The Essential Motörhead Playlist (By Dez Fafara)

The First Motörhead Song I Heard Was…

Orgasmatron [from Orgasmatron, 1986]

“I was in LA in the mid ‘80s, I think. I was listening to some tunes with a friend of mine. He had this tape which I thought was all hardcore and punk rock songs, but it had Orgasmatron on it. I was like ‘Who is /this/? That was my official turn-on to Motörhead . If you listen to punk and hardcore, and all of a sudden /that/ comes on… holy shit, you know? Then my friend showed me a picture of them, and they all had long hair and I thought ‘Yeah, that’s my band!’”

The Best Motörhead Album To Have Sex To…

Aftershock [UDR, 2013]

“Oh man, listen to Death Machine from Aftershock. There’s something about the tempo to that song that really lends itself to some properly gnarly sex, when you’re pouring champagne into each other’s mouths as you’re fucking each other, you know what I mean? Ha ha ha! The same goes for Orgasmatron. Just put those songs on repeat and go get some! Ha ha ha!”

The Motörhead Song I Break The Speed Limit To Is…

Ridin’ With The Driver [from Orgasmatron, 1986]

“There are so many, man. What about Ridin’ With The Driver? ‘Metal scream and thrash/red steel in the driving wheel/Hear the pistons clash…’ Forget it, man. That definitely makes me want to drive quick. ”

The Most Underrated Motörhead Album Is…

Bad Magic [UDR, 2015]

“If you turn someone on to this record now, they’ll have no idea if that’s something from the 80s, the 90s or whenever. It’s just Motörhead. He never swayed, he never moved from that sound. He stayed true to who he was. To make such a pissed off but poignant record at 69 years of age, it gives everybody hope as an artist. It should show you the path: stay in touch with yourself and be honest. That’s such a fucking aggressive record, man. That’s my shit right there!”

The Motörhead Album With The Best Artwork Is…

Overkill [Bronze, 1979]

“They have so many great covers. That logo is so iconic, so Overkill is a great example. The same goes for the Orgasmatron cover, with that train with the sparks and the tusks and the chains hanging from them. Ace Of Spades has an amazing cover too. They’re all dressed like cowboys. Just look at that picture, man. It’s intense. They look like three bounty hunters to me. If you’re into westerns and cowboys and gunfights and living in California… I’m into all of that!”

The Motörhead Album I Wish I’d Made Is…

Ace Of Spades [Bronze, 1980]

“I really wish I’d made Ace Of Spades. The song Ace Of Spades is amazing, of course, but the song (We Are) The Road Crew too. Everything from the songs to the cover is just incredible. The whole record is amazing. I guess everyone would pick this one, but it’s obvious. It’s a classic.”

The Motörhead Song I’d Like Played At My Funeral Is…

Die You Bastard! [from Another Perfect Day, 1983]

“Ha ha! It’s real punk rock, with that crazy laugh at the beginning. That first line, ‘You can smell the danger, watch your step!’ Oh man, what a great opening line that is. There’s just something about that tune, especially the fact that it’s called Die You Bastard! It doesn’t get much better than that. Lemmy’s sense of humour was undeniable and it’s awesome.”

The Motörhead Song With The Best Lyrics Is… Victory Or Die [from Bad Magic, 2015]

“Victory Or Die from Bad Magic is an incredible song. ‘Look up and see the flying saucers cruising in the sky’… man, Lemmy was one of the best lyricists around. People really need to dive into Bad Magic. I love the fact that nearly all the songs are under three minutes long.”

A Kid Asks Me Who Motörhead Are, I Hand Them A Copy Of…

Snake Bite Love [SPV, 1998]

“Well, you I know a lot of people would choose Ace Of Spades. You could choose anything! But I’ll go for another record that doesn’t get so much love. I really love Snake Bite Love from 1998. There are some really great songs on that. Dogs Of War… man, what a song! Dead And Gone is another killer song too. It’s pure Motörhead. People always talk about the early records, but the great thing about Motörhead is that /all/ their albums are killer.”

The Best Motörhead Record To Get Wasted To…

Motörizer [SPV, 2008]

“People don’t talk about this album so much. It’s not just another Motörhead record… it’s another fucking /Motörhead/ record! That record is perfect for a Motörhead party in the sunshine. Start with Bad Magic early in the day, drink beers with your friends and then you’ll see what the fuck is up. Head backwards to Motörizer and then right through to Motörhead from 1977 and you’ll definitely be wasted by then.”

Dom Lawson
Writer

Dom Lawson has been writing for Metal Hammer and Prog for over 14 years and is extremely fond of heavy metal, progressive rock, coffee and snooker. He also contributes to The Guardian, Classic Rock, Bravewords and Blabbermouth and has previously written for Kerrang! magazine in the mid-2000s.