The Beginning Of Something Beautiful

The year was 1981. I was a 10 year old small town boy growing up in the land of Mormons.

I loved everything sports. Cowboys, Yankees, Lakers, etc; I was also a music junkie, even at such a young age. My favorite band was KISS. Everything KISS. I remember the excitement every time my mom would let me order a new KISS album, from the now obsolete music club, Columbia House. Everything from "Love Gun," "Unmasked," and the solo albums that were put out by each KISS member. I was a huge "Spaceman" Ace Frehley fan, but for one reason or another I went against the grain of what was popular and purchased the "Catman" Peter Criss album. From what I remember, it was a pretty good album but I still felt that I had cheated myself by selecting Peter's release instead of SpaceAce. Then one summer morning while playing cars and trucks with a neighbor friend in his bedroom I noticed he had the album I wanted, "Ace Frehley."

This album was everything cool. I didn't even need to hear it. The cover art had me sold.  I wanted it. While I was pondering just how I was going to pull this "swap" off I continued to push my new matchbox car across the floor. Then it happened. Something jumped up at me and caught my eye. It was a cassette tape. Not just any cassette tape. No no, this one was different. Leather pants, chains, metal studs, the devil salute, with blood red letters across the top that spelled Motley Crue. Fascinating. I turned and asked my friend, "Who is this?"

Shrugging his shoulders he stated, "I don't know. My mother gave it to me" and he continued on unloading his Tonka Truck. He was less than interested. I, on the other hand, was curious as all get out. My intentions this day just took a U-turn. No longer was i going to try and finagle my friend out of his Ace Frehley album. Instead, I "accidentally" ended up stuffing this thing called "Motley Crue" down my pants, solely on the fascination of the cover art. It was a life changing moment and one of the best decisions... "accidents"... I've ever made. And it still impacts me to this day.

Upon returning home, I dashed to my personal space (my bedroom), to try and satisfy my curiosity. From the very first note I quickly concluded that this was not KISS. Not even close. This was unique. This was foreign to my ears. Yet, it was special. This was Punk. This was attitude. This was rough and dirty from the drug infested streets of the Sunset Strip, and to me, this was Heaven. A twisted heaven with pentagrams. I hadn't heard anything like this before, and its effect was potent. Every song managed to separate itself from the others. Its attitude, innocence, and filthy production cannot and will never been replicated.

I was now a fan. Maybe their biggest fan. Kiss posters came down and my bedroom walls became everything Motley Crue. Shout at the Devil indeed. I would wait with great anticipation for every release following "Too Fast For Love." With this band it was usually a four-year wait between albums but I would wait patiently, yet anxious, for each new release and continue to do so to this very day. Each Motley Crue release has a special place in my life but I'll never forget where it all started. After 34 years, the curtain is about to fall for this Theater of Pain. Motley Crue is on their farewell "All Bad Things Must Come to an End" tour, but not before these quasi-satanic punks would become legends with nearly no effort at all.

It is 2015  and this metal masterpiece still has a major impact on my life. Whenever I hear a song from "Too Fast For Love," it brings me nothing but good memories and good feelings -- the same feelings that this boy felt at 10 years old sitting on his bedroom floor fascinated by this thing called "Motley Crue." This moment, this band, forever changed my life. It was the beginning of something beautiful. Something so beautifully ugly.


HORNS IN THE AIR METAL FREAKS! \m/

Shane

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