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Motorhead - No Sleep 'til Hammersmith (1981)

Track listing:
  1. Ace of Spades 2:57
  2. Stay Clean 2:52
  3. Metropolis 3:25
  4. The Hammer 3:04
  5. Iron Horse 3:52
  6. No Class 2:46
  7. Overkill 5:13
  8. (We Are) The Road Crew 3:31
  9. Capricorn 4:43
  10. Bomber 3:24
  11. Motorhead 4:39

Notes

If you had to pinpoint an album that gave birth to thrash metal, many metalheads would agree it was Motörhead's classic 1981 live album, No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith. The original lineup of Motörhead was sheer electricity and excitement in concert, and the live set captures the trio at their peak. Nearly all of the best tracks from their first four studio albums are featured here (1977's self-titled debut, 1979's Overkill and Bomber, and 1980's Ace of Spades), but the live versions often prove to be even better than the originals. Such all-time metal anthems as "Ace of Spades," "Stay Clean," "(We Are) The Road Crew," "Overkill," "Bomber," and "Motörhead" are featured in all their eardrum-shattering glory, as is the mini-epic "Metropolis," "Iron Horse," and "No Class." Originally released on Bronze, the 1999 Castle reissue included excellent remastered sound, as well as three bonus tracks not on the original release — "Over the Top," "Capricorn [Alternative Version]," and a cover of the Yardbirds' blues-rock classic "Train Kept A-Rollin'." If you could only own a single Motörhead disc, No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith might be your best bet.