Although widely considered a dead genre, rock and roll still holds the hearts of many. In an attempt to relive one of the most influential eras of rock, the 1980s, Jeff Tremaine directed the new series, “Nöthin’ But a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of ’80s Hair Metal,” which premiered on Paramount Plus on Sept. 17. The three-part series is described as a raw representation of what the period was like to take part in, with no holding back. Tremaine based his documentary series on the book with the same title, written by Tom Beaujour and Richard Bienstock.
As a disclaimer, I would like to preface the rest of the review by explaining that I have only seen episode one of the documentary, “The Sunset Strip,” so this article will be a judgment of that segment only.
The docuseries is set up in a mixed format, combining raw footage from the ‘80s, old interviews with celebrities and modern-day nostalgic commentary by some of the most influential people in the music industry. Multiple hair bands are discussed briefly during the episode, with its primary focus placed on Mötley Crüe.
From the start of the episode, it is emphasized that by 1979, traditional, “long-haired” rock had been fading away, being replaced by the strike of new wave music. Record labels were unwilling to sign such bands, with their last being the group, Van Halen. However, the members of Mötley Crüe had a desire to bring the genre back, but with a twist. Inspired by bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, Mötley Crüe hoped to combine the artistry of rock with the edge of metal. The episode provides footage of band members, Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx, at the start of their careers, when their band was commonly considered a joke.
The episode transitions into discussing the emergence of other hair bands, which Mötley Crüe had ultimately paved the way for. If you are looking for an in-depth representation of hair metal, this series is not for you. The mentions of bands, such as W.A.S.P., Ratt, Dokken and Great White were all too short and felt almost out of place. The series would have been more successful if it focused more on Mötley Crüe or equally split its time with the different bands. Quick, yet shocking facts about Dokken and Great White were thrown into the mix before the episode made its way back to discussing Mötley Crüe.
The topics of sex and drugs were less prevalent in the series than its description made it seem; rather, the antics accompanied by these two subjects were the focus. Viewers will hear tales of addiction tossed around in an all too unserious way. As for the women, they are almost not present in this documentary at all. This is understandable, as hair metal was a genre dominated by men, though their brief appearances were almost all featuring nudity or sexual content. The sex life of the only female professional in the documentary was also brought up, though the sex lives of her male counterparts had not been. Despite this imbalance, it was not far off from what had been going on at the time.
Hair metal was arguably one of the most influential subgenres of music that still holds influence today. Regardless of this fact, “Nöthin’ But a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of ’80s Hair Metal” did not do the musicians or professionals involved any justice.
If you are looking for a documentary to have a few laughs at, rather than learning about the ins and outs of this era, I would recommend this series. Rather than depicting a wholistic image of hair metal, this documentary feels like a combination of stories that makes both Ozzy Osbourne and Mötley Crüe appear as fools, rather than talented musicians, while merely listing off a couple of other big names of the time.
The episode is too rushed to be successful in what it hopes to achieve, while the remaining episodes focus on different groups altogether. “Nöthin’ But a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of ’80s Hair Metal” is simply a good time, not a monumental or unheard-of recollection of the music scene in the ‘80s.
Rating: 2.5/5