Motley Crue

When veteran groups release albums long after their commercial prime, the CDs are routinely described as new. But this last word usually belongs in quotes — a point proven by Saints of Los Angeles, the most recent platter by Mötley Crüe, joined at Fiddler's by Buckcherry, Papa Roach, SIXX:AM (Nikki...

By Michael Roberts

July 24, 2008

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When veteran groups release albums long after their commercial prime, the CDs are routinely described as new. But this last word usually belongs in quotes — a point proven by Saints of Los Angeles, the most recent platter by Mötley Crüe, joined at Fiddler's by Buckcherry, Papa Roach, SIXX:AM (Nikki Sixx's other group) and Trapt. The disc's sound consciously evokes the nasty grind of the hair-metal era, and that's fine — better that than playing riff rock over faux-Timbaland rhythms. Lyrically, though, the tunes tend toward tedious nostalgia for the good ol' days: "What's It Gonna Take" is dominated by images of girls doing powder on the Sunset Strip and label reps insisting that the Crüe will never write a hit, while "Down at the Whisky" pivots on the treacly hook "Do you remember when?" In fact, a lot of us do — and back in the day, such misty-eyed sentimentality would have been roundly ridiculed. Which remains a damn good idea.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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