Take No Prisoners - Motorhead > Reviews > All the aces - plus others

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Mediocre
Quality and consistency of tracks	Mixed
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	A great window onto an institutional band
Disadvantages:	There is some dross amongst all the diamonds

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Back in 1980 when I was starting to listen to heavy rock with a more than healthy passion Motorhead were the loudest, dirtiest, ugliest band around and a dentists nightmare (until Shane McGowan came along that is) producing some of the harshest sounds around. What more recommendation could a growing youth need for liking a band? I can still hear my dad shouting at me to 'turn that sodding thing down!' Those were the days...

Motorhead began life in 1975 when Ian Kilminster (Lemmy), sacked from Hawkwind for 'doing the wrong drugs!', formed a band he initially wanted to call 'Bastard' but on advice from his manager, dropped the idea. Eventually he settled on 'Motorhead' which had been the title of the last song he had written for his former band. Initially he worked with Larry Wallis and Lucas Fox but it wasn't until these were replaced with 'Fast' Eddie Clarke on guitars and Phil 'Philthy Animal' Taylor on drums that Motorhead really found their feet and were voted 'best worst band in the World' in 1977 by the NME.

This collection was released in 1997 and contains 36 tracks, some fantastic, some not so, which go together to create a perfect window into the life history of one of Britains metal institutions.

Track Listing

Disc One
1 - Overkill
2 - Stay Clean
3 - No Class
4 - Bomber
5 - All the Aces
6 - Dead Men Tell No Tales
7 - Please don't Touch (as Headgirl)
8 - Ace of Spades
9 - Iron Fist
10 - Don't Need Religion
11 - Another Perfect Day
12 - I got Mine
13 - Shine
14 - Killed by Death
15 - Deaf Forever
16 - Orgasmatron
17 - Rock 'n' Roll
18 - Eat the Rich

Disc Two
1 - Dirty Love
2 - We are the Road Crew
3 - Fast & Loose
4 - Shoot You in the Back
5 - Bastard
6 - Stone Dead Forever
7 - Love Me like a Reptile
8 - Louie Louie
9 - Jailbait
10 - Tear Ya Down
11 - Sharpshooter
12 - I'm the Witchdoctor (live)
13 - Motorhead (live)
14 - Leaving Here (live)
15 - Train Kept on a Rollin' (live)
16 - On Parole (live)
17 - City Kids (live)
18 - White Line Fever (live)

Disc one kicks off with the brilliant 'Overkill' taken from their album of the same name and starts with Taylors typical rythmic train-like drumming; a beat he is incapable of stopping as the track actually ends three times before finally calling it a day. Eddie Clarkes guitar is fairly muted as much rock and metal was in those days of yore and Lemmy's bass sounds less like a bass and more like a percussive lead(?) instrument.

'Stay Clean' is a pretty basic affair but leads onto the great 'No Class' (both numbers also taken from their 'Overkill' album) which has a better production than the previous track and a sharper bite. 'Bomber' too is classic Motorhead with its grinding bass and Lemmy's gutteral vocals overlaying the lead and drums. It is a pity that productiuon values in those days were not in the class they are now because some of the material would really benefit from a little tweak here and there bringing an urgency and attack to the sound.

Released on the 21st February 1981 'Please don't Touch' reached number 5 in the charts and was recorded with the all-girl band Girlschool and released under the monicur Headgirl. The song is more Motorhead than Girlschool with the only real intereference by the girl band being their vocalist Enid (very metal name) Williams. The song is a cover version of a track by Johnny Kidd & the Pirates. As a footnote - on the EP of 'Please don't Touch' both bands performed a track by the other. Girlschool sang 'Bomber' while Motorhead sang 'Emergency'.

Next up though is the one EVERYBODY knows - 'Ace of Spades' - perhaps Motorheads finest hour. In fact this song is so popular my father-in-law who is nearly in his seventies rates this as one of his favourite songs ever! The song was shown on the first episode of the second series of 'The Young Ones' but without 'Fast' Eddie on guitar just two new blokes who couldn't play the number fully and so were not filmed playing lead only rhythm during the solo. Eddie had left the band by the time of the Young Ones gig having being disgusted by the bands collaboration with Wendy O'Williams of the Plasmatics performing Tammy Wynettes 'Stand by Your man'. I think he rightly sensed standards were slipping. Phil Taylor followed soon after.

'Iron Fist', another great track, can be classed as 'Ace of Spades Pt. II' with its familiar sound and riffs not really distancing itself from its bigger brother but merely just emulating it. I've still got this on red vinyl somewhere in the house.

Unfortunately the next few numbers can probably be filed under the 'don't bother' banner as they are all passebly Motorhead but with no real kick although 'Shine' gets things going again before the brilliant yet ridiculously titled 'Killed by Death'. A basic track with all the trappings associated with the early Motorhead sound. There is even a quieter interlude where Lemmy sings the title in a muted fashion and sounds like he's being swallowing razor-blades for a fortnight. Perfect.

'Orgasmatron' is actually a better title than song and features Lemnmy speaking the lyrics over a pretty standard beat but is quickly forgettable. 'Eat the Rich', written for a Comic Strip movie, and not the track of the same name that Aerosmith performed on the 'Get a Grip' album, closes the disc with some pretty poor lyrics which makes the number all the better -

'Sitting here in a hired tuxedo
D'ya wanna see my bacon torpedo?'

Disc two features demos and B-sides which for the most part can be more entertaining than some of the tracks on the other disc. Production quality is more dubious on this disc and the values change virtually on each track. I've also got to mention the drumming which at times can be so out of time it's a blessing they're only demos. 'We are the Road Crew' being a perfect example of this. The cover of Berry's 'Louie Louie' is what can be done to a good song if you attempt to record it following a heavy night on the tiles. Lemmy's vocals are almost non-existent they sit so far back in the mix.

Things aren't all bad though for the side is saved by the inclusion of seven live tracks which show just how good Motorhead were as a gigging band. The sound is very raw with the bass sitting in front of the mix with its sheer power and noise. The eponymous track is a prime example of this. Even the track 'Train kept on a Rollin', a track covered by many bands including Led Zeppelin and The Yardbirds, goes to show how the band were held close by the punk fraternity with its riotous noise and apparent carelessness. All the live material sounds like it was recorded in some back room of a pub onto an old tape-recorder with a quality matching that of many a bootleg album.

The album comes in a fold-out CD case and contains a small booklet detailing the bands career which also includes photographs.

'Take no Prisoners' is by no ways a brilliant album and if you wanted a better look at a band that caused many a parent to shake their heads and tut in disapproval you'd be better off purchasing their 'No Sleep 'til Hammersmith' live album which shows them at their absolute best. However, for a collection of all the hits(?) and a load more tracks on top, you could do no better than get your wallets out for this.

Back in Motorheads heyday their singer stated that 'if Motorhead moved in next door to you, your lawn would die'. In those days, when not threatening people's gardens the band stood in the middle ground between heavy rock and punk - a foot in each camp and comfortable in both. Nowadays they seem a little pale in comparison to many of the riotous noise available but nothing can match their singularity of purpose and unique sound during times when rock and punk stood nose to nose rather than side by side.