It's weird to consider that this might be the last review of the almighty Motorhead that I ever write. I mean, maybe I will be asked to cover some bootleg live recording or a best of that comes out next year or something, but I get a sense of finality about Clean Your Clock. After reviewing Motorhead records for my entire journalistic career (somewhere in the dregs of the internet is a review of Bomber I wrote when I was 14) I have come to Clean Your Clock, an album that was recorded a month before Lemmy died on the band's last European tour. It leaves me with mixed emotions, thoughts I'm not entirely sure how to sort them out, and acts as a fitting reminder that no matter what, Lemmy is God. I get that he was killed by death but a part of me has a hard time accepting that he is really gone. In many ways, Clean Your Clock allows you to close the chapter and realize that all good things must come to an end, even those things that we all thought were immortal.
The thing that really draws a tear to my eye with Clean Your Clock is how tired Lemmy sounds. All of that trademark badass grit is there, but he just sounds old… especially on the mid paced songs like "When The Sky Comes Looking For You". Moreover, his stage banter sounds just a little bit bitter: "didn't buy it then, did you?" he laughs after introducing "Rock It". Musically the band is still tight and exciting, but Lemmy just seems worn down, a ghost of his former self. And yet there is something that keeps me coming back. Perhaps it's because when I listen to Clean Your Clock for a few precious moments Lemmy is still there, in the same room as me, telling me a story about doing acid with Hawkwind back in the 60's. Clean Your Clock sees Motorhead sounding crisp, but it also forces us to face our own mortality through the perspective of our fallen leader.
Being released almost exactly six months after The Great One's passing, this record serves as a fitting and comforting endcap. A reminder that in the end, nothing really matters because we will always have rock and roll to guide us through. I mean, sure as the record goes on you can audibly hear Lemmy getting weaker ("Orgasmatron" is painful to listen to) but it also helps to cement how fucking badass the man was. Even though he was fighting cancer and refused to get it checked out, he kept striding on stage with those big cowboy boots and massive Rickenbacker to crush the world. When it comes time for a triumphant rendition of "Ace Of Spades" we hear Motorhead killing it in all of their bacchanalian glory, and if Lemmy can carry on through all his suffering to do that, then what have we got to bitch about? The fun stage banter, the manic playing, and at times yes, even the vocals, come through on Clean Your Clock to remind us that this is motherfucking Motorhead and they play rock and roll.
Score: 7/10
