Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Alcoholic dad metal with one good song and a really bad live album. Every song just sounds like boring thrash with the same loser screaming nonsense over it. Over the top had a pretty mean solo though, but other than that this thing fucking sucked lmao.
An album designed to be played over shitty speakers in a workshop and basically nowhere else. I listened to this on shitty built-in monitor speakers and I have a theory (that I won't test) that this might be worse if played on high quality hi-fi. A positive score because I enjoyed this but I won't lie and tell you I'm rushing back to this one. Highlights: Iron Horse / Born To Lose
If only the quality was better. If only it didn't feel like one long song. The riffs are sick, and this sounded like a fun heavy metal concert to party at back in the glorious 1980s. Favorite Track: "Ace Of Spades".
No thank you, don't enjoy live albums
A banger
First live album on this list for me! And bloody hell, it's quite something. Undeniable power and energy and speed. For me, it eventually became relentless and a little bit samey, but still. Bloody hell.
Fast paced, most songs sound pretty much the same, still a good listen though, great energy to it
Motorhead isn't my jam, but the album itself isn't bad at all.
Every song kinda sounds the same...
I was into this, had been craving some more metal. It sounded pretty good considering it's a live album. Ace of Spades is always a killer, Overkill was great too. Those are the songs I knew going in. The Hammer became my new favourite, it had a big energy.
Such a good recording and album, I've already listened to it twice. High 3s.
This annoyed me to listen to. Not for me at all.
A powerful blast of energy, raw and pure Motörhead! There are no words to describe it's strenght sound!
El sonido está bestial, la guitarra y la batería definitivamente me encantaron. Lo live me tenía reacia, pero la calidad de sonido está genial, excepto por la voz del tipo, me sentía escuchando a alguien en parranda cuando gritaba jajaja. Resalté Metropolis y el solo de guitarra de Overkill, pero en general es un género que disfruto. Ah no, pero es que la voz es igual en versión estudio JAJAJ me gustó mucho la calidad musical.
Not terrible, but the whole album just sounded like an extended version of Ace of Spades. More jams than I thought, but I don't think I'll ever listen through again
For a rock album that is this hard rock, I have more warmth for this album than I'd expect. I suspect it's because of Ace of Spades being a Rock Band staple back when I played it on the Wii all the time. But this is too noisy and yell-y for me to really get into it. 2.5, rounding down.
I'll search for detailed information about this classic Motörhead live album to provide you with a comprehensive review. Based on my research, here is an in-depth review of **No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith** by Motörhead, the legendary live album that captured the band at the absolute peak of their powers. --- ## Overview & Historical Context Released on **June 27, 1981**, *No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith* became Motörhead's first and only UK No. 1 album—a remarkable achievement for a live record by a band that prided itself on being "everything louder than everything else" . Despite the title's reference to London's Hammersmith Odeon, the album was actually recorded during three consecutive nights in late March 1981: primarily at **Newcastle City Hall** (March 29-30), with one track from **Leeds Queen's Hall** (March 28) and another from an unstated 1980 location . This was the classic lineup—**Lemmy Kilmister** (bass/vocals), **"Fast" Eddie Clarke** (guitar), and **Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor** (drums)—at the height of their powers, touring behind the success of *Ace of Spades* and the *St. Valentine's Day Massacre* EP with Girlschool . --- ## Music & Performance ### The Sound This album is pure, unfiltered Motörhead: a **speed-fueled assault** that blurs the lines between heavy metal, punk rock, and hard rock. The production captures the band's infamous live intensity with remarkable clarity. As one reviewer noted, the opening of "Ace of Spades" "fairly ripped out of the speakers, Lemmy's thunderous Rickenbacker opening like a machine gun, the massive roar of the crowd as Motörhead instantly accelerated to hyperspace" . The **trio format** creates a deceptively full sound. Lemmy's rhythm-heavy bass playing essentially functions as both bass and rhythm guitar, allowing Fast Eddie to focus on blistering leads. Philthy's **double-kick drumming** was revolutionary for its time and would prove massively influential on the emerging thrash metal scene . ### Key Tracks - **"Ace of Spades"**: The definitive version—faster, nastier, and more ferocious than the studio cut. It remains undroppable from any rock setlist . - **"Overkill"**: A five-minute epic that "never stops to rock." The helicopter-like drum intro and extended guitar workouts showcase the band's musical ambition within their raw framework . - **"Stay Clean"**: Features Lemmy's impressive bass solo and demonstrates the band's tightness . - **"The Hammer"**: Dedicated to "Little Philbert" (Phil Taylor), this is maximum intensity Motörhead with some of Philthy's most aggressive drumming . - **"Iron Horse/Born to Lose"**: A more "sentimental," mid-paced moment that breaks up the relentless speed, showing the band's dynamic range . - **"(We Are) The Road Crew"**: A tribute to their road crew that captures the band's working-class ethos and self-deprecating humor . --- ## Lyrics & Themes Lemmy's lyrical universe is on full display here: **gambling, drinking, sex, rebellion, and the rock 'n' roll lifestyle**. The words are deliberately unsophisticated—"I don't see any Deep Purple in here," Lemmy once sneered at pretentiousness—but they carry an authenticity that resonated with audiences. The themes are **working-class escapism**: "Ace of Spades" celebrates risk-taking, "No Class" embraces social outsider status, and "Motörhead" (the song) is a mission statement of speed and volume. There's no introspection, no political commentary—just **pure, hedonistic energy**. Lemmy's between-song banter is minimal but memorable, introducing songs with his characteristic gravel-voiced authority. The crowd's roar becomes almost another instrument, particularly on the anthemic choruses. --- ## Production & Recording Quality For a live album recorded on the fly in 1981, the sound is remarkably **clear and powerful**. The mix balances the three instruments effectively—you can hear Lemmy's bass distortion, Eddie's guitar harmonics, and Philthy's cymbal work distinctly. The crowd noise is present but never overwhelming, serving to enhance rather than distract from the performance. The album's brevity—**just 40 minutes** in its original form—was a deliberate choice that maintains momentum from start to finish. As one fan noted, "At under 45 minutes, this album had solid momentum the whole way" . This was punk rock economy applied to heavy metal power. --- ## Influence & Legacy *No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith* is widely regarded as **one of the greatest live albums in rock history**. Its influence extends across multiple genres: 1. **Thrash Metal**: Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax all cited Motörhead's speed and aggression as foundational. The double-kick patterns and rapid-fire riffing here directly inspired the Bay Area thrash scene. 2. **Speed Metal**: The album essentially defined the template for speed metal—fast, aggressive, but musically tight. 3. **Punk/Metal Crossover**: Motörhead proved that metalheads and punks could share common ground, influencing later crossover acts. 4. **Live Album Standards**: It set the benchmark for how a live record should capture energy without sacrificing sound quality. The album's title has passed into rock lexicon, famously referenced by the Beastie Boys on their track "No Sleep Till Brooklyn." It remains the definitive document of Motörhead's classic era . --- ## Pros & Cons ### **Pros** - **Unmatched Energy**: Captures possibly the most intense live band of their era at their absolute peak - **Perfect Track Selection**: Draws from their three best albums (*Overkill*, *Bomber*, *Ace of Spades*) with no filler - **Historical Significance**: Documents the classic lineup before internal tensions led to Fast Eddie's departure - **Brevity**: No padding, no indulgent solos—just relentless rock 'n' roll - **Sound Quality**: Excellent production for a live recording of this era - **Cultural Impact**: Influenced generations of metal and punk bands - **Accessibility**: The perfect introduction to Motörhead for newcomers ### **Cons** - **Lack of Diversity**: The songs can sound "samey" to uninitiated ears—similar tempos, similar chord structures, similar vocal delivery - **Limited Dynamics**: If you don't like the first song, you probably won't like the rest—there's little variation in mood - **Compilation Nature**: Being assembled from multiple nights rather than one continuous show removes some "live" spontaneity - **Short Runtime**: At 40 minutes, some listeners may want more (though the 2021 box set expanded this significantly) - **No Deep Cuts**: Focuses on hits rather than exploring deeper album tracks - **Controversial Material**: Songs like "Jailbait" contain lyrics that have aged poorly and may disturb modern listeners --- ## Verdict *No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith* is **essential listening** for anyone interested in heavy music. It is not a nuanced album, nor is it trying to be. It is a document of a band that understood exactly what they were: "We are Motörhead and we play rock 'n' roll." The album succeeds because it makes no apologies. It doesn't try to be clever or artistic—it simply captures three musicians playing with **total conviction and maximum volume**. Forty years later, it remains the gold standard for live heavy rock albums. **Rating**: 9/10 (Classic, with minor deductions for lack of diversity) --- *RIP Lemmy (1945-2015), Fast Eddie (1950-2018), and Philthy (1954-2015)*
I had low expectations for this, heavy metal in live performances. I was pleasantly surprised. Across multiple performances, Motorhead brought high energy and consistency. It's not my thing, but I appreciated the attention to detail. It was perfect for mowing the lawn.
