Tommy. Nikki. Vince. Mick. Four names that make up one of the best 80s heavy metal bands of all time, Motley Crue. The saddest thing is that they have officially called it quits and had their final show of all time (allegedly… a girl can hope!) on December 31st where it all began in Los Angeles, California. If you’re anything like me you’re devastated that you will no longer be able to see Tommy Lee crush drum solos or hear Nikki Sixx’s beautiful, poetic lyrics belted out by Vince Neil’s powerful voice or the epic guitar styling of Mick Mars. So let’s take a minute and go back in time to talk about the band’s best album from 1989, Dr. Feelgood.
“Dr. Feelgood:” How do you describe this song? It gets me pumped as soon as the first wail from Mars’ guitar. Before I go on, all the lyrics for this album were written by Sixx. So this song was written by Sixx and then Mars with Sixx worked on the actual music portion. This song is a heavy rock classic. Sixx, who struggled with addictions issues, wrote this about drug dealers. It is probably their top song of all time. Best line: “Rat-tailed Jimmy is a second-hand hood / He deals out in Hollywood.”
“Slice of Your Pie:” This song is pretty damn sexy. The lyrics alone can make any room get a little hotter then throw in the background music of a slow, beat with Mars showing off his incredible guitar skills, and you’ve got a great album track like this one. If you ever are looking for a hard rock song to get your partner in the mood I suggest this one. Best line: “Hey pretty, pretty with the sweet, sweet eyes / Order me up another piece of your pie.”
“Rattlesnake Shake:” This song has writing credits to all four band members and if you know much about Motley Crue history the band was not getting along at this point. The producer Bob Rock actually had to have the guys record their parts of the album at different times because of the tension between them all. So the fact that there is one song on this album that actually had everyone’s hands involved is a triumph in itself. It’s a pretty good track addition but not one of my favorites. It’s upbeat in tempo and again features each member of the band showing off their strength. Best line: “She’s got sassy class / Bring you to your knees / When she shakes her ass / She’s a voodoo, voodoo child / Just one look will drive you wild.”
“Kickstart My Heart:” If Nikki Sixx had died from an overdose this song would have never been written. He wrote it after he said he had an out of body experience after OD’ing in Slash’s hotel room. Whoa. I dare you to listen to this song and not dance or sing as loud as you can. I really don’t know what to say about this track except it fits perfectly with the album. It’s super high energy that often makes me amazed to how Sixx, Lee, and Mars keep up with rhythm. Best line: “When I’m enraged or hittin’ the stage / Adrenaline rushing through my veins.”
“Without You:” I am a sucker for a good love song and when it’s got four bad boys behind it giving you their tattered, beaten up heart, well I doubt I’m the only girl who swoons at that. Sixx said he wrote this song about Tommy Lee and Heather Locklear’s marriage from who he viewed Lee’s perspective of the relationship to be like. It’s a beautiful ballad that will bring a tear to your eye as you slow dance with your sweetheart. Best line: “Without you in my life / I’d slowly wilt and die / But with you by my side / You’re the reason I’m alive.”
“Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.):” I love this song. I love the fact that Sixx wrote it about lesbianism. It makes me so happy. It’s about a guy who gets left by his girl for another girl. I’m not sure if this is a reoccurring issue for many guys but the fact that this song makes it like a regular occurrence just makes smile. This song was the band’s final single from this album. It’s a great uptempo song that will be one of your favorites too I’m sure. Best line: “I really used to love her / Then, the kitty she discovered / It’s got to be a sexual thing.”
“Sticky Sweet:” I’ve researched this song quite a bit and the only thing I can find from Sixx on it is that he doesn’t really remember much about it… even though he wrote it. It’s another hard rock fast tempo song that blends in with the rest of the album’s theme. It’s not one of my favorites so I can see why Sixx forgot it. The coolest thing about this song though is that Bryan Adams and Steven Tyler are singing back up. I mean that’s pretty freaking cool. Best line: “Oh good God, there’s a fire in my pants / Then lightning strikes and she laughs that evil laugh.”
“She Goes Down:” Vince Neil said if you listen closely to this song you’ll hear two people having sex in the background. If that is not the definition of rock and roll then I don’t know what is. Sixx said it’s written about loyalty. If you look real close at the lyrics you’ll see all the references to oral sex so it could be mostly just about that too. Another interesting fact Sixx said is that Robin Zander from Cheap Trick is on background vocals. It’s another upbeat rock song that can almost be like an anthem with the same lyric “she goes down” being chanted over and over again. Best line: “It’s like connecting the dots / Start at the bottom, lick it to the top / She goes down.”
“Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away):” This would be your typical ballad about breaking up. It’s over and you’re going to be okay without your ex-partner. Again it’s hard to find out exactly what Sixx was talking about but he said he saw it on a movie poster and that it would make a good song. I love this song, especially as an anthem for getting over your ex. Best line: “We were walkin’ through some youth / Let our minds run away / That’s alright, that’s okay.”
“Time for Change:” And we come to the finale folks! The end of the greatest Motley Crue album that has ever and will ever (seeing as how they are officially done) existed. Seeing as how Sixx doesn’t remember what exactly he wrote this song about, it’s up for interpretation from the listener. I, for one, love when there’s no interpretation from the artist because then it lets you decide what it means to you. With that, I will not analyze what I think it means and leave it to you to decide. This slow song will give you all the feels, especially if you’re going through a change in your life. Best line: “No more lies / Old, tired fools tell our future / With tarot cards and live of crime / The lines on their faces so deep.”