They’ve been around since 1976 but their latest album, 2021’s Too Mean To Die, shows no signs of Accept becoming a middle-aged metal act about to call it a day. Outside of a few YouTube videos, this album is my introduction to the group and I’ve been listening to them with regularity ever since I purchased the album on a whim.
The band has had multiple lineup changes over the years with only Wolf Hoffmann, the band’s lead guitarist, as the only constant member. The players on Too Mean To Die include Hoffmann, lead vocalist Mark Tornillo, rhythm guitarist Uwe Lulis, bassist Martin Motnik, guitarist Philip Shouse, and Christopher Williams on drums. They sound amazing together. The band has often been referred to as a German AC/DC and this album definitely fits that description. Although I will say that Too Mean To Die sounds a lot more polished and slickly produced than anything AC/DC has ever put out. That’s not a knock on either band, though, as I enjoy listening to both of them.
The album is a straight-ahead rocker for the most part. The title track is a sinister beat down on your ears. The Undertaker opens up quietly and then turns into a slow churning metal burner. Then there are tracks like Overnight Sensation and Sucks To Be You that showcase pounding drums, amazing guitar work, and crunchy vocals. Things slow down a bit with The Best Is Yet To Come, but just a little. Top it all off with the amazing instrumental, Samson And Delilah, and you have an album that doesn’t sound like the sixteenth release of a band that’s north of forty years old and is left with only one original member standing. This album is awesome and I highly recommend it.
Consider this your invitation to check out Accept if you haven’t yet. This band is great. This is also my final entry in the November Noise category for this year. The response has been pretty good so I might bring this category back next year. Let me know what you think about this album and November Noise in general in the comments section. If there’s anything that you’d like to see me cover in December, let me know that in the comments as well.
As always, thanks for checking out my posts. See you again soon.
In my teen years, few things made me laugh as hard as watching Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar on their iconic Saturday Night Live sketch, Wayne’s World. The sketch combined two of my favorite things, comedy and metal music. It spawned catch phrases such as “Party on, Wayne! Party on, Garth!” “Schwing!,” and the header for this post about monkeys flying out of butts. The duo were a massive success and it was only a matter of time for SNL to cash in on them on the big screen.
The film version of Wayne’s World was released in 1992. It was the second film to be released based upon an SNL sketch. It became and remains the highest grossing SNL film. It starred Myers and Carvey in their respective roles and added a ton of stellar actors in supporting roles. Rob Lowe co-starred as Benjamin Kane, a crooked TV producer that manipulates and exploits shows similar to Wayne’s public access show in order to make as much money as possible no matter what happens to the actual program. Tia Carrere co-stars as Cassandra Wong, lead vocalist and bass player for Crucial Taunt, and Wayne’s eventual love interest. The rest of the cast includes Brian Doyle-Murray as Noah Vanderhoff, the sponsor of Benjamin’s version of Wayne’s World, Colleen Camp as Vanderhoff’s wife, Lara Flynn Boyle as Stacy, Wayne’s slightly insane ex, and a ton of other actors including Ed O’Neill, Michael DeLuise, Kurt Fuller, Donna Dixon, Dan Bell, and Lee Tergesen. There were also a number of cameos including Chris Farley, Meat Loaf, Ione Skye, and Frank DiLeo. Alice Cooper and his then current band appear in one sequence as well. That sequence spawned the catchphrase, “We’re not worthy!”
In the movie, Wayne and Garth are taken advantage of by Benjamin, who takes full control of their show in order to make money off of it. Benjamin also tries to steal the love of Cassandra by helping her make a music video. He succeeds in breaking up Wayne and Cassandra but Wayne teams up with his friends to win her back by staging a concert for record producer Frankie Sharp and exposing Benjamin for who he really is. All of these events are laced together with hilarious moments throughout the film including the now iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody” ride through Aurora, Illinois, an homage to Lavergne & Shirley, a run-in with the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) from Terminator 2, and the memorable film “endings” sequence that includes a Scooby-Doo ending.
