Motley Crue were always one of the most attention grabbing bands of the 80's and epitomized the L.A. lifestyle of the rough and tumble musician of the time. They took the world by the balls and seldom let you get them back all that easy or intact. In addition to their career spanning boxed sets called "Music To Crash Your Car By", they have released this Anthology/Greatest Hits piece "Red, White and Crue". There is some good and bad stuff to say about this release.
CD 1 is superb as it contains almost every one of the legitimate hits that the band garnered early in their career. Almost everything you expect to find on this one is there, yet they could have included one or two more numbers from their first three albums and pushed the content onto the second CD that is in this package. I felt they should have included "Public Enemy Number One", "Bastard", "Red Hot", and "Tonight" but we don't get those. Instead when we move to CD number 2, we are given the lesser material or tracks one is not wise to include on a hits piece.
CD2 includes a remixed "HSH" which actually had a nicer backup than the original. This seems to be the version on "Decade Of Decadence". They also chose to include a couple of tracks from the not too well received release entitled simply "Motley Crue". John Corabi was the singer on the record and while they are not entirely impossible to listen to, the time on the CD would have been better served with surefire material and then perhaps if time allowed these numbers. The Crue has released these later albums in their entirety on the boxed sets I mention earlier, so leave the weak material from these releases to the boxed set. The diehard or completist is the only one who will appreciate it to the full extent. Personally, one track would have sufficed if you ask me. As far as "Planet Boom" and "Beauty" well these are just dreadful and why they made the cut is beyond me. Some will say that this displays a more "mature" Crue. I disagree, and think the band tossed together ideas and the end result still did not work. The blues-rock jam called "Bittersuite" while interesting is very out of place with the larger part of the release. The track "If I Die Tomorrow" is redeemable, but was written by Simple Plan (a group that I don't think Motley Crue needs input from). "Street Fighting Man" by the Rolling Stones was an interesting piece to choose as a new cover. Yet I am not too sure if I like their take on it at this time. I am only on the second listen of this one. The booklet is pretty decent and has some good liner notes and song histories in it. No lyrics though, which is always a plus to include. Decide for yourself on this one as I was only happy with CD #1. The 7 rating was the result of this lackluster material more than anything else.
I know the band needs to showcase the later material as well on an Anthology release. However, on the cusp of their Reunion tour (which will most likely showcase the very best of the killer material) they would have done the fans a service by sticking to what worked rather than what did not. As far an Anthologies go this succeeds only half of the way. CD1 covers a large amount of ground and builds up momemtum for the fan only to have CD2 confuse and make you wonder what they were thinking.
Track Listing CD1
1. Live Wire
2. Piece Of Your Action
3. Toast Of The Town
4. Too Fast For Love
5. Black Widow
6. Looks That Kill
7. Too Young To Fall In Love (remix)
8. Helter Skelter
9. Shout At The Devil
10. Smokin' In The Boys Room
11. Use It Or Lose It
12. Girls, Girls, Girls
13. Wild Side
14. You're All I Need
15. All In The Name Of
16. Kickstart My Heart
17. Without You
18. Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
19. Same Ol' Situation
20. Dr. Feelgood
Track Listing CD2
1. Anarchy In The U.K.
2. Primal Scream
3. Home Sweet Home (remix)
4. Hooligan's Holiday (Brown Nose Edit)
5. Misunderstood (successful format version)
6. Planet Boom
7. Bittersuite
8. Afraid (alternative rave mix)
9. Beauty
10. Generation Swine
11. Bitter Pill
12. Enslaved
13. Hell On High Heels
14. New Tattoo (single version)
15. If I Die Tomorrow
16. Sick Love Song
17. Street Fighting Man
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