Which studio album would you recommend to a person who has never listened to Motorhead before?
This is not necessarily your favourite album but an album in which you think the listener will like straight away.

Rockin vickers, Sam gopal, first 6 from Hawkwind, all 5 from Firies, than On parole - The World is ours vol 2. There is no other way if that person want to know everything about Motorhead.

A mate of mine is starting to get into Motorhead and has a few of the bands albums. He doesn't like the band when they are 'foot to the floor' as he puts it, and so far his favourite album is APD. That said he only has Overkill, AoS, APD, 1916, Bastards and a couple of compilations, so needs to check them out more in my opinion. I would always tell anyone to get Overkill. If you don't like that you might as well not bother with Motorhead IMO.

Agree with Lard..
But since there's so many differnt sounds on the records I suggest you check what he likes and plays that kind of Motörtune. If he likes melody it's APD; if it is heavier try Inferno or KOD, If it's hip-hop tie him to a chair and play them all loud and over and over and over agsin...

I don't think that's such a good idea for someone who's hearing Motorhead for the first time.

I think It'd give the new listener the wrong idea as those Pre-Motorhead days sound quite different to the Motorhead we know and love and may put them off. Good to look into that stuff if you become a 'Headcase' and want to hear the evolution of the band though.



I'd agree with Lard on this too, you can't really go wrong with Overkill. They still play songs from it and it's not too far removed from a lot of the later stuff. Yeah a good starter I reckon.

@ Juggernaught You made me LOL with the "Tie him to a chair" comment

I disagree Toast. I think it is very important to understand Motorhead music and why they are rnr and not metal to do like I said. Few people which listened Motorhead in my house where so amazed to enter in Motorhead world like this. They were so happy. They liked hawkwind, Fairies and On Parole a lot. They said they never looked on Motorhead o that way and they think I'm right, that's the most natural way to go into Motorhead. If you listened Motorhead this way you will have completely different approach to them than someone who started listen Motorhead from Sacrifice album for example. This dude who started from Sacrifice will probably think they are metal or something, or something else and he will not know that Motorhead started from Hawkwind Fairies style which is some other world. I think chronology approach is most natural and best approach.

I took Sacrifice because Sacrifice have a special sound like Another perfect day, it have a special sound too.

I'm with Toast on this. I started out with AoS and Iron Fist back in the early 80's and it all grew from there, but I don't think it matters at all where you begin. I can't say Hawkwind or Pink Fairies have ever floated my boat to be honest, does that mean I like Motorhead any less? And if I had started with them, I would question whether I would have got into Motorhead's music. Besides does it matter what people think Motorhead are, as long as they like their music? When I'm shoulder to shoulder in a gig, I don't stop to worry if the sweaty fucker next to me is in it for punk or rock n roll or heavy metal, just as long as he/she is having a good time.

Don't know Lard, I have a different experience. Example: There is one band called Elektricni Orgazam. They played psychedelic rock but they have a classic rock albums too. So, few my friends heard two albums from them, classic rock style, those things were before internet so they couldn't check them out more. So they thought they are rnr band etc... later they got in their hands first two albums and they are pretty much very psychedelic and they don't like psychedelic rock so they became very disappointed in this band because they got wrong picture inside their heads about this band. That's what I'm talking about when I talk about Motorhead. I think it's important to understand the band what it is. Not listening the music and don't understand what you listening or have a wrong picture about band. However, if some dude is metal fan you will give him Kingdom of the worm or Red Raw or something like that and than he will had a wrong picture about Motorhead and than we will have another million time conversation what Motorhead plays rnr or metal. Specialy if this dude had nice childhood and grew up in wrong belief that Motorhead is metal, how can you explain to him that he is wrong? You can't, I mean he does not want to know that all his childhood he had wrong picture about band. I'm thinkin about those kind of things a lot. I even last year wrote a book about Motorhead but it is on Serbo-Croat language. In it they are those psychological things about listening music too, when you read any book you had pictures in your head, when you listen some band you have pictures about this band etc.. and many other things...

Nicely put Lardy, That's exactly how I see it too.

Someone shouldn't have to wade through a back catalogue of material that is unlike the band's regular stuff prior to listening to a Motorhead album proper in order to 'understand' or enjoy it.

If I'd have heard the Rockin' Vicars prior to hearing Motorhead for the first time, it would never have encouraged me to seek out a Motorhead album. Their stuff is pretty uninspiring (for me at least)

As for the whole Rock'n'Roll/Metal arguement BlackAdder, don't you ever get tired of it?!

I listen to all forms of music, I couldn't give a poop what label you put to any of it. As long as I like it, that's all that matters.

I listen to stuff like Static-X and can't fathom out what the hell Wayne's singing about half the time, but love listening to them anyway. I like Rammestein too and don't speak a word of German. Actually, I'd probably enjoy them less if I did...

You don't have to 'understand' where a band is coming from to enjoy it.