Motley Crue was a band that lived off its hard rockin’ reputation. The band members, including Nikki Stixx, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars and Vince Neil, have all been well documented for their drug use, trouble with the law and scandalous shenanigans with wild women. If you study the cover art of their studio albums, you’ll notice that the covers live up to Motley Crue’s stereotypical rocker reputation. There are references to the occult, enough hair spray to kill a dragon, and leather as far as the Eye of Sauron can see. Below are the most rock ‘n’ roll album covers they’ve released. You can discuss your favorite with your friends between sets at the next Motley Crue concert. Get those Motley Crue tickets online, because even if they sell out StubHub can get you into the show.
Too Fast for Love – Designed as a reference to the famous Rolling Stone cover art for Sticky Fingers, Too Fast for Love’s cover features a black and white photo of a man’s lower torso and pelvis region, with his hands coming down to rest along his hips and thighs. The man is wearing black leather pants, a studded leather belt, leather zip-up vest and motorcycle gloves on one hand. Gold chain bracelets and rings adorn the other hand. As far as leather-per-square inch, this is the most leathery Motley Crue album of all time. It was a fitting debut for this glam metal band.
Girls, Girls, Girls – The Crue’s fourth studio album took cover art on a ride- a Harley Davidson motorcycle ride to the limit of Rock ‘n’ Roll insanity, baby! The foursome is pictured in matching hairdos – shaggy, puffed-up metal coifs- and they’re posing around two motorcycles. Two are riding the hogs and the other two are standing beside them. The picture is mostly black-and-white, save for a faint blue color of mist in the background. The words Motley Crue and Girls, Girls, Girls are written in neon pink script at the top and bottom of the cover, respectively. Everyone’s in their most glamorous rock attire- plenty of leather, chains, chrome and chest hair.
Dr. Feelgood – Dr. Feelgood is widely considered to be the best and most popular Motley Crue album of all time, and its cover art work is up to the task. The background of the image is a light green tinted tile floor or wall, like you might find in an old bathroom shower or the surgical room of an insane asylum. In the center of the image is a picture of a demonic version of the medical symbol- the rod of Asciepius with a serpent coiled around it. The viper is much scarier than the one you’ll find on the logo of the American Medical Association, and the wings at the top of the rod are those of a dragon or some mutant bat instead of an angel or eagle. A scull adorns the top of the staff. Two more sculls accompany the name of the band at the top of the album cover. According to conventional theories, the number of skulls on your album cover is directly proportional to the amount of rock ‘n’ roll.
Generation Swine – Motley Crue went for something completely different for their 1996 album, an attempt at recapturing the old image and commercial appeal of the band. Pictured on the cover are four men in business suits with pig masks. It’s probably safe to assume that the image is a dig at their record producers and label executives, and yet it’s also a group photo of the band. Sticking it to the man is always rock ‘n’ roll, even if you have to make a swine of yourself to do it.