No me pareció malo, aunque si muy largo y medio pesado de escuchar todo junto. Es un poco cruel ponerle 2 pero por otro lado no destaco ningún tema en específico. No ayuda que sea live.
I like the band and the songs but this particular live recording doesn't really offer much to me, if anything, listening to these versions is a bit of a detriment for the band if it gets recommended to someone who doesn't know them beforehand.
I don’t love live albums but this was alright
Drunk and rowdy sound. Love that they credited Smirnoff and Carlsburg for the rambunctiousness of the album.
Lemmy fue, es y será uno de los más grande iconos del Heavy Metal, un crack en todo sentido.
It's always the same with Motorhead...I love it at the start, but then it's just more and more and more of the same. They are great at what they do, it's just that they only do one thing. That said, this list is so sorely lacking in metal entries that I'm giving it one extra star as a matter of principal.
Not my thing
Hört sich irgendwie alles gleich an wie der erste Song.
This is 40 minutes of punch you in the face rock n roll! If that’s what you’re in the mood for then this is a 10/10. If it’s not, that’s on you!
This is okay. I'm usually not one for lyrics, but boy these are just so boring. Or at least they were to me. The music is pretty good though.
I love me some Ace of Spades, and a handful of other Motörhead tracks. Overall though, I can only handle this type of vocal range in spurts with limited number of songs.
I remember seeing Motõrhead for the first time belting out Ace of Spades when they made an appearance on MTV’s 1984 broadcast of the Young Ones. I had no idea what to make of it other than sheer amazement watching Lemmy. It’s pretty ballsy for them to come right outta the gate in this album singing their most well-known hit. This is a relentless record with a rock n roll barrage of face melting goodness. Lemmy lived a hard n fast rock n roll life. All others who think they’re rockstars should take note while worshipping at his feet.
It’s rare that I think a live album belongs on this list, because just go listen to the studio recordings right? Well this one rips and most def belongs
Yes I like to rock. 3.5
People will say I'm rounding up solely based on the awesomeness of Ace of Spades. And they'd be correct. 3.5/5
If you've only heard 'Ace of Spades' from Motorhead like I had, then you pretty much know what you're in for = this is essentially a double album with near two hours of Ace-of-Spades =I'll take the EP with a couple of tracks rather than a full album pls. 2.5 star
This was a great live album! I feel like their songs really worked well live.
Not a big fan of live albums. This solidified that. Motorhead have one song. I can't imagine what that concert felt or smelled like. No thanks.
These would've been some pretty electric shows to attend in the early 80's. There isn't a lot of variety from one song to the next, but it sure does a good job of keeping the energy up. If you like metal, you should probably really enjoy this.
My throat hurts from just imagining what it would be like to sound like Lemmy. The perfect voice for their sound. While metal really isn't my bag, I feel like Motorhead is a little more approachable for a guy like me.
Wasn't really feeling this at all but then my coworker started messaging me christian ministry stuff they were finding on youtube and the presence of these red faced protestant gnomes talking about doing spiritual warfare was so grating that I found some comfort in this. Lemmy's voice is really cool and the music is really muscular and punchy in a way I sometimes enjoy but it also runs off me like water on a duck's back. The chanting at the end of Motorhead is sick, feel the energi. Favorite Tracks: Ace of Spades, (We Are) The Roadcrew, Motorhead
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this turned out to be a much more melodic and enjoyable listening experience than I thought it would be.
8/10
Motorhead sucks. They got one song, and then a bunch of minor variations on that song. Some of which are about statutory rape. That said, their live stuff is better.
This was a slog. The drummer and bassist are insane, but all the music sounds the same and it’s super trash. Maybe that’s what people like about it?
Really cool, makes me wanna listen to the studio version of all the songs
Craig:
It’s a great live album and one of the most deserving of its kind but I don’t think they should be on the list
This life recording sounds like essentially 40 minutes of the same thing. I don't really see the appeal of Motorhead after hearing this. Very little variation in vocal style or delivery across this collection. I was disappointed.
God damn is this killer! The band is tight and full of energy. I might honestly like this better than "Ace of Spades". The songs may sound the same but it's a great song so who cares
This is the problem with bands like Motorhead - all of their music sounds the same, and this album just proves that. Felt boring and same'ish throughout. Plus, this is the live version, so we have to pointlessly listen to all the dedications and unintelligible crowd work before each song. These should've been cut out, they add nothing to the album, and actually make it worse. Did not even listen to Disc 2 because suffering through Disc 1 was more than enough.
Just absolute mastery in rock n' roll.
It’s hard not to like Lemmy and company. They knew how to rock. This record did send me down a Motörhead wormhole and I found out there is a Motörhead video game from the early 90s which just looks fantastic!
Meh, vond het vrij oninteressant. Komt waarschijnlijk deels door de kwaliteit van de live recording waardoor niks echt gedefinieerd klinkt, maar ik vrees dat ook een goed gedeelte in de nummers zelf ingebakken zit. Ik heb overigens niet de expanded edition geluisterd dus misschien mis ik nu iets fundamenteels maargoed. Overkill was wel nice tho
I'm not a huge metal fan, but I quite liked this one. That being said: dear God the recording quality...
i <3 raggende gitaren en de mëtāl ümlåụt
A great album - captures the energy of Motorhead very nicely. From 1981, featuring many of their classic tunes - Ace Of Spades, Bomber, Motorhead, together with jet aircraft and siren noises! Nice to hear again
1981, британский хэви метал. Лайв альбом на пике популярности. Золотой состав: Лемми Килмистер, Фил Тейлор, Эдди Кларк. Треки: Ace of Spades.
I've never really been a Motörhead fan, though I appreciate them well enough. I'm also not a huge fan of live albums. I don't trust just how "live" they are and, really, I'd prefer to actually see a band live than listen to a recorded concert. Minor qualm, but it is one. Anyway, this is fast, energetic metal-ass metal record. Those guitars are just chugging and driving the whole thing forward. Lemmy's voice is Lemmy's voice, doing everything he needs it to it. It's a blast.
