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After experiencing Motörhead work up 1986’s new songs (while strapped to a chair, at Lemmy’s behest) in rehearsal, then hearing rough mixes on his home stereo, Orgasmatron promised to be Motörhead’s wildest, possibly even best album yet. Bringing in unknown guitarists Würzel and Phil Campbell, Lemmy had seen his original vision of the UK’s MC5 manifesting 10 years after forming Motörhead, catalysed by the dexterous playing of drummer Pete Gill (formerly with Saxon).
But he hadn’t counted on NY avant-funk producer Bill Laswell, coming from PiL’s Album, now helming his first heavy rock set with Jason Corsaro, king of the era’s booming drum sound applying hip-hop studio techniques at the mixing stage. For Overkill-like peak barrage classics, Orgasmatron was up there with Ace Of Spades, Mean Machine one of their fastest, all somewhat neutered when mixed in NYC without the band present. As Lemmy declared in White Line Fever: “It was a much better album when he took it to New York than when he brought it back."
There was much hanging on Motörhead’s first full album with the lineup unveiled on 1984’s No Remorse compilation and first studio album since ’83’s Another Perfect Day. Orgasmatron was released on the GWR label after two years of legal wrangling with Bronze and getting turned down by most major labels. Ain’t My Crime, Claw, Nothing Up My Sleeve and Ridin’ With The Driver still packed a stonking punch but, as shown by this 40th anniversary remaster and late-period producer Cameron Webb’s new remixes, the album had fallen short of full mayhem potential.
Thankfully, the new mixes and mastering reinstate the full marauding glory that enough diehards knew was in there to send it to No.21, relishing Deaf Forever (about a corpse), Built For Speed, Dr. Rock and the cataclysmic title track with Lemmy sounding like some demonic fate manipulator lacerating global hypocrisy (“‘Orgasmatron’’s not a bad word, I just thought of it one day,” he explained, trouncing Woody Allen Sleeper references).
Extras include one-play-only backing track workouts and out-takes, bolstered by a live Castle Donington set recorded for Radio 1’s Friday Rock Show.
Even the Orgasmatron Machine stage prop proving too big for most venues backed up Lemmy’s declaration to this writer: “We’re Motörhead, man. One thing we are is unique. No one else does it” now ringing louder and clearer than ever on this consummate package.
