After twenty years fighting the good fight, many bands feel the need to ease up a bit, maybe even rest on their laurels, but Motörhead see things differently.The box set We Take No Prisoners: The Singles 1995-2006 features nine 7-inch singles (remember those?) and compiles tracks and promotional material from the years 1995 to 2006. This collection demonstrates that even after twenty years, Motörhead remained committed to keeping everything louder than everything else. It also includes some rare live recordings and snippets from a long-forgotten interview with Lemmy and Mickey Dee. It’s unfortunate there isn’t more included since Lemmy always had fascinating and thought-provoking insights to share.
There’re certainly three piece bands out there who’re much more technically and musically proficient, and who could probably play Motörhead under the table, but there’re NONE who could out rock them. At this, they were the benchmark, right up to the end they remained a force of nature. Some bands go out of their way to ensure originality on their latest album, but not Motörhead, each new album contained very few surprises for their fans. They gave fans what they wanted .. rock ‘n roll.
If you’re already acquainted with Motörhead and their sound, there won’t be much here to catch you off guard. The music unfolds in classic ‘head style, featuring powerful guitar riffs from Phil Campbell, thundering drums from Mickey Dee, and the unmistakable bass and vocals of Lemmy Kilmister. This is particularly evident in tracks like ‘Sacrifice,’ which borders on heavy metal, along with ‘Killers’ and ‘Overnight Sensation.’ These songs embody what makes Motörhead a quintessential rock ‘n roll band. Their rendition of the legendary ‘God Save The Queen’ stands shoulder to shoulder with the original by the Pistols.
There are two versions of ‘R. A. M. O. N. E. S.’ one version ‘live,’ the other in the studio, both played at the same speed the thin white mooks themselves used to perform at. There’re a few surprises among these singles. ‘One More F****g Time‘ is almost but not quite a power ballad, with the volume’s kept to under ten. ‘God Was Never On Your Side’ starts slow but gradually rocks out, with Lemmy’s disenchantment with organised religion well to the fore. ‘See Me Burning’ is three minutes of pure thrash metal with the band playing at a demonic pace. ‘Whorehouse Blues’ a wholly acoustic piece with, I’m assuming, Lemmy playing some quite nifty mouth harp on a very bluesy song.
Other than a ‘greatest hits’ package, this is a fine bundling together of their later releases and something the committed ‘head fan ought to have in their collection.
