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Mötley Crüe

Mötley Crüe – Too Fast For Love (Album Review)

Mötley Crüe – Too Fast For Love (Album Review)

Released in 1981, Mötley Crüe's debut album, Too Fast For Love is a seminal piece of rock music that defined the glam metal genre via ten tracks of hard-hitting, high-energy rock that captured the Crüe's raw and rebellious sound.

With cover art reminiscent of The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers, Mötley Crüe were demanding the world sit up and take notice and notice they did for the RIAA (Record Industry Association Of America) has certified Too Fast For Love as Platinum; selling over 1,000,000 units. Not bad for a debut!

While most fans lean towards their second album Shout At The Devil, along with Dr. Feelgood, fans should avoid Too Fast For Love at their peril for it is an astonishingly good album that is not only addictively compelling but gets better each time you listen to it.

Sonically, however, the lossless stream, via Apple Music, fails to truly impress. It’s your classic case of a memorable recording being remastered to meet modern loudness standards. It’s been mastered so hot that even tone controls have little to no beneficial effect concerning dialling the album to your personal preferences for the soundstage is unnecessarily muddy from the get-go. Look, it’s adequate, but it could have been so much more dynamic.

The Dolby Atmos stream also on Apple Music, disappointingly, does little to improve things. Other than being a little fuller, there really is no difference between this edition and the stereo mix. That’s not uncommon, especially considering the album was originally intended to be delivered in stereo, but it also feels as if it was a missed opportunity and only done to say that it was done rather than being undertaken because it offered music lovers another way to experience this classic album.

Despite the lacklustre remastering and reissue attempts, Too Fast For Love is really all about the music, so join me as we take a look at the songs, some of them classics, that make up this 1981 debut.

Live Wire is a killer opener. From the thunderous drum beat that sets the tone for the rest of the album, to Vince Neil's gritty and powerful vocals, and guitar riffs that are simply electrifying, Live Wire is nothing short of a classic hard rock anthem that has stood the test of time.

Come On And Dance has an incredible rhythm and a strong blues-inspired sound that works incredibly well with just enough distortion to amplify the song rather than detract from it. It is, without a doubt, one of my favourite Mötley Crüe songs.

Public Enemy #1 flows beautifully from Come On And Dance and Mick Mars’ licks are off-the-charts good. I don’t know about you, dear reader, but my air guitar is worn out from playing along to this high-energy punk-influenced track.

Merry–Go–Round slows the album down a little, but this ballad-styled song shouldn’t be overlooked for it is thoroughly enjoyable; even if it isn’t a standout. Although, Mars’ solo certainly amplifies the song and showcases the direction that he would take on future Mötley Crüe recordings.

Take Me To The Top is a fast-paced rocker with a killer guitar riff and a catchy chorus. The duelling guitar and bass rhythm is pure gold and while the shifting elements change the tempo throughout, it is these aspects that make Take Me To The Top one of the best songs off Too Fast For Love.

Piece Of Your Action has a killer riff and chorus that will get stuck in your head for days. It’s 80s rock and roll at its best. Magnificent!

Starry Eyes is a slower, more melodic, tune with a great hook, addictive rhythm, and some stunning guitar work.

Too Fast For Love is a high-energy rocker but it’s also a mixed bag. It isn’t fundamentally bad, but Neil’s vocal, in particular, is lacklustre and diminishes the impact that the song could have had. Also, the shifting direction of the song throughout drives me nuts. It’s Crue 101 but I simply don’t feel it’s a great title track.

On With The Show slows things down again, with a more ballad-like sound, that features some beautiful guitar work and some of Neil's best vocals on the album. Yes, it’s a little dated to the era and has a campy sound, but it’s solid nonetheless. As the album’s closer, however, it’s underwhelming and doesn’t always encourage me to spin the record again or stay within Mötley Crüe’s back catalogue; a shame considering a shift in sequencing may have had a vastly different impact.

Packed with high-energy rockers, melodic ballads, and killer guitar work, Too Fast For Love is a must-listen debut album that has not only stood the test of time but it showcases the drive and musical talent of this motley crew. While it isn’t their best creative output, it offers an insight into the monster of a band that they would ultimately become and is therefore essential for any fan of Mötley Crüe or the 80s hard rock music scene.

Mötley Crüe – Theatre of Pain (Album Review)

Mötley Crüe – Theatre of Pain (Album Review)

Theatre of Pain, Mötley Crüe’s third album, is arguably marred with Vince Neil’s preceding arrest for drink driving and the manslaughter of Hanoi Rocks’ drummer, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley. While this tragic event almost saw Mötley Crüe come to an abrupt end, the writing and subsequent recording of Theatre of Pain continued with the album ultimately being dedicated to Razzle. 

