Ace of Spades (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Ace of Spades
Type = Album
Artist = Motörhead


Released = November 8, 1980
Recorded = 4 August – 15 September 1980
Jackson's Studios, Rickmansworth, UK
Length = 36:42 (original)
45:28 (reissue)
Label = Bronze (Worldwide)
Mercury (North America)
Producer = Vic Maile
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:5e66mpb39foo~T1 link]
*Robert Christgau (B) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=969&name=Motorhead link]
Last album = "The Golden Years (EP)"
(1980)
This album = "Ace of Spades"
(1980)
Next album = "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers (EP)"
(1980)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = DVD cover
Type = studio


Lower caption = 2005 DVD release

"Ace of Spades" is the fourth album by the British heavy metal band Motörhead. Released on November 8, 1980, it peaked at #4 on the UK album charts. [Burridge, Alan "Illustrated Collector's Guide to Motörhead" Published: 1995, Collector's Guide Publishing p70. ISBN 0-9695736-2-6.] It was preceded by the release of the title track "Ace of Spades" as a single on October 27, which peaked in the UK singles chart at #15 in early November.cite journal |quotes= |last=Burridge |first=Alan |authorlink=Alan Burridge (writer) |coauthors= |year=1991 |month=April |title=Motörhead |journal=Record Collector |volume= |issue=140 |pages=18–19 |id= |url= |accessdate= ]

Recording

The album was recorded in August and September 1980, produced by Vic Maile at his Jackson's Studio in Rickmansworth. This is the first of what would be a series of projects with Maile, and members of the band commented at the time about finding the right producer. Whereas the band had previously had an input at the mixing stage, Maile took sole responsibility here, Clarke explaining that the result was that "you can finally hear everything that's going on".Ace of Spades official tour programme. Motorhead interviewed by Giovanni Dadomo]

Of the performances, Lemmy claimed that "Vic got me singing instead of just shouting all the time", while Taylor added "and he got me playing more solid".

leeve

It was the first of the band's albums to feature a photograph of them on the cover, dressed as cowboys. The 'Arizona desert-style' pictures used on the album sleeve and tour programme were taken during a photosession at a sandpit in Barnet.cite web |url=http://playlouder.com/feature/+lemmy/ |title=Dr Rock VS Lemmy interview July 19, 2004 |accessdate=2007-02-27 |format= |work=PlayLouder article]

Promotion and tour

Motörhead appeared on "Top of the Pops" twice in October to promote the single "Ace of Spades", and were guests on the ITV children's morning show "Tiswas" on the 8th November.

The band undertook a UK tour from 22nd October through to 2nd December under the banner "Ace Up Your Sleeve", with support from Girlschool and Vardis. After the Belfast show on 2nd December, high jinx resulted in Taylor breaking his neck forcing him to wear a neck-brace and curtailing any further band activity. The other members of the band took the opportunity to collaborate with Girlschool for the "St. Valentine's Day Massacre (EP)".

Critical reception

The album has been described as "one of the best metal albums by any band, ever" [cite web |url=http://www.bnrmetal.com/groups/moto.htm |title=Motorhead |accessdate=2007-04-11 |format= |work=BNR Metal Pages ] and has become a significantly influential 'hard rock classic'. [cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=A322052 |title=Classic Albums: Motörhead – Ace of Spades |accessdate=2007-02-28 |format= |work=Allmovie review] Despite the band always referring to their music as rock 'n roll in the same vein as their heroes Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, the album, and particularly its title track have been considered amongst the most influential in the development of thrash metal.cite web |url=http://www.metal-archives.com/review.php?id=939 |title=Music to crash your car to. – 90% December 4, 2004|accessdate=2007-02-27 |format= |work=Encyclopaedia Metallum reviews for Ace of Spades] The title track is, for many, the definitive Motörhead anthem. [cite book |last=Konow |first=David |title=Bang Your Head |publisher=Three Rivers Press, c2002|id=ISBN 0-609-80732-3 |pages=226 has "Motorhead's signature song, Ace of Spades" ] The album is listed in the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".

Classic albums documentary

On March 28, 2005 the documentary about the album (a part of the "Classic Albums" series) was released on DVD by Eagle Vision. The in-depth look at the making of the album includes interviews with and performances by Lemmy, Phil Taylor and Eddie Clarke. [cite web |url=http://www.eaglerockent.com/eaglerockUK/media_detail.php?media_id=507 |title=Motörhead: Ace of Spades Classic Albums Series DVD |accessdate=2007-02-28 |format= |work=Eagle Rock Entertainment site]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Ian Kilmister, Phil Taylor, Eddie Clarke except where stated.

ide 1

# "Ace of Spades" – 2:49
# "Love Me Like a Reptile" – 3:23
# "Shoot You in the Back" – 2:39
# "Live to Win" – 3:37
# "Fast and Loose" – 3:23
# "(We Are) The Road Crew" – 3:12

ide 2

#

"Fire, Fire" – 2:44
# "Jailbait" – 3:33
# "Dance" – 2:38
# "Bite the Bullet" – 1:38
# "The Chase Is Better Than the Catch" – 4:18
# "The Hammer" – 2:48

CD bonus tracks

#

"Dirty Love" - 2:57
#*Originally released as the B-side of "Ace of Spades"
# "Please Don't Touch" (Johnny Kidd, Guy Robinson) - 2:49
# "Emergency" (Kim McAuliffe, Kelly Johnson, Enid Williams, Denise Dufort) - 3:00
* Tracks 14 and 15 were originally released on the "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" EP in 1981.

Deluxe Edition: Disc 2

# "Dirty Love" – 2:55
# "Ace of Spades" (alternate version) – 3:03
# "Love Me Like a Reptile" (alternate version) – 4:16
# "Love Me Like a Reptile" (alternate version) – 3:31
# "Shoot You in the Back" (alternate version) – 3:11
# "Fast and Loose" (alternate version) – 3:06
# "(We Are) The Roadcrew" (alternate version) – 3:24
# "Fire Fire" (alternate version) – 2:41
# "Jailbait" (alternate version) – 3:33
# "The Hammer" (alternate version) – 3:11
# "Dirty Love" (alternate version) – 1:02
# "Dirty Love" (alternate version) – 2:51
# "Fast and Loose" (BBC Session) – 4:18
# "Live to Win" (BBC Session) – 3:33
# "Bite the Bullet/The Chase Is Better Than the Catch" (BBC Session) – 6:05

The 2CD version DOES NOT include the Girlschool St. Valentine's Day Massacre tracks that are on the single-disc remaster.

Credits

* Lemmy (Ian Kilmister) – bass, lead vocals
* "Fast" Eddie Clarke – guitar, lead vocals on "Emergency"
* Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor – drums

* Recorded August 4 – September 15 1980 at Jackson's Studios, Rickmansworth, UK
* Produced by Vic Maile
* Sleeve photography by Alan Ballard
* Design by Martin Poole

Release history and variations

*The labels on the 1986 GWR re-issue had the GWR logo and "A" on one side, and Side Two on the other. The tracks were also erroneously listed in the order of the North America release.

References

External links

* [http://music.yahoo.com/read/review/14177734 "Ace of Spades" review on Yahoo Music]
* [http://www.imotorhead.com Motorhead official website]