Motörhead "Ace Of Spades (2005 Reissue, Remastered, Slipcase, Sanctuary Midline, EU)"

Ace of Spades is the fourth studio album by the band Motörhead, released 8 November 1980, on Bronze Records. It peaked at No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart and reached Gold status by March 1981. It was preceded by the release of the title track as a single on 27 October, which peaked in the UK Singles Chart at No. 15 in early November.

It was the band's debut release in the United States, with Mercury Records handling distribution in North America.

By 1979, Motörhead had released two successful albums, Overkill and Bomber, and had gained a loyal fan following by constant touring and television appearances. Their ferocious, loud proto-thrash playing style appealed equally to punks and heavy metal fans, but in 1979 Sounds writer Geoff Barton coined the term "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" (NWOBHM) to classify a slew of newer bands such as Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, and Saxon. Motörhead — a band that resented being labeled anything other than rock 'n' roll — was placed in this new genre, which would go on to influence the emerging thrash metal movement that would include bands like Metallica and Megadeth. In the 2011 book Overkill: The Untold Story of Motörhead, Joel McIver quotes vocalist and bassist Lemmy:

..I like Iron Maiden and Saxon out of the new mob, and that's about it, really...We were too late for the first metal movement and early for the next one...Motörhead don't fit into any category, really. We're not straight heavy metal, because we're a rock 'n' roll band, which no-one knows how to market anymore..

Regardless, the association with NWOBHM would be another positive element in the increasing momentum that would lead to the band's most successful commercial period at the beginning of the new decade. In fact, United Artists decided to finally release the band's "lost" first album at this time under the title On Parole, which had originally been recorded in 1976 but shelved because it was deemed commercially unviable. Next, the Big Beat label, which had taken over Chiswick's catalogue, released Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers (EP), packaging four extra tracks that the band had laid down for their debut album. Further evidence of Motörhead's nascent mainstream success was the release of the EP The Golden Years in May 1980 on Bronze Records, which became their highest charting release to date, peaking at #8.

Motörhead recorded Ace of Spades with Vic Maile at Jackson's Studios in Rickmansworth in August and September 1980. Maile, who had worked with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and the Who, had crossed paths with Lemmy when he was a member of Hawkwind. The bassist recalls in his 2002 memoir White Line Fever:

..He used to own a mobile studio — Hawkwind hired it out to do Space Ritual and he came with it...Vic was a great man and a great producer, really brilliant...Those were good times; we were winning, we were younger, and we believed it..

As Steffan Chirazi observes in the liner notes to the 1996 reissue of Ace of Spades:

..Vic Maille at the production helm used an expert ear to translate the monstrous live sound and feel of the band to vinyl..

The LP includes some of the band's most popular songs, including "The Chase Is Better Than the Catch," "(We Are) The Road Crew," and the hit single "Ace of Spades," which rose to #15 on the UK Singles Chart. In his autobiography, White Line Fever, Lemmy speaks at length about the tune:

..I used gambling metaphors, mostly cards and dice — when it comes to that sort of thing, I'm more into the slot machines actually, but you can't really sing about spinning fruit, and the wheels coming down. Most of the song's just poker, really - 'I know you've got to see me, read 'em and weep, Dead man's hand again, aces and eights' - that was Wild Bill Hickock's hand when he got shot. To be honest, although "Ace of Spades" is a good song, I'm sick to death of it now. Two decades on, when people think of Motörhead, they think "Ace of Spades." We didn't become fossilised after that record, you know. We've had quite a few good releases since then. But the fans want to hear it so we still play it every night. For myself, I've had enough of that song..

In 2011, Lemmy admitted to James McNair of Mojo:

..I'm glad we got famous for that rather than for some turkey, but I sang 'The eight of spades' for two years and nobody noticed..

The song "(We Are) The Road Crew" was written as a tribute to the band's roadies. In the 2004 Classic Albums documentary on the making of the album, guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke declares:

..They were a good crew, and they were proud of how good they were. I would put them up against any crew in the world.