While the reception to Theatre of Pain has been primarily mixed amongst critics and fans, despite achieving higher sales than Mötley’s previous albums, time has been kind to Theatre of Pain with a pop/rock styling that still sounds rather fresh and not overly reminiscent of the 80s music scene.

This review is based on the Apple Music stream, a non-Apple Digital Master, that is surprisingly mastered rather well, although there are differences that can be heard such as when going from the simply gorgeous Home Sweet Home to the little more muffled Tonight (We Need A Lover). It doesn’t destroy the album experience, but the shifts in mixing and mastering are noticeable between the different songs. Does it need a remaster? Perhaps, but one that approaches the source material with kid gloves for this Deluxe Version that this review is based upon is largely adequate and while there is the occasional sonic aspect that I’d change if given the chance, it is largely enjoyable and not fatiguing to the senses. 

City Boy Blues is a solid opener but is a little slow to start. Nevertheless, once Mick Mars’ guitar riff gets the song moving, it isn’t bad. 

Smokin’ In The Boys Room is a Brownsville Station cover and is a heavier interpretation than the original. As to which I prefer, I have to say that I like them both equally and really can’t choose. It comes down to how I feel on a particular day. If I want a more relaxed experience, I gravitate towards the Brownsville Station original, but if I want a little more rock and roll in my blues-based-rock music, then it is Mötley Crüe all the way. 

Louder Than Hell has a killer presence about it. The drum and bass drive is enveloping and the mix is perfect with Neil’s vocal being a little recessed, thereby allowing the music to be at the forefront of the performance. I love it!

Keep Your Eye On The Money continues with the bolder sound signature and Mick Mars’ guitar licks steal the show. The cowbell, however, is a distraction and to be honest I’m not sure it’s needed. 

Home Sweet Home is magnificent. It’s one of the best ballads of the 80s. Pure perfection!

Tonight (We Need A Lover) kicks things up a notch; a great rock and roll tune! 

Use It Or Lose It has a killer guitar riff throughout. I think Vince, Tommy, and Nikki are somewhere in the mix, but this is another song where Mick Mars shines. 

Save Our Souls is a killer blues-based rock song. 

Raise Your Hands To Rock is anthem-infused rock that arguably would be perfect for stadium performances. 

Fight For Your Rights is an incredible song and the perfect closer to the original album lineup. If you haven’t already, I suggest you turn the volume up, if for no other reason than Mars’ electrifying solo. 

Home Sweet Home (Demo) is an incredible demo and while it isn’t quite as polished as the final album version, it remains pleasurable to listen to. 

Smokin’ In The Boys Room (Alternate Guitar Solo-Rough Mix) is a great addition to the Deluxe Version of Theatre of Pain and offers a new perspective; I like it!

City Boy Blues (Demo) I, actually, prefer over the album version. 

Home Sweet Home (Instrumental) is stunningly beautiful without the lyrical component as you can really hear every element and Tommy Lee’s drums are spectacular on this song with a perfect recording, pace, mix, and sound signature that sounds deep and fully developed. Yes, I acknowledge this is present on the main album recording as well, but when you strip away the vocal, the instrumental aspects come alive like never before. 

Keep Your Eyes On The Money (Demo) isn’t bad, but that backing vocal is simply too much. Yes, I acknowledge that it’s a demo, but I’m glad when they recorded and mixed the final version that this aspect was adjusted. 

Tommy’s Drum Piece From Cherokee Studios is a masterpiece and a perfect way to close out the Deluxe Version of Theatre of Pain.

Overall, Theatre of Pain is an incredible album that I thoroughly enjoy from start to finish and while I normally don’t enjoy Deluxe Versions that throw pointless demos, etc, into the album format, I find myself constantly enthralled when listening and while I love the original album tracking, closing out at Fight For Your Rights, Tommy’s Drum Piece From Cherokee Studios is an incredible addition and closer to the album that is sorely missed from the vinyl counterpart; perhaps a reason why I have yet to pick up the vinyl release. Either way, regardless of which version you decide to listen to, this is one album that you must have in your collection. 

Mötley Crüe – Dr. Feelgood (Album Review)

Mötley Crüe – Dr. Feelgood (Album Review)

Without a doubt, Dr. Feelgood is one of the greatest hard rock albums of the 80s. With sales exceeding 6 million units, fans were obviously drawn to it, as I was, roughly three decades ago. As soon as I heard the intro to Dr. Feelgood, I was hooked and a fan for life. While Mötley Crüe can fill numerous greatest hits releases with their extensive back catalogue, Dr. Feelgood is an album that plays like a compilation of the very best the band has to offer and should be in every hard rock collection. It’s arguably perfect! 

