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 Motley Crue 1981 |
I bought this album back when I was in high school and we thought it was one of the heaviest and greatest albums to ever be recorded. "Too Fast for Love" is a classic heavy metal album. It not only helped define the sound of metal for the 1980's, but helped to open a door to an entire metal movement that exploded out of the clubs of Los Angeles, California in the early 80's. Mötley Crüe, along with bands like Quiet Riot, Ratt and Stryper that shared the stage with them at such clubs as the Roxy and Gazzarri's in Hollywood, became giants of rock in the 80's with slick pop metal sounds. However, despite the glam and pop leanings on this album, the raw recording, the hyper aggression and the punk delivery made this a great heavy metal platter. "Live Wire" alone is one of the greatest metal songs ever recorded. The band's image at this time was pure metal as well. Long before the pink backdrops and glam outfits, the Crüe were sporting leather and spikes. Unfortunately they were also adopting the 'satanic' image with the pentagrams and such. This, of course, had the band labeled as Satan worshippers by scoffers. While it was all just part of an act, it was a label that would haunt the band even after they dropped the image with their third album. I'd list my favorite tracks, but honestly this is a solid CD from beginning to end, although "Merry-go-round" and "Starry Eyes" are more glam influenced and less metallic than some of the rest of the tracks.
"Too Fast For Love" was originally released by the band on their own Leather Records. The original release contained the additional track "Toast of the Town" which was left off when Elektra picked up the album for release. Fortunately it was added as a bonus track to the '99 remastered version released on Crüe's own Motley Records. Elektra also opted to remix the album slightly and add in some additional percussion work. Some of those cowbells are just way on top of the mix and sound like they were added in at a later date. Also, the original into to "Too Fast for Love" was chopped off on the re-release. The original version was also included on the '99 CD reissue.
I grew up on the East Coast during this time, but was always fascinated with the Hollywood scene. I have since made many, many friends who grew up in the area during that time. These guys were in the bands, at the shows, etc. One such friend had this to say about Crüe and this "Too Fast For Love":
Was it really '81? Man seems like yesterday. Our vocalist lived with his sister and she was dating some weird looking dude in this leather clad band that had just self-produced a single called "Stick to Your Guns". Mark (our singer) thought it was really dumb but I thought it had a good metal edge.
We saw them in a live show case at the Troub (or Gazzarri's I think) before they released their self-produced record and it was awful. Clearly their big strength (like KISS before them) was the look. The music was just your everyday vanilla/white bread metal. Not bad, just nothing special.
The musicianship (well, being a guitarist myself...) was marginal at best. In that regard the drummer WAS the show. Everybody else was just O.K., even a bit sloppy. The singer tried to work the stage but was kinda awkward and when he screamed he was a bit flat. The bass player was good, one of the better looking guys in the band, good stage presence, played his parts well.
Next thing I know this "O.K. but nothing special" band is everywhere. Their marginal songs with bad production are all over the radio, their faces are in every rock rag, they've got guest spots on all the local radio stations!
So what about the "real bands"? Like Ratt, or Snow, or DuBrow, or, or, my band...Hostage? LOL!
Love & Peace,
David Raymond Reeves (Neon Cross)
Mötley Crüe - Shout at the Devil (Motley/Beyond) 1983
| 1.