The film was a major hit and so was its soundtrack. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It featured classic songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody from Queen, Foxy Lady by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Dream Weaver (new recording) by Gary Wright. It featured contemporary tracks from bands like BulletBoys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Alice Cooper. Tia Carrere is also featured on tracks that she performed in the film. Other artists included Black Sabbath, Soundgarden, Cinderella, and Eric Clapton, among others.
The film, directed by Penelope Spheeris, best known for her trilogy of music films, The Decline of Western Civilazation, catapulted Myers into a successful film career. It pulled Rob Lowe back into the spotlight after having almost killing his career in the late 1980’s with a scandalous sex tape. It also brought significant attention to the careers of Tia Carrere and Dana Carvey as well as re-sparked interest in classic rock bands, most notably Queen.
You can’t deny the many things that Wayne’s World did for its stars, its featured musical artists, and pop culture in general. The film’s influence is still felt to this day. A sequel was released the following year but SNL couldn’t catch lightning in a bottle twice, as that movie proved to be a failure. Thankfully, the original film lives on and can be watched on numerous streaming platforms and good ol’ fashioned VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray.
Thanks for checking out my post. I recently shared this film with my son and he loved it. It’s one of my favorite films of all time and I’d love to know what you think about it in the comments section. See you again, soon!
It might sound crazy but whenever I’m having a fit of rage or something has me extremely angry, I put on Def Leppard’s Hysteria album and I calm down. Specifically, the title track for this album puts me in a very calm mood. I don’t know why and I probably never will, but the song just relaxes me. It apparently had some sort of effect on other people as well. Hysteria is Def Leppard’s best selling album and the band released a whopping seven singles from it.
All seven of the singles reached the Billboard Top 100 with Women peaking at #80 and Love Bites hitting #1. Pour Some Sugar On Me topped out at #2 while Hysteria reached #10. Animal reached #19. Rocket made it to #12 and Armageddon It peaked at #3. For those keeping count, that’s three top ten tracks, and six top twenty tracks. Singles were released from the album in three different years.
Fans of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal either loved or hated the album. Some embraced it for bringing metal into the mainstream and others hated that it sounded too much like pop music. For me, Hysteria was an amazing blend of slick production, radio friendly tracks, and just enough rockers to keep me completely enthralled with the band and their music.
Joe Elliott’s voice sounded amazing while being backed up by the guitar one-two combo of Steve Clark and Phil Collen. Rick Savage’s bass kept everything in time along with Rick Allen’s drums which were specially created for him due to the fact that he lost an arm in an accident in 1984. Allen’s accident was the reason that there were four years between Hysteria and the band’s prior album, Pyromania. Sadly, tragedy would strike the band again in 1991 when Steve Clark would succumb to alcohol poisoning. He would be replaced by Vivian Campbell. The rest of the group would remain the same with no member changes since the loss of Clark.
The band’s current lineup from L to R: Collen, Allen, Elliott, Savage, and Campbell.
Hysteria is one of the few albums that I have that I can listen to in its entirety every time. The albums five other tracks (twelve in total) are just as awesome as the singles. My favorite songs on the album include all of the singles and Gods of War and Don’t Shoot Shotgun. There really isn’t a bad track on the album. It’s as close to hard rock and pop metal perfection as you’re ever going to get.
If you haven’t listened to this album yet, purchase it. I have it on cassette, CD, and a digital download. There have been a few different releases of the album over the years including a 30th Anniversary deluxe version. This album is amazing and you won’t regret buying it.
Thanks for checking out my post. I’ll see you all again real soon.
