Love it like a reptile!
If there's one album that doesn't need any introduction then it's probably 'Ace of Spades', back in 1980 this sent Motorhead global and it's perhaps the one album from that period in their career that doesn't sound in any way dated. Twenty five years since it's original release this 2cd reissue is timely and is all the more interesting for the extra cd full of bonus material.
The original album is nothing short of outstanding, it saw Motorhead move away from the more blues edged songs that both Bomber and Overkill had and found them launching headlong into out and out hard and heavy rock/metal. There really isn't a duff track on this album, from the timeless opener 'Ace of Spades' to the thunderous closing track 'The Hammer' it's just packed full of great riffs, great solos and the production is excellent. If you're going to start anywhere with the Motorhead back catalogue this is the place to start.
The bonus cd features out takes from the recording sessions and features numerous alternate takes, many of which have been available before on vinyl, specifically on the 'Dirty Love' album. The most interesting songs are the alternate version of 'Ace of Spades', which is markedly different from the final cut and the original b side version of 'Dirty Love'. Whilst certainly of interest it's also plain to see why most of these ended up as out takes! Compared to the final versions they are occasionally sloppy but provide a useful insight into how the final versions were arrived at, with three versions of 'Dirty Love' though it's more for the completist than the first timer.
The second part of the bonus cd is perhaps of most interest though as it features a BBC Radio 1 session from the David Jensen show, although I think I'm right in saying that all of the tracks featured here also appear on the recent 'BBC Live and In Session' cd. This session illustrates just how tight Motorhead were at the time and up until the last solo of 'Fast and Loose' you'd be forgiven for thinking it was the album version!
With good packaging and new sleeve notes from Classic Rock magazine's Malcolm Dome this is yet another well done reissue and with the bonus cd there's probably enough on offer to warrant buying another copy if you already have the original album on cd.