With "Theatre of Pain," The Crue estabished the template for late-eighties rock. How did they do it without imploding? Watch the whole story here.
AFTER THE EXPLOSIVE SUCCESS OF MOTLEY CRUE’S SECOND ALBUM, 1983's “SHOUT AT THE DEVIL”, FAME BEGAN TO TAKE A SERIOUS TOLL ON THE BAND.
SONGWRITER NIKKI SIXX’S DRUG ADDICTION, AS WELL AS LEGAL TROUBLES SURROUNDING A VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE AGAINST LEAD SINGER, VINCE NEIL, SET THE STAGE FOR MOTLEY CRUE TO BE SEEN AS A LEGITIMATELY DANGEROUS GROUP THAT MIGHT IMPLODE AT ANY MOMENT. THEIR SKY-ROCKETING FAME AND MENACING PERSONA LED THEM TO NAME THEIR THIRD ALBUM, “THEATRE OF PAIN”. AND, IN 1985, WITH THEIR RECKLESS ABANDON ON FULL DISPLAY, THE CRUE WAS READY TO START RECORDING.
THE SESSIONS FOR THE ALBUM TOOK PLACE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY AT CHEROKEE STUDIOS AND RECORD PLANT WEST, BOTH IN HOLLYWOOD. TOM WERMAN RETURNED TO THE PRODUCER'S CHAIR FOR THE JANUARY RECORDINGS. HOWEVER, NIKKI SIXX CLAIMED--IN RETROSPECT--THAT HE DID MOST OF THE WORK ON THE ALBUM, SINCE WERMAN DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO CONTROL THE BAND OR HOW TO BUILD UPON THEIR PREVIOUS SUCCESS.
DESPITE THE CONTROVERSIES AND IN-FIGHTING SURROUNDING THE CRUE CAMP, “THEATRE OF PAIN” CAME OUT ON JUNE 21st, 1985, PEAKING AT NUMBER SIX ON THE U.S. BILLBOARD TOP TWO HUNDRED--THEIR HIGHEST CHARTING ALBUM THUS FAR.
THE ALBUM’S RELEASE WAS FOLLOWED BY TWO SINGLES: “HOME SWEET HOME” AND “SMOKIN’ IN THE BOY’S ROOM”. THE LATTER WAS A COVER OF THE HIT NINETEEN-SEVENTY-THREE SINGLE BY BROWNSVILLE STATION AND, WITH “HOME SWEET HOME” MOTLEY CRUE SET THE METAL “POWER BALLAD” TEMPLATE THAT WAS LATER ADOPTED BY THE LIKES OF POISON AND OZZY OSBOURNE.
THESE TWO SINGLES ALSO MARKED THE BAND’S EVOLUTION AWAY FROM THE TYPICAL HAIR-METAL SOUND OF THE EIGHTIES, AND FOUND THEM PLANTING THE “GLAM METAL” FLAG, AND ESTABLISHING A NEW WAVE OF POP-INFLUENCED ROCK’N ROLL THAT WAS STILL HEAVY ENOUGH TO STRIKE FEAR INTO EVERY PARENT IN AMERICA,
WHILE NIKKI SIXX AND VINCE NEIL HAVE BOTH EXPRESSED DISDAIN FOR THE ALBUM, THERE’S NO DENYING ITS SUCCESS AND INFLUENCE, BEING THE GATEWAY FOR MANY MOTLEY CRUE FANS AND LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR BANDS LIKE BON JOVI, DEF LEPPARD AND GUNS ‘N’ ROSES.
EVENTUALLY CERTIFIED QUADRUPLE PLATINUM BY THE RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, ITS BOMBASTIC GLAM METAL, TUMULTUOUS BACKSTORY, AND UNDENIABLE REBELLIOUS SPIRIT ALL ADD UP TO WHY MOTLEY CRUE’S “THEATRE OF PAIN” IS THE GREATEST ALBUM EVER...THIS WEEK.