''Another Perfect Day'' is the sixth studio album by British rock band
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...
. It was released in May 1983 by Bronze Records, which would be the band's last full-length original album with the label. It is the band's only studio album to feature lead guitarist
Brian "Robbo" Robertson, best known for his work with
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or some ...
.
Recording
After lead guitarist
"Fast" Eddie Clarke left Motörhead in 1982 in the midst of the band's ''
Iron Fist'' US tour, guitarist
Brian "Robbo" Robertson (ex-Thin Lizzy,
Wild Horses) was recruited to complete the tour. Drummer
Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor
Philip John Taylor (21 September 1954 – 12 November 2015), better known as "Philthy Animal", was an English drummer. He was a member of the rock band Motörhead from 1975 to 1984 and 1987 to 1992, recording eleven studio albums and four live ...
, who had been a huge Thin Lizzy fan, had lobbied vocalist/bassist/band leader
Lemmy
Ian Fraser Kilmister (24 December 1945 – 28 December 2015), better known as Lemmy Kilmister or simply Lemmy, was an English musician. He was the founder, lead singer, bassist and primary songwriter of the rock band Motörhead, of which he wa ...
to hire Robertson. The change was initially welcomed by both Lemmy and Taylor; in
Joel McIver's book ''Overkill: The Untold Story of Motörhead'', Lemmy is quoted at the time saying that the band's sound had:
These feelings would change dramatically once they entered the studio with producer
Tony Platt
Tony Platt is an English sound engineer and record producer, best known for his work with a diverse mix of artists, including, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Bob Marley, Iron Maiden, Shy, Buddy Guy, Foreigner, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Sparks, Jaz ...
; Lemmy would recall years later in the Motörhead documentary ''The Guts and the Glory'':
The original vinyl release featured a lyric-sheet insert, with a cartoon storyboard of the adventures of the new band, as it were. The
cassette
Cassette may refer to:
Technology
* Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback
** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in th ...
and US LP versions had a vastly different track list, with "I Got Mine" opening the album and "Back at the Funny Farm" opening side two. The band supported the album with the ''Another Perfect Tour'' tour, and almost immediately audiences and industry personnel alike took notice of the jarring contrast between Lemmy and Taylor, clad in their usual leathers, and Robertson, who took to wearing satin shorts and slip-on espadrille shoes onstage, which were becoming quite fashionable in the mid-1980s. In his 2002 autobiography ''White Line Fever'', Lemmy writes: Lemmy began to make light of Robertson's attire during shows, but he explained to ''
Classic Rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...
'' interviewer David Ling:
In his memoir, Lemmy put the album into perspective:
Following the album and tour, Robertson and Taylor left Motörhead to form the band Operator, leaving only Lemmy to continue on with Motörhead. Since then, "Shine", "Die You Bastard!", "Dancing on Your Grave", "I Got Mine", "Another Perfect Day", "One Track Mind", and "Rock It" have been featured in the band's live set. In 2013, Lemmy told Lee Marlow of ''Classic Rock'' that he hadn't spoken to Robertson since 1983 and maintained:
Sleeve artwork
Joe Petagno
Joe Petagno (born January 1, 1948) is an American artist known principally for creating images used on rock album covers for bands such as Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, Black Oak Arkansas, Sweet, Hawkwind, Motörhead, Roy Harper, Marduk, Bal-Sagoth, ...
, the sleeve artist, commented that the cover was inspired by the upheaval prevalent in the band and its members at the time:
In 1988
Castle Communications
Castle Communications, also known as Castle Music, was a British independent record label and home video distributor founded in 1983 by Terry Shand, Cliff Dane, and Jon Beecher. Its video imprint was called Castle Vision. The label's product ...
re-issued this album along with ''
Overkill'' in a gatefold sleeve.
Critical reception
John Franck of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
calls ''Another Perfect Day'' "one of the most unique (albeit misunderstood) albums in the entire Motörhead catalog", adding that it is one of "the band's best-sounding records ever, but tinkering with a legendary formula is always fraught with danger (is that a
boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, developed in African-American communities since 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually extended from pian ...
piano on 'Rock It'?), and as one might expect, the results here are alternately exhilarating and sometimes frustrating". Motörhead biographer
Joel McIver
Joel McIver (born 10 February 1971) is a British author. His best-known work is ''Justice for All: The Truth About Metallica'', first published in 2004 and appearing in nine languages since then. McIver's other works include biographies of Bl ...
wrote in 2011 that it was "worth revisiting for those who may have forgotten its genuine charms".
Thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
band
Sepultura
Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. the band was a major force in the groove metal, thra ...
named themselves after the third track from this album, "Dancing on Your Grave" ("sepultura" is "grave" in Portuguese). The songs "Back at the Funny Farm" and "Marching Off to War" were featured on the video game ''
Brütal Legend
''Brütal Legend'' is an action-adventure video game with real-time strategy game elements created by Double Fine and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was released during October 2009 in North America, ...
''.
[As listed on the original album, the listing for the Deluxe Edition ]allmusic article
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
and the 1991 CD sleeve.
Track listing
Sanctuary Records 2006 2-CD deluxe edition
*Disc one is the original album minus the bonus tracks, except the
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
of the "I Got Mine" single.
*Disc two is a live recording at the
Manchester Apollo
The O2 Apollo Manchester (known locally as The Apollo and formerly Manchester Apollo) is a concert venue in Ardwick Green, Manchester, England. It is a Grade II listed building, with a capacity of 3,500 (2,514 standing, 986 seats).
History
The ...
, 10 June 1983.
Personnel
Per the album's liner notes.
*
Lemmy
Ian Fraser Kilmister (24 December 1945 – 28 December 2015), better known as Lemmy Kilmister or simply Lemmy, was an English musician. He was the founder, lead singer, bassist and primary songwriter of the rock band Motörhead, of which he wa ...
– bass, vocals
*
Brian "Robbo" Robertson – guitars, piano on "Rock It",
Fender piano
Fender may refer to:
Transport
* Fender (boating), a bumper used to keep boats from banging into docks or each other
* Fender (vehicle) or wing, a part of a motor vehicle that frames a wheel well
* Fender, a "cow catcher" on a tram, see Pilot (l ...
on "Shine" and backing vocals on "Back at the Funny Farm"
*
Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor
Philip John Taylor (21 September 1954 – 12 November 2015), better known as "Philthy Animal", was an English drummer. He was a member of the rock band Motörhead from 1975 to 1984 and 1987 to 1992, recording eleven studio albums and four live ...
– drums
Production
*Tony Platt – producer, mixing
*Andy Pearce – mastering (2006 remaster)
*
Joe Petagno
Joe Petagno (born January 1, 1948) is an American artist known principally for creating images used on rock album covers for bands such as Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, Black Oak Arkansas, Sweet, Hawkwind, Motörhead, Roy Harper, Marduk, Bal-Sagoth, ...
–
Snaggletooth
*Curt Evans – 2006 cover design
2006 deluxe edition remaster
* Steve Hammonds – release coordination
* Jon Richards – release coordination
*Malcolm Dome – sleeve notes
*Mick Stevenson – project consultant, photos, and archive memorabilia
Charts
References
External links
Motörhead official website
{{Authority control
Motörhead albums
1983 albums
Mercury Records albums
Albums with cover art by Joe Petagno
Bronze Records albums
Albums produced by Tony Platt
Speed metal albums
Albums recorded at Olympic Sound Studios