Rock 'n' Roll (Motörhead album)
Encyclopedia
Rock 'N' Roll is the eighth album by the British band Motörhead and the first appearance of their four-piece line up of Lemmy, Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, Würzel
and Philip Campbell
, which lasted from 1987 until 1992. Reaching only 34 in the UK
charts, it was, in that respect, the worst performing of all of Motörhead's Top 40 chart hits.
" was written for Peter Richardson's 1987 film Eat the Rich which starred the regular cast of The Comic Strip
and Lemmy himself in a bit part
as "Spider." A mock sermon
by Michael Palin
appears at the end of the song "Stone Deaf In The USA", which closed side one of the vinyl and cassette release.
One of the studios used to make Rock 'n' Roll was Redwood in London, which was co-owned by Michael Palin. The studio engineer helping Motörhead had worked on all the Monty Python
records and played the band outtakes the Pythons never put out. Palin was asked to come down and do a recitation for the album and showed up dressed in a 1940s cricketer outfit — V-necked sweater, his hair all brushed to one side. Lemmy remembers Palin walking in and saying, "Hello, what sort of thing are we going to do now, then?" and answering "Well, you know in The Meaning of Life, there was this speech that began "Oh Lord —". Palin replied "Ah! Give me some cathedral" and went in and recorded the 'Oh Lord, look down upon these people from Motörhead' speech.
Lemmy states that Rock 'n' Roll has some great songs, like "Dogs", "Boogeyman" and "Traitor", which they played 'for years', but overall it just didn't seem to work.
Joe Petagno
had other ideas for the cover of this album:
Rock 'n' Roll renewed commercial hope for Motörhead in the States with Lemmy and company moving to Los Angeles. The fans in the States appeared willing to see this band live and buy their albums whereas Britain is criticised as having lost interest in the band.
, Phil Campbell
, Phil Taylor and Lemmy except where noted.
festival, recorded on August 16, 1986:
This was a BBC Radio One recording and had been broadcast on the Friday Rock Show
: it had not been commercially available until this 2CD 'Expanded' edition.
Würzel
Michael Burston commonly known by the stage name Würzel, was an English musician and formerly a guitarist in the British heavy metal band, Motörhead....
and Philip Campbell
Phil Campbell (musician)
Philip Anthony Campbell has been the lead guitarist of the British heavy metal band Motörhead since 1984. He is also the former guitarist of Persian Risk.-Early life and career:...
, which lasted from 1987 until 1992. Reaching only 34 in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
charts, it was, in that respect, the worst performing of all of Motörhead's Top 40 chart hits.
History
The song "Eat the RichEat the Rich (Motörhead song)
"Eat the Rich" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released as a single in 1987, in 7" and 12" vinyl pressings. Both formats featured the b-side "Cradle to the Grave", and the 12" also included "Just 'Cos You Got the Power"....
" was written for Peter Richardson's 1987 film Eat the Rich which starred the regular cast of The Comic Strip
The Comic Strip
The Comic Strip is a group of British comedians, known for their television series The Comic Strip Presents.... The core members are Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson and Jennifer Saunders, with frequent appearances by Keith Allen, Robbie Coltrane and...
and Lemmy himself in a bit part
Bit part
A bit part is a supporting acting role with at least one line of dialogue . In British television, bit parts are referred to as under sixes...
as "Spider." A mock sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
by Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
appears at the end of the song "Stone Deaf In The USA", which closed side one of the vinyl and cassette release.
One of the studios used to make Rock 'n' Roll was Redwood in London, which was co-owned by Michael Palin. The studio engineer helping Motörhead had worked on all the Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
records and played the band outtakes the Pythons never put out. Palin was asked to come down and do a recitation for the album and showed up dressed in a 1940s cricketer outfit — V-necked sweater, his hair all brushed to one side. Lemmy remembers Palin walking in and saying, "Hello, what sort of thing are we going to do now, then?" and answering "Well, you know in The Meaning of Life, there was this speech that began "Oh Lord —". Palin replied "Ah! Give me some cathedral" and went in and recorded the 'Oh Lord, look down upon these people from Motörhead' speech.
Lemmy states that Rock 'n' Roll has some great songs, like "Dogs", "Boogeyman" and "Traitor", which they played 'for years', but overall it just didn't seem to work.
Joe Petagno
Joe Petagno
Joe Petagno is an artist known principally for creating images used on rock album covers, for bands such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, Motörhead, Roy Harper, Marduk, Nightshade, and Illdisposed....
had other ideas for the cover of this album:
I had this great idea and nobody wanted to listen to me. The original Rock 'n' Roll sleeve was supposed to be going up. I said, "Look, the tongue goes up. This thing is lifting off... it was supposed to be rocketing. So it was like a bomb. A projectile of some sort. When I finished it, they said, "We can't have it going up, it doesn't make any sense". So it's coming down. Couldn't convince them. This fucking band...(laughs)
Rock 'n' Roll renewed commercial hope for Motörhead in the States with Lemmy and company moving to Los Angeles. The fans in the States appeared willing to see this band live and buy their albums whereas Britain is criticised as having lost interest in the band.
Track listing
All tracks composed by WürzelWürzel
Michael Burston commonly known by the stage name Würzel, was an English musician and formerly a guitarist in the British heavy metal band, Motörhead....
, Phil Campbell
Phil Campbell (musician)
Philip Anthony Campbell has been the lead guitarist of the British heavy metal band Motörhead since 1984. He is also the former guitarist of Persian Risk.-Early life and career:...
, Phil Taylor and Lemmy except where noted.
