Motley Crue

Most Anticipated New Releases of 2013 (?)

I was having an offline discussion with the mighty Heavy Metal OverloRd and The CD Whisperer about the albums we’re most excited about in 2013.

It’s easy to think back just one year and remember how we couldn’t wait to see if the new Van Halen would be a triumph or disaster.  Now it’s the end of the year once again, and as long as the world doesn’t end on December 21, there are some cool releases lined up for the new year.

What are you most excited for?  Is there something in particular that you KNOW you’ll be buying before you hear a single note?

I have five must-buys in 2013.  Here’s my list.

queensryche

5. QUEENSRYCHE

This could end up being a total disaster.  Replacing a beloved (albeit knife-weilding) original frontman with a relative unknown is a huge risk.  Kudos to the band for trying, I’ll play along.  The key will be to walk a fine line between avoiding a retread of the past, and reminding fans how good they used to be.  Not an easy task.  Will Todd La Torre be up for it?  Time will tell.

crue

4. MOTLEY CRUE

Nikki has said the band is writing music to follow the lacklustre single “Sex”.  They’ve got tour dates with Kiss lined up in the new year.  I’ll admit I’m actually not that excited about a new Motley release, but I have been faithfully following this band through ups and downs through their entire career.  I even bought New Tattoo!

Voivodtarget

3. VOIVOD – Target Earth

This one has a confirmed release date of January 22.  Although some may say that the idea of a new Voivod album without the late guitarist Piggy is sacrilege, life goes on.  This is the first album in over two decades with Blackie on bass.  From what I’ve heard of the first single, “Kluskap O’Kom”, it does sound like Voivod.  I’ll be supporting the boys in 2013, count on reading my review in the new year.

Sabbath Logo

2. BLACK SABBATH

Some might say that the idea of an “original” Sabbath album without Bill Ward is sacrilege!  Hell, I might be one of them!  But I love this band, and I have to have faith that the combined might of Sabbath plus Rick Rubin will produce something worthwhile.  Will “Scary Dreams” be on there?  I sure hope so.  First album with Tommy Clufetos on drums, a much more metronomic drummer, so I wonder if Sabbath can capture that loose vibe of the precious first 8.

Purple

1. DEEP PURPLE

Confirmed for an April 26 release.  Confirmed that Bob Ezrin is producing.  Confirmed song titles:  “Out Of Hand,” “Hell To Pay,” “Weirdistan,” “Uncommon Man” and “Above and Beyond.”  “Above and Beyond” is a tribute to late organist Jon Lord, who passed away far too soon.  “Weirdistan”?  I love it.  That title can only come from Ian Gillan.  Astoundingly this is the fifth album with Steve Morse and third with Don Airey.  And some said they’d never last without Blackmore!  I will most definitely be pre-ordering whatever cool editions the band has lined up.

What are you psyched about in the new year?  I want to hear from you.

Most Unrightfully Ignored Albums of the 1990s – LeBrain’s List Part 3

In alphabetical order, here’s Part 3:  88 albums that meant the world to me in the 1990′s but never got the respect I felt they deserved.  

King’s X – Faith Hope Love (most KX discs didn’t get the attention they deserved!)
King’s X – Dogman
King’s X – Ear Candy
King’s X – Tape Head
Kiss – Carnival of Souls (while you can’t argue it wasn’t a sellout, it sure wasn’t wimpy!)
Leadfoot – Bring It On (Karl Agell and Phil Swisher ex-COC)
Marillion – Brave (what a brave, brave album)
Marillion – Radiation (a lot of people don’t like this one, but I consider it a highlight for them)
Duff McKagan – Believe In Me (diverse, fun and pissed off)
Kim Mitchell – Aural Fixations (a little soft, but Kim in the 1990’s was scarce indeed)
Kim Mitchell – Kimosabe
Motley Crue – Motley Crue (they were better without Vince, honestly)
Vince Neil – Exposed (…and Vince wasn’t doing too badly himself)
Ozzy Osbourne – Ozzmosis (it sold by the buckets, but I think today it’s ignored which is a shame)
Poison – Native Tongue (Ritchie Kotzen took them to a new level of maturity and virtuosity)

