Metal Excess

Motley Crue – New Tattoo (2000, Motley Records/Beyond Music)

Track Listing:
1. “Hell on High Heels” … 4:15
2. “Treat Me Like the Dog I Am” … 3:40
3. “New Tattoo” … 4:18
4. “Dragstrip Superstar” … 4:22
5. “1st Band on the Moon” … 4:25
6. “She Needs Rock & Roll” … 3:59
7. “Punched in the Teeth by Love” … 3:32
8. “Hollywood Ending” … 3:43
9. “Fake” … 3:44
10. “Porno Star” … 3:45
11. “White Punks on Dope” … 3:39

Band:
Vince Neil – Vocals
Mick Mars – Guitar
Nikki Sixx – Bass
Randy Castillo – Drums

Produced by: Mike Clink

Wow, has it been 8 years already since this was released? I still remember going to Wal-Mart the very day it was released and picking it up. As excited I was that Motley was making new music, this album just didn’t do anything for me.

“Hell on High Heels” was released online quite sometime before the album’s release and I remember thinking, “that’s it?” To this day, I find the whole album lackluster. It’s not bad, but there’s nothing memorable here that you’ll away from singing or humming. For the most part, New Tattoo is very average hard rock and just doesn’t sound like Motley at all, IMO. The only song that comes close to “classic Motley” is “Punched in the Teeth by Love”.

At least they were on the right track though and would finally score a home run with their next studio album, Saints of Los Angeles, 8 years later. But this? This is Motley’s worst album, I think (yes, even behind Generation Swine that at least had a few really good songs). Kinda surprising that such a bland album was turned in with Mike Clink producing. You’d think putting GNR’s longtime producer with Motley Crue would deliver an instant classic!

This is, of course, the Tommy-less album (because he was too busy trying to be a rap-rock star) so the late Randy Castillo filled in.

Highlights: “Punched in the Teeth by Love”, “Hollywood Ending”

www.motley.com
www.myspace.com/motleycrue