"In the Beginning" (1:13) 2. "Shout at the Devil" (3:16) 3. "Looks That Kill" (4:07) 4. "Bastard" (2:54) 5. "God Bless the Children of the Beast" (1:33) 6. "Helter Skelter" (3:09) 7. "Red Hot" (3:21) 8. 'Too Young to Fall in Love" (3:34) 9. 'Knock 'Em Dead, Kid" (3:40) 10. "Ten Seconds to Love" (4:17) 11. "Danger" (3:51) BONUS TRACKS 12. "Shout at the Devil" [demo] (3:15) 13. "Looks That Kill [demo] (5:06) 14. "Hotter Than Hell [demo] (2:49) 15. "I Will Survive" (3:19) |
 Motley Crue 1983 |
I was in high school when this disc came out. I was already a fan of the band having owned "To Fast for Love" as a new release. However, this album just seemed so much heavier and nastier at the time. From the eerie opening, to the album's infectious title track to "Looks that Kill", the first single from the album. This was heavy metal in 1983. If you were a long haired, denim and leather clad rocker in '83, you were listening to this record. The original cover on the vinyl didn't feature the four mug shots as seen above, but rather was just a black cover with a varnished pentagram. Shock value for entertainment was the objective, not unlike a B-grade horror film. Unfortunately for the Crüe, they were branded as devil worshippers because of it. Musically, the CD displayed some of Crüe's best Hollywood club songs. The musicianship was improved, the production was raw and biting, but certainly not bad either. One top of memorable originals like those already mentioned, there is a powerful cover of the Beatles' "Helter Skelter," as well as scorchers like "Bastard" and "Red Hot." Mick Mars just tore it up on this record. It was that volatile mixture of his heavy guitar tones and Neil's high pipes that really made this album stand heads and tales above many of the other bands off the Hollywood strip.
In 1999, the Crüe remastered and reissued Shout at the Devil on their own Motley/Beyond label with four bonus tracks: three demos, including versions of the title track and "Looks That Kill," and a previously unreleased song.
Mötley Crüe - Girls, Girls, Girls (Elektra) 1987
1. "Wild Side"
(4:40)
2. "Girls, Girls, Girls" (4:30)
3. "Dancing on Glass" (4:18)
4. "Bad Boy Boogie" (3:27)
5. "Nona" (1:27)
6. "Five Years Dead" (3:50)
7. "All in the Name of..." (3:39)
8. "Sumthin' For Nuthin'" (4:41)
9. "You're All I Need" (4:33)
BONUS TRACKS
10. "Jailhouse Rock" [live] (4:39)
11. "Girls, Girls, Girls" [Tom Werman and band intro-Rough, instrumental]
(5:36)
12. "Wild Side" [instrumental/rough mix] (4:06)
13. "Rodeo" [unreleased track] (4:11)
14. "Nona" [instrumental demo] (2:42)
"Girls Girls Girls" was a huge hit for Crue but frankly, I've always found this album to be a bore. It has a couple good pop metal singles in the title track and "Wild Side". "Five Years Dead" is a passable song. The rest isn't anything too exciting. Songs like "All in the Name of.." and ""Sumthin' For Nuthin'" come of as lightweight, generic, 80's glam rock. None of "Girls Girls Girls" stands up to the urgency, heaviness and strength of "Too Fast for Love" and "Shout At the Devil".
In Nikki Sixx's bio, The Dirt, he had this to say about this record:
"Like "Theatre of Pain," "Girls Girls Girls" could have been a phenomenal record, but we were too caught up in our own personal bullshit to put any effort into it. You can actually hear the distance that had grown between us in our performance. If we hadn't managed to force two songs out of ourselves (the title track and "Wild Side"), the album would have been the end of our careers."
The 1999 Motley Records rerelease contains five bonus tracks. "Jailhouse Rock" is a live version of the classic Elvis song. "Girls Girls Girls" and "Wild Side" are included in instrumental demo versions. "Nona" is an alternate, instrumental version of the album, and "Rodeo" is an unreleased ballad.
Mötley Crüe - Dr. Feelgood (Elektra/Motley Record) 1989
1. "TNT (Terror 'n Tinseltown)" (:42)
2. "Dr. Feelgood " (4:50)
3. "Slice of Your Pie " (4:32)
4. "Rattlesnake Shake" (3:40)
5. "Kickstart My Heart" (4:43)
6. "Without You" (4:29)
7. "Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)" (4:12 )
8. "Sticky Sweet" (3:52)
9. "She Goes Down" (4:37)
10. "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)" (4:40)
11. "Time for Change" (4:45)
BONUS TRACKS
12. "Dr. Feelgood" [demo] (4:42)
13. "Without You" [demo] (4:12)
14. "Kickstart My Heart" [demo] (4:28)
15. "Get It For Free" [unreleased] (4:14)
After becoming one of the most successful pop metal, arena-rock bands in the world with the likes of "Girls Girls Girls" and "Theater of Pain", the Crüe go for a slightly heavier sound, although not really touching on the brilliance of their first two molten masterworks. Part of the reason for returning to a more solid sound may have been that the band was trying to clean up their act a bit and distance themselves from the controlling substances that were ruling them. Of course, I don't think they actually succeeded in doing this. How many other bands do you know of in which the singer kills a friend while driving intoxicated and gets off without jail time, the bass player overdoses, and both the singer and drummer make cheap porno flicks. These guys were the epitome of bad role models, yet "Dr. Feelgood" became one of the band's best selling records. Despite all this, the band did succeed in putting out a fun, rockin' record.
