They didn't even try to repeat those albums, unfortunately. One of the cool things about Motley was they always changed it up a little, in terms of musical style and visuals, with each album. One of the less cool things was, as they sought commercial success and the holy grail of a #1 album, they ended up tacking towards the center. So Dr Feelgood (which I like, and which is still harder, nastier and sleazier than the Def Leppards, Poisons and Bon Jovis of back then) really was a big push into a radio friendly mainstream.
$= talks. Changing it up was a good thing, but it's like I wish Saint's Of Los Angeles or Motley Crue 94, Generation Swine would have been released in June 1985 for Pain. A fantasy of course but at least the afore mentioned later albums had a harder edge to them. I do like Feelgood especially the leadoff track T.n.T. it starts the album off beautifully.
Your separate threads for the post 80s MC albums are super interesting for me ... a hell of a lot of "if onlys" and "what ifs" (and "WHYs"???) on that trail for fans. Nikki Sixx is not Bob Dylan, sure, but he's an underrated song writer who, like others, ran out of steam or lost his muse, or his tastes evolved in a different direction. But when all is said and done, Motley Crue's 81 - 89 run stands up for what it is. It will be remembered as a pretty great representation of the time. It's not as definitive as VH's "six pack", but for me, it is a close second in terms of best glam metal 80s album streaks.
good point - if we were to combine the greatest albums of Cinderella, Tesla, and White Lion, we'd reach 6-8 classics, but we'd have to combine the output of three bands to get there.
Great White had a nice 4 album run with Once Bitten though Psycho City. Sharp production & musicianship. + They put out some cool live EPs in period too:
No, they were trying to do the "Ron Nevison" revival. He had resurrected Heart's career with a MASSIVE hit record. And KISS thought he'd be the guy to do the same for them. And who knows? He might have......had Paul Stanley LET HIM.
Yes yes yes...but the accusation of KISS trying to be Bon Jovi pre-Crazy Nights just makes no sense at all. And I think Ron did much, much more than you are giving him credit for.
Wasn't Nevison very expensive? i.e. you'd presumably let him do stuff if he was costing you a tonne ...
I think Ron Nevison made Crazy Nights sound marvellous. At the risk of repeating myself though, I reckon he made a bit of a gaffe vetoing Sword & Stone's inclusion on the album.
Ron's production credits for the last half of the eighties. The albums that I've heard on this list were all very commercial and slick sounding, that was the mode he was operating in during this time. January 30, 1984 – Grace Slick, Software May 30, 1984 – Jefferson Starship, Nuclear Furniture August 1984 – Survivor, Vital Signs July 6, 1985 – Heart, Heart February 22, 1986 – Ozzy Osbourne, The Ultimate Sin October 9, 1986 – Survivor, When Seconds Count June 6, 1987 – Heart, Bad Animals September 18, 1987 – Kiss, Crazy Nights June 21, 1988 – Chicago, Chicago 19 August 9, 1988 – Europe, Out of This World August 22, 1989 – Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Airplane
I feel that both bands’ meanderings into other musical styles were equally “disingenuous”. Which one had more artistic merit is merely a matter of opinion.
For me, KISS aren't a garage band. The more dirt under their fingernails, the less interesting they sounded. Different takes and all that.
My point was GNR were arguably the biggest band in the world during the height of grunge. That genre had zero effect on the overwhelming popularity of Guns. What does the Chinese Democracy era have to do with that?
Hey man! Don't accuse me of saying KISS was trying to go Bon Jovi (not that there is anything wrong with Bon Jovi) My point was just that Paul let his own issues...namely thinking he knows everything....get in the way of anyone one who tried to help KISS. He basically "fired" Bruce Fairburn on "Psycho Circus" Because he thought he knew better....and I'm willing to guess Nevison got the same treatment. I actually think that Gene's lack of "enthusiasm" from the 80's on, has a lot to do with Paul's ego taking control. Just a theory, but when Paul holds down "It's my life" for 10 years......the natural successor to "Rock n' Roll all night" You KNOW something is up!
We'll have to agree to disagree on this. I don't think KISS playing Disco or New wave was in anyway disingenuous. I think it was part of a natural progression. KISS was essentially a Pop band, and moving in that direction was perfectly natural, in my opinion. Motley were trying to save their careers by coping on new trends......unsuccessfully....which is the difference, KISS was AWESOME at Disco and New Wave. Motley at Grunge?.....Not so much.
Nevison was given full control to produce Crazy Nights. Only a few years after did Kiss start crapping on the production and the quality of material for CN. I was actually thinking about this the other day when someone mentioned Kiss being followers in the 80's. They didn't really try and sound like another band until Crazy Nights which obviously they tried to be Bon Jovi. I think with the change of guitarists and drummer from 81-86 they just evolved. Yes the guitar playing got faster so that's the only part where you can say they fell in line with other bands of the time but Vinnie, Mark, and Bruce had their own sound and I wouldn't compare them to anyone else out there of that era. It would've been boring if they made Love Gun II, Love Gun III if they stayed with that sound into the 80's. I'm glad we got Creatures, Lick It Up, Revenge, etc.
Mötley Crüe made a great album in 1994 but Generation Swine in 1997 was terrible. They already recorded the superb Primal Scream in the summer of 1991 which certainly wasn't "Hair Metal" and before the Grunge era...
I think I recall an interview with Bob Rock saying that Vince's working threshold was between beers N° 3 and 6. Croaky before, useless after.
In the name of 'The Wee Man' I have never came across this terminology for describing a type of rock music.....and I have been round the block a few times. I must try and keep up with all this jargon.
