No Remorse (Motörhead album)
No Remorse is a compilation album by the band Motörhead, released 15 September 1984, covering their years under contract with Bronze Records and including four newly recorded tracks.
| No Remorse | ||||
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| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 15 September 1984 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal, hard rock | |||
| Length | 83:34 | |||
| Label | Bronze Records | |||
| Producer | Vic Maile | |||
| Motörhead chronology | ||||
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| Singles from No Remorse | ||||
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This is the last album the band made for Bronze Records, and the first to feature the new and consistent line-up of Lemmy, Phil Campbell, Würzel, and the short lived involvement of Pete Gill on drums.
Recording
After touring in support of their 1983 LP Another Perfect Day, guitarist Brian "Robbo" Robertson and drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor left Motörhead and eventually decided to form the band 'Operator' together. It had been Taylor who had suggested Motörhead hire Robertson to complete the Iron Fist tour after the band had parted ways with longtime guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke. In the Motörhead documentary The Guts and the Glory Taylor explains:
"..I had a good talk to myself and thought, 'Well, maybe it's about time I move on,' you know. 'Cause I enjoyed playing with Robbo so much, maybe I'll get a band together with him, or something like that. I didn't really have a plan.."
In his memoir White Line Fever Lemmy reflects on Taylor's departure:
"..I hadn't been seeing much of Phil but I had been getting the impression that he wasn't really that keen any more. Although we didn't discuss his reasons for leaving the band, I think part of it was because he wanted to become a serious musician, or whatever it is people think heavy metal isn't which, if you ask me, is total bullshit...And our troubles with Brian Robertson aside, Philthy was one of the biggest Thin Lizzy fans in existence...There we were with auditions to do that day with two guitarists who had travelled from Cheltenham and Wales. Now I didn't have a drummer! But I have to admit, Phil was a gentleman about the whole thing...He did leave decently, unlike some of Motörhead's former members.."
Taylor informed Lemmy he was leaving shortly after Lemmy had decided to hire two new guitarists, the first being Phil Campbell, whose band Persian Risk had played shows with Motörhead, and Michael Burston, who had gained a reputation playing in Wiltshire clubs and pubs and received the nickname Würzel after the children's TV character Worzel Gummidge. Campbell suggested the band hire ex-Saxon drummer Pete Gill. Lemmy recalls that their trouble with Bronze started after Eddie Clarke left; the company did not like Brian Robertson, and without much faith in the new lineup, they preferred to do a compilation of the band's old songs. Lemmy said that was an indication that they were "readying the death knell" of the band and so he insisted the band record new material for it.[1] Between 19–25 May 1984, the new lineup recorded six songs at Britannia Row Studios, London: "Killed by Death", "Snaggletooth", "Steal Your Face", "Locomotive", and two different songs both called "Under the Knife". The first four of these songs concluded each side of the vinyl release.[1][2] The two versions of "Under the Knife" were released on 1 September 1984 as the B-side of the "Killed by Death" 12" vinyl pressing. "Killed By Death" became a mainstay in live performances since its release and, as with many Motörhead songs, the lyrics show Lemmy's skill at composing lyrics which can be, at the same time in some cases, menacing, tongue-in-cheek, political, satirical, advisory (especially about drugs) and prophetic. The band also made a video for the song which was banned by MTV. Lemmy took charge of selecting the tracks for the album and wrote a commentary about each song.
Release
In addition to the usual cardboard sleeve, the original LPs were also available in a real leather sleeve which had silver on black artwork, completely reworked by Joe Petagno in much finer detail than the original with various differences (such as an iron cross). There was a cassette version released in a leather pouch with wording mimicking the Government Health Warning often found on a cigarette packet, about the contents being potentially damaging to the health. They also did a television advert for the album, which featured a brief medley of several songs before Lemmy's voice was heard to declare, "No Remorse... go out and get it!"
