I am totally prepared to fight for this opinion to my grave. The 1994 self-titled Motley Crue album, the one without Vince Neil singing, is the best Motley Crue album in their entire catalog. I have many points to defend this statement.
- This album shows Nikki, Tommy and Mick playing to their full potential and creating their strongest song structure and heaviest sound on any album. They’re writing and playing for the love of the music, not for drugs, jumbo jets and women. Ok, maybe a little bit of drugs and a couple of women, but for sure no jumbo jets.
- John Corabi is a stronger singer. Yes, Vince has his thing, but Corabi goes above and beyond the call of duty. Not only does he vocally fit perfectly with the album, he also is a rhythm guitarist. This adds a lot of bulk to the sound during the instrumental moments. Plus he gets collaborative points for actually writing with the other three members. Something Vince Neil hardly ever did. Finally, Corabi can sing the old material convincingly. Check out this example:
3. Corabi can still do the songs to near perfection. Vince…Cannot.
4. The band feels more like a unit rather than four individuals with egos competing for attention (minus Mick on the ago thing). Refer to the Dr. Feelgood video above. Everyone is supporting each other, they’re playing tightly yet relaxed and loose. That’s a difficult feat to achieve.
5. There’s more metal swag. That is kind of a weird statement I know, especially sense so many consider vintage Vince Neil to be the epitome of swag. But the reality is that they aren’t really a true heavy metal band with Vince singing. Yes, they are hard rock, even many times on the heavy side of that spectrum. However, with Corabi they evolve and morph into true slave to the grind metal. I think that’s why the album didn’t sell as well as everyone was hoping. Maybe they should’ve re-named the group. I personally don’t think that’s necessary because three original members remain and they do retain enough of their signature style of playing.
A lot of people make a valid argument with this album saying that it’s simply not Motley Crue without Vince Neil. That is absolutely a major point to be made that, unfortunately for the album, enough people didn’t buy it or ultimately attend concerts. That’s not to say they didn’t have their great shows on the tour. A couple of amphitheaters filled up and even if the show was small, they killed every moment. Tommy Lee has gone on record saying this is his favorite album. Nikki has made similar claims but still holds that the band should have changed their name. Either way, I think they should have stuck it out with Corabi for a few more years. They very well could have had the last laugh.
Above are two tracks that explain the albums intensity and quality. Brilliant song structure and lyrics. Droppin’ Like Flies is my favorite Motley Crue song.
