Released: July 2010
Vince Neil has obviously arrived at that point of his career where a covers album might seem like a good idea. His one-time mentor Ozzy tried it a few years back and the result was perhaps the best album he'd made in years. After all, a good song is generally still a good song even if it's put through the wringer a bit, and it just doesn't seem possible that Vince could fail as spectacularly as Bret Michaels, who no longer seems capable of even doing a decent cover of his own songs.
Tattoos and Tequila is essentially a collection of tracks that had an influence on Neil's career, plus a couple of newer ones possibly included only to extended the playing time beyond EP length. The title track isn't too bad to be honest, but the Nikki Sixx/Tracii Guns penned "Another Bad Day" is nothing other than another faceless power ballad that isn't worthy of their own bands. Elsewhere however, Neil plunders his classic rock albums collection to take on some less-familiar tunes by the bands that inspired him, and the results are rather impressive: his take on Aerosmith's "Nobody's Fault" is true hard rocking joy and Cheap Trick's "He's A Whore" and the ripper version of "Another Piece of Meat" are dynamite. Jack Blades' production strips the sound raw, echoing Neil's earliest recordings with Mötley Crüe and the dude even manages to add some real grit to "Viva Las Vegas".
On the negative side, "Who'll Stop the Rain" is one he probably should have left alone, but for the most part this is a surprisingly impressive slab of raw ass-kickery from a guy who still knows how to bring it.
1. Tattoos and Tequila
2. He's A Whore
3. AC/DC
4. Nobody's Fault
5. Another Bad Day
6. No Feelings
7. Long Cool Woman
8. Another Piece of Meat
9. Who'll Stop the Rain
10. Viva Las Vegas
11. The Bitch is Back
Rating: 70%
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