Babes and badasses: Review of Dr Feelgood by Motley Crue

While researching Giallo films, I encountered the terms babes and badasses which describe the type of characters you may encounter in Grindhouse films. 'Babes and badasses' together make for a pretty catchy phrase so I decided to make it the theme for this month.

This first instalment centres around a band that is comprised of badasses who look like babes. There is an important moral lesson to be learnt from this: First check which way the spandex stretches before you wolf howl or cat call.

Conclusion

I think producer Bob Rock best sums up this album:

"Four L.A. badasses who used to drink a bottle of wine and want to kill each other".

Fresh from rehab, the not so fab four return with their refreshing glam metal take on life, the universe and everything. To Mötley Crüe, life, the universe and everything revolve around motorcycles, whiskey and strip clubs. It's not exactly Shakespeare, but that's not always a bad thing.

Review

Dr Feelgood makes you want to shake what mother nature gave you before father time takes it away. Of course, motorcycles, whiskey and strip clubs help to set the mood, but that's basically all there is to say about this badass album.

Dr Feelgood is also unique in that Bob Rock produced it and it isn't utter shyte.

A question of etymology

It has come to my attention that the terms babes and badasses may result in certain ambiguities. I will try to clear them up by means of demonstration.

Why make all this fuss about etymology? In a recent post on Thoughtleader entitled “African-American”: meaning what, exactly?, blogger Catherine Parker illustrates some difficulties those of us of African origin have with understanding the term African-American.


Trevor Richards. He is African. He is American. He's a badass. He's a jackass. He is African-American, but he's not black. What's the opposite of a coconut? Maybe an Eminem?

The google definitions of African-American include:

• A person of African ancestry who is also a citizen of the USA, historic countries of origin include present-day Ghana, Angola, Congo, Senegal, Nigeria, and Gambia.
  
  Since his ancestry is from Africa, Trevor Richards is an African-American. He emmigrated to America and became a naturalised citizen, or is in the process of becoming one.


• Many Americans of African descent use this term of identification.
  
  By this definition too, Trevor Richards would be an African-American.


• American-born black man/woman (vs. immigrant from Africa).
  
  By this definition, Trevor Richards' kids would be African-American if they were borne by Alicia Keys in America, but he would not be African-American because he would be an immigrant from Africa. Even if he were black, he would not be an African-American, because he would still be an immigrant from Africa.


• An American whose ancestors were born in Africa.
  
  By this definition, Trevor Richards and his kids would be African-American when he becomes a naturalised citizen and if they were born there.


• A US citizen having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
  
  According to our courts, South African Chinese people are black by virtue of the fact that they were disadvantaged during apartheid. As people who qualify for Black Economic Empowerment, if they became naturalised citizens in America, would they be African-American? What about their children?

Clearly it is easy to get caught up indefinitely in definitions. Perhaps this is why Alfred Korzybski wanted to do away with the verb 'to be'. Before Trevor gets dragged behind a bakkie or someone burns a cross on his lawn, allow me to clarify what is meant by the terms babes and badasses.

Babes

A term of address for attractive young women.


Babe. Not the kind of babe under scrutiny here.


Leah Dizon, the kind of babe under scrutiny here. Coincidentally, not a bad ass either. Find more pics of cute babe Leah Dizon at cute Leah Dizon.

Badasses

Persons whose extreme attitudes and behavior are admirable. Cool. Wicked. Bad, but in a good way.


A badass bridge. Not the kind of badass under scrutiny here.


A bad ass. Not the kind of ass under scrutiny here.


Mötley Crüe. A bunch of badasses. These look like babes, but they are in fact the kind of badasses under scrutiny here.

I hope I cleared up the confusion regarding my etymology. If not, don't worry, there will be plenty of babes and badasses this month to bring everyone up to speed.

Track listing

1. T.N.T. (Terror 'N Tinseltown)


2. Dr. Feelgood


3. Slice of Your Pie


4. Rattlesnake Shake


5. Kickstart My Heart


6. Without You


7. Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)


8. Sticky Sweet


9. She Goes Down


10. Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)


11. Time for Change
    
    1999 reissue included these tracks:


12. Dr. Feelgood (Demo Version)


13. Without You (Demo Version)


14. Kickstart My Heart (Demo Version)


15. Get it for Free (Demo Version)


16. Time for Change (Demo Version)

Personnel

• Tommy Lee: drums.


• Mick Mars: guitar.


• Vince Neil: vocals.


• Nikki Sixx: bass.

Rating