In the same film, Lemmy, who worked as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and the Nice, recalls that he wrote the song "in ten minutes" and that when roadie Ian "Eagle" Dobbie heard the song "he had a tear in his eye". Many of the songs, such as "Love Me Like a Reptile." "The Chase Is Better Than the Catch," and "Jailbait." blatantly reference sex, which drew the ire of some critics and feminists. Clarke explained to Classic Albums in 2005:

..We only thought of ourselves as a good time rock 'n' roll band, really... But we weren't trying to get a message across, apart from have a good time, you know: get pissed, get stoned, and fuck a chick. And that'll do..

Maille, who was affectionately nicknamed "Turtle" by the band (for his resemblance to the reptile), was critical in giving Motörhead a sleeker sound on record without sacrificing its raw power. Diminutive and soft-spoken, Maille was well equipped to deal with the trio, who were notorious for in-fighting and general unmanageability. In the documentary The Guts and the Glory, drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor remembers:

..Even if he was angry, he was angry like this: (assumes soft-spoken tone) 'You're not supposed to do it like that,' or 'Stop that boys .'" Lemmy Concurs, "Vic was great. He was the first one who told us we were all cunts and work harder. He had a very dry personae: 'Is that really the best shot you've got?'..

In 2015, Clarke recalled to John Robinson of Uncut:

..He didn't drink, he didn't smoke, and he was very delicate because he was diabetic. He had to have his Ryvita at six o'clock. We couldn't get heavy with him, couldn't fucking shake him, you know what I mean? He might die! So we had to listen to him..

Whereas the band had previously had an input at the mixing stage, Maile took sole responsibility here, Clarke explaining that the result was "..you can finally hear everything that's going on.." Of the performances, Lemmy stated "..Vic got me singing instead of just shouting all the time.." while Taylor added "..and he got me playing more solid.." 

Motörhead appeared on Top of the Pops twice in October to promote the single "Ace of Spades", and were guests on the ITV children's morning show Tiswas on 8 November. The band undertook a UK tour from 22 October through to 2 December under the banner Ace Up Your Sleeve, with support from Girlschool and Vardis. After the Belfast show on 2 December, hijinks resulted in Taylor breaking his neck forcing him to wear a neck-brace and curtailing any further band activity. The other members of the band took the opportunity to collaborate with Girlschool for the St. Valentine's Day Massacre EP.

Like the song "Shoot You in the Back," the Ace of Spades artwork employs a classic wild west motif. It was the second of the band's studio albums to feature a depiction of them on the front cover, dressed as cowboys, in lieu of their mascot Snaggletooth. The 'Arizona desert-style' pictures used on the album sleeve and tour programme were taken during a photo session at a sandpit in Barnet.

Despite the band always referring to their music as Rock 'n' Roll, the album, and particularly its title track have been considered amongst the most influential in the development of thrash metal. The title track is, for many, the definitive Motörhead anthem. The album is listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

On 28 March 2005, the documentary about the album (a part of the Classic Albums series) was released on DVD by Eagle Vision. The in-depth look at the making of the album includes interviews with and performances by Lemmy, Phil Taylor and Eddie Clarke.

Track listing

All tracks written by Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor except where noted.

Side A

1. "Ace of Spades" 2:48
2. "Love Me Like a Reptile" 3:23
3. "Shoot You in the Back" 2:39
4. "Live to Win" 3:37
5. "Fast and Loose" 3:23
6. "(We Are) The Road Crew" 3:13

Side B

1. "Fire, Fire" 2:44
2. "Jailbait" 3:33
3. "Dance" 2:38
4. "Bite the Bullet" 1:38
5. "The Chase Is Better Than the Catch" 4:18
6. "The Hammer" 2:48

Castle Communications 1996 CD reissue bonus tracks

1. "Dirty Love" B-side of Ace of Spades single 2:57
2. "Please Don't Touch" Johnny Kidd/Guy Robinson St. Valentine's Day Massacre EP 2:49
3. "Emergency" Kim McAuliffe/Enid Williams/Kelly Johnson/Denise Dufort St. Valentine's Day Massacre EP 3:00

Sanctuary Records 2005 2CD deluxe edition

Disc one includes the original album without bonus tracks

All tracks written by Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor.

