Taking Sides: "Smooth Up In Ya" by the Bulletboys vs. "Primal Scream" by Motley Crue

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Not much of contest, actually (or at least as far as I'm concerned), but I caught the video for "Smooth Up in Ya" this morning and it struck me how very similar (particularly in the bass and high-hat department) it was to "Primal Scream". I'm not positive, but I believe the Bulletboys' track predates the Crue track (not that the Crue were ever strangers to liberally borrowing from other people). That said, I think the Crue track completely flattens "Smooth Up in Ya" without much effort, thanks largely to Mick Mars' guitars. Moreover, "Smooth Up in Ya" is a thoroughly embarrassing title. The Bulletboys also horribly maimed "For the Love of Money" by the O'Jays, so fuck those guys.

"Primal Scream" seems like it should've been a hit at the time, but seemed to get lost in the shuffle (also around the time the band were falling apart). I was surprised to learn that Decade of Decadence (the compilation from whence it sprang) is now out of print! No great loss, as the Crue now have at least four other best-ofs out, needlessly.

Anyway, I'm sure Chuck will entirely disagree with me here, as is his wont.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 14:42 (twenty years ago)

"Smooth Up" always struck me as an incredibly dumb introductory single for the Bulletboys. In the first place, it's not very good. Secondly, it doesn't represent what they did the best... aping Van Halen. As far as I know, they didn't even exist as a band before Ted Templeman put them together in Van Halen's image. Yeah, there's some tracks on the first album that would have made better singles, but their second album Freakshow is where it all came together.

But now I'm off topic. "Primal Scream" was the last good song Motley Crue ever made.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 16:40 (twenty years ago)

Bulletboys did cooler covers than Van Halen. "Hang on St Christopher"!

― dave q (listerine), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 16:43 (twenty years ago)

True, but I'll bet dollars to donuts Templeman was picking out the covers.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 16:44 (twenty years ago)

(Although, the idea of Van Halen doing "You're No Good" was fucking brilliant.)

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 16:45 (twenty years ago)

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