VINCE NEIL - review added 3rd June 2010
Album Review: Tattoos & Tequila (2010)
For fans of: Sleazy Hard Rock... and rock covers
Vince Neil, best known as the voice of Mötley Crüe, spends as much time these days on his business ventures as he does on music. He owns/puts his name to the 'Feelgoods Rock Bar and Grill' in both West Palm Beach and Las Vegas, the two Las Vegas based tattoo/clothing stores 'Vince Neil Ink', the tequila manufacturer 'Tres Rios', and 'Vince Neil Aviation', an executive air charter service using his own private jets.
He is also heavily involved with The Skylar Neil Memorial Foundation (http://www.skylarneil.org/), a charity linked to his daughter, who he lost to cancer in 1995.
Tattoos & Tequila, a title which perfectly sums up Vince's life, is mostly filled with cover songs. The title track is an original, as is 'Another Bad Day', a song written by Nikki Sixx and originally destined for Mötley Crüe's New Tattoo. Vince Neil, along with Jack Blades and Marti Frederiksen, produced the record. Alongside the main man, Dana Strum is on bass, Jeff Blando plays guitars, and Zoltan Chaney provides drums.
The sound ranges dramatically throughout. Vince's style here is, more often than not, to stay true to the vibe of the original song whilst putting his own spin in there. Most of the tracks are heavier than the originals, but not always by a long way. All of the songs have their merits; even the two originals are actually rather good. Tattoos & Tequila is full of well chosen tracks performed with real panache, and it really makes me want to hear another Vince Neil solo release.
Best moments include the sing along spunk of the title track, the lyrically interesting 'AC-DC', the subtly-yet-monstrously heavy 'Nobody's Fault', the frantic 'Another Piece Of Meat', the folksy 'Who Will Stop The Rain', and the big bombastic 'Viva Las Vegas' (which totally destroys ZZ-Top's take on this song from a few years back)
This is a fine release. If Vince could produce something this good on an album of originals it'd be a corker. As is, Tattoos & Tequila is still a cool album and proof the man has plenty of fire in him yet.
Check out... the cover of Aerosmith's 'Nobody's Fault'.
Track List: ...(made famous by)
01. Tattoos & Tequila (original)
02. He s A Whore (Cheap Trick)
03. AC-DC (Sweet)
04. Nobody's Fault (Aerosmith)
05. Another Bad Day (original)
06. No Feelings (Sex Pistols)
07. Long Cool Woman (The Hollies)
08. Another Piece Of Meat (Scorpions)
09. Who Will Stop The Rain (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
10. Viva Las Vegas (Elvis Presley)
11. Bitch Is Back (Elton John)
12. Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers (ZZ-Top)
Label: Frontiers Records
Artist's website(s): Vince Neil | MySpace