Disc two

1. "Dirty Love" B-Side of Ace of Spades single 2:55
2. "Ace of Spades (Rare)" (Demo) Dirty Love CD release 3:03
3. "Love Me Like a Reptile" (Demo) Dirty Love CD release 4:16
4. "Love Me Like a Reptile" (Alternative Version) Stone Dead Forever CD release 3:31
5. "Shoot You in the Back" (Demo) Dirty Love CD release 3:11
6. "Fast and Loose" (Demo) Dirty Love CD release 3:06
7. "(We Are) The Road Crew" (Demo) Dirty Love CD release 3:24
8. "Fire, Fire" (Alternative Version) Stone Dead Forever CD release 2:41
9. "Jailbait" (Alternative Version) Stone Dead Forever CD release 3:33
10. "The Hammer" (Alternative Version) Stone Dead Forever CD release 3:11
11. "Dirty Love" (Outtake) Dirty Love CD release 1:02
12. "Dirty Love" (Demo) Dirty Love CD release 3:51
13. "Fast and Loose" (Live - BBC Radio 1 Dave Jensen Show, Maida Vale 4 Studio, London, 1 October 1981) 4:18
14. "Live to Win" (Live - BBC Radio 1 Dave Jensen Show, Maida Vale 4 Studio, London, 1 October 1981) 3:33
15. "Bite the Bullet / The Chase Is Better Than the Catch" (Live - BBC Radio 1 Dave Jensen Show, Maida Vale 4 Studio, London, 1 October 1981) 6:05

• Dirty Love is an official release by Eddie Clarke, on Receiver Records Ltd in 1989, which had various outtakes from the Ace of Spades sessions on it. It includes the tracks "Hump on your Back", "Waltz of the Vampire", "Bastard" & "Godzilla Akimbo", which are all demos that never got to be mastered at the time, but were done so in poor quality later for this release. These 4 tracks are also credited to Eddie Clarke solely on this release, even through it is the three members of Motörhead playing on the tracks.
• The 1996 reissue is missing Girlschool covering "Bomber", and the 2005 reissue is missing the tracks completely, from the St. Valentines Day Massacre EP the bands did in 1981 for their shared label Bronze Records.

A "Classic Albums" documentary has been made for "Ace of Spades", chronicling its inception, recording process and legacy. It features a technology-aided reunion of the line-up that recorded it, performing the songs again in a studio setting.

Recording information:

Produced at Jackson's, Rickmansworth Aug 4th-Sept 15th 1980.

Mötley Crüe "Looks That Kill (Single & Video)"

"Looks That Kill" is a song by American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. It was released in 1983, on the group's second album Shout at the Devil.

Written by bassist Nikki Sixx, the track was released as a single on January 4, 1984. It spent 10 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, peaking at #54 and #12 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks.

Mötley Crüe played the song live for the first time on October 31, 1982 at the Concord Pavilion in Concord, CA.

The music video was filmed at A&M Records' main sound stage. It features the band in a post-apocalyptic setting where they trap a group of women in a cage while performing the song. In the middle of the video, the warrior queen (played by Wendy Barry) appears to release the women before confronting the band. The band follows and surrounds her, but she disappears, leaving a flaming pentagram on the ground.

Track listing

1. "Looks That Kill" – 4:07
2. "Piece of Your Action"

• The song was covered by the punk band Diesel Boy and appeared on the compilation album Punk Goes Metal.
• The main riff is identical to the main riff of the Dokken song "Young Girls" on the Breaking the Chains album, which was released two years prior to Mötley Crüe's Shout at the Devil.
• The main riff came in at #41 on Guitar World's list of best riffs/solos.
• It is used on the radio station "V-Rock" in the 2006 video game, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Due to copyright issues, this song was excluded from the European release of the game.
• Until 2012, political talk radio program The Savage Nation included "Looks That Kill" in its opening sequence, including the lyric, "Now, listen up."
• Cover version was released as a bonus track on Static-X's album Cult of Static.
• It appears in Guitar Hero 5.
• The pre-chorus guitar riff is strikingly similar to the dungeon theme to the video game Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The song was released four years prior to the game's release.

Mötley Crüe "Live: Entertainment Or Death"

Live: Entertainment or Death is the first official live album by American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. Released on November 23, 1999, it is a compilation of recordings from 1982 to 1999. However, it contains no songs from the band's self-titled 1994 album, nor 1997's Generation Swine. "We picked the stuff that sounded the best without having to touch it up," Nikki Sixx observed in 2000. "We still play some of those songs [from Generation Swine] in the set; they just didn't make the final tracklisting."

