Open Web Player
What we have here is quite possibly the best pure rock album release in years. I know that when reading CD reviews you often hear statements like that, but in the case of this CD it just so happens to be true. Simply put, this CD is phenomenal, lyrically and musically, and is an accomplishment that Nikki should be very proud of. While Queensrÿche's 'Operation Mindcrime' is widely regarded as the best concept hard rock/metal album of all time, I personally find this non-fiction concept album to be a bit more cohesive and enjoyable to listen to, and certainly worthy of consideration for that title. Jedd Beaudoin who wrote the Amazon Editorial Review above is way off the mark in every single aspect of his review, and absolutely and completely missed the point of this album. In a fair and accurate nutshell his review says that he does not like this CD because it does not sound like Mötley Crüe, and it is not upbeat enough. In turn I will put my comments about his review for this CD in a fair and accurate nutshell; what a f***ing feeble-minded douchebag, how did this dolt get a job reviewing CD's, he needs to go and do something he's good at.
With this CD, Nikki Sixx, the undeniable heart and soul of Mötley Crüe, has released an album that clearly demonstrates why Mötley Crüe attained the success they did in the 80's and 90's. The success attained was certainly not because of Vince Neil's singing, Mick Mars' guitar playing, or even Tommy Lee's incredible drumming, NO, it was because of Nikki Sixx's songwriting, period. You've got to love the tortured artist, they are almost without exception the most inspired, creative and brilliant songwriters. I think it is very likely that without the talent of Nikki Sixx Mötley Crüe would have been just another 80's band, which few would currently even remember. But that is of course only a hypothetical argument, as Nikki was the founding member and there never would have been a Mötley Crüe without him.
Nikki, a prolific and masterful songwriter, with this album gives us a ticket to ride along with him on his self-destructive journey through life and rock stardom in the late 80's utilizing his personal journal or 'Heroin Diary'. While most of us will find very little in the life of a heroin addicted rock star dealing with many personal demons to be personally relatable, that is not the point of this album. Perhaps much like a bad movie (but a very good album), this album is a candid glimpse into the life of a rock star who has all the success imaginable, but behind all of the glamour of rock stardom is a man finding himself constantly fighting depression and the demons from a troubled youth. While for a rock star it's certainly not a far-fetched story, on the other hand it's not your typical rock album subject matter either. And while some may find the subject matter to be a bit heavy and unsettling, I only see this album as a welcomed breath of fresh air. And don't we really have enough meaningless bulls**t rock albums to listen to anyway?
This album is what would generally be labeled a concept album, however, it is more correctly identified on the CD cover as a soundtrack. No, there is no movie, but there is a book, with each of the 13 songs on this album coinciding with a chapter of the book. This is a soundtrack to the book, 'The Heroin Diaries - A Year In The Life Of A Shattered Rock Star', and of course a soundtrack to Nikki's life in the late 80's.
In conclusion, while this album is about a self-destructive rock star hitting rock-bottom, in the end it is also about finding that needed moment of clarity, and eventually, realizing recovery. And inspired by his addiction and recovery Nikki founded his own charity, Running Wild In The Night, a fundraising initiative for Covenant House Of California, which aims to keep young children off the streets, and keep them off the path that Nikki went down when he was younger. In fact, a portion of the proceeds from this project will go to support this cause. So, you see, this ends up a being a story with a happy ending, and hopefully... happily ever after.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Top reviews from other countries
Asim Ghaffar
Best Rock Group I've Heard So Far
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 30, 2020
