Customer Reviews

Lemmy, Slim Jim, & Danny B

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This disc is fun if you're a Motorhead fan, and not really recommended to anyone else. Lemmy sings and plays acoustic guitar, with Stray Cat Slim Jim Phantom on drums and Danny B Harvey on assorted instruments. The disc is almost all '50s and early '60s numbers--about half Buddy Holly songs--done in a pretty relaxed fashion. Actually a bit too relaxed--it's less energetic than Motorhead or even the vintage originals. Lemmy's attempts at proper singing have some charm even though his voice isn't suited for the task and he cracks a lot of notes. The best track is the Buddy Holly ballad Learning the Game. And the CD booklet picture of Lemmy & Friends in Elvis-style gold lame is a humorous bonus.

If you're lookin' for Motorhead's version of the 50's, this ain't it! If you want to hear today's rockers playing the songs that formed rock'n'roll the way they were originally played- here ye go! You can tell the fellas on here really loved & believed in what they were doing. Lemmy proves that he really can sing as well as the shout, scream, & growl that we're more used to from him (granted, he's still got his own voice- he's no Waylon!)
The only negative mark I'd give the album is the last two tracks- instrumentals that are out of place and lost w/out Lemmy (wouldn't have minded hearin' Lemmy do "heartbreak hotel")- in fact, they sound more like muzac than rock'n'roll! Which is probably why they were left off the remake of this album "Fool's Paradise". And why the heck didn't they do "Rave On"?
Anyhow, buy it!

There's plenty of information on Lemmy Kilmister and Motorhead on Amazon and on other sites, so I won't recap that here. What has impressed me more than Motorhead's music, though (which I am just now starting to hear) are the many interviews where Lemmy displays cutting wit, true sincerity, and a great understanding of and love for early rock and roll. This recording walks that talk admirably, as he leads Slim Jim Phantom and Danny Harvey of the Stray Cats/Swing Cats through fresh, authentic (though uneven) versions of songs by Buddy Holly and others.

The playing on this recording is very good. Harvey's electric guitar work sometimes veers into harmonic territory that is at odds with the overall sound, but Phantom's drumming is dead on. Lemmy really does know how to sing these songs; his rhythmic sense is perfect and propulsive on "Cut Across Shorty" (when was the last time you heard that?) and "Not Fade Away," and he captures some of Buddy Holly's lightness while keeping his own distinctive warmth and grit on the later song and "Peggy Sue Got Married." "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" even manages to get the distinctively over-dubbed Holly backing vocals right.

However, it is hard to hear Lemmy's voice as anything but damaged. When he's not pushing like hell (and there is very little Motorhead shouting here), his upper range is little more than breath and pain, barely on pitch. "Fool's Paradise" is the worst example here. You can tell that he loves the song and knows how it should sound, but he simply can't sing that high. It's like watching Muhammed Ali attempting to give a speech; your heart goes out, but you cringe so hard it hurts.

However, the strenghts of this recording (which, understand, include Lemmy's singing on other songs) make it well worth skipping or forgiving the occasionally painful vocals and other missteps (did they really need to recreate the original, overdone orchestration of "True Love Ways" on cheap-sounding string synthisizers?). "Lemmy, Slim Jim, and Danny B" [note: the title "Rock And Roll Forever appears nowhere on this CD - what gives?] is obviously the Real Thing, and it deserves your respect, your ears, and your bucks.

I admit I'm a big rockabilly fan, but like a lot of us kids from the eighties I also like punk and metal. Motorhead and the Stray Cats were my two favorite groups in middle school so this is like a childhood fantasy come true. Lemmy's voice is great; he sounds like a seasoned rocker who's seen it all. Except for the swear word at the beginning of one of the tracks I think fans of later Louis Armstrong would like this

I hope Lemmy keeps releasing gems like this one.

I'm a huge Motorhead fan and love the sound of Lemmy Kilmister's voice. This album does not contain his usualy grunts, he actually sings. I'm not too into Rockabilly, but this is a nice recording and any Motorhead fan should have this one in their collection.

Don't get me wrong, I love 'The Stray Cats' and 'Motorhead' but this CD does not work for me. Lemmy is by no means an outstanding singer but within Motorhead, his vocal style works and could not be replaced. I expected this album to be along this line: Full-force power versions of old Rock'n'Roll classics, especially having Slim Jim being part of the project. But instead, they try to stay very close to the originals and this is where Lemmy's voice just doesn't cut it. There is no track that stands out so better save your money and buy Motorhead's 'Rock'n'Roll' album instead !

I just got my copy of Rock & Roll Forever.And being a fan of Lemmy and Motorhead, I was completly blown away. It goes to show his musical talents, and also the fact that he can sing too.

Not only does this prove that he is a fine singer, but it also goes to show that Motorheads Lemmy Kilmister is not limited to playing just metal music. On this album he pulls out all the stops on a great collection of classic rock and roll/rockabilly songs. This is a trio made in heaven. Backed by Phantom and Danny B, who are both quit rehearsed in rockabilly, Lemmy pulls out all the stops on these great songs. I really enjoyed their version of Heartbreak Hotel. I thought it was an interesting touch to this classic song. Overall, this album is worth listening to not only just to hear something different from the grandfather of metal, but to here a great collection of early rock and roll songs being played like they were meant to be played. This would make the rockers of the 50's quite proud!

Mostly covers of Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. I don't know what the hell is this, but absolutely not a good record. Idea is good, Lemmy's singing is good, arrangements are poor and production is very bad. Trying to be authentic? Hope not! "True Love Ways" and "Heartbreak Hotel" are the most horrible things I've ever heard!

This is clearly more fun than good. On this side project Lemmy revisit his musical youth, singing more or less obscure rock `n' roll covers. I don't really know whom this album is for, since the average Motörhead-banger most likely won't be into this kind of rock leaning toward rockabilly. And I'd suppose that rock `n' roll lovers don't care much for Lemmy.