Orgasmatron [Deluxe Edition] (CD - 1986)

Recorded at Master Rock Studios, London, England. Includes liner notes by Steffan Chirazi.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

Recording information: Master Rock Studio, London, England.

Photographer: Alan Ballard.

After the exit of two founding members--guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke and drummer Phil Taylor--many metalheads left the once-mighty Motorhead for dead. The band's fortunes had dwindled due to a few less-than-enthusiastically received albums. But bassist/frontman Lemmy refused to let the band roll over and die, assembling a whole new line-up, changing record labels, and issuing their first new album in three years--1986's ORGASMATRON, titled after a device from the early-'70s Woody Allen movie "Sleeper."

It's a splendid return to form. As the cover artwork suggests, Motorhead had come roaring back--a new dual guitar set-up, featuring newcomers Wurzel and Phil Campbell, adds spark to such meaty cuts as the title track, "Ridin' with the Driver," and "Built for Speed."

On the surface, Motörhead appear to be trying something new with Orgasmatron, bringing in producer Bill Laswell to put a slightly different slant on their signature sound. Laswell does beef up the mix with added sonic detail, which works to particularly good effect on the title track -- the densely layered production helps transform the song and its simple riff into a chugging psychedelic noise-fest. Elsewhere, the production sometimes has the effect of muting the band's energy, sounding oddly processed and lacking the raw bite of past work (which foreshadows their decline over the next few years). It doesn't help that the songwriting is somewhat inconsistent, with "Deaf Forever" and "Built for Speed" standing out among a batch of tunes that sometimes sound as though Motörhead were trying a little too self-consciously to do what people expected from a Motörhead album. Still, in Motörhead's case, that distinction is easily lost, so even if Orgasmatron is somewhat erratic, most fans will find a hidden favorite or two. [Sanctuary Records reissued the early Motörhead albums in 2005/2006 as remastered double-disc deluxe editions. The Orgasmatron volume includes a bonus disc including live versions of "On the Road" and "Steal Your Face," taken from the "Deaf Forever" 12" single, and an alternate take of "Claw." This bonus disc also features a ten-song live recording from The Kerrang! Wooargh Weekender, which took place on October 13, 1984.] ~ Steve Huey minimize