Pride & Glory – Pride & Glory (Zakk Wykde’s first album without Ozzy, and one of the best)
Queen – Innuendo (in North America, most of what Queen did went ignored before Freddie passed)
Queensryche – Promised Land (spacey and mature)
Queensryche – Q2k (riffy)
Quiet Riot – Terrified (the only thing they’ve done since the 80’s worth playing)
David Lee Roth – Your Filthy Little Mouth (I didn’t need to hear Dave do reggae but it ain’t bad)
David Lee Roth – DLR Band (John 5 on lead guitar…crank it up)

REVIEW: Rockhead – Rockhead (1992)

ROCKHEAD – Rockhead (1992)

  • Bob Rock – guitar
  • Steve Jack – vocals
  • Jamie Kosh – bass
  • Chris Taylor – drums

A lot of Rock-haters (people who hate Metallica’s output from 1991-2003) have no idea that the man is quite the musician himself. Canadians remember the Payola$ and Rock & Hyde, but then there was Rockhead. Bob Rock found a great Canadian punk rock vocalist named Steve Jack, who as it turns out, was also a great screamer. Some of the screams on this album are unreal — check out “Bed Of Roses”, “Heartland”, and “Chelsea Rose” for some awesome vocals.  Face it, Canada has some great screamers (James LaBrie, Gerald McGhee, Sebastian Bach!) but Steve Jack was a contender.

This album was born during the the difficult Motley Crue sessions (not to mention a Bon Jovi album), while Bob was going through a divorce.  This comes out in the song “Warchild”.  In fact it ACTUALLY comes out during that song:   Bob can be heard yelling and throwing stuff around the studio at one point, which he recorded after a painful phone call.

I don’t find there is a weak track on this album, and plenty of Bob’s buddies show up.   Art Bergmann, Billy Duffy, Paul Hyde, Jon Bon Jovi & Richie Sambora all contribute songwriting skills.  Duffy and Sambora also contribute solos.   From the screamy Aerorock of “Bed of Roses” to the metal of “Heartland” to the acoustic Zeppelinesque “Angelfire”, every single track is worth a listen.  It’s a diverse album actually, running the gamut from light to dark and embracing different sides of rock.   Boozy, bluesy, epic, acoustic, you name it.  Its roots are firmly planted in the 1970’s, but if this had come out in 1989, it could have spawned 5 singles.

Sonically if you like Bob Rock, you will like this.  It’s right in the ballpark of that Motley Crue/Keep the Faith sound he had going on during that period.  Big big drums, layers of guitars, a lil’ bit of keyboards here and there, but mostly, lots and lots and lots of guitars.

4/5stars

REVIEW: Bruce Dickinson – Tattooed Millionaire (1990, 2005 2 disc set)

You can’t talk about this part of Maiden’s history without talking about Tattooed Millionaire.  Part 14 of my series of Iron Maiden reviews!

BRUCE DICKINSON – Tattooed Millionaire (1990, 2005 Sanctuary 2 disc set)

If Tattooed Millionaire had not happened, neither would so many things in Maiden’s history:  No #1 single (“Bring Your Daughter…to the Slaughter), Janick Gers might never have joined the band, and so on.

Due to the six months downtime between Seventh Son and No Prayer, Bruce decided to have some fun.  He first recorded “Bring Your Daughter…to the Slaughter” for the Nightmare on Elm Street 5soundtrack.  This opened the floodgates and before too long, Bruce and guitarist Janick Gers had more than enough songs for an album.  (Other band members:  Andy Carr – bass, Fabio Del Rio – drums.)

And an album there was, and what a fine album indeed!  Bruce made no bones about it:  This is not a heavy metal album like Maiden.  This is a hard rock album, along the lines of his influences:  Deep Purple, AC/DC, Mott the Hoople, and more.  What was surprising even to me at time was just how good it was.

The first single, “Tattooed Millionaire” was catchy as hell while still sounding very British and uncompromising.  Vocally, the song and album combines Bruce’s classic soaring voice, with his newer style of spitting out the words in a furious assault.  The combination is effective; Just listen to “Hell On Wheels”.  While innuendo-loaded verses are spat out, the chorus soars in a singalong fashion.  “Dive! Dive! Dive!” and “Lickin’ the Gun” tackle similar lyrical territory.

But it’s not all sexual innuendo.  Bruce tackles more philosophical topics on songs such as “Born in ’58” (a great single), “Son of a Gun”, and “Gypsy Road”.   Meanwhile, “Tattooed Millionaire” pokes fun at the rockers of the L.A. scene, loaded with cash but not too much in the way of brains.

