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Quote of the Week “Asking a writer about critics is like asking a lamp post about dogs.” - Rueben Aitchison 1 ... 1 1 .. it toamtcotk. . .^aii WmNES°",AUGUST12000 The resurrection of Motley Crue * by John Huiett News Editor out of In 1984, Motley Crue was on the-cutting edge of rebellion. Anchored by their first two releases, Too Fast For Love and Shorn at the Devil, their thick, three-chord raunchy anthems spoke to a legion of pubescent metal heads too lightweight for early Metal lica and justifiably nauseated by Bon Jovi’s fluffy-haired, watered down schlock rock. The Crue was just loud enough to draw dis approving stares at stoplights and just outrageous enough to anger Bible-toting parents. So what if their theatrics, makeup and numb skull subject matter were all but a blatant Kiss rip off? At the time, Kiss had gone cosmetics free, Gene Simmons was wearing wigs and Paul Stanley’s multi-colored outfits and onstage prancing made him seem more like a certain frizzy-haired weight-loss guru than the Starchild. The Crue had a void to fill. And fill it they did. By 1989’s Dr. Feelgood, the band was one of the top-selling hard rock acts in the world, having even sur vived silly career moves such as their 1985 Theatre of Pain for ay into dressing like Prince and writing syrupy ballads. But the band wouldn’t survive two other things: grunge and their own excesses. An attempt to replace lead singer Vince Neil resulted in major commercial disappointment (remember “Hooli gan s nonaay ana ms tnumpnant return ior iyy/ s venera tion Swine was a desperate fumble to try to seem relevant to the modem rock world by incorporating psuedo-industrial elements and even grunge (a few years late, guys) into their dated sound. Now, however, Motley Crue is back from the dead. New Tattoo (Beyond), their first new studio album in three years, is a loud, lewd and refreshing return to their classic sound typified by the swirling 1987 opus Girls, Girls, Girls. Yes, drummer extra ordinaire and reluctant porn star Tommy Lee has been replaced by ex-Ozzy Osbourne skinsman Randy Castillo. And, no, the band is no longer on a major label, revealing the lack of faith the in dustry has in the band’s return to form. But New Tattoo is the sound of a band on fire, the sound of four hard rock veterans just glad to be alive and playing their music anywhere for anyone. I Album opener “Hell on High Heels” (yeah, I know it’s stu pid) has the catchiest hard rock chorus in years, and “1st Band on the Moon” (yeah, I know, even more stupid), with its brood ing intro and spidery riffs can make the car stereo speakers rattle, even when it’s not cranked up. There are even a few surprises. Notably, the acoustic-driven blues wail of the title track, in which Neil tames his girlish shriek to an almost sincere croon, is a treat. And most of all, the per formance of guitarist Mick Mars, once a two-word punch line among holier-than-thou guitar players, is clean and articulate, full of punch and dazzle. Of course, with bassist Nikki Sixx remain ing the principal songwriter, the lyrics on New Tattoo are pre dictably trite. Neil can’t have a straight face when he sings lines like “Better wear your rubber boys/ If Betty is your date tonight” fmiri “Unll nn T-TinrU Uonlc ” rvr u/rtrco mactor rrr\ factor/ Vrvn Vq my bitch and I’m your bastard,” from “Treat Me Like the Dog I Am.” Heart warming, sure, and just try holding back the tears as Neil yelps, “I’m checking out the heavens above/Yeah, I just got punched in the teeth by love,” from, you guessed it, “Punched in the Teeth by Love.” Ridiculous. True, there’s nothing really new about New Tattoo, other than its 2000 copyright. Plus, its fifth grade lyrical mentality would in sult the intelligence of most males over 13 and offend the liber ated sensibilities of most females of any age. But for pure, raunchy rock-n-roll, the kind you can’t get these days without some an noying turntable scratching in the background and a dopey white guy feigning hip-hop credibility, Motley Crue has the market cor nered. 'Hollow Man' the latest twist on an old fascination: being invisible by DavidGermain The Associated Press Los Angeles - The Invisible Man has never looked so good. The notion of a man pulling the ultimate disappearing act has fascinated people since ancient times. Now the special ef fects of “Hollow Man” add a grisly realism to the concept, which has come a long way from the bandages and goggles that enshroud Claude Rains in the 1933 classic, “The Invisible Man,” based on H.G. Wells’ novel. Invisibility’s appeal has always been part personal fantasy, part bogeyman terror. Matt Greenbeig, who created the new Sci-Fi Channel series, “The Invisible Man,” said it’s a univer sal fantasy. “Growing up, I had dreams about being invisible, but not for the usual reasons about eavesdropping or peaking in at peo ple,” said Greenbeig, whose show deals with an ex-buiglar im planted with a gland that makes him invisible. “For me, it was about escape. I was a shy child, so I’d imagine being in visible and going to school and nobody would be able to see me.” Kevin Bacon, who stars in “Hollow Man,” also dreamed - III — Coutesy of Columbia Pictures as a boy about what he might do if no one could see him. “When I was a kid, I used to fantasize about it all the time. Girls’ locker rooms, girls’ showers. It’s the best way to take a peek,” Bacon said. “I’ve since had the luxury of seeing naked New cable channel aims at 'fine living7 by Duncan Mansfield Associated Press Knoxville, Tenn. - Ah, the good life! What is it? Well, paradise comes in many forms. A 24-hour cable channel launching next year called Fine Living promises to capture its rich, rare and relaxed essence. In other words, upscale TV. Scripps Networks, a growing purveyor of lifestyles programming includ ing Home & Garden Television and the Food Network, has dreamed up Fine Living. What exactly will be on the new channel hasn t been decided, scripps is somewhere between an idea and a product at this point. If it were a magazine, Fine Living probably would be closer to Town & Country than HGTV-like Good Housekeeping. Magazines, in fact, were part of the inspiration — publications like The Robb Report, Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficionado. “We did some research to tell us if we are crazy or on the mark in terms of concept,” said Susan Packard, president of Scripps’ New Ventures divi sion, adding that Scripps liked the answer. “Never has there been a moment in history where we have seen so much