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Motörhead

Another Perfect Day 40th Anniversary triple-vinyl edition

Review by Gary Hill

I didn't realize it at the time, but a lot of people didn't like this album when it came out. Guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clark was out of the band, and his replacement was Brian "Robbo" Robertson. That definitely brought a different sound to the group. The album had a more polished mainstream feeling to it. A lot of the raw edges one expects from Motörhead seemed to be polished a little. That was more prominent on the second side of the vinyl than it was the first, but it can be heard throughout.

I remember buying the record the first week or two it was out. I can still remember vividly picking it up out of the bin at the store. I always liked it. It was not at the same level as Ace of Spades or Iron Fist, but it was Motörhead, so what was there to not like about it?

Well, now we get this great three-record deluxe vinyl reissue. This thing is beautiful. It includes a massive booklet and is all encased in a great book style package. The actual album sounds better than I remember, and this also includes a live recording. I should mention that the sound quality on that live set is not perfect, but it is still well worth listening to. All in all, this is a great release. It's such a nice package that it earns one of our Music Street Journal bonus videos.

Here is that MSJ  video youtube.com/watch?v=slVTNNBloT0

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2024  Volume 1 More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2024.

Track by Track Review
LP 1
           
Side 1
                          
Back At The Funny Farm

This thing screams in with pure Motörhead magic. It's a killer tune and a great way to start the set in style.

Shine
I've always loved this song. It's fast-paced and raw. It's also catchy and has some cool riffing.
Dancing On Your Grave
Here we get another classic. This is pure Motörhead gold. It is raw, yet catchy and fierce. I really love some of the guitar work on this so much.
Rock It
They don't let up on the power or intensity here. This is another driving rocker with classic Motörhead sound. The instrumental section is particularly rocking, and I love the bass sound on it.
One Track Mind
While this is a slower grind, it's nowhere near slow. It's also screaming hot and intense. It's another classic as far as I'm concerned.
Side 2
                               
Another Perfect Day

Some bluesy guitar gets this going gradually. Then it fires out into more of the kind of hard rocking one expects from Motörhead. It's energized, and perhaps a little more mainstream and polished than a lot of the group's music. There is a mellower section mid-track that is in line with the opening of the piece.

Off To War
Driving upward, this is fiercer and more raw. This is another powerhouse rocker. It's not a standout, but it really works well.
I Got Mine
I really love the guitar work on this thing. It's another screaming hot tune.
Tales Of Glory
A punky rock and roll groove gets us going here. This is another strong tune that holds up well despite not being a highlight.
Die You Bas***d
Distorted bass gets this track underway. It's a fierce Motörhead stomper. This is perhaps the most expected piece on this side of the album.
LP 2
                     
Side 1
                   
Back at the Funny Farm

This starts with some noisy "getting things together" stuff. They launch out into a killer jam from there. This is so fierce here. I think I prefer it to the studio version, even if the song isn't as good.

Tales of Glory
More intense and driving Motörhead rock and roll, this is another powerhouse.
Heart of Stone
Another Motörhead screamer, this is a classic, and we get a smoking hot live performance of it.
Shoot You in the Back
The stage banter at the start of this earns a parental advisory. This things is scorching hot and another that has always worked really well for me.
Marching Off to War
Here we get another killer tune. This has some particularly potent instrumental work in the jam later in the track. I really love the guitar work on it.
Side 2
                  
Iron Horse/Born to Lose

This two-fer is made up of two Motörhead tunes that I really love. They put in another powerhouse performance here. It's noisy, raw and intense.

Another Perfect Day
Here we get the title track from the album, after a lot of stage banter. That said, Lemmy introduces it as "Another Perfect Hangover." The song seems more intense live than it does in the studio version. The recording quality is a bit of a problem on this one, though. I mean, it's not terrible, but it definitely mars it somewhat. The instrumental section on this is so powerful despite that issue. It works out to a full unaccompanied guitar solo beyond that point. That grows out into the next track.
(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man
This is a blues cover, but it's definitely done the Motörhead way. It's noisy, raw and very cool. The instrumental part on this is on fire, too.
LP 3
          
Side 1
                    
(Don't Need) Religion

There is an extended spoken introduction to this and a parental advisory. The track (another of my favorites) is a screamer.

One Track Mind
I love this slow Motörhead grind so much. It's always been another favorite, but I have so many Motörhead favorites. They put in a killer live version with some extended guitar soloing.
Go to Hell
We get a raw and driving live rendition of another Motörhead classic here. The recording quality on this one is more of an issue than it is on some of the other stuff here.
America
I am starting to repeat myself. This is another of my favorites. This performance is great. The recording is not, though. The sound quality on this one is about the worst here.
Side 2
                
Shine

Here we get another live version of a track from the main album. This is noisy, raw and driving. It works well despite some audio quality problems.

Dancing on Your Grave
This Motörhead classic gets a killer live performance. Somehow the sound here seems somewhat improved, too.
Rock It
The instrumental section mid-track on this is fierce and raw. It has some scorching bass work. The whole song is energized and powerful.
Bite the Bullet
Another driving Motörhead powerhouse is delivered with style here. It's a short number and segues straight into the next one.
The Chase Is Better Than the Catch
Here is another of my favorite Motörhead songs. They put in a great live performance, and the recording is good enough to let it really shine. This is actually one of the highlights of the live album here for me. It's a great way to end the show and set.
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