Theatre of Pain [Vinyl]

Motley Crue | Format: Vinyl

Product Details

• Vinyl (November 25, 2008)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Eleven Seven Music
• ASIN: B001GJ30RY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,539 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. City Boy Blues

2. Fight For Your rights

3. Home Sweet Home

4. Keep Your eye On The Money

5. Louder Than Hell

6. Raise Your Hand To Rock

7. Save Our Souls

8. Smokin' In The Boys Room

9. Tonight (We Need A Lover)

10. Use It Or Lose it

Editorial Reviews

Original Release Date: July 13, 1985Track Listing 1. City Boy Blues 2. Smokin' In The Boys Room 3. Louder Than Hell 4. Keep Your Eye On The Money 5. Home Sweet Home 6. Tonight (We Need A Lover) 7. Use It Or Lose It 8. Save Our Souls 9. Raise Your Hands To Rock 10. Fight For Your Rights

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In defence of this album..., July 18, 2009

By 

DL (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Theatre of Pain (Audio CD)

The popular myth is that Theatre Of Pain is Motley's weakest album - as opined by no less than the band itself! I offer this review by way of an alternative viewpoint.

I was 16 when this album came out. At the time I was (and still am) a huge Iron Maiden fanatic. Having dabbled in the fun-but-hardly-life-changing Quiet Riot and Def Leppard (plus ol' Purple and Sabbath which just seemed so...70s) I was totally floored by Motley's Shout At The Devil in every way - the look, the attitude, the riffs etc etc and they shared my top spot along with trusty old Maiden through the 80s.

The great thing about Theatre was that it was such a dramatic left turn from Shout. The image was all Nikki's commedia dell'arte concept with the flowing trenchcoats and the `comedy/tragedy' design. Glam? I didn't even know what glam was at that age and to the best of my knowledge David Bowie was the dude who sang `Let's Dance' right? No, this was just the Crue being bizarre! There's no way this could be compared to Marc Bolin or The Sweet in their indian feathers.

Musically the Crue had opened it up - ditching the straight-ahead crunch of Shout and moving into bluesy grooves, big melodies, and lush production. Mick had opened (or reopened) his guitar palette with slide and acoustics. Nikki was playing 8-string basses and synths, and Tommy had famously added piano to his arsenal. This was probably the first album where I really noticed the production, the use of keyboards and dynamics plus the ginormous drum sound! The songs covered a wide stylistic spectrum from the full-on rock of Fight For Your Rights and the bluesy City Boy Blues to the 70s acoustic RYHTR and the lush Home Sweet Home.

When people write this album off as an 80s party record they're not paying attention. The only `party' tune is Smokin' In The Boys Room - and that's a cover! With the exception of We Need A Lover (which is a disturbing ode to gang sex) the lyrics explored mortality (Use It Or Lose It), civil rights (Fight For Your Rights), loneliness and dissatisfaction (City Boy Blues, Home Sweet Home), grim street realities (Save Our Souls) and the wonderful ode to cash Keep Your Eye On The Money. I don't recall Poison ever writing `Martin Luther heard the truth, the colour of our blood's the same' or `Don't look to Jesus to change the seasons, it's the American dream'.

Theatre Of Pain polarised the so-called metal community. For many `metalheads' the keyboards and trenchcoats were too much and they fled to the waiting arms of Metallica and Slayer. But for guys like me this was the best time to be a rock n roller. Albums like Theatre opened the doors to other ways of looking at music beyond the clichés that heavy metal loves to bestow upon itself. Obviously I have a romantic bias but this was a great time - my time.

I have to say I'm also a little cynical about the surrounding mythology of `Theatre' - the claims of drugs and general non-participation of the band and their consequent distancing of themselves from the album. I read everything I could get my hands on at the time and I seem to recall Tommy Lee in particular being very excited about the broad musical journey the band had embarked on. Similarly Circus magazine visited the band in the studio at the time of recording and were surprised to find the Crue very much in control, on top of their game, and the very antithesis of their public image. Obviously I wasn't there and can't say for sure but, well, just something to think about!

Ross Halfin says in a VH1 doco that the Crue's fanbase was (and is) the `American moron'. This seems such a shame to me, true or otherwise, because I think Motley Crue made interesting music and explored equally interesting ideas. Theatre Of Pain exemplified this period where rock/metal became much more than just amps and beer and tits. Time has obviously diluted the effect but in their day albums like this (or Blackie Lawless production opus `The Last Command' or even Ratt's first album) were really out there and different. Or maybe I'm kidding myself, but if I am that's why I love Theatre Of Pain!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A true classic from the 80s....., February 28, 2010

By 

DBL Bass Galore (Birmingham Alabama USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Theatre of Pain (Audio CD)

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ravage 24/7, July 13, 2011

By 

Ryan M. Lutz "blood vamp" (Richmond,VA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Theatre of Pain (Audio CD)

Motley Crue is the best!I am the biggest crue fan around and this is another excellent masterpiece by the Icons of hard rock!Mick Mars shows his versatility guitar wise on this effort with Vince,Nikki,and Tommy being as solid musically as ever.You have the greatest crue ballad of all time in Home Sweet Home along with the rockin Tonight(We Need A Lover) and Keep Your Eye On The Money.The best though which makes this the complete package is Louder Than Hell that is one of the best rock songs you'll ever have the pleasure of banging your head too.Then you have a sweet power ballad of how the world is on the edge of insanity with Save Our Souls.One more that stands out is Fight For Your Rights which is an awesome rock song for standing tall to fight for your freedom.All around a solid effort from the Crue that will rock you to the bone!Motley Crue Rules!!!1