Shout At The Oldies

Always changing, Motley Crue now sports the Vampire Hunters look. Watch out Lestat!

Another 80's reunion hitting the road this year is Motley Crue and to back it up they're releasing an album of new music-the first to feature the original four members since Generation Swine (1997). They've been back together for a little bit now, but it seems to take something more than a little money to bring them into the studio-that would be the promise of a lot more money. A LOT more money.

Despite the desperate attempt to generate buzz by getting cold cocked by Kid Rock (not so hott), even tabloid darling Tommy Lee couldn't grab much heat for this project (still fighting over Pam Anderson like it's still 1999. I'll save ya CJ!). At least he could get a little press though, it's been ages since Vince Neil or Nikki Sixx did anything noteworthy. Maybe they still think the key to a comeback is to get on the front page of Circus Magazine or Hit Parader and start some crap with Axl Rose for leading a band of young upstarts. Nope, this project feels like its DOA before you hear a note. Then I heard a note. And it was actually good. Respectable even.

"The Saints of Los Angeles" brings some fire back into the Crue's sound as it bashes along in a "Shout At The Devil / Dr Feelgood" kind of way. Unlike the stiff overproduced sound often heard from reunited bands that can't really stand each other but need to pay for their aging Playmate's retrofit plastic surgery, this music actually sounds like a full band. And to me, a guy who was only a casual Crue fan and haven't heard anything listenable from this group since "Primal Scream", I find myself mildly interested in this potential fiasco now. So Shout! Shout! Shout because I'm old and have lost 30% of my hearing! No really, it's not bad. Check it out.

Motley Crue "The Saints of Los Angeles"