As many of you are aware, I grew up in rural Louisiana with very few options when it came to television. My family could watch local ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliates as well as PBS and an independent station (when the weather was right) that would eventually become a FOX affiliate. Cable television was nowhere in sight for our family, and as a kid growing up in the 80’s and early 90’s, I was very jealous of my friends that lived in town and had access to MTV. My only real option was the NBC late night series Friday Night Videos. Although the series ran from 1983 to 2002, my interaction with it was primarily during the mid 80’s and early 1990’s, when celebrities would host the show.
As a pre-teen and teenager I would loyally tune into the show on Friday nights. Almost all of the music was pop or adult oriented rock, but every now and then a few rockers would slip into the lineup. Most of the hosts were pop stars and television and film celebrities, but a few rockers like David Lee Roth and Ozzy Osbourne did host the show.
I would often record episodes on VHS tapes and rewatch them during the week. One of the episodes that really stuck with me over the years was a Christmas special hosted by the New Kids On The Block. It also guest starred Calvert DeForest (perhaps best known as Larry “Bud” Melman from Late Night With David Letterman) dressed as Santa Claus. It featured a video for the song Just Between You And Me by Lou Gramm, the lead singer for Foreigner who would exit the band in 1990. It came off of his second solo album, Long Hard Look. That video and song were hammered into my brain because of Friday Night Videos and I still sing it to this day.
The series had a number of notable hosts over the years. To name just a few, the show was hosted by Pee Wee Herman, Michael J. Fox and Justine Bateman, Bobby Brown, members of Duran Duran, Madonna, and Johnny Gill. The show would drop the celebrity hosts in 1991. In fact, the 1990’s would see the series shift in format and eventually be renamed Friday Night. This is when I quit watching the series. It became more focused on stand up comedy and would continue to expand on this format until the show was finally cancelled in 2002.
I still have fond memories of staying up late, eating too much, and drinking way too much Coke and Dr. Pepper while watching videos from some of the most popular musical acts in the mid to late 80’s. I also remember my parents fussing at me for staying up all hours of the night just to watch music videos. It was a phenomenon that was completely new to them and they didn’t understand it nor did they want to understand it. Thinking about this show brings back a ton of memories and I really, really miss watching it.
Thanks for reading my post. I think I might just hop onto YouTube and see if their are any episodes of FridayNight Videos available to watch. Do you remember this show? Let me know in the comments.
On the weekend of November 6th, myself and my daughter ventured out to the Texas Renaissance Festival in Todd Mission, TX. Neither one of us are strangers to the event as we have both attended the festival every year since 2007 or 2008 (I can’t quite remember) with myself only missing one year due to work and my daughter missing a few more than me. We hit all of our usual shows including the Clan Tynker Family Circus, Cirque Olympus, the Global Dance Theatre (formerly Gypsy Dance Theatre), and the Great Rondini. We walked the grounds, ate some awesome food, and I had a nice coffee porter from the Brigadoon Brewery known as Contract Killer.
We also decided to check out the joust for the first time in quite a few years. We sat in France’s section as usual and cheered on our knight as he battled competitors from England, Germany, and Spain. There is an amazing amount of athleticism and precision in action when these folks battle and the horses do just as much or more work themselves. Of the two events that the knights competed in, France won the first one and came in second in the second event.
There were a few new pieces added to the Fairy Garden and the Greek Agora and the newest section of the festival from last year expanded even more with new buildings and vendors. I must also add that the weather was perfect. It was cold enough that I had to wear a hoodie with my short pants but as the day wore on, it warmed up but remained cool enough that I didn’t sweat too much in my hoodie.
There was one glaring omission from the festival this year. As some of you may know, Clark Orwick, best known as Smuj, the faceless man that carried around Ded Bob and assisted Bob as he Bobmotized zombies for his show, passed away earlier this year. He was a big part of the festival and one of the funniest acts on the Ren Faire circuit. A new act took his place this year at the Globe Theater that he shared with Clan Tynker, but he was and will always be dearly missed.
An early photo of Ded Bob and “Smuj,” aka Clark Orwick.
Both Ded Bob photos acquired from the Ded Bob website.
