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Motörhead > Another Perfect Day > Reviews
Motörhead - Another Perfect Day

Enemy of the Good - 90%

Tanuki, November 26th, 2022

I poked fun at the whole "all Motörhead albums sound the same" fallacy in my earlier reviews, but there might actually be a kernel of truth to that. It's still reductive as hell, mind you. It's like saying all salesman sound the same. They might go through the same spiel with the same objective, but some try harder than others. Some are con-artists with a trenchcoat full of Bolex and Kucci, and others take enough pride in their salesmanship to give Arthur Miller night terrors. Prime example of this is Iron Fist versus its follow-up Another Perfect Day. One was a rushed, halfbaked piece of bologna that sounded like Motörhead through a McDonald's drive-thru, and the other is their zaniest and most ambitious album ever, trying its very damndest to sell you the merits of progressive blues metal.

Believe me, I hate how much I hate Iron Fist, because it was such a tragic, anti-climactic last hurrah for Fast Eddie. His ephemeral replacement would be Thin Lizzy virtuoso Brian 'Robbo' Robertson, meaning Motörhead was now a power trio consisting of a highfalutin prog rock guitarist and two dirty-minded speed metal reprobates. This sounds more like the pitch for a heavy metal sitcom than it does a full-length album. But somehow this inherent incompatibility managed to create a hot, buttery oil massage for your inner ears, defined by strident, bluesy movements with graceful melodies that aren't afraid to get dirty. Best example of this is 'Die You Bastard', which sounds like the font of inspiration for many modern heavy metal bands like Angel Sword and Lord Fist.

The spicy and eccentric chord progressions are hypnotic throughout 'Marching off to War' and 'Back at the Funny Farm'. Overtly melodic yet unspeakably raunchy, Another Perfect Day is a marriage of progressive rock trademarks and Motörhead's tried and true rock n' roll beatdowns, with neither detracting from the other. Exemplified by the fleetfooted cruiserweight 'Shine', Motörhead maintains every bit of its punching power despite being contorted into an unorthodox galloping time signature. Not to mention the sprightly shuffle and accompanying solo of 'Tales of Glory', which sounds like something out of Angel Witch - it's absolutely nuts.

The bass is still a hot honey barbecue, Lemmy is still croaking into your ear like the devil on your shoulder when you're wondering if you should pocket that wallet you've found, and Philthy Animal is still the king of snappy blues rhythms of both brisk and moseying varities. Practically all of the conventional Motörheadisms are present and accounted for, up to and including the obligatory ode to recreational sex in 'I Got Mine'. This is not only one of Motörhead's longest ever songs (at a whopping five and a half minutes!) but also one that seems to take cues from their original self-titled debut, featuring exuberant major scale passages and a phenomenally catchy blues change-up acting as its backbone. And yet this album was panned by critics upon release, because the band that always sounds the same didn't sound the same this time. Man, all music critics sound the same - stupid! Am I right or am I right?

Different Motörhead - 80%

Marsallah, January 19th, 2022
Written based on this version: 2010, 2CD, Sanctuary Records (Reissue of expanded edition)

Some people say Motörhead kept releasing the same album over and over. They are of course tone deaf folks with bad taste in music, because Lemmy tried different approach with almost every record he has released under the Motörhead banner. If there is one album that stands out most though, it indeed is Another Perfect Day, originally released in 1983 as the band’s sixth full length studio LP. The circumstances were quite extraordinary, because “Fast” Eddie Clarke, who played on the first 5 albums left the band following an altercation with Lemmy after the release of the previous LP, Iron Fist. The band has then recruited Brain Robertson (known from Thin Lizzy) and went on to deliver new music as quickly as possible. After all, in 1980s it was customary for a band to release a new album every year or so.

The very beginning of the record hints at its atmosphere – first we hear a snippet of a band talk and then APF kicks off properly with a signature riff played on Lemmy’s famous Rickenbacker bass. The music is more relaxed than on Iron Fist, Ace of Spades or Bomber – but there is also an imminent feeling that it is a Motörhead album. The bass pulsates with energetic riffing rather than playing rhythm alongside Philthy Animal’s drums, who has kept his position, at least for the time being (he will be replaced by Pete Gill on the next album). But inviting Brian Robertson on board meant there must have been made room for his guitar – after all, his style differed significantly from Eddie Clarke’s. Instead of motoric and frugal riffing, former Thin Lizzy’s axeman showcases long bluesy licks and Lemmy, writing material for Another Perfect Day, needed to take this into mind. Hence there is much more space in music, with long guitar leads and extensive solos (“One Track Mind”, “Another Perfect Day”, “I Got Mine”). This is also one of Motörhead’s slower albums – song structures often allow for a drift toward Hawkwind’s (Lemmy’s previous band) territories, only that that does not happen – in Motörhead there is no room for space rock blur, otherwise it would lose the characteristic Motörhead drive. Occasionally, some keyboards are added as a spice, but that’s it.