Talented people playing their instruments well, a happy crowd, some well known songs... what's not to like? That was a rhetorical question. Lemmy's voice just isn't for me. But I appreciate the artistry here.
The guitars were killer
The punks love 'em b/c they play fast, sloppy, & rudimentary, metalheads love em' b/c, well, they look the part and their songs are good for the fine art of headbanging, but the truth is they're neither punk nor metal just as they're not the back-to-brass-tacks-rock-n-roll that Lemmy says they are. They are a hard rock band, i.e., think Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Van Halen, or AC/DC. I can't stand most hard rock, but Motörhead is an honest exception b/c they're hard but too carefree to be that other quality that often drags these talented acts into dreadful self-seriousness: heavy. Even AC/DC is too self-important. +, as far as live rock albums go, tho this is not quite at the level of Live/Dead or At Fillmore East, it's damned good.
So fun love the live albums
Who would win in a fight, Lemmy or God? Trick question! Lemmy is God.
Not for me
Born too late to be there for this recording and give myself hearing damage, sad times Initially I was listening to the non-40th anniverary edition on Apple Music, and for some reason the first track was the original studio recording of Ace of Spades, I was thinking "wow was this recorded live???" then I realised
Good and entertaining but did not do a whole lot for me. Had heard Ace of Spades before and it still slaps.
This was recorded on a potato in a nosebleed seat. Why is it on the list
I thought I’d like this less than I did. I still didn’t really like the songs or the vocals but the energy and musicianship were good. I never listen to heavy metal so this was definitely a change though I’d still probably never come back to this.
Given that the majority of this album is already on this list, not sure why this live taping is all that special to be included again, but good title I guess.
Motörhead wrote 1 song and performed it over and over again. And. It. Is. Glorious!
Ah. It had been a minute since I’d gotten a live album. This list seems to love them. I generally do not. But… This is the rare love album where, as usual, the songs don’t sound as good - but hearing them makes me wish I was at the concert. Which is probably what a live album ought to do. Plus super fun to hear Lemmy slur through song introductions and dedications. A sharp reminder that we will always need Motörhead.
Not a fan
Ik hou gewoon niet van live albums. Tenzij het echt een artiest is waar ik fan van ben. Opzich goede muziek, maar ik las ergens dat het hele album ace of spades (erg goed nummer overigens) in verschillende uitvoeringen is. Daar ben ik het wel mee eens. DNF (ik ga hier niet 2 uur naar luisteren sorry)
This doesn't get more badass than this
One of the best live albums of all time. Motorhead in their mighty prime!
Killer heavy metal show with high level energy!
Can’t. Just can’t.
Debuted before Sex Pistols - were too much Bikers than Punks but IMO they ushered in the era…The trio was fun to get to know
Motörhead, No Sleep ’til Hammersmith ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #13. I wasn’t fully sold on parts of this while I was listening to it. I think I’m a Motörhead fan more in principle than in practice. One thing that bothered me early on was how little I could hear Lemmy in the early to mid section of the album, but that seemed to sort itself out as it went on. I’m not usually a big fan of live albums, but this absolutely does its job, because it made me desperate to see Motörhead live. RIP Lemmy. It gets four stars because when it’s good, it’s fucking blisteringly great. Proper bruising punk metal. I love Lemmy’s crowd interactions, he’s just a funny guy. His interviews and documentary prove that. I especially loved the bit where he told the crowd to shut the fuck up. It’s one dimensional, but that’s barely worth mentioning. It’s a Motörhead album. And the dimension it operates in is fucking great.
LOUD AND HEAVY!
Saw this tour at the Glasgow Apollo. Loud.
I was surprised by Motörhead. Highlights: Ace of spades, Iron Horse/Born to Lose and Overkill. 3.85
For a live album, pretty solid. Probably could’ve used an actual album from Motorhead instead…..
I don't like live versions of my favorite songs let alone an almost 2 hour version of songs I've never heard before. Every song sounds the same and while I'm sure if you like this band, this was a bangin concert, it just was not for me. Was this really the best version of Motorhead they had to offer this list?
Rocker bra.
050226 14:36 4
Cool recording. These guys sound fantastic here. The instruments were recorded marvelously, and of course Lemmy's growling vocals. Motorhead recorded live is a perfect delivery method for this band.
This is getting a 1. Live albums should not be on this list
Fast loud and dirty. Who knew they had this many songs? But an excellent live recording of what must've been a hell of a show.
Motorhead at the peak of their powers. Can't say I knew a lot of the songs apart from Ace of Spades (which is a stone cold classic), but the rest is great heavy rock/metal with the unmistakeable growl of Lemmy coming through loud and clear.
I have never listened to motorhead, only knew them by name. I knew of some of the tracks, and this was a great album. I felt the mix on the live show was a little rough at times, but solid album.
brilliant live album, one of the best I've heard
I find this album uninspired and boring. I could have gone my whole life without listening to it and feel like I’m not missing out.
no sleep till this list stops giving me stupid live albums. hated this from just the first damn song Would I listen again: No Deserves to be on this list: It's a live album 0.5
very powerful group of 3 people, good live sound Will I listen to again: 35%
Repeat after me: LIVE ALBUMS ARE RARELY WORTH IT, but this one had great energy, but was same-y after a while. The apple version had so many live recordings, I only listened to a subset. Highlights: ace of spades
this exists. i'm bored
Music is about moods. I don't always want to bang my head. But when I do, Motorhead is not a bad choice. 3.45. Just shy of enough to round up to 4. Solid, solid 3.
Better than Coldplay
Lemmy!
LEMMY!!!!
I’ve always enjoyed what I’ve heard of Motörhead. I’m just not a fan of non-jazz live albums on this list. To top it off, this isn’t even a single concert, it’s a compilation of performances from concerts. Also every time Lenny talks, I’m pulled out of the listening zone I’ve been in.
This album grabs your attention straight away, ace of spades, would have been amazing to be there watching it live. Stay clean, iron horse, we are the roadcrew, Capricorn, we’re also favourites tracks.
The generator god is mocking me, since I just complained about how live albums feel unsatisfying. And “God loves those whom he corrects” … I was actually kind of into this one, possibly because my expectations were so low. I knew next to nothing about the band… my impressions would have been “older British metal band with a stupid umlaut.” But I found the sound surprisingly engaging. Reading on their Wikipedia page, they say they never exactly thought of themselves as a metal band, but a rock and roll band that fit in well with their contemporary punk cousins. And that’s exactly what I hear, a bunch of guys having fun drawing on elements of all three genres while also celebrating the ace of spades. I’ll be curious to see if I like the studio version more or less than this.
This is the kind of rock that is better live
This is... Alright, I'm not really a fan of live albums in general but whats here is pretty good tunage. I might be persueded to listen to more Motörhead in the future Theres's plenty of songs I liked but nothing I really loved... And one track that has aged like milk in Florida sunshine 😬
Dirty, gritty late 70’s early 80’s British Metal and I love it. This album is touted as an essential live album and I get why. I am not really a Motörhead fan but I do enjoy some of their songs and this captures them at their height. It’s good, if you like this sort of thing.
album long + trop metal
One of the greatest live bands ever at the peak of their powers and tight as fuck, ripping through some powerful, aggressive and melodically catchy tracks. Several classics here: "Ace of Spades," "Stay Clean," "No Class," "Overkill" "(We Are) The Road Crew," "Bomber," "Motorhead" this serves as a great compilation for the band in the format they deserved to be heard in. One of the best hard rock albums of all time, full stop.
