Motörhead - Ace Of Spades (1980) [Japanese Limited Release. 12 bonus tracks]

With the 1980 release of Ace of Spaces, Motörhead had their anthem of anthems – that is, the title track – the one trademark song that would summarize everything that made this early incarnation of the band so legendary, a song that would be blasted by legions of metalheads for generations on end. And the album of the same name is legendary as well, among Motörhead's all-time best, often considered their single best, in fact, along with Overkill. Ace of Spades was Motörhead's third great album in a row, following the 1979 releases of Overkill and Bomber, respectively. Those two albums have a lot in common with Ace of Spaces. The classic lineup is still in place and sounding as alive and crazed as ever. The album is still rock-solid, boasting several superlative standouts. Actually, besides the especially high number of standouts on Ace of Spades – at least relative to Bomber, which wasn't quite as strong overall as Overkill had been – the only key difference between this 1980 album and its two 1979 predecessors is the producer, in this case Vic Maile. The result of his work isn't all that different from that of Jimmy Miller, the longtime Rolling Stones producer who had worked on Overkill and Bomber, but it's enough to give Ace of Spaces a feeling distinct from its two very similar-sounding predecessors. This singular sound along with the exceptionally strong songwriting and the legendary stature of the title track, makes Ace of Spades the ideal Motörhead album if one were to choose one and only one studio album. It's highly debatable whether Ace of Spaces is tops over the breakthrough Overkill, as the latter is more landmark because of its earlier release, and is somewhat rougher around the edges, too. Either way, Ace of Spades rightly deserves its legacy as a classic. There's no debating that.

~ Jason Birchmeier, all media guide

Tracklist:

01. Ace Of Spades
02. Love Me Like A Reptile
03. Shoot You In The Back
04. Live To Win
05. Fast And Loose
06. (We Are) The Road Crew
07. Fire, Fire
08. Jailbait
09. Dance
10. Bite The Bullet
11. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch
12. The Hammer
13. Dirty Love [B-side of "Ace Of Spades" single] #
14. Ace Of Spades [alternative version] #
15. Love Me Like A Reptile [alternative version 1] #
16. Love Me Like A Reptile [alternative version 2] #
17. Shoot You In The Back [alternative version] #
18. Fast And Loose [alternative version] #
19. (We Are) The Road Crew [alternative version] #
20. Fire, Fire [alternative version] #
21. Jailbait [alternative version] #
22. The Hammer [alternative version] #
23. Dirty Love [alternative version 1] #
24. Dirty Love [alternative version 2] #

# - bonus tracks

all songs written by Motorhead
Original Recording Produced by Vic Maile
Original album Recorded August 4 – September 15, 1980 at Jackson's Studios, Rickmansworth, UK

*Huge thanks to Igor191965

• Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister - vocals, bass
• "Fast" Eddie Clark – guitar
• Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor - drums

Original Release Date: November 8, 1980
Release Date: March 26, 2008 (July 2007)
Format: K2 24-bit Mastering
Cardboard sleeve limited edition
Label: BMG Japan
Catalog No.: BVCM-37962