The Texas Renaissance Festival was amazing as always. There are still two weekends left to attend so get out there if you can and witness an amazing spectacle. Attending the festival makes me feel happy, accepted, and like I am back home. I love TRF and hope that all of you get to experience for yourselves.
Thanks for reading my post. I’ve got some November Noise coming up on Thursday and Friday.
The late 1980’s found me comfortably nestled into a rock cradle. I was listening to bands like Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Guns n’ Roses, and more hard rock and glam acts. One of the bands that slipped into my listening queue was Vixen, one of the most successful all female rock bands in history. Their 1988 self-titled debut had two big hits on it, Edge Of A Broken Heart and Cryin’ and a third single, Love Made Me, that also performed very well.. It also featured a solid lineup of supporting tracks that proved to be more than filler.
The album is loaded with some awesome heavy hitters like I Want You To Rock Me, Hell Raisers, and Cruisin’. The album’s three singles and songs like Charmed Life all had radio-ready production and sing along choruses. In fact, the entire album was slickly produced and sounded amazing. That should be a good thing but it was actually detrimental to the band’s image.
As Vixen’s popularity began to grow, so did the ire of their critics. Being an all female band, they were often written off as a gimmick. They were accused of not being able to play their instruments even though the entire band were more than capable of performing all of their songs live. Founder and lead guitarist Jan Kuehnemund has some lethal solos on this album and on later releases by the band. Janet Gardner’s vocals were both emotional and powerful. Bassist Share Pedersen (eventually Share Ross) and drummer Roxy Petrucci provide a rhythm section that could easily hold its own against many of their contemporaries. Still, critics were relentless and tried to credit the album’s producers and songwriters which included Richard Marx, Spencer Proffer, and David Cole, for doing most of the work and for making the “girls” sound excellent. This unwarranted criticism would push the band to write almost all of the songs for their follow up album, 1990’s Rev It Up, and the band scored Top 100 tracks with How Much Love, Love Is A Killer, and Not A Minute Too Soon.
I loved Vixen and still listen to it to this day. The band split up in 1992 and would reappear in different configurations throughout the rest of the decade and well into the 2000’s. Share Pedersen wouldn’t return until a VH-1stint in 2004 and the eventual reunion of the classic lineup in 2012. Kuehnemund carried the flag for the band throughout most of the years following 1992. She joined back up with Petrucci and Gardner in the late 90’s and then continued the band with different members after that. When the classic lineup did finally reunite seriously in 2012, the group was put on hold when it was announced that Kuehnemund had cancer. She would pass away in 2013. The rest of the classic lineup decided to continue on with Gina Stile on lead guitar. Eventually Stile would be replaced by former Jaded guitarist Britt Lightning. Gardner would leave the band on good terms in 2019 and would be replaced by current singer and former Femme Fatale frontwoman, Lorraine Lewis.
Vixen’s current lineup, L to R: Ross, Lewis, Petrucci, Lightning.
I really love Vixen and can’t wait for them to release new music with Lewis and Lightning. The entire band is very active on social media, especially Britt Lightning, and I highly recommend following them. Their debut album was amazing and so were their later releases including their most recent one, Live Fire, which I’ve reviewed on this blog when it was released. I hope to see them play live in the near future as well. They are one of the few bands that I want to see live that I haven’t seen yet.
Thanks for reading my post. Oh, I had a mad crush on Share Ross from day one. I still do.
1993 was a big year for me. It was the year that I entered my senior year of high school. It marked the beginning of the end of my life as a nobody in a small town in Louisiana. Flash forward nearly thirty years later and I’m still a nobody, but at least I’m livin, man. L-I-V-I-N. Some of the kids in the film Dazed and Confused were asking themselves many of the same questions that I was asking myself. I was a bit worried about what would happen to me after I graduated. I was on edge about the shape of our world. I wasn’t smoking pot, but I was wondering where I would end up in this mess we all call life. I believe that is why I identified so much with some of the characters in this film even though it took place on the last day of school in Austin, TX in 1976. Times were different back then but they were also very much the same. This movie spoke to me on a number of levels and the soundtrack was one of the best things to ever get laid down on a compact disc.
