Hanoi Rocks – Two Steps From The Move

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5 Stars

*Come on; we are gorgeous. The album cover from Two Steps from the Move. Girls bought the album for the cover alone.*

Hanoi Rocks should’ve been huge. At the beginning of the eighties, Motley Crue, Poison, and not even Guns and Roses were hip enough to look over the top of Hanoi Rocks’ platform boots.

The band, founded in 1980, consisted of the impossibly good-looking, blonde lead singer Michael Munroe (real name Matti Fagenholm), Andy McCoy (real name Antti Hulkeho), Nasty Suicide (real name Jans Stenfas), between this pair of guitar slingers a more raunchy sound has never been developed; bassist Sam Jaffa (real name Saki Takamki), and drummer Gypsy Casino (real name Jespo Sparse).

Yes, if you haven’t quite figured it out yet, these young guys were the cream of young musicians from Finland. However, after the release of their first album ‘Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, and Hanoi Rocks’ in their native land didn’t coerce much response, it was decided to cross over the water and move lock, stock, and smokin’ guitar case to London’s fair city, where they were welcomed with open arms.

*The man in red. Where Michael Monroe really comes alive is in front of his*
*band. He is one of the greatest frontmen of his generation.*

That is apart from poor old Gypsy, who was ousted from his drum kit by a certain Nicholas (Razzle) Dingley. Razzle was so besotted by the band on first sight that he had to join one way or another. It’s not the first time in rock ‘n’ roll history that a drummer has been replaced by someone not with more ability, but more enthusiasm and spirit.

With the lineup complete, they soon had a successful six-date tour of England with Wishbone Ash in their pocket. I have no idea what the rather staid Ash fans must have made of this bunch of ragamuffins, but, most importantly, the British music press was behind them, every man, woman and child. (Sounds wrote of their new protégées, “Born to be superstars, Hanoi Rocks will soon be bigger than Coca-Cola and Big Macs.”)

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The new album “Oriental Beat” (1982) was recorded and released to fanatical reviews, but only moderate sales in the British Isles. Although, to be fair, things were a little better in the rest of the world. They had become huge stars in Japan just on their looks alone. Concert sales were not a problem, although hysterical scenes followed the band wherever they played.

*The boys are coming back and mean business. If the birthday party celebrations went well, who knows what the future holds?*

Buoyed by the live buzz and critical acclaim, they went back into the studio to come out with their third album, “Back to Mystery City”. One listen was all it took to realize the boys had perhaps been reading too much of their own hype. It was a flop, peaking at number 87 on the British charts, and the band was savaged by press and fans alike.

Fortunately, the record company did not panic. After a quick groundbreaking tour of the United States of America, press reports were good again, although “Back to Mystery City” was hidden from prying American ears.

*Let’s get the band back together. Now come on boys, no tongues.*
*(Photo by Jani Lindroth)*

On arrival back in England, the band was put back in the studio, this time with the guiding hand of producer Bob Ezrin, who also had a hand in writing six of the songs. Moreover, and just to make sure there were no more slipups, Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople fame was brought in to help with the writing and arranging of several songs. The record company even persuaded our little ‘tearaways’ to record a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Up around the Bend,’ which was released before the album came out as a little taster. It rushed up the charts like a bullet.

Songs like ‘High School’, with its wonderful lyrics, “I’ll tell the buggers what to wear, I show them how to set and dye their hair. There will be no costumes at our swimming pool. There will be no ugly girls in my high school,” were pure hyperbole, but most importantly fun and caught the imagination of a generation.

‘Underwater World’ shows that the lads weren’t just pretty boys, they knew what was going on, leaving everyone to make up their own mind on the lyrics.

*These guys just couldn’t be anything else but Hanoi Rocks.*
*(Photo by Jani Lindroth)*

‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ is not only the central song of the album, but a stunning recollection of drugs in the band’s heyday. Tellingly, it’s Ian Hunter and Bob Ezrin’s hands at the tiller that show the way. A true brat rock classic.

London pub song ‘Boiler’ is just a laugh.

“Two Steps From The Move” was released in 1983 to mass critical acclaim, and the “Back to Mystery City” debacle was forgiven. The boys set out to conquer the world, first by flying out to prepare to tour America. Tragically, on 9th November, while the band were partying with Motley Crue, Razzle accepted a lift from the drunken lead singer of Motley Crue, Vince Neil, who lost control of the car and the band’s beloved drummer Razzle was dead. Vince Neil was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and served 30 days in jail. Hanoi Rocks never recovered. Oh, they pressed on till 1985, but the heart of the band had gone.

Michael Munroe later did a great solo album called “Not Fakin’ It,” and McCoy, Suicide, and Monroe got together for an album called “Demolition 23” in 1990. That really tore up the rock ‘n’ roll discos. Hanoi Rocks even reunited, releasing albums and touring extensively; still great, but that vital lost spark never really came back. Michael Monroe now leads the Michael Monroe Band, one of the most in-demand bands on the circuit, especially at the summer festivals in Europe.

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This year on 23rd September, the original members of Hanoi Rocks reformed for a special gig to celebrate Michael Monroe’s 60th birthday party at the Helsinki Ice Hall. It sold out in minutes.