Shitty Album I Used to Rock Out to:

Dr. Feelgood by Motley Crue



In my younger and more vulnerable years, I listened to some shitty music. I owned albums and albums worth of terrible music. One such album was Dr. Feelgood, Motley Crue's fifth, and most successful album. Looking back I like to think that I was less a victim of bad taste, and more a victim of the times. This album sold 6 million copies here in the states! That's some major sales! Nearly every recording artist would cream their jeans if they sold that many albums today. I was only about eight when this came out, so there's a good chance I was heavily influenced by what I saw on MTV, thus driving me to buy the album. I was young and impressionable, so I guess I have an excuse...however, that doesn't explain why I would still occasionally rock out to this album as a teen.

This album is packed with "hits". From the title track, to Kickstart My Heart, Without You, Same Ol' Situation, and Don't Go Away Mad. Nearly every song manages to fit snugly into some sort of rock cliche, whether it be drugs, sex, or relationships. Oh, and don't forget ballads! Without You and Don't Go Away Mad are pretty standard rock ballads too.

As a kid, I aspired to be cool like the Crue. I wanted big hair, fast motorcycles, a girl with body from outer space, and a fucking drum set that floated over the crowd at my sold out rock concerts. Motely Crue were sex, drugs and rock n' roll, and Dr. Feelgood is the album that epitomizes this better than any other.

One of my favorite Dr. Feelgood memories happened soon after I had bought the album. I was chilling in the hot tub at a Holiday Inn with my brother and I asked him what the song Dr. Feelgood was about. (This is a conversation that occurs between us a lot even today...but with other music, and not in a hot tub.) Bear in mind that I was eight, had probably already listened to the song ten times that day, I for sure knew the lyrics by heart, but I had no idea what they were about. My brother leaned in, and whispered conspiratorially: "Drugs, it's about drugs". My eyes probably grew wide, and I probably leaned back thinking how cool it was to own something so edgy, yet probably simultaneously developing a nervous twitch, wondering what my mom would do if she found out.

I think that story sums up Dr. Feelgood the album: if you're an idiot, like I certainly was at age eight, it is a cool album, but otherwise, it is a piece of shit, and not worth listening to.

This is one of those albums that has followed me through life. I rocked some air guitar and air drums to it as a kid, slow danced to the ballads at high school dances, (yes my high school was that cool!), and now, I'm hoping to put it to rest. So here's to me not getting the lyrics to Kickstart My Heart stuck in my head ever again.

If you're feeling nostalgic...