Saints Of Los Angeles
by Motley Crue
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 44 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 44
  3. Negative: 2 out of 44

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  1. KrisS.
    Jun 27, 2008
    5
    Horrendus metal. Crue should stick with the best of albums from now on.
  2. Filazafer
    Jun 30, 2008
    6
    It's the best thing they have done since Dr. Feelgood. Unfortunately that isn't saying a whole lot. It doesn't sound like their old stuff, it sounds like Nicki Sixx's new band Sixx A.M. It decent, but it's not the Motley Crue we all loved back in the 80's.
  3. BillyC.
    Apr 18, 2009
    5
    Wow I was very surprised to found out that most of the Crue's hardcore fan base praised this album. For starters the 1st thing that sticks out when listening to this album is the horriable lyric content. Nikki what the hell happened? I have read that Motley brought in a bunch of bubblegum writers to help write the album but I find that hard to believe with Sixx being such a control Wow I was very surprised to found out that most of the Crue's hardcore fan base praised this album. For starters the 1st thing that sticks out when listening to this album is the horriable lyric content. Nikki what the hell happened? I have read that Motley brought in a bunch of bubblegum writers to help write the album but I find that hard to believe with Sixx being such a control freak but who ever wrote this garbage deservesthe Rick Astley life time achievment award. The Crue has found that filthy powerful sound that you can picture a naked girl sliding up and down a pole too but then ruin almost every track with cheesy lyrics like " I dont want to go to school" ( No shit Nikki your in your 50's why would you want to go to school?) on face down in the dirt and choreses like " were the white trash circus dont give a damm we'll steal your girl when ever we can ( have you lost your confidence in slaying chicks Nikki??) on white trash circus which give the album that Motley Crue meets a cracked out slutty Mother Goose feel.… Expand
  4. rok2slayr
    Sep 19, 2010
    6
    There are highs and lows throughout the album but it's nice to see the guys all together again making an album that isn't pure mush. Fun to pop in and sing along to.
  5. Danm95VFF
    Mar 26, 2016
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. .Motley Crue had experienced some turmoil following the release of their biggest album, Dr. Feelgood, in 1989. Their lead singer, Vince Neil, either quit or was fired from the group in 1992, and the band subsequently brought in replacement John Corabi, and released a self-titled album in 1994. However, the album wasn't such a hit with fans, and nor was the singer, who was out of the band by 1996. Vince Neil was back in the picture, but the next album, Generation Swine, was a relative commercial flop also. Some of the material had been written by Corabi before he left, and there was tension in the group which would eventually prompt drummer Tommy Lee to quit. They hired Randy Castillo, released another flop of an album, New Tattoo, and after that, Castillo passed away and the band lay dormant for some time, until 2004, when Lee rejoined, which brings us to this point. Their "comeback" album, Saints of Los Angeles, was released in 2008.

    Is it a comeback that proves that the band can still write fresh material and tackle new things, or is it the sound of a band trying to recapture those glory days by writing songs that are re-hashes of the attitude and ideas of the band back in the day? I'm afraid it's more the latter than the former. Pretty much every song is about the typical sex, drugs and rock and roll clichéd crap. Downing the whiskey, having sex with women, being an animal. There's nothing really new or worthwhile to be found here.

    The music itself sounds like Motley Crue trying to write music exactly like their 80s output, but this vision suffers in part due to the modern production and the songwriting process itself, which just makes it bland and pale in comparison to their classic material, especially seeing as the production makes the band sound less unique. Every song is written by bassist Nikki Sixx and his chums James Michael, DJ Ashba (both of whom are Sixx's Sixx:AM bandmates) and Marti Frederiksen. Sixx is only interested in giving us what he THINKS we want to hear, not what we actually want to hear. For a start: Nikki, what band are you writing for? This isn't Sixx:AM. This is MOTLEY CRUE! Maybe if you let your bandmates have more songwriting input like you used to, this could have been better. It seems like James Michael and Marti Frederiksen (along with Desmond Child) do a lot of songwriting for 70s/80s bands who feel that they need outside writers to "enhance" their material. Well, guess what? It doesn't enhance it. It just makes your stuff sound more clichéd and bland, and your band sounds less unique. This is why I think, for example, Scorpions' Humanity: Hour I, could have been better than it was. But anyway, let's get back on topic.

    The band members seem good at playing their instruments (assuming it was the actual band members and not, say, Sixx:AM and/or Josh Freese) so it's a shame it's put to little use here. When I first heard the album around 2 years ago, I did get into the title track and "The Animal in Me", but do I listen to these songs anymore? No, no I don't.

    If you're a Motley Crue fan who has yet to hear this album, by all means check it out if you must, but don't be surprised if you don't get as much excitement out of it as the band's first five albums. Saints of Los Angeles is the sound of aged rockers who probably don't get along that well and are mainly in it for the cash, collaborating with overrated outside writers to write songs with immature lyrics about drugs and sex (it doesn't sound cool coming from a group of 45-55 year olds) whilst sounding like most mediocre metal bands of the modern day. And actually, I much prefer both the self titled album and Generation Swine to this. I'm glad that the "boys" are retiring at the end of the year. Nikki, it's all well and good saying you wanted the band to retire at a high point, but this proves you are already way past your "high point", sadly.

    Originally posted on Encyclopedia Metallum    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

61
#61 Most Discussed Album of 2008
97
#97 Most Shared Album of 2008

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
54

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 11
  3. Negative: 2 out of 11
  1. AllMusic
    60
    Motley Crue has been trumpeting their hedonism for so long and so loudly that it's become more of a caricature than a way of life, and while Saints of Los Angeles is the best thing they've laid to tape since their codpiece heydays, it's more of a walk down memory lane/sunset strip than a legitimate call to arms.
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  2. Billboard
    70
    While not every song is a winner, the title track and sleaze anthem 'This Ain't a Love Song' are standouts.
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  3. Los Angeles Times
    37
    There is some of the old energy here, thanks in part to the presence of drummer Tommy Lee, who drives 'Down at the Whisky' and 'Chicks=Trouble' like somebody with a head full of stimulants. Yet the album lacks the tune-craft that once made vintage Crüe such hits as 'Dr. Feelgood' and 'Kickstart My Heart' so appealing.
    Read full review
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