Mötley Crüe Albums (10)
'Saints of Los Angeles'
Release Date 6/11/2008
Tracks 13
Label Universal
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Since their last hit record, 1989's Dr. Feelgood, Mötley Crüe fans have endured countless live albums, "greatest-hits" collections, reissues and B-sides packages, a record with John Corabi on vocals, one with Randy Castillo behind the kit and one with the original lineup that sank with barely a trace (1997's Generation Swine). The most successful thing the band produced in those ensuing years was its tell-all autobiography, The Dirt, a story so drenched in sex, drugs, and rock & roll that it elicited a venereal disease and a contact high just through picking it up. That book is the impetus behind Saints of Los Angeles, the first record to feature the group's original lineup since Swine, and it's a welcome -- though spotty -- return to form for these aging miscreants. The Crüe are at their best when they mine the manic, punk-infused glam metal of the pre-saturated, mid-'80s Sunset Strip, something they get right on opening cut "Face Down in the Dirt," complete with a Shout at the Devil-era, "In the Beginning"-inspired intro. "Down at the Whisky" echoes the West Coast excess of Girls, Girls, Girls, managing to wax both nostalgic and devious while dutifully summing up the band's rise from local pranksters to international bad boys, while the rousing title cut, though a bit forced, manages to drum up the kind of chest-thumping bravado that sparked some of the best metal anthems of the late '80s. Like all Crüe albums, things start to go south about halfway through, and while the performances and subject matter are as raucous and sadistic as the book upon which they're based, it's all a bit too deliberate. Mötley Crüe have been trumpeting their hedonism for so long and so loudly that it's become more of a caricature than a way of life, and while Saints of Los Angeles is the best thing they've laid to tape since their codpiece heydays, it's more of a walk down memory lane/Sunset Strip than a legitimate call to arms. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Forget the stylistic dabbling and forced attempts to fit the '90s rock market that plagued Mötley Crüe throughout the decade. New Tattoo is a full-fledged return to their trademark sound: sleazy hard rock with a slight glam tinge (although not quite as much as before). And it's really sleazy, the band apparently having decided to return to their bread and butter with a vengeance. In spite of a couple of sentimental ballads, odes to prostitutes, S&M, erotic-cabaret stars, glue-sniffing trailer-park teenage girls, and even a corny nod to Internet porn dominate the record. It seems like a conscious determination on the band's part to outdo themselves in the lewdness department, perhaps because they've realized that making concessions to '90s trends isn't really their forte, or perhaps as a pointed reaction against the lack of hedonism in the vast majority of '90s rock. There's more than a hint of bitterness about all of that on "1st Band on the Moon" and "Fake"; the former is more playful, lamenting the disappearance of party-hearty arena rock and horny groupies, while the latter is an angry, unfocused rant against greedy record-industry hypocrites (ironically, "Fake" seems dissatisfied with the rock & roll lifestyle the band spends the rest of the album singing about). The songwriting is occasionally somewhat lackluster, but never as erratic as Generation Swine, and even if there aren't any classic singles here on the level of the band's best work in the '80s, the material overall is pretty consistently melodic. By this point, anyone who still follows Mötley Crüe is likely to be a rabid diehard, and that (actually rather substantial) fan base will be ecstatic over New Tattoo. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
'Live: Entertainment or Death'
Release Date 11/23/1999
Tracks 22
Label Beyond
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Packaged as a double-disc set but priced as a single disc, Live: Entertainment or Death features performances of many of Mötley Crüe's best-known songs, covering (almost) their entire career both in terms of song selections and concert dates. In general, most of the performances here took place either in the first half of the '80s or in 1998-1999, and it might have been nice to hear the group at their Dr. Feelgood-era peak instead; there are also no songs from the Vince Neil-less era, but that's a wiser choice, and helps present a more consistent, good-time atmosphere. There aren't really any new revelations here, either concerning the band or the material; it's exactly what you'd expect Mötley Crüe to sound like in concert, and even if the visual aspects of the stage show are lost, it's still an entertaining listen for fans. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Mötley Crüe's albums were a lot like episodes of Married with Children -- they may not be great works of art, but they can be darn entertaining. With Bob Rock serving as producer, the L.A. headbangers savored the joys of trashy, unapologetically decadent fun on Dr. Feelgood -- an album that made no pretense at being anything else. While nothing here is quite as commanding as "Shout at the Devil," "Wild Side," or "Live Wire," such hook-oriented MTV smashes as "Kickstart My Heart," "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)," and the title song are infectious and hard to resist, and helped make this the best-selling Mötley Crüe album ever, as well as providing their first Top Ten singles. Unfortunately, the album would be lead singer Vince Neil's last album with the band for several years, thus marking the end of Mötley Crüe's heyday. Neil's departure -- and pop-metal's decline in popularity during the mid-'90s -- proved to be severe blows to Mötley Crüe, but Dr. Feelgood is still a fine curtain call. [In 1999, the Crüe remastered and reissued Dr. Feelgood on their own Motley/Beyond label with bonus tracks.] ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Girls, Girls, Girls continued Mötley Crüe's commercial hot streak, eventually going quadruple platinum as its predecessor, Theatre of Pain, had; meanwhile, the title track brought them their second Top 20 single, and "Wild Side" became a popular MTV item. In general, the Crüe really plays up the sleaze factor on this album, trying to recapture some of the street-tough grittiness that fueled Too Fast for Love -- even appearing on the cover astride motorcycles and wearing leather; this time around, the influence of Aerosmith is felt to a much greater degree. The production is too polished to really give the record a raw, dirty feel, but the raunchiness comes through all the same. Again, there's a bit of filler, as though the band knew they didn't have to make a completely consistent record to maintain their popularity, but there are enough high points along the way to make Girls, Girls, Girls an entertaining party-metal platter. [In 1999, the Crüe remastered and reissued Girls, Girls, Girls on their own Motley/Beyond label with four bonus tracks: instrumental mixes of three selections, plus the previously unreleased song "Rodeo."] ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Backing away from the mild pseudo-Satanic posturing on parts of Shout at the Devil in favor of a more glammed-up image, Mötley Crüe really began to hit their commercial stride with Theatre of Pain, which broke them on MTV with the power ballad "Home Sweet Home" and a remake of Brownsville Station's "Smokin' in the Boys' Room"; the latter also landed them on the Top 40 singles chart for the first time. Overall, the guitar riffing sounds less heavy metal and more pop-metal; similarly, the sound of the record is slicker and more arranged, polished for mainstream acceptance and airplay. A higher percentage of dull filler has crept into the songwriting, but there are still enough high points to rescue the album's momentum. [In 1999, the Crüe remastered and reissued Theatre of Pain on their own Motley/Beyond label with five bonus tracks: demos of "Home Sweet Home," "Keep Your Eye on the Money," and "City Boy Blues," plus rough mixes of "Smokin' in the Boys' Room" and "Home Sweet Home" (the latter an instrumental).] ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Shout at the Devil displays Mötley Crüe's sleazy and notorious yet quite entertaining metal at its best. When compared to its predecessor, Too Fast for Love, one can see that the band's musical range has certainly widened over the course of these two albums; the record features catchy, hard-rocking songs, but also includes an instrumental ("God Bless the Children of the Beast") and a powerful cover of the Beatles' "Helter Skelter." While such later albums as Dr. Feelgood would achieve a higher amount of critical acclaim, no Mötley Crüe album surpasses the quality of Shout at the Devil. [In 1999, the Crüe remastered and reissued Shout at the Devil on their own Motley/Beyond label with four bonus tracks: three demos, including versions of the title track and "Looks That Kill," and a previously unreleased song.] ~ Barry Weber, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On Mötley Crüe, the band's first album recorded without vocalist Vince Neil, the group revamped its trademark dirty but melodic heavy metal, adding elements of '90s grunge and alternative metal, as well as the group's new vocalist, a hoarse shouter named John Corabi. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On their debut album, Mötley Crüe essentially comes across as a bash-'em-out bar band, making up in enthusiasm what they lack in technical skill. Yet that's part of the appeal of Too Fast for Love, a chance to hear the band without the glossy production of their later, most popular work, showcasing their down-and-dirty roots. The fact that pop-metal songwriting was not really a consideration helps the album come off as more genuinely trashy and sleazy, celebrating its own grime with exuberant zest. This is the Crüe playing it lean and mean, effortlessly capturing the tough swagger that often came off a bit more calculated in later years, and it's one of their most invigorating records. [In 1999, the Crüe remastered and reissued Too Fast for Love on their own Motley/Beyond label with four bonus tracks: three interesting previously unreleased songs and a version of the title track with a different intro.] ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
