Mötley Crüe exploded onto the 80’s LA scene in a tornado of drugs, booze, glam and girls, girls, girls. In between platinum-selling records and sold-out club and arena tours, Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx struggled through addiction, jail sentences, inner-band turmoil, rehab, you name it, making the band’s 30+ years one hell of a bumpy ride. All of this and more is recounted in Martin Popoff’s “Kickstart My Heart: A Mötley Crüe Day-by-Day,” a chronological oral history of the Crüe’s best, worst and downright shocking moments, on stage and off.

Organized by decade, the daily entries offer a cocktail of text and visuals to help place the band in a larger musical context. Quotes and excerpts from the band, its managers, peers, and more are used to tell their story, along with a variety of rare photos detailing the band’s varying styles and attitude as the years ticked by. There’s also heaps of old ticket stubs, backstage passes, magazine clippings, promo posters and more in its pages – a wet dream for avid Crüe collectors and the perfect coffee table companion for any rock ‘n roll fan.

Popoff is up front about not dishing “The Dirt.” Rather, his focus remains on the music, Mötley’s own, their inspirations, and the hair-hungry copycats that followed after these live wires electrified the Sunset Strip. With the band’s Final Tour now complete, “Kickstart My Heart” is a fond farewell that’s both nostalgic and well worth it.

Grade: B+