Review by Rick Eaglestone for MPM
49 years after its recording, the long lost Manticore tape were discovered, dusted off and restored in all its raw glory, to celebrate 50th anniversary of Motorhead.
Recorded at Manticore Studios—originally owned by prog giants Emerson, Lake & Palmer—this session captures the raw and unfiltered fury of Motörhead’s earliest iteration featuring eleven never-before-heard tracks recorded by the classic Three Amigos lineup: Lemmy Kilmister, Fast Eddie Clarke, and Phil ‘Philthy Animal Taylor.
The tapes were captured using Ronnie Lane’s mobile studio, operated by trusted engineer Ron Faucus, and have now been painstakingly restored by longtime Motörhead producer Cameron Webb and mastered by Andrew Alekel.
There is a rough, unfiltered feel throughout that captures an authentic energy with the Manticore sessions allowing each instrument lead in equal measure to with Lemmy’s bass, Eddie’s bluesy leads, and Phil’s controlled thundering drum patterns also with certain level of grit and an overwhelming charm with a sprinkle of banter that creates ambience and insight into the bands early working relationship.
“Leavin’ Here” and “Vibrator” roar with unrestrained intensity, title track “Motörhead” is faster and more uncontrolled than the later studio version whilst “The Watcher” offers a haunting link to Lemmy’s Hawkwind era and choice cuts and instrumentals like “Witch Doctor” “Iron Horse/Born to Lose” show the band solidifying their rhythm-machine attack
Essential for the bands diehard fans and of early material The Manticore Tapes reveals the origins of Motörhead’s unholy alliance of speed, attitude, and volume and shows how even then they played everything louder than everything else.
The Manticore Tapes track listing:
1 Intro (Instrumental)
2 Leavin’ Here
3 Vibrator
4 Help Keep Us on the Road
5 The Watcher
6 Motörhead
7 Witch Doctor (Instrumental)
8 Iron Horse / Born to Lose (Instrumental)
9 Leavin’ Here (Alternate Take)
10 Vibrator (Alternate Take)
11 The Watcher (Alternate Take)
Line-up:
Lemmy Kilmister – Bass/Vocals
Fast Eddie Clarke – Guitar
Phil ‘Philthy Animal Taylor – Drums
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A compelling deep dive into the band’s origins—and a must-hear for dedicated fan.
