Motorhead overkill9/23/2023 Slayer’s drummer, Dave Lombardo, was similarly impressed: “Motörhead was the first time I heard double bass done at that pattern,” he said in the same documentary. “When I first heard Overkill in early 1979, that was what blew my head off.” “The drummer that introduced me to that double bass type of thing was Phil Taylor from Motörhead,” said Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, in the Metal Evolution documentary on thrash. Little did he know that he was changing the face of rock'n'roll. “I was just about to stop,” said Philthy, “and they went, 'No, don't stop! Keep going!' And that's how Overkill was written.” Legend has it that Lemmy and Eddie walked in while Philthy was hammering away, trying to get his coordination right. Ironically, however, the title track's opening drum pattern, that iconic and unrelenting double bass thunder, came about by accident when aptly-named drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor was messing about in the rehearsal studio. It's safe to say that without Overkill there probably wouldn't be a Metallica or Slayer, or the entire genre of thrash metal. Overkill was an entirely different matter, and Lemmy rather understated the facts when he said that the band were “starting to get their sound together.” It was, and is, a monster. Badly produced, it featured three songs that Lemmy had written while he was still in Hawkwind – Motörhead, Lost Johnny, and The Watcher – and although it showed great promise, it was clumsy, with guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke describing the muddy sound as “pretty dreadful”. In many ways, Motörhead's self-titled debut from 1977 was a false start for the band. Moreover, with 22 studio albums to choose from, at least six of the ten songs on the original Overkill album were regulars in the set until the very end. That the title track was the last song Motörhead ever played speaks volumes. Recorded in just two weeks at Roundhouse Studios in London, and celebrating its 42nd anniversary today, it is as astonishing now as the day it was forged. And you'll buy a new copy every time, because you've worn the old one out.īy any measure, Motörhead's second album, Overkill, is such an album, a classic in every sense of the word. Inevitably, it will be re-released ad infinitum. More than likely it will be ahead of its time, pushing the boundaries of music and inspiring countless bands in its wake. A true classic stands the test of time, not just for a few years but for decades, and it will be rediscovered by future generations who weren't even born when it was released. A couple of hit songs do not make a classic album. "Overkill" was used as the closing song for Motörhead's final tour, making it the last song the band ever played live.Let's be honest, the word 'classic' has been overused to the point of redundancy. The track is notable for Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor's use of two bass drums. The song is featured as a track in the video game SSX on Tour, and was re-recorded by Motörhead to be a playable track in the rhythm game Guitar Hero World Tour. The artwork on the sleeve was created by Joe Petagno, based on his design for the album's cover. The song was a live favourite and was frequently featured at Motörhead concerts, often in an extended version. On 9 March 1979 the band played this song on the BBC TV show Top of the Pops to support the release of the single. The single reached number 39 on the UK Singles Chart. Early copies came with a free "Overkill" badge. It is backed with B-side "Too Late Too Late" which appears on the CD re-issues of the Overkill album. It was released in 7" and 12" vinyl pressings in 1979. "Overkill" is a song by the British hard rock band Motörhead.
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