Tuesday Two-Fer, II, Motley Crue

By our friend HIM.

As readers of this site know, my relationship with the Crue is complicated. I am a devout fan. I just think they lingered too long, that their output is uneven, even as their legacy is well-established. I suspect these choices are going to generate some amount of controversy, as they are not from their classic period. No, they suggest a trend that was developing, that was delivered, and that was then briskly displaced by a need to return to form(at).

First Pick: “Primal Scream,” Decade of Decadence 81-91 (1991)

At this point, the Crue were growing a bit repetitive for me. That might sound strange, given that they are a band known for changing up their look, their logo font, and a bit of their sound from album to album. Still, I wasn’t expect this and certainly not on what was to become a tradition for the band: a greatest hits package. The song slams along with an energy I hadn’t heard since Shout. And it also pointed towards a slightly harder, almost grungy, sound. Was I ready to ‘crash and burn’ with the Crue again? Damn right!

Second Pick: “Uncle Jack,” Motley Crue (1994)

Dark, disturbing, and sludgy. What the hell is going on here?!?! A truly tragic tale and a mighty jolt of something different. I know. That didn’t translate into sales. And it didn’t launch Corabi into the stratosphere. I also know this is a retrospectively respected album for a lot of us. Does that make it any less heavy and awesome? I don’t think so.

Honorable Mention: “Starry Eyes,” Too Fast For Love (1981). Sometimes different works.