1984 Ends in Metal Tragedy

 [caption id="attachment_2403" align="aligncenter" width="292"] Hanoi Rocks[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2427" align="aligncenter" width="290"] Motley Crue[/caption]

History can never debate that 1984 was the golden year of heavy metal. So many great albums from so many great bands and they even played metal on the radio and MTV. Never again would the genre get so much commercial exposure. However, even with all the great metal, the year would end in a very tragic anti- climax and mean the death of a drummer and his band and another similar tragedy would nearly claim the life of another drummer.

On December 8, members of the bands Hanoi Rocks and Motley Crue had been engaged in a massive drinking binge that had been going on, according to reports, for four days. More booze was being called for so Motley Crue's Vince Neil, eager to show off his new 1972 Ford Pantera, volunteered to make the run even though he was well over the legal drink drive limit and took Hanoi Rocks drummer, Razzle, with him. At 6:38, Neil lost control of his car, (driving 65 in a 25mph zone might have had something to do with it) while swerving around a stationary fire truck and careered into oncoming traffic hitting two other cars. The driver and a passenger in one of the cars was seriously injured and taken to hospital while the driver of the second was miraculously uninjured. Vince himself only suffered cracked ribs and cuts to his face. Things weren't so fortunate for Razzle, he was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The loss of Razzle would spell the end for Hanoi Rocks, the band would break up shortly after. Vince Neil's troubles were only beginning as he would have to pay $2.6 million in compensation to the victims, do 200 hours of community service and serve time in prison, albeit a mere 30 days! People are still talking about the leniency of that sentence still. Like I said when I posted about Hanoi Rock's last studio album, I got the chance to see this band about three weeks before the tragedy happened at a small New Jersey night club. That's why this tragedy continues to weigh heavy on me.

If the loss of Razzle compliments of Vince Neil wasn't bad enough, further tragedy would happen on the final day of the year. Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen would lose his arm in car accident. While trying to overtake another car at high speed, Rick lost control of his car, hit a dry stone wall and entered a field where he was thrown from his car because he didn't have his seat belt properly fastened. His left arm was severed and though doctors reattached it, had to re-amputate it on account of infection. Rick's girlfriend also suffered head and neck injuries as well as a concussion. Although this was a tragedy at the time, Rick would be one of the greatest 'overcoming of adversity' stories in all of music.

When 1984 proceeded to 85, a few misguided individuals used these tragedies as some sort of symbol that heavy metal was on its way out. Fools! Yes, heavy metal would never again enjoy the commercial airplay it had in that year, but it would never go away. The lack of radio and MTV play would do nothing to halt record sales and sold out concert attendances.

Next post: My 20 Favourite Power Ballads- 11-20

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Triumphs and Other Happenings in 1984

 

Evidence that heavy metal had truly established itself in 1984 can be sited with the 1984 Monsters of Rock Festival at Donington Park, in England. This was the first and probably only Donington to feature seven artists and you can only look at the poster here, see which bands played on draw your own conclusions as to whether or not it was a kick ass day. I wasn't there but I know people who were and they can confirm it. The only negative comment I heard about the day was that Motley Crue had bottles thrown at them for making too many comments about sex, drugs and rock and roll. Something an opening band should probably not do. Anyway, to see Ozzy, Van Halen and AD/DC all on one stage must have been mind blowing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRMl9OgSOak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8Q3lSvhr3M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwWagee-BNM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3dZesrQS6E

I must apologize for Youtube not having any individual songs recorded from this memorable day.

[caption id="attachment_4130" align="aligncenter" width="259"] Cyndi Lauper[/caption]

You are probably asking yourself, "What is she doing here on an 80smetalman's post?" Well, some misguided individuals thought that Cyndi Lauper had replaced Joan Jett or Pat Benatar as the Queen of Rock in 1984. Nonsense, I say. I will never recognize Cyndi Lauper as such and will go to my grave stating that fact. Yes, I liked "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" the very first time I heard it but afterwards, I wanted to take an Uzi to the television every time the video came on MTV. The only song from of hers I nearly liked since was "Money Changes Everything" and a few years later, grew to like "I Drove All Night" a little.

So, why is she here you ask. Back when I posted about my weekend at Download, where I went to see wrestling, I mentioned that the Rock and Wrestling Connection began in 1984 and it began with Cyndi. At the time, wrestling manager, Captain Lou Albano, claimed she managed Cyndi Lauper on wrestling shows. Cyndi refuted that claim and without going into great details, she made a challenge to Captain Lou that she could manage a wrestler better than him. So, while Lou took Women's World Champion The Fabulous Moolah under his wing, Cyndi managed challenger Wendi Richter. I'll leave  you to watch the video to see who won but the Rock and Wrestling Connection started here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePHS6dHfjT0

There was a tragedy too in 1984 but that happened at the very end of the year, so I'm saving it for the end of the 1984 tour. So here, let us reflect on the happy times with all the great heavy metal and some wrestling too.

