Motley Crue - Dr Feelgood

by Aaron Brown

published: 27 / 8 / 2009

Aaron Brown examines Motley Crue's hedonistic 1989 album, 'Dr Feelgood', which is about to be re-released in a twentieth anniversary edition

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"Motley Crue would never fucking overdose man, never! You could put them in a room with two tons of crack. They would come out a half an hour later. Rock on man! Shit, they're still alive. Fuck! They're probably gonna make another double-live album now, Goddammit!" Denis Leary. Twenty years on 'Dr Feelgood' still sounds decadent, dirty and down right diseased. Much has been made on the Crue’s Olympic swimming sized appetite for drugs sex and all things rawk and roll. Motley Crue could never hold a candle to the likes of Metallica or Iron Maiden musician or song writing ability wise, but, for many people like myself, their music encapsulates a rebellious adolescence. 1989's 'Dr Feelgood 'is probably for the new starter the best album to buy. While the band claim this is their most solid album (see Nikki Sixx warts 'n' all 'Heroin Diaries') many of the songs still deal with broken homes, drugs and well more substance abuse than the nation of Columbia on Saturday night. Title track, 'Dr Feelgood', is of course is about chief song writer and the "brains" behind Crue, Nikki Sixx's recreational advisor. Motley Crue never went for the subtle approach as 'Slice of Your Pie' is -you guessed- not about their love of home made cooking. The biographical 'Kickstart My Heart', written about one of Nikki Sixx’s overdoses and subsequent revival, shows a band that have a great song writing ability and a very dark sense of humour. If only Def Leppard would write a song about their one armed drummer. Motley Crue haven’t aged well, and past photos from their heydays look ridiculous but this a welcome addition to rock fans, young and old, wanting to hear what real rock bands sounded like before political correctness.