I actually like Generation Swine and think it was pretty diverse. I think if they could have come out with a full album of original material right after Swine that was experimental but also more in the vein of Bitter Pill and Enslaved production wise they could have had some momentum. However, Tommy and Vince were fighting and then Tommy went to jail. New Tattoo is not a bad album but it was kind of cheesey and was a step back for the Crue.
Ah man, great to see these two together, almost brings a tear to the eye I kinda like GEN SWINE too and I totally agree about NEW TATTOO: although I like most of the songs the whole vibe is phony-baloney, like people pretending to be Hair Metal. Crue don't have to pretend ****, they're the real deal
I like all Motley albums. They all give you a flavor of what the music landscape was at the time (NT and SOLA exceptions).
New tattoo would have been much better with Bob Rock as producer. Remember Dr.Feelgood was originally gone be titled "monstrous " with that as the title track and "Say yeah" was gonna be in the album but Bob Rock told them they could do better
Swine has its moments. The songs themselves are pretty good, but man, the production is just so bizarre and heavy handed. New Tattoo was the first time they actually tried to "be Motley Crue" instead of just being Motley Crue. Nikki was split creatively. He felt pigeonholed with what Crue fans would accept. They could have still been experimental, just not so radically adrift from the Crue DNA like Swine.
That's a solid compilation album. I have it on CD. Bought it when it came out and still have it too this day Love their version of 'Teaser'...some great guitar work from Mars.
I remember having it on cassette. The vinyl version I saw in Europe has like a quadruple fold or something. Thick.
100%. I believe Dr. Feelgood bookended a run of classic Crue from Too Fast thru Feelgood. A case could be made that Girls, Girls, Girls isn't a great album, but it does have a few gems on it. Girls is certainly the weakest album in that run, imo.
I have the original cd release on the Elektra label that came out in 91. As far as I can tell from research and memory...there was never a US release on lp. Currently on EBAY there is a nice euro (German) copy. Double lp with picture sleeve.
I like Girls and included it in their classic run. Pain has a couple of stinkers on it, but overall is a bit better album compared to Girls, Girls, Girls.
Yeah and what i like about GIRLS, about Motley as a band, in fact, is that GIRLS has songs that are autobiographical and violent ("Dancin'" & "Wild side") . . . to me Motley are at their best when they're violent and autobiographical, ha ha. I like THEATRE but every tune is a "theme" type lyric, not really any songs in particular about being Motley. I guess "City Boy Blues" could be considered so . . . that song has cool lyrics!
I would say for me their top 5 albums are also in chronological order TFFL and SATD tied for #1 then TOP, then further back GGG and DF almost tied but DF has to many weak songs. The previous 4 albums are all very original in many ways, not so Feelgood.
Dr. Feelgood is a weird album for me. Sometimes I put it on, crack open a beer and just let it loose. Big, dumb fun. But, when looking at it analytically, it does have some overly saccharine tunes that sound more like a band the Crue influenced than the Crue themselves. From "Stick To Your Guns" through "Anarchy In The USA", that '81-'91 run that Motley had was pretty bad ass. Give me that along with the first 6 Van Halen albums, an ice chest full of beer, and a swimming pool and I am in Heaven!!
If anyone has the 58 album, imagine the Crue doing "Stormy Brown Eyes". Could have been amazing. I hate that Nikki felt like Crue fans would not accept a song like that. We would have. Here it is. Obviously it would need a more straightforward approach in terms of production, but imagine Vince singing it and a cool, melodic Mars solo in the middle.
Yes, the 58 record was a lot of fun it would have been interesting to see the Crue tackling some of those songs or who knows maybe a few of the Bride's of Destruction stuff was around when Motley was together. In terms of Production don't forget New Tattoo was produced by Mike Clink who isn't exactly a slouch. When New Tattoo came out I met a guy on an Amtrak ride who was childhood friends with Julia Werman and her dad Tom Werman was originally supposed to produce what became New Tattoo. I don't know the accuracy of the story but I don't see he would lie. Basically Werman was bummed out that it didn't happen.
New Tattoo has enough good songs to be considered a reasonable latter day album for the band. It tries too hard to tick the boxes but it ultimately fails because of Tommy being absent. I know JF about drumming but any Crue fan can hear his absence. It sound stilted and....wrong. As a comparison listen to a live version of Mr. Brownstone by GnR in 1987 and then one with Matt Sorum. No dig on Matt, but he's a rock drummer where Adler was a rock and roll drummer.
Castillo and Sorum suffered from the same disease: no groove! Adler has swing (like Bill Ward) and Tommy has that dirty, slightly behind the beat kick drum that gives a song a TON of swagger.
This is my observation on Motley. Ever since Nikki started hanging out with James Michaels, thats where the output started falling New Tattoo has 6 co written songs that included Michaels, every song on SOLA has a songwriting credit to Michaels and D.J. Ashba, Sick Love Song was also co writted by Michaels, along with Sex and ALl Bad Things Must End For some reason Nikki lost self-confidence or something and really thought James Michaels was a really good song writer when he is absolutely is not. AT least for Motley. He's also a absolutely horrible producer
Just wanted to mention a MOTLEY moment from my weekend: at a family birthday party me and a few cousins stole out to their car to smoke a joint and as it makes its way to me and I have a big drag . . . "Use It Or Lose It" comes blasting out of the speakers! A local radio show was playing it. Cool! That's one of my fav tunes from THEATRE
I was also at this show! What a night, very rowdy audience. I remember some idiot was shooting bottle rockets at David Coverdale. Whizzing right over our heads...He was promptly removed.
I heard Eddie Trunk saying on his radio show today that Mick Mars contiues working on his solo album. Unfortunately no guidance on when will it be released but it seems that MM will eventually release it (or determined to do so) according to Eddie Trunk who’s been in touch with him.
It's crazy to watch this and see how much the band has changed. Like I can't imagine Motley doing this. I mean at a record store sitting there signing , taking pictures and ACTUALLY ENJOYING IT It really is sad to see how they basically ended up pissing on the fans. I can get it probably does get tired signing and taking pictures but damn look how lucky you are. Your a rock n roll star! You could be busting your back working 40 hours a week doing a **** job instead.
