MÖTLEY CRÜE's VINCE NEIL: 'Young Country Is Really The New Rock And Roll'

MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil was interviewed backstage at the CMT Music Awards on June 4 in Nashville, Tennessee. Asked if he listens to any country music, and if so, whether he hears any rock influence there, Vince said (see video below): "It's funny you said that because there's really no up-and-comiing rock and roll. Young country is really the new rock and roll. And that's what's pretty exciting. You see guys with long hair and guitars… It's pretty cool."

The country tribute album "Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Mötley Crüe" has had its release date pushed back to August 19 from the previously announced July 8. The project will feature fresh takes on 15 of MÖTLEY CRÜE's biggest hits covered by some of country music's biggest names, including FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE, Justin Moore, BIG & RICH, LeAnn Rimes, Gretchen Wilson, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts and more.

"I thought the idea for the tribute album was cool until I started talking to everybody," Neil told Billboard.com. "Then I thought it was cooler and cooler and cooler!"

Neil recently admitted to The Tennessean that when he was first approached by management about the country-music tribute, he wasn't immediately sure it was a good idea.

"I was like, 'Eh, I don't know. Let me think about this one for a minute,'" he told The Tennessean. "The more I thought about it, the cooler it got, especially after Carrie Underwood did 'Home Sweet Home', and that was so good. I'm thinking to myself, 'How cool would it be to hear these other acts' renditions of the songs?'"

Until the country-music-tribute idea first came up, Neil hadn't heard of many of the artists who will appear on the set. "It's fun, because my girlfriend is a country girl," Neil said. "She's a barrel rider in the rodeo. When I showed her the names, she was like, 'Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.' I'm like, 'Tell me, tell me. Fill me in.'"

He added: "I'm an old classic rock and roll guy. The really cool thing is I think a lot of people have heard of the name MÖTLEY CRÜE, but don't put the music to the face. I think it's going to bring a lot of fans that aren't MÖTLEY fans in. It will make them go, 'Oh yeah, I've heard that song before.'"

"We did not make this record for MÖTLEY CRÜE fans, but for country fans who are also rock fans," says MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx. "I believe that there's going to be a lot of synergy and excitement for MÖTLEY CRÜE fans hearing different artists covering their favorite songs. People will be surprised how these artists made the songs their own and we couldn't be happier with how the album turned out. It's been an amazing, positive experience and, as a lot of things we've done, a first in our career."

"Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Mötley Crüe" track listing:

01. RASCAL FLATTS - "Kickstart My Heart"
02. FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE - "If I Die Tomorrow"
03. LEANN RIMES - "Smokin' In The Boys Room"
04. JUSTIN MOORE - "Home Sweet Home"
05. CASSADDE POPE WITH ROBIN ZANDER - "The Animal In Me"
06. AARON LEWIS - "Afraid"
07. BIG & RICH - "SOS"
08. SAM PALLADIO AND CLARE BOWEN - "Without You"
09. ELI YOUNG BAND - "Don't Go Away Mad"
10. LAUREN JENKINS - "Looks That Kill"
11. THE CADILLAC THREE - "Live Wire"
12. THE MAVERICKS - "Dr. Feelgood"
13. BRANTLEY GILBERT - "Girls, Girls, Girls"
14. GRETCHEN WILSON - "Wild Side"
15. DARIUS RUCKER - "Time For Change"