OFF: Ramones, AC/DC, Motorhead

[Stephan Forstner]

These 3 bands were geniuses in that they perfected variations of a great
concept - loud fast dirty grooving guitars - and then proceeded to release
thousands of albums using the same formula with small modificationns
(detractors will say no modifications). Unfortunatley I think it may be true
that after a while even the most die-hard fan could get tired of the
same-old same-old. As others have pointed out, you have the essential
Ramones with their 1st 4 or 5 releases, and AC/DC with most (not all) of
their albums up to 1981, but we all know Motorhead was more interesting and
successful at the formula than the others - everything up to Orgasmatron is
pretty much essential. I'd have to say that since 1986 they haven't released
any truly great albums, though 1916 and Sacrifice may yet join that list -
the latest doesn't buck the pattern. Lemmy is really looking kinda old now
(is that his lucky hat that he left in San Francisco in the photo?) They are
NOT just going through the motions, but maybe they need to shake things up -
perhaps they should bring in another guitarist. Regardless, if Lemmy is
putting out records in another 20 years, I'll still be buying them. And I
know most of the above is open to debate.

Stephan