Too Fast for Love

by

Mötley Crüe

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Interestingly enough I bough both Motley Crue's first two albums Too Fast For Love (1981) and Shout At The Devil (1983) on the same day (they were also some of the first albums I bought with my own money). Back then I only bought Too Fast because of "Live Wire" and "Piece of Your Action" but there's so much more to it than those two songs. I preferred Shout initially but as time went by I now have to say that although they are both very strong records and I love them both to death Too Fast For Love is my favorite. The mixture of Rock, Punk, Glam and other styles along with the sheer attitude that comes with it, there's just something special about the band's first album. It's not the most Motley sounding album I'll give you that but that youthful attitude and innocence in the studio cannot be replicated. Its' raw and Motley's sound hasn't been defined just yet (that would happen with the follow up, Shout At The Devil) so this is a different Motley Crue album.

Most fans are at least familiar with two songs from this album namely "Live Wire" and "Piece of Your Action". "Live Wire" opens the album with a bang; it's fast, aggressive, heavy and it takes no prisoners. It features a terrific breakdown which sees Tommy Lee use the cowbell! "Come On and Dance" is more a pop song lyric wise and there is nothing wrong with that. "Public Enemy #1" is rather punk-ish and works pretty well and the lyrics reflect being young, crazy and rebellious. "Merry-Go-Round" is a good track although it is slightly repetitive. Vince's voice shines here and the song rocks. "Take Me To The Top" is a highlight of Too Fast, it's very catchy and effective. Somehow this great track is never mentioned and is rather underrated if not forgotten. "Piece of Your Action" may be the best track on this album it's undeniably a great rock and roll song and has some great lyrics. The breakdown has Mick Mars doing this cool guitar work and Tommy Lee's drumming backs it all up perfectly and Vince's voice is high-pitched to perfection. "Starry Eyes" is probably the closest thing here to a ballad yet its millions of miles away from the power ballad "Home Sweet Home" as its edgier. The way Vince sings here just gets me; it's one of those moments where he stands out. There's a lot of emotion in the way that he delivers those lines. The title track was never my favorite, I don't want to say "worse" but in fact it's my least favorite song on the album not that its bad. "On With The Show" ends it all nicely. It starts a slow-rocker that gets heavier quite effective with the lyrics once again reflecting a youthful aura and tells an interesting story (that of Frank Feranna becoming Nikki Sixx "Frankie died just the other night/some say it was suicide/but we know/how the story goes).

In 1999 Motley Crue re-released their albums as part of the Crucial Crue remasters and featured extra content such as live tracks, demos, alternate versions and unreleased material. As for the bonus content for Too Fast there are five extra songs here. "Toast of the Town" is a bonus here but the truth is it should have been on the album to begin with because it's probably one of the best songs here. Mick Mars even says so in the booklet. "Tonight" is an unreleased cover of the Raspberries song, I'm pleasantly surprised this was included. A cover well done and Motley make it their own while still doing the song justice. "Stick To Your Guns" was on the original version of the album from the band's own Leathur label but somehow when Elektra remixed and re-released the album the next year in 1982 this song was omitted. Nice to see it back. There's also another version of the title track which features an alternate opening and sounds slightly different. The last bonus track is a live version of "Merry-Go-Round" recorded in St-Antonio, Texas. Given the time this was taken and the fact that they didn't have the best recording equipment it sounds good even if the song is slightly repetitive (after all Vince does sings the title for most of the song). Those Crucial Crue remasters are the editions to get if you're a fan who doesn't own the albums on CD yet, the sound is great and the extra material makes those release worthwhile its always cool for fans to hear unreleased stuff form their favorite bands.

Too Fast For Love is a special album, it doesn't have the distinctive Motley Crue sound but its rather a mixture of different sound and it shows the band's influences proudly. Yet Nikki is already a competent songwriter and wrote some of the best Motley Crue songs with this first album. Vince Neil's voice was always high-pitched but on the debut they're even more high-pitched due to him being quite young when Too Fast For Love was recorded. His voice would change following this release and that can be seen clearly on the follow up, Shout At The Devil. A young Tommy Lee is impressive behind the drum kit. I'm a drummer myself and I love Tommy's playing on the album, just listen to that cowbell! Mick Mars was older than his bandmates and an accomplished guitar player, his riffs and solos here are excellent.

So there you have it. The band's self titled album is my favorite Motley Crue album for many reasons but mostly because it has so many great songs that mean a lot to me. It's a younger Crue and not quite the same band people remember them as but Too Fast For Love is an amazing album and it stood the test of time in my opinion. It's just this great rock record that shows the band's influences and is great all the way through. It was one of my first albums and to this day it remains one of my favorites. I would highly recommend this album but not only to Crue fans. Those who enjoy 70's Glam-Rock such as KISS and Cheap Trick, or even punk stuff or metal this one has it all in one package. 5/5 stars.