Search - Motley Crue :: Theatre of Pain

A true classic from the 80s.....

DBL Bass Galore | Birmingham Alabama USA | 03/01/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I recently bought a new copy of this and man...did it bring back memories. I remember anxiously awaiting it's release back in the summer of 1985. I had discovered Motley right after Shout At The Devil came out. Theatre Of Pain was a big change from Shout....but it was EXCELLENT to the ears of this 15 year old headbanger. Tommy Lee actually taught me to play drums. It was on the dash of my buddy's car, but that's beside the point.

Listening to it now, of course it does sound kind of dated...as a lot of music from the 80s does. But those memories come rushing back when City Boy Blues first kicks in. Does it every time."

Not worthless but still disappointing

rocky49152 | Lyndhurst, OH USA | 06/07/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is not one of Motley Crue's better efforts.



First the music. There are some good songs here, like the hard-hitting "City Boy Blues", "Home Sweet Home" - the prototypical metal ballad, the shout-along "Fight For Your Rights", and - of course - their cover of "Smoking in the Boys Room". The rest of it is quality metal of the time but otherwise forgettable.



Here is the problem though, the mix makes the whole recording sound like it was done in "Eddie's Garage Studio at his Parents House." The guitars are competently played but are mixed in such a way that they sound over-chorused and flat. The drums are weak and muddy and the low-end is non-existent, and lastly - Vince Neil's voice sounds terrible.



Let's face it. This guy is no Geoff Tate. He either needs the effects on his voice to sound decent (as on Dr. Feelgood) or he needs to turn up the growl factor (as he did on the far superior "Shout At the Devil"). If they were going to go cheap sounding, they should just have mixed this album like "Too Fast For Love", which at least had a raw, genuine quality to it.



In the scheme of their primary catalog, here is where this album ranks for me descending best to worst (I omitted Saints of LA and Motley Crue - as I have not listened to these albums enough to be familiar with them):



1) Dr. Feelgood

2) Shout at the Devil

3) Too Fast for Love

4) New Tattoo

5) Girls, Girls, Girls

6) Theatre of Pain "