Live: Entertainment Or Death Iowa

Live: Entertainment Or Death

Motley Crue

Motley / Beyond Records, 1999

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 05/09/2002

At what point in a band's career is it almost anti-climactic torelease a live album? Obviously, it's a bit pushy for a group withonly one or two albums under their belt to put out a live effort(though there are times this works to their advantage).

Motley Crue has been slugging it out now for two decades (thoughthe band's future is reportedly in flux at this writing), but ittook them until 1999 to release a full live album. When Live: Entertainment Or Death first came out, the label'spublicist sent me a single-disc version, saying she was waiting onthe full two-CD sets. Three years later, I finally gave up onwaiting and bought it.

I should have saved my money.

As a studio band, Motley Crue has been notoriously uneven. As alive band, Vince Neil and crew can't even rely on the trickery ofthe studio to enhance the band's sound. As a result, this set -culled from dates spanning 17 years - is spotty at best, vulgar andsloppy at worst.