Iron Fist
	Produced by Evil Red Neck (Will Reid Dick Flying Ace Prod.) & Motörhead, well Eddie really
	Released on April 1982
	UK CHART POSITION #6 . . . US CHART POSITION #174
	Find it at GEMM
85211-2 cover [high resolution scan]

A nother truckload of two-fisted rock and ro-ho-ho (yawn), excuse me. I must be tired. If you don’t mind being pummeled by the same three chords over and over, well, then have at it. Apparently, some folks don’t mind it at all, going so far as to defend Iron Fist as a Motorhead-banging classic. But this one bores me, and not in the drill-bit-in-your-brain way. I shouldn’t let it grind me down, I know, since Motorhead never promised a smooth ride. They stay the course with no sign of stepping on the brake, and that’s what fans find most endearing. Motorhead is a thrill ride, their muse is the grindkill god of war, and if you came hear expecting memorable melodies then you’ve wandered into the wrong nightmare. But they’re capable of more than this. It’s not enough to strap tank armor on the same two or three chords and roll over everything in sight. Some of this has slipped into the classic camp almost by default: “Iron Fist,” “(Don’t Let ‘Em) Grind Ya Down.” They’re not my favorites, by the way, since they’re nearly interchangeable with any other Motorhead track. Which are my favorites from Iron Fist? “Loser,” “America,” the bonus B-side “Remember Me, I’m Gone.” They stand out from this crowd of hellraisers as a little smarter, a little cooler. Lemmy’s black humor is the other winning ingredient. His lyrics on “(Don’t Need) Religion” and “I’m The Doctor” are part of what make Lemmy such a unique voice in rock & roll (aside from, obviously, his voice itself). After listening to Another Perfect Day, I guess I expected Iron Fist to pack more of a wallop. It’s still a good record, bound to attract some respect as the last of the Fast Eddie Clarke elpees, but I question whether it really adds anything to the legend.

TRACK LISTING

1. IRON FIST
2. HEART OF STONE
3. I'M THE DOCTOR
4. GO TO HELL
5. LOSER
6. SEX AND OUTRAGE
7. AMERICA
8. SHUT IT DOWN
9. SPEEDFREAK
10. (DON'T LET 'EM) GRIND YA DOWN
11. (DON'T NEED) RELIGION
12. BANG TO RIGHTS
    
    CD reissue bonus tracks
    
13. REMEMBER ME, I'M GONE
14. (DON'T LET 'EM) GRIND YA DOWN (ALTERNATE VERSION)
15. LEMMY GOES TO THE PUB (ALTERNATE VERSION OF "HEART OF STONE")
16. SAME OLD SONG, I'M GONE (ALTERNATE VERSION OF "REMEMBER ME, I'M GONE")
17. YOUNG AND CRAZY (INSTRUMENTAL VERSION OF "SEX AND OUTRAGE")
    
    2-CD reissue disc two tracks
    
1. REMEMBER ME, I'M GONE
2. OVERKILL
3. HEART OF STONE
4. SHOOT YOU IN THE BACK
5. THE HAMMER
6. JAILBAIT
7. AMERICA
8. RELIGION
9. AMERICA
10. GRIND YA DOWN
11. (WE ARE) THE ROADCREW
12. NO CLASS
13. BITE THE BULLET
14. CHASE IS BETTER THAN THE CATCH
15. BOMBER
    
    All songs written by Lemmy Kilmister/Eddie Clarke/Phil Taylor

CREDITS

EDDIE CLARKE -- guitars
LEMMY KILMISTER -- bass, vocals
PHIL TAYLOR -- drums
Chaz Harrowell -- tape optimist
Alan Ballard & Martin Poole -- cover & photos
Curtis Evans -- 2001 reissue design

return to MOTÖRHEAD discography

For more discographies visit...

© 2008 Connolly & Company. All rights reserved.