Hanoi Rocks--Twelve Shots On The Rocks
Liquor and Poker 2003
Vince Neil's infamous car accident of December 1984 not only took the life of Hanoi Rocks drummer Razzle Dingley, but the pulse of Hanoi Rocks itself. The timing of it all made things even more tragic, as the band seemed poised to finally break through in the United States with their most recent album, at the time, Two Steps From The Move. The wound was so deep, fans around the globe wondered if it would ever heal enough for the group to reconvene. Almost twenty years later, we are finally blessed with a new Hanoi Rocks album, Twelve Shots On The Rocks. Given the current climate of today's musical landscape, it couldn't have come at a better time.
Listening to this disc, there's no doubt it's Hanoi Rocks you're hearing. That said, Twelve Shots On The Rocks comes off as a cross between the band's vintage output and frontman Michael Monroe's most recent solo efforts. That isn't a shock, especially considering this version of Hanoi Rocks is essentially Monroe and his band, with original guitarist Andy McCoy thrown into the mix. Anyone who thinks this is something inferior hasn't been keeping their ears on. Twelve Shots On The Rocks reaffirms Monroe and McCoy are just as important a rock n' roll duo as Johansen/Thunders, Tyler/Perry, or Jagger/Richards--the great ones never lose it. It also serves as a parallel to their old days in the band--five minutes of Hanoi Rocks 2004 is worth more than 500,000 Darkness CDs, in much the same way as they made every other band of this ilk look pathetic during their heyday.
Hanoi Rocks could've half-assed it on this album and most fans would've still been jubilent just to have them back. Instead, based on strength of songwriting, they've delivered one of their best with Twelve Shots On The Rocks. Hearing the first squeaks of Monroe's sax on "A Day Late, A Dollar Short" will have you jumping up and down in front of your stereo. The sophisticated air which always seperated Hanoi Rocks from the pack is strong as ever on "Moonlight Dance," while fevered slide guitar action drives the bluesy swagger of "Gypsy Boots." The band even deliver a pair of superb ballads, the country-tinged "Designs On You" which echoes Johnny Thunder's acoustic efforts a bit, and "In My Darkest Moment" which feels like the "Don't You Ever Leave Me" of this set.
The music of Hanoi Rocks has sustained and endured because theirs is a glam firmly rooted in pure rock n' roll. It's no different with Twelve Shots On The Rocks. This is truly a magical and healing listen. The album opening "Obscured" says it best: "been obscured by so much darkness/overcome with so much sadness/but I'm still shinin' bright as ever." Amen, gentlemen.
Score this CD directly from LIQUOR AND POKER |