- "Rock 'n' Roll" – 3:49
- "Eat the RichEat the Rich (Motörhead song)"Eat the Rich" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released as a single in 1987, in 7" and 12" vinyl pressings. Both formats featured the b-side "Cradle to the Grave", and the 12" also included "Just 'Cos You Got the Power"....
" – 4:34 - "Blackheart" – 4:03
- "Stone Deaf in the U.S.A." – 3:40
- "The Wolf" – 3:28
- "Traitor" – 3:17
- "Dogs" – 3:48
- "All for You" – 4:10
- "Boogeyman" – 3:07
CD reissue bonus tracks
- "Cradle to the Grave" – 4:05
- "Just 'Cos You Got the Power" – 7:30
- Tracks 10 and 11 originally released as B-sides of Eat the RichEat the Rich (Motörhead song)"Eat the Rich" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released as a single in 1987, in 7" and 12" vinyl pressings. Both formats featured the b-side "Cradle to the Grave", and the 12" also included "Just 'Cos You Got the Power"....
.
- Tracks 10 and 11 originally released as B-sides of Eat the Rich
Bonus CD
In 2006, the album was re-issued with a bonus CD, containing Motörhead's performance at the Monsters of RockMonsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock was an annual music festival held in England, then moved in other locations like The Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile.The Last show was in 2008....
festival, recorded on August 16, 1986:
- "Iron FistIron Fist (song)"Iron Fist" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released as a single in 1982, in 7" pressings in blue, black and translucent red vinyl....
" (Eddie ClarkeEddie ClarkeEdward Allan Clarke better known as "Fast" Eddie Clarke, is a guitarist who was a member of British heavy metal bands Fastway and Motörhead.-Early days:...
, Lemmy, Taylor) - "Stay Clean" (Clarke, Lemmy, Taylor)
- "Nothing Up My Sleeve" (Clarke, Lemmy, Taylor)
- "Metropolis" (Clarke, Lemmy, Taylor)
- "Dr. Rock" (Clarke, Lemmy, Taylor)
- "Killed by Death" (Campbell, Würzel, Lemmy, Pete GillPete GillPete Gill is a heavy metal drummer, formerly a member of The Glitter Band, Saxon and Motörhead.Gill was one of the two drummers in The Glitter Band, then formed part of the original line up Saxon in 1978. He stayed with them until 1981 when he injured his hand...
) - "Ace of SpadesAce of Spades (song)"Ace of Spades" is a song by the English band Motörhead, released in 1980 as a single and the title track to the album Ace of Spades. The song spent 12 weeks in the United Kingdom Singles Chart, peaking at #15.-Overview:...
" (Clarke, Lemmy, Taylor) - "Steal Your Face" (Campbell, Würzel, Lemmy, Gill)
- "Bite the Bullet" (Clarke, Lemmy, Taylor)
- "Built for Speed" (Campbell, Würzel, Lemmy, Gill)
- "OrgasmatronOrgasmatron (song)"Orgasmatron" is the title song of British metal band Motörhead's 1986 album of the same name. One of Motörhead's heaviest songs, "Orgasmatron" is a dark apocalyptic tale of turmoil and pain mixed with religious and political themes...
" (Campbell, Würzel, Lemmy, Gill) - "No ClassNo Class"No Class" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released in 1979, in 7" vinyl pressings. The song first appeared on the 1979 album Overkill, and became one of the "cornerstones" of the classic 1981 live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith...
" (Clarke, Lemmy, Taylor) - "MotorheadMotorhead (Motörhead song)"Motorhead" was recorded and released by Motörhead as a 7" vinyl single in June 1977, initially issued with the 'Map Of Chiswick' label, later it was switched to the 'Big Beat' label and pressed in other formats. The reverse cover is taken up almost entirely with the song's lyrics, printed in a...
" (Lemmy)
This was a BBC Radio One recording and had been broadcast on the Friday Rock Show
Friday Rock Show
The Friday Rock Show was a radio show in the United Kingdom that was broadcast on BBC Radio 1 from 10pm to midnight on Friday nights from 1978 to 1993. Throughout most of its run it was hosted by Tommy Vance. Ostensibly for the genre of rock in general, it was most closely associated with heavy metal...
: it had not been commercially available until this 2CD 'Expanded' edition.
Credits
- Lemmy – bass, vocals
- Phil CampbellPhil Campbell (musician)Philip Anthony Campbell has been the lead guitarist of the British heavy metal band Motörhead since 1984. He is also the former guitarist of Persian Risk.-Early life and career:...
– guitar, slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
on "Eat the Rich" - WürzelWürzelMichael Burston commonly known by the stage name Würzel, was an English musician and formerly a guitarist in the British heavy metal band, Motörhead....
– guitar, slide guitar on "Stone Deaf in the USA" - Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor – drums
- Joe PetagnoJoe PetagnoJoe Petagno is an artist known principally for creating images used on rock album covers, for bands such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, Motörhead, Roy Harper, Marduk, Nightshade, and Illdisposed....
- sleeve artwork - Produced by Motörhead and Guy Bidmead
- Engineered by Guy Bidmead
- Assisted by Roland Herrington, Arabella Rodriguez, Caroline Orme, and Phil Dane
- "Eat the Rich" originally recorded by Bill LaswellBill LaswellBill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
and Jason Corsaro, remixed by Guy Bidmead - Mixed at Britannia Row, Eden StudiosEden StudiosEden Studios was a commercial recording facility in west London. It opened in 1967, originally at 11 Eden Street in Kingston upon Thames, before moving to 20-24 Beaumont Road in Chiswick in 1972. It was started by Philip Love, Mike Gardner and Piers Ford-Crush. Love and Gardner owned the studio and...
, and The RoundhouseThe RoundhouseThe Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
, London. - Mastered at CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Studios, London.