Motley Crue: Klassik or Dude!

Oddly, my strongest memory of the Crue now comes courtesy of a soap opera I was always forced to watch over dinner. There was this one plot line where someone who felt they had been wronged was plotting revenge against one of the main characters of the show, and was holed up like a nutbar in a hotel room, repeatedly shooting styrofoam dummy heads with a pistol. But you can't shoot a pistol in a hotel without someone hearing, right? So the person cranked Motley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood" every time they shot the styrofoam head. So, in my mind, Motley Crue is music to blow your brains out to. TAKE THAT, OZZY.

I'm from Bergenfield. I swear. My hometown is immortalized by the Crue? My life suddenly takes on new meaning.

anyway. CLASSIC CLASSIC CLASSIC of course, at least if you exclude 'girls, girls, girls' and pick up at 'dr. feelgood.' search: 'too young to fall in love,' 'toast of the town,' 'come on and dance,' 'she goes down' (guest vocals by robin zander!), 'kickstart my heart,' and hey, how about that video for 'looks that kill,' which caused my sister to refer to mtv as 'the uglies' from ages 4-7?

you might do well to destroy all their mid to late '90s output -- the stuff with john corabi and the ill-fated forays into limp bizkit-style stuff. although 'afraid,' off GENERATION SWINE, was creepy-cool -- sorta SHOUT AT THE DEVIL-esque minor keys.

a friend loaned me 'the dirt' last night, and how excited am i -- even though i already saw the picture of the mound of coke shaped like texas.

2) Sometimes I think there is a conspiracy to prevent us from finding out that Motley Crue and the Cure are the same band. Cure. Crue. Crue. Cure. They were both on Elektra. They both had big hair and dressed in black. And has anyone seen them in the same room together?

This is one of those 'Err... me!' moments. I hate it when people stereotype 14 year olds. And when it's done retrospectively it's even worse. Like some kind of 'ooh we all had big hair in the 80s' type bollocks I Love the 70s Stalinist revisionism.

Nikki Sixx - Possibly the worst bass player ever? Maybe, but his single-note thumping seems to work perfectly, so perhaps not! Worst lyricist ever? Some of his lyrics may seem completely retarded, probably indeed most of them, but how is it that they hold up so much better than what the other metal bands were singing about back then? What else would music that SOUNDS like this even be singing about? No, the lyrics are a perfect fit for the most part. Interestingly, many of the lyrics have a bit of mystery about them, but I think this is due to Nikki's lack of ability than anything else. Still, Vince managed to make the crudest looking shit Nikki was able to write sound much, much better than it reads, so either Nikki was writing for Vince's vocal stylings or Vince's vocal stylings polished the turd that was Nikki's lyrics. (See the song "Shout At The Devil" and notice all the syllables). As a band leader, Nikki certainly pulled together just the right elements to create one of the most memorable metal bands ever.

Mick Mars - I have to put this guy right under Nikki. I'm not sure if he had lack of talent of just showed considerable restraint and taste because his guitar is very understated and yet he lays down just the right amount of groove and the most perfect guitar solos one could ask for. Listening to this guy again as a non-8th greater, I can see he is the ultimate foundation of this band, despite Nikki's leadership and lyricist role and Vince Neil's unique voice. Compare Mick's guitar to Tracii Guns, Tom Kieffer or Warren Dimartini. Sure, LA Guns, Cinderella and Ratt had some ripping guitars and slick licks, but for some odd reason Motley Crue's groove, tone and song structure is just better all around. Mick had a great bite for the riffs and very intersting and weird solo sounds. Some solos sound melted and warped like old ZZ Top-bordering on psychedelia, other solos sound almost middle-eastern and "God Bless The Children of The Beast" sounds like the Exorcist. Mick was very good with the tone and for coming up with minimal groovy licks that were unique and tricky to play. There is also that great bit where Vince's voice disappears perfectly into the first note of a solo, which isn't just a studio trick but something they pulled off live. I defy you to find where the voice ends and the guitar begins.