Tattooed boys with expensive toys,

living in a bubble of sin.

Money can buy you most of anything,

fix your nose or the mess you’re in.

Some speculated that this was aimed at former tourmates, Guns N’ Roses.  I believe Bruce later said the inspiration was Motley Crue!

Bruce admitted that doing a cover song for a single was “cheating”, but “All the Young Dudes” was a great choice to cover.  Fear not; Bruce does it justice.  Bruce kicks it in the head.  Gers’ guitar work is perfect for the song, and it’s good to have a chance to hear him play a more laid-back style, unlike his usual work.

The album spawned plenty of singles, each with their own B-sides worth collecting.  But luckily, the fine folks at Sanctuary put all of this stuff together, along with “Bring Your Daughter”, on a tasty bonus disc.

The bonus disc includes some acoustic music (“Winds of Change”, “Darkness Be My Friend”, and the joke song “Ballad of Mutt”).  It also has some kickass live covers:  Deep Purple’s “Black Night” and “Sin City” by AC/DC among them.  Bonus — there’s also a studio version of “Sin City”, and some live versions of the album’s hits.

Absolutely essential:  “Son of a Gun”, “Tattooed Millionaire”, “Born in ’58”.

Great:  “Gypsy Road”, “Zulu Lulu”, “No Lies”, “All the Young Dudes”

So-so:  “Dive! Dive! Dive!”, “Hell On Wheels”

Filler:  “Lickin’ the Gun”

4/5 stars

REVIEW: Motley Crue – Generation Swine (1997)

MOTLEY CRUE – Generation Swine (1997, 2003 Motley Records reissue)

It is hard to believe that the mighty Crue, who had released the record of their lives in 1994 (Motley Crue with Corabi on vocals) put out this bunk next. Such was the 90’s. Fans did not embrace Corabi as predicted, the album flopped, and immediate pressure was on the Crue to kiss and make up with Vince Neil.  So that’s what they relectantly did. 

The Crue were already in experimental mode when Corabi was still on board. They had already said that this album wouldn’t be produced by Bob Rock (a shame, that was) and that it would be more “raw” and “heavy”. Then, as time went on, you started hearing things like, “The new album is Motley Crue meets Sisters of Mercy with the intensity of Nine Inch Nails”. Bands that have nothing to do with the Crue’s roots. In the end, the band was spinning tires so fast that Corabi couldn’t handle it anymore and Vince was brought back. All of this is well documented in the latter half of Motley Crue: The Dirt.  A five-piece Crue with Neil singing and Corabi on rhythm guitar was briefly considered (damn! that would have been sweet!), but it was the original four-piece sans Corabi that became the next Motley Crue lineup.

And what they made together was just…what the fuck is this?  Remember when Crue showed up at the AMA’s and lip-synced that new techno-y sample ridden version of “Shout at the Devil”?  What the hell was that?

I place the blame squarely on the head of producer Scott Humphrey. Humphrey was actually from around here.  People who know Humphrey personally have said he’s always been a tech-head.  Just listen to his records with Rob Zombie.  That’s fine.  But here, Humphrey uses all his techno-wizardry to suck the life out of Motley Crue, no mean feat. The band must also share the blame, as they should have stopped the directionless proceedings before it got too far. In the end though, Motley Crue continued on with this sound, even over Mick Mars’ very strong objections. Mars was sidelined in the recordings, but it turns out Mick was right about Generation Swine.

Generation Swine (formerly: Personality #9 while Corabi was in the band) is the most confusing, un-Motley disc ever recorded. The drums are processed and sampled to the point where there may as well have been no live drummer.  It may as well be a computer rather than Tommy Lee, for what it sounds like.  The guitars, also sampled, squeezed, processed and spat out by a computer, show little of Mick’s spark and feel. I can see why Mick was pissed off.  Vince’s return was hardly worth bally-hooing, as he’s barely able to wheeze out a passable melody here. In fact, both Sixx and Lee take lead vocals, too. What kind of reunion album is that?

The real shame of it is that these songs could have turned out quite well. Check out “Let Us Prey”. It is easy to imagine what this sounded like when Corabi was singing it. In fact he insists that his vocals are still intact in the mix, and that you can hear him scream on the choruses. Corabi also says his rhythm guitar parts on the album are intact too.