The Motley Records re-release (1999) features four bonus tracks. "Dr. Feelgood", "Without You", and "Kickstart My Heart" are demo versions, and "Get it For Free" is an unreleased track.
1. "Power to the Music"
(5:12)
2. "Uncle Jack" (5:28)
3. "Hooligan's Holiday" (5:51)
4. "Misunderstood" (6:53)
5. "Loveshine" (2:36)
6. "Poison Apple" (3:40)
7. "Hammered" (5:15)
8. "'Til Death Do Us Part" (6:03)
9. "Welcome to the Numb" (5:18)
10. "Smoke the Sky" (3:36)
11. "Droppin Like Flies" (6:26)
12. "Driftaway" (4:05)
The Crüe album everyone loves to hate. Motley Crüe's 1994 album featured a new vocalist for the first time, John Corabi. Corabi's gnarly, gritty voice is far, far from the high, clean vocals of Vince Neil. That alone caused many fans to balk at this release before even giving it a chance. Crüe's self-title CD was also their attempt to put out something less "pop" and more "intelligent". Being a move away from what people expect from Crüe, the album wasn't well received by fans, myself included. However, with time, I've come to enjoy this album. The album rocks hard, has some great vocals and still has plenty of hook. Had this album been released with a different band name, I have no doubt that "Hooligan's Holiday" could have been a big hit. However, since this was Crüe without Vince, it didn't fare to well. "Power to the Music" is a power packed opener that sets the tone for the rest of the record. "Hammered" absolutely annihilates. This is just a great song; heavy, fast and memorable. "Smoke in the Sky" is a fairly fast, heavy song as well. The obligatory ballads are also included here in "Misunderstood" and "Driftaway". Neither of them really do much for me, but they aren't terrible either. So overall, Motley Crüe is pretty enjoyable CD. However, when I am in the mood to hear some Crüe it's also not the first CD I tend to reach for.
There are yellow and red versions of the cover. The inside liner notes are slightly different in each version as well, with different pictures. It is rumored that the original cover was Nikki Sixx wearing a Nazi uniform. 500,000 copies were made with that design, but all destroyed.
Mötley Crüe - Generation Swine (Elektra/Motley) 1997
1. "Find Myself"
(2:51)
2. "Afraid" (4:08)
3. "Flush" (5:02)
4. "Generation Swine" (4:40)
5. "Confessions" (4:20)
6. "Beauty" (3:47)
7. "Glitter" (5:00)
8. "Anybody Out There" (1:51)
9. "Let Us Prey" (4:23)
10. "Rocketship" (2:05)
11. "A Rat Like Me" (4:13)
12. "Shout at the Devil '97" (3:43)
13. "Brandon" (3:21)
The big Motley Crue/Vince Neil reunion disc. Ugh! This CD bombed BIG TIME and righteously so, this album SUCKS! I remember reading a quote by Tommy Lee in reference to why this CD sold so poorly. He basically accused his fans of being closed minded and having no taste. Whatever! Could it just be that the songwriting is so bland and full of copycat modern rock crap, that it doesn't even remotely sound like the band millions of fans adored? It isn't until track five that Vince Neil is even recognizable as himself. I mean, these songs could have been written for any vocalist, and unfortunately that is what Vince sounds like. The vocals are buried and subdued and almost totally unrecognizable as Vince. Also, where are the Mick Mars guitar solos? Where's the melody? What's up with the industrial sounding keyboard crap in songs like "Beauty" and "Glitter"? They even hired Nine Inch Nails keyboardist Charlie Clouser to bring some alternative styling to the band. Perhaps Crüe didn't want to sound like they were just rehashing old material. Perhaps they were trying to take a bold step in creativity and experimentation. Well, sometimes experiments fail. This one failed miserably. At least the cover art is kinda funny. I also sorta dig the new version of "Shout at the Devil." The jewel case makes for a nice paper clip holder as well. Can't really think of anything else good to say about it. Consequently, the "Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal" by Martin Poppoff rated this disc 9/10 saying that "Generation Swine" is, "noise metal with Cheap Trick, complexity with melody, the Beatles with Alice in Chains."