Next post: My Underrated Band

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Great Metal Albums of 1983: Motley Crue- Shout at the Devil

 

I believe I'm not the only one who thinks "Shout at the Devil" is Motley Crue's best album. It would be after that Motley Crue would be more into posing instead of the quality of their music. The band's image with that album was darker, to the point they would be accused of Satanism. Then again, I've always said that being accused of that was the mark of a metal band's success.

They first came to my attention courtesy of MTV where I saw the video for the album's first single, "Looks That Kill." You know the one where the band traps a bunch of scantly clad women in a steel fence only to be rescued by some Valkyrie type warrior. In 1983, I found that video to be cool but having watched it again recently, I just laugh at it. Furthermore, nowadays, I agree with anyone who says that video is sexist. Still, I do like the song, probably my favourite Crue song of all time.

Let me be blunt here, I have always thought that Motley Crue weren't the most talented musicians to get together and call themselves a band. However, on "Shout at the Devil," they definitely play to their strengths. There are some good songs on it too. True, beginnings like the way Motley Crue start the album off with "In the Beginning," which sounds like a sermon before crashing headlong into the title track seem more common these days but it was a good attention grabber. "Bastard" is a decent song and the instrumental "God Bless the Children of the Beast" convinces me that Mick Mars is not the worst guitarist in metal. Like Pat Benatar and Vow Wow and quite a few other bands, they have their own cover of the Beatles classic, "Helter Skelter." Probably the most, covered Beatles song in heavy metal. Other bands have produced better covers of it but Motley Crue's isn't bad.

Side two of "Shout at the Devil" isn't quite as good as the first side. The only real standout song is their second single, "Too Young to Fall in Love." However, what they do well is to stick to the basic formula of heavy metal and it works well for them. Then again, I do like some of the riffs on "Knock'em Dead Kid" and Mars's guitar solo on "Ten Seconds to Love" is rather cool. In reference to what said about four of the last five songs not standing out, they do keep the album ticking over to an interesting closer in "Danger."

Track Listing:

1. In the Beginning
2. Shout at the Devil
3. Looks That Kill
4. Bastard
5. God Bless the Children of the Beast
6. Helter Skelter
7. Red Hot
8. Too Young to Fall in Love
9. Knock'Em Dead Kid
10. Ten Seconds to Love
11. Danger

[caption id="attachment_2427" align="aligncenter" width="276"] Motley Crue[/caption]

Vince Neil- vocals

Mick Mars- guitars

Nikki Sixx- bass

Tommy Lee- drums

"Shout at the Devil," will always remain for me, Motley Crue's best album. However, it seem when they broke through with it, the abandoned some of the things that this album helped gain them that commercial success.

Next post: Dokken- Breaking the Chains

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Great Metal Albums of 1981: Motley Crue- Too Fast For Love

Back in 1981, I thought I did a great job keeping up with all the music that was going around at the time, especially considering the fact that I was a bit hampered by serving in the military back then. However, the more I explore this year in music, not only have a drawn the conclusion that 1981 was a killer year for music, I feel slightly sick at my discovery of how many great albums that went past me unnoticed, including this debut album from Motley Crue.

I did hear the album in retrospect after hearing the great follow up to it and I did like it then but hearing it again after such a long lay off, I like it even more. There are some killer jams laid down on this one. The first five songs on this album really get things going here. All of them can be metal classics so I find myself asking "Why aren't they?" Maybe I will find the answer as I continue the journey through the golden age of heavy metal. Actually, I should say the first six songs because "Piece of the Action" was quite a good belter as well. Again, I don't take anything away from the rest of the album as they too are decent songs and the title track quite rightly can stand along side the first six. What I conclude was that in 1981, Motley Crue were definitely hungry and that hunger shown in the intensity of "Too Fast For Love."

Another issue from listening to the album has also surfaced here. I now offer an official apology to Crue guitarist Mick Mars. See, I always had him written down as the worst guitarist in metal but now I withdraw that branding from Mick. Getting things in perspective, I am not going the other way and start comparing him with the likes of Van Halen, Nugent, Rhodes or even Iommi, but "Too Fast For Love," proves to me that he's not as bad as I first figured. Mick, if you're reading this, my most humble apologies.

Track Listing:

1. Live Wire

2. Come and Dance

3. Public Enemy #1

4. Merry Go Round

5. Take Me to the Top

6. Piece of the Action

7. Starry Eyes

8. Too Fast for Love

9. On With the Sh0w

[caption id="attachment_2427" align="aligncenter" width="276" class=" "] Motley Crue[/caption]

Vince Neil- vocals

Nikki Sixx- bass

Mick Mars- guitars

Tommy Lee- drums

"Too Fast For Love" shows Motley Crue at a time when they were hungry and just wanted to create some good in your face heavy metal. As we will see further on down the line, something changed but we can leave that til another day. In the mean time, lets celebrate what has become for me, one of the biggest surprise albums from 1981.

Next post: The Plasmatics- Metal Priestess

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