If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Motorhead - The World is Yours

I'm not a big Motorhead fan.
I don’t dislike the band – far from it – it’s simply that I tend to find the group’s tried and tested formula of fast and heavy rock 'n' roll means I only need a couple of their albums and an anthology to cover all the bases.

For me, that would be any Best Of you care to mention, 1980’s classic ‘Ace of Spades’ (usually cited as their finest studio moment), the following year's blistering live album ‘No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith’ and probably ‘1916,’ their first album of the '90s decade.

But it seems I’ll have to expand that mini-Motorhead list and add ‘The World is Yours’ to it because Lemmy & Co. have delivered a bit of a cracker.
It doesn’t break from the formula (if it ain’t broke after thirty-five years, don’t fix it) and it’s not their best ever album, but it is one of their strongest releases.

The general consensus is it’s their best since fan favourite ‘Inferno‘(2004) and many have it as the band’s finest album since ‘Orgasmatron’ was released some twenty-five years ago.
I would place it as their best since ‘1916’ (the aforementioned album, not the year, although Motorhead do seem to have existed since the dawn of rock and roll).

There really isn’t any filler here. From the punchy rollicking roll of ‘I Know How to Die’ to the grungy ‘Brotherhood of Man’ (where Lemmy’s gruff vocal is delivered in a growl) each of the ten tracks has something to offer.
The album opens in traditional Motorhead style with the beefy ‘Born to Lose’ but closes in even stronger terms with the band's raucous take on two-timing love lost, ‘Bye Bye Bitch Bye Bye’ (gotta love the title).  
And any song that contains the lyric “all things come to he who waits, but these days most things suck.” (from ‘Get Back in Line’) is singing from my Muirsical songbook.
 
Another positive is they don’t overcook the formula.
Just about every one of their releases has been in the 35 to 45 minute bracket containing ten, eleven or twelve short but sharp songs.
A perfect recipe for their brand of in-your-face rock and roll.
Motorhead albums may be predictable but they are solidly consistent.

'The World is Yours' was first made available in December 2010 as part of a special Motorhead edition of Classic Rock magazine, celebrating the band's thirty-five year career. The standard CD was then released in January of 2011 (including a version with bonus DVD).

The musicians themselves deserve special mention.
Although the Lemmy - Phil Taylor - Eddie Clarke trio (1976-1982) is still referred to by many fans and critics as the "classic" line-up (responsible for their most successful period and arguably their most consistent run of album releases) the current Motorheaders have recorded and performed together since drummer Mikkey Dee joined in 1992.

Welshman Phil Campbell goes even further back, having joined in 1984 when he and Wurzel (Michael Burston) made Motorhead a four-piece twin guitar band until the latter’s departure in 1995 (although fairly successful as a foursome, the band and their music truly made, and make, their mark as a power-trio).

And then there is the voice and driving four-string force of the band, founder member Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister.
Lemmy isn’t just the ever-present of the band; he’s also the elder statesman of Motorhead.
But at 65 years young he has no intention of retiring and the only bus pass Mr. Kilmister is interested in is the one that gets him on the tour bus.
Motorhead seem to be powered by his relentless energy and the battery seems to be recharged every time an album or tour comes around.  

Unforeseen circumstances meant the creation of the album took an interesting form, as confirmed on the press release.
Work on the album actually started back in February 2010 but Phil Campbell required personal time away from recording due to the poor health of his father (who later, sadly, passed away). 
A studio was hired in Wales to allow Campbell to contribute ideas or guitar parts separately while Mikkey Dee and Lemmy worked on the album in L.A. which was finished around July.
But from such adversity and diversity of recording came an energetic 40 minutes of great Motorhead music with the band sounding fresh, tight and with a strong collection of songs.

Motorhead may not be the most diverse rock and roll band in the world.
Motorhead may not be the most successful rock and roll band in the world.
But they may well be the heaviest rock and roll band in the world.
And one of the loudest.

Happy 35th boys, thanks for the tinnitus.

Ross Muir
February 2011

The following audio tracks are presented to accompany the above review and promote the work of the artist/s. No infringement of copyright is intended.

I Know How to Die
Bye Bye Bitch Bye Bye