Just over a full year after Motörhead dropped their addition to the slowly developing Hard Rock/Heavy Metal scene of the 80s with Ace of Spades, they dropped a live album to accompany it that some people also find to be just as legendary as that aforementioned album. I am personally not huge on Motörhead, but I got to respect just how much their sound translates to the live setting like on this whole project. If you enjoy hearing a chain-smoking biker kind of guy gargle out some pretty sick Heavy Metal tracks then you will love this. I was more impressed by the energy more than anything else and I think that makes it more notable than their other project on the 1001 albums to hear list, Ace of Spades, but again I wouldn't call this an essential album to hear before you die unless you are the target audience of Motörhead.
loud seems to be the one drum track all the way through
Metal albums are always better when they’re the live version. Can’t help but bang your head a little while listening.
I will not include the bonus live recording of "Over the Top" in this review, even though it was on the set list for these shows. Man, it's only been two months since I got Ace of Spades, and now I get Motörhead's most notable live record? That's wild. I've heard individual tracks here and there from No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith, largely recorded from their shows at Queen's Hall in Leeds and City Hall in Newcastle during their Short Sharp Pain in the Neck tour. Putting it all together, I do consider this a damn good record, showcasing the technical prowess of Lemmy, Phil Taylor, and "Fast Eddie" Clarke at the height of their career. Blazing through hits like "Ace of Spades", "No Class", "Bomber", and "Overkill" at near note-for-note perfection with the amplified loudness of the live venues, this album is evidence of the band's sheer dedication to putting on a fun time for their fans. With that said, I have to be a bit blunt about this record, and it's a problem shared with Cheap Trick's At Budokan and The Who's Live at Leeds - the track sequencing does not line up completely with the show. Of the approximately 18 songs played at the Newcastle and Leeds shows in 1981, only 10 made it onto the final tracklist, with a recording of "Iron Horse/Born to Lose" taken from a different show a year earlier. It could be argued that these were the best performances, representative of the live shows Motörhead played at the time, and they largely stick to the order of the actual sets, except for one noticeable difference toward the end. "Overkill" was the song that typically closed out the main sets for their shows, and switching its place in the track order with "Capricorn" while doing some editing to try and make it work is a baffling choice, especially given the longevity the former has had as a live staple. From what I gather, the original intent was to have a double live album, but the band didn't have enough material to fill both sides of two vinyl records, so cuts were made. I know that the 40th-anniversary deluxe edition includes the full unaltered sets from the Leeds and Newcastle shows, but I am judging the original release, as this was the version that got all of the notoriety. As I said at the top, I do consider No Sleep 'til Hammersmith to be a damn good record, a bona fide ripping collection of loud rock 'n roll showmanship. I can't help but notice some of the editing on here, and that did hamper my immersion in the live shows ever so slightly.
TBH, I was not looking forward to listening to this album because I knew it wouldn't be for me. That being said, I was able to find some instrumental glimmers in there that worked. Also I'm a Capricorn and there is a song called Capricorn.
This is just what I needed after a run of rubbish albums.
Hood metal album. Surprising audio quality for a live album.
I was afraid to play it at the volume they probably intended, but it was some good high energy stuff
Wow after already having to hear the studio version of “Jailbait”, the list includes it AGAIN on a live album, this time accompanied by a creepy shout-out to all the “15 year old apprentice [something I can’t make out]”. YIKES. WHY DOES THIS LIST HAVE TO PUT LIVE VERSIONS OF MEDIOCRE DAD ROCK ALBUMS ALREADY INCLUDED ON THE LIST. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF ALBUMS TO CHOOSE FROM AND YOU DOUBLE DIPPED. WHY WHY WHY
At some point I thought they were gonna dedicate a song to me because I swear every damn person on the planet got a shout out here
Ace of Spades - 5/5 Stay Clean - 4/5 Metropolis - 3.5/5 The Hammer - 3.5/5 Iron Horse - 3.5/5 No Class - 4/5 Overkill - 3.5/5 (We Are) The Road Crew - 3.5/5 Capricorn - 3/5 Bomber - 3.5/5 Motorhead - 3.5/5 Motörhead is the definitive example of being really good at one thing and one thing only: making songs that sound like Ace of Spades. Overall: 3.5/5 Favorites: Ace of Spades
Unos grandes exitos en directo de un grupo heavy al que no sigo. Correcto si te gustan pero evidentemente poco variado. Es un grupo para ver en vivo.
I was waiting for a ballad ....
Find it hard to rate albums like this that I can appreciate but will just never do it for me. RYM: Y (#939) Saved a song: N
Own this one. Motorhead is always fun to listen to.
Another free pass live album. No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith (love the title) is a slight improvement over our previous Motorhead listen to Ace Of Spades. But still middle of The Roadcrew. (2.3*s) Didn’t we listen to this one already?
Motorhead sounds as good (or bad) live as they do in the studio. Some epic guitar shredding on this one. Must have been a kick-ass show no doubt. Can't really rate these live ones without a bit of disdain, but certainly a better one from the list. Lemmy sounds like he hadn't sleep for months and partied hard. Bunch of bumps, booze, and boobs on this tour I'm sure...1.93 stars.
I was writing my review, then checked the prior Motorhead entry and realized that I wrote nearly the same thing verbatim again. To echo the main thought: they certainly have a formula as nearly every song sounds the same. You can expect a fast beat, Lemmy growling out some lyrics over a riff then a couple quick-shot solos. I guess if you like one Motorhead song you would like them all. I'm fine with one song but don't need to hear it repeated ad nauseum for the length of an album. I do expect that these guys seem like they would be on another level at a live show. There's a ton of energy and in the right room I can see why Motorhead would kick ass. It translates a bit in the live album, but not enough for me to get into another gear. To their credit not much is lost between studio and live versions, but its just not something that I need beyond a single song every couple of years. Not always, but there have been plenty of albums on this list where I've stuck around for any bonus tracks or extra versions on Extended/Deluxe/Remastered Editions or whatever. I didn't bother with this one as I got more than I needed from the 1 x 11 tracks I heard in the original cut. 2.13 stars
An objectively good album of all their hits and I'm sure it sounded amazing live Just not my type of music, and did not bother to finish listening to it
not the vibe today
live rock albums are cool in theory but not great in listening practice
I cannot listen to this singing
What am I doing here? This is the 39th album I've listened to. How could I possibly tolerate over 900 more albums selected by the most pathetic group of alcoholic dads ever assembled?
Hawkwind is sick and Lemmy not being part of it so he could make Motorhead is the best. Ace of Spades is perfect straight forward metal. It just hits nonstop fury and rocks. Motorhead is as much about energy as sound so a love album is a great call. Don't remember how much Motorhead is on the list but this is a good representation
Like I said last time with Motörhead. "Sounds like an album of trying to figure out one song, getting it, making it the first track then using the rest of the tries to make an album." But this time as a live album, the energy really comes across and that's what music like this is really all about. It's fun.
Again I would prefer studio album, but oh well. This is legendary and probably one of the better known live albums of Metal. Great stuff, but not close to being my favourite record of Motorhead. Probably easy 4 stars though.
Listening session: january 15th, while commuting from and to internship Listened to before: no Thoughts: I’m sure that it was a lot of fun to witness this live but while listening to this front to back, most songs sounded the same to me Favourite track: Capricorn
F yeah
not a big fan of motörhead
Pain. Worst possible album for a stressful day. Felt like I was being assaulted and more than once had to check I didn't have Spotify set to repeat song because every single one sounded the same.
