FAST EDDIE CLARKE – Make My Day: The Rock ‘N’ Roll Story Of Fast Eddie Clarke (Album Review)

The manifesto of a legend is unleashed.

Fame is often dogged by myth and misconception, so it behooves any prospective fan to get the full story in order to fully comprehend an artist’s greatness. Granted, wherein the legacy of a guitarist most readily associated with late-70s hard rock beasts and late-70s forerunners to the NWOBHM Motörhead is concerned, some might consider the term artist a tad out of place, but there was definitely something more than just partying and booze going on in the roughly 4 decades that one Fast Eddie Clarke was in the spotlight.

His nickname itself is a case study in how rumor clashes with reality, as what is often thought a reference to his antics in the bedroom or an uncanny ability to shred that might rival the likes of Eddie Van Halen is actually a reference to his signature skill at tremolo picking, paralleling the misconceptions that often follow one of his own inspirations Eric Clapton’s title of “Slowhand” given by the latter’s manager Giorgio Gomelsky. Now via Sanctuary Records, a highly comprehensive 320-page biography and 4 CD box set compilation of Clarke’s musical repertoire has been unleashed to bring full context to this iconic yet often unsung guitar hero.

Though most often though the proto-speed metal trailblazer that paved the way for the likes of Venom, Metallica, and several other early figures in the thrash and extreme metal themes via his riff work with Motörhead, his formative years were steeped in the blues-driven hard and progressive rock context of the early to mid-1970s.

Chronicled in this box set’s 1^st CD is a collection of expansive offerings via his tenure with former Jimi Hendrix associate Curtis Knight’s progressive rock outfit Zeus and a pair of anthems from the aptly dubbed and subsequent Continuous Performance project with Be-Bop Deluxe bassist Charlie Tumahai, of which the longer running “Cloud” and “In The Morning” reminisce upon the splendor and musicality heard from the likes of Uriah Heep and UFO, with Clarke showcasing a highly nuanced and free-flowing lead guitar presentation. By way of contrast, the gritty and jagged-edged rocking 3-song display of Clarke’s and Phil Taylor’s late 70s side project The Muggers, spearheaded by a raunchy live rendition of “Just A Nightmare”, closes the first CD on a more familiar note for those coming to this release with only Motörhead on their minds.

The 2^nd CD dives head first into what most mainline fans of Clarke are familiar with, namely the classic “Three Amigos” lineup era of Motörhead from the 1977 eponymous album through 1982’s somewhat underrated and ill-fated “Iron Fist.” Classic staples of said trio’s trailblazing fits of proto-speed/thrash a la “Overkill”, “Ace Of Spades” and “Iron Fist” are naturally among the chosen entries to fulfill the “best of” end of this earth-shaking anthology, though the lion’s share of material to emerge from this era digs quite deep.

Rare demo entries off 1979’s “Bomber” in “Lawman”, “Alligator” and “Dead Men Tell No Tales” showcase an even rawer and more intimate take on Motörhead’s iconic blend of nasty rocking and proto-metallic thunder, to the point of feeling like hearing them in some small pub during their formative years. But it’s when Eddie takes on lead vocal duties himself on “Step Down” and a variant version of “Stone Dead Forever” that things truly get interesting, as Clarke’s everyman rock vocal approach is a tad less distinctive than Lemmy’s, yet injects far more of an earlier 70s rock vibe into what is otherwise the prototypically down and dirty Motörhead sound.

The years immediately following Clarke’s unceremonious and disputed exodus from Motörhead are covered comprehensively on CD 3, documenting the highlights of the 80s hard rock staple that was Fastway. Though unforeseen label issues following Pete Way’s departure from UFO prevented him from recording any official material with this project which bore his surname alongside Clarke’s stage handle, demo recordings of “All I Need Is Your Love” and “Feel Me Touch Me” featuring him on bass kicks off this medley of classic rocking bangers, the former cooking away like a long awaited sequel to Led Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker” and featuring the then little known Dave King dishing out a fittingly Robert Plant-like wail on top, while the latter accomplishes a similar vibe with more of an old school bluesy shuffle.

Remixed versions of groovy rockers like “Deliver Me” and “Lovin’ Fool” are among the exclusive entries to maintain Clarke’s 70s rock roots the most, alongside a ripping live performance of “Easy Living” from 2007. But wherein the spirit of this project’s era is concerned, more AOR-tinged bangers like “Trick Of Treat” and “Change Of Heart” take the cake, not to mention feature much of Clarke’s most stellar lead guitar slots post-Motörhead.