Tommy Lee - This guy was really NOT a great drummer. This is painfully obvious to me now that I am not in 8th grade. Forget the obvious citation of the cowbell on "Too Fast For Love," his whole method was plodding and simple. I remember VH1 documentaries talking about how awesome Tommy was and how Nikki saw him and new he had to have him in his band. It must have been more of a personality thing because the drumming is just OK. But, still, like Nikki's simple bass "playing," Tommy's drumming worked perfectly for the music they played. Once again, I think this is a credit to Mick Mars.

Vince Neil - A bit shrill on "Too Fast For Love," but other than that, Vince probably has the best voice of all the 80's bands. He really did have quite a range and control over his voice, which is something you really notice after years of listening to punk, indie and more socially-acceptable (these days) metal bands like AC/DC, Metallica and Motorhead. Some people may think he sounds totally "pussyish," but not to me. The voice of Motley Crue is probably the easiest thing to notice in these days of gruff metal manhood when you first put on one of their records, but if you just let it play and soak it up, you begin to realize how great it is. It's not often overly dramatic or shrill like Metallica, Dio, Judas Priest and countless others often are. In fact, really take a moment and imagine ANYONE ELSE singing "Shout At The Devil"... take a minute... Vince Neil was the perfect singer for Motley Crue. His replacement on the later records was terrible.

All in all, I think the band in it's classic form was great. It's too bad there's just not much you can do with that kind of music. I think the newest record, "New Tattoo" was a fine record, it's just that we didn't really need it. Everything Motley Crue had to offer has already been offered, I think. But, I wouldn't mind another Crue record every 3 or 4 years if they could actually think of new stuff that still felt like "the Crue."

Sixx: Our first album was a punk record; the second was a heavy metal record; our third record was influenced by Bowie and the Stones. Then we had a blues-based influence on Girls Girls Girls and went pop/metal on Dr. Feelgood. Whatever we were doing at the moment, we saw 10 other bands doing it. It felt cheap to us, so we would abandon it. Including our logo, which drove our record company crazy.

Neil: We've never had the same Mötley Crüe logo ever.

from http://www.vh1.com/artists/interview/1455311/06192002/motley_crue.jhtml

What do you think of Feelgood era? appropos your Vince comments, I think "Don't Go Away Mad" is really beautifully sung.

They could make you feel tough without feeling angry and they could also make you feel happy without feeling uncool.

You might like these threads-

TS: 'Funhouse' vs. 'Shout at the Devil'
Mick Mars vs James Williamson vs Ron Asheton vs David Bowie

Of course, the band's opinion should count for something, but I think they are just sort of embarrassed by it because it was very pop and pop isn't cool. Plus they were dressing like women and that's not cool, either.

Mick Mars said that the song structure on Theatre of Pain was lacking and that it was repetitive. He also said besides the two singles (Smokin' In The Boys Room, Home Sweet Home) the album wasn't good and the sole saving grace was Home Sweet Home. He's wrong! Both Girls, Girls, Girls and Dr. Feelgood were more repetitive and had worse structure in my opinion. The songs grew longer and more boring. Also, the two singles off Theatre of Pain were probably the worst songs on the album, although the entire album is flawless, in my opinion.

Theatre of Pain, for me, was the climax of the band. It's not as raw sounding as the first two, but the guitar tones are really diverse and mature. The album seems to have some depth and a cool ominous vibe throughout. It has an old early ZZ Top feel, which is a far cry from Too Fast For Love, but a much more textured and developed evolution of the same "beast."

This is a weird comparison, but Theatre of Pain is very much like Camper Van Beethoven's Key Lime Pie. (Surprise!) Key Lime Pie is obviously unique, even compared to the rest of the band's material, but it is still a very cool album even if it doesn't fit in anywhere. The production of those two albums is also very similar and all the songs are slower, so that might be where the comparison is coming from, too. If you listen to both albums back-to-back, I think you'll hear the similarities.