The band promoted the album with their No Remorse – Death on the Road tour, conducted between 24 October – 7 November 1984. They kicked off their tour in the UK by making a famous early morning appearance on the children's TV show The Saturday Starship. Their set, which included "Iron Fist", "Ace of Spades", and "Overkill", was performed in the car park of the Central TV studios, Birmingham, prompting complaints about the noise.[3] On 26 October, the band made a live appearance on the Channel 4 pop/rock music programme The Tube, playing "Killed by Death," "Steal Your Face" and "Overkill." However, the programme credits came up during "Steal Your Face," which faded out as the broadcast concluded. "Overkill" would eventually be broadcast some 20 years later, during a retrospective Best of the Tube TV series.[2]
Motörhead would later record a song called No Remorse, which is on their Hammered album of 2002.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  |
| Robert Christgau | A−[5] |
AllMusic review states:
"..There have been dozens and dozens of Motörhead compilations released over the decades, but the first one remains definitive, even if it's not perfect...No Remorse is to Motörhead what We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll is to Black Sabbath – an age-old collection that every metalhead seemed to own at some point, the one that seemed to define the band for generations on end. No Remorse is one of those classic albums, no doubt.."
In 2017, it was ranked 7th on Rolling Stone's list of "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time"; the only compilation on the list.[6] Commenting on this choice for a band that never changed its formula, J. D. Considine said:
"It seems more fitting, then, to represent Motörhead with an anthology. No Remorse may offer 29 versions of what is essentially the same thing, yet every track is singularly amazing: the yelping, bad luck refrain to "Ace of Spades," the locomotive thunder beneath "Overkill," the live-wire guitar on "Bomber," the genius stupidity of "Killed by Death," or the amphetamine overdrive of the live "Motorhead" from No Sleep 'til Hammersmith. Sometimes, a good formula is all you really need."
Track listing
All tracks are written by Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original Release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ace of Spades" | 1980 ~ Ace of Spades | 2:48 | |
| 2. | "Motörhead" (Live in 1981) | Kilmister | 1981 ~ No Sleep 'til Hammersmith | 3:37 |
| 3. | "Jailbait" | 1980 ~ Ace of Spades | 3:26 | |
| 4. | "Stay Clean" | 1979 ~ Overkill | 2:42 | |
| 5. | "Too Late, Too Late" (Live in 1980) | 1980 ~ The Golden Years | 3:14 | |
| 6. | "Killed by Death" | Kilmister, Michael "Würzel" Burston, Phil "Zööm" Campbell, Pete Gill | New Recording | 4:42 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original Release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Bomber" (Live in 1981) | 1981 ~ No Sleep 'til Hammersmith | 3:17 | |
| 8. | "Iron Fist" | 1982 ~ Iron Fist | 2:54 | |
| 9. | "Shine" | Kilmister, Taylor, Brian "Robbo" Robertson | 1983 ~ Another Perfect Day | 3:11 |
| 10. | "Dancing on Your Grave" | Kilmister, Taylor, Robertson | 1983 ~ Another Perfect Day | 4:30 |
| 11. | "Metropolis" | 1979 ~ Overkill | 3:37 | |
| 12. | "Snaggletooth" | Kilmister, Burston, Campbell, Gill | New Recording | 3:51 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original Release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Overkill" (Single Version) | 1979 ~ Overkill (Single) | 3:18 | |
| 2. | "Please Don't Touch" (Feat. Girlschool) | Johnny Kidd, Guy Robinson | 1981 ~ St. Valentine's Day Massacre | 2:49 |
| 3. | "Stone Dead Forever" | 1979 ~ Bomber | 4:54 | |
| 4. | "Like a Nightmare" | 1979 ~ No Class | 4:28 | |
| 5. | "Emergency" (Feat. Denise Dufort) | Denise Dufort, Kelly Johnson, Kim McAuliffe, Enid Williams | 1981 ~ St. Valentine's Day Massacre | 3:00 |
| 6. | "Steal Your Face" | Kilmister, Burston, Campbell, Gill | New Recording | 4:31 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original Release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Louie, Louie" | Richard Berry | 1978 ~ Louie, Louie | 2:46 |
| 8. | "No Class" | 1979 ~ Overkill | 2:41 | |
| 9. | "Iron Horse / Born to Lose" (Live in 1980) | Taylor, Mick Brown, Guy Lawrence | 1981 ~ No Sleep 'til Hammersmith | 3:54 |
| 10. | "(We Are) The Road Crew" | 1980 ~ Ace of Spades | 3:12 | |
