Hi, Phil Aston here from Now Spinning Magazine, and today I’m unboxing and reviewing something very special for fans of thunderous, no-holds-barred rock and roll—Motörhead’s The Manticore Tapes.
This new Super Deluxe edition, released by BMG to mark 50 years of the band, is a lovingly curated collection that includes the long-lost 1976 Manticore Studio sessions—recordings that capture Lemmy, “Fast” Eddie Clarke and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor at their most raw and unfiltered.
What’s in the Box?
Let’s start with the packaging. Housed in a hardback book format, the set includes:
2 clear vinyl LPs
A bonus 7-inch single (live tracks from Barbarella’s, Birmingham 1977)
A 24-page booklet with liner notes by longtime collaborator Kris Needs
Stunning photos, band quotes, and archive imagery from the era
A detailed essay that puts the entire project into historical context
This set exudes quality. The design is excellent, and the attention to detail is a real treat for collectors and diehard fans alike.
The Music – Lost and Found
The first LP is the so-called “lost” studio album recorded at Manticore Studios (owned by Emerson, Lake & Palmer). It’s not just a dusty relic—this is a professionally recorded rehearsal that has a raw, garage-like intensity while still maintaining clarity in the mix. Think early MC5 meets The Pink Fairies, laced with Lemmy’s clean bass tone and Fast Eddie’s blues-infused guitar lines.
Tracks like “Leaving Here,” “Vibrator,” and “Keep Us on the Road” showcase the early chemistry between the trio. You can feel them locking in—learning each other’s moves, growing into the juggernaut they would soon become. “The Watcher,” originally a Hawkwind track, gets a particularly strong reading here. And yes, the iconic “Motörhead” is present, though its vocal mix is slightly buried.
The second LP is Blitzkrieg in Birmingham, recorded live in 1977 while supporting Hawkwind. This is pure bootleg territory—raw, chaotic, and gloriously imperfect. It’s an audio time capsule capturing the band’s primal energy. For audiophiles, it may be a rough ride, but for purists and completists, it’s historic gold.
The 7-inch live single from Barbarella’s, also in Birmingham, pushes things further into bootleg grit—certainly not for everyone, but again, it’s real.
Who Is This For?
This is not for the casual fan who only owns Ace of Spades. This box set is aimed squarely at the superfan—the ones who already own everything, yet still want to get closer to the genesis of Motörhead. If that sounds like you, you’ll be thrilled with this. If you’re on the fence, the single CD edition might be the better starting point.
As someone who remembers this era unfolding in real-time, I can honestly say this set brought a massive smile to my face. It took me right back to the roots of Motörhead, back to when they were still working out exactly what kind of chaos they wanted to unleash on the world.
Final Thoughts
The Manticore Tapes is a celebration of everything that made Motörhead great: attitude, grit, humour, and volume. If you’ve followed their journey, this is a piece of the puzzle you didn’t know you needed.
Out now via BMG—play it loud.
ORDER THE SUPER DELUXE EDITION HERE
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