But I digress. The point is, songs like “Let Us Prey”, “Generation Swine”, “A Rat Like Me”, and “Anybody Out There?” show enough of the original Motley spirit that this could have been a halfway decent album. However each of those four songs are choked to death under a muffled blanket of samples, sound effects, bells & whistles, and processed unnatural guitars and drums. It’s a shame because any of those four songs (the only solid hard rockers on this disc of slow paced dreck) had potential. Also decent was the single, “Afraid”, although it sounds more like Def Leppard.

To add weirdness on top of the confusion, the album closes with a track called “Brandon” sung by Mr. Thomas Lee Bass himself. “Brandon, I love you. I love her. She is your mom.” Yes, he actually sings that.  God knows what he was thinking when he wrote that lyric.  Nikki Sixx’s “Rocketship”, a hippy dippy ballad for his wife is slightly better, but why not get Vince, the singer of Motley Crue, to sing it?  Nikki’s not an especially good singer – that’s why he plays bass. Yet he insists on singing three songs, on Vince’s comeback record.  I still don’t get that.

People, do yourself a favour. It doesn’t matter that Vince Neil came back for this album (it was mostly finished before he came back anyway). Check out the 1994 album with Corabi, a truely heavy beast that will probably blow your head off if you’re not wearing a helmet. It is a beautiful record.  This is not.  And don’t worry about the bonus tracks on the reissue.  The demos are no better than the album tracks. Nobody needed a demo of “Confessions” with Tommy singing.

Excluded: A techno song only released on the Japanese disc called “Song To Slit Your Wrist By”. An expensive trinket.  I don’t own it myself.  The only time I saw it up close and personal was at a record show in London, and the vendor was asking $70 for it.

2/5 stars

REVIEW: Motley Crue – Theater Of Pain (remastered, bonus tracks)
 
MOTLEY CRUE – Theater Of Pain (1985, 2003 Motley Records remastered edition)
Crue’s third was a mess, a smokey muddy mess of an album that served only to confuse and disappoint those who were enthralled with Shout at the Devil. The Crue, now wearing ridiculous striped (stryped?) jester suits had dropped the chromium metallic sheen of Shout, and replaced it with nothing but a notable lack of direction.
Theatre of Pain was one of the most anticipated albums of the ’85, and one of the most biggest disappointments. Yes, “Smokin’ In The Boys Room” is a fun jokey novelty, but it is also a novelty cover. “Home Sweet Home”, billed by the band as their “Dream On”, is not really. Broken down, it is a cliche-ridden proto-ballad, the type of thing that every L.A. band has done at least once. And usually, better.  I mean, think about it — you can name better ballads by Bon Jovi or Cinderalla, can’t you?  I can.
There is precious little metal on this album, the terrible “Use It or Lose It” being the only foot on the gas pedal, but itself also being nothing more than a grade C song worthy of most bands’ album outtakes. There is absolutely nothing on this album that would have made the cut on the great Shout at the Devil. Even a track like “Louder Than Hell”, one of the better songs, was demoed for Shout and dropped; the band obviously lowered their standards.
The mix is muddy, an alcoholidaze of robotic drumming and lifeless, uninspired vocals. You can hear the wasted band barely trying. Or, rather, trying as hard as they were capable given the chemicals. If a major band released this today as the followup to a beloved classic, it would be a career-ender. Not so with the Crue, as the 80’s were much kinder.
Bonus tracks on the remastered edition are laughable. Did we really need three versions of “Home Sweet Home”? The vaults must be a lonely place indeed. Tommy’s sleepy “drum piece” is worthy only of the skip button.No standout songs, terrible mix, and dull performances aside, the one guy who swims to the top is  Mick Mars, who plays several solos that rise above.
1.5/5 stars
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
11. Home Sweet Home [Demo Version]
12. Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room [Alternate Guitar Solo-Rough Mix
13. City Boy Blues [Demo Version]
14. Home Sweet Home [Instrumental Rough Mix]
15. Keep Your Eye on the Money [Demo Version]
16. Tommy drum piece from Cherokee Studios
CD-ROM. Home Sweet Home [Video – Bonus Track]

Part 93.0: Recognition

Part 1

I used to get recognized a lot, from the record store. Work in one place with customers for 12 years and eventually you start to see familiar faces in the streets. It was both good and bad.

For example, the bad: One time I was sitting in the mall, on my lunch break. With my face full of pizza, a man walked up to me.