| 11. | "Leaving Here" (Live in 1980) | Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Edward Holland | 1980 ~ The Golden Years | 3:05 |
| 12. | "Locomotive" | Kilmister, Burston, Campbell, Gill | New Recording | 3:25 |
- The original single CD issued – on Castle (CLACD 121) in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, and by Roadracer (RRD 9354) in North America – omitted "Louie Louie" and "Leaving Here" from the original vinyl and cassette release due to time restrictions. The complete album was reissued in Japan on 2CDs in 1991 (TECP-40687/88) and 1993 (VICP-40098~99)
1996 & 2005 reissues
The 1996 Castle and 2005 Sanctuary reissues, which contains all 24 songs, are notable not only for the addition of five bonus tracks, but also for using alternate mixes/edits of certain tracks, as noted below.[7]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ace of Spades" | Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor | 1980 ~ Ace of Spades | 2:48 |
| 2. | "Motörhead" (Live in 1981) | Kilmister | 1981 ~ No Sleep 'til Hammersmith | 3:37 |
| 3. | "Jailbait" | Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor | 1980 ~ Ace of Spades | 3:33 |
| 4. | "Stay Clean" | Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor | 1979 ~ Overkill | 2:42 |
| 5. | "Too Late, Too Late" | Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor | 1979 ~ Overkill (Single) | 3:26 |
| 6. | "Killed by Death" | Kilmister, Burston, Campbell, Gill | New Recording | 4:42 |
| 7. | "Bomber" | Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor | 1979 ~ Bomber | 3:43 |
| 8. | "Iron Fist" | Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor | 1982 ~ Iron Fist | 2:54 |
| 9. | "Shine" | Kilmister, Taylor, Robertson | 1983 ~ Another Perfect Day | 3:11 |
| 10. | "Dancing on Your Grave" | Kilmister, Taylor, Robertson | 1983 ~ Another Perfect Day | 4:30 |
| 11. | "Metropolis" | Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor | 1979 ~ Overkill | 3:37 |
| 12. | "Snaggletooth" | Kilmister, Burston, Campbell, Gill | New Recording | 3:51 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Overkill" | Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor | 1979 ~ Overkill | 5:12 |
| 2. | "Please Don't Touch" (Feat. Girlschool) | Kidd, Robinson | 1981 ~ St. Valentine's Day Massacre | 2:49 |
| 3. | "Stone Dead Forever" | Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor | 1979 ~ Bomber | 4:54 |
| 4. | "Like a Nightmare" | Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor | 1979 ~ No Class | 4:28 |
| 5. | "Emergency" (Feat. Denise Dufort) | Dufort, Johnson, McAuliffe, Williams | 1981 ~ St. Valentine's Day Massacre | 3:00 |
| 6. | "Steal Your Face" | Kilmister, Burston, Campbell, Gill | New Recording | 4:31 |
| 7. | "Louie, Louie" (Alternative Version) | Berry | 1979 ~ Overkill (1996 Reissue) | 2:55 |
| 8. | "No Class" | Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor | 1979 ~ Overkill | 2:41 |
| 9. | "Iron Horse / Born to Lose" (Live in 1980) | Taylor, Brown, Lawrence | 1981 ~ No Sleep 'til Hammersmith | 3:48 |
| 10. | "(We Are) The Road Crew" | Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor | 1980 ~ Ace of Spades | 3:12 |
| 11. | "Leaving Here" (Live in 1980) | Dozier, Brian & Edward Holland | 1980 ~ The Golden Years | 3:05 |
| 12. | "Locomotive" | Kilmister, Burston, Campbell, Gill | New Recording | 3:25 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original Release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Under the Knife (Slow)" | Kilmister, Burston, Campbell, Gill | 1984 ~ Killed by Death | 3:50 |
| 14. | "Under the Knife (Fast)" | Kilmister, Burston, Campbell, Gill | 1984 ~ Killed by Death | 4:34 |
| 15. | "Masterplan" (Feat. The Plasmatics (Lemmy on Vocals) | Richie Stotts, Rod Swenson | 1982 ~ Stand by Your Man | 2:55 |
| 16. | "No Class" (Feat. The Plasmatics) (Wendy O. Williams on Vocals) | Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor | 1982 ~ Stand by Your Man | 2:32 |
| 17. | "Stand by Your Man" (Feat. The Plasmatics) | Billy Sherrill, Tammy Wynette | 1982 ~ Stand by Your Man | 3:06 |
- The reissued 2CD versions have included the Stand By Your Man EP done with the Plasmatics, commonly thought of as the reason Clarke left the band. This is the only reissue of the full EP outside its original release in 1982, although 'Masterplan' and 'Stand By Your Man' have appeared on other compilations.
