Hanoi Rocks Albums (11)
What The Critics Say
There may only be two members from Hanoi Rocks' classic days left in attendance -- singer Michael Monroe and guitarist Andy McCoy -- but the early 21st century version of the group has no problem replicating its trademark glam-punk. Case in point, 2007's Street Poetry. With countless modern-day rock bands smoothing out all the rough edges, it's good to know that you can count on Hanoi Rocks to leave it all rough and raw. And while there may be a sudden uprising of bands that attempt to ape Hanoi Rocks' gutter-punk style, there's nothing like the originators, as evidenced by such rocking standouts as "Hypermobile," "Highwired," "Teenage Revolution," and the melodic title track. With only two of the original Hanoi Rockers creating this enjoyable of a racket, it's safe to say that if the definitive 1984 line-up had stayed together, they could have become a household name like Mötley Crüe and Guns N' Roses. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
'Another Hostile Takeover'
Release Date 1/1/2005
Tracks 17
Label DREAM CATCHER
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What The Critics Say
Hanoi Rocks was one of the few '80s-era glam acts to get it right -- basing their sound/approach on the New York Dolls rather than Van Halen. Although singer Michael Monroe found it impossible to carry on with the band after the death of drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley, by the early 21st century he must have had a change of heart. Once more, Monroe was united with guitarist Andy McCoy -- releasing Twelve Shots on the Rocks in 2002 and committing to live dates. The reunion obviously went well, because in 2005 the "new Hanoi Rocks" was ready to issue another studio effort, Another Hostile Takeover. Despite none of the other former Hanoi members being included, Monroe and McCoy have no problem re-creating the trashy glam punk of their earlier releases here, as evidenced by such tracks as the album-opening "Back in Yer Face." Surprisingly, on tracks like "The Devil in You," the group assumes a radio-friendly sound, which is sure to leave longtime fans a bit bewildered. That said, two covers that Monroe/McCoy tackle -- Phil Lynott's "Dear Miss Lonely Hearts" and Stiv Bators' "No Compromise, No Regrets" -- fare much better. Another Hostile Takeover doesn't scale the same heights as, say, Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks, but there are enough links back to the old-time Hanoi Rocks sound for longtime fans to latch onto. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
'A Day Late, A Dollar Short'
Release Date 10/6/2003
Tracks 4
Label RLF
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What The Critics Say
The 2003 three track Hanoi Rocks EP, ‘A Day Late, A Dollar Short,' is comprised of a track from the group's full-length from a year prior (Twelve Shots on the Rocks), as well as two outtakes ("Bad News" and "Moonlite Dance"), and even the video clip for the EP's title track. Unlike the raw sounds of their earlier classics, the three tracks here catch the Monroe/McCoy led Hanoi line-up attempting to create melodic/mainstream sounding hits. Which is what the group was seemingly always against -- playing it safe. Thankfully, their next studio album, 2007's Street Poetry, would see the group return to their trademark raw and rocking style. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
'Twelve Shots on the Rocks'
Release Date 1/1/2002
Tracks 13
Label Major Leiden
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What The Critics Say
In the early- to mid-'80s, Hanoi Rocks was the quintessential Sunset Strip hair band -- and they weren't even from southern California. Hanoi Rocks, of course, was formed in Finland, but their trashy, hedonistic, decadent hard rock/pop-metal boogie influenced so many Los Angeles headbangers (including Mötley Crüe, Guns N' Roses, Warrant, Faster Pussycat, L.A. Guns, and Poison) that they might as well have grown up next to the Whiskey-a-Go-Go. Although Hanoi called it quits in 1985, their influence on pop-metal remained quite strong throughout the late '80s -- and it wasn't until the Nirvana/Pearl Jam/grunge upheaval of 1992-1993 that their influence started to decline. When the '90s came to a close, it seemed like a safe bet that Hanoi would never see the light of day again, but much to the surprise of die-hard pop-metal enthusiasts, founding members Michael Monroe and Andy McCoy re-formed Hanoi Rocks in 2002 with a new lineup that included guitarist Costello, bassist Timpa, and drummer Lacu -- and the result of that reunion is Twelve Shots on the Rocks. This CD is totally oblivious to post-'80s developments in hard rock; the album sounds like it could have been recorded 20 years earlier. Monroe and McCoy offer no acknowledgment of the alternative rock scene of the early 2000s, which is probably just as well because they bring a great deal of conviction to their new material. Fans of Hanoi's '80s recordings needn't worry about whether or not Monroe and McCoy still have their old chemistry; their rapport is as strong as ever, and all of the hard rock, punk, and glam influences that served them so well back in the day -- Kiss, the New York Dolls, Aerosmith, the Stooges, Alice Cooper, Slade, Mott the Hoople, among others -- are very much at work on this CD. Although not quite as essential as Hanoi's early-'80s recordings, Twelve Shots on the Rocks is an exciting return to form for Monroe and McCoy. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Although many would like to forget the '80s glam rock movement, there's no denying that one of the genre's leaders, the oft-overlooked Hanoi Rocks, were by far the best. Unlike other bands of the era whose influences were strictly heavy metal, Hanoi had roots in punk rock (Stooges, Ramones) as well as hard rock. Their 1985 double live album, All Those Wasted Years, shows that they were the real deal (as well as a major influence on future raunch-rockers Guns N' Roses). Nearly all of the band's best tracks are included here, such as "Back to Mystery City," "Motorvatin'," "Mental Beat," and "Taxi Driver." Also included is a triple-shot encore of cover songs: Alice Cooper's "Under My Wheels," the Stooges' "I Feel Alright" (aka "1970"), and the Yardbirds/Aerosmith standard "Train Kept A-Rollin'." The death of drummer Razzle a year after this concert was recorded proved a crippling blow for the band, and they splintered not long after -- which is sad, because Hanoi Rocks had the talent to put all the other glam metal bands of the '80s to shame. