Motley Dirt.

Two weeks ago I was given a book to enjoy, guaranteed to make me laugh. Seems rock bands always have a wild story or two to tell after the fact. I remember how much I was enthralled when I read 'Hammer Of The Gods' the 1987 Led Zeppelin bio, and 'No One Here Gets Out Alive' the 1981 tell-all on Jim Morrison and the Doors. Those books were graphic in their detail, and blunt about life on the road.

In July 1981 I became a resident of Orange County, Ca. My first gig was to work at Music Plus. Talk about being ahead of the game where releases went. MTV was one year away from arrival in Cali, I got LPs up the wazoo, and I had a friend who was a huge fan of hard rock.

Not long before my birthday in March 1982, I had an invite to go watch some new bands do their thing in L.A. It might have been the Troubadour or the The Whiskey. It was a done deal, I had the night off to go watch two up and coming bands in L.A.

At the last moment my boss informed me that he was out sick, could I do inventory for him? I said yes. I later learned my boss Dennis was at this concert. Bastard! The two bands he saw were The Snowmen and Motley Crue...

Radio in 1981-1982 was all about the new-wave, new romantic, non rock stuff in the OC. KROQ 106.7 FM was the cool station to listen to along with KMET 94.7 FM and the late B Mitchell Reed.

I was turned onto to all kinds of sights and sounds like Visage, Cabaret Voltaire, Missing Persons, The Go-Go's, Martha and the Muffins, The Stray Cats, Fun Boy Three, Nina Hagen, and one band that had a green album color, the Gumbys! All of it good and all of it easy to listen and dance to.

1980 I discovered heavy metal and got my hands on everything I could that was hard and loud. Black Sabbath, early Wishbone Ash, Uriah Heep, Lonestar, AC/DC, The Who, Deep Purple, Def Leppard, Krokus, and Mahogany Rush. All of these I played on Dad's 8 track player nonstop!

'Too Fast for Love' was the first Crue release in 1982 on their own label, Leather Records. It got alot of buzz at school at Elmo and locally on stations like KLOS. KNAC would tap into that harder genre in 1986.

1983 'Shout at the Devil' was released and that was it for me. The track 'Looks That Kill' pretty much described anything and everything I ever dated until age 19. I laugh now as Nikki Sixx once commented that the reason you play in a band is for the women, drugs, and fame. He was also quick to point out that the number one cause for failure in a band was the women, drugs, and fame.

Not having any clue just how much dysfunction there was within the band between shows, drug and drink binges, loss of life, and groupies between shows, 'The Dirt' opened my eyes up to the realities of what can happen when you get what you ask for.

Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, and Nikki Sixx proceed to tell their stories about what life was like before during and after the start of being the Crue. Some of the stories are downright hilarious, and some downright sad. As their paths ran roughshod along men like David Lee Roth, Autograph, Lita Ford, Pamela Anderson, Donna D'errico, Cheap Trick, and Aerosmith do you start to realize that these four badboys were born to perform in this band and nowhere else. Collectively it works, separately the vibe just wasn't there. Just ask John Corabi! The period covered goes from 1981 through the watershed period of 'Dr. Feelgood' circa 1989-1990.

Your perception of success might get a reboot after you read what Motley Crue achieved, overcame, and dared to question in becoming one of the hardest rocking, if not the hardest rocking band on tour. The women, the booze, the music, the fights, the record label B.S. the infighting... A very very good read on a cold winter afternoon.

My thanks again to Craig M for this musical venture. 'The Dirt' will keep your interest from beginning to end.

Back to the AAC for me tomorrow! See you there!

Over and out in Big D

Mr Will