This is as much a Brain Robertson album as it it Lemmy’s and that’s what makes it so much different from other Motörhead records – the two lads seem to coexist here on equal terms, which was generally something new. Enough to say that one of the reasons Eddie Clarke left was that he wanted to have more to say, to write more music, to have more influence on the sound (he produced Iron Fist which proved to be a mistake), even tried to sing (“Step Down” off Bomber – the only Motörhead song with Clarke’s vocals – also wasn’t a success). Well, at least Robertson made no attempts at sharing lead vocals with Lem. However, on the tour following the release of Another Perfect Day, things between Lemmy and the new guitarist started to look uglier and uglier and as a result he was fired – APD is therefore the only Motörhead album he appeared on.

What’s the bottom line on Another Perfect Day then? Is it a hit or a miss? Well, despite it sounding unlike any other Motörhead album, it is a very enjoyable experience not only for me, but also for the vast majority of the band’s fanzone. It abounds in great riffs, beautiful melodic solos and in case someone tuned in while the record was being played, there’s always the distinctive Lemmy’s rasp which leaves no doubt what band is playing. I do value Another Perfect Day and rank it very high in Motörhead discography. I must say it gets played by me more often than any other album from the band, perhaps due to it being so unique?

The 2 CD edition released by Sanctuary Records I own contains a bonus track, “Turn You Round Again” (b-side of “I Got Mine” single) as well as a second CD with a live show the band played on the APD tour in 1983 in Manchester. The concert is well over an hour long and sounds so good (both in terms of musicianship and audio quality) that it could’ve been released as yet another Motörhead standalone live album.

I've heard better heard worse - 70%

Face_your_fear_79, October 14th, 2021
Written based on this version: 2000, CD, Castle Music (Reissue, Remastered)

I’m sure that after the success that Motörhead had had with their first five albums that it was an unexpected occurrence when ‘Fast’ Eddie Clarke decided to move on just after the tour to support the Iron Fist album began. Given that the band seemed to find plenty of faults with that album almost immediately, perhaps it wasn’t unexpected. It did give drummer Phil Taylor the opportunity to coerce Lemmy into agreeing to hire former Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson as his replacement, who then went on to help write and record the follow up, Another Perfect Day.

The most obvious thing to say about this album is… it is different. For everyone who has heard the first five studio albums, the style is immediately different. But all of those five albums had a degree of change along the way, none of them were an exact match for the previous one, so if you take this album as just a natural progression and not focus too much on the different guitaring styles of the previous guitarist and the new guitarist, you are halfway there to being able to appreciate this album for what it is rather than just dismissing it offhand because of the change. I know that I initially went down this path, completely put off by the change in guitar style especially. But once I sat down and just listened to it as an album, and not an album that Clarke had had no part of, I found a lot to like.

Indeed, having been a fan of sections of Thin Lizzy’s work over the years I admired most of what Robertson has to offer here. I don’t think it always works, and I don’t think it really settles into what you would call a Motörhead sound, but there’s no denying it is catchy. There is almost none of the typical Lemmy bass lines and even the drumming appears much less frantic and rebellious.

Was the world ready for piano on a Motörhead album? Robertson contributes this on the songs “Shine” and “Rock It”, and while it isn’t a big thing it is a noticeable thing. Opening track “Back at the Funny Farm” has that classic bass sound to start, as does the closing track “Die You Bastard!”, but apart from that there is little that makes it stand out. “Dancing on Your Grave” is probably the closest this album has to a song that fits in with the past.

The most irritating song on the album is “One Track Mind” which closes out the first side of the album. It feels like five and a half minutes of the track title being repeated over and over and over again, and it is so different to most of the other material on the album. It sticks out like a sore thumb. Both “Just Another Day” and “Marching Off to War” are dominated by long instrumental breaks, including long solo sections from Robertson. The length of these is another point of difference between earlier albums. While Clarke had solo breaks they didn’t dominate songs by their length. That is not the case here, Robertson seems to have plenty of time to ensure he is noticed. It’s not unlikeable at all, in fact for the most point they are enjoyable, except maybe they just sound a bit too similar to each other? Perhaps. “I Got Mine" follows on a similar vein, with plenty of upbeat tempo, while “Tales of Glory” is a short, sharp burst of what has come before.

