Before he sold up and took his squillions of dollars to go live on a Pacific island with Richard Branson and Bill Gates, Cody and I posted a series of blogs where he would put across the right wings view and i would put the lefts.
Unfortunately for me, i picked one of the few right wingers who could string together an intelligent argument and we had some excellent exchanges on American gun laws, hunting and men v women amongst others.
One of our dual posts concerned musicians selling out and this came to my mind when i saw the pitiful sight of Lemmy not only using the magnificent 'Ace of Spades' to flog beer, but starring in the advert while doing it!
Ace of Spades is the ultimate heavy metal song, impossible to listen to without having the urge to turn the radio up as loud as it will go and play air guitar. It's a song about not playing it safe and having a gamble, taking a risk and stuff the consequences.
It also could just be about Lemmy not being very good at card games but what it isn't is a slow, mellow tune with harmonica accompaniment.
I will never be able to hear the song again without picturing Lemmy sat there surrounded by what looks like retired folk singers tapping his foot and singing the line 'The only card I need is the ace of spades' like some sort of hairy faced James Blunt.
I'm sure Lemmy doesn't need the money or the publicity, i could excuse a band fighting there way up taking Kronenbourg's money but Lemmy is a legend and this particular song an absolute classic.
Lemmy joins Johnny Rotten and Iggy Pop on my television as former icons now condemned to forever be linked less with performing iconic anthems of a generation and cranking out adverts for flat beer, margarine and car insurance. Forshame.
'see it in your eyes, take one look and die'. Pfft, your'e not wrong Mr Kilmister.
7 comments:
I must admit I get a good laugh out of that ad. I guess Ace of Spades was never that deep & meaningful for me... (although I do like it!).
Maybe because it's for beer rather than insurance, but it doesn't get on my tits the way the Iggy Pop/Swiftcover one does.
Apparently you can download the whole song at Kronenbourgs website but when i looked it said it had run out of downloads. How's that happen?
"Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in" -Michael Corleone.
Ok, lets not get our knickers in a twist here (that's what you guys say right?) A few points if I may
1. Who died and made you Lemmy's boss? The guy can do what he wants when he wants (free country, personal liberty, etc...), and how do you happen to know his financial situation? I happen to be one of those rare human beings that likes Moterhead and Beer, go figure
2. Has anyone given a thought to the fact that maybe he just really likes the Beer? Just a thought
3. Lemmy owes us (fans) nothing. He laid out some awfully good music, and as far as I'm concerned, he made the world a better place, so more power to him.
4. Lucy, the correct expression for Ace of Spades is Air Bass , and as a bassist, I greatly appreciate that you have a Fender J bass as your new logo, even if it is female and left handed. I would have much preferred you to have a male, 40ish, right-hander plucking a Warwick Standard Corvette (Bubinga of course). Let me know if pictures are needed.
5. I would be remiss if I didn't say welcome back darling.
'You can checkout any time you like,
But you can never leave'
- The curly haired one from the Eagles
1> I am only looking out for his interests. If i was his boss i would have locked him up in a cupboard until the urge to detroy his best song passed. Or he ran out of air. Whichever came first.
2> Jack Daniels drinker i thought.
3> I don't disagree.
4> You are right, it should be air bass. If i was a 40ish, right handed male plucker i would take you up on that offer. As i'm a bass playing left handed headless cartoon i am good thanks. (Actually a standard stratocaster playing, right handed non-cartoon with a head if you want to be pedantic)
5> Always a pleasure Cody.
I just have to ask. What is wrong with making a beer commercial?
Nothing wrong with making a beer commercial, just don't destroy your best song doing it.
I saw a documentary on Motorhead (from waaaay back, in the 80s sometime) and he was necking Carlsberg Special Brew like it was going out of business.
His real tipple has always been amphetamines though, hence the name of his band I guess...
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