Motley Crue “The Dirt”
Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. There is no better way to describe Mötley Crüe. Whether it be about their 2001 published book The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band, their 2019 Netflix biopic The Dirt or their music, sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll is the perfect personification of Mötley Crüe.
The Dirt Soundtrack is your classic greatest hits album with the added bonus of four new tracks to treat the aural senses. The first song off the eighteen song LP, The Dirt (Est. 1981), is a newbie and features Machine Gun Kelly who coincidentally also stars as drummer Tommy Lee in the film. It perfectly sets the tone for the album, lyrically and instrumentally fitting right into the Mötley Crüe niche of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. With lyrics such as, ‘give me more sex, more tats, more blood, more pain, more threats, more theft, torn jeans, cocaine, more pretty strippers with the big red lips making big tips…’ plus heavy guitars, drums and bass, the Crüe tick all the mandatory boxes for song creation proving the old adage true: if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
Prior to the remaining three new songs making an appearance fourteen classics from five of their nine studio albums are first celebrated. Chosen for their evocative accentuation of noteworthy moments in the film, songs including Merry-Go-Round from Too Fast for Love (1981), Shout At the Devil from Shout At the Devil (1983), Home Sweet Home from Theatre of Pain (1985), Girls Girls Girls from their 1987 album of the same name and Kickstart My Heart from Dr. Feelgood (1989) among numerous others take you back to a very different time and place in the world.
New releases Ride With the Devil and Crash and Burn slot into that time and place effortlessly much like The Dirt (Est. 1981) did at the beginning of the album. The new songs all focus on repetition and simplicity, a key ingredient of Mötley Crüe’s back catalogue, hence guarantee a positive response from age-old fans.
The final song of the album is another new one and appears to be included for shock value. It is a cover of Madonna’s Like a Virgin. Simply put, it fails in its assumed intent. Whilst staying true to the Crüe style it is lacklustre and an unnecessary inclusion.
Fans of Mötley Crüe will enthusiastically welcome The Dirt Soundtrack, the band’s eighth greatest hits album. It may even produce a new generation of fan who are compelled to listen to the band after watching their debaucherous story on Netflix. Ultimately, it is another entertaining little trip down memory lane which stays true to the Mötley Crüe ethos.
Album Review By Anita Kertes
