Saint Vitus frontman Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich recently shared his thoughts on legendary metal band Motörhead, revealing his mixed feelings about the band’s evolution over the years in an interview with Veil of Sound.
Weinrich discussed his early discovery of Motörhead and explained why he lost interest in their later material after a certain point in their career.
“Here’s what I like about Motörhead. Before I knew who Motörhead was — I’d never heard of ’em before in my life — I was at the mall, and I was pretty young. And I was thumbing through the records, and I was in the ‘M’ [section], and I pulled out ‘On Parole’. And on the cover of the American version of ‘On Parole’, it’s just Lemmy [Motörhead leader] standing there, playing his bass,” Weinrich said. “He’s got the big Maltese cross on his bass. And I was, like, ‘Wow, look at that motherf*cker.’ I bought that record sight unseen just because of the way he looked. And I didn’t like anything on the whole record except for that version of ‘Iron Horse’/’Born To Lose’ — that slow, bluesy version of ‘Iron Horse’. Motörhead is sort of like Saint Vitus. It’s more about a feeling. It’s a feeling. The music is there, it’s raw, it’s great. The early shit was great. Philthy’s [former Motörhead drummer Phil ‘Philthy Animal’ Taylor] meter count came apart there for a while, and Mikkey Dee, of course, stepped in.”
The Saint Vitus musician then explained his perspective on the band’s later output and personnel changes.
“But, to be honest with you, I never bought anything after ‘No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith’. I mean, after that it became too much of the same shit. I wasn’t the biggest ‘Fast’ Eddie Clarke [then-Motörhead guitarist] fan, really, of his style or his stuff at all. I think he was pretty limited. And Lemmy, to a point — Lemmy was so rich and stuff, but after a certain point, Lemmy just kind of like… I can’t listen to any of that ‘Hellraiser’ sh*t. My wife likes a lot of that sh*t, but I can’t listen to any that shi-, man,” he continued. “The only song I like from the newer stuff after, after ‘No Sleep’… It’s not on ‘Ace Of Spades’, but it’s my favorite Motörhead song. It’s that song ‘Just ‘Cos You Got the Power’. Two guitars, man. Würzel [former Motörhead guitarist] — honestly, I think Würzel was a better guitar player than Phil Campbell [Motörhead guitarist]. I spent some time with Phil Campbell personally, driving around, trying to score speed for him and sh-t, getting high with him. And he was really jealous of Würzel, man. That was funny.”
Weinrich’s comments about ‘No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith’ highlight a pivotal moment in Motörhead’s career that many consider their commercial and artistic peak.
uDiscover Music reported that ‘No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith’ entered the UK charts at No. 1 on June 27, 1981, becoming Motörhead’s only album to reach the top spot. The live album was recorded during the classic lineup of Lemmy, “Fast” Eddie Clarke, and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor on their Short Sharp Pain In The Neck Tour. It captured the band at their most powerful and cohesive.
The album’s success was further cemented by its lead single. Wikipedia noted that the track “Motorhead” became the band’s biggest chart hit, reaching number 6 in the UK Singles Chart. This commercial breakthrough represented the height of Motörhead’s mainstream appeal during their early years.
The significance of this particular era in Motörhead’s history cannot be overstated. Distorted Sound Magazine described the album as “probably the best live album in heavy metal.” They characterized it as “a polished and expansive version of the band’s biggest commercial hit.” The recording captured the raw energy and power that made Motörhead legendary. It serves as a definitive document of their classic lineup.
Weinrich’s perspective reflects a sentiment shared by many longtime fans who felt that Motörhead’s later material, while commercially successful, never quite recaptured the lightning-in-a-bottle energy of their early 1980s peak. The album remains a benchmark not just for Motörhead, but for live heavy metal recordings in general. This makes Weinrich’s decision to stop following the band after this release all the more telling about its lasting impact.