The album charted at number 133 on the Billboard 200.

Track listing

Disc 1

1. "Looks That Kill" - 6:06 (recorded 11/25/85) (Nikki Sixx)
2. "Knock 'Em Dead, Kid" - 3:35 (recorded 3/14/84) (Sixx, Vince Neil)
3. "Too Young to Fall in Love" - 3:57 (recorded 3/14/84) (Sixx)
4. "Live Wire" - 4:19 (recorded 3/14/84) (Sixx)
5. "Public Enemy #1" - 4:53 (recorded 11/19/82) (Sixx, Lizzie Grey)
6. "Shout at the Devil" - 4:19 (recorded 3/14/84) (Sixx)
7. "Merry-Go-Round" - 3:22 (recorded 11/19/82) (Sixx)
8. "Ten Seconds to Love" - 4:46 (recorded 12/2/98) (Sixx, Neil)
9. "Piece of Your Action" - 4:06 (recorded 11/19/82) (Sixx, Neil)
10. "Starry Eyes" - 4:37 (recorded 11/19/82) (Sixx)
11. "Helter Skelter" - 4:17 (recorded 11/19/82) (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)

Disc 2

1. "Smokin' in the Boys Room" - 5:18 (recorded 11/25/85) (Cub Koda, Michael Lutz)
2. "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)" - 4:14 (recorded 7/31/90) (Sixx, Mick Mars)
3. "Wild Side" - 5:52 (recorded 3/10/99)(Sixx, Tommy Lee, Neil)
4. "Girls, Girls, Girls" - 4:50 (recorded 12/2/98) (Sixx, Lee, Mars)
5. "Dr. Feelgood" - 5:13 (recorded 3/10/99) (Sixx, Mars)
6. "Without You" - 3:05 (recorded 7/31/90) (Sixx, Mars)
7. "Primal Scream" - 5:42 (recorded 12/2/98) (Sixx)
8. "Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)" - 4:33 (recorded 3/10/99) (Lee, Sixx, Neil, Mars)
9. "Home Sweet Home" - 4:06 (recorded 12/2/98) (Sixx, Neil, Lee)
10. "Kickstart My Heart" - 5:39 (recorded 3/10/99) (Sixx)
11. "Wild Side" [Video] [Bonus Track]

In a review of the album at the time of its release, hard rock/heavy metal website Metal Sludge revealed that vocals on a small percentage of the tracks had been "redone" or "touched up" in the studio, calling into question how much of the record was a genuine live document. The website provided dates and suggested that side-by-side audio comparisons to bootlegs from shows from which the tracks for the album were culled form the basis for their claim. Mötley remained silent on the issue.

Mötley Crüe "Generation Swine"

Generation Swine is the seventh studio album by the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, released on June 24, 1997. The album marks the return of lead singer Vince Neil following his last appearance on 1989's Dr. Feelgood and the last to feature drummer Tommy Lee until the 2008 album Saints of Los Angeles. It is also the band's last album to be released on Elektra Records.

Following the commercial failure of the band's self-titled album, Mötley Crüe was under pressure by executives at Elektra Records to return Mötley Crüe to the level of commercial success that the band enjoyed in the 1980s.

The band, then officially consisting of vocalist/guitarist John Corabi, bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee and guitarist Mick Mars, were so frustrated with the failure of the previous album and tour sales that they fired numerous people around the group, including their accountant, manager Doug Thaler, and their producer Bob Rock. The band then hired Allen Kovac as their new manager and started looking for another producer to work with for their next record which was originally titled Personality #9.

After the mass firing, the band was called to a meeting with Warner Bros. CEO Doug Morris to discuss the current state of the band. At the meeting, Morris tried to convince Sixx and Lee to get rid of Corabi, as he wasn't a "star," and reunite with original singer Vince Neil. Sixx and Lee were not interested in the idea of working with Neil again, and insisted on keeping Corabi in the group. With some additional convincing from Elektra CEO Sylvia Rhone, Morris agreed and the band continued with their work.

