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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)

Motörhead

1981

No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Album Summary

No Sleep 'til Hammersmith is the first live album by English rock band Motörhead, released on 22 June 1981 via Bronze Records. It peaked at number 1 on the UK album charts. It was followed by the release of the single "Motorhead" (backed with the non-album track "Over the Top") on 11 July, which peaked in the UK singles chart at number 6. The Daily Telegraph rated it the best live album of all time. It is also featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.07

Votes

7896
Genres
Metal
Hard Rock

Reviews

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Mon May 24 2021
1

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

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Mon Aug 16 2021
2

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.

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Sat Apr 17 2021
3

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

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Mon Feb 08 2021
3

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

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Mon Aug 23 2021
3

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/

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Sat Feb 06 2021
2

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.

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Tue May 18 2021
5

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

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Fri May 14 2021
3

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

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Mon Mar 22 2021
2

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

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Mon Feb 08 2021
5

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

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Sat Jun 12 2021
5

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

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Tue May 25 2021
5

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.

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Tue May 11 2021
5

"It's fuckin' Mo-tör-head, alright? Fuckin' hardcore Motörhead." -Dee Snider

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Fri Jun 04 2021
5

04/05/2021 Ricardo esteve aqui

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Wed Jul 28 2021
5

These guys rock. No question there. Damn.

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Thu Aug 19 2021
5

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.

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Mon Sep 13 2021
5

Wat een stem en wat een band, legendarisch

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Fri Sep 24 2021
5

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

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Fri Nov 12 2021
5

motorhead is an artist i've been trying to get into for a while, and i feel like this is the key to it. lemmy and the band have an incredible live sound, they sound just like they do in the studio; if not a little better. the full album was too long for me, so i just listened to the "england, 1981" songs because it's the same setlist over and over for the entire album. a 4 and a half would be a better option, but that isn't happening so it's a 5 from me

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Fri Nov 19 2021
5

I love their power and sound! Just the recording is not good.

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Mon Mar 21 2022
5

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.

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Thu Jun 09 2022
5

I found myself thinking of that live Jerry Lee Lewis album from a few weeks ago while listening to this Motörbeast. Feels like he would approve of this set list. Get in, loudly blast through the high energy shit the fans are there for in the first place, and get out. It’s a pretty simple recipe and yet so rarely delivered that it stands out when someone offers it up on a greasy platter like this. What’s interesting is that Apple Music has four different versions of this album, all of which add extra tracks and extend the runtime. There’s a deluxe remaster that’s 71 songs and damn near 5 hours long! I know fans are gonna fan, but come on. The original duration is part of what makes the thing shine, what makes it feel like you’re actually at the concert. It’s like a story that needs to be a movie vs. the same story being stretched to an eight season TV show. I loved this album; I don’t love it at 5 hours.

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Thu Jun 09 2022
5

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...

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Sun Jul 10 2022
5

I prefer studio albums, but a classic is a classic for a reason.

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Sun Oct 23 2022
5

Motorhead!!!!! Lemmy is god. I like studio albums better but still amazing

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Thu Nov 03 2022
5

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.

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Thu Dec 01 2022
5

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

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Thu Jan 12 2023
5

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

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Fri Jan 13 2023
5

Pure metal \m/. A must have.

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Sun Feb 05 2023
5

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

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Mon Feb 06 2023
5

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.

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Fri Feb 17 2023
5

Cinq étoiles, juste parce que j’ai rarement autant pris plaisir à écouter un album pour la première fois!

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Thu Feb 23 2023
5

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.

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Mon Mar 27 2023
5

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.

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Tue May 30 2023
5

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.

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Tue May 30 2023
5

Hard hitting unrelenting rough edged punk metal.

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Fri Jun 16 2023
5

A very tight live performance, recorded well.

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Sun Jul 30 2023
5

Rápido e certeiro, toda energia do Motörhead ao vivo.

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Fri Sep 01 2023
5

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:

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Wed Sep 27 2023
5

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

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Fri Sep 29 2023
5

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.

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Tue Jul 13 2021
4

Not bad, but fuck live albums really

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Thu Feb 25 2021
4

Yeah that was actually very good. I was going to listen to a track or two then move on but actually played the whole album. Sounds like they were great live.

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Thu Feb 25 2021
4

Hah hah, more Motörhead! You know exactly what you're getting. Fave track - "Capricorn", if only for the dedication to "all the poor bastards that only get one present for both birthday and Christmas"! 😂

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Tue Jul 13 2021
4

I will keep my consistency here... It is not fair to give a 5 star to live albums or "best of" collections... But I wish I went to this concert... Great double album!

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Tue May 11 2021
4

I was reserved when seeing another live album. I don't typically find them appealing with bad mixing/recording. This one was different. It sounded great. Here was a band who are all dead today but back then they were on the verge of breaking up and having one stretch of live shows and recordings to try to hit it big and take that next step. You hear that intensity in this performance. Only thing better would be to go back in time and attend the show live.

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Mon Feb 01 2021
4

Como si te pasara un tren por encima...

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Tue Jun 22 2021
4

My main thought listening to this was "goddamn, that must have been a fun show." it ran a bit together for me towards the end, but a good listen.

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Sun Feb 21 2021
4

So much energy brought live, I just wish the recording was a little clearer. To be expected for a live Motorhead album though.

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Fri May 14 2021
4

Loud and in your face. Just the way it should be. My only knock is it never felt like a complete set as it was more a compilation

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Wed May 12 2021
4

Was kinda cool, really good set.

