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If like me you’re one of those rockers who are lucky enough to remember to
heady days of rock before the Seattle scene killed everything we held so
dear, then this DVD will bring a smile to your face and warm the cockles
of your heart.
Motley Crue are undoubtedly one of THE greatest rock bands that ever
lived. Yes love them or hate them there’s simply no denying they were, and
always will be, one of the all time classic bands of our generation.
I latched on to the band in 1982 when I wasn’t long into secondary school
and I saw this guy pass me in the hall looking absolutely amazing with
long dark hair and a denim jacket patched. The biggest patch of all which
covered the entire centre panel was the cover from Motley Crue’s ‘Too fast
for Love’ album. Wow, now this looked like the kind of band I really had
to check out. If it attracted cute guys like this and were a band that
wore the coolest make-up since Adam and the Ants then this band was for
me.
Of course the attraction for this cute guy didn’t last long once I’d seen
the video ‘Live Wire’ and seen more photos of the band. In next to no time
they broke from having a cult following to be THE band who seemingly had
it all. They had the looks, they had the hooks, every girl wanted to be
their play thing and every guy wanted to look like them in the hope he’d
inherit their seemingly animal magnetism and the lifestyle they led.
The band have been to the highest of the highs, and then to the lowest of
the lows, but even today if you go to a rock club, as soon as ‘Girls,
girls, Girls’ or ‘Dr Feelgood’ is spun there’s a surge of people wanting
to cock rock it all over again. Both songs timeless classics.
Whether you were a die hard fan of the band, or just someone who thought
they were kinda cool and digged their tunes, this DVD video collection
really is to die for. Opening up with a track more powerful than a shot of
coke, ‘Kickstart my Heart’ grabs you by the balls and really gets that
adrenalin pumping.
As this video shows the band were one massive
testosterone machine that shot you between the eyes and just wouldn’t let
go until it was over. I particularly love the start of the video where it
shows the band arriving for a gig at The Whiskey in LA and there’s like
all these screaming fans going absolutely ballistic and crying out for the
band. Guys, girls, and everything in between are there. It really
epitomizes the effect this band had one their fans, not just in the USA,
but also right across Europe, if not the whole of the world.
They were like gods and to many that respect and the praise they earned
for their talents still stands to test of time today. You followed the
band, you read The Dirt, and now you’re gonna live it all again in this
video collection. Nothing could touch them but for all the highs it seems
their lives were far from the idyllic existence we all presumed they led.
During one of the videos, I think it might be ‘Same ol’ Situation’, a
message comes across the screen which says that between 7th August 1989
and 6th August 1990, Motley Crue performed live in front of more than 2
million fans in 14 different countries. Wow, it sounds exciting doesn’t
it? But when you read The Dirt and listen to the interview with Nikki Sixx
and Tommy Lee at the end of the DVD you realize it was far from that and
rapidly lost it’s sparkle and appeal.
Most of the videos in this collection I’ve seen, that’s more because I’ve
been a total addict to the band than anything else. Two videos I can’t
remember seeing before are ‘Don’t go away Mad’ and ‘Without You’. The
later reminds me of the videos Heart used to put out about the same time.
Very glossy, very glamorous, and to be honest not really what you’d expect
from a band like this. Even so if you can step away from the bad boy image
it is actually a sumptuous video that is highly enjoyable to watch.
‘Wild Side’ and ‘Same ol’ Situation’ include some fantastic live footage
of Tommy’s drum kit flying above the crowd and rolling over and over. I
remember seeing the band play Birmingham NEC many years ago, I think it
was on the ‘Girls, girls, Girls’ tour, and Tommy’s drum kit was raised
high on the stage and started spinning half way through the set. The crowd
went absolutely ape and how our ear drums weren’t split is beyond me. It
was one of the most visually exciting moments of my life as far as gigs
go. It really was absolutely amazing to watch. When he finished he stood
up on his stood, turned his back on the audience, dropped his draws and
mooned us all. Oh my, how I wish those bloody security guards hadn’t
confiscated my camera because that certainly was one of those Kodak
moments.
During the interview at the end with Tommy and Nikki they talk about the
different ways the live videos were shot. It’s amazing to hear just what
lengths their camera man went to to get the true essence of the band from
every angle. My personal favourite is the camera in a ball. How cool is
that and why didn’t more bands use this idea?
The videos span the whole of the bands career between ‘Live Wire’ in 1982,
right through to the fabulous ‘Hell on high Heels’ in 2000. It includes
videos from every phase of the band including when Randy Castillo (RIP)
was the drummer and even when John Corabi took over the reins from Vince
Neil.