The vinyl release I’m fortunate enough to own is the 2008 Eleven Seven Music/Mötley Records reissue (cat: ESM/MR 342). The artwork is reprinted adequately, although there is a mottling effect that appears throughout when looking closely as if the artwork had been scanned for the reissue. It’s not a major issue, but one that collectors may wish to look out for. The inner-sleeve liner notes are presented clearly, for those of us interested in seeing who contributed to Dr. Feelgood from a production standpoint. The lyrics are also reprinted beautifully and while I’m not overly focused on lyrical meaning, it’s great that they’re reprinted here for those of you who are interested in singing along. 

The record label is simple, but that is really all you need. The record itself is flat but my edition is a little noisy in between tracks, with a couple of small dropouts in Slice Of Your Pie. That’s just something that you have to deal with when collecting vinyl, but the noise element isn’t an issue, of course, when the music kicks in. 

Mastering wise, it sounds great. The pressing has a truly analogue feel, even though I believe the album was recorded digitally. The soundstage is massive with a clear separation between all instrumental elements and vocals. If you’re interested in a rock and roll album that highlights each member of the band, then look no further for this is the album for you. For bass fans, you’ll also be pleasantly surprised. Given many of the hard rock/metal albums of the 80s lack a decent low end, Dr. Feelgood makes up for all those that sound too shrill with a drum and bass beat that will send you to heaven as the masterful Mick Mars riffs the hell out of his guitar. Subsequently, if you can track down a copy of this 2008 reissue, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I know I’m not. For comparison, albeit it not an ideal example, the Apple Music (non-Mastered for iTunes) release can’t even compare to the vinyl release. It sounds so flat and lifeless that I almost don’t like listening to it, but you can’t easily take vinyl everywhere with you; unless you’re into creating needle drops that is. It’s a time-consuming exercise, but one that purists swear by and yes the analogue-nature of vinyl does transfer to a digital file.  

It is important to note before venturing into the review of the individual songs, that the only editions available on Apple Music are the 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition and a standard 16-track reissue that I have no information about at all. Let’s just say that while the additional songs from the 16-track release may appeal to some fans, I find demos to be trivial additions and given that I feel the original 11-track lineup is approaching, if not reaching, pure perfection, I intend to ignore these additional tracks for this review and am thankful that I can exclude these additional demos when adding Dr. Feelgood to my digital library.  

SIDE ONE

T.n T. (Terror ‘n Tinseltown) is a great starter track. Short, to the point, but opens the album beautifully and is the perfect non-musical introduction for Dr. Feelgood. 

Dr. Feelgood needs no introduction. It is the reason I’m here and likely why you are too. Pump the volume and rock out to the incredibly rhythmic and catchy tune that is one of the very best songs Mötley Crüe has ever recorded.

While I suggested dismissing the additional demos, on the digital releases, Dr. Feelgood is one song that you may wish to take a listen to as the demo is sung from the doctor’s point-of-view. It isn’t great, but it isn’t bad either. It’s intriguing, but I’m glad it never made it to the original tracking of the album. 

Slice Of Your Pie slows things down a little but is a great blues-based rock and roll song. Plus, if you’re a Beatles fan you may appreciate the closing elements that pay homage to I Want You (She’s So Heavy); one of my favourite Beatles tracks. Slice Of Your Pie is an all-round excellent song that is so multi-layered it needs to be heard to be believed. 

Rattlesnake Shake is hard and fast with a little rhythm thrown in for good measure; just the way I like it. 

Kickstart My Heart has another killer intro and the moment you hear it, you know exactly what you’re going to get. Perfect? I think so! 

Without You is a beautiful power-ballad.

SIDE TWO

Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S) is the perfect song to open side two with. What an incredible beat and rhythm. Rock and roll doesn’t get much better than this, does it? 

Sticky Sweet is a superb song and perfectly suited for Mötley Crüe. It may not be a song you’d write home about, but Dr. Feelgood wouldn’t be the same without it. Although, that ending is a little too sudden, especially if you’re rocking out to the groove. 

She Goes Down is a fun song and is another one that doesn’t let you take a breath as you rock out to this album. That drum and bass intertwining rhythm is off-the-charts. 

Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away) is a great blues-based near-ballad tune with, again, some killer musicality. 

Time For Change is epic and is one of the greatest closers of any rock and roll album in my collection. It absolutely encourages me to listen to the album again and stay within Mötley Crüe’s back catalogue. I don’t know about you, dear reader, but Time For Change would have been a perfect Beatles hit, or even a Lennon masterpiece; it is that good!

Nothing more really needs to be said other than if you don’t already have a copy, in your collection, you should go and pick one up. You won’t regret it, but your neighbours might as this is one album that you’ll want to pump the volume on.