“I can see you’re eating your lunch, and that’s fine. I’d like to see you later about returning a tape.” Like, dude? That couldn’t have waited?

That was a small minority of times. Often people that recognized you would politely ignore you, or at least be friendly about it.

I’d be walking through the mall, and some guy would nod at me. I’d nod back, not really knowing who the person was, but not letting on. One time I was walking through a park, and these two kids stopped. “Hey look! That’s the guy from the CD store!” I smiled and waved sheepishly. I was a celebrity of sorts I guess?

The most common thing would be being recognized in a rival store. Often I’d be shopping at my local HMV store, or downtown at one of the more collector-oriented places.  I’d love it when, in another store, somebody would ask me if I had a CD in stock.  I once used a pay phone (no cell back then) to call and ask, but I’d think to myself:  Really?  You think I have them all memorized or something? 

Most of the time though, it was a simple, “Hey man! What are you doing here? Checking out the competition?”

While I did sometimes “check out” the competition (comparing prices and selection), the main goal was always to find rare musical treasures.  Besides, a lot of other record store people in town had come selling discs to me numerous times.  Usually it was pretty friendly.  It was better to have friends at the rival stores than enemies.  I even had a buddy at HMV send customers my way, when he knew that something was out of print!  So, being recognized in public as “that guy from (insert name here)” wasn’t a bad thing.

To be continued

GUEST REVIEW: Steel Panther – Balls Out & Feel the Steel

LeBrain will always be straight with you when he doesn’t know something.  I have had a few requests for a write up on Steel Panther.  The problem is, I’ve never actually listened to Steel Panther.  Maybe I should change that.

So I asked the infamous T-Rev, aka Trevor from the Record Store Tales to see if he could do a review. He could, and he did. Enjoy.

STEEL PANTHER:  Feel the Steel (2009) & Balls Out (2011)

  

Steel Panther: Your New Favourite Band, by T-Rev

Michael Starr, Satchel, Lexxi Foxx, and Stix Zadinia are Steel Panther. The X-rated, Spinal Tap-esque modern day Hair band.  Intent on bringing back Heavy Metal , with a sound that will impress any fan of the “hair” genre.   Formed with ex-members of various metal bands in the 1990’s ( Rob Halford’s Fight, Paul Gilbert’s Racer X, and L.A. Guns!) originally as Metal Skool (yes…Metal’s Cool) in the early 2000’s, and a brief stint as Danger Kitty (getting some recognition on MTV and the Drew Carey Show).   Feel the Steel, the first album as Steel Panther, stands out because of its period-correct guitar assaults, its bandana wearing 4-armed drummer and the spandex covered, lipstick sporting, teased hair bass player, (reminding me of Warrant circa Cherry Pie mixed with some early Motley Crue attitude!) and of course, its lyrics!

Feel the Steel has it all, killer riffs  (often mimicking classic tunes of the past like “Fuck All Night, Party All Day’s” intentional resemblance to Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer”)  Hilariously refreshing lyrics (like the first time you ever heard “Fuck Her Gently” by the D) throw in some top notch guest star clout (Justin Hawkins duets with Michael Starr) and top it off with manufactured “rock star” personas (a la Spinal Tap), and you’ve got all the best parts of what a hair metal band should be…SEX & DRUGS & ROCK ‘N’ ROLL!  Crazy stories of sex with asian hookers, sex with fat girls, sex with neighbours, and copious amounts of “blow”, all done in a way you’d never expect…even though it feels strangely familiar.   Sounding like it came from 1989, but containing enough modern relevance to remind you it’s current.   After about the first verse, I knew I was a fan for good.  “Eminem can suck it, so can Dr. Dre, or they can suck each other…just because they’re gay” screams Starr on “Death To All But Metal”.  “Two in the pink, one in the stink”describes the “Shocker” to newcomers.  And “You’re the only girl that I like to screw…when I’m not on the road,” Michael reassures his girl on “Community Property”. 

Balls Out, their sophomore effort, continues where F.T.S. left off.  A lot of the same sexual scenarios, but the music seems to have picked up another gear, with more focus on riffage (bigger, faster, louder).   The lyrics, however, are lacking the furious onslaught they had on F.T.S.   Perhaps because the initial shock is over, now I expect it!  There is more celebrity name-dropping than before…mentioning that Charlie Sheen “is winning in the bedroom upstairs”, and that Tiger Woods thinks “3 holes are better than a hole in one”.    A good album upon first listen…just didn’t have the impact that Feel the Steel did on me.  Having said that, this album grows on you…big time!  Like any good album…it takes a while for their sauce to mix with yours!

