Mötley Crüe - Saints Of Los Angeles Review

Posted by Dan Marsicano on 06.24.2008

Mötley Crüe returns with their first studio album in over eight years! What can fans expect from the hard rock legends?

The Band

Vince Neil-Vocals
Mick Mars-Guitar
Nikki Sixx-Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Tommy Lee-Drums


The Track Listing

1. L.A.M.F-1:23
2. Face Down In The Dirt-3:44
3. What’s It Gonna Take-3:45
4. Down At The Whiskey-3:50
5. Saints of Los Angeles-3:40
6. Mutherfucker Of The Year-3:55
7. The Animal In Me-4:16
8. Welcome To The Machine-3:00
9. Just Another Psycho-3:36
10. Chicks=Trouble-3:13
11. This Ain’t A Love Song-3:25
12. White Trash Circus-2:51
13. Goin’ Out Swingin’-3:27





The Review

It has been eight years since Mötley Crüe released a studio album, 2000’s New Tattoo. Since that poorly-received album, the band reunited with all the original members present, had a successful worldwide tour, lost drummer Tommy Lee, regained Tommy Lee, and recorded a new album. Saints Of Los Angeles is a concept album loosely based on the band’s 2001 autobiography “The Dirt,” which showed the rise, the fall, and the rebirth of one of the most popular hard rock bands of the 1980’s. Saints Of Los Angeles is how a modern hard rock album should sound: loud, wild, full of attitude and catchy choruses. In a musical landscape where most bands are focused on putting all the best tracks up front in the album or only having three or four memorable tracks, Mötley Crüe takes an old school approach and focuses on a whole album full of memorable tracks, a feat that the band almost accomplishes.

What we have in front of us is 12 (not counting the pointless opener “L.A.M.F") hard rock tracks that would not sound out of place on any Mötley Crüe album from the 80’s. If anything, Saints Of Los Angeles sounds like the album that should have followed Dr. Feelgood, a spiritual successor if you want to call it that. The band doesn’t follow the rules of conventional rock albums, keeping a frantic pace throughout the album and mixing a unique blend of glam metal, classic rock, and modern rock with a minimum of ballads. The only song that would count as a ballad is “The Animal In Me,” a revealing look at bassist Nikki Sixx’s addiction to heroin, one that almost took his life. It’s a strong balladand one of the heaviest ballads the band has ever done.

“Face Down In The Dirt” is a great way to start the album. Vince Neil sounds at the top of his game, Mick Mars shreds on the guitar, and the rhythm section keeps up, with Lee bringing back some double bass to please long-time fans. Like most of the other tracks on the album, “Face Down In The Dirt” is catchy as hell, with a memorable chorus to back it up. “What’s It Gonna Take” brings back the glam metal sound the band was famous for on Girls, Girls, Girls, with a touch of a modern twist to it. The title track is the “Dr. Feelgood” of the album; a track that the band will probably play live for the rest of their career. It has everything that a live crowd loves: rocking solo, gang vocals, and a head-banging melody.

Saints Of Los Angeles gives Mötley Crüe a chance to breathe new life into their sound without making it sound like the band is trying to relive the “glory days.” Some of the songs on the album are the fastest material I have heard from the band in almost two decades. “Welcome To The Machine” and closing track “Comin’ Out Swingin’” are as close to speed metal as the band has gotten since Too Fast For Love, with Mars getting the chance to let loose on the guitar and pull some tricks out of his bag. The latter track ends with a 45 second solo that goes all over the place and is one of the most explosive endings I’ve heard on a modern rock album this year.

Mötley Crüe has always been famous for the attitude they display through their lyrics and image and Saints Of Los Angeles isn’t any different. “This Ain’t A Love Song” has the oh-so-lovely chorus of “this ain’t a love song, this is a fuck song” and “Down At The Whiskey” has the band talking about their early days and how “LA girls they paid the rent, while we got drunk on sunset strip.”

Vince Neil has been struggling with his voice for years, especially during live shows, but he puts in a fantastic performance on Saints Of Los Angeles. He hits the high notes and sneers his way through the album’s 44 minutes like it was 1988 all over again. Mick Mars shows why he is an underrated guitarist, with solos flying out of everywhere and riffs pounding your skull from the beginning to the end of the album. The rhythm section of Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee is on par with their early work, with Lee putting his best performance on the drums since their self-titled album almost a decade and a half ago.

You won’t get any cheesy love songs, acoustic guitar, or five songs about that “lost love” on Saints Of Los Angeles. Mötley Crüe does what they do best; craft an album full of hard rock tracks flowing with attitude and balls. Some of the songs are the best tracks of the band’s career (title track, “Comin’ Out Swingin’, “Face Down In The Dirt,”) and a sign that the band still has some life left in them. While the future is still uncertain for the band, it’s a telling sign that even amongst a sea of young, hungry bands spooling out the same sound over and over again, it is Mötley Crüe that has risen up and stood the test of time with Saints Of Los Angeles, their best album since Dr. Feelgood.

The 411: Saints Of Los Angeles is the best album the band has made in over 20 years and shits all over the band's albums in the 1990's. Mötley Crüe sounds rejuvenated and ready to take on the world again. While not every track is as memorable as "Too Fast For Love," "Dr. Feelgood," or "Shout At The Devil," a few of the tracks will be concert favorites for years to come. Mötley Crüe sticks to what worked for them in the 80's, just adding a modern touch, which makes Saints Of Los Angeles a solid recommendation in my book.

Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]