New Tattoo

New Tattoo
Studio album by Mötley Crüe
Released	July 11, 2000
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	43:22
Label	Mötley Eleven Seven
Producer	Mike Clink
Mötley Crüe chronology
Live: Entertainment or Death (1999) New Tattoo (2000) The Millennium Collection: The Best of Mötley Crüe (2003)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Rolling Stone	[2]

New Tattoo is the eighth studio album by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe released in 2000. Artistically, New Tattoo shows the band going back to their earlier musical style that gave them commercial success in the 1980s. Long time drummer Tommy Lee left the band a year before, and was replaced by former Ozzy Osbourne drummer Randy Castillo on the album. The song "Hell on High Heels" was released as a single for the album and charted at number 13 on the Mainstream rock charts.

Album

Background

The original line up of Mötley Crüe, which consisted of singer Vince Neil, bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee and guitarist Mick Mars, had reunited for the Generation Swine album and tour in 1997 mainly out of pressure from their management and record company.^[3] Even though the group had reunited, problems still existed between Lee and Neil, as Lee felt that the band had been going in a backward direction since Neil rejoined the group. Lee was also having domestic problems with his wife, model Pamela Anderson, which, after an altercation following an argument, led to him serving time in jail.^[4]

During this time, Mötley Crüe and Elektra Records severed their 17 year relationship together, with Mötley Crüe gaining full ownership of its music catalog and publishing rights.^[4] The break with Elektra allowed the group to form its own label, Mötley Records, to release future projects on.^[4]

Lee's legal problems forced the band to decline invitations from Ozzfest and various radio festivals,^[4] though the band managed to record two new songs for their 1998 Greatest Hits album, "Bitter Pill" and "Enslaved," which were more in vein of their 80s output compared to their work during the 1990s.

While Lee was in prison, he decided that he was going to leave Mötley Crüe and start his own project, which eventually became Methods of Mayhem. Lee stayed with the group for the tour of their greatest hits album, but after each show he would retreat to his portable studio and work on material for his new project.^[3]

Recording

Mötley Crüe teamed up with producer Mike Clink to record the album that Sixx felt should have been the successor to their 1989 album, Dr. Feelgood.^[3] With Lee gone, the band hired Neil's longtime friend Randy Castillo, who was Ozzy Osbourne's drummer for 10 years, to take his place.

Reaction

New Tattoo debuted at #41 on the Billboard 200 and slid down shortly after.^[5] According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold about 203,000 copies in the U.S. to date.^[6] Right before the tour in support of the album, Castillo fell ill. He was consequently replaced by Hole drummer Samantha Maloney. Castillo died on March 26, 2002.

Track listing

1. "Hell on High Heels" (Mick Mars, Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx) – 4:15
2. "Treat Me Like the Dog I Am" (James Michael, Sixx) – 3:40
3. "New Tattoo" (Mars, Michael, Sixx) – 4:18
4. "Dragstrip Superstar" (Michael, Sixx) – 4:22
5. "1st Band on the Moon" (Sixx) – 4:25
6. "She Needs Rock & Roll" (Michael, Sixx) – 3:59
7. "Punched in the Teeth by Love" (Randy Castillo, Mars, Neil, Sixx) – 3:32
8. "Hollywood Ending" (Michael, Sixx) – 3:43
9. "Fake" (Michael, Sixx) – 3:44
10. "Porno Star" (Sixx) – 3:45
11. "White Punks on Dope" (Michael Evans, Bill Spooner, Roger Steen) – 3:39

2003 Remastered Edition

1. "1st Band on the Moon" (Sixx) (demo) – 4:33
2. "Porno Star" (Sixx) (demo) – 6:29
3. "Hell on High Heels" (Mars, Neil, Sixx) (video) – 13:51

Bonus Disc

• Live in Salt Lake City

1. "Kickstart My Heart" [Live] – 7:21
2. "Same Ol' Situation" [Live] – 4:53
3. "Dr. Feelgood [Live] – 5:17
4. "Hell on High Heels [Live] – 4:20
5. "Live Wire" [Live] – 4:42
6. "White Punks on Dope" [Live] – 4:13

Demos

1. "Timebomb" – 4:38 (Released in the European version)
2. "American Zero" – 3:47 (Released in the Japanese version)

Singles

1. Hell on High Heels

Personnel

• Vince Neil - vocals
• Mick Mars - guitar
• Nikki Sixx - bass
• Randy Castillo - drums
• Samantha Maloney - drums (live disc only)

• Mike Clink - Producer, engineer, mixing
• Ed Thacker - Engineer, mixing
• Jon Krupp - Assistant engineer
• Karl Derfler - Digital editing
• Tal Herzberg - Digital editing
• Billy Kinsley - Assistant
• Susan McEowen - Art direction
• Jim Purdum - Photography

References

1. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ Rolling Stone review
3. ^ ^{a b c} Lee, Tommy, Mick Mars, Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx and Neil Strauss. The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band, Regan Books, 2002. ISBN 0-06-039288-6
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Layne, Anni. "Motley Crue Breaks From Elektra". Rolling Stone. April 17, 1998.
5. ^ Billboard Charting History - Mötley Crüe
6. ^ Peters, Mitchell. April 15, 2008. "Motley Crue Roars Back With New Album, Tour" Billboard.com. April 17, 2008.