Towards the end of Eddie’s career run nostalgia became a driving force and the old days seemed to be born anew, as underscored by the solo material that rounds out the 4^th and final CD of this box set. One can’t help but note the uncanny similarity that the re-recorded version of 1993 crushers “Snakebite” and “Laugh At The Devil” share with the classic days of Motörhead, the former perfectly mimicking the proto-speed metal thunder of “Ace Of Spades” and “Iron Fist”, while the latter lays on the mid-tempo heaviness something explosive and features Lemmy himself on vocals to ratchet the aggression factor further still.

Clarke’s lead guitar chops see some special moments on the down-tempo blues rock romp “All Over Bar The Shouting” and the somewhat swifter swagger of “No Satisfaction,” not to mention two of his finest moments as a vocal helmsman. Things end up reaching back to Clarke’s more progressive pre-Motörhead era via the material featuring keyboardist Bill Sharpe, though between Eddie’s crunchier modern guitar tone and more gravely vocal display relative to the vocalists he collaborated in the mid-70s, heavier rocking fodder like “Walking Too Slow” and “Heavy Load” comes off as almost metallic, while much of the other material off the 2014’s “Make My Day” album that inspired this box set’s title plays it a bit lighter and in line with old school blues rock practices.

It might seem a bit counterintuitive, but by essentially demystifying the persona of Fast Eddie Clarke via a very up close and personal posthumous compilation, a greater mystique has emerged surrounding his colossal contributions to both rock and metal. Where at first glance the music seems strictly tied to the parameters of old-school hard rock, the full picture that is presented over the course of these 46 songs accounts for the career of a guitarist who seemed to inspire so much change while basically sticking to what he knew, aided in no small part by the gravitas of the other musicians with whom he collaborated.

The accompanying biography penned by rock journalist Kris Needs and Eddie’s widow Mariko Fujiwara is no less comprehensive, charting the entirety of Clarke’s life and career, including the epiphany that drove him into the life in rock and roll during a Yardbirds concert at Eel Pie Island, the various bands he would play with before his first breakthrough with Curtis Knight, and the subsequent bouts of success with Motörhead, Fastway and his solo career. But more so than anything else, it documents the mundane and very human element of Clarke’s time with us, as underscored by the recorded salutation given by him at the beginning of the accompanying musical content like a word of encouragement from beyond this world.

Released By: BGM
Release Date: September 6th, 2024
Genre: Hard Rock / Heavy Metal

“Make My Day: The Rock ‘N’ Roll Story Of Fast Eddie Clarke” Track List:

CD ONE: The Early Years

1. Intro – Fast Eddie Clarke
2. Cloud – Curtis Knight Zeus
3. The Confession – Curtis Knight Zeus
4. People Places And Things – Curtis Knight Zeus
5. Takin’ It Easy – Continuous Performance
6. In The Morning – Continuous Performance
7. White Lightning – The Muggers
8. (Just A) Nightmare – The Muggers
9. Summertime Blues – The Muggers

CD TWO: Motörhead

1. Ace Of Spades
2. Step Down (Eddie vocals)
3. Lawman (Bomber demo)
4. Alligator (Bomber demo)
5. Dead Men Tell No Tales (Bomber demo)
6. Emergency (Eddie vocals)
7. Motörhead (Live)
8. Stone Dead Forever (Eddie vocals)
9. Iron Fist
10. Bomber
11. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch
12. The Hammer
13. Overkill

CD THREE: Fastway

1. All I Need Is Your Love (Pete Way Demo)
2. Say What You Will
3. Feel Me, Touch Me (Pete Way Demo)
4. Easy Livin’ (Live, Loudpark 07)
5. Trick Or Treat
6. Heft
7. All Fired Up
8. Change Of Heart
9. Deliver Me (Remix)
10. Fade Out (Remix)
11. Leave The Light On (Remix)
12. Lovin’ Fool (Remix)
13. Sick As A Dog (Remix)

CD FOUR: The Solo Years:

1. Snakebite (New Version)
2. Laugh At The Devil (New Version)
3. All Over Bar The Shouting
4. No Satisfaction
5. Make My Day (feat Bill Sharpe)
6. Heavy Load (feat Bill Sharpe)
7. Walking Too Slow (feat Bill Sharpe)
8. Ethereal Blue (feat Bill Sharpe)
9. Mountains To The Sea (feat Bill Sharpe)
10. My New Life (feat Bill Sharpe)
11. Over And Out
12. 21st Century (Alternative Mix) – Black Electric