Rock the way it was intended. Motorhead are not a great band, but the one thing they can do consistently is deliver driving music and that's what they do with this live album. This was great to listen to, especially as someone who is not a fan of their music. The energy is just fantastic. Loved this.
I think this one is a 3. Sort of feel like a lot of songs are very similar. I don't dislike the songs just seemed too much the same to be very interesting.
Something that I've never realized is how tight they are
First Motörhead album I've ever listened to before. All excellent songs, but kind of same-y. Solid effort. High 3!
deve ter um valor emocional enorme pra pessoas que abusam de whisky e brigam na rua sob a sombra do ROCK como eu só bebo socialmente minha nota hj vai ser baixa (eu gosto de ace of spades e acaba ai)
a qualidade sonora nem tá tão boa mas eu curto a correria dos instrumentos do motorhead. nao foi tão ruim apesar de ser rock ao vivo, foi até rapidim eh doideira já gastar ace of spades logo no início do show pqp
Fine. Will never revisit.
3,75/5
Not normally a fan of live LPs but this was quite good
Man that vocal is *rough*
"No Sleep 'til Hammersmith" is the first live album by English rock band Motörhead. Heavy metal and hard rock are the Wiki-listed genres. The album has 11 songs from their first four albums recorded primarily in Newcastle. The bandmembers, considered their "classic" line-up, consisted of Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister (lead vocals, bass), "Fast" Eddie Clarke (guitar, backing vocals) and Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor (drums). The album reached the top of the UK Album Charts and is considered one of the best live metal albums of all time. The album opens fast and hard with their classic "Ace of Spades." Driving, relentless...a defining moment for thrash metal sounding just fine here. Lemmy's scratchy voice. Ace guitar stuff from Clarke. Why live forever? A drum roll opens the slower "Metropolis." A darker, heavier edge to the guitar. Some wah-wah effects. More in the hard rock area contrasted with thrashy "Ace of Spades." Right up there with "Ace of Spades" in my Motörhead catalog is "Overkill." And the band does not disappoint. Explosive guitar and pounding drums. The exhilarating feeling of listening to live music. A great deeper cut is "(We Are) The Road Crew." A song for their road crew and the band sounds inspired and impassioned. A distorted bass begins the closer, the self-titled "Motörhead," a song from their debut. Ferocious co-lead vocals. A punk-thrash fusion. They'll be Motörhead tonight. Rocket ship and siren sounds appropriately end the the album. The band is tight. The music is loud and fast. Lemmy's voice is the same, screaming and scratchy as ever. They roar relentlessly through their early catalog of thrash metal, hard rock and punk songs. Live hard, drive motorcycles, enjoy drugs and freedom, hate fake people and celebrate the road crew. Even the one song, "Capricorn," that Lemmy says is slow, rocks. A classic live album in every respect.
Cool. First Motorhead album. The only song from these guys that I've listened to is their contribution to the first SpongeBob movie soundtrack. No, I'm not ashamed as I genuinely do like that album. Their song was pretty funny. They modified the lyrics of "You Better Run" to better fit with the underwater theming of Sponbo. I'm surprised hard rock was still kicking it in the 80s with the advent of digital music production, but props to these guys for keeping it alive. Yeah, it's hard rock, but with a twist. Modernised music production techniques have refined these guitar riffs to the point where they don't sound like crunchy pieces of shit anymore. The vocals are decent, too. I can appreciate the gruff, foolhardy vocals from the frontman - they make for a pretty fun listen. Above all else, it's impressive that this is a live album. Only the percussion and audience/vocal interludes have that "live" quality to them. You could pass the rest of this album off as a studio recording and I'd honestly be fooled. All that being said, this is ultimately a hard rock album. These songs heavily follow a formula and do so competently, but I am ultimately not a fan of the style and felt that many of the songs blended together. Book time. "...one of the most important live albums in rock history". Performed by only three people, though that's about it. Wikipedia says that this album topped the UK charts. It's also their biggest chart success, which is a surprise. I can let this one through. I know Motorhead are an iconic act, and I think live albums are a fitting way of channeling that iconic factor. I cosign this inclusion.
4 Motörhead
I don't know what the lists rules are for when live albums get used. I don't really care in this case, Motorhead is the real deal. Live or studio they were just real rock n roll. There's just nothing like it. Must hear before death, during death, after death
Nice
-wow ok, i liked this waaay more than Ace Of Spades. which i did not particularly care for and sort of made me write off Motörhead. guess the band’s energy and skill translated much better for me in a live setting -it’s still not my absolute favorite but might be quite fun to listen to in lieu of morning coffee or at the gym. 3.5 -Favorites: Ace Of Spades, Iron Horse / Born To Lose
Honestly, probably the best live album I've heard (Live at Leeds and the Johnny Cash prison albums are close). See Thin Lizzy, THIS is how you produce a live album. It's raw, noisy, chaotic, messy, and just all around fantastic. It's not produced to within an inch of it's life like Live & "Dangerous" was. And of course, it's got the classics on here. Ace of Spades is a fantastic opener, with Overkill and (We Are) The Road Kill being some of my favorites. I still struggle with the idea of putting live albums on this list (They're basically glorified greatest hits most of the time), but regardless, this is great.
2.5
🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
• This is the first metal album I've gotten, and it's for a band I've been meaning to listen to more of. Motorhead are such an influential band and the songs I do know from them are all incredible. I'm listening to the expanded edition on Spotify, with 18 total tracks • Kicking off a live album with Ace of Spades is an inspired choice. Lemmy's bass tone is killer and his voice sounds amazing • I like the small drum break leading into the guitar solo in Metropolis • The Hammer's guitar solo is almost exactly the same as the first half of Ace of Spades', which isn't an unheard of thing but it feels weird to have the two so close together on the tracklist. • Overkill is another classic song, and that drum intro kicks in with so much energy • Motorhead (the song) is an awesome way to end the original tracklist, and the crowd chanting over the siren afterwards really sells the energy of the concert • The bonus tracks on the expanded edition are a nice edition and it's cool to have more Motorhead, but it's clear that they put the best stuff on the main album. Still though, it's cool to have more to listen to. Favourite song: Ace of Spades
As someone who comes to metal with a noise pop background, I'm always expecting there to be *noise* to it. Unfortunately for me, extreme metal tends to prioritize speed and aggression and they'll have distorted guitars, but they're never really noisy like someone like the Jesus and Mary Chain or Medicine or what have you (maybe the black metal bands get there, but I don't have the time to do the research necessary to avoid listening to neo-Nazis, so that's out of the question). Fortunately for me, there's Motorhead. They've got the speed, they've got the aggression, *and* they're bringing the noise! They might not be quite the noise metal band of my dreams, but they're they closest that I've found yet, and they're just great overall!
Sick!
I've just recently started to listen to Motorhead albums fully. these guys are just bad ass. Full force rock!
Yeah this absolutely shreds especially the bite the bullet/the chase is better than the catch closer.
Is this the best live album ever? Probably not, but it's certainly very, very good indeed. The band are tight, with arguably a better sound than some of their early studio recordings. There's the "every song sounds the same" issue, but it's a good song, so it's forgivable. I saw Motorhead a few times live. They were okay in a large, sitting only venue, but OMG they were SO good in a smaller standing (moshing) only venue. I have a fond memory of them playing "Killed By Death" and one of my friend's shoes fell off. We had to form a circle around him while he retrieved it and tried to get it back on, as the crowd were going crazy. Good times. Five stars.
Genuinely could not tell half the songs apart.
