Now we're cooking: disc one, featuring all A-sides, is sheer, glorious overkill (as soon as the so-so "Louie, Louie" opener finishes).
Lemmy's ZZ topic obsession continues in "No Class" (see also "Beer Drinkers" and "Overnight Sensation"). Scalding signature scar "Ace of Spades" squats here, along with fine slices of
Motörhead's vaunted live expertise ("Stone Dead Forever" and the
Hawkwind heavy whence the band glommed its apropos moniker). If you've never been clinched in the "Iron Fist," prepare to know what power is. Deceptively melodic licks chug through "I Got Mine." This is the
Head earning its umlaut. Time to play B-sides: the second CD naturally can't compete with the fevered freewheeling of the first, but rides right alongside. Once the
Motörhead groove slams in, just submit and let the boys roll. "Tear Ya Down" and the spark-chasing "Too Late Too Late" are quite cool and a mean kickoff. Only these three greasy cats could make the boring blues of "Hoochie Coochi Man" burn. "Like a Nightmare," "Dead Men Tell No Tales," and the appropriately dubbed "Over the Top" also rule the road. "Under the Knife" takes two Long Island loonies,
BÖC and
Twisted Sister, to task. Though two cuts are repeated live,
The Chase is a jet-fueled, battle-worn monument to
Motörhead's golden years. ~ Doug Stone