I should also discuss Starr’s instrument…this guys voice is classic, vintage, powerful, cheesy, awesome, hilarious, and adaptive!  Vocal range that would bring a tear to Dio’s eye, heartfelt (x-rated), ballads on par with anything Bon Jovi or Poison ever did, rockers that could have appeared on stage with the great Bon Scott!   I don’t mean to come across as though I consider this band “flawless”, but, these guys are PRO’s!   Certainly impressive musically…sometimes though, they sway over the cheese line a bit, and even take the lyrics too far, but all in all, I do love these albums.  Afterall, isn’t it the cheese that we now love about 80’s metal? 

You really get the feeling that these guys are true fans of metal, not just cashing in on the novelty of wearing spandex and makeup.  Much like the ribbing the Darkness took during their invasion, some people misunderstood the flattery for ridicule.  True fans see past the hair and hear the talent in the music…every time I listen to them, they get better!  Like a drug that you can’t get enough of…you want to hear it again and again.   In a world where Justin Beiber and Nickelback win music awards, this is a welcome addiction.   A perfect mix of metal and comedy!  Destined to become a staple at everyone’s annual “sausagefest”

Feel the Steel    5/5

Balls Out              4/5

“I got blisters on me fingers!” (VINCE NEIL Washburn GALLERY!)

I decided to dust off the ol’ guitar today to do some writing and recording.  I haven’t played a note in two years.  Needless to say my fingers hate me right now.  But I got the job done and a piece of music I don’t hate.

My weapon of choice (my only guitar) is the Vince Neil Washburn, a limited exition axe exclusive to Future Shop stores in Canada.  It was limited to 2500 pieces, numbered, and retailed originally for $299.99.  I got mine on clearance — $69.99, including the little practice amp, three Vince Neil picks, strap, and certificate of authenticity with Vince’s autograph.  A close inspection reveals that it’s actual pen, not just printed on.

When I told people about my purchase, they’d usually respond, “Wait…isn’t Vince Neil the singer from Motley Crue?”  Yes, he played guitar once in a blue moon live, but I guess that’s why I got mine so cheap on clearance.  And it wasn’t the last one; my buddy Chris bought one too and re-sold it for profit.

Currently, there are none on eBay, so I suggest if you find one at a decent price, may as well pick it up!  It’s a decent sounding guitar, the amp works as a practice amp but for me to record with, not so hot.  I’m not really a guitar player, I can basically just play my way around blues scales, so I can’t really really review it as an instrument — just as a collector.

         

A sample of how the Vince Neil Washburn sounds can be found below.  (Reminder:  I am NOT a guitar player!)

REVIEW: Motley Crue – “Sex” single (2012)

SEX

MOTLEY CRUE – “Sex” (iTunes, 2012)

Nikki Sixx – “Sounds like it could have been on our first album.”

LeBrain – “Bullshit!”

Don’t be fooled by the hype.  “Sex” is a good song, but it sounds nothing at all like anything on Too Fast For Love.  It sounds like it could have been on Saints of Los Angeles.   Which is fine, if you like that album.  I do like that album, I think it is a good Motley album.  Not a great Motley album like Too Fast, but certainly better than, say, New Tattoo.

I think what Nikki did with “Sex” was to try, on purpose, to write a single.  A single in a particular style, that being, hard rock Motley Crue.  And I think that is what I don’t like about it, it sounds contrived.

So, that’s what “Sex” is:  An overproduced single with lots of backing vocals, loud drums, and some guitar effects.  The chorus is fine, copping the “woah, yeah” from “Kickstart My Heart”, only not as good.  I’ve heard the song a few times now, for $1.29, it was painless to buy.   It just fails to excite me.  Not the way “Feelgood” did in the summer of ’89, and “Primal Scream” did in ’91.  Those summers, I could not get those tunes off my deck!  I don’t think I will be going back to listen to “Sex” too often, unless there’s something going on here that I’m just plain missing right now.

Having said that, Mick’s solo is cool and I think he’s an underrated player.

2.5/5 stars

(NOTE:  I hate downloads!  I like physical product!  I want liner notes!  Who produced it, who wrote it?)