Tuesday Two-Fer, II, Motley Crue

By our friend HIM.

As readers of this site know, my relationship with the Crue is complicated. I am a devout fan. I just think they lingered too long, that their output is uneven, even as their legacy is well-established. I suspect these choices are going to generate some amount of controversy, as they are not from their classic period. No, they suggest a trend that was developing, that was delivered, and that was then briskly displaced by a need to return to form(at).

First Pick: “Primal Scream,” Decade of Decadence 81-91 (1991)

At this point, the Crue were growing a bit repetitive for me. That might sound strange, given that they are a band known for changing up their look, their logo font, and a bit of their sound from album to album. Still, I wasn’t expect this and certainly not on what was to become a tradition for the band: a greatest hits package. The song slams along with an energy I hadn’t heard since Shout. And it also pointed towards a slightly harder, almost grungy, sound. Was I ready to ‘crash and burn’ with the Crue again? Damn right!

Second Pick: “Uncle Jack,” Motley Crue (1994)

Dark, disturbing, and sludgy. What the hell is going on here?!?! A truly tragic tale and a mighty jolt of something different. I know. That didn’t translate into sales. And it didn’t launch Corabi into the stratosphere. I also know this is a retrospectively respected album for a lot of us. Does that make it any less heavy and awesome? I don’t think so.

Honorable Mention: “Starry Eyes,” Too Fast For Love (1981). Sometimes different works.

Comments

[Bkallday]

"Lingered too long"??? That's absolutely hilarious. The music scene is littered with bands that are still going, that have went waaaaay too long, see Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Kiss, etc. At least the Crüe decided it was time to stop the party, before it went too long.

I will never ever understand the constant barrage of criticism and endless negative comments that the Crüe get around here, and on every site I visit. And if it's strictly due to band member's mishaps, then no band on this earth should ever be taken seriously, cuz name the band and I will name something degenerate that a member of that band, at some point, has done. I know Vince has lost his voice, I know he's gotten overweight, I know that Nikki is now a narcissistic prick, and that Tommy has def had his issues in the past, and I can admit all of that as a diehard fan. However if you think they're the only band to have their issues, you're as delusional as they come. At least they were all together for the majority of their time as a band, and at least they knew when to call it a day! "Lingered too long" my effin ass, is my opinion, and I don't even see how anyone could say that, without of course admitting the 100 other bands that are out touring now, that are much worse. I say mad props to the boys for not continuing to milk their fans, by nonstop nostalgic tours.

[Bob]

Aaaah, Motley Crue...A band that was such a huge part of my high school and college years, and about whom I could probably write volumes. For me, believe it or not, I don't think they ever topped the original Leathur Records version of the "Too Fast for Love" album; and it's not just because the first time I ever really made out with a girl, "Piece of Your action" was playing in the background. :) When you talk about what would become so-called hair metal, there were two albums that pioneered the genre: Van halen I, and TFFL. TFFL was such a balls-out record, full of youthful swagger even when Vince sang off-key, or the band would speed up or slow down in mid-song. Sadly, when Electra got hold of the album, roy thomas Baker smoothed out a lot of those rough edges through remixing, editing, and re-recording some parts. While it made for a more digestable record for the masses, it removed too much of the raggedness that made the original version so amazing.

Anyway, all I know is that, in 1981, when I heard the original version of "Live Wire" being played on WSOU, it absolutely blew my mind; and even though the Crue put out plenty more good records throughout the 80's, they never again captured the unpolished lightning in a bottle of the original TFFL. Believe me, if all you have heard is the Electra version of TFFL, you haven't heard the real one.

[Badland]

Carlos too

[Ace Steele]

Bob is right... RTB made TFFL palatable to Middle Americe. He glossed it with a layer of cheesiness the the original didn't want, or need. The Leathur Record is the only one I find engaging beignning, very first show at the Starwood, opening for YnT, to the last tour's Vegas show, right before the end at Staples Center.

Wanna see what they looked like at that first gig? Here's one of my photos of it.

https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p206x206/13096329_1143060322393449_640661859631157011_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=6a91a7e2f3979ce892cb89e7c62ad885&oe=5B27F483

[Him]

Great picture, Ace. Only wish it was bigger (or perhaps it is just my computer). Must have been something to have seen them back in the day.

[roy]

GREAT PHOTO ACE!