“This one is a slow one, so we should get mellowed out” (proceeds to play at 116 bpm) The only Motörhead I knew before this was “Ace of Spades,” but I feel like that set my expectations appropriately. As far as I could tell there were maybe up to three chords played during this entire performance, and it’s hard to differentiate tracks. But within the narrowest of palettes, this band wins you over with sheer energy and unstoppable momentum. It’s interesting for a band to become known primarily through a live album, but in an age where almost any sound lies at our fingertips, that liveliness continues to give it an aura of authenticity, making clear that this explosion of sound is not simply a studio concoction. There’s never a dull moment in what I can only describe as an Olympic feat. Bonus points for naming a band after a song.
High energy, crazy guitar, overdriven bass and fanatic drum fills. What more could you ask for?
Beats a kick in the face, kinda
Some rock n roll is noise pollution
I don't like metal that much
1) Not even remotely an important album from the 1980s. 2) Not one of the better live albums I have heard (pretty horrible actually). 3) No one who is not English or a hardcore Motorhead fan needs to ever hear this.
Honestly, I've never been a Motorhead fan. This really didn't help. Cool that they started with Ace of Spades, but it really just blended all together for me after that.
I had liked Ace of Spades from my Guitar Hero days as a teen. The rest of the album was ok, the vocals can get grating after a while. Ace of Spades ★★★★☆ Stay Clean ★★★☆☆ Metropolis ★★★☆☆ The Hammer ★★★☆☆ Iron Horse / Born to Lose ★★★☆☆ No Class ★★★☆☆ Overkill ★★★☆☆ (We Are) The Road Crew ★★★☆☆ Capricorn ★★☆☆☆ Bomber ★★★☆☆ Motörhead ★★★☆☆ Over the Top ★★★☆☆ Average Album Rating: 3.0/5.0 ★★★☆☆
Ös med mediokert ljud
Det här bandet har väl några bra låtar, men trist med live.
Why, of all the albums on God's green earth, did we pick a live, 1 and a half hour long Motorhead album?
>>>> the Beatles
No. 55 Absolutly insane music. Pioneere of the genere of heavy metal. Intense, rapid and raw.
Its December 23rd and i'm so hung over my bones hurt. The last thing i need it 2 hours of live motorhead but here we go. Im on record as saying live records shouldn't be on here and this doesnt change my mind. There is obviously a lot of talent, energy and drive her and i can imagine if i was a motorhead fan then this wohld have been a great gig to attend, but i didnt want to listen to this.
Hilariously one note, but I’m glad they can laugh at it themselves when he introduces a track as their slow one and the proceeds to play another identical breakneck speed number. Fun listen and I imagine a fun gig there and then.
insgesamt nicht so meins, bestimmt gut fürs boxen
This was a really good live album! I enjoy Motorhead quite a bit!
++: Ace of Spades, Metropolis, The Hammer, Overkill, (We Are) The Road Crew, Motörhead +: Stay Clean, Iron Horse/Born to Lose, Capricorn +-: No Class, Bomber 7,9/10
This really rocks
Only knew Ace of Spades but didn't hate the album. The quality is not great and not really my cup of tea.
To be honest, I've never really understood the appeal of live albums when they are playing the songs straight. The studio album experience is almost always going to be better... In any event, Lemmy sounds great live and you can tell that seeing these guys at their peak would have been a hell of a high octane experience. That said, this format doesn't do very much for me and I'm kind of meh on the experience. Very soft 3 for me.
SPEEEEEEEED. Nothing wrong with the Motorhead sound except is very one dimensional. All songs sounded pretty much the same. I'm sure this was an awesome concert to be at in 1981, but I could use more variety in my office in 2026.
Can't complain about some live Motorhead to start off my morning. Just some great heavy metal that's all I can really say
Damn live Motorhead shows must've been absolutely electric. What a show starter with Ace of Spades. Something about Motorhead just gets me going. Really loved Capricorn. I could see myself moshing to this stuff back in the day. Something about the rawness I love. Unfortunately the quality of the recording doesn’t really cut it. Feel like it could’ve been way better. Originally only was going to listen to the original (~40 minutes) but wanted to hear Train Kept a Rollin'. Worth it. Teetering on the 3/4 line but I’m gonna go down on this one.
Listenable.
I lump Motörhead in the same kind of group as AC/DC or Rage Against the Machine. They all write one song over and over, but it's one pretty good song, so there isn't a whole lot to complain about in that regard. You don't really listen to any of those bands expecting something the variety of something like Ween or Mr. Bungle (Side note, I'm very upset that neither of them made it onto the 1001 list). Anyways, I've found that my taste in metal is 50% stoner and 50% grandfather, so I quite enjoyed this one. Bonus points for having a self-titled song on this album, I love those.
Not my jam
Some interesting songs here, but it all sounds a bit same-y. And its a live album. Not terrible, but nothing great here. Best song: The Roadcrew
It feels like I’ve already listened to this before on this list. I just don’t understand the inclusion of many of these live albums when studio albums from underrepresented artists could’ve been featured instead. “Ace of Spades” sounds good live I guess.
This is new to me. Ace of Spades is a great one and everything else kind of just sounds like that for the rest of the album. They sound great live. I liked Iron Horse because it sounded a little different. I didn’t know Motörhead had a song called Motörhead, has any other band done that? This is very rock and roll, loud and fast and it’s not really my thing. There’s probably a time and a place for it but today wasn’t it.
Not my vibe.
This was fantastic. Ordering on vinyl for sure
Fine
I wasn’t really a big fan of this band, although I did enjoy this album.
Absolute classic. Featuring all the hits. I don't love live albums but this is rock n roll perfection. Amazing versions of Ace of Spades, Overkill and Motörhead anchor a legendary performance. Lemmy is a god.
hootin and hollerin
you know, they were rocking out here. gotta give credit where credit's due!
abrasive, but probably important
A nice live audience and some good metal. 4 stars
That's not singing. That's just yelling.
It was ok
Bad
Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Ace of Spades, Overkill Other than Ace of Spades (which I think I am largely aware of due to it being another Tony Hawk's Pro Skater song), I have no experience with Motorhead. So, with that being said, I am not sure, or rather, I am surprised that the author of the List chose to put a live album of Motorhead playing instead of a studio album. I am not convinced that was a good idea. The music sounds very muddied or audibly blurry. Having the audience cheer and scream as the band plays is cool enough, but the production value just isn't there. The recording of the concert just doesn't sound good. Which is unfortunate, because the set list was pretty sweet. Beyond the live album criticisms, I can't help but notice that there are a lot of similarities across the tracks. I found myself hearing Ace of Spades in probably two or 3 OTHER songs they played. The same... idk I guess its the percussion? Maybe the rhythm? I dont know enough about music to articulate how the tracks are similar, but they are. For me the highlights are the vocals and the percussion. Lemmy Kilmister's voice is so distinctive, maybe even iconic, and the drumming is just out of this world. All this being said, this album simply doesn't rise to the same level that Iron Maiden's debut album or Ozzy's Paranoid does. Maybe that's because its a live album, maybe its something else. I am not sure.
Boring
Lemmy would not have given the slightest shit what I think of this album. Nonetheless, five stars. Minus one star for Jailbait because I'm a dad. Four stars. Many years ago, I was at the grocery store and I nearly ran into some kid who was with their mom. I said, "whoopsie, excuse me!" And in that moment, I just really wished that I could have been someone else. And I imagined that if Lemmy almost ran into some kid at the store, he wouldn't have said, "whoopsie!". He would have looked at the kid and just snarled. And the kid would have run away crying. And sometimes I just wish I could be that guy. At least for a little while. I think about this particular scenario more often than I would like to admit. Most humans would not survive spending a week as Lemmy in the 80s, or any other decade.