There’s so much material on this DVD that the band have really totally
spoiled us all. Not only do you get 21 full length videos on it, but
they’ve included an additional 6 different versions of some of their most
popular videos. Male fans will particularly enjoy the X-rated version of
‘Girls, girls, Girls’ which this collection includes. Yes guys you finally
get to see their naked breasts. Just how many years have you been trying
to get a hold of this version huh?
The collection shows the differing styles of videos throughout their
careers. Early on they dabbled on ‘concept’ videos with ‘Looks that Kill’
and ‘Too young to fall in Love’. Two really great videos that were quite
revolutional in those days. A couple of years later we had that strange
fella from the horror video’s staring in the bands videos for ‘Smokin’ in
the boys Room’ and ‘Home sweet Home’. Just how weird did those eyes look?
A few more years down the line and the band paraded their new kick-ass
attitudes before us with ‘Dr Feelgood’, ‘Wild Side’, and ‘Girls, girls’
Girls’. The videos showed us all exactly what kind of kind of rock n’ roll
lifestyles these guys now had laid before their feet. We now know that
‘Same ol’ Situation’ wasn’t necessarily about the restrictions
relationships had on the band, and more to do with the tiring routine of
endless tours and living out of a suitcase, permanently on the road and
not knowing what day or time zone you were in.
Apart from the wickedly funny comeback video ‘Hell on high Heels’, the
collection features three of my own favourite videos. ‘Primal Scream’,
‘Afraid’, and ‘Hooligan’s Holiday’. All three are amazing songs, but all
these songs hailed a new experimental phase for the band. The band was
evolving and their music and image changing.
Obviously they were going through a lot at the time and were trying to
keep up with the every changing world and the tastes of their fans. Their
music was starting to grow and develop into a much more mature sounding
band. Along with ‘Kickstart my Heart’ and ‘Dr Feelgood’, ‘Primal Scream’
is one of my all time favourite tracks by the band. It really does capture
the raw attitude that pulsated through so many of the bands anthem like
songs.
‘Afraid’ was a total step in a different direction which had a female
director and I can’t help but think after listening to what Nikki and
Tommy have to say about the band went through to make this video, that
perhaps she was having a sly dig at these sexy sexist musicians and
bringing them down to earth a little. Perhaps I could be wrong but having
them hide under the petticoat of a woman, then throwing them across the
stage against the metal bars of a cage … well you go figure. Strike one
for all the women they degraded and used over the years.
‘Hooligans Holiday’ is an absolute hoot. This video is so wry and such fun
to watch. The guys get dressed up and from start to finish it’s just so
cleverly thought out and so in keeping with that period of time for music
videos it’s fabulous fun to watch.
‘Enslaved’ apparently is made up of loads of different bootlegs that fans
had taken of the band over the years. Again it’s great to see snippets of
all these different live shows but at times you gotta ask yourself … just
how rough does Vince Neil look in some of those shots? It’s one of those
amazing things because one minute you’re watching a really scrawny Nikki
Sixx or a rough looking Vince Neil, and then next you are looking at these
god-like creatures who you’d sell you’re every possession just to stand in
the same room as them.
This is one of the many things that make this collection such an ultimate
piece of rock history. Its shows the band through all their phases. One
minute they are wearing more make-up than your make-up counter at Boots,
the next they are looking hot to trot, and damn right sexy. In fact sexy
is an understatement, they are fairly sizzling. Is it any wonder everybody
either wanted to be them or to be shagged senseless by them?
You simply can’t watch this DVD without watching the interview with Tommy
and Nikki at the end. Nikki looking a bit chunkier than he does now in the
Brides, and Tommy looking the healthiest I’ve seen him in years. Fresh
faced and clean of the drugs that have destroyed so much of his life.
There’s a class moment while the lads are talking about how they came
about the name for the ‘Girls, girls, Girls’ album and they say … ‘we
drive Harleys, we play rock n’ roll, we go to strip clubs and drink’ …
they then go on to say … ‘there really is no depth here’.
Well they might think there is no depth in the meaning of their songs, but
as one of the most notorious bands of our time, I have to disagree with
them on that one. There is so much depth with this band. They are deeper
than the deepest ocean and more troubled than most. They have been to hell
and back but they have survived. They are still here to tell the tale that
many other bands and artists of that time are sadly not able to do. I
doubt whether they will ever realize just how lucky they were, but at the
same time how cursed. The sights they’ve seen, the things they’ve done,
and the hard times they’ve somehow managed to overcome have all affected
their musical ability and their attitudes and styles.
They were, and still are, loved by so many. They’ve made such a big impact
on so many millions of fans, in fact I’d probably go as far as to say
billions because they really were that big. There’s few bands can claim
that but this is one of them. There’s just no getting away from it, they
were the ones and this video collection only helps to bring that further
home to us.
Check this out, it’s what you’re DVD collection has been crying out for.
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