SPILL SERIES REVIEW: NÖTHIN’ BUT A GOOD TIME: THE UNCENSORED STORY OF ’80S HAIR METAL

NÖTHIN’ BUT A GOOD TIME: THE UNCENSORED STORY OF ’80S HAIR METAL

MTV ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS

SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

The resurgence of 1980s hair metal has reached new heights, making it the perfect time for the release of NÖTHIN’ BUT A GOOD TIME: The Uncensored Story of ’80s Hair Metal. This documentary series delves into the world of big hair, louder guitars, and larger-than-life personalities, capturing the era when glam metal ruled the music scene. With ’80s metal bands experiencing a new peak in popularity through successful nostalgia tours, this series highlights the enduring legacy of a genre that defined a generation.

The documentary grips the viewer with candid interviews from some of the biggest stars of the era. The off-stage stories are the real highlights, showcasing outrageous tales of backstage brawls, legal battles, and even assaults on flight staff during tours. It’s an unfiltered look at the chaos and excess that defined the Hair Metal era, making it both over-the-top and irresistible.

Featuring rockstar legends like Bret Michaels, Stephen Pearcy, Corey Taylor, Rudy Sarzo, Tracii Guns, Reb Beach, and many more, the audience gets firsthand accounts from the people who lived it. These stories are told with no holds barred, giving fans an authentic glimpse into the world of 24/7 sex, drugs, and hair metal!

The documentary boasts an extensive collection of archival footage, woven into a chronological narrative that illustrates how bands like Mötley Crüe helped shift the music scene from new wave to hard-hitting guitar rock. This evolution marked the birth of a new genre and an era of music that has withstood the test of time. Remarkably, many top bands of the ’80s are currently outgrossing their past success with sold-out stadium tours. Acts like Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Mötley Crüe, and Poison are once again filling massive venues, a feat that seemed impossible in the ’90s and early 200’s.

The series is divided into three episodes. The first episode covers the birth of the ’80s metal scene, the second delves into the mid-’80s second wave of metal bands, and the final episode explores the era of copycat bands and the genre’s abrupt decline with the rise of grunge and MTV’s cultural shift, which essentially ended hair metal overnight.

While the documentary’s format isn’t groundbreaking, it compensates with entertaining animation sketches that depict some of the wildest off-camera antics. However, it does lose points for not ramping up the production quality and missing the opportunity to feature more iconic figures like Blackie Lawless, Chris Holmes, or any of the members of Mötley Crüe that could have really sealed the deal.

Overall, this series is a must-watch for anyone interested in the genre, and especially for the original audience, now in their 40s, 50s, and beyond,  who were there to witness it first-hand. NÖTHIN’ BUT A GOOD TIME captures the spirit of an era when rock stars were larger than life, and the music was all about having fun. It’s a nostalgic ride that will resonate deeply with those who remember the glory days of hair metal and intrigue, a new generation of fans curious about the genre that refused to die.

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