Glad it's given you food for thought Desertrat Some really nice opinions you've written and I must say I agree with them. I love Whiplash done by Lemmy & co Blows Metallica's to dust i.m.o. and your comments on Kingdom & Hoochie Coochie mirror my own feelings. Shame they never captured that epic sound when they re-worked it as You better Run on M.O.D (whilst I like it, it can't really compare. Though live it faired much better).

Actually, it's rare to find vocal performances by Lemmy that are below par (which only makes chosing harder, I know). The only one that immediately springs to mind for me is lems vocals on 'Jack the Ripper' something there's never worked for me..

Thanks for the feedback Toast! It makes a difference, especially being here in the Kingdom where they could certainly do with a live dose of the 'Head at it's skull-rattling best. (Not sure what Lem would make of the burkas and hijabs here, though I can certainly imagine...) Keys To The Kingdom has a certain er, resonance here, shall we say.

I thought Lem's late eighties, early nineties live rasp was sometimes a little lacking in power, mixed very trebly back then, but on reflection it suited the dynamic range of the four piece a lot better, more like an extra instrument than a conventional vocal. March Or Die was an odd time for him vocals-wise with You Better Run sounding a little uncomfortable and forced but can't fault that joyous feeling he communicates on Cat Scratch Fever, the kind that puts a big shit-eating grin on yer face.

I think his voice has since matured rather like a fine single malt, yes, the old Kilmeister of Lemstershire, with a few musky notes and full-bodied like a good punch in the face!

Some of his guest appearances have been none too shabby like the version of Eve of Destruction and Back In The USSR. While I loved his cover with Mick Green of Blue Suede Shoes, the flipside Paradise was anything but, probably because he was straining to hit notes beyond his vocal range. His voice was made for the classic rockabilly sounds he bounds along with on The Headcat material, as his rock'n'roll personified tones evidence.

His vocal performances on The World Is Yours will probably be remembered affectionately in the future as they transmit a joie de vivre that's hard to resist, even on the darkest of tracks. Now, there's a paradox!

I wonder what the future will hold. We are all bursting for a new album, obviously, but perhaps that gap in their busy touring schedule between September and October will birth a screaming bastard of an album, where Lem will bark to the sound of a howling whirlwind again. The solo album seems to be gathering apace finally as the Juggernaut's excellent posting from Skew Siskin elsewhere on this forum attests. I predict the vocals will hit the spot in ways we can only imagine when that epistle hits the decks. If a collaboration with Jeff Beck is still on the cards, that would top it off for me. Can you imagine a cover of Train Kept A Rollin' by this duo?! Check out Jeff Beck in The Yardbirds in Antonioni's 'Blow Up' and mix it up with the Motorhead's blue Flexipop flexi-disk version - now there's a tasty morsel.

I'd say "Another Perfect Day"