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 They're currently on
tour of the 51st State with Twisted Sister, and
another elpee from the resurrected flash metal supernovas, HANOI ROCKS
ought
to be received with exultant fanfare worldwide-right?
So why is it the entire sleaze nation seems so jaded and ho hum about it?
Cos, well, maybe we're a bit weirded out by the fact that Hanoi is
comprised
of as many Electric Boys members as original Hanoi Rockers, perhaps. Don't
it seem kinda contrary to the whole "When you're a jet, you're a jet all
the
way" spirit of the Real Rocks that both Nasty and Sami showed up and
played
with Michael in the devastatingly great, DEMOLITION 23, (Possibly the best
Rock/Punk band of the 90's- in addition to Poison Idea, U.S. Bombs,
Humpers,
Rik Slave & The Phantoms, Nomads, and Cherry 13) but could not be lured
back
when the towering, twin icons of romantic gutter rock, Mike and Andy,
finally put aside their publishing/lyric-writing/royalty-rate
differences,
and triumphantly returned to save real rock'n'roll for generations to
come,
sometime shortly after the sad passing of M.M.'s beloved wife Jude, a few
years back. Various sidemen, Costello, Finn, some Crystal Ecstasy guys if I remember
right, and Stevie Klassen have come and gone. Klassen, was a well-liked
member of J.T.'s Oddballs, and Diamond Dogs, and the fans were pleased to
welcome him to the ranks of Hanoi, but overnight, he was replaced by his
friend, the very dreadlocked Connie Bloom, who eventually brought with him
his Electric Boys bassist. Electric Boys were never big glam faves in
America, many of us appreciated Steve Stevens Atomic Playboys, and a
cuppla
C.C. Deville spin-off projects more than we did the "Funky",
"Psychedelic",
"Nauseatingly Overproduced", Electric Boys.
Maybe with all the static our heroes had in the past when McCoy was
hoarding all the songwriting money, Angie McCoy was unable to find a
diplomatic way to lovingly advise Mike about his recurring abuse of corny
American talkshow slang and 12 Step Recovery cliche's.
Perhaps we're maybe more intrigued by the semi-reformed, "Two York
Dolls"
with Sami Yaffa admirably filling Killer Kane's gold sparkling platform
shoes, because the last record from Hanoi only brought with it two really
thoroughly stellar songs, and one was a cover. Which leads us to suspect
that Mike and Andy might be holding their best songs back for their solo
albums, like the Stones did all through the eighties. Maybe we're a bit
bummed by "Hostile Takeover's" absolute shit cover-art, cos the vintage
Hanoi were renowned for their exceptionally beautiful album
sleeves-remember
"Dead By Christmas" with the gatefold jacket, everybody?
Clearly, Andy's still the greatest gypsy king rock'n'roll badass in the
world, excepting perhaps his Old Grandad, Keith, who just fell out of a
tree-a very Andyesque stunt really, I mean we've always known Keith's "outta
his tree", but what's the old bastard doin' up in a tree to begin with?
I've
not seen the McCoy's Finnish reality show, but I loved the movie, "Real
McCoy", and urge you all to go to great lengths to see it.
Monroe's still writing really great material occasionally from
"Loneliness Loves Me More" off his "Life Gets You Dirty", to "People Like
Me" from the last album, we just wanna urge him away from overusing
lyrical
cliche's. Mike may not be SUBSTANTIALLY prettier than whatever dumb bitch
18
year old bulemic blonde the mainstream record machine pimps off on us, but
there are only half a dozen guys left alive who are even remotely in his
league as a rocknroll singer/frontman-Iggy, Tyler, Jagger, Idol, Astbury,
uhh...Roth, does Roth still have it? Not so much-Little Richard? Ancient
old
Jerry Lee in a wheelchair?
The fifth song's a stunner-the lyrics borrowed from our much beloved
old skeleton, Stiv Bator, like in alot of Mike's coolest songs; "No
Compromise, No Regrets" is fucking totally killer. As good as, or actually
better than, something offa Alice Cooper's "Dirty Diamonds" record, and
blows away anything Aerosmith's done except for "Jaded" and "Pink", since,
well, "What it Takes".
In spite of a few characteristically awe-inspiring highlights, "Another
Hostile Takeover" is just not nearly as consistently good as Billy Idol's
recent return to splendour, "Devil's Playground", and that's a sad fact. I
know MM dismisses the Rebel Yeller as a "shouter", but the hard truth is
he
and Stevens applied themselves and made a much better record. The peak
moments from both revisited-era Hanoi CD's probably should have been saved
for one masterpiece-expectations are high. Lifelong devotees want to hear
TEN GREAT SONGS from Mike and Andy, not three or four scorchers and some
solo album rejects. "Center Of The Universe" is another winner, and
Michael's poignant, moving, heartfelt vocals just shimmer butterfly-like
with
pain, memory, and melancholy and betrayal, on this one, shaming any lazy
journos who ever take shots at Mike's vocal abilities, and reminding us
all
why we have so much faith in him, ultimately. Shit, man. I just said he
shimmers on this song. Who Else SHIMMERS, anymore? I mean that Echo and
the Bunnymen guy's "Evergreen" comeback record was not their finest hour,
either. I suspect Connie's been subjecting Mike to too much "Mother's
Milk"-era Red Hot Chili Peppers cos there are a couple different tracks
here
where the lyrics are blandly-derivative of Stevie Wonder's "Higher
Ground".
The song that initially grated on my nerves the most was the banal
"Reggae Rocker" with it's sub-Red Hot Chili Peppers, hopefully improvised
right on the spot lyrics, and "Funky", "Psychedelic", "Reggae" dabblings.
It's always been Hanoi's weird disco shit that grows on me like moss
though-from "Village Girl", to "Sweethome Suburbia", and I'm only startin
'to kinda like this because it DOES sound like the boys are having a blast
on this one, and it's strangely becoming more acceptable to me with
repeated listenings, it's a bit endearing, really, much like the Clash and their
non-stop reggae fetish. Peter Tosh rarely stooped to lyrics like "Clap Yer
Hands/Clap yer hands!", but I mostly blame the Electric Boys, and Andy's
pot
dealer for this silly bit of fun. It is one of the more playful tracks on
the album, along with "I'm Hurt" and "Dear Miss Lonely Hearts", a flawless
gem of a Thin Lizzy cover. Summa this stuff like "Eternal Optimist" and
"You
Make The Earth Move" just remind me too much of like, Europe, or Skid Row,
production-wise, the hairband sheen is as Bon Joviesque on AHT as it was
on
"Not Fakin' it", and I just prefer the druggy Middle Eastern, Back To
Mystery City, solo Andy McCoy madness and or the pissed off, political
Demolition 23 side to Mike's lyrics to their radio slick stuff, and the
preachier self-help jargon, 'wish they'd paired this down to maybe five
songs and weeded out the mundane. They're coasting on their laurels, but
obviously, they deserve to.
Hanoi Rocks are far too important an institution for me to patronize, or
damn with faint praise, or make any excuses for. I mean, of course, we're
all delighted the Muddy Twins are back together and yearning to see them
arrive on these shores, where we have no doubt they'll blow us all away
with not only their legacy, but with their combined stamina, charisma,
sheer charm, and flamboyant audacity, which America could use a good jolt
of. But This is NOT your Father's Hanoi Rocks, let's face it. Your
Father's Hanoi Rocks were the Greatest Rock'n'roll Circus Of All time. God
Bless Hanoi Rocks. Bring back Sam and Nasty.
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