The Birthday Party is a 1985 video by Motörhead. It features the band's 10th anniversary show at the Hammersmith Odeon, London. During the performance of "Motörhead" all of the past members and Thin Lizzy bassist Phil Lynott joined the band onstage.
These are the people your parents warned you to watch out for… better take this record home to show that you've found them. The liner notes to The Birthday Party are a nice addition to Lemmy's usual dead-pan humour. After they've torn through Orgasmatron's "Mean Machine", the Wartman says: "We may not be the best band in the world, but we are DEFINITELY the fastest… This is another new song I think you have not heard ever, even with a TV," and then launches into mid-tempo stomper "On the Road," an early version of "Built for Speed."
It was recorded a few years before Nö Sleep at All (June 26th 1985 at Hammersmith Odeon), but because it was organised to celebrate their ten year anniversary, it offers more of a career-retrospective than Sleep. However, the focus lies on Ace of Spades (5 songs) and Orgasmatron (3 songs), which wasn't even released at the time.
With a set list like this one, you're in for a good time and there are guest appearances by Wendy O. Williams ("No Class") and previous members. Of course this semi-official release is a superfluous one if you only wanna have a taste of the band (No Sleep 'til Hammersmith should be your first pick in that case), but if you can't get enough of the ultimate metal outfit, The Birthday Party is a worthy addition to your collection.
Links:
1. http://sharebee.com/b56231b5
2. http://sharebee.com/935fe8c5
