### Motörhead: Bastards

#### 14/05/10 || Habakuk

##### Introduction

This was the very last Motörhead album I bought to complete my (studio albums) collection, and I delayed the purchase for a long time. That was stupid. I should have gotten this the moment I was informed of its existence and I thank the never faltering preachers of teh awesome over at the GD forums for accelerating the process. You probably know who you are.

The reason why I waited so long is Doro Pesch. Yep, her. I had only heard one song off this album on the “Böneshaker” DVD, and it involved that old hag prancing around on stage during that very song with her stupid tough rock chick antics. That was a while ago now though, and in the meantime I learned to appreciate that song, too. Funny how these things can put one off. Especially in a case like this.

##### Songwriting

9. Motörhead have rarely been as varied while at the same time waving the quality flag as high as they do on “Bastards” – No matter whether they take on a full-frontal double-bass wrecking ball like “Burner”, a haunting ballad (“Don’t let Daddy kiss me”), or anything in between. And trust me, they cover the full spectrum. It’s all here and it’s all executed to perfection. Stomping grooves, high speed d-beats, catchy rock anthems, the gang’s all here. Motörhead’s usually thought of as a classic three man band, but the quartet with Würzel and Campbell on guitars surely churned out classic tune after classic tune on “Bastards”, which, for unknown reasons, don’t make it into their legendary live sets very often. I’ve seen them a few times now and I am yet to jump into a pit with the first drum roll into “Death or glory” and the subsequent punk-fueled madness.

Special mention also goes out to “Lost in the ozone” that shows with what simple methods Motörhead can evoke that certain Rock and Roll melancholy while staying heavy all the while. What an awesome track. However, 0.5 points are detracted for the overly long fadeout to “Devils” that almost ruins the track, and 0.5 points for “I’m your man” which just doesn’t click with me.

##### Production

9. Motörhead’s sound has greatly improved over the years. Not exactly surprising, considering how long they’ve been around. On “Bastards” it reached a first peak. The guitar tone is as good as it gets, with hints of the wooly sound that became “Sacrifice”‘s trademark, but still enough of a raw edge to not sound too warm. And in spite of two awesome sounding guitars, there’s still a bit of space for the bass guitar to shine, and Mikkey Dee’s drums – man, that is one aggressive, full, gut-punching drum sound. Close to perfection, but they just got their sound somewhat crisper on their awesome post-2000 albums.

##### Guitars

8.5 Phil Campbell and Würzel have a great, vivid style, and if you’ve ever seen Phil playing (too young for catching them with Würzel on stage, myself), you can imagine his gum-chewin’, hat-rockin’, foot-tappin’ appearance while writing these songs. I mean, there is no denying the power of a simple rock riff like the one that starts the album in “On your feet or on your knees” or the main riff in “Bad woman”, played with heavy metal conviction and at a speed that would give most rock grandfathers a heart attack. Rockenfuckenroll. There are no intricate time signature changes or anything like that to find, but why the hell would you look for that on a Motörhead album in the first place?

The solos, too, are relatively short but effective and never obtrusive. Don’t worry, just because they’re two guitarists doesn’t mean they became wankers over night.

##### Vocals

10. I have two words for you: Lemmy Kilmister.

I actually have a couple more to spare right now, so consider yourself lucky and just read on. What’s notable about Bastards is how exceptionally well Lemmy’s clean vocals work. You know, the kind where he pinches his eyes and forces the words over his sawteeth-ridden lips in a higher tone. That, friends, Romans, countrymen, is the sound of dedication, and it sounds awesome.

##### Bass

8. Due to two guitars instead of just one, the Rickenbacker isn’t as prominent as on other Motörhead albums, but it’s still clearly audible and laying down its thick fuzz behind the six-strings, occasionally shifting to the front with Lemmy’s trademark simplistic, but well-played solo parts or interludes. Now here’s a solid backbone if there ever was one.

