We Are Motörhead is the fifteenth studio album by British rock band Motörhead. It was released on 15 May 2000 via Steamhammer, their fifth with the label, equalling their Bronze Records total of full length original album releases.
| We Are Motörhead | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 15 May 2000 | |||
| Recorded | June–August 1999 December 1999 – March 2000[1] | |||
| Studio | Karo Studios (Brackel, Germany) American Recorders (Calabasas, California) | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 38:20 | |||
| Label | SPV/Steamhammer CMC[1] | |||
| Producer | Motörhead, Bob Kulick, Bruce Bouillet, Duane Baron[1] | |||
| Motörhead chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from We Are Motörhead | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Kerrang! | [3] |
| Rock Hard | 8/10[4] |
Recording
editThe album contains a cover of the punk band The Sex Pistols' song "God Save the Queen", for which the band recorded a promo video atop an open-top London AEC Routemaster bus.[5] In the Motörhead documentary The Guts and the Glory, vocalist and bassist Lemmy Kilmister declares:
"I think We Are Motörhead was a much better album than it got credit for."
Release
editAt the time of We Are Motörhead's release, the band was in competition with itself as the compilations Deaf Forever: The Best of Motörhead and The Best of Motörhead also came out, something the band had no control over.
Artwork
editJoe Petagno, the sleeve artist, commented on the influences behind the cover concept:
"It's one of my favourite pieces. At that time, there was a lot of death metal and black metal going on. I was working with a lot of those people anyway. They were all totally Motörhead dedicated, and grew up with Motörhead. I said, "Listen, instead of letting these guys sort of get to you, why don't we just pay homage to the death thing? That's cool enough. You guys were the first to do it anyway". In the original sketch, the head was turned three-quarter view, but Lemmy said we'd never used the head since "Deaf Forever" from the side. So why don't we just give it a full profile?."[6]
Critical reception
editAllMusic review states:
"'We Are Motörhead' maintains the generally high standard of the band's second decade, and while there aren't many speed-freak theatrics...the grimy attitude that's always driven their best work is fully intact. Pared back down to a trio, Kilmister and company deliver a tight, blistering set that's both well-executed and typical of Motörhead's long since established sound."
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Lemmy, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee except where noted[1]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "See Me Burning" | 2:59 | |
| 2. | "Slow Dance" | 4:29 | |
| 3. | "Stay Out of Jail" | 3:02 | |
| 4. | "God Save the Queen" (Sex Pistols cover) | Paul Cook, Steve Jones, John Lydon, Glen Matlock | 3:19 |
| 5. | "Out to Lunch" | 3:26 | |
| 6. | "Wake the Dead" | 5:14 | |
| 7. | "One More Fucking Time" | 6:46 | |
| 8. | "Stagefright/Crash & Burn" | 3:02 | |
| 9. | "(Wearing Your) Heart on Your Sleeve" | 3:42 | |
| 10. | "We Are Motörhead" | 2:21 | |
| Total length: | 38:20 | ||
Personnel
editAdapted from the album's liner notes.[1]
- Lemmy – lead vocals, bass
- Phil Campbell – lead guitar
- Mikkey Dee – drums
Production
edit- Bob Kulick – producer
- Bruce Bouillet – producer
- Duane Baron – producer
- Bill Cooper – engineer
- Motörhead – executive producers
- Mark Ambramson – design
- Zen Jam – design
- Stefan Chirazi – concept
- Glen La Ferman – design
- Stephanie Cabral – design
- Annamaria DiSanto – design
- G$ – photography
- Joe Petagno – album cover, Snaggletooth
- Lemmy – album cover, Snaggletooth
Charts
edit| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[7] | 39 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[8] | 21 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[9] | 24 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[10] | 91 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[11] | 15 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[12] | 5 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e We Are Motörhead, Motörhead, SPV GmbH/Steamhammer & CMC International, 06076 86292-2, 2000 Liner Notes, page – outer gatefold rear
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ Rees, Paul (13 May 2000). "Albums". Kerrang!. No. 801. EMAP. p. 47.
- ^ Jaedike, Jan. "RH #157" (in German). Rock Hard.
- ^ Steamhammer (31 October 2007), Motörhead - God Save The Queen, retrieved 6 November 2017[dead YouTube link]
- ^ About Joe Petagno – interview section with Joe Petagno, bonus DVD with Inferno 30th Anniversary edition SPV69748.
- ^ "Motörhead: We Are Motörhead" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Motorhead – We Are Motörhead" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Motörhead – We Are Motörhead". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2023.