![]() One doesn’t listen to this album and wish they were there, one feels as though they are there, in their hearts and spirits. The crashing waves of applause, screaming, whistling, and insults that end each track on No Sleep … inject the record with a sense of community and experience. The difference, of course, is that most bands don’t play to a venue packed with British and Irish Motörhead fans from 1981. The nerves, crowd energy, and chemical regiment of touring only elevated Motörhead’s classic material, giving it a bristle that made crowds in ‘81 lose their fucking shit.Īs with any good live album, the crowd is the linchpin. Some even more so - “Stay Clean” is kind of a smooth bop-along on 1979’s Overkill, but on No Sleep… it’s a razor-edged killing machine. But here, Motörhead’s songs sound about as sharp, deliberate, and energized as they ever have. ![]() Usually, a live recording is marked by flubbed lyrics, strained vocals, and riffs that don’t sound quite as punchy in a high-ceilinged room as they do on the record. Knowing Motörhead, they may have been anyway.Īnd yet the tightness of sound might be what takes No Sleep … over the top of most live albums’ heads. But while Ace … might have been the band’s first taste of universal mainstream success, Motörhead had plenty of wild-eyed, sweat-slick hits under their belts already - the long-haired groove of “Stay Clean,” the snotty bounce of “No Class,” the nihilistic throb of “Metropolis,” and of course the unstoppable frenzy of “Overkill.” Armed with this bandolier of hits, Lemmy, Eddie, and Philthy could’ve been inconsolably drunk for these recordings and still would’ve made and excellent album. The trio were touring for their timeless 1980 album Ace of Spades, whose mega-hit title track opens the charge. To Motörhead’s credit, much of what makes No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith incredible is its tracklist. And now, 40 years since its release on June 27th, 1981, it is still one of the most satisfying records of all time. ![]() ![]() Entertaining from front to back, and perfectly communicating the frantic, fun-loving energy of the band’s live show, Motörhead’s infamous concert recording is as much a gem as any of their studio material. To this day, only one live metal album perfectly accomplishes this goal: No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith, the 1981 release by British speedfreaks Motörhead. Back then, if you were going to record a live album, it had make the listener feel like they were there. And while this is still the case today, it was especially true during metal’s formative years in the early ‘80s, before livestreams, high-def concert footage, or even just MTV could show fans what it was like to experience the loudest music on earth in person. In the world of hard rock and heavy metal, live albums don’t always land well, simply because recorded music can’t replicate the incredible power one feels surging to the front row in a tidal wave of sweaty bodies and rafter-shaking riffs. ![]()
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