Following in the not-so-illustrious footsteps of his bandmates Vince Neil and Tommy Lee, Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx has put out his first solo album, and at the very least you can say that it’s better than Lee’s Methods of Mayhem. Since Sixx has always been the Crue’s primary songwriter, it’s not surprising that the album sounds mostly like late-period Crue, which means it’s got some decent power ballads, a few pretentious touches and lots of glossy production.
The album is actually credited to the awkwardly named Sixx: A.M., and billed as the soundtrack to The Heroin Diaries, Sixx’s upcoming memoir of drug addiction. Given the extremely personal nature of the subject matter, it’s a little odd that Sixx himself isn’t the singer; veteran producer and songwriter James Michael fills that slot, serviceably. Sixx occasionally reads bits from his book in spoken-word interludes, but the song lyrics don’t plumb the depths of despair quite as effectively. Some of the catchier tunes are vague enough to be about anything, really, and would fit nicely into a Crue live set in the future. For the real heart-wrenching insight, though, it’s probably best to pick up the book.
Sixx: A.M.
The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack
** 1/2