- The 2015 2LP reissue of the album uses the 96/05 mixes, excluding bonus tracks.
Personnel
- Lemmy Kilmister – lead vocals except "Emergency", bass all tracks
- "Fast" Eddie Clarke – lead vocals on "Emergency", guitar on tracks A1-5, B7, 8 & 11, C1-5, D7-11 – CD2 15, 16 and 17 & backing vocals
- Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor – drums on tracks A1-5, B7-11, C1-5, D7-11 – CD2 15, 16
- Denise Dufort on drums on "Emergency" (Philthy had a broken neck at the time so contributes insults and abuse!)
- Brian "Robbo" Robertson – guitar on tracks B9 and B10
- Michael "Würzel" Burston – guitar on tracks A6, B12, C6, D12, – CD2 13 and 14
- Phil "Zööm" Campbell – guitar on tracks A6, B12, C6, D12, – CD2 13 and 14
- Pete Gill – drums on tracks A6, B12, C6, D12, – CD2 13 and 14
Production
- Producers – Speedy Keen – producer (tracks: A2 and D3)
- Jimmy Miller – producer (tracks: A4, A5, B7, B11, C2, C3, C4, and D1)
- Vic Maile – producer (tracks: A1, A3 and D10)
- Will "Evil Red Neck" Reid Dick – producer (tracks: B8 and CD2 15–17)
- Tony Platt – producer (tracks: B9 and B10), engineer (tracks: B9 and B10)
- Bill Laswell – producer (tracks:A6, B12, C6, D12 – CD2 13–14)
- Jason Corsaro – producer (tracks:A6, B12, C6, D12 – CD2 13–14)
- Eddie Clarke – producer (tracks: B8 – CD2 15–17)
- John Burns – engineer (tracks: A2 and D3)
- Ashley Howe – engineer (tracks: A2 and D3)
- Trevor Hallesy – engineer (tracks: A4, A5, B7, B11, C1, C4 and D2)
- Charles Harrowell – engineer (track: B8)
- Bill Laswell – engineer (tracks: A6, B12, C6, D12 – CD2 13–14)
- Jason Corsaro – engineer (tracks: A6, B12, C6, D12 – CD2 13–14)
- Joe Petagno – Snaggletooth
NOTE: No Remorse does not list where tracks A6, B12, C6, D12 and CD2 13 and 14 were recorded in 1984, on any version to date so far
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Album Charts | 14[8] |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[9] | Silver | 60,000^ |
|
*sales figures based on certification alone | ||
References
- Kilmister, Ian Fraser and Garza, Janiss White Line Fever (2002) – Simon & Schuster pp. 178–179. ISBN 0-684-85868-1.
- Burridge, Alan Illustrated Collector's Guide to Motörhead Published: 1995, Collector's Guide Publishing ISBN 0-9695736-2-6.
- Kilmister, Lemmy; Garza, Janiss (2003). White Line Fever. Simon and Schuster. p. 183. ISBN 978-0-671-03331-6.
- Allmusic review
- Robert Christgau review
- Considine, J. D. (21 June 2017). "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media LLC. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
- "Motorhead - No Remorse: Original release vs current available CD release". Remaster Hell. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- "no remorse | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- "British album certifications – Motörhead – No Remorse". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type No Remorse in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
