Indulgence, Inc
A Tribute to Mötley Crüe (Dwell)
by Scott Hefflon
A little something different in the Dwell comp series: Some of these bands can sing. And I’ve heard of a few of them. And they’re not just eighth-rate death metal bands – they’re garagy rock, semi-industrial, punk, hard rock, and, um, bad rock bands. Luckily, most of the bands choose material from the first couple albums, but the choices from the Crüe’s “dark period” (actually, when they were lite and fruity) are understandable. Rewind open the tribute with “Dr. Feelgood,” the song/album that, to me, signified that the Crüe were done sucking and wanted to put out sleaze again. And while it didn’t last long, that record still plays in my house when I’m all fucked up and don’t give a shit that my neighbors are trying to sleep. Doom Kounty Electric Chair pop in with a schlocky “Too Fast for Love,” and while I like The Donnas’ cover better, this is my new second favorite cover of one of the best slut rock songs written. Seeing as I have little invested in the “Wild Side” (or “Wild Slide” as Dwell types it), I like Needulhed‘s industrial tinkerings with it. And while I like Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs (and they won Best Live Band in L.A. or something, if I believe the email bombardment I got but never read), their cover of “Live Wire” opens with a cringingly missed vocal note, the song being out of the vocalist’s range. And while I’ve certainly heard this oft-covered classic slaughtered worse, I’ve also heard far better from the band. Screechy glam fags, Revlon Red, cover “Stick to Your Guns,” a song that they probably shouldn’t’ve taken so to heart. Never liked the song anyway, luckily. Now here’s a petty grievance, but it’s one that matters: Tracking. Whoever chose the track listing shoulda never put “Stick to Your Guns” next to “Come on and Dance” because the opening guitar riffs are rather similar. While Mick Mars is allowed to adapt a riff years later, Dwell should’ve noticed the similarity when compiling the songs…
The Bastards cover “Come on and Dance,” and the minor setback of RevRed is forgotten. While the singer can’t hit some of the notes, neither could Vince, and this cover has the same dark, sleazy slither that made the original great. The cockeyed guitar solo and cowbell-knocking are done perfectly, and the faded intro to the next song (on Too Fast for Love, that is), “Public Enemy #1,” is just what the doctor ordered. The Bastards know Mötley Crüe – they get it. Unfortunately, NC Thirteens screw up “Shout at the Devil,” a song any hack high school metal band coulda done better. Likewise, the Sinisters‘ singer didn’t really try hard on “Bastard,” thus ruining a song with a great, dark riff despite the band’s trashy punk sound. Doorslammer screw up “On with the Show” so badly, I don’t even have any idea what they were after… And Libertine play such a scaled back version of “Ten Seconds to Love,” the song loses all the sex it once oozed. Luckily, the three chicks of Tuuli save the day with “Girls, Girls, Girls.” While they sound like The Eternal Opening Band (they just don’t have “the it,” playing by-the-book with very little identity and inflection they can call their own), the simple fact that it’s cute chicks brings to mind an all-girl group grope which, of course, is every guy’s wet dream. Tuuli open with the motorcycle revving by going “Vroom, vrooom!” and you fall in love right then and there. Someone sign these gals so we can see more of them, so to speak. The B-Movie Rats provide a pretty close cover of “Knock ’em Dead, Kid,” yet another underrated mall-strutting classic, and while they don’t really take it anywhere new (aside from the running gonzo soloing beneath the entire song), it’s a good cover of a good song. Closing is a groove/trudge version of “Starry Eyes” by Dementia. It’s a misleading band name because, aside from not being very good (and it’s my opinion that you have to be interesting before you can be crazy), they miss the glorious booze’n’drug-soaked depression of the original. Always a favorite for capturing the nightmarish merry-go-round (that’s another, come to think of it) that is/was Hollywood, this cover doesn’t come close to the original. There’s more to it than playing the notes and grunting the words, fellas.
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