The film basically follows two groups of kids as they navigate their way through their final day of school. One group is comprised of junior high kids who will become freshmen in the fall and the other group is composed of juniors that are about to be seniors. The two groups collide with one another in many of the same ways that all high school and soon-to-be high school kids interact no matter the year or the decade. Their are numerous subplots running throughout the film but the primary focus is on upcoming ninth grader, Mitch Kramer, and future star quarterback, Randall “Pink” Floyd. Mitch wants to be cool and hang out with the older kids. He also wants to avoid the tradition of getting freshmen getting hazed by the new seniors. The boys are caught and spanked with paddles by the seniors, something that one of the seniors, Fred O’Bannion, delights in to an almost evil level. The girls are herded up and humiliated by their senior adversaries. As the night wears on, Mitch and his friends are caught and whipped to varying degrees of severity.
Pink wants to play football in his final year at school but he doesn’t want to sign a paper that states that he won’t engage in drinking alcohol, doing drugs, or do anything else that might cost the team a shot at the state championship. Some of his friends support him but others attempt to pressure him into signing the paper. He and Mitch cross paths after a brutal beating at the hands of O’Bannion on Mitch. Feeling sorry for Mitch, Pink invites him to hang out with him and his friends the rest of the night and then to go to a party at the moon tower. Along the way they and other students have crazy adventures that culminate in the party at the tower. We are introduced to numerous characters, many of which are played by actors who would go on to have massively successful careers. It all plays out with a constant soundtrack of seventies tunes that would eventually become classified as classic rock in the coming decades.
The film’s soundtrack included monster tunes from bands like Black Sabbath, The Runaways, KISS, Deep Purple, and Alice Cooper. A second album was released entitled Even More Dazed And Confused. It included tracks from artists such as ZZ Top, Head East, and War. The music featured heavily in the film as it was constantly present on the radio, the jukebox, the overhead speakers, or on an LP, just as it was and still is to this day in every teen’s life.
As already mentioned, the film featured a number of future film and television stars in their first or one of their earliest roles. Jason London starred as Randall “Pink” Floyd and Wiley Wiggins portrayed Mitch Kramer. Mitch’s sister, Jodi, was portrayed by Michelle Burke. Rory Cochrane portrayed the penultimate pothead, Slater, and would go on to star in another musically-loaded 90’s film, Empire Records. He has continued to work regularly, especially in television. Adam Goldberg played the neurotic nerd named Mike Newhouse who would end up facing off against a bully in the film. Goldberg has been a standout both in front of and behind the camera. He starred or guest starred on a number of television shows including Friends, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and The Jim Gaffigan Show. He also starred in a number of films including Saving Private Ryan and Zodiac. Joey Lauren Adams played Simone, Pink’s steady. She has had a long career that has included starring roles in numerous films and television shows including Mallrats, Still The King, and Chasing Amy. Parker Posey starred as the authoritative Darla. She terrorized the incoming freshmen. Posey has had a long career in both independent and mainstream films starring in movies like Superman Returns, A Mighty Wind, You’ve Got Mail, Blade: Trinity, Best In Show, and The Anniversary Party. Milla Jovovich starred as Michelle, the hippie/pothead who decorates to stolen statues to look like Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS. Her career would explode over the years in films like The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, the Resident Evil franchise, and The Fifth Element. Renee Zellweger had a very brief cameo as a girl participating in the freshmen hazing with Darla, but her career would explode as well with the Bridget Jones films, Cinderella Man, and other films.