It doesn't really get more balls-out than this. Lemmy was a legend, though I always found Motörhead to be a bit one-note. That said, it's a fun note. Related, this band has nothing to say (other than maybe Viv Savage's immortal "Have a good time...all the time"), but no one was expecting that from Lemmy. This doesn't pretend to be anything else than what it is, and live was undoubtedly the best way to experience Motörhead.
AWESOME!!
It's rough getting a live album before a studio one. Because besides ace of spades this is my first time hearing the rest. Sounds absolutely fantastic though andi enjoyed it
Sicke Banger
Endlich mal ein Live Konzert
rockin
A great heavy rock band playing faster heavier versions of their fast and heavy songs. Love it.
Live metal album, sounds decent. Has some good guitar and drum work, hate his voice. Motorhead has never been a favorite of mine and this album gets repetitive.
i think he must've had this voice even at 5 years old.
Favorite track: ace of spades other picks: overkill, the road crew, bomber
I was a little to young for Motorhead when growing up but sounds like a lot of fun for everyone there. Ace of spades though is all I need to listen to again.
Fast and fun.
Heavy
Unnoteworthy but inoffensive. I'm sure I could think of 1001 other albums that everyone should listen to before they die.
Started great
Enjoyed but not my favorite rock
C'était vraiment très cool ça ! Le fait que c'est en live ajoute un truc, et franchement le style est top
One of the ultimate heavy rock live albums. The three amigos totally in their prime and fuelled to deliver pounding tunes. I saw Motörhead 39 times during their career - never a dull moment! One gig in Portsmouth at the Guildhall left me dead for days… So good, I have two copies!
Classic Motörhead
Great album but loses a star for “jailbait”
Even the great Motorhead doesn't have what it takes to make a live album a good idea
Sometimes it feels repetitive
Heavy metal - don’t love this genre and was a hard listen but they are a good band despite the genre. All the songs kinda sound the same
135 Aunque tengo bien grabado en mi corazoncito the ace of spades, la verdad es que fue muy nada. No soy muy fan de los albums en vivo a menos que haya ido a verlos y me traiga recuerdos, y hasta ahora no ha sido así. Definitivamente podría haber muerto sin haber escuchado este disco.
Interessantes, aber zu gewaltiges Hardrock Live-Epos.
Eh. I find a lot of metal to be camp as hell. This one too. A great time but it's hard to take seriously.
Have no idea why this was selected.
Behold the voice of God
I've never been a megafan of Motörhead; I'm of the opinion that they'd make for a great "best of" compilation, but I never tend to gravitate towards any of their records. They know what they're good at, and they do it well but the lack of deviations in style can become a bit fatiguing after a while. This, as a live album, delivers on the mission statement in that many of the classics are represented, and it benefits from a gritty, unpolished sound to give the songs an added edge. The standard version is fairly tight at 43 minutes - there is an extended version but I'm quite content to give that a pass for the moment. As for whether I'd revisit? Possibly, but I'm not in any great hurry.
All of these songs sound exactly the same and are indistinguishable from their studio versions. It does start to get old after a while. While I don’t think this album was necessary for this list, this would have been a fucking awesome concert to go to.
Not the biggest Motorhead fan, but they are okay. Pulled down a star for being live and being so long.
So Motörhead is a band I like, but I really have to be in the mood for them. As for this album, I really didn’t care much for it, and a lot of it is because I just don’t think they had the best recording quality for a live album. Either way, I would much rather listen to their studio albums than this one.
I will never understand the mass appeal of Motorhead. As a fan of the NWBHM I still think Motorhead is ass.
Interesting, a live Motörhead album on the 1001 list. A gigantic bonkers slab of the heaviest speed metal you could hope to find. SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Taking this too seriously can cause irritation, inflammation of the arrogance glands, and has been shown to cause cankles in laboratory rats (no rats were harmed etc etc).
Pretty good. It would have been great to see them perform back then. This is a good live album, but for me I don’t know if it has the magic to justify being on this list.
Fun! I really liked the last Motörhead album we had and this was more of that. My only note would be a lot of these songs sounded the same.
I remember being surprised by our last Motörhead album. None the less, I was not excited this came up. I figured there was no way I needed to listen to a live Motörhead album before I die. Again, I was wrong. This melted my face off.
The good news is that it sounds quite similar to their studio tracks, so they’re obviously talented The bad news is that almost every song sounds the same
Rock on you Bri’ish mu’ufu’ers
Brilliant
There is still not a single live album that I've heard on here that deserved to be on the list. As for this one... there's no fucking way I'm listening to the whole thing. After a selective dip.... it's all the same already after 4 tracks.
probably one of the if not the best live metal albums
Gear: SIMGOT EA1000 Fermat Artwork: 🤘🔦🪩 Production: 🔊🥩😖 Music: ♠️⚡📉 Rating: 🃏🃏(🃏)/5
I would put this up there with the great live rock albums - Alive!, Strangers In The Night, Unleashed In The East… Raging Motörhead at their finest.
I like my metal, but Motörhead has never exactly been my drug of choice. That being said, they are still unquestionably deserving of respect. Now, the question remains, even if I respect No Sleep 'til Hammersmith, do I like it? Yes. Yes I do. Here, Motörhead is operating with such reckless abandon and sheer, vital energy that this kind of functions as a punk album. And while I don't love *every* song here, this energy brings a cohesive whole together, and it works for me. The best songs here are the highest energy Motörhead classics. Ace Of Spades and Overkill are particularly exciting. Both songs just feel like an explosion. That being said, assuming we're keeping it to the original 11 song release of this, there really isn't a *bad* song here. It's really just a question of which Motörhead classics I'm receptive to, and which ones I'm not. Anyways, I can understand the placement in the book. This is a great live document of a band during their best years *AND* this is a foundational text for thrash metal. Perhaps most importantly, it's also just sick as hell. Also, I just want to give a quick shout-out to Lemmy's bass tone, he was not afraid to *fuck* that instrument up. I'm giving it a very strong 3 for now, but if I develop a deeper love for Motörhead at some point, I may revisit this.
I can't believe there's more than one Motörhead album here... then again I can belive it! The high energy British metal/hard rock doesn't let up live either. Lemmy's gravelly lead vocals are legendary. One criticism is that one song blends into another without much variation, but they do it well.
Motörhead fucking rules. And this is the one time where the recording actually picks up on Lemmy’s bass rumbling. It fades a little near the end but a fucking killer set.
the lack of variety becomes apparent suuuper quickly. i'm sure this would be a great live show but it doesn't translate beyond a few more notable tracks
no começo dos 80 era a coisa mais pesada que eu havia escutado até então kkk 4 estrelas
Alles recht ähnlich, save influential aber no repeat potenzial
It could almost be one long track. When they did overkill I thought it was a reprise of ace of spades.
Motörhead is sick; seeing Motörhead live would have been sick (but I never did, so this will have to do).
I also liked Ace of Spades but it didn’t need a tribute album.
Love “Ace of Spades” but this gets really formulaic really fast.
Probably really great to have been there but over recording, it isn’t anything special
Though this is not my sound, I really enjoyed the energetic guitars on this album. Despite not enjoying the volume and the speed of the music, I found myself tapping my foot along.
Speed metal! Not my thing but they're good at it!
Incredible energy. My ears are bleeding. Just as Lemmy intended.
Motorhead fucking sucks and they suck harder live. Ace of Spades is by far one of the shittiest hard rock songs that gets heaps of praise for some reason. Lemmy is trash and probably buried with all his favorite nazi paraphrenalia. What a terrible time this was.