By the end of the album, and in real comparison to the other albums that preceded it, what really pulls this back just a little bit ends up being those extended solo breaks from Robertson. It feels a bit formula-oriented, a bit too try-hard for what would make it a better or equal album to the first albums. They are not bad or Malmsteen-esque in the show-off department, but they do perhaps tend to over dominate which was not a trademark of the earlier material. Overall the songs are good. Lemmy’s vocals are as good here as they probably ever got, and Taylor’s drumming sounds good as well, though it feels as though it has lost its intensity and is more interested in just keep time in places. Robertson is excellent, but his style eventually holds firm that it is indeed a different era that the band has moved into. Given that it was the only album he played on, no doubt the other extenuating factors proved to be a problem as well.

I enjoy this album more now than I did when I first listened to Motörhead and that probably has more to do with my maturing years and willingness to accept change than I used to in my youth. This is a good album (barring one notable song), but you need to take it on trust to get the most out of it.

“Let me hear it 'til the end of time”.

Take me to the Funny Farm - 67%

Felix 1666, December 28th, 2017

Today it is exactly two years ago that Lemmy left us in order to raise hell in heaven. No doubt, we miss him. But his music is still on earth and this applies even for "Another Perfect Day", an album which celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2018. It's a special work, because it always invites me to a controversial discussion with myself. I hate its ugly artwork and songs like "Shine" or the meandering title track do not give me much, albeit they are not truly bad. However, they leave a somewhat stale taste, lack inspiration to a certain extent and show a pretty powerless overall picture. The short and really funny comic that illustrates the integration of Brian Robertson in the line-up indicates the different musical approach of the band members - and we all know, that the "integration" of the guitarist failed in a miserable way, not only because of his strange outfit on stage. Nevertheless, "Another Perfect Day" has its moments and, unlike other albums of Motörhead or further formations, it has not fallen into oblivion. Quite the opposite, the album has found its niche and the participation of Robertson lends it a unique touch - for better or for worse.

One of the best pieces is "One Track Mind". It is not a typical Motörhead song, because instead of cynical belligerence and straightforward velocity, the three-piece reveals its doom-affine side. Well-hung leads create a casual flow and the minimalist, catchy chorus crowns the track almost perfectly. Robertson has room to show his skills and his guitar work makes "One Track Mind" to what it is: an exciting number that withstands its rather boring pattern very cleverly. (By the way, all songs have a predictable configuration...) The short time worker on guitar plays more riffs and leads that cause cool vibrations. "Marching Off to War", for instance, sounds loose and sinister at the same time. Further examples, namely "Dancing on Your Grave" or "I Got Mine", partially show a nearly lenient side of the band due to the guitar work. Robertson seems to be on a mission and tries to transform Lemmy's spiritual baby from a metal to a rock band. This results in pieces that have nothing in common with "Ace of Spades" or comparable signature tracks of the group. Lemmy, not lazy, fights against the treacherous activity of his band mate and his boozy voice reminds us that Motörhead are still Motörhead. His "die, die" screams at the end of the closer, which scores with a nice chorus, provide evidence that a certain degree of aggression is always helpful. Nevertheless, some mysteries remain, for example the ridiculous fade-out of "Tales of Glory".

Already the first track does not have the vehemence of some previous openers. "Back at the Funny Farm" sounds somehow glassy. Once again, the guitars deliver a somewhat light touch, although the opening riff is fully convincing because of its rebellious character. In any case, the best detail of the solid number is a part of its original lyrics: "What was that injection 'cos I think it's going wrong, I really like this jacket but the sleeves are much too long". This bone-dry humour tells me that Lemmy must have been a good guy, albeit I would not describe his appearance as trustworthy. Honestly speaking, I would never had bought a used car from him. But come on, today the entire "Another Perfect Day" has the aura of a used car, even though it appears as a more or less well maintained vintage vehicle. These cars are symbols of a time gone by and we do not want to drive them everyday, but sometimes it feels good to take a trip with them (for example to the Funny Farm, does anybody know where it lies?). Moreover, the fact that the engine of the vehicle causes - due to an acceptable production - appropriate sounds makes it a bit easier for me that the car from 1983 lacks speed. But it is really a pity that the driver seat is deserted since exactly two years.