After Theatre of Pain it seems like they just went backwards or stood still. Dr. Feelgood is cool and all, but it reminds me of Bon Jovi for crying out loud. And the lyrics are cornier than ever. Fast boogie-butt music without the wicked edge of the first two albums.

Oh no he didn't. I mean, granted, there are slim pickens in terms of good 80's metal vocalists, but Vince is not a great one by ANY standard. I'd sooner cite David Lee Roth (if he could be included amongst lesser bands). Hell, even Stephen Pearcy (sp?) from Ratt had a more distinctive voice.

Raven of Killing Joke has recently become a pal of Nikki Sixx's, and cryptically alleged recently that much of Vince's vocals were...ahem..."enhanced" with the vocals of none other than Robin Zander of Cheap Trick (i.e. that's often not Vince doin' the singing). Make of that what you will.

Which is odder, though? Your boyfriend's cock smelling like another woman....or your boyfriend's cock smelling like mexican food????

They're both one dimensional and neither can really sing. Both would have made Motley Crue sound quite bad. Stephen Pearcy sucked and got old real fast.

They're both one dimensional and neither can really sing. Both would have made Motley Crue sound quite bad. Stephen Pearcy, especially, sucked and got old real fast. Also, I think you took the crytically alleged comment far too seriously about Robin Zander.

when I went punk in eighth grade, 1993.

I finally gave Shout at the Devil a try after years of vowing not to ever give Motley Crue a chance due to my dislike of Vince Neil's voice, the fact that he killed dude from Hanoi Rocks, and their later singles in general. This is actually p good! Dunno that it's gonna be something I spin a million times, but even Vince doesn't annoy me so much.

is their first album even better?

is their first album even better?

Nope. They peaked with SatD. There are two or three good songs on the debut, and about that many on each of their next three (Theatre of Pain, Girls Girls Girls and Dr. Feelgood), but they only had one really, really good album in 'em.

okie doke!

First album is worth hearing though. It's the second best thing they ever did by a fair margin.

i'll probably get around to it

anyone care to rep for, or at least comment on MC's post Feelgood material? I don't believe I've heard a single song recorded after that Decade of Decadence thing.

I don't believe I've heard a single song recorded after that Decade of Decadence thing.

I have, but I don't remember a thing about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxi5qDQ4Xa4

Some great posts in this thread, but really, it may be a cliche, but fuck me it's true: The first two albums are some of my favorite music around and I could give two shits about everything else the band did. Motley Crue to me defined a band that pandered shamelessly. This pandering was pretty good for the first two records because they seemed to be reaching for pretty normal things: If we write this song, we can get laid! If we write this album, we can get signed! If we write this album, we can tour like crotch-sniffing animals!

But then they pandered for successes far beyond the tits & testosterone and everything from that point on is as dead to me as Michael Corleone's rat fink brother. The fact that they reached those successes is really immaterial, though it allowed for an amusing book.

^^^ EXACTLY. When they were poor scumbags they were kinda great.

The Dirt movie is such unrepentant trash it's kind of great in the post Ray/Walk The Line era of prestige music flicks

Can't say that I had "Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee releases an Electro/Hip-Hop album" on my 2020 Bingo Card, but it's been a strange year.

TOMMY LEE

http://files.constantcontact.com/8e40a73f401/967b7df4-74fc-43d7-88c8-b99395cba385.jpg

RELEASES HIS HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED NEW ALBUM,ANDRO

http://files.constantcontact.com/8e40a73f401/24028856-7c39-4af6-bb0a-2667332aa70d.jpg

WITH TRACKS FEATURING POST MALONE, TYLA YAWEH, MICKEY AVALON, LUKAS ROSSI, PUSH PUSH, BROOKE CANDY AND MORE

Los Angeles, CA (October 16, 2020) – The making of ANDRO, “the year’s most galvanizing electro/hip hop record,” according to Alternative Press, was an adventure of musical discovery. On this record, we see one of rock’s most notorious drummers Tommy Lee step behind the board, seeking new talent from all over the talent from all over the world to enhance the high-energy music created in the time between tours with Mötley Crüe.

