Monday, February 2, 2009

Motley Crue: Saints of Los Angeles

Post #51
There seem to be many 80's heavy metal bands that are making a comeback in the last few years. Sometimes these efforts aren't all they're anticipated to be, but with Saints of Los Angeles, Motley Crue prove that some reunions are worth the effort. This album is a pleasant surprise for a previously dormant Crue-fan like myself.

The biggest positive about this album is of course the fact that it features the original line-up of the band: Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars, and Tommy Lee. What's more is the fact that they have recaptured their classic sound & style in their music. The songs on this album sound like they'd fit right in along with classics like "Girls, Girls, Girls", "Kickstart My Heart", or "Shout at the Devil". Enough time has passed for the Crue, that rather than being criticized for reclaiming their 'old-school' sound they're being praised for it- and deservedly so.


The themes and subject material for this album also return to familiar territory. The fast-paced & reckless life-style of rock'n'rollers indulging in their excess & their fame are depicted in a semi-biographical context. As Nikki Sixx said upon the album's release, the band tried to write an album "loosely based on The Dirt", the band's juicy, detailed biography. The album plays like an 80's Glam-band's roller-coaster career.


For my picks from this great, return-to-form album from Motley Crue, try listening to:
-Face Down in the Dirt
-Saints of Los Angeles
-Animal in Me (For not having as many ballads as some of the late 80's Crue albums, this is probably the closest to a ballad you'll find on this album.)
-Just Another Psycho (This one really got stuck in my head while I had this CD checked out from my library!)

Check out the band's website: http://www.motley.com/

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