Mötley Crüe returned to the studio intending to record a straight rock record that was more aggressive than the Mötley Crüe album. With Rock producing, they recorded material such as "The Year I Lived In a Day" and "La Dolce Vita." The band was so excited that, according to Corabi, "At the end of each day we'd walk around the studio carrying our huge cocks in our hands because the music rocked so hard."

After Rock was fired for being "too expensive and overproduc[ing] the music", the band eventually chose Scott Humphrey, with Sixx and Lee serving as coproducers. But the process became disorganized, as Humphrey and Sixx regularly argued over ideas. Mars' role was greatly reduced due to an ongoing feud between him and Humphrey, and Corabi grew increasingly frustrated, as he would learn and write material only to find it completely changed by the time he returned to the studio.

As the recording continued, the band was being pressured to reunite with Neil. Corabi decided he had had enough of the frustration of working under the pressure that the band and Humphrey put on him. With Corabi out, the door was open for Neil to return.

Neil had been busy with his solo career and the untimely death of his daughter Skylar, when Kovac had approached him with the idea of reuniting with Mötley that Morris had presented to Sixx and Lee earlier. Neil, like Sixx and Lee, was against the idea, but Kovac planted the idea of a reunion in Neil's head that eventually changed his mind. After meeting with Sixx and Lee, Neil agreed to rejoin and finish the album, whose title had been changed to Generation Swine.

Musically, the album shows Mötley trying to update their image and sound, experimenting with trends such as electronica and alternative rock. The songs draw heavy influence from Cheap Trick in the first half of the record. Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander did backing vocals in some songs. Most of the album was written while Corabi was with the band, and as such Neil had difficulty adjusting his voice to the material and sound. "There's a lot on that album that I'd have changed had I been there from the start," he remarked. "I didn't think the producer really knew what he was doing, because he wouldn't let me sing in the style I was accustomed to. He wouldn't let Mick play his usual way either. It was a nightmare."

Even with Neil back in the band, the album proved a departure from traditional Mötley albums. Besides the aforementioned experimentation, the album featured Sixx and Lee on lead vocals for the first time: Sixx on "Rocketship" (a love song tofor his new romance with model Donna D'Errico) and parts of "Find Myself"; Lee on "Brandon" (a namesake song for his first-born son, and his then-current wife, model Pamela Anderson) and "Beauty".

Lyrically, Generation Swine ranges from songs about drugs and prostitution such as "Find Myself" and "Beauty," to the anti-suicide stance on "Flush" and familial love on "Rocketship" and "Brandon."

"Afraid" was released as the first single from the album. The video featured Hustler publisher Larry Flynt, who also put the band on the cover of an issue of Hustler that year. "Afraid" reached #10 on the US mainstream rock charts, but that too did little to generate interest in the album. The second single released was "Beauty" which reached number 37 on the mainstream rock charts. "Find Myself" and "Glitter" were released as a promo singles. The band felt that the album's sluggish sales were due to Elektra not promoting the album properly, claiming that the label was only interested in promoting R & B acts. Rhone denied this claim though, stating that Mötley Crüe was a major priority for Elektra and that the label had spent a large sum of money in order to get the band to perform "Shout at the Devil '97" on the American Music Awards in January 1997

To promote the album, Skeleteens Beverages in Pasadena, California created a soft drink for the band called, "Motley Brue." The drink came in bottles which featured the new, "Pig logo" and consisted of large amounts of blue #1 which turned everything blue. The intentions were to have people that drank the soft drink urinate green fluid. Mötley Crüe helped design the bottles that featured lyrics from Generation Swine songs on the reverse of each label.

Generation Swine debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, selling over 80,500 copies in its first week and was certified Gold by the RIAA on August 27, 1997. Despite the strong charting debut, the album failed to return the band to the level of critical and commercial success that had been hoped for with the reunion, and according to Nielsen SoundScan the album has sold about 306,000 copies in the U.S. to date. In 2008, singer Vince Neil stated that the album was "terrible" due to "too much experimenting".

Generation Swine would be the group's final release on Elektra Records, as the label and Mötley Crüe would break their relationship off in early 1998. Future releases from the group would come from their own Mötley Records.