Another perfect album - 100%

raspberrysoda, December 29th, 2015

Another Perfect Day is a real odd-duck in Motorhead's discography. The fact that it came right after Fast Eddie Clark quit the band and was released a short time after their "classic trilogy" (Ace Of Spades, Bomber and Overkill) made the timing for this album a really under appreciated album and a quite obscure one in their discography.

Along with Fast's departure, the band resurrected with a new guitar player- Brian Robertson of Thin Lizzy, which introduced a different approach to the usual Motorhead sound. Take the songs Dancing On Your Grave and I Got Mine for example- they both feature a very melodic intro and an accompanying riff (which is something the band has never done before), and both having some great hooks and catchy solos as well as being heavy and having a genuine Motorhead essence to it. It is accompanied by some very simple straightforward drumming patterns by Philthy Animal which fit the music perfectly and set the pace to the album with emphasizing the guitars and the vocals at the same time- a thing which not many bands would achieve in their entire careers.

As of every Motorhead album, there are some speed metal songs (Back At the Funny Farm and Shine being the most notable) which really outshine themselves this time- they aren't the usual "fast heavy metal" songs the band has known to produce- but actually feature some speed/early thrash characteristics this time with being bluesy and melodic at the same time- sounding more like an Eric Clapton/ Metallica hybrid would have done rather than just being mediocre. Another standout point in this album are the slow, chuggy songs that take a major place in the album- they don't hurt your usual Motorhead album headbanging routine, but instead, make it much more diverse and interesting- Lemmy sounds more aggressive, yet having a larger gnarling scale this album. This fact is one of the most definitive highlights of this release- they accentuate the music and function like an instrument themselves.

The production is the most muddy production a Motorhead album has ever had- and works perfectly. The instruments and vocals are embroidered into each other, creating a not-so cacophonous mess and empowering the whole "metal essence" of the release- along with the lyrics, that focus more on society-based issues rather than focusing on the classic sex/women/rock n' roll lyrics that characterize the rest of their discography. Overall, this flawless album is definitely one of the best Motorhead albums ever forged, and marked a new era for the band. Mandatory.

Standout songs: Dancing On Your Grave, I Got Mine, Shine

R.I.P Lemmy (1945-2015)
R.I.P Philty Animal (1954-2015)

"...Listen. Top notch." - 92%

GiantRex, March 16th, 2012

I remember the first time I discovered this album and being mesmerized by the cover art. Lemmy and the boys were almost certainly unaware of it, but the picture adorning their album was way ahead of its time. They had next to nothing to do with the development of death metal, but the art on Another Perfect Day was very much in the spirit of what was to start hitting the record store shelves by the end of the decade. Not back then in the genre's heyday, and certainly not today, are any records found with a cover as badass and downright frightening as this one. Just what the hell is going on here? Ol' Snaggletooth doesn't look like he's doing so well, caught up in some kind of infernal tempest of fire, ice, and lightning, complete with a forked tongue and lava spewing from an eye socket. The title lettering looks like a scabbed-over wound in the aftermath of it being carved in someone's arm.

Truly, the cover seems out of place when you consider the type of music for which Motörhead is known. "Ferocity" isn't a term that I would attribute to the Motörhead sound. Rather, the first two words that come to mind as I try to describe it are "grit" and "sleaze". What perhaps makes Another Perfect Day an oddity in the band's catalog is that here the lyrical subject matter and the overall tone of the music is darker and a bit more serious than on any of their previous successes. Don't take my statement the wrong way - I'm not saying that Motörhead is trying to make legitimate political or social commentary with this music. What I am saying is that this album isn't as heavily punk or blues influenced as most of their earlier work, and the subject matter is focused on insanity, revenge, and war more so than it is on sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll.

All that being said, what does the music actually sound like? Well, for lack of a better term, gritty. It's unfortunate, but the production here really isn't good at all. The first time I listened to this album, the opening track really threw me off-base. The bottom end of the mix is so hopelessly lost that I hadn't realized the song's first verse had started. I understand how this can be upsetting to many fans. One of the things that is always expected of a Motörhead album is to hear Lemmy's bass loud and clear. You have to really search for it on this release. During the segments of the album when the band isn't simply pounding away, there is a noticeable amount of reverberation in the guitar tone. At other times, it all sounds very hollow. It sounds under-produced. It isn't normal for this band at all.

I suppose it's for reasons such as those that this album is often considered "overlooked" and why it wasn't a commercial success. It's a shame, really, because the quality of songwriting here is a considerable improvement over the previous year's Iron Fist and quite a bit more complex and varied than their offerings on Ace of Spades (although not nearly as catchy). The opening track, "Back at the Funny Farm", is without question one of Motörhead's best songs. In a way, it serves as a microcosm of everything the band had done up to that point in their career - and is no way indicative of what anything on the rest of the album sounds like, save for the closing track, "Die You Bastard". Two blazing tracks bookend the rest of the contents, much of which is very strange for this band.

