When I was asked to listen to the reissue of Motörhead’s Another Perfect Day for its 40th anniversary (the album was released in May 1983, and the reissue is out tomorrow), my initial response was: why? Most Motörhead album rankings have it at the middle or the bottom of the pile. With the exception of “Shine,” none of the tracks are canonical Motörhead. Another Perfect Day is not an album I listen to regularly.
Overall, the album is a mixed band with fans, which Motörhead’s team seems to acknowledge in the press materials: “Another Perfect Day was up against it from the start. After former Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson replaced Fast Eddie Clarke, the band’s sixth studio album presented what Lemmy called a more ‘musical’ approach, the classic line-up’s full-tilt ferocity harnessed to more traditional guitar rock tropes enhanced by carefully crafted production.”
Revisiting the album, however, has been a bit of a revelation. It’s certainly not a Motörhead classic like Ace of Spades or Overkill. It’s an interesting detour. Swapping Dio for Ian Gillan in the Born Again era led to Purple Sabbath, and switching Clarke for Robertson resulted in something like MotörLizzy.
Motörhead has landed on classic rock radio by virtue of their enduring popularity and timeless catchiness. Their best material has more in common with punk and garage rock than it does classic rock from the late 60s to mid-70s. What is most interesting about Another Perfect Day is that it grafts classic rock solos and sounds into the Motörhead formula. Whether this appeals to you ultimately has to do with taste, but listening to it years later, it strikes me as far more interesting than it once did.
BMG has gone all out on the reissues. There will be hardback book-packs in two CD and triple LP formats, featuring a remaster of the original album, previously unreleased demo bonus tracks, and a previously unreleased concert recorded at Hull City Hall on June 22, 1983. The reissues also include the story of the album and unseen photos. There’s also a limited edition, blue and black swirl of the original standalone album.
