The three “perfect” songs, according to Lemmy Kilmister
Trawling through the extensive annals of music history, some faces stick out above the rest as those you would have given a lot to meet in light of their outlandish dispositions and propensity for humour. Perhaps the standout of this set was the late Lemmy Kilmister, a man famed for his storied existence, which saw him roadie for Jimi Hendrix, be a crucial part of Hawkind going truly spacey, and, of course, pioneering speed metal as the leader of Motörhead.
While the Stoke native’s musical work speaks for itself, from the pulsating power of ‘Silver Machine’ to the innovative groove of ‘Overkill’, the unfettered character underpinning his work was the most fascinating aspect of his life. An outspoken, cigarette-huffing hellraiser, he knew what he liked, and he liked what he knew, and was unafraid to speak out when something irked him and didn’t fit in with his uncompromising view of the world.
As you’d expect from someone whose life had taken on fantastical dimensions, Lemmy’s outlook on the world was unique, and he never strayed too far from his path. Whether it be the Second World War, alcohol, or drugs, you could count on him for a full-bodied opinion, often delivered from the bustling solace of his favourite Sunset Strip haunt. Innately, though, his best takes were regarding music.
From disparaging Limp Bizkit and the cultural tidal wave of nu metal to one-time Motörhead guitarist Brian Robertson, there was no one the rock legend was scared of tearing into. More power to him as well, as his accounts were almost always well thought out and the source of much intrigue, offering a different angle to the standard ones.
When sitting down with Classic Rock in 2008, Lemmy was quizzed on songwriting, how he approached it, and what he looked for in the art of others. Providing insight into his perennially complex inner workings and his career, he also commented on what he believed were examples of “perfect” songs, and unsurprisingly, he looked back to the classic era of music to make his point.
Asked to clarify what made a sound rock track in his mind, he asserted: “Two verses, chorus, solo, verse, chorus, finish. I think all good rock songs should be three minutes at the outside. You should do your best 20-second guitar solo and really make it count. Y’see, with singles it was much more intense, much better than fucking concept albums – those things go on for fucking days.”
In his typical style, he named two iconic numbers by The Beatles as tracks he deems immaculate. The Fab Four were a band he praised on numerous occasions, describing them as the pinnacle of music and much, much better than their British Invasion counterparts, The Rolling Stones. However, as Lemmy liked to surprise fans, the final example he provided was the definitive anthem by a band that you’d be forgiven for thinking the antithesis to everything he represented, ABBA. Yet, Lemmy was in no doubt about the power of the Swedish act’s songs.
He said: “I dunno… Twist And Shout, Please Please Me, Dancing Queen, stuff that sticks in your head. Cos even if you hate Abba you’ll be singing that song walking down the road. They’ve got unbelievable hooks. They were obviously doing something right because their records sold all over the world.”
Three songs Lemmy Kilmister thinks are perfect:
- ‘Twist and Shout’ – The Beatles
- ‘Please, Please Me’ – The Beatles
- ‘Dancing Queen’ – ABBA