250. Motley Crue / Dr Feelgood. 1989. 4.5/5.

Despite their growing success throughout the 1980’s, with albums that led the glam metal genre and songs that caught the attention of fans around the world, Motley Crue as a band was doing a fantastic job of attempting to implode from their own excesses. Adopting a party attitude that included alcohol, drugs and women to overload proportions, by the time they had reached 1988 the writing appeared on the wall. In late 1984 Vince Neil had been involved in a fatal car crash when driving under the influence, which had left Hanoi Rocks drummer Razzle dead. Two years later Nikki Sixx suffered an almost fatal heroin overdose while in London, and another year later he succeeded in overdosing on heroin again, this time he was legally dead for two minutes before being revived. Mix all of this in with the usual debauchery the band went through night after night, and the band’s management had begun to seriously wonder how much longer it could go on before someone actually died.
As a result of this, the management cancelled Motley Crue’s tour of Europe in 1988. In fact, they held what was basically an intervention to tell the band this news, and that they would have to change their ways if they were going to change the course of their lives. Following this, all four members of the band entered drug rehabilitation in order to kick their habits and move forward as a band.
Once they all came out having completed their time, Motley Crue faced a clear vision of the immediate future, certainly clearer of mind. And the writing and recording of their new album to follow up “Girls Girls Girls” became their main prerogative. Along with clear minds, the band also brought in Bob Rock to produce the album. Rock of course was currently on an upward trajectory having been involved in engineering the recent blockbuster albums by Bon Jovi and Aerosmith, and in producing the albums by Blue Murder and The Cult. He made two decisions when it came to recording this album that were to be direct factors on its success. Firstly, the band relocated to a studio in Vancouver in Canada, in order to get the band away from the influences that were obvious in their hometown. Secondly, each of the members performances on the album were recorded individually without the other members in the studio. This came about firstly to reduce the infighting that was a regular occurrence with the band in the studio, but also in order to focus on each individual’s performance and allow them to do so without the usual distractions.
What came from the culmination of this 18 month period was the album “Dr. Feelgood”, one that showcased just what the band could offer free from their addictions and ready to fight the world. It was an album that became the peak of hair metal genre at a time when it appeared its popularity could go on forever.

This is very much an album that probably needs to be looked at in the two eras – the one it was released in, and the one we are in now. And in the same conversation, the album can be seen to be a carefully structured mixture of songs that are hard rock icons and the Motley Crue speciality of teasing lyrics and catchy tones. Each of these are spaced evenly through the track list of the album, giving fans of all musical tastes the chance to find something they like, and then hopefully become entertained by those songs that surround them.
Take a listen to those songs that are best described as Motley Crue’s ‘girl anthems’, the ones that have an obvious lyrical bent which Nikki Sixx believes best serves what he is trying to say directly to his female fans. “Slice of Your Pie” makes no secret of what he is hoping to portray, with lyrics such as “So young, ever get caught they’d arrest me, School girl, studied up well on hoochie coochie, lick lips, kitten with a whip so undress me, undress me”. Nikki is just looking for a slice of her pie, and while back in 1989 that kind of lyric would pass over your head, 35 years later and it is probably a little bit questionable. The rest of the song moves on a similar line, while musically the slide guitar start does come good with a nice Mick Mars riff. “Rattlesnake Shake” is less questionable lyrically and further up vibe and up tempo, creating a pleasing and fun discord leading into the almost unquestioned star attraction of the album.
The album’s big power ballad single “Without You” serves up exactly what you would expect, delivering the kind of lyrics and music that made “Home Sweet Home” such an enormous hit for the band. It’s a love ballad served up with the usual Motley Crue signature honeyed vocals from Vince Neil and harmless music style that radio was still looking for during the era, and that the female fans of the era lapped up. Following this we have the less cultured tones of “Sticky Sweet” and “She Goes Down”. In “Sticky Sweet” we are treated to lyrics such as “When she calls me up my voice starts to shake, she says come right over, over right away. Oh good God there's a fire in my pants, then lightning strikes and she laughs that evil laugh. She's so sticky so sticky so sticky. She's so sticky so sticky. She's so sticky sweet. Now when I've done good she slaps me on the ass, it takes more than ten seconds to satisfy this lass”. And then for the very classy “She Goes Down”, we have “All of the day, all of the night, lick those lips, do you up right. Up and down, 'Round and 'round, 'Round the world, Spit it out. You know she makes me feel good, See you out in Hollywood. Flat on my back, she goes down, For backstage pass, she goes down, With all of my friends, she goes down, She gives heart attack, she goes down”.
Motley Crue aren’t on their lonesome when it comes to these kinds of lyrics in their songs, with dozens of 80’s bands of the same ilk preaching from the same hymn book. And to all intents and purposes, in many ways modern pop is still on a similar scale.
Away from these tracks, the songs not written about hooking up with girls all stand up pretty well. Nikki Sixx did spend time writing about other things over his song writing career. The opening title track “Dr. Feelgood” is still a beauty to this day, with that awesome hard riffing from Mick Mars and hard hitting drums from Tommy Lee along with Vince Neil’s spitting lyrics, it opens the album with the kind of fire and intensity that it needs. “Kickstart My Heart” is still played at sports events and stadiums to this day, another perfect example of the Crue’s best songs with a fast tempo and the energy just exploding out of the speakers. It remains one of the bands best songs. “Same Ol’ Situation” pulls out all the stops after the power ballad “Without You” and restores the best of the album, once again intensifying the fun and tempo that makes the very best Motley Crue tracks. And the finale of “Don't Go Away Mad Just Go Away” and the thought provoking “Time for Change” give the album the conclusion it deserves on a satisfyingly high note.

