Exposed (Vince Neil album)

Vince Neil, together with then manager Bruce Bird and Jack Blades, originally approached long time friend and ex-Ozzy bassist Phil Soussan to help him write the album and put a band together. Soussan left his then current band Beggars & Thieves and wrote several tracks with Neil of which 5 were included on the album. The original lineup was to have featured Adrian Vandenberg of Whitesnake and Manic Eden on guitar but a switch was made at the last minute, at Warner Bros. recommendation, and Steve Stevens was hired. The former Billy Idol guitarist and Atomic Playboys founder, claims to have subsequently played all bass and guitar tracks on Exposed. During the final recording process, Soussan left the band after differences with Stevens, who had insisted on wanting to play bass on the album. Robbie Crane was then switched from rhythm guitar to bass, Dave Marshall was hired as rhythm guitarist and Vikki Foxx continued to play drums.^[4] The band's first show was played at the Roxy under the name "Five Guys From Van Nuys". The band eventually went on tour, opening for Van Halen on their 1993 tour promoting their live album and the biggest gig was in Canada at Molson Park north of Toronto playing on the same bill with Van Halen and Kim Mitchell on Canada Day July 1, 1993, to over 50,000 fans

In an interview conducted with Metal Sludge, Robbie Crane said that he left the band after getting into a fight and punching Neil.^[4] On that occasion, the band musicians had missed a show due to a broken down bus, and Neil had to perform with members of other bands (Slaughter and Warrant), and the two got into a heated exchange when Crane arrived at the venue. Crane said that he hit a drunken Neil, causing Neil to hit and cut his head open on a spike on the ground.^[4] Crane also said that Foxx was fired from the band after stealing equipment.^[4]

The album includes Neil's debut solo single "You're Invited (But Your Friend Can't Come)". The song exists in two versions; the first of which was included on the soundtrack to the Les Mayfield movie Encino Man – a music video was released for this version featuring a cameo from Pauly Shore. The track was rerecorded for the album with Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens.

Also included is a cover of "Set Me Free" from the Sweet's Desolation Boulevard, and the Soussan/Neil ballad "Forever", dedicated to the latter's wife Sharise, who filed for divorce from Neil earlier that year. At the end of the song is a few seconds of silence, followed by a little girl's voice saying "Oh no!" – this is Vince's late daughter Skylar.

Pornstar Janine Lindemulder can be seen in the video for the second single "Sister of Pain". The video for the third single, "Can't Change Me", was filmed at the Record Plant. The video for the fourth single, "Can't Have Your Cake", featured the then up-and-coming Pamela Anderson, and the singer's son Neil Wharton, who portrayed a young Vince Neil in the video.

Neil recorded two bonus tracks for the Japanese edition: "Blondes (Have More Fun)" and the Ramones' cover "I Wanna Be Sedated".

"The Last Goodbye",^[5] cowritten with Todd Meagher, was pulled from the album at the last minute due to a dispute between Meagher and Neil that culminated in a brawl at the Roxbury on Sunset Strip. The song was a ballad, about Neil's split from Mötley.

"Exposed did well... and I'm sure the record that Mötley Crüe did without me was also very good," Neil said in 2000, "but my solo record wasn't Mötley Crüe and theirs wasn't either. The magic just wasn't there."^[6]

Band members

• Vince Neil – all vocals
• Steve Stevens – all guitars, bass guitar
• Vikki Foxx – drums, percussion
• Dave Marshall – rhythm guitar (credited, but does not appear)
• Robbie Crane – bass guitar (credited, but does not appear)

Additional musicians

• Robbie Buchanan – keyboards
• Tommy Funderburk, Timothy B. Schmit, Donna McDaniel, Christina Nichols – backing vocals

Production

• Ron Nevison – producer, engineer
• Craig Brock, Andy Udoff, Ben Wallach – assistant engineers
• Chris Lord-Alge – mixing at Image Recorders, Hollywood

Photography

• Les Guzman – album cover, liner notes

Album

Singles