Mötley Crüe
Theatre Of Pain

THE REVIEW

MOTLEY CRUE THEATRE OF PAIN (06/21/1985, ELEKTRA) In the career of a rock band, the third album represents the moment of truth, constituting a fundamental milestone and the best judgment index for critics. In 1985, Motley Crue managed to record a superlative album, countable among the most memorable episodes of the entire glam movement, despite the fact that singer Vince Neil was involved in a car accident in which he inadvertently caused the death of his friend and Hanoi Rocks drummer Nicholas “Razzle” Dingley (the matter ended with Neil being convicted of manslaughter, managing, not without controversy, with a hefty bail and around 200 hours to be devoted to community service). The Crue present themselves at the success appointment in full form, replacing the blind fury that characterized “Shout at the Devil” (1983) with a still hard sound, but with more polished and elegant guitar plays. The band's choice proves to be decidedly positive, also because it would have been very difficult to match the levels of “Shout at the Devil” while staying on the same sonic tracks. Once again, the level of the songs is extremely high, making it difficult to identify the best tracks of this platter that goes quadruple platinum and quickly reaches position #6 on the American charts, remaining in the chart for a whopping 72 weeks.

The album's opening is entrusted to the captivating “City Boy Blues," where Vince Neil proves to be a singer of absolute level. The work continues to grow with a revised and corrected cover of Brownsville Station, the beautiful “Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room” where choirs and guitars intertwine in a swirling and playful rhythm. This track, aided by the heavy rotation of one of the most ironic and sarcastic videos ever made, becomes a true massive hit, culminating at position #16 on the US charts, earning the designation of a generational anthem for many American and non-American teenagers. This is followed by the powerful “Louder than Hell” and the dreamy power ballad “Home Sweet Home,” whose remarkable video clip, in 1985, is the most requested by young MTV viewers. The album gives us other immortal pieces like “Tonight” and the lightning-fast “Use It or Lose It”, ending by finally letting go to the rhythm of the more upbeat “Save Our Souls” and “Fight for Your Rights.” What amazes about this album, whose production was entrusted to the skillful Tom Werman, is the ability to construct solid and elegant riffs, without letting the important melodic lesson of putative fathers like Kiss, Aerosmith, and Alice Cooper go with the wind. By winking at the charts and framing a band determined to continue on the crazy and colorful path taken four years earlier, “Theatre of Pain” is the album that allows Motley Crue to definitively cross the borders of the United States, exporting its electrifying sound all over the world.

TRACK LIST:

1. CITY BOY BLUES
2. SMOKIN’ IN THE BOYS’ ROOM
3. LOUDER THAN HELL
4. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE MONEY
5. HOME SWEET HOME
6. TONIGHT (WE NEED A LOVER)
7. USE IT OR LOSE IT
8. SAVE OUR SOULS
9. RAISE YOUR HANDS TO ROCK
10. FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS
11. HOME SWEET HOME (DEMO) - Crucial Crue reissue
12. SMOKIN’ IN THE BOYS’ ROOM (ALTERNATE GUITAR SOLO-ROUGH MIX) - Crucial Crue reissue
13. CITY BOY BLUES (DEMO) - Crucial Crue reissue
14. HOME SWEET HOME (INSTRUMENTAL ROUGH MIX) - Crucial Crue reissue
15. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE MONEY (DEMO) - Crucial Crue reissue
16. TOMMY’S DRUM PIECE FROM CEROKIEE STUDIOS - Crucial Crue reissue (Japanese version)SINGLES: SMOKIN’ IN THE BOYS’ ROOM / USE IT OR LOSE IT 06/24/1985 HOME SWEET HOME / RED HOT 09/30/1985