The main riff to "Shine", the song which follows the fantastic opener, is simply awkward. If you can stomach it, this is the kind of music the remainder of the album portrays to the listener. Nearly all of the tracks have calm, unoffensive introductory sections which are directly influenced by 70's-style prog rock, and many of them have overtones derived from the same style of music. Does this detract from the album's quality? No, it's just different. "Dancing on Your Grave" is a Motörhead classic and is the genesis of Sepultura, and despite that it's an oddly melodic track. Even so, it's not nearly as toned-down as "One Track Mind" or the title track. If you followed my statement there, yes, that's right. This album's title track is not a tearing, speeding song. It's mid-paced at most. Motörhead isn't known for playing ballad-type songs, but all of the slower work here is executed very well. Lemmy knows how to handle his voice even when the music isn't at its most aggressive and the music is still heavy even when it's slow. Odd for Motörhead, but enjoyable.

It's the innately unusual character of this album that makes it so memorable for me. Motörhead's music is supposed to be about motorcycles and booze and picking up trashy women and getting into fights in shitty bars. Another Perfect Day paints for us a vastly different picture. I'm not claiming that Motörhead is atmospheric, but for their style this is a very bleak album. It sticks with me - the tangible insanity of "Back at the Funny Farm", the desperate feeling of the chorus in "Marching off to War", the depression of being worn down by the perpetual grind in the title track... Maybe it doesn't stick out for some people, but it definitely does for me. In a nutshell, that's why I like Another Perfect Day so much. It feels to me almost like Motörhead's attempt to take their music and image in a slightly different direction while remaining true to their roots. Of course, we're all aware that no such change ever truly happened, and most are grateful for it, too. Motörhead today is the same old Motörhead, but I still strongly recommend this album as look into their past from a very strangely placed window.

Fuck notes, eh Lemmy? - 82%

MacMoney, August 6th, 2010

The year is 1982. Motörhead are about to record a cover of the song, Stand by Your Man. Not that surprisingly 'Fast' Eddie Clarke thinks it's bullshit and quits the band as a protest. This all happens in the middle of the tour so Lemmy and Phil are left in a bit of a bind, not having a guitarist for their live dates. Fortunately someone informs them that Brian 'Robbo' Robertson - formerly of Thin Lizzy-fame - is on tour a couple of towns over. A few phone calls later: Motörhead has a new guitarist. However, throwing out a raging madman like Eddie Clarke and bringing in a completely different style of guitarist has its complications. Robertson is a much more melodic guitarist, a master of the style having played it together with Scott Gorham in Thin Lizzy for five years and five albums. For this reason, Another Perfect Day was going to be a different album from the start, despite what Lemmy says.

"Fuck notes", yet the album is chock full of them. Well, surely it fires off with a classic Motörhead-style rocker which could almost keep pace with the likes of the title track-trio, Overkill, Bomber and Ace of Spades, but while Lemmy's bass is rough and fast, Robbo's guitar plays a very melodic line and by the second part of his first solo he shows that he definitely is no Eddie Clarke. That is, he is a lot more versatile and interesting lead guitarist than his predecessor. Eddie was very fitting for the style of the earlier albums, but Robbo does his thing with a lot more style and class. His solos and leads take up a whole lot of space on the album and fortunately he has the chops to warrant this kind of attention. Whenever Lemmy isn't on the mic, Robbo has something going on in the melody section; a little twiddle that he repeats with a slight variation, a small lead bit, a full-on solo or something in between. This translates to a lack of rhythm guitar, but with the band in case being Motörhead this isn't really a problem as Lemmy's bass is cranked up loud - but not disturbingly so - and distorted with some mid-range fuzz so it can support Robbo's guitaring the back-up oomph it needs.

