Stone Deaf Forever
Simply put, this is the one. This is the authoritative career-spanning overview that Motörhead fans have been waiting for. When  Lemmy Kilmister, uh, leftHawkwindin 1975 (he was axed), he dreamed of doing, in his words, "the British version of theMC5, simple as that." Of course, his little "fast and vicious" outfit made quite a name for themselves, and this set celebrates the group in all of its testosterone-fueled glory. With 99 tracks spread over five CDs,Stone Deaf Foreveroffers a glimpse of every single phase of the band's evolution from punk-metal burners to plodding metal gods--every album and every lineup is represented. (The classic trio incarnation--Lemmy, Fast Eddie Clarke, and "Philthy Animal" Taylor--is responsible for more than a disc and a half's worth of the material.) There are 19 previously unreleased cuts, mostly tracks recorded for BBC sessions (and there's also the famous bootleg ofChuck Berry's "Nadine"). Disc five is all live recordings, which has the added benefit of Lemmy's concert banter ("this one is about Los Angeles, I wrote it in England, I was thinking about Italy"). Featuring Lemmy's involvement every step of the way,Stone Deaf Foreveris a definitive introduction for newcomers and, thanks to the terrific rarities, a gift for hardcore fans as well. Throw in the perfectly executed 60-page booklet--with notes by Mick Wall--and you have a wonderful survey of one of the most unique and exciting performers in hard-rock history.--Marc Greilsamer