The music on ANDRO truly represents the music that Tommy was meant to make--and reveals the depth and range of his musical fascinations. The songs represent the male and female sides of music--equally important and equally powerful, influencing the name of the album, ANDRO. Androgyny is a combination of the essences of male and female genders and ANDRO is the musical manifestation of the concept.

With elements of hip-hop, electronic, pop, industrial, and rock combined with nearly any other genre you can think of, ANDRO was created as an emotional release for this challenging year of 2020. Tommy and guests tackle these musical genre-bending bold tracks, in-your-face beats and high-level production. “I have a list of people I’ve always wanted to work with. It’s a long list! I’m a big fan of the underdog because there are people who are so talented out there. Because of the way things are now, it is just so fucking hard to cut through the abundance of music and fucking noise that is out there. Some of the artists I most love really struggle to see the light of day.

But not everyone on Andro is an underdog. The album also features Lee's remix of “Tommy Lee” the eponymous track by Post Malone and Tyla Yaweh that was certified Gold earlier this month. Tommy's driving remix was created with the help of John 5 on guitars and produced along with his son, Dylan Lee. The track has been featured on ESPN throughout the NBA playoffs

Tommy’s ability to expertly bring together musicians from multiple genres, countries, and backgrounds has awarded him with an album that sounds like nothing that has come before it. The video for Mickey Avalon’s “Caviar on A Paper Plate” was filmed recently in Los Angeles and it features Avalon doing his very own rendition of the garage attendants in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with Tommy’s wrapped Rolls Royce. “Working with everyone was awesome! They all took great lead from me, being that I am such a professional,” laughs Avalon. The video is a prequel to a Tik Tok posted by Lee and his wife, Brittany Furlan Lee, earlier this week.

“This pandemic has put a new spin on just about everything we do, and music is always the cure for what we go through. ANDRO can definitely help ease what fucking ails ya’ll,” Tommy says.

I guess it's better than relaunching Methods of Mayhem?

Having just listened to the album, I would say no! :)
But I am not the target audience here...

First, Motley Crue pretty much sucks. But second, I had no idea Mick Mars not only officially retired, but I guess has been in a legal battle with his former bandmates, accusing them of pushing him out but also of faking their shows, which is something, because they've sounded terrible for decades.

Mars has released a solo song. In the video, he splits into two versions of himself, one wearing a white overcoat and fedora, the other wearing a black overcoat and fedora. Viewers of a certain age will be very disappointed to learn that White-Outfit Mick and Black-Outfit Mick do not spend the video playing violent pranks on each other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onhdroC-PM0

Vince Neil is better than Roth. Roth sings monotone. Most of Van Halen is unlistenable and his solo stuff just as bad.

This is a fresh take.

That'll cover a few Taco Bell orders.

https://variety.com/2026/music/news/motley-crue-wins-arbitratiion-mick-mars-1236644940/

He should sue Motley Crue for pain and suffering for being in Motley Crue.

Man, its wild that Crue really managed to catch the wind of hair metal apologia, VH1-style "rock star" fetishization, glam revival and pure nostalgia to be a real moneymaking sensation in that 2001-2015 zone and then really managed to just piss away all that goodwill. Vince can't sing for shit anymore, their septuagenarian guitar player is suing them, Tommy continues to jump on every possible musical trend while the ex-wife he abused is chilling ion the Criterion closet and becoming a natural treasure. They were *thirty years* past their prime in 2015 when they first "retired" and would have still been going out "on top" if they just fucked off after that

They looked at Kiss and thought "We can do that!" (They can't.)