On July 7, 1997, Corabi filed a $4-million lawsuit against the band for alleged breach of contract, fraud, and slander. Corabi's claim was that he had not received royalties or credit for his work and contributions while he was in the band.

Corabi was only officially credited for two songs on the original pressing of Generation Swine, "Flush" and "Let Us Prey," but claimed that he was responsible for at least 80% of the material on the album.

Track listing

All tracks written by Nikki Sixx, except where noted.

1. "Find Myself" Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars, Tommy Lee 2:51
2. "Afraid" 4:07
3. "Flush" Sixx, Lee, John Corabi 5:03
4. "Generation Swine" Sixx, Lee 4:39
5. "Confessions" Lee Lee, Mars 4:21
6. "Beauty" Sixx, Scott Humphrey Sixx, Lee 3:47
7. "Glitter" Sixx, Bryan Adams Sixx, Humphrey, Adams 5:00
8. "Anybody Out There?" Lee, Sixx 1:50
9. "Let Us Prey" Sixx, Corabi 4:22
10. "Rocketship" 2:05
11. "A Rat Like Me" 4:13
12. "Shout at the Devil '97" 3:43
13. "Brandon" Lee Lee 3:25

Japanese bonus track

1. "Song to Slit Your Wrist By" 3:33

2003 remaster bonus tracks

1. "Afraid" (Swine/Jimbo Mix) 3:58
2. "Wreck Me" (previously unreleased) Lee, Neil, Mars, Sixx 4:19
3. "Kiss the Sky" (previously unreleased) Lee, Neil, Mars, Sixx, Corabi 4:47
4. "Rocketship" (early demo) 1:37
5. "Confessions" (demo, Lee on vocals) Lee Lee, Mars 3:35
6. "Afraid" (video)  

The back cover of the CD was printed upside down. This was the band's intention.

Nikki's son Gunner can be heard on "Find Myself."

Robin Zander and Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick provide backing vocals on "Glitter."

Mötley Crüe "Mötley Crüe"

Mötley Crüe is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Mötley Crüe. It was released on March 15, 1994, and is the only album that does not feature lead singer Vince Neil, who had departed from the band in 1992. Neil was replaced by former The Scream vocalist John Corabi on the album. It is also their last to be produced by Bob Rock.

The album, which was recorded under the working title of Til Death Do Us Part, was the first release by the band after signing a 25-million dollar contract with Elektra Records. The album alienated much of the band's fanbase due to its heavier sound and the absence of Neil.

Following the success of the Dr. Feelgood and Decade of Decadence albums and tours, the members of Mötley Crüe were tired and needed to take a break from the non-stop pressures of the road. Instead of being given a break, the band, then consisting of singer Vince Neil, bassist Nikki Sixx, guitarist Mick Mars, and drummer Tommy Lee, had returned to the studio to begin work on the follow-up album to their 1989 album Dr. Feelgood on a two-week-on, two-week-off schedule. While working on new material in the studio in early 1992, Sixx, Mars and Lee had a falling out with Neil that led to the singer quitting or being fired from the band, effectively leaving Mötley Crüe without a frontman.

Meanwhile, John Corabi was the vocalist of the Los Angeles-based hard rock band The Scream when he read an interview that featured Sixx in an issue of Spin magazine. In the interview, Corabi found out that Sixx was a big fan of The Scream's first record, Let It Scream. Corabi wanted to get in contact with Sixx and thank him for the compliment, as well as possibly opening the door for collaborating with Sixx on material for the next Scream album, so he had his manager get the number to Mötley Crüe's manager, Doug Thaler. After speaking to Thaler's secretary, Corabi was told to leave his phone number so that Sixx could get in contact with him. Not thinking much of it, Corabi left his number and continued with his responsibilities with The Scream.

After receiving a phone call from Sixx and Lee, where they informed Corabi that Neil was no longer in the band, he was invited to audition. After a couple of sessions, the band told Corabi that he was their choice for Neil's replacement, but told him to keep quiet about it until they were able to work out some pending legal technicalities, as Elektra Records could have possibly reneged on the band's new contract if the label knew Neil was gone.

