TOMMY LEE Says His New Reality TV Show Is 'Bananas'

Former MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer recently spoke to Rolling Stone magazine about his tell-all autobiography "Tommyland" and his upcoming solo album, among other topics. Several excerpts from the interview follow:

Rolling Stone: I hear you're spending time in college now, in Nebraska. Is there anything you feel like you missed by not going when you were a kid?

Tommy Lee: "I've got a new TV show coming out on NBC, and it is so bananas. Just imagine, like, total fish out of water: rock star goes to college in Middle America. It's retarded; it's going to be such a fun show. Like, at one point I tried out for the track team. And I'm thinking I'm pretty fast, I ran some track in school, did the hurdles and the high jump and the long jump. Then I'm watching these college kids run, and I'm like, 'Uh-oh, these guys are fast as shit! I'm gonna get chewed up.' And these guys fucking whizzed past me, so I just decided to go with the rock-star thing: do the speed walk with a cigarette and a martini."

Rolling Stone: What's it like being in their marching band?

Tommy Lee: "I tried out for the drum line — which I did in high school as well — and I had two weeks to learn their half-time show and all the drum patterns. And when I made the cut, they told me I could perform the half-time show with them. I went out there and rocked the show — it was killer. I've got a bunch of new friends now over there. I'm actually going to record those guys, 'cause I'm working on my solo record now, and they've got some fucking amazing beats."

Rolling Stone: What's going on with the album?

Tommy Lee: "I've been working my ass off. These are probably the best songs I've ever written in my life — as the years go by, I'm just getting better at my craft. I'm making a really freestyle, collaborating record, all guest stars: I've reached out to Lenny Kravitz and Nikka Costa, and Nick Carter and I have a beautiful song we do together. Butch Walker came over. I'm hoping we can put it out in January. New year, new record — Boom! Blam!"

Rolling Stone: Taking time to look back on your earlier days with MÖTLEY CRÜE, how much do you still feel like you can relate to that whole experience, the craziness and total debauchery?

Tommy Lee: "I think I'm smarter, more mature, more experienced. I mean, I'm still a fucking maniac when I want to be — I can flip that switch on, and I can also flip the switch over to Tommy the Dad, Responsible Guy. It scares me hearing myself right now!"

Read Tommy Lee's entire interview with Rolling Stone magazine at this location.