It's still amazing to me that the movie version of The Dirt was released in 2019. (It was SO BAD.)

Wow

How did we miss this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQO2FV1OZj4

Vince's voice is so shot he can't even get to Adrock's range.

The Dirt is batshit bad and I kinda love it, it's definitely the movie Motley Crue deserves

He should sue Motley Crue for pain and suffering for being in Motley Crue.

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, January 29, 2026 4:56 PM

https://i.ibb.co/3YkBFDL1/Screen-Shot-2026-01-30-at-6-02-30-PM.png

Still thinking there's a Coal Miner's Daugther-type bio pic about Bobby Deal, just trying to make it in his Skynard-wannabe Southern rock band.

Except L.A. instead of Appalachia.

And the wife walks out on him.

And he gets behind on his child-support checks.

And, ok, still feel like we can somehow work Tommy Lee Jones into this. (SWIDT?)

woah that's Mick??

https://sleazepatrolfiles.blogspot.com/2012/07/mick-mars-part-3-bobs-deal-with-crue.html

Dude completely went

https://i.ibb.co/4wsjcKDB/Screen-Shot-2026-01-31-at-10-28-06-AM.png

and became a millionaire.

"Bands With One Guy Who Is Quietly Much Older Than The Rest But They Don't Really Acknowledge It" would be a good thread, and you could add Crazy Town's drummer who secretly used to play with Chuck Mangione in the '70s

https://www.moderndrummer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/james-bradley-1.jpg
https://people.com/thmb/4hZwYdkNXthVb1YMv7WfaiPwOsM=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2):format(webp)/crazy-town-062524-7fc7bdfda05f495fa2ecca74ff23c47a.jpg

haha, yes. Also see Band photos where one member refuses to play along

https://i.ibb.co/hJrNfKRT/71-e54-QGO-L-SL1500.jpg

(Drummer Ed Cassidy on the left, stepdad to Randy California in the blue jacket.)

I love Motley Crue, and I love Kiss, and I know that I will never find compatriots as such on Ilm… but there is no doubt Vince is the worst frontman of a major band (or, Fine! what I consider a major band) that has ever been…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b4E90qDp2s

everything Whiney sez aabout their post '99 prominence is true, and yet he does not include Nikki, among other thing the only one who has been there for 45 years, in his list of member indignities… would Whiney care to amend that list to include a Nikki citation?

fuck! this is this what I meant to post

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pdQnZLEWNo

I dunno, Nikki does Sixx AM and hosted some radio radio show and married a model, none of which are really that embarrassing in the grand scheme of things.

first Crue album is great, it's got a little engine that could charm to it and the most poppy

xpost veronica moser i too love Motley Crue + Kiss :D

BIG MAC! ONE OH THREE!

I've played Shout at the Devil so many times over the past 43 years (coincidentally I was cranking Too Young to Fall in Love an hour ago), that I'd be lying to myself if I said it wasn't one of my top five or ten albums of all time. For a very specific subset of us (weirdo white 13 year-olds in 1983-84) it's THE gateway album. It's in our blood.

Too Fast For Love is the one for me. “On With The Show” specifically.

I really it’s brittle, tinny sound. It feels hungrier, more desperate.
And I like the Leathur Records version even better because there’s no chipmunk sped-up Vince vocals

I really like*

i learned a while back they did a show in ~Grass Valley~ because the management company they signed with was from there

*Grass Valley is about an hour+ out of Sacramento in the deep foothills , very small quaint mining town, very rural, middle of nowhere

and i guess they hitchhiked from LA to Grass Valley to play the show. So crazy.
Imagine picking up those street rats on the freeway

one of my favorite L.A. moments was coming across Tommy Lee's post on NextDoor complaining about kids riding ebikes in the middle of the road in his gated community, real sincere concern for their safety and anger at parents for allowing them to do it.

lol!