Saints of Los Angeles: The Bring Back Glam! Album Review
Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 12:01AM 
Motley Crue are back with their first album featuring all the original members in over a decade. Saints of Los Angeles (Motley/Eleven Seven Records) features 13 tracks loosely aligned to the 2001 band autobiography The Dirt and tells the story of Motley's rise (and fall) in the L.A. Glam scene. Track list:
L.A.M.F.
Face Down in the Dirt
What's It Gonna Take
Down at the Whisky
Saints of Los Angeles
Muther Fucker of the Year
The Animal in Me
Welcome to the Machine
Just Another Psycho
Chicks = Trouble
This Ain't a Love Song
White Trash Circus
Goin' Out Swingin'
Saints of Los Angeles (henceforth SOLA) is a mixed bag, but overall the hits outweigh the misses.
The album opens with "L.A.M.F.," a spoken word dialogue courtesy Vince Neil in the same vein as "In the Beginning" from Shout at the Devil. Here the introduction is less than effective and actually falls in the annoying category. Deleting this track would probably make the album stronger.
The first half of the album is fairly strong, chronicling the band's struggle to rise from gutter trash to multi millionaires. "Face Down in the Dirt" is decent and "Saints of Los Angeles" is fabulous. Quite frankly, "Saints of Los Angeles" is in an entirely different league when compared to the rest of the songs the new album. There's something sonically different about this track. The sound is so rich, so strong and so Motley. The guitar work coupled with superior lyrics make "Saints of Los Angeles" one of the best songs in Motley's deep catalog.
"What's It Gonna Take" and "Down at the Whisky" are fairly weak compared to some of the other songs on SOLA. Next to "Saints of Los Angeles" my favorite new track is "Muther Fucker of the Year." I can't quite explain why I love this song so much, but it probably has something to do with the repetitive chorus or Vince's nasally whine. Whatever the case, I listened to this song about 17 times on repeat. It's true, I can't get enough! I also really dig "Welcome to the Machine," "Just Another Psycho" and "This Ain't a Love Song."
While SOLA has some damn strong tracks, there are plenty of stinkers. "Chicks = Trouble" is pretty bad. In fact, it's my least favorite track on SOLA. I listened to the album from start to finish three times before making any real judgements, but after that time I found myself skipping "Chicks = Trouble." The lyrics make me cringe and the actual music is pretty bad too. Also a downer is "White Trash Circus." The lyrics are not as heinous as "Chicks = Trouble" but the track lacks anything special. If there's nothing special about the song, there's no reason to listen.
There's no true ballad here and I think that's a wise move. "The Animal in Me" has a slower tempo and thus provides a natural thematic break between songs.
Is SOLA Motley Crue's best effort? No, but it does have a certain sound quality that is reminiscent of the Dr. Feelgood era. Some of the lyrics on SOLA are just a little strained and that comes out pretty clear. The difference is that this time, Nikki Sixx and company are looking back on history instead of writing in the moment. History and memories change our perception. Struggling financially at the time is pretty tough but can seem a little romantic after a certain level of success is achieved. I suspect Nikki looked back on his early Sunset Strip days with a hazy fondness and wrote what came to his mind which of course is sex, drugs and rock n' roll.
The downlow? Buy this album. Even with a couple bad tracks, it's a strong effort from a classic Glam band.
Reader Comments (28)
I am in love with this album.. it's so fresh yet old school:S
Plus when I had it in my car today, and had to make a stop at my mom's house, my 9 yr old asked to stay in the car so he could keep listening to it. Later he said that SoLA was his fav tune, so that is cool!
Not perfect, but fun.
http://hardrockheavymetal.wordpress.com/2008/07/09/motley-crue-saints-of-los-angeles-2008/
It's definitely not in the same league as Shout or Feelgood but it's a solid album with some cool songs. I'm still giving SOLA a lot of spins so I'm hoping some of the songs I considered filler stand out a little more.
Steve
Heavy Metal Addiction
http://hardrockheavymetal.wordpress.com/
To preface this comment, I am a HUGE Motley Crue fan, like yourself they are my favorite band, and I have been listening to the CD almost every day for 3 weeks, so I feel like I truly understand what each song has to offer.
My comment regards which two songs you said were stinkers: "Chicks=Trouble," and "White Trash Circus." I fully agree with you that Chicks=Trouble is the worst song on the CD, and might be the worst song that the band has ever written. But, "White Trash Circus" is my favorite song on the CD!!! I beg you to go back and listen to the lyrics again, but this time instead of judging them, appreciate them in the context of SOLA being an autobiographical CD. Not to mention musically, I feel that this song is a microcosm of each band member's best talents . . . Nikki Sixx and his eternally memorable pre-choruses and choruses, Vince Neil and the way he delivers the verses, Mick Mars with a great chunky guitar riff, and Tommy Lee holding the whole thing together with his sometimes punk, sometimes pop, and all-the-time rock drumming style.
This CD grows on my with every listen, I think it is exactly the album Motley Crue should have released (except for Chicks=Trouble), and please, please, please, from one Cruehead to another, listen to White Trash Circus again with an open mind. After all, with Motley Crue being your favorite band, and their music being a big part of your life, how can you not appreciate "we're the voice, we're the voice, we're the voice in your head"?
Anyway, long live the Crue, long live glam, and keep up the good work with your blog!
in http://xrl.us/ouog2