The two biggest future stars in this film are obviously Ben Affleck as O’Bannion and the one and only Matthew McConaughey. Affleck co-starred with Joey Lauren Adams in a few Kevin Smith films but he would eventually become a major player in Hollywood as a writer, director, and actor. I wouldn’t dare attempt to list the number of films that he’s been in, directed, or written, but here are a choice few that I personally like: Daredevil, Justice League, Good Will Hunting, Argo, and Dogma. He has won Oscars, BAFTA awards, Golden Globes, and numerous other awards.
Much like Affleck, Matthew McConaughey has entirely too many film credits, awards, and accolades to list. Some of my favorite films that he was in include Sahara, Angels In The Outfield, Failure To Launch, and Interstellar. He also found success on the small screen in series such as True Detective and Eastbound & Down. In Dazed And Confused, McConaughey’s portrayal of Wooderson, the slightly older guy that hangs around with teens, is legendary. With countless quotable lines in the film (most of which were improvised), there are few places in this world where people haven’t heard “Alright, alright, alright” or “Just keep livin, man, L-I-V-I-N.” The character is one of my favorite in all of filmdom.
You seriously need to see this film if you haven’t already done so. It’s a coming of age tale that is as timeless as the music that plays throughout its runtime. Written and directed by Richard Linklater, it’s one of my favorite movies of all time.
Thanks for reading my post. My November Noise album review is coming up tomorrow!
I have a copy of Zack Snyder’s Justice League tucked away in my hall closet. I have yet to watch the film yet but had to get my hands on this Batman figure from the film. My life has been very crazy over the last few years and I have yet to set aside the time to watch the entire film. I did see the Joss Whedon edit of the movie and I liked it despite its many flaws. I’ll watch Snyder’s cut in the near future but, for now at least, let’s take a look at this Justice League 2021 Batman figure.
Right off the bat, sorry, I noticed that this figure appears to be a lot slimmer than the bulked up form of Ben Affleck from the film. It does look like his chin, however, and the overall design of the figure is amazing. This version of Batman has been one of my favorites ever since I first saw it in the original JL film released back 2017. The figure features amazing articulation except for the hip area where the crotch and thighs don’t quite meet up. The figure comes with the standard trading card that all of the figures in this line come with, a base, and a batarang accessory.
I really love the attention to detail on this figure. There’s a ton of textured parts on the mold. The highlight is Batman’s cape. It looks as if it should flow but it is soft plastic and keeps its look and feel. It’s simply amazing. In case you are wondering, the goggles are not removable but look really good on the figure. My only complaint is how the figure’s legs appear to be bowed. This might be unique to my figure due to packaging, but I do believe that it is how the mold was made and it looks sort of odd.
Above is a comparison shot of the 2021 version of Batman versus the 2017 Mattel Justice League Batman figure. The 2017 figure has brighter colors and more paint apps. The goggles are silver whereas the McFarlane figure keeps almost everything black. The Mattel figure is noticeably smaller than the 2021 figure as well. When comparing the capes, you can easily see that the Mattel cape has curled up over the years. The soft plastic cape on the 2021 figure looks like it will remain in place. There’s simply no comparison when it comes to articulation. The McFarlane figure easily beats out the Mattel figure in that aspect. Overall, the McFarlane figure is a major improvement over the 2017 figure, but that figure will always hold a special place in my heart.
Thanks for checking out my review. I’ll have a movie review tomorrow for Throwback Thursday and November Noise and a look at an album on Friday.
“I want you to remember, my hand, at your throat, I want you to remember the one man who beat you.”
Frank Miller’s 1986 four part mini-series, collectively referred to as The Dark Knight Returns, forever changed Batman, DC Comics, and the comics industry as a whole with its dark tones, ultra violent story, and grim outlook on the world. Over the years the tale has been adapted, integrated, or out-and-out ripped off of for numerous other comic stories, films, and animated movies. This figure from McFarlane, which appears to be loosely based on a mishmash of the comic version and the Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice armored Batman, is big, bad, and wonderful.
