadly. A lot of energy here, and short, fast, catchy tracks. Might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I loved it.

Easily one of the great live albums. Really captures the ferocity of Motörhead

WoW

Motörhead. 'Nuff said.

5/5. motorhead is the sweetspot between punk and hard rock and it just fucking works!

This is the good stuff. These guys rock hard and they sound amazing live.

It’s pretty simple, really…either you like good music or you don’t.

First, if somebody is listening to the 2h (or 4h) version, I would like to introduce them to the original 44m version of this album. At under 45 minutes, this album had solid momentum the whole way.

It was just a few days ago that I got Ace Of Spades. Great selection of songs from their vast array of bangers and they sound great live, but I just don’t do live albums. I didn’t listen to it all. Quality isn’t great, I would just rather listen to a collection or playlist of the studio recordings. I can’t give a 5 for that reason, but I can’t go lower than 4 ‘cos it’s Motorhead.

God, I wish I'd seen Motorhead live

What do you want? Loud noises? Hard rock? I mean this is like the essence of that. Love the live album too. These guys are such fucking animals. I say this a lot, but not my favorite type of music but this one got me into it. Motorhead knows how to fucking rock. It's not like the craziest, most diverse set of songs, but these guys can play well and it's straight fun.

ppl who can tell motorhead songs apart are Living The Dream. its a level of attentiveness to the outside world i wish i had. thankfully it is not a requirement to enjoy their music, esp in this live setting where they just constantly sound like the coolest band to ever play music....its amazing how the novelty doesnt wear off! and every time i do pick up a line or melody, it seems pretty awesome,,,again , more power to the legends who can tell motorhead songs apart. extremely good and sweaty music. and maybe the most ive ever felt the legend of lemmy specifically....the crowd is just eating out of his hand and it seems like he's some kind of big imposing monster alien stomping around the stage

Overkill is better but for a live album this is a face melter :)

"We are Motörhead and we play rock 'n' roll." What a ride. 40 minutes flies by so quickly. Loads of people say this about loads of different bands and most of the time it isn't true, but the tracks on this live album genuinely sound better than the studio versions. Faster. Louder. Heavier. 'Overkill' sounds particularly fantastic. For me it's one of the greatest rock songs of all time just made even better by the way they play it. It makes you want to get up and move, as Lemmy perfectly sings: "On your feet you feel the beat, it goes straight to your spine / Shake your head, you must be dead if it don't make you fly. Know your body's made to move you feel it in your guts / Rock and roll ain't worth the name if it don't make you strut." If you want 40 minutes of your head being blown clean off by Lemmy's bass and iconic voice and gut busting drums then this is the album for you. I thought it would be an easy 5, but the song selection I don't particularly think is their strongest material. So purely for that, I'll subtract a star. Make no mistake though, this is a band at the peak of their powers and playing like their lives depended on it.

linear but fun

Motörhead live in England, good stuff

Never even heard of this band, only metal I ever listened to was Iron Maiden. Didn’t expect any more or less, quite repetitive I wouldn’t call it noise, I think more than anything it’s not my thing. I do hope however, to listen to more of this artist I think they could do a lot better. 6.5/10.

That drummer gets a serious workout, two hours of fast-paced beats like this?!

These gigs were probably fun to attend in person. Not so much to just listen to.

Not my favorite.

I absolutely LOVE Motorhead. Live albums have no place on this list unless it's the only recording of an artist.

Hey Motorhead, play that one that goes *hums the riff to Ace of Spades* Motorhead: yeah, you're gonna have to narrow it down

Well the only thing of note from this listen is that I answered the never-before-asked question of where one might not fall asleep first --- Hammersmith or Brooklyn. I felt angry, uptight, and confused listening to this. Literally could not tell where one song ended and another began. I so dislike this band and this sound even more than I dislike their misuse of the umlaut. I most certainly do not need to listen to this music before I die.

Probably the best live recording of one of the greatest rock 'n' roll bands of all time at their peak. Every time I listen to Motorhead, I'm amazed by how powerful this sound is, played by just three instruments. Overkill is the moment when this reaches its highest level, in my opinion. I can be wrong, but I think the reason that it sounds like that, it's because Phil 'Animal' Taylor's drums sounds just like an atomic bomb. That's not a drum kit, it's a locomotive without brakes. Damn...

Five stars for the lead guitarist