AND DONT FORGET THE JOKER. Motörhead sucks. I am absolutely baffled by the praise heaped on them. Lemmy had a cool voice and collected Nazi stuff and made 1 song* and everyone loves him? Baffled. Flapped even! *Correction… he made 2 songs “Ace of Spades” and HHH’s entrance music.
Who would win in a wrestling contest: Lemmy or God? Trick question, Lemmy is God. Not a huge fan of live albums, but this one sounded so polished.....then you hear the crowd and realize it's live. You also kinda get a "best of" album, so I guess that's cool. The downside is......and I hate to be "that guy".....but it just kinda runs together after a few songs. Albums allow for an ebb and flow throughout an album and for someone new to Motorhead, I wish I would have gotten the Ace of Spades album first. Yeah, it absolutely rocks and is an awesome live album......but you'll see a band live that you like......not one that you've never heard before. It's great to get a sense of the energy and how hard they rock, but bad to get a feel of full scope of the band outside of singles.
i'm sure this was good but every song sounded like ace of spades and i had to mentally check out for the dedication to 15 year old girls part of the setlist
uhhhh not my vibe
I wrote a review earlier in this project where I admitted that I once thought that Earth, Wind, and Fire were a joke but that the album I listened to convinced me otherwise. Well, it has happened again. I thought Motorhead were all style and no substance. I thought there were some metalhead band that I would roll my eyes at and just wait for the album to end. I was entirely and completely wrong. This is awesome. Were there like three songs that sounded like "Ace of Spades" (including that song)? Yes. Did it get a little repetitive after a while? I guess so. But man are these guys excellent musicians. And that is the core of this album for me. Each member demonstrated track after track that while they may not be singing about anything totally deep or super meaningful, they absolutely put effort into both practicing/being excellent at their respective instruments and at arranging their songs to maximum effect and to play at their strengths. I'm not a Motorhead fan after this, but there is a newfound respect for them after listening to this. I hadn't heard anything else from them except "Ace of Spades," as I suspect many other listeners had not. But I'm happy to have listened to this and would welcome any other Motorhead albums should they pop up. Three stars. Standout Tracks: Ace of Spades, Stay Clean, Iron Horse/Born to Lose, Bomber
Wird auf Dauer etwas anstrengend. Aber in Ordnung. 2 1/2.
More than anything, a live album is a tradeoff between audio fidelity and something intangible that comes from playing for a crowd. In the case of Motorhead's No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith, this dynamic is on full display. To their credit, Motorhead bring an incredible energy to their performances. This is music that demands your attention. It is fast, loud and brash, and critically, you get a sense of character from the live shows that you would never get from Motorhead's studio albums. Throughout the album, Eddie Clarke's aggressive guitar serves as the clear standout. Particular highlights for me include No Class, Motorhead and the aptly named Overkill. Phil Taylor's drumming is also tight and relentless, particularly on Overkill. However, despite the impressive energy that comes through in the live recordings and the fact that the shows must've been incredible to attend, there's no getting around the fact that the album itself doesn't sound very good. To my ears, the bass sounds buried in the mix and the entire album sounds tinny, as though it were recorded using an audience member's bootleg pocket tape recorder. Where some live albums will keep transitions between songs intact, or at least disguise the transitions to maintain an immersive experience, the cuts between songs were handled pretty crudely. It also doesn't necessarily help that Lemmy Kilmister sounds like he's been chain smoking anything that would burn for the previous decade. But even after taking the downsides into account, I can only view this album as a relative success. It gave me a sense of Motorhead's character as a band and had me enjoying plenty of songs from a band that I had largely written off before this listen.
Fantastic! 4.49 stars
As someone who historically hasn’t really cared for Motörhead, this album has changed that. They were one of those bands that were best live and loud. They are pure rock and roll distilled to high proof. 🤘
Evokes the image of a brawl in a pub in Gateshead in the 80s
80s metal. First live album. Fast and hard.
Pretty good! I'm not a fan of live albums because of song selection (or compilation albums for the same reason) but I was pleasantly surprised by this effort. Good recording given it was 40+ years ago.
This is excellent
One of the reviewers on this website was mostly right. Half of the songs sound identical to each other. At least those tracks sound good. "Metropolis" is my favourite, as it deviates from the other songs, I would've enjoyed that performance if I were alive and in Hammersmith in 1981. 3 stars for "No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith".
Hammer
I actually have the same gripe about this as electronica. One song or two, great! It really rocks. A whole album gets monotonous. The concert was probably cool though.
I quite like this stuff when I’m doing household chores like hoovering or mowing the lawn. Put it on loud and off you go moving whatever you’re pushing in time to the music. Doesn’t matter that I don’t know the songs it’s the vibe that’s important. Have done this for years to The Ramones It’s Alive album. This is a worthy successor. The value of the music is questionable but the sheer raw power of it is top notch. 3/5 28/10/25
Forgot to rate this after I got to it in my catch up session a few weeks ago - slaps? yeah?
This should probably be the only Motorhead inclusion on this whole list. Gives you more bangers than any of their individual recorded works, and sounds quite good. Assuming Lemmy overdubbed the vox in the studio because he sounds incredible.
If it was half as long I would have given it 4 stars
So I can't get behind this. I was happy when my headphones ran out of battery. It's just noise that runs into another noise....why why why is it one of the best live albums of all time? The dude can't belt out anything above a normal talking voice range.
It did keep me awake but I still don't think the majority of live albums make sense if the artist has perfectly fine studio albums as an alternative.
Idk how to rate this. Not my thing--or maybe just not the right entry point into heavy metal for me, a genre I don't really know. Also, I haven't yet had the opportunity to blast this on my stereo. That may be what it needs. All that said, it's obvious in listening even on my headphones why some people love motorhead. Driving, powerful songs, and a sound that, at the time at least, was very original.
My main takeaway is that Lemmy’s guitarist, Fast Eddie Clarke, sounds exactly like Mike and Stone from Pearl Jam. Like, dead-ringer for those soaring, overdriven wah-pedal licks. I’m curious whether there are a bunch of intermediaries there, or whether there’s a direct influence. Other than that, I’d have loved to be at that show, Ace of Spades rules; but otherwise prob not coming back.
Me (before listening to a Motörhead album): „Yeeeeeeeeaaaah, let’s do this, you animals! Let’s got! Motörhead! Rock‘n‘roll!!!!“ Also me (after having listened to a Motörhead album): „I think my migraine is acting up again“
Thinking about how that guy got laid by over 1200 women
a magnificent racket
neutral to this tbh
I suppose I should write a review, considering this is my 100th album. I’m not a metalhead, but Motörhead’s studio version of “Ace of Spades” has ended up on multiple playlists of mine. A couple of months ago, I listened to the Ace of Spades album (which I believe is on the 1001 list) and felt disappointed. I was expecting every song to have the energy of the title track. No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith was the album I should’ve listened to instead. Every track is full of rockin’ epic energy; even the song Lemmy introduces as “the slow one” is faster than most songs ever recorded. I’ve listened to this album three times today. It’s a great album to put on repeat, and I imagine I’ll listen to it again after writing this review.
Lots of rock and thrash. Really liked this one. It's a lot of the same sound song after song, but was good enough I didn't mind. Capricorn stood out. 4/5
Fuck yeah, Lemmy. Fucking ace of spades motor boating titties, man
Imagine it was great fun if you were there. Beginning to realise (with the odd notable exception) that I don't like live albums.