On December 28th, 2015 Motorhead frontman Lemmy Killmister passed away from "an extremely aggressive cancer". This comes as a shock to the entire subculture of heavy metal music. Other notable iconic artists have been sharing their life experiences through their independent websites and social media pages. I'm sure by now many of you have already read several of those posts, so I won't bother posting links here- they'll be easy enough to find with simple google searching. I just want to take a moment to reflect on Lemmy's body of work, influence, and legacy in heavy metal.
What I will share with you are my previous reviews, suggested songs and albums from Lemmy's bands Motorhead and Hawkwind. (Yes, for the casual follower of Lemmy and Motorhead, he was in another band, Hawkwind, before he formed Motorhead, from 1972-1975!) Although I may never have considered myself a 'Die-hard' fan of Motorhead, it was impossible to get as deep into heavy metal music as I have without knowing a lot of Motorhead music. Lemmy is also well known as an amicable collaborator within the industry, as I have been reading over and over again in memoirs of rock and metal musicians in addition to the previously mentioned social media updates. To name a very underrepresented few of those who cite Lemmy and Motorhead as a significant influence are Twisted Sister, Metallica, and Ozzy Osbourne. Many of the independent bands I have reviewed on this blog also consider Motorhead a significant influence. There really are too many to name. Even as an artist who never cared what others thought of his music, Lemmy's dedication to the fans was undeniable. Motorhead was constantly on tour for the better part of 5 decades.
I count myself fortunate enough to have had the chance to see Motorhead in concert twice. In each case, they were not the main draw for me personally, but each time I walked away impressed, satisfied, and more a fan than I was before. The first time I saw them as part of The Metal Masters Tour in 2008. Judas Priest was the headliner in support of their Nostradamus album. Several years later I attended Megadeth's Gigantour in 2012. I recall I enjoyed this performance by Motorhead better than the first time. Click the links for my full reviews of those shows.
Before I go into my recommended Motorhead music I'm first going to suggest you find some early music by Hawkwind and listen to it. Lemmy started out in this psychedelic space-rock band and their early work is considered a key influence on the early years of heavy metal. He even performed with them occasionally as a guest through the years. See him singing lead vocals on the Hawkwind classic 'Silver Machine' here. Hawkwind are still around, you can like their facebook page to keep up on their music. Other famous songs from their early years that feature Lemmy include 'Lost Johnny' and of course 'Motorhead'. 'Lost Johnny' was included in The Heavy Metal Box (box set of significant Heavy Metal music from the late 60's to the mid 90's).
Their newest album, Bad Magic, was just released on August 28th of 2015. The band had planned a 40th anniversary tour, but some things are just not in the cards... Bad Magic is also available in a number of special packages through Motorhead's main website. Shop for one of them here.
I'll leave you with some of my personal favorites from Motorhead, but whatever you do to honor Lemmy and his legacy to music, do it loud, and without a care for what others may think of you. Be true. Be loud. Be a motherfuckin' bastard!
My recommended Motorhead ALBUMS:
-Ace of Spades ('80)
-Orgasmatron ('86)
-1916 ('91)
-Inferno ('04)
-The World is Yours ('10)
My favorite Motorhead Songs:
-Ace of Spades
-Get Back in Line
-Just 'Cos You Got the Power
-Kingdom of the Worm
-No Voices in the Sky
-Going to Brazil
-Overkill
-God Was Never On Your Side
-I Know How to Die
-R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
-Killed By Death
-Deaf Forever
-In The Name of Tragedy
-The Game
-Hellraiser
And don't forget (from Dave Grohl's Probot album...)
-Shake Your Blood
I count myself fortunate enough to have had the chance to see Motorhead in concert twice. In each case, they were not the main draw for me personally, but each time I walked away impressed, satisfied, and more a fan than I was before. The first time I saw them as part of The Metal Masters Tour in 2008. Judas Priest was the headliner in support of their Nostradamus album. Several years later I attended Megadeth's Gigantour in 2012. I recall I enjoyed this performance by Motorhead better than the first time. Click the links for my full reviews of those shows.
Before I go into my recommended Motorhead music I'm first going to suggest you find some early music by Hawkwind and listen to it. Lemmy started out in this psychedelic space-rock band and their early work is considered a key influence on the early years of heavy metal. He even performed with them occasionally as a guest through the years. See him singing lead vocals on the Hawkwind classic 'Silver Machine' here. Hawkwind are still around, you can like their facebook page to keep up on their music. Other famous songs from their early years that feature Lemmy include 'Lost Johnny' and of course 'Motorhead'. 'Lost Johnny' was included in The Heavy Metal Box (box set of significant Heavy Metal music from the late 60's to the mid 90's).
Their newest album, Bad Magic, was just released on August 28th of 2015. The band had planned a 40th anniversary tour, but some things are just not in the cards... Bad Magic is also available in a number of special packages through Motorhead's main website. Shop for one of them here.
I'll leave you with some of my personal favorites from Motorhead, but whatever you do to honor Lemmy and his legacy to music, do it loud, and without a care for what others may think of you. Be true. Be loud. Be a motherfuckin' bastard!
My recommended Motorhead ALBUMS:
-Ace of Spades ('80)
-Orgasmatron ('86)
-1916 ('91)
-Inferno ('04)
-The World is Yours ('10)
My favorite Motorhead Songs:
-Ace of Spades
-Get Back in Line
-Just 'Cos You Got the Power
-Kingdom of the Worm
-No Voices in the Sky
-Going to Brazil
-Overkill
-God Was Never On Your Side
-I Know How to Die
-R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
-Killed By Death
-Deaf Forever
-In The Name of Tragedy
-The Game
-Hellraiser
And don't forget (from Dave Grohl's Probot album...)
-Shake Your Blood
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