Not that surprisingly, without Eddie there, the punk-influence on Another Perfect Day is toned down a notch or two. In its place is a lot more rock'n'roll, courtesy of Eddie's replacement. He has also brought with him long, leisurely yet fast-paced sections fitting for his extensive solos. The thing is though, where this album works is the songs that rely on Robbo's melodies. These are often the lighter songs, with a more laid back attitude to them, with riffs drenched in Robertson's melodic ideas. They're like a picnic on a sunny lazy day with a joint or two to pass around. It's like at the writing sessions Lemmy and Phil were convinced by their new guitarist to do the compositions under the effects of marijuana instead of the speed they were commonly cranking. There's a loose, bluesy feeling to the two songs of this kind, Dancing on Your Grave and the title track, especially when Robertson is given a free hand to go at it and do what he does best. At times the songs feel more like vehicles for his solos than actual songs, which is by no means a bad thing. He is just that much of a delight to listen to. A third lighter track also features on the album, but it is one that Clarke took hand in writing, even if it sounds a bit off for him. I Got Mine is a kind of a love song even if it takes a fast paced Motörhead-stab at the style, but the riffs are again based just on Lemmy's bass while the guitar plays vastly melodic riffs whenever it isn't a time for a lead or a solo. It makes a striking contrast to the two other songs with its faster tempo, lighter feel and very long solo sections, which are very much a treat. Imagining the sections taken over by Clarke is quite a task; they probably would've been shortened a lot if not cut out altogether.

It's not difficult to imagine why people might have scratched their heads at these songs on a Motörhead album and why fans might have been disappointed. It's not exactly the album to wreck things by when hyped up on crank, even if a couple of the songs on it would be fitting for that. It's an album for someone who enjoys melodic, blues and rock 'n' roll-tinged guitar playing since there's plenty of that, especially in terms of leadwork. That is by far the best part of the album and fortunately Lemmy and Phil didn't hold Robbo back on this. He has all the space he needs. Which is why it is rather lamentable that he wanted even more. Robertson's career in Motörhead ended after the tour for the album for he refused to play a lot of old Motörhead classics such as Overkill, Ace of Spades and Bomber. We are left with this one, unique piece of work, showcasing his magnificent guitaring.

Not very Motorhead... Not very good either - 63%

trueMunchies, January 5th, 2009

Featuring Brian Robertson of Thin Lizzy fame, and mind you I like Thin Lizzy, this album is very different from any other Motorhead album. It's much softer and melody driven than anything I've heard from Motorhead, while this works on some tracks, it sounds very out of place on others.

With Phil Lynott's emotional delivery and poetic songwriting, Robbo's idea of rock based on sweet melodies worked well, but Lemmy has a different kind of emotion to his voice, and a different ideology behind his band, one of "Turn it up loud and smash everything". Being the ultimate pub band, Motorhead rock hard, everyone in the band putting 110% of their energy together through the song, let the guitar man rip out some blazing biker solo once in a while, and keep going. There's rarely space in a Motorhead song for massive lead breaks and "Raise your lighters" anthemic melodies, sticking those just for the sake of it only brings down the intensity which makes Motorhead what they are.

Anyways, on to the songs. Back at the Funny Farm is the first one, and it is one of the songs which work rather well here, it has a nice and catchy melody and sounds just like that, Thin Lizzy's driving melodies with Motorhead's energy, very nice. Shine is another one of that style, only a bit weaker, it also sounds very vintage rock n roll for some reason.

Dancing on Your Grave is where the clash of styles is the most problematic to my ears, it is driven by a very sugary-poppy melody which sounds like it could of been on a Poison song. This doesn't sound good at all, especially with Lemmy singing over it. One of the few Motorhead songs I can't listen to.

One Track Mind also suffers from the problem of an overly sappy lead melody, it's also too damn long. Yeah, Robbo wanks a lot on this one, but that doesn't justify dragging it on for 6 minutes with that uninspired chorus, neither does it save it from being sleep inducingly boring. Motorhead's longer songs usually rely on some fast part somewhere that comes out of nowhere and kicks you just when you've been nodding off, here they tried to make it work by sticking some massive solo, and it doesn't work. Motorhead should not be sleeping music!

I Got Mine is one of the better results of the experimentation on this album. It starts off very poppy and melodic, and just as you're about to say fuck off and skip it turns cool and mean. It keeps on alternating between the poppy part and the heavy part just so the poppy part gets its hooks in you, but the song altogether doesn't come off as too poppy. Interesting, although a bit overlong.

Tales of Glory - typical speedy Motorhead. This song is actually not that notable, but these are the type of songs that should of been on the album, blunt, powerful and undeniably Motorhead, with a little touch of melody and some noodling from Robbo. Die You Bastard is similar, only the melodies on the chorus sound a little awkward.

Recommended tracks : Back at the Funny Farm, Shine, I Got Mine.

Average release, lots of failed experiments.