As I have already mentioned in this episode, “Dr. Feelgood” is not only an album of two halves but also two eras. I bought this on vinyl within days of its release back in 1989, at a time I had just begun my first job (though only on a part time basis) and had an actual income coming in so I could buy albums that I wanted once again. And at that time, and for the following 12 months I had an undying love for it in its entirety. It was a part of my soundtrack for this period of my life and was never far from the stereo at whatever event or party I was at. Not only that, but I also got to see the band for the first time live on this tour in May 1990, where they were at their theoretical peak. The album for me had no weaknesses, it was just a perfect album. For my 19 and soon to be 20-year-old self, “Dr Feelgood” was an amazing album.
OK, so let’s flash forward to the present day, where music has changed, bands have changed, and I’ve gotten a lot older from those golden years of youth. This album is one I have still played during those years. It has never sat on the shelf unlistened for any long length of time. It has always been a mood lifter, it has always reminded me of those heady days of youth, and I’ve always enjoyed it. And in the lead up to this episode, it has again frequented by CD player and playlists as I listen with a more discerning ear in order to offer up my thoughts for this podcast. And what has become apparent to me in this process is that, for me at least, a part of the veneer of this album has worn away. There are still the outstanding tracks on the album, such as the title track and “Kickstart My Heart” and “Same Old Situation” which continue to be great to hear, as well as the solid songs like “Rattlesnake Shake” and “Don’t Go Away Mad” and “Time for Change” which build the strong spine to the album. But there are other songs that 35 years ago I had no problem with, that were a part of the gloriousness that was this album, that I sang along with without question… that now I see and hear as… slightly less worthy of that accolade. “Sticky Sweet” – I mean, lyrically and musically, not brilliant. “Slice of Your Pie”? Yeah… ok, I guess. “She Goes Down”? That’s a bit questionable. And “Without You”? The power ballad of the album that does not fit in with my musical tastes in any way, shape or form.
So, while the album hasn’t changed over those 35 years, my tastes have matured and some of the songs here have aged out of their era, at least lyrically. Do I still sing along to ALL these songs when I listen to the album? Absolutely, those lyrics are burned into my brain, and once those melodies start, I just join in. And I don’t want to claim I have had a revelation and now refuse to like this album, because that isn’t true. Do I realise that some of these songs are terribly dated, either musically or lyrically or both? Yes, I do. But this album has been a part of my musical lifeblood for 35 years, and that won’t change. There are still some amazing songs on this album that are as brilliant today as when this album was released. And at that time, it was a must listen. I still love listening to it today. I will happily skip “Without You” forever though.