For the recording of the album, Mötley Crüe reunited with Bob Rock, who had produced Dr. Feelgood, their most commercially successful album. With Corabi now fronting the band, the members took advantage of the fact that he brought more to the table than Neil did: Sixx had never worked with another lyricist before, and Mars had never played with another guitarist. Mars noted that working with a second guitarist gave him "a chance to experiment and have some fun instead of having to focus on just keeping the rhythm." Also, the band had never previously written songs through jamming. One of the first songs Corabi worked with the band on was "Hammered", as well as the acoustic portion of the song that would become "Misunderstood."

During the recording of the album the band committed itself to sobriety, with a strict regimen of no drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, red meat or caffeine. The band worked with a physical trainer each morning, and took vitamin pills to keep their bodies nourished. Although there were occasional slips off the wagon, the members were determined to repeat the success of Dr. Feelgood. The recording sessions proved to be fruitful, with a total of 24 songs written and recorded over the 10-month recording span.

Lyrically, Corabi's influence pushed away from the band's usual themes of sex and rebellion. Sixx enjoyed working with Corabi on the lyrics, feeling Corabi’s "normal" lyrics balanced out his own "demented" lyrics. Songs such as "Power to the Music" and "Droppin' Like Flies" were attempts at introspection and commentary on the state of the world, including then current events such as the 1992 Los Angeles riots, and the battle over music censorship. The song "Uncle Jack" was about Corabi's uncle, a convicted child molester, and "Misunderstood" was a song about people who were trying to deal with the fact that life had passed them by. Some songs still had more familiar themes, including "Smoke the Sky," which was about marijuana use, and "Poison Apples", which was about the decadent Rock 'N Roll lifestyle that the band was famous for living.

The album drew influence from contemporary grunge bands such as Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, and is considered alternative metal. The album also had a more aggressive and abrasive sound than the band's previous releases.

The album was released with two different versions of the cover. The original 1994 version featured the band name in yellow on a scratched black background. Later versions of the album had the band name in red. On the inside, the CD tray features a white circle showing a fist with the word "CRUE" on its fingers emerging from a black circle with an open space on the right side. The CD shows the same thing but drawn differently. Later editions have the CD showing the circle and fist drawn the same way as on the inlay.

Mötley Crüe debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold by the RIAA on May 3, 1994. However, five years had passed since Mötley had released a full studio album, and much had changed in popular music. Grunge and alternative rock had crossed into the mainstream, and many hard rock and glam metal acts from the 1980s struggled to generate sales. After charting in the Top 10, the album slid down quickly and ultimately failed to sell as well as previous Mötley albums.

"I've never heard that album," Neil claimed in 2000. "I just had no interest. It was a direction that I didn't agree with."

While there was an expected backlash from fans toward the album after the popular Neil's departure, other factors contributed to the poor sales. Besides the aforementioned shift in popular music, the band fell out with MTV: Sixx threatened to knock the host's teeth out during an interview, as he felt the line of questioning was "stupid". He and the rest of the band walked out mid-interview. Executives from the Elektra and Warner Bros. labels weren't supporting the band either, as many executives prioritised boardroom wars related to the CEO change of Bob Krasnow to Sylvia Rhone. With no support from their label, and no promotion from MTV following the disastrous interview, the subsequent tour was scaled back from stadiums and arenas to theaters to clubs until it was eventually cancelled.

In July 2014, Guitar World ranked Mötley Crüe at number 28 in their "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994" list.

Track listing

All lyrics written by John Corabi and Nikki Sixx; all music composed by Corabi, Sixx, Mick Mars and Tommy Lee, except where noted.

1. "Power to the Music" 5:12
2. "Uncle Jack" 5:28
3. "Hooligan's Holiday" 5:51
4. "Misunderstood" 6:53
5. "Loveshine" 2:36
6. "Poison Apples" (Corabi, Sixx, Mars, Lee, Bob Rock) 3:40
7. "Hammered" 5:15
8. "Til Death Do Us Part" 6:03
9. "Welcome to the Numb" 5:18
10. "Smoke the Sky" 3:36
11. "Droppin' Like Flies" 6:26
12. "Driftaway" 4:00

2003 remaster bonus tracks

1. "Hypnotized" (single B-side) 5:29
2. "Babykills" (from the Quaternary EP) 5:24
3. "Livin' in the Know" (from the japanese edition of Quaternary EP) 4:23