![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i1220.photobucket.com\/albums\/dd449\/MTRBWY\/MC942.jpg\" "\\"MC94\\"")
Seriously, how good is this album!<\/p>\nSeriously, how good is this album!<\/p>\n
If there’s one thing that is hard to do in the music business it’s replace a singer in a band and have it work.\u00a0 For many bands the singer is the pivotal reason why people like your band in the first place.\u00a0 It works on very rare occurrences, Van Halen (the first time) and AC\/DC being ones that have made it work.\u00a0 So the reason we’re here now talking about this album is because I wish it had worked with this incarnation of Motley Crue.\u00a0 After the departure of Vince Neil in 1992, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and Mick Mars recruited The Scream singer John Corabi and were ready to once again give the world Motley Crue.<\/p>\n
It was 1994 in the midst of grunge and where bands like Pantera were huge, so The Crue, if I may call them that, in an attempt to not still be labelled as a \u2018hair band\u2019, came back with a darker image and a promise of something that you’d never heard before and I was so pumped for this, I read every article on it, was waiting with baited breath and bought MC94 the day it was released.\u00a0 I put it on and was instantly blown away, this was heavy!\u00a0 ‘Power To The Music’ was like no Motley Crue song I’d ever heard as quite frankly, Vince Neil singing this just wouldn’t work. The double kick roll in the song, those that know the album know what I mean, that is killer, I knew after this one song that I was in for one hell of a ride on this album, it was like an impenetrable force.\u00a0 Corabi’s raspy vocals suit these darker songs, case and point with ‘Uncle Jack’ a song that deals with child abuse, which couldn’t be further removed from the usual Strip Clubs and girls The Crue were renowned for singing about.\u00a0 The first single taken from the album was ‘Hooligan’s Holiday’ a perfect choice to introduce their new singer, their new look and their new sound, it really is a kick ass song as was second single ‘Misunderstood’ which is filled with acoustic guitars, strings, but builds to a monster of a song well worthy of single release, it is a shame as everyone who knows Motley Crue know that as good as we all thought, well, I thought the album and singles were that it just didn’t work.![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i1220.photobucket.com\/albums\/dd449\/MTRBWY\/MC941.jpg\" "\\"MC94")
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Songs like ‘Loveshine’ are a nice acoustic driven track whereas ‘Poison Apples’ is a song that could’ve easily had radio play and is as close as I think the band got to that ‘original’ Motley Crue sound \/ formula. ‘Hammered’ is another heavy masterpiece and showcases the use of that extra guitar player that Corabi brought to the band, his tone balances Mars’ perfectly.\u00a0 Producer Bob Rock was at the helm of this one and he’d just come off albums like Metallica’s Black Album and Bon Jovi’s Keep The Faith and he of course also did Dr Feelgood for The Crue in 1989 but how he got the band to sound this huge was testament, I can’t fault the production on this album at all.\u00a0 If only he could still make drums sound this good *cough St. Anger cough.*\u00a0Talking about masterpieces though is when we get to the next track ‘Til Death Do Us Part’ was to be the original title for the album and I still wonder why it wasn’t?\u00a0 This song for me is the best on the album, and trust me, it’s no wedding song, although I did play it at mine and well that didn’t work out so well, thanks Motley Crue.\u00a0 But seriously, this doesn\u2019t even sound like any songs that are released today, it was before its time I feel and it’s a shame it never got to be lifted as a single as I think by the time they were talking about a third, the moment had passed. It’s funny lyrically they say “You know, I’ve lived a few mistakes and I stand by them…” maybe this album was a mistake but I feel it’s often dismissed by the band, which is a shame.\u00a0 Stand by your band…<\/p>\n
Another favourite on the album is ‘Welcome To The Numb’ a fun track, great groove and has a cowbell in it, so that\u2019s a win. This is another track that shows us shades of The Crue of old, then we get \u2018Smoke The Sky\u2019 with it\u2019s huge riff and blistering guitars throughout and it\u2019s theme of marijuana at the forefront, you actually don\u2019t care what it\u2019s about as you bang your head along with it. \u2018Droppin\u2019 Like Flies\u2019 is one of the longest tracks on the album at almost 6:30 and gives us some more deep lyrics and heavy grooves.\u00a0 The album finishes though with a big well, almost power ballad, in \u2018Driftaway\u2019 which is an awesome track and it\u2019s acoustic driven feel has you swaying along to it at times almost forgetting you\u2019ve just had your head blown off by the previous 11 tracks but as it fades out you instantly start the album again and go straight back to \u2018Power To The Music\u2019 well I do anyway\u2026<\/p>\n
I wonder if the one mistake the band made with this album was as simple as not changing the name, had they done that, could the album have been better received?\u00a0 Maybe, but when you slap the name Motley Crue on an album, you expect ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ and I think a lot of people were confused.\u00a0 Not me, I loved this album, still do and wish a whole lot more people did too.\u00a0 I said it at the start and I\u2019ll say it again.\u00a0 Seriously, how good is this album!<\/p>\n
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Release date:<\/strong> 1994<\/p>\n Producer:<\/strong> Bob Rock<\/p>\n Record label:<\/strong> Elektra Records<\/p>\n Website:<\/strong> www.motley.com<\/a> & www.johncorabi.com<\/a><\/p>\n Track Listing:<\/strong> <\/p>\n \n
\n01. Power to the Music
\n02. Uncle Jack
\n03. Hooligan’s Holiday
\n04. Misunderstood
\n05. Loveshine
\n06. Poison Apples
\n07. Hammered
\n08. Til Death Do Us Part
\n09. Welcome to the Numb
\n10. Smoke the Sky
\n11. Droppin’ Like Flies
\n12. Driftaway<\/p>\n