Pekka
When talking about Mötley Crüe the sex, drugs, car crashes, overdoses and such are usually the only topics that come up. Everyone knows the band and their CV, but quite a few actually know the music. Unfortunately. That included me for years and years, but recently I've finally managed to make some real contact with the band.
The sleaze kings of LA started their career with this self-funded and self-released album, which says "we're big bad rockers and you should get out of our way or get in bed with us" right on the Rolling Stones influenced cover. They didn't have that much money at the time, so the sound is pretty far from the polished and streamlined rock anthem albums of their later times, but in its honest rawness it's a very powerful sound.
The album does have a few flaws, like the weird drunken cowbell choir of Public Enemy #1 and some moments when Vince Neil doesn't quite manage to sound like a big bad rocker but rather a whiny ten year old dreaming of becoming one some sunny day. That's especially apparent in parts of the title track. But the tracks are very solid, edgy hard rocking material most of the time - Live Wire, Starry Eyes and the title track perhaps being slight highlights - and excluding the mentioned flaws the band gives a great, enthusiastic performance.
After being picked up by Elektra records the album was quickly remixed, rearranged and re-released. The already quite compact album was shortened quite significantly by dropping one track and cutting an intro here and some repetition there. Both versions are nowadays available on the Music to Crash Your Car to, Vol 1 box set, and depending on my mood they both get a spin now and then.
Good straight rocking debut by a band better than their reputation.