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Sat Jul 24 2021
4

8/10 I didn't listen to the deluxe edition, just the original 40 minute release, but it was really good and I think I would've liked it less had it gone on longer.

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Mon Aug 09 2021
4

Nice! This was full of energy and kept me going during busy times. I didn't have many standouts in particular, and couldn't be bothered to listened to the bonus tracks (version on Spotify is hella long) but still a good album.

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Mon Aug 16 2021
4

Un disc en directe de referència, punt àlgid en la carrera de la banda i resum immillorable dels seus primers discos, tots ells incontestables. Per reviure'l un cop i un altre

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Mon Aug 23 2021
4

Ace of Spades is a classic. Musically, this is straight thrash, get up and go, but it's Lemmy's gravelly voice that really catapults this into badass territory. The live album is absolutely amazing and brings all the feelings of being in a dirty, sweat filled stinky crowd totally engulfed in the moment and it's what really makes this album an exhilarating, rowdy bender. Lemmy, famous for his love of amphetamines is making a good show of it here.

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Fri Aug 27 2021
4

This album is an absolute blast - this is not an album to work to or travel to or read to or cook to or relax to but if you're willing to just focus and give in to the relentless power, speed, volume and energy this is going to put a smile on your face. Lemmy is 100% charisma, surging his way through track after track like he's running and yelling his way out of (or into?) hell.

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Wed Sep 29 2021
4

I've seen Motorhead a couple of times, and they've been good, but only on big stages at festivals in the middle of the afternoon. This makes me wish I'd seen them indoors at one of their own shows. Great live performances. High energy, tight playing, and a great crowd reaction, all brilliantly captured on this recording. Couldn't really want more from a live album. The performance is so good that I can't tell if the opening track, Ace of Spades, is the recording that everybody knows, or if this performance is note perfect to the studio version. 4/5

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Wed Sep 29 2021
4

Like being repeatedly pummelled round the head with a sledgehammer. But. Also......Oddly charming and enjoyable. Released the same year that Metallica formed. Kill 'em All came a couple of years later. There's a lot of Motorhead in early Metallica.

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Wed Oct 20 2021
4

Rude and raucous - Ace of Spades is the essence of rock. Enjoyed this one.

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Fri Jan 07 2022
4

De lo mejor que he escuchado en vivo!

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Mon Jan 10 2022
4

Surprisingly great quality of recording and also the band sounding very much like in the studio. The songs are all very similar but despite that, I couldn't help but to nod along and enjoy the album which is why I'm going to bump this up to a 4

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Thu Feb 03 2022
4

Classic live heavy metal album - and very fast!

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Fri Feb 11 2022
4

I was familiar with the overall sound of Motorhead and of course their best known song Ace of Spades, but never checked out their regular albums. But then again, perhaps their music is best enjoyed live (or at least through a well produced live album).

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Thu Feb 17 2022
4

Como si te pasara un tren por encima...

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Fri Feb 25 2022
4

This is a banger of a live album. As I think I said with Motörhead before, I wouldn't usually listen to them but I'm happy when I do.

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Thu Mar 03 2022
4

I once bought tickets to see Motorhead live but Lemmy died about a week after the ticket purchase. I never got to see Motorhead because Lemmy was dead. I did get a full refund on the tickets though. That's it, that's my story. I'm not as good at this as Nigel am I?

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Thu Mar 03 2022
4

I actually quite it enjoyed it which is surprising. What I was expecting was a clusterfuck of black t shirts and stonewashed jeans doing rock n roll by numbers, what I got was...well I was that...but the live element made it better, which doesn't usually happen.

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Thu Mar 03 2022
4

I enjoyed that way more than I was expecting. expecially considering how crap the recording quality is. i'd absolutely love to give it a 5 because of my enjoyment from it, but the quality of it really is a bit shit.

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Wed Mar 30 2022
4

Lemmy ist so iconic ich liebe ihn

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Wed Mar 30 2022
4

Super-heavy. Hilarious how the "slow song" just drops from 150mph to, like, 90.

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Thu Mar 31 2022
4

Fast, heavy. More punk than I thought.

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Thu May 12 2022
4

maximalist glam metal energy drink headbanging with an extra hype crowd

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Thu May 19 2022
4

Killer live album. Absolute Rock n roll! Songs can be a bit repetitive but long live mötorhead!

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Wed Jun 01 2022
4

Exactly what you'd expect from heavy rock royalty. Grinding guitars...mental drumming...and Lemmy making your ears bleed.

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Fri Jun 03 2022
4

Se faire rouler dessus pendant 40 minutes Prefs: Ace of Spades, Stay Clean, The Hammer, No Class, Overkill, (We Are) The Road Crew, Bomber, Motörhead Moins pref: Iron Horse/Born To Lose

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Thu Jun 09 2022
4

I never listened a lot to Motorhead, but this album really never lets you down. It's all sort of this thundering and very tightly held together mess. If you wanted to make a song that sounded like a hungover guy who hadn't showered in a week running from the law on a Harley that was about to fall apart, this is what that would sound like.

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Fri Jul 08 2022
4

first listen some great hardcore blues

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Fri Jul 22 2022
4

4.1 - A kick-ass live recording that makes me wish I was there. The momentum of this performance is staggering.

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Thu Aug 11 2022
4

Great live albums. Lots of energy and peak Motörhead!

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