Carnival of Sins: Live

Even though F.Y.E. is a corporate giant that is probably contributing to the decline of modern music, I still shop in the store from time to time. The bright spot to F.Y.E. (or Coconuts, or Sam Goody or about half a dozen other names under the music chain) is that the store buys and sells used titles. Occasionally, this means a great deal.

Yesterday, I picked up Motley Crue's Carnival of Sins DVD package for ten bucks.

The DVD isn't horrible and it isn't great. I was immediately impressed with the packaging, which is more akin to a sitcom DVD than music release. The sound quality on Carnival of Sins isn't great, but to be fair, I didn't try to adjust levels on my television either. The mixing is good, courtesy of super-producer Bob Rock.

A production crew using 20 hi-definition cameras taped the 2005 Motley Crue performance in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The people at the show that night seemed to have gotten their money's worth, because the band played a very long set.

The track list looks like this:

Opening
Shout at the Devil
Too Fast for Love
Ten Seconds to Love
Red Hot
On with the Show
Too Young to Fall in Love
Looks that Kill
Louder than Hell
Live Wire
Girls, Girls, Girls
Wild Side
Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Primal Scream
Glitter
Without You
Home Sweet Home
Dr. Feelgood
Same 'Ol Situation
Sick Love Song
If I Die Tomorrow
Kickstart My Heart
Helter Skelter
Anarchy in the U.K.

The DVD also features worthless solos from Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee. Why worthless? Nikki plays keyboard and some sort of welding contraption and Tommy does a good job behind the kit but then jumps around, making beats way too close to techno for my liking.

Overall, Vince Neil and Mick Mars do a pretty great job. Mick is one of the most underrated guitar players in all of rock and Vince actually sings in tune. Still, in tune doesn't always mean accurate, and there are plenty of times on Canrival of Sins where Vince screws up the words to songs he's been singing for 20 years.

The stage show is impressive, and the carnival theme fits Motley Crue perfectly. 

The DVD includes lots of crowd pans, courtesy of giant boom cameras. This helps show the size of the crowd, and adds a bit of enthusiasm to the performance. Still, I'd rather see Nikki, Tommy, Vince and Mick than 19 half-dressed women rubbing on each other every ten seconds. Of course, female fans definitely have their place at Crue shows, but we see the same women over and over again on Carnival of Sins.

For the set-list, I think it was a interesting choice by the boys to include so many classic songs early and then encore with "Helter Skelter" and "Anarchy in the U.K." Perhaps they didn't save "Dr. Feelgood" for the end, fearing Vince would be winded, or the band too tired? At any rate, I may have moved the songs around a bit. Still, opening with "Shout at the Devil" is perfect.

To be fair, I didn't have time to watch the extra features DVD, which includes footage of Tommy's boobie camera, plus some music videos and a time lapse of the production set to "On With the Show."

Here's the opening to Carnival of Sins: "Shout at the Devil."

Comments

[aXe mAn]

I got this DVD a while back, and I really like it. It proves they can still put on a great live show.

[Rob Rockitt]

I have this one as well,and I enjoyed it.

[Christian Graus]

I *love* this DVD. I saw the live show, in Melbourne and it was awesome, especially for the number of old songs they played. Things like the tittie cam and the video snippets they played existed basically so Mick could go an lie down, I could see him leaving the stage from where I was. But, the show itself was awesome, and the DVD rocks.

I do agree about the two songs at the end being covers, what's up with that ? I could live without both of them, and it's odd, seeing as they refuse to do 'smokin in the boys room' b/c it's a cover.

[Rachel]

I got this dvd for Christmas& I love it. I saw the live show twice. I do agree with you about how they kept showing the half-dressed women in the crowd. I c have lived without that. Also how Mick is underrtaed as a guitarist. That is so true.

[bob_vinyl]

I have to disagree about Mick Mars. Kinda like Ace in Kiss, he isn't a spectacular talent by a long stretch, yet he fits the band well. CC Deville is the same thing with Poison. Later guitarists in both bands could play circles around those gys, yet weren't as good of a fit. I bet the same would be true if Mick Mars was replaced in Motley Crue with a better player.

[Rhodeislandrock]

Haven't picked this up yet. I saw the tour in Providence.....no opener, they played a 3 act set separated by two 20 minute breaks. The second break was for Tommy to screw around with the boobie cam, his techno beats, and flying harness. Basically Tommy was a waste of time. Vince was decent that night and thats all you can really ask of the guy.

I liked the NEW TATTOO tour better.....

[Dark OverLord]

Nikki Sixx does not play keyboards, Nikki plays bass guitar. Go re-watch the DVD again!

[Allyson B. Crawford]

Dark OverLord,

He plays the keyboards. Deal with it.

Allyson

[Christian Graus]

Dude - I remember skipping the awful Nikki Sixx keyboard solo, go watch it again.

[Chey]

I have this DVD and i whatch it all the time. Motley is definatly my fave band.