Motörhead - Another Perfect Day (1983, 2001 reissue)

“I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT GIVING UP BECAUSE THEN I’D HAVE TO START AGAIN. WHICH IN EFFECT I’VE ALWAYS DONE – HAD DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN AND KEPT THE SAME NAME. SO WHAT’D HAVE BEEN THE POINT IN STARTING AGAIN AND DOING THE RED LION PUB IN BRENTFORD AFTER, SAY, EDDIE LEFT? I WOULDN’T HAVE DONE IT. I WAS BLOODY 37 IN 1982, I WASN’T GONNA START AGAIN AT 37 FOR CHRIST’S SAKE.”

LEMMY

This was a traumatic time for Motörhead, perhaps the most challenging of their career. Brian Robertson had come in and saved the remainder of the IRON FIST tour, but had committed the fashion faux pas of wearing short hair with a white headband and a black mesh “disco” vest accompanied by a small, tight pair of satin shorts. This ensemble had seen its debut at a festival in the East End of London (Hackney Speedway Stadium) which had been co-sponsored by Hells Angels. Needless to say, their response was less than enthusiastic and such was the frosty temperature of Robertson’s “acceptance” that when it was announced Motorhead would record an album with him, Motörfans by and large got scared.

“THE OLD DAYS ARE ALWAYS BETTER BECAUSE YOU ONLY REMEMBER THE NICE BITS.”

Lemmy once told British music paper Sounds, “the human brain never remembers pain. No way could you ever recall how terrible that toothache really was.”

As bad as things had gotten with Fast Eddie, that theory was beginning to hold true in the fan’s memories. The resulting “with Robbo-record”, ANOTHER PERFECT DAY, was one of the band’s finest and most versatile efforts, com-promising nothing of the old attitude but embellishing it with a sense of melody that Motörhead had never tried before. Production-wise, it may well be the best sounding Motöralbum; producer Tony Platt (AC/DC) made sure the fat Lemmy Rickenbacker tones were crystal clear, whilst Brian Robertson’s frankly brilliant lead work shined like a lighthouse to sound better than a Motörguitar ever had in the past. Robertson was the major architect of this “new” Motörhead; his melodic invention on songs such as “Shine” is extra-ordinary, whilst his ability to hit low and play dirty-filthy-hard was showcased on the album’s superb opening cut “Back At The Funny Farm”.

But not for the first time in the history of humankind, a band, and more singularly a man, was being judged on appearance. “It’s jut an example of stupid, blind prejudice,” steamed Philthy Phil to Sounds, “and another thing I really believe is that Robbo’s a better guitarist than Eddie, and I don’t mean that nastily towards Eddie. As for appearance, well if people want to judge by appearance it’s their choice, but I think it’s fucking pathetic to judge ability on appearance.”

But it has to be said that Robertson didn’t go out of his way to endear himself to Motörheadbangers. On the ANOTHER PERFECT DAY tour, he refused steadfastly to play such classics as “Bomber,” “Ace Of Spades,” “Motorhead” and “Overkill,” while playing unfeasibly long (and good, it must be said) solos during covers of blues classic “Hoochie Coochie Man”. A great song and a fine cover, but to your average Motörfan not wholly com-pensating for the lack of faves. The cries came in thick and fast, mostly from the British media who, having built Motörhead up suddenly decided ‘twas the time to kick ‘em right in the teeth (never let it be said that’s a first!), saying things like Motörhead had “copped out”. “They can’t have been listening to the same album,” snorted Philthy Phil, “if they can’t accept progression, they’ve been walking around with their fingers in their ears, and if they still can’t accept us, then fuck ‘em!”

Lemmy, whilst wistfully acknowledging that the era was a bit too much for the average Motörheadbanger to process, remained philosophical when talking about this and other stranger events in Motörhistory. “You make a lot of your most appalling mistakes when you’re younger; it’s bloody hopeless some of the things you do. On the other hand, there is that fire in you, and no matter how hard you try to keep it burning it’s got to go out. But then you find it’s been replaced by a different fire. You realize you’re on this different kind of ‘slow burn’…”

As the ANOTHER PERFECT DAY tour wound down it was obvious that Robertson wouldn’t be sticking around. He’d started to get loudly dismissive of the general state of affairs and had reportedly taken to knocking Motörhead as a musical force. When he, Lemmy and Philthy Phil parted ways it was no surprise. In his place came an audition, and that audition saw the band run right down to their last pennies before trying people out. Two stood the test; Phil Campbell, a Welshman, and Mick “Wurzel” Burston. Motorhead had always been a three piece, so what happened next was unexpected. Both Wurzel and Campbell were great players, so the decision was made to make them both band members. For the first time since birth Motörhead was a four piece group.

– Steffan Chirazi, June 1996