This guy is massive. He stands about an inch taller than most of the other figures in this line. He features thick armor plating that has scoring on it, two soft plastic shin guards, a codpiece, soft plastic shoulder pads, and an amazing soft plastic cape that looks like actual cloth. He also comes with two sets of hands, only one of which is clinched into a fist. The other hands are open and the right hand that comes attached to the figure in the box looks as if it should fit a gun. Sadly, no gun is included nor or any other accessories save for the collector card that comes with all of the figures in this line.
The figure is very bulky but thanks to the soft shoulder pads his arm articulation can be used to nearly its full range. The legs were extremely stiff on my figure and his legs are somewhat hindered when it comes to poseability. I basically have him standing straight up with his hands at his side on my desk. His feet have peg holes in them and also have the wonderful spikes from the comics in them.
My favorite thing about this figure is his helmet and the mouth mold. The helmet looks amazing and despite very little range of motion due to the armor, it still turns enough for decent poses. The mouth looks angry, as it should, and it stands out underneath the heavily armored cowl. The cape is another thing that I really like about this figure. It looks real.
Unless you are a stickler for comic and/or film accuracy, I definitely recommend this figure. What he lacks in articulation (due to the armor limiting his range of motion), he more than makes up for with his overall look. Throw in a weapon on some sort and this would be a perfect figure.
Thanks for reading my post. November Noise returns on Throwback Thursday and Friday of this week. Look for another Batman figure review tomorrow!
Mötley Crüe was the first “bad” band that I ever listened to as a kid. With their Satanic imagery, lyrics about rock staples such as sex, drugs, alcohol, and doing pretty much whatever you wanted to do as a youngster in the 1980’s, I was forbidden to listen to them. Because of this, I didn’t actually hear them until the mid 1980’s when I would go to my friend’s house and listen to them on cassette. I had a few bootleg tapes that I would make at my friend’s house. When I discovered music clubs like BMG and Columbia House, I was able to purchase my very own copies of the band’s albums and since my parents rarely checked what cassettes and CDs I purchased, I quickly amassed the band’s entire catalogue with the exception of one album, Too Fast For Love.
The original release of Too Fast For Love on Leathür Records.
Mötley Crüe quickly became my favorite band. I listened to their music nonstop. I learned the lyrics for all of their songs and would regularly try to imitate Vince Neil’s vocals. I wanted to look as cool as Mick Mars, rock out like Tommy Lee, and write lyrics and music like Nikki Sixx. It wasn’t until I got into college that I picked up a copy of Too Fast For Love. I immediately fell in love with it. As cool as Shout At The Devil and Dr. Feelgood sounded, Too Fast For Love sounded cooler. It didn’t have the polished sound that Theatre of Pain and Girls, Girls, Girls had. Instead, it was raw, trampy, dirty rock and I loved it.
Elektra release cover.
The entire album has that raw sound that just screams out that a bunch of young and hungry punks put it together. Almost all of the tracks are punchy, in-your-face, and make you want to scream along with them. Some of the tracks pound on you like a high school bully. Those tracks include “Live Wire” and “Piece of Your Action.” Other tracks are slower paced but just as brutal like “Merry Go Round” and “Come On And Dance.” There’s also one reflective track on the album, “On With The Show,” which looks at the death of “Frankie” and the rise of Nikki Sixx. The title track is a pounding anthemic rocker and my favorite tune, “Starry Eyes,” is a perfect blend of poppy ballad and violent rock.
It should be noted that the original release of the album and the Elektra release had a few differences. “Stick To Your Guns” was completely removed from the Elektra release and the song order was altered as well. Also, there’s an intro found on the Leathür Records release of the title track that is omitted from the Elektra release. The original Leathür album is still out there but very hard to find. Luckily it was also released as part of the Music To Crash Your Car To Volume One collection in 2003.
I highly recommend this album to fans of hard rock, heavy metal, and glam. It’s raw and simply amazing. I’ll have another album review next Friday. Thanks for reading!
Ken's Alternate Universe! 