Lemmy

Although he'll forever be the "face" of one of metal's all-time great bands, Motörhead, Lemmy Kilmister also managed to lay down an assortment of non-Motörhead tracks over the years -- as evidenced by 2006's Damage Case: Lemmy Anthology. A handful of Motörhead tracks are indeed included, but Damage Case is not your typical zillionth Motörhead/Lemmy collection, as it traces all of the singer/bassist's standout tracks from his very first band, the Rockin' Vicars, all the way to his participation in Dave Grohl's much publicized Probot project. As proven throughout the 31-track collection, Lemmy has always kept things rough and gritty -- and should be commended (especially when seemingly all the veteran rock acts were softening up their sound and reaching for the hair spray come the mid- to late '80s). Included is the Lemmy-sung (but not written) Hawkwind classic "Silver Machine," as well as raucous duets with both Girlschool ("Please Don't Touch") and the late/great Wendy O. Williams ("Stand by Your Man"). Wrapping up the album is a barrage of covers that have been rescued from "tribute album hell," including a pair of Metallica tunes ("Enter Sandman" and "Whiplash"), Queen ("Tie Your Mother Down"), Johnny Cash ("Big River"), and Iron Maiden ("The Trooper"), among others. Also included are Lemmy's aforementioned Probot track ("Shake Your Blood") and Motörhead's tribute to the Ramones, "R.A.M.O.N.E.S.," the latter track being one that Lemmy should be given credit for penning -- he was one of the few rockers to voice his admiration of the N.Y.C. band while it was still a functioning unit. If you're looking to dig deeper than the average Motörhead compilation, Damage Case: Lemmy Anthology is certain to get your head a-banging. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide