Motley Crue Greatest Hits
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
You’re probably wondering why on Earth we’re getting yet another greatest hits collection from Motley Crue. Wasn’t 2003’s Greatest Hits a pretty thorough collection of Crue singles? If not, surely 2005’s 2-disc Red, White and Crue hit all the highlights (and then some). For that matter, doesn’t the old 1992 set Decade of Decadence adequately cover all of the (important/relevant) Crue hits (that abortion of a Sex Pistols cover aside)? Sorry, but this 2009 Greatest Hits collection smells of fulfilling a record company obligation. They even reused the cover artwork and liner notes from the 2003 collection.
Whatever the reason, you can’t argue the fact that between a successful new album, bestselling book, and their own traveling rock festival, Motley Crue is enjoying a surge in popularity of late. Perhaps that’s reason enough for another trip through the band’s past. Here’s what this collection has to offer:
From 1982’s Too Fast For Love, only the title track is included. Seriously? No “Live Wire” or “Piece of Your Action?” That’s almost grounds for dismissal right off the bat.
They hit all the highlights of 1983’s Shout at the Devil by including “Looks That Kill,” “Too Young To Fall In Love” and the anthemic title track.
“Home Sweet Home” and the band’s cover of Brownsville Station’s “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” were the only inclusions from 1985’s Theatre of Pain, and even that may be one too many. That was not Motley Crue’s finest hour.
1987’s Girls Girls Girls is represented by “Wild Side” and the title track. You can’t argue the logic of those choices, as both were pretty big hits. “You’re All I Need” would have worked as well, and “Dancin’ On Glass” deserved a spot for being a totally kickass song, even if it wasn’t a hit.
It should come as no surprise that 1989’s Dr. Feelgood is the most heavily represented album on this collection. It was a massive hit, even by Crue standards, and “Dr. Feelgood,” “Kickstart My Heart,” “Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.),” “Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)” and “Without You” all deserve inclusion here.
Here’s where it gets tricky. They have to cover the band’s output since Dr. Feelgood, but Motley Crue hasn’t really had a bona-fide hit since that album’s heyday. Here are the best of the rest:
“Primal Scream,” a studio track recorded for the Decade of Decadence collection. This one actually got some decent airtime back in the day.
“Sick Love Song” and “If I Die Tomorrow” are two forgettable studio tracks recorded for the Red, White and Crue anthology. They don’t do much more than remind us that there was already a decent Motley Crue anthology on store shelves.
1997’s Generation Swine actually gets a nod with the song “Afraid.” Was this really a hit? They could have tossed John Corabi a bone and thrown in “Hooligan’s Holiday” from the self-titled album instead of this one.
2008’s Saints of Los Angeles also merits a couple of inclusions, namely the title track – probably the best song Motley Crue has recorded in nearly 20 years – and a remixed version of “The Animal In Me” that’s so soaring and symphonic that it doesn’t sound much like a Motley Crue song at all.
There are a lot of great songs on this collection (and some not-so-great ones), but if you have one or more of the band’s previous compilations, it’s hard to see how this set is remotely necessary. Still, there will probably always be a market for a Motley Crue Greatest Hits album, and this one is a pretty good value for the money, with 19 songs and a remastering job that puts the old and new material on the same audio quality level. The album is available everywhere, but Best Buy has an exclusive version that comes in a slipcase and includes a bonus DVD of behind the scenes footage from Crue Fest.
Label: Eleven Seven Music
Track Listing:
1. Too Fast For Love
2. Shout At the Devil
3. Looks That Kill
4. Too Young To Fall In Love
5. Smokin’ In the Boys Room
6. Home Sweet Home
7. Wild Side
8. Girls Girls Girls
9. Dr. Feelgood
10. Kickstart My Heart
11. Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.)
12. Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
13. Without You
14. Primal Scream
15. Sick Love Song
16. Afraid
17. If I Die Tomorrow
18. Saints of Los Angeles
19. The Animal In Me (remix)
Lineup:
Vince Neil – Vocals
Tommy Lee – Drums
Nikki Sixx – Bass
Mick Mars – Guitar
Online: www.motley.com
Hardrock Haven Rating: 6.5/10