##### Drums

8.5. Mikkey Dee really was a lucky pick for Motörhead. Nothing against Phil Taylor, but the former King Diamond drummer’s playing has a less raw, but heavier finishing, paving the way for Motörhead’s later-days’ Heavy Metal approach by beating the living shit out of those skins nonstop, yet still he tastefully knows when time has come to hold back. Not a flashy drummer if he doesn’t choose to show some skills, but undoubtedly, these skills are there. For his perfect flow, again I’ll choose “Death or glory” as an example, because the way that song starts is just beyond awesome. That introductory snare roll that accelerates halfway through plus the cymbal hits that move perfectly into another snare fill 14 seconds in… That’s where it is fucken at. And little moments like this can be found at various occasions, for example in the fills he pulls off later during that song. Bottom line is: Mikkey Dee is one tight motherfucker behind the kit and I like it.

##### Lyrics

10. What impresses me is what an honest message the band has always sent out, and the lyrics are obviously a big part of that. Even basically stupid lines like Born to raise hell, born to raise hell, we know how to do it and we do it real well just work, because these dudes actually are raising hell every other day on some stage on the planet. It doesn’t end at run-of-the-mill rock platitudes though, and vastly different examples for Lemmy’s brilliant lyrics can be found on “Bastards”:

- “Don’t let Daddy kiss me”, which is actually disturbing and a pretty cruel track to go through, especially at its slow pace. I’ll spare you the details now. Find out for yourself. Ballad yes, easy listening no. Thanks, lyrics. Thyrics.

- “Lost in the ozone”, which is basically about heartfelt forsakenness at some goddamn spot on earth. Well, it sounds cheesy, but that’s just due to my clumsy attempts at describing it. I am a drifter on a hungry empty sea There is no one on Earth to rescue me The winter storms they freeze me, summer burned alive I can’t remember when another soul passed by … Alone upon the cruel sea, forsworn and cast away I turned my face to God, but his face was turned away Lost in the ozone, nothing left to say Nothing left to say…

- “Death or glory”. Lemmy doesn’t only have a fascination for war and knowledge of military history, but he also has a brain, unlike many people that supposedly took his lyrics as their inspiration. Taking a first person perspective on this song about neverending war is a pretty clever move, considering we’re talking fucken rock music, and the combination of lines like I was a Sturmbannführer fighting in Berlin I was a Russian hero dying for Stalin

and

I was a Frankish knight, a Polish Jew

shows that the man went far beyond the Iron Crosses (first class with the swords) masquerade and put a thought or two into his words.

##### Cover art

8. Logo, title, drooling Snaggletooth, daggers, wings, Ace of Spades, blackness. What else d’you need? My thoughts exactly.

##### Logo

10. [´Mo:tör:head] I’m handing out a ten just because it’s legendary.

##### Booklet

8. “Lemmy: ‘Thanks to all my friends. My enemies will fail. (Bastards!)’” Yeah, and lyrics, too.

##### Overall and Ending Rant

This is a perfect introductory album to the greatness that is Motörhead’s back catalogue, as it shows every facet of what they can do in a perfect and still accessible manner. They’re really at the top of their game on “Bastards”, be it songwriting, production or lyrics. While doesn’t this score a nine then? First of all, because they became even better later on while keeping the speed levels higher, and secondly, because they might as well have omitted two tracks to further raise quality at the cost of length. Thirdly, I’ve been handing out too many nines lately. However, I’m sure they can live with it. Anyway, buy this album at once or make the same mistake I made earlier.

- Information
- Released: 1993
- Label:
- Website: www.imotorhead.com
- Band
- Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister: vocals/bass
- Phil Campbell : guitar
- Würzel: guitar
- Mikkey Dee: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. On your feet or on your knees
- 02. Burner
- 03. Death or glory
- 04. I am the sword
- 05. Born to raise Hell
- 06. Don’t let Daddy kiss me
- 07. Bad woman
- 08. Liar
- 09. Lost in the Ozone
- 10. I’m your man
- 11. We bring the shake
- 12. Devils