SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MOTÖRHEAD – IRON FIST (40TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION)

Motörhead
Iron Fist (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
BMG

Iron Fist, the last studio album featuring what is considered the classic Motörhead incarnation with Ian Kilmister (Lemmy), Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor and “Fast” Eddie Clarke gets a fortieth anniversary treatment and I have no idea why this album doesn’t get more love.

Released two years after THE Motörhead album Ace of Spades, Iron Fist was perceived as a letdown at that time. Internal conflict during the production process resulted in Clarke taking over the project. Lemmy is later quoted as saying, “I was pissed off ’cause we let Eddie produce it. I wasn’t at the time, though. Fair play. But it became obvious after it was released – I sort of sobered up and realized it was garbage, most of it. And there’s at least three songs on there that weren’t even finished.”

The fortieth anniversary release gives the listener a chance to decide whether Lemmy was right. You find the demos for all of the tracks on the album including working title “Lemmy Goes to the Pub” which eventually becomes “Heart of Stone”. There is also an interesting Motörhead treatment of Henry Mancini’s “Peter Gunn”.

Of course what Motörhead re-release wouldn’t include a live recording of a concert? Included in the package is sound from a 1982 concert at the Glasgow Apollo featuring the trio who all have now sadly passed away. The recording lets one appreciate the Lemmy’s wonderful banter with the audience, especially the intro to “Jailbait” in which Lemmy calls out “This one….. you might know her. She’s called Fiona. She comes from Dundee” or the ending of “Loser” in which Lemmy admits to the crowd, “The ending could have been better but I’m afraid that’s the one you got.”

Rest in peace Motörhead .

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