Motörhead had already been around for well over a decade when 1916 came out, and by that point they had survived more problems than most bands ever do. The late 80s had slowed them down because of legal issues with their label GWR, so for a while there was barely any new material getting out. When they finally started working on 1916 things looked different. Lemmy had moved to Los Angeles and was living between his apartment and the Rainbow Bar & Grill on Sunset Strip. Usually found sitting at the arcade machine or talking to whoever wandered in. Motörhead had signed to WTG Records, and there was a feeling this album had to remind people that the band were still relevant, alive and dangerous.
Recording 1916 didn’t exactly start smoothly. Producer Ed Stasium was originally hired to work on the record, but Lemmy heard something odd in an early mix of “Going to Brazil.” Someone had added extra percussion that the band never recorded. Tambourines and claves were suddenly sitting in the track. That kind of thing was the opposite of what Motörhead stood for. Lemmy believed the band should sound exactly like the three or four people in the room playing. Stasium didn’t last long after that and Peter Solley finished the album instead.
The lineup was Lemmy on bass and vocals, Phil Campbell and Würzel on guitars, and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor on drums. Phil Taylor had already left, then rejoined the band once before, and this would end up being the last full Motörhead album he recorded.
The One to Sing the Blues
This song had already been part of the band’s live set before the album existed. Motörhead were playing it during their tours in 1989 and 1990, so the studio version wasn’t some brand new idea. That had already been beaten into shape and refined live on stage.
The riff was written during rehearsals when Campbell and Würzel were messing around with a fast boogie style groove. Lemmy liked how simple it was because it sounded closer to old rock and roll than heavy metal. That was the way he described the band anyway.
It ended up being the lead single and managed to reach number 45 in the UK charts. Motörhead charting at all in the early 90s was a bit of a surprise because they weren’t exactly radio friendly by that point. The song also became one of the few tracks from 1916 that stuck around in their live shows for years afterwards.
I’m So Bad (Baby I Don’t Care)
The title comes from an old rockabilly style phrase that Lemmy liked using. He had a huge collection of 1950s records and that influence creeps in here. The groove of the song is closer to Chuck Berry rhythm than heavy metal. If you stripped away the distortion it could almost pass as an old bar band rock song.
Lemmy wrote most of the lyrics very quickly. He once joked that songs like this didn’t need deep thinking because they were basically attitude pieces. The whole point was the swagger. The band had also been playing this live before recording it, which meant the studio take was already tight by the time they went in.
No Voices in the Sky
This one shows Lemmy’s views on religion pretty clearly. He had previously described himself as someone who didn’t believe in organised religion but was fascinated by mythology and history. The lyric about nobody coming back from heaven or hell was something he’d mentioned before. To him religion was interesting as a story but not as something to follow.
Musically the song has a thicker guitar sound than most of the earlier tracks. Campbell and Würzel layered their parts in a way Motörhead didn’t normally do. Usually the band recorded things almost live in the studio.
It became one of the songs fans often mention when talking about Lemmy’s more thoughtful lyrics.
Going to Brazil
This song came directly from touring South America. Motörhead played Brazil in the late 80s and the crowds there were famously wild. Lemmy described them as some of the loudest audiences the band had ever faced. The track barely lasts two minutes, moves ridiculously fast, and was written to match the chaos of those shows.
Behind the scenes it caused the biggest argument of the album sessions. When Lemmy heard the added percussion in the mix he immediately asked who had played it. Nobody in the band had and that was the moment the original producer, Ed Stasium’s employment ended.
Despite the drama it became one of the most fun songs on the album.
Nightmare / The Dreamtime
One of the strangest tracks Motörhead ever recorded.
The song includes keyboards, which almost never appeared on their albums before. Peter Solley, who finished producing the record, played those parts. Lemmy wrote the lyrics before the music, which was unusual for him. Normally he built words around a riff.
The imagery in the lyrics jumps between dreams, hallucinations, and strange visions. Lemmy had a long interest in mysticism and odd historical stories, and this song leans into that side of his personality.
Love Me Forever
Probably the biggest curveball on the record. Motörhead had slowed things down before, but not like this. The song is almost a straight ballad. Lemmy actually liked writing slower songs because it forced the band to focus on melody instead of speed.
Years later the German metal singer Doro Pesch recorded her own version of it. Lemmy joined her on stage to sing the song as a duet multiple times.
Listeners who weren’t fond of Motörheads aggressive playing style often ended up liking this track because it showed a completely different side of the band.
Angel City
Lemmy wrote this one alone. The title’s a nickname for Los Angeles, the city he had just moved to when the album was being made.
The lyrics describe the strange contrast of the place. Glamour, movie stars, parties, but also danger and weird characters lurking around the nightlife. Lemmy had already started observing all of that while spending time on the Sunset Strip.
The recording also features a saxophone part. That’s almost unheard of on a Motörhead album.
Make My Day
The title’s from Clint Eastwood’s famous line in the Dirty Harry films. Lemmy loved old movies and westerns, so references like this appeared in a lot of his writing.
The song is built around groove, more than speed. Phil Taylor’s drumming keeps everything locked into a steady stomp rather than racing ahead. It’s the kind of track that feels like it was created to be played loud in a small club.
R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
This one is basically a love letter to the Ramones. Lemmy had been friends with the band for years and was a huge fan of their stripped down punk style. The song is extremely short and ridiculously fast. It almost feels like Motörhead trying to play a Ramones song rather than their own style.
Joey Ramone said hearing a tribute song written about The Ramones was one of the greatest compliments they ever received. Motörhead kept playing it live long after the Ramones had broken up.
Shut You Down
One of the more straight ahead rockers on the album. The riff came from a jam session during rehearsals before recording started. Phil Taylor’s drumming stands out here because he keeps everything very tight without overplaying. His style was always more about feel than technical complexity.
The song had already appeared in live shows before the album came out, so again the band were already comfortable playing it.
1916
The title track is the moment that catches people off guard. Instead of ending the record with another loud track, Motörhead finish with a quiet song about World War 1.
The lyrics focus on the young soldiers who died in the trenches in 1916, especially during the Battle of the Somme. On the first day of that battle alone around 19,000 British soldiers died. Lemmy had always been interested in military history and spent a lot of time reading about World War 1. He once said the tragedy of that war was how young most of the soldiers were.
The music is mostly keyboards and soft backing instruments with Lemmy almost speaking the lyrics rather than shouting them.
It’s easily the most emotional moment in Motörhead’s entire catalogue.
Final Thoughts
What makes 1916 interesting is that it quietly breaks the stereotype people have about Motörhead. The usual joke is that they made the same album over and over again. This record proves that idea wrong.
There are the expected fast rockers like “Going to Brazil” and “R.A.M.O.N.E.S.” but then you suddenly get strange detours like “Nightmare / The Dreamtime,” a genuine ballad with “Love Me Forever,” and a war reflection at the end that sounds nothing like their normal style.
The band also sounded refreshed after the break caused by the GWR legal mess. When they finally got back into the studio there was energy in the performances again.
Critics at the time noticed it too. Some reviewers even said it was the strongest Motörhead record since Ace of Spades. 1916 was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Metal Performance category, but lost out to Metallica’s self-titled Black Album in 1992.
More than anything, 1916 shows that Motörhead could stretch their sound without losing what made them Motörhead in the first place. Lemmy’s bass still roars, the guitars still tear through everything, and the attitude never softens even when the music slows down.
For a band already more than fifteen years into their career, it proved they still had plenty left to say.
Rating: 9/10
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