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Had Razzle not died so tragically, there's every reason to believe that Hanoi Rocks could easily have taken things to the next level of hard rock glory. As it is, Two Steps from the Move will have to remain a testimony to what might have been instead of a further springboard. "Up Around the Bend" may have been little more than an easy way of getting a chart hit, but they still got one nonetheless, and the energetic way the band handled the CCR classic showed they were no slouches with the material. Working with Bob Ezrin was the more notable change here; with Dale Buffin Griffin and "Overend" Pete Watts having given Hanoi Rocks their best production yet with Back to the Mystery City, the legendary hard rock producer showed he still had the touch with his work on Two Steps from the Move. He also seemed to have his hand in all the band's doings -- nearly all the songs on the album are co-written efforts between Ezrin and various bandmembers, while he contributes everything from percussion to vocals. Given that Hanoi Rocks never made any pretense at being immediate and catchy, it's hardly a case of selling out, more a matter of a pro making everything better -- and that he does. In terms of combining the attitude, gang shouts, punk energy, and classic rock burn of the band, things couldn't be better -- Monroe sounds phenomenal, the McCoy/Suicide guitar team comes up with some great riffs and even better trade-offs, and the Yaffa/Razzle rhythm section keep it all chugging. Highlights: "Boiler," a perfectly saucy tale about one's lady love using a bit of Brit slang, the heavy-duty strut and stomp of "I Can't Get It," the tearjerker-with-feedback "Don't You Ever Leave Me," and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," as perfect a neo-Mott the Hoople anthem as any. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Hanoi Rocks may have been the best hard rock band Finland had to offer the world in 1982, but their sound and look was heavily influenced by the punk scenes of the late '70s in downtown New York and England. Oriental Beat finds Hanoi Rocks bringing the glam sound and look of the New York Dolls into the '80s. Oriental Beat is an album that finds itself slightly out of step with the music scene of the period -- it was too late for the prime punk period of the late '70s and it was too early for the pop-metal explosion of the mid-to-late '80s. Oriental Beat is full of big singalong choruses and catchy riffs that would have made the band heavy players either five years earlier or later. The band shows its punk and glam influences not only with its look on the cover of the album but also with the music performed on the album as well. Tracks like "M.C. Baby" and "Oriental Beat" find the band closely resembling English punk rockers the Damned. Guitarist and chief songwriter Andy McCoy does his best Johnny Thunders on "Teenangels Outsiders." Other tracks on the album show the band displaying a sound that would be emulated by many future pop-metal bands. "Motorvatin'" and "Devil Woman" would easily have found a home on MTV circa 1987, and feminine-looking, lipstick-wearing, glammed-out lead singer Michael Monroe's image would have been plastered all over music television right next to Bret Michaels, Vince Neil, and Jon Bon Jovi. Despite a respectable amount of potential on most of the album, poor production limits the effectiveness of many tracks. The drums sound like they were recorded in another building separate from the rest of the band. A slick '80s hit-making producer like Mutt Lange (Def Leppard) or Bob Rock (Mötley Crüe, the Cult) could have made this band huge in the States. Oriental Beat shows where punk would have gone in the '80s if new wave and synthesizers never came along. By listening to this album you can see the influence Hanoi Rocks had on the artists that followed them. In 1984, the band's drummer, Razzle, died in a car accident as a passenger in a car driven by Mötley Crüe's Vince Neil; the band broke up a year later. Due to this tragic turn of events Oriental Beat has to unfortunately stand as an album by a band full of potential that sadly was never given a chance to fulfill it. ~ Paul Tinelli, All Music Guide
'Back to the Mystery City'
Release Date 1/1/1983
Tracks 10
Label Lick
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What The Critics Say
Having so obviously worshipped at the altar of Mott the Hoople for much of their career, it's little surprise that for their fourth album Hanoi Rocks went straight to the source, getting both Dale Buffin Griffin and Pete "Overend" Watts to produce Back to Mystery City. Whatever else they brought to the sessions, the duo makes Hanoi Rocks sound like a much more powerful band than before; compared to Self Destruction Blues, the riffs are more explosive, the drumming pounding, and Michael Monroe is in full swing. The aura of '50s rave-up, '70s glam party, and '80s hard rock chaos that the band made their own sounds even better than before, but the production duo also made even more room for intriguing experiments within the songs themselves. Thus, the full-on glam stomp, mock-Burundi drums, and animal noises during the merry romp "Tooting Bec Wreck" (one of many Hanoi Rocks songs paying homage to home-away-from-home London), or the clearly obvious "Mony Mony" steal from the title track, with reverbed vocals working wonders. One thing's for sure: calling the first song "Strange Boys Play Weird Openings," and having it be a mock rustic folk song -- with acoustic guitars, flutes, and chirping birds -- is a great way to have fun. More so, admittedly, when things suddenly kick into the brilliant rocker "Malibu Beach Nightmare." Other songs, like "Beating Gets Faster" and "Ice Cream Summer" (gratuitous misogyny aside), may be more Hanoi Rocks by-the-numbers, but it's a good enough pattern to follow. In their own way, they weren't so much pioneers as followers of a style that not many attempted at the time. They get extra points, as well, for having one of the more entertainingly crude song titles around: "Lick Summer Love." ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