Motley Crue - Greatest Hits (Motley Crue Records/Beyond) 1998
1. "Bitter Pill"
(4:26)
2. "Enslaved" (4:32)
3. "Girls-Girls-Girls" (4:30)
4. "Kickstart My Heart" (4:43)
5. "Wild Side" (4:40)
6. "Glitter" [remix] (4:30)
7. "Dr. Feelgood " (4:50)
8. "Same Ol' Situation" (4:12)
9. "Home Sweet Home" (3:55)
10. "Afraid" (4:08)
11. "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)" (4:40)
12. "Without You " (4:29)
13. "Smokin' in the Boys Room" (3:22)
14. "Primal Scream" (4:44)
15. "Too Fast for Love" (3:22)
16. "Looks That Kill" (4:07)
17. "Shout at the Devil '97" (3:42)
I am not a big fan of hits packages. I am more album oriented and prefer listening to the album the hit came off of, than a bunch or radio hits in a row. Many times I actually prefer the non-radio hits anyhow. This CD is no different, however the inclusion of a couple new tracks is cool bonus and a wise marketing decision to rope in the fans who already own every CD the band ever put out. The two new tracks, "Bitter Pill" and "Enslaved", while not having quite the same initial excitement as some of the band's peak material, are certainly enjoyable cuts recalling their more melodic, commercial recordings. I also applaud the inclusion of the "Shout at the Devil '97" re-recording. It was certainly the best song off the otherwise abysmal "Generation Swine." Other favorites here are "Live Wire," "Looks that Kill", "Dr. Feelgood" and "Wild Side". Least favorite track inclusion is the "Glitter" remix. (Thanks again Jeff)
Mötley Crüe - 20th Century Masters-The Millennium Collection: The
Best of Motley Crue (Hip-O) 2003
1. "Piece of Your
Action" (4:40)
2. "Shout at the Devil" (3:15)
3. "Too Young to Fall in Love" (3:33)
4. "Home Sweet Home" (4:00)
5. "Girls, Girls, Girls" (4:31)
6. "All in the Name of..." (3:41)
7. "Kickstart My Heart" (4:44)
8. "Rock 'N' Roll Junkie" (4:02)
9. "Anarchy in the U.K." (3:20)
10. "Hooligan's Holiday" (5:49)
11. "Generation Swine" (4:41)
12. "Hell on High Heels" (4:15)
Far from a good representation of Crüe, this "Best Of" disc leaves off some of their biggest hits including "Live Wire," "Looks that Kill", "Wild Side" and even their hugely popular cover of "Smoking in the Boys Room." However, for what it is, it's not a bad listen. Only the last three tracks are from Motley's later day outings, instead this compilation focuses more on the band's more popular 80's tracks. "Rock 'n' Roll Junkie," the band's contribution to the Ford Fairlane soundtrack, is probably the last really good track on here before the quality begins to slide. However, "Hooligan's Holiday" is probably one of the best songs off the band's 1994 self-titled CD. This CD was a free gift, which is how it made my collection. Had it not, I probably would not have spent a lot of cash on this cash-cow because it is just not a good career retrospective.
Related collections:
Brides of Destruction |
Vince Neil | Union
Mötley Crüe - Too Fast for Love (Motley Records) 1981
Mötley Crüe (Elektra) 1994 