No Remorse (Motörhead album)


No Remorse is a compilation album by the band Motörhead, released 15 September 1984, covering their years under contract with Bronze Records and including four newly recorded tracks.
This is the last album the band made for Bronze Records, and the first to feature the new and consistent line-up of Lemmy, Phil Campbell, Würzel, and the short lived involvement of Pete Gill on drums.

Recording

After touring in support of their 1983 LP Another Perfect Day, guitarist Brian "Robbo" Robertson and drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor left Motörhead and eventually decided to form the band 'Operator' together. It had been Taylor who had suggested Motörhead hire Robertson to complete the Iron Fist tour after the band had parted ways with longtime guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke.
In the Motörhead documentary The Guts and the Glory Taylor explains:
In his memoir White Line Fever Lemmy reflects on Taylor's departure:
Taylor informed Lemmy he was leaving shortly after Lemmy had decided to hire two new guitarists, the first being Phil Campbell, whose band Persian Risk had played shows with Motörhead, and Michael Burston, who had gained a reputation playing in Wiltshire clubs and pubs and received the nickname Würzel after the children's TV character Worzel Gummidge. Campbell suggested the band hire ex-Saxon drummer Pete Gill.
Lemmy recalls that their trouble with Bronze started after Eddie Clarke left; the company did not like Brian Robertson, and without much faith in the new lineup, they preferred to do a compilation of the band's old songs. Lemmy said that was an indication that they were "readying the death knell" of the band and so he insisted the band record new material for it.
Between 19–25 May 1984, the new lineup recorded six songs at Britannia Row Studios, London: "Killed by Death", "Snaggletooth", "Steal Your Face", "Locomotive", and two different songs both called "Under the Knife". The first four of these songs concluded each side of the vinyl release. The two versions of "Under the Knife" were released on 1 September 1984 as the B-side of the "Killed by Death" 12" vinyl pressing. "Killed By Death" became a mainstay in live performances since its release and, as with many Motörhead songs, the lyrics show Lemmy's skill at composing lyrics which can be, at the same time in some cases, menacing, tongue-in-cheek, political, satirical, advisory and prophetic. The band also made a video for the song which was banned by MTV. Lemmy took charge of selecting the tracks for the album and wrote a commentary about each song.

Release

In addition to the usual cardboard sleeve, the original LPs were also available in a real leather sleeve which had silver on black artwork, completely reworked by Joe Petagno in much finer detail than the original with various differences. There was a cassette version released in a leather pouch with wording mimicking the Government Health Warning often found on a cigarette packet, about the contents being potentially damaging to the health. They also did a television advert for the album, which featured a brief medley of several songs before Lemmy's voice was heard to declare, "No Remorse... go out and get it!"
The band promoted the album with their No Remorse – Death on the Road tour, conducted between 24 October – 7 November 1984. They kicked off their tour in the UK by making a famous early morning appearance on the children's TV show The Saturday Starship. Their set, which included "Iron Fist", "Ace of Spades", and "Overkill", was performed in the car park of the Central TV studios, Birmingham, prompting complaints about the noise. On 26 October, the band made a live appearance on the Channel 4 pop/rock music programme The Tube, playing "Killed by Death," "Steal Your Face" and "Overkill." However, the programme credits came up during "Steal Your Face," which faded out as the broadcast concluded. "Overkill" would eventually be broadcast some 20 years later, during a retrospective Best of the Tube TV series.
Motörhead would later record a song called No Remorse, which is on their Hammered album of 2002.

Reception

AllMusic review states:
In 2017, it was ranked 7th on Rolling Stone list of "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time"; the only compilation on the list. Commenting on this choice for a band that never changed its formula, J. D. Considine said:

Track listing

The 1996 Castle and 2005 Sanctuary reissues, which contains all 24 songs, are notable not only for the addition of five bonus tracks, but also for using alternate mixes/edits of certain tracks, as noted below.
NOTE: No Remorse does not list where tracks A6, B12, C6, D12 and CD2 13 and 14 were recorded in 1984, on any version to date so far

Charts

Certifications