‘I really like this jacket…’ - 99%

Acrobat, October 18th, 2008

Ah, ‘Another Perfect Day’ you odd and glimmering beast, Motörhead’s strangest and most unique album. ‘Another Perfect Day’ has all the drunken fury of Motörhead with a glowing melodic twist, complete with all sorts of shiny melodic twiddling from Robbo, ‘Another Perfect Day’ bursts forth with a vitality and vigour that was often missing in ‘Iron Fist’. Misunderstood and oft neglected, it was the ugly duckling of ‘head albums. The critics deemed it a “final nail in Motörhead’s coffin” and Robbo proceeded to act like a complete cunt on the following tour… but to the knowing, it’s one of the highpoints of their career.

One thing I must stress about ‘Another Perfect Day’ is that it has lots and lots of guitar solos. Each of them is absolutely phenomenal and despite their length and frequency they never outstay their welcome. It’s the musical equivalent of Mr. Creosote, Robbo leaves you absolutely stuffed… it’s the famed Motörhead overkill albeit in a different way.

“And finally, monsieur, a wafer-thin solo”.

“No, fuck-off I’m full”.

That’s the effect ‘Another Perfect Day’ has on some. One of humanities many quirks, I can’t really understand why anyone wouldn’t want Robbo flailing away on every album is beyond me. This isn’t a faceless Iced Earth lead guitarist hammering up and down his scales on a death metal album, this is Brian Fucking Robertson, and his guitar is a weapon. Actually putting just how great he is on this album is difficult, I simply find myself uttering phrases such as “vaguely chorused melodic flail of psychedelic wisdom”, “canyon wide vibrato”, “whiskey drenched impending sonic hard-on” and generally dwelling on the sad fact that Robbo cut his lovely curly hair… but it seems he was no Samson. As a Lizzy fan I appreciate this album on another level too, it’s Robbo’s ‘Bad Reputation’ in which he gets to prove that he can go solo by, ahem, soloing (though Robbo did contribute some guitar to the aforementioned Lizzy album, see ‘Opium Trail’ for another blazing solo, you know you want to!)

‘Another Perfect Day’ sees Motörhead branching out into more melodic territory and in stunning fashion too. The title track is a weirdly beautiful song, with an almost delicate guitar intro. Using my acute sense of listening I can get a really strong ZZ Top vibe here. That opening strange guitar tone? Go listen to ‘Degüello’ to see where they nicked it from. But better still is that Robbo actually outdoes Billy Gibbons with his slow burning bluesy solos. Lemmy’s lyrics are absolutely phenomenal, but that really isn’t much of a surprise given it’s Lemmy of a certain vintage. But still it’s one of his best sets ever, really giving a certain booze-soaked beauty to the whole thing. A unique Motörhead song and something special on a very special album. This is one of the things that persistently pisses me off about Motörhead, when a clueless prick and possible Opeth fan says “Motörhead? It all sounds the same to me”. By God, listen to this song and then say ‘Orgasmatron’ and tell me it’s all the same. Don’t make me beat you with the CD case.

It’s perhaps the fantastic Joe Pentagno artwork that exemplifies the stylistic change on ‘Another Perfect Day’ best; it’s the same beast just more colourful. A song like ‘Back at the Funny Farm’ shows this wonderfully, it’s a Motörhead rocker – tried and true – but the execution is somewhat different. Surely you can guess something different is going on when we get that little guitar twiddle before the well-worn opening bass salvo. I suppose in a way ‘Back at the Funny Farm’ harkens back to Lemmy’s Hawkwind days *make sure to insert witty daze joke for final review* it’s strangely psychedelic and Robbo’s solos take on a Hendrixy vibe, which is fucking excellent. I could actually hum you each of the solos in this song, as they’re all immensely memorable, for the purposes of this review however, I won’t. Again it’s that sublime melodic craft, with a really racy feel that just sucks me in. Robbo really uses effects pedals as an extension of his playing rather than an “I bought a multi-effects pedal, look at it improve my playing!” sort of thing. Guess who else did that? No not, Vim Fuego…Hendrix! That’s right, turns out if you want to capture the actually feeling of a player you have to use your imagination rather than just bash away. Sorry John Mayer, the results are in and you fucking suck.

What with my persistent banging-on about the solos you could be forgiven for thinking that ‘Another Perfect Day’ isn’t a song-centric record, as per usual, you’d be wrong. If anything ‘Another Perfect Day’ is a more commercially minded Motörhead record than anything that preceded it. ‘I Got Mine’ exemplifies this perfectly; it’s a strident and melodic number with a gorgeous hooky chorus. It moves forward at a wonderful pace, the key and tempo change give a great sense of dynamics. That’s right, pop song writing it just happens to be very loud pop… which in an onomatopoeic sense sounds about right. Did someone say nominal solo analysis? Ok, if I must. Robbo pulls out some wonderful honky slide guitar on this one and at 2:30 we get an accent that sounds like a tweeting bird! Ace!

