Sometimes a band's rock 'n' roll lifestyle can overshadow their rock 'n' roll music, and that is often the case with Mötley Crüe, who are best known for their crazy antics away from the stage rather than their just as crazy antics on it. Hopefully this year could set the record straight, though, with a new greatest hits album and UK stadium tour both on the way.

Ask any person in the street who Tommy Lee is and most people will tell you, with a smirk on their faces, that he was that 'talented' guy from the Pamela Anderson video, and only a few of those will know that he's the drummer from one of the most famous LA rock bands of the last 25 years.

Similiarly, the sex, drugs, sex, and rock 'n' roll (and sex) exploits of Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars are as legendary as any in rock music.

If you think Ozzy Osbourne has lived a decadent life of self-destruction, that's nothing compared to what the Crue have pumped into their veins and had in their beds since forming in 1981. At various stages since then, Lee and Neil have left the band, but they are all back there now for the Red, White and Crüe album and tour, which hits the Manchester Evening News Arena on the 15th May.

Reassuringly, early reports of the tour seem to suggest that age has not dimmed their enthusiasm for chaos, with their midget having to miss several dates after being detained by Canadian authories. We're not making this up, honestly. Anyone who has seen the 'Pammy' video will know what sets Lee apart from other men (not his drumming abilities) and will be encouraged to know that it gets an airing during the live shows, while he also encourages ladies in the crowd to display their talents...

With all this craziness going on, it's perhaps not surprising that the music has often taken a back-seat to the tabloid headlines, but as Red, White And Crue highlights, these reprobates certainly know how to rock your socks off. From early tracks Live Wire and Piece of Your Action to new tracks like single If I Die Tomorrow and Sick Love Song, you would have to look hard to find a better collection of sleazy rock classics on one disc.

Mötley Crüe's first few albums, Too Fast For Love and Shout at The Devil were a direct influence on Bon Jovi and fellow LA loons Guns 'n' Roses, and it's clear to see how with the scuzzy guitar sounds and anthemic choruses that both of those bands lived on (at least until the Jovi sold out for slushy MTV hits). The Crüe really kicked into gear with Girls, Girls, Girls, which is appropriately enough a popular song for strippers and pole-dancers, before reaching a peak with 1989's Dr Feelgood.

By this time, Vince Neil had cheated death in a car-crash while Nikki Sixx had actually been dead following a heroin overdose, but that didn't stop their extravagant lifestyle, although it did start to take a toll on them personally and creatively. Neil was absent for their 1994 self-titled album, which failed to ignite much interest and it was a relief when he returned for Generation Swine in 1997, though three years later, Lee had left to bask in the glory of his new-found 'sex video' fame.

So, with all four members back for the new tracks, what are they like? Unusually, they are actually pretty damn good, with If I Die Tomorrow kind of ballady but with crunching guitars to steer it away from Bon Jovi-land. Sick Love Song is even more like classic Crüe, flying along with great hooks and a complete lack of couth and sentimentality. Red, White and Crüe comes out 30th May and if you think The Darkness are rock 'n' roll you better get a copy and educate yourself, then get down to the Arena to see the greatest show on earth.