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REVIEW: Mötley Crüe – ‘Mötley Crüe’ (1994)

Leading up to the March 22 release of “The Dirt” on Netflix, Live Metal is taking a look back at each of Mötley Crüe’s studio albums. —– Review by Greg Maki —– One thing you can never accuse Mötley Crüe of is being predictable. In 1989, “Dr. Feelgood” became the band’s first number one album and went on to sell more than six million copies. Two years later, the “Decade of Decadence” compilation charted at number two, spawned the Mötley classic “Primal Scream” and eventually went double platinum.

So what they do next? Find a new singer, of course. The parties disagree on how it happened, but in February 1992, Vince Neil was out. Enter John Corabi, formerly of The Scream. They could not have found someone more unlike Neil—Corabi with his dark look and deep, bluesy, versatile voice, and Vince with his sunny blonde looks, hard-partying image and limited vocal range.

“Vince is the lighter side—the party, the chicks, the ‘ultimate rock ‘n’ roll rock star lead singer,’” Nikki Sixx said in the liner notes of the 1999 re-release of the “Mötley Crüe” album, originally released in 1994. “When he was out, it allowed the darker side to breathe.”

By the time Corabi joined the band, the pop-infused glam metal the Crüe perfected in the 1980s was long gone, replaced by the likes of more aggressive acts such as Pantera and gloomy Seattle-based bands like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. These influences are all over the heavy, groove-oriented sound of “Mötley Crüe.” Corabi was not a Crüe fan before joining, which helps explain the dramatic shift.

For the other three band members, it was more than a new singer.

“Everyone was on new territory creatively …,” Corabi wrote in “The Dirt.” “Mick [Mars] had never worked with a second guitarist, Nikki had never worked with a second lyricist, and the band had never written songs through just jamming. We couldn’t wait for Mötley fans to hear what we’d done.”

The ambition of the album is astounding; nothing else in the Mötley catalog comes remotely close to it. There are riff-driven slabs of metal like “Power to the Music” and “Hammered”; the twisted “Uncle Jack,” inspired by a relative of Corabi’s who molested his brothers and sisters; “Smoke the Sky,” a song heavy enough to be worthy of Pantera; and the acoustic rocker “Loveshine.”

The high point is undoubtedly “Misunderstood.” It begins with acoustic guitar and a soft Corabi vocal, adding strings and other sounds as it grows into an angry rock song, then decompressing with more acoustic guitar and strings, and some beautiful vocal harmonies. Absolutely brilliant. In a perfect world, it would have been a massive hit. But the video showed an old man with a gun, and MTV refused to air it.

Maybe if Mötley Crüe had played nice with MTV from the start, instead of walking out on an interview because they didn’t like a question, the album would have had more of a chance. It hit the charts at number seven, then quickly faded. The concert halls got smaller and smaller before tours were canceled altogether.

The problem: As great as it is, the album simply does not sound like Mötley Crüe, something the band considered a strength.

“We thought we had really made an intelligent Mötley Crüe record,” Corabi wrote, “with a lot of commentary on the kooky shit going on in the world, from the Rodney King riots in L.A. to the latest fury over music censorship.”

But that isn’t what Mötley Crüe fans want. They fell in love and many grew up with the ultimate sex-drugs-and-rock-n-roll band, and their heroes had turned their backs on that.

“In retrospect, the smartest thing we could have done would have been to change the name of the band,” Sixx said in the re-release liner notes. “That would have let us have complete and utter acceptance or denial based on the music, not based on the name.”

It would have been asking a lot for them to abandon the identity they had spent more than a decade building. But certainly calling the album “Mötley Crüe” was a mistake. There is no way of knowing whether its fate would have been different had it not borne the Mötley name. I’d like to think it would have been the hit it deserved to be. I have to believe there is a way for music this good to be successful.

Rating: 9/10

One thought on “ REVIEW: Mötley Crüe – ‘Mötley Crüe’ (1994) ”

This motley album in 94 was the best album hands down. Heavy , raw and killer every motley fan should go check this album out . 2 devil horns up ! Check it out and smoke the sky 😀

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John Corabi Announces Motley Crue-Era ‘Live 94′ Album

Former Motley Crue and current Dead Daisies singer John Corabi will release Live 94 (One Night in Nashville) , a live album featuring solo performances of tracks from his only Motley Crue album.

Corabi, who replaced Vince Neil in 1992, was part of the lineup that released the band's self-titled sixth album in 1994. By 1997 he’d been removed in favor of the returning Neil following record company pressure.

In 2015, Corabi performed his Motley Crue material on a solo tour titled Motley 94 that featured commentary about his time in the band. The upcoming album, which will be released on Feb. 16, was recorded on Oct. 27 at the Basement in Nashville, with guitarist and vocalists Jeremy Asbrock, Phil Shouse and Tommy Daley, plus drummer Ian Corabi, John’s son.

“I have to congratulate the guys in my band for helping me do a live album with no backing tracks or extras,” Corabi said. “It’s how it should’ve sounded live. I love the way this record came out. I wanted something pure, and I think we’ve got it here.”

The 15-track album includes two commentary sections, plus the bonus track “10,000 Miles Away,” which originally appeared on the Japanese version of Motley Crue’s Quaternary EP. You can see the track listing below.

In a 2016 interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Corabi insisted he had no hard feelings toward his former colleagues, despite some negative comments that appeared in the press at the time. “I had a great run with them for five and a half years,” he said. “We did a lot of s--- together, and because of that, I’m very grateful. It has actually opened some doors for me later on in my life. So I don’t really have anything negative to say about those guys.”

He noted that "there’s this preconceived notion that we’re all supposed to hate each other, and I don’t. I’m still traveling around doing my thing with the Daisies, doing my solo record. If the Daisies tomorrow said, ‘Hey, we’re not going to do this anymore,’ I’d still be okay, because I’ve still got my solo band and we’re actually doing quite well as well. It’s all good. Life is awesome.”

Live 94 (One Night in Nashville) is available for pre-order now.

John Corabi, 'Live 94 (One Night in Nashville)' Track Listing 1. “Power to the Music” 2. “Uncle Jack” 3. “Hooligan's Holiday” 4. “Misunderstood” 5. “Loveshine” 6. “Poison Apples” 7. “John Joins The Band” (commentary) 8. “Hammered” 9. “Til Death Do Us Part” 10. “Welcome to the Numb” 11. “Smoke the Sky” 12 “Here Is The Band” (commentary) 13. “Droppin' Like Flies” 14. “Driftaway” 15. “10,000 Miles Away” (Bonus Track)

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MÖTLEY CRÜE Played Its First Concert Exactly 40 Years Ago Today

Legendary rock band MÖTLEY CRÜE played its first concert exactly 40 years ago today — April 24, 1981.

CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx commemorated the occasion by sharing an early promotional photo of the band and included the following caption: "40 years ago @motleycrue played our first show together at the Starwood club in Hollywood California. Happy anniversary @thevinceneil @mr.mickmars @tommylee. It’s been one hell of an adventure. THANK YOU".

It was January 17, 1981 when Sixx first jammed with Tommy Lee and vocalist/guitarist Greg Leon . Leon left, and Mick Mars and Vince Neil were recruited. The rest, as they say, is history…

Nikki recently said about CRÜE 's 40th anniversary: "In 'Kickstart My Heart' , the lyrics say, 'When we started this band / All we needed, needed was a laugh / Years gone by, I'd say we've kicked some ass.'

"It's always been about great songs and over-the-top live shows for us. The fans were always right by our side. I don't know where all of the years went. It went by in a flash. What I can't forget are the four decades of fans who have counted themselves as Crüeheads from day one, supporting us through thick and thin. To them we are in debt and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

"Happy 40th birthday to us all.”

Neil , Sixx , Mars and Lee are firmly ingrained in the fabric of rock history. MÖTLEY CRÜE has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, achieving seven USA platinum and multi-platinum albums, 22 Top 40 mainstream rock hits, six Top 20 pop singles and three Grammy nominations.

The band has had 1.6 billion streams across digital providers and has over 8 million social media followers. In 2006, the band was inducted into the Hollywood Walk Of Fame .

A stunning live act, MÖTLEY CRÜE has taken its incendiary show across the world, selling over 100 million tickets globally.

The band's biography "The Dirt: Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band" , first published in 2001, became a New York Times best-seller and has sold over one million copies worldwide. In addition, the band members have authored three other New York Times best-sellers.

2019 saw "The Dirt" released as a feature-length biopic. The film became one of the biggest releases of that year and scored a 94% positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes .

The band remains a huge global draw. MÖTLEY CRÜE is set to co-headline a nearly sold-out North American stadium tour with DEF LEPPARD , POISON and Joan Jett in June, July, August and September 2021.

MÖTLEY CRÜE 's legacy and influence in the global music scene cannot be underestimated. 2021 is the year to celebrate the achievements of this extraordinary band.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by —Nikki Sixx— (@nikkisixxpixx)

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