By Vinnie Apicella

During the time of this '83 release, the band had already brought the rock world to its knees with such crushing displays of power as heard on the likes of "Bomber," "Ace of Spades" and "Iron Fist!" What happened next was a critical period for the band as their days as a threesome would soon be over. "Another Perfect Day" it seems, is never mentioned in the same sentence as those other three albums and while no one in their right mind could argue their deserved place at the top of the Motorhead catalog, this album has its moments… in fact many of them! At the dawn of Fast Eddie Clarke's departure, guitarist Brian Robertson stepped in and without getting into specifics, didn't quite fit the bill with his image or melodic playing style. However, this one album that he played on saw some of Motorhead's most accomplished work to date. The playing was not altogether different than Fast Eddie but there was a lot more emotion and melody brought into the mix that broadened the bands' music… if not necessarily their fanbase. Unmistakably Motorhead, "Back at the Funny Farm" is atypically fast and loud as the album opener with an opening that right away makes you think back to "Ace of Spades." The dual effectiveness of what would become fan favorites, "Shine" and "Dancing on your Grave" in later years followed next and would later show up in the same combination on their smash "No Remorse" compilation. The title track here is another stunning example of Robertson's guitar ability that again falls away from the menacing nature of their unpolished earlier days but spoke volumes of what this band was capable of without losing their guts! The production could've used a little beefing up as it really exemplifies the thin sound they had at this time that would be exploited even further with the entrance of guitarists Philthy "Animal" Taylor and Phil Campbell for the next go-round! Personally, I never realized it before but this is one of the better Motorhead albums I've heard. Part of that is because I lost track somewhere down the line with all of the compilations and reissues bombarding the Motorhead market, and so what was "Another Perfect Day?" It's not Motorhead's most dangerous release, for sure, but it may well be one of their most accomplished ones. The combination of "Tales of Glory" and "Die You Bastard" to close, are vintage however. Three extra bonus cuts make the list here including a live version of "(Don't Need) Religion!"

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