HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Another Perfect Day – Motörhead
1982, MOTÖRHEAD are in disarray. They’ve ridden the high of number one with the seminal live album No Sleep Til Hammersmith (1981), then some rushed decisions and ill-advised choices led to the commercially limp Iron Fist (1982). The engine was running on empty and something had to give. Various accounts can give examples from all sorts of angles, the whys and wherefores of the rifts that developed among the three amigos. The upshot was, during a US tour, ‘Fast’ Eddie Clarke (guitar) stepped back from the band. Depending on whose version you believe, stepped back is putting it lightly. However, it meant that all of a sudden, the iconic trio that could face down anything was now a duo and something needed to be done, quickly.
Enter Brian ‘Robbo’ Robertson. Highly accomplished guitarist of THIN LIZZY fame and ultimately a bit of a left field choice for the rawer edged, straight down the line sort of rock ‘n’ roll that Lemmy Kilmister (vocals/bass) and ‘Philty’ Phil Taylor (drums) were playing. Robertson however, initially showed willing and proved to be more than a capable stand in for the remaining tour dates having learned the set list on the way out to the States and settling into the groove of the songs. The combined decision was made to have Robertson sign on for a one-album deal.
Throughout their storied career, there have been many moments of pivotal choices for MOTÖRHEAD. Two came together in quick succession. Fast Eddie left and the remaining two members were forced to choose a new guitarist, then a choice was made to keep the new member on for an album. The resulting album, Another Perfect Day, proved to be as divisive a release then as it is now. “This is from our most hated album ever; it sold about 25 copies I think and that was Brian’s family!” so quips Lemmy before introducing I Got Mine in the 2005 live DVD Stage Fright. While he goes on to say “I see it’s improved with age” before launching into one of the catchiest MOTÖRHEAD riffs of their career outside of the ‘classic’ line up. It’s interesting to unpack just why he considered Another Perfect Day to be deserving of that ignominious title and whether or not it’s entirely justified.
So, to 1983. MOTÖRHEAD are now Lemmy, Philthy Phill and Brian Robertson. Entering the studio in February for an eventual release in June. The writing and recording process represented a learning curve for all three musicians. For Lemmy and Philthy they were now presented with a guitarist that they hadn’t grown up with. True, Robertson had already acquitted himself on the previous live shows, but they now had to learn a new creative feel and groove. Philthy was at this time a self-confessed THIN LIZZY superfan and was well aware of Robertson‘s style and was keen to work with him. Lemmy had some reservations about potential clashes. After all, MOTÖRHEAD were a band that liked to work as fast as they played and then live up the rock n roll lifestyle, they were not ones for studio refinement. Robertson on the other hand, was a classically trained musician and through his time with THIN LIZZY had developed a strict studio regimen that saw the implementation of many takes and late hours getting everything just so.
However, the music produced was some of the very best quality up to this point. Many will cite that it didn’t have the rough and ready approach of previous albums. There was no ear spanking aggressiveness of Overkill (1979), nor the grubby urchin charms of Ace Of Spades (1980). The melodies were stronger, an element of MOTÖRHEAD‘s attempt to acknowledge the more contemporary sounds of the time while still obviously diametrically opposed to anything in the charts. The main singles Shine and I Got Mine were strong in their own right and hinted at the slightly new pathway spearheaded by the Robertson inclusion. The artwork was also another thing entirely which added to the difference of the album. A swirling maelstrom of colour, with a striking palette of oranges and blues incorporated around a seemingly melting Snaggletooth/Warpig, like a nightmarish trip in technicolour. Joe Petango had certainly delivered something powerful and memorable.
Lyrically as well, some of the finest aspects of Lemmy’s wit come to the fore, one only has to listen to album opener Back At The Funny Farm to hear this: “What was that injection? ‘Cos I think it’s going wrong / I really like this jacket but the sleeves are much too long“. Other tracks such as Dancing On Your Grave and Marching Off To War too held so much potential to be stonewall MOTÖRHEAD classics as did the superbly titled Die You Bastard. However, it appears that not until some twenty years after its initial release did people start re-evaluating this album and seeing it for the quality it is.
The reasons for this can be seen right from the start. Despite the band being proud of what they had created, it was almost instantly disliked by fans and critics alike. Many of both saw it as a not proper MOTÖRHEAD without Fast Eddie and that the inclusion of more melodic based riffs as something of a blasphemy against what the band had been about from the beginning. The subsequent tour didn’t seem to help matters either. With the album peaking at number 20 in the charts, MOTÖRHEAD hit the road with the Another Perfect Tour.
Again, depending on which accounts are read/believed, it seems that Robertson was almost immediately at loggerheads with Lemmy. From wanting to exclusively only play the new material and forego the holy trinity of Overkill, Bomber (1979), and Ace Of Spades (which obviously put a few noses out of joint), to his eclectic stage attire. Robertson was seemingly looking to distance himself from the other two by wearing satin shorts and slip on espadrilles. Eyebrows were raised and legend has it that Lemmy took it as a personal afront, that Robertson was purposefully doing it to leave himself outside the sphere of MOTÖRHEAD and highlight that he was a star guest musician as opposed to one of the band. Hindsight would probably show that the stage clothes incident was given far too much credit and hot air than it actually generated. Be that as it may, the short-lived Lemmy, Philthy, Robbo lineup disbanded by 1984.
On the subject of hindsight, it is usually always 20/20. Subsequently, A Perfect Day has been viewed as a much-misunderstood classic. The songs mentioned and the artwork as well as the style of writing has become viewed as essential MOTÖRHEAD listening. While not on the same pedestal as the albums that preceded it nor some of those that came much later in MOTÖRHEAD’s career. A number of the tracks will feature across nearly any Best Of… collection that one can pick up, as well as the band revisiting the songs themselves in latter day live shows. If you haven’t had look into the album before, or at least for a long time, do so. You’ll definitely be in for a treat. After all it is MOTÖRHEAD, it’s never going to be terrible! To sum up, as Lemmy said back on the Stage Fright DVD, “I See it’s matured with age. Like cheese, right?!”
Another Perfect Day was originally released on June 4 1983 via Bronze Records
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