Given the lighter feel of this record Philthy – in his last ever truly great performance – adapts his playing. He doesn’t play as heavily as he did on the previous albums and this lighter touch works fine. Philthy’s performance is still a very energetic one and he’s doing what all great drummers do – adapting his style to fit the music. Remember how you’re playing together not against one another?

Interestingly enough, there is some other material that is unreleased from this era. I heard a bootleg from Switzerland from the arse-end of the ‘Iron Fist’ tour in 1982, and it featured another Robbo era track that I can’t remember the name of. It wasn’t up to the standard of the stuff on here but still an interesting listen for the obsessive compulsive Motörhead fan… I wonder what Würzel is doing right now?

A lot of bands with long careers have their bizarre wild-card albums a lot of them are absolute stinkers, Motörhead being Motörhead have a fucking fantastic one. It seems ‘Another Perfect Day’ is another one of those fan-favourite underdogs that ’83 seemed to have a lot of. You know, the ones spoken of in the dingiest corner of the dingiest hairy pubs in your town. Certainly don’t hesitate in picking this one up, I did and it was the stupidest fifteen minutes of my life. Honestly, I considered buying a Zakk Wylde era Ozzy album instead! Ha.

Overlooked and highly underrated 'Head - 93%

Satanwolf, March 23rd, 2007

"Another Perfect Day" is considered somewhat of an "odd" album in the Motorhead discography. The sole studio album to feature ex-Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson, APD was condemned by critics at the time of it's release as a "sellout." Nothing could be farther from the truth, as the album is a mix of very heavy material, excellent musicianship and an unusual (for Motorhead) melodic twist.


Now I'll admit that the album cover art is not the best rendering of Snaggletooth, but musically this album has a lot of diversity to offer.
On the rockier side of things is album opener "Back at the Funny Farm," showing off a bit of the punk side of Motorhead. "One Track Mind" is a slow groover, similar in style to "Metropolis." Single "Shine" is a classic track and shows off Robertson's playing style well.


"I've Got Mine" is the true treasure from this album. I hesitate to call any Motorhead song "beautiful" but dammit, this is just a wonderful song. If you ever had any feelings for a woman you've got to relate to this. A very well-written song with great melodic riff, this is Robbo's moment to shred, and the extended solo at the end of the song shows the exceptional talent of this rather unstable guitarist. I love this song, but if anyone wanted to condemn the album as "AOR" this one would probably be their focal point. Personally I think a bit of melody in heavy metal, as long as it's not overdone, is a good thing.


And if anybody wants to say this album is not heavy I've got three words for them, "Die you Bastard!" This album-closer has the 'evil' Motorhead sound we all love, Lemmy cranks out the bass on this one. "Marching Off To War." is also on the heavier end of the spectrum here.


If you're a hardcore Motorbanger you already have this. If you've passed it up, don't be put off any longer by the criticisms you may have heard about this album or lineup. Enjoy this unusual but very exciting album album by the might Motorhead. I've got mine, now you go and get yours!

If they still can't accept us, then fuck 'em! - 81%

StillDeath, March 8th, 2004

Another Perfect Day was recorded in between line up changes. This was a step into a softer and more artistic sound, but this is not Hair Rock we are talking about, this is Motorhead! Fear not, it has no chance of being confused with Helloween's “Chameleon”. It resembles one of Deep Purple’s albums a lot more. The speed is still there. “Shine” is one of the fastest tracks Motorhead have recorded.

“Dancing on your Grave” and “One Track Mind” have a slower bluesy feel. “Rock it“ is my favourite track, it is straight ahead rock n roll in the vein of “Going to Brazil”. The rest, while not as memorable are no filler and worth a listen.

As every Motorhead album, this has bonus songs. Mine has “Turn you round again” – the best of these, “ I’m your hoochie coochie man”, and “Don’t need religion”. They add to the length, but the quality is in the main album songs.

The title of the review comes from a quote in the liner notes about the album and the following tour. Apparently some fans at the time thought Motorhead have sold out!!! If only Metallica would put out an album of this quality every time they decide to experiment. As far as the album sleeve it has the works – photos, lyrics, notes and a comic.

If you want to check out the more diverse side of Motorhead pick this up. If you are looking for something to go nuts to, or to kill the neighbours lawn and to give their cat a social disorder look elsewhere.