Hanoi Rocks Boxsets (October/November 2016)

There's a couple of things from Hanoi Rocks that came out the tail end of last year that I wasn't aware of until recently. Quite similar but from different labels.

Strange Boys Box - Hanoi Rocks

Cleopatra

Released October 2016

The Limited Edition Boxset comes as either a 5CD set or as a 6 LP Set (though the label haven't actually said exactly how limited it will be)

(Click On The Links Below To Listen To The Music)

It contains:

Bangkok Shocks Siagon Shakes Hanoi Rocks - 1981

Oriental Beat - 1982

Self Destruction Blues - 1982

Back To Mystery City - 1983

All Those Wasted Years - 1984

****************

The above Boxset from Hanoi Rocks was not actually the only boxset to be released in 2016 in their name. 

In November 2016 there was also this one released as a 6 LP Set.

Johanna, the label that had released all their albums prior to signing to CBS, based in Finland issued a Limited Edition (500 Copies) Boxset called Mental Beat 1980-1985 that collected together their first four albums (not the Live Album),

 Two Steps To The Move and also another collection called Rebels On The Run (which was subsequently released as a stand alone CD on Ainoa! label in Finland).

*********************

The Strange Boys Box I saw reviewed in the latest issue of Classic Rock. They gave it 7 out of 10 and basically called it a "Flawed Box". Ian Fortnam, who "reviewed" it seemed to spotlight Razzle's death and the fact that he maybe didn't look so good wearing lipstick as the bookend to his piece whilst stating inbetween that "their first five albums are far from flawless".

But for me, therein lies the charm of these albums. They weren't perfect soundwise (after all the band were still finding their way in the studio) but musically they captured Hanoi Rocks in all their glamorous and decadent glory.

Standout tracks for me are:

Bangkok Shocks Saigon Shakes Hanoi Rocks: Tragedy, Lost In The City, and 11th Street Kidzz.

Oriental Beat: Motorvatin', Oriental Beat and Lightnin' Bar Blues.

Self Destruction Blues: Kill City Kills, Beer and a Cigarette and Taxi Driver.

Back To Mystery City: Malibu Beach Nightmare, Mental Beat, Until I Get You and Back To Mystery City.

All These Wasted Years: The whole album is an absolute delight and I've said it often that it is one of my favourite Live Albums ever! Until I Get You and Don't Never Leave Me in particular are two of my favourites though.

By the time they got it "right" when Two Steps To Move was recorded it lost a little of the swagger because it was almost too perfect (though still a great sounding album I think)!

Standouts on Two Steps To The Move: Up Around The Bend, I Can't Get It, Million Miles Away and Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

Standouts on Rebels On The Run: Rebel On The Run, Two Steps From The Move and Oil and Gasoline.

No doubt the 500 Copies of Mental Beat 1980-1985 are long gone but you can still get the Strange Boys Box on Amazon.

Overend Watts 13th May 1947 - 22nd January 2017 RIP

Last year on 17th January we were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Dale "Buffin" Griffin, drummer of Mott the Hoople and a first rate producer (especially his work on the Peel Sessions). He was 67 years old.

Last night I heard the news that another founding member of Mott The Hoople had passed away. Peter Overend Watts, bassist of the band died yesterday from throat cancer. He was 69 years old.

Besides music Overend was also known for writing and walking! His first book being about a journey along the South West Coast Path National Trail - all 650 miles of it (though 680 for Overend as he got lost a few times!).

Since backpacking the South West Coast Path, Overend has also completed all of the other national trails including The Ridgeway, Offa’s Dyke, The Pembrokeshire Coast Path, The Thames Path, The South Downs Way, Hadrian’s Wall (3 times), The Saint’s Way, The North Downs Way, Peddar’s Way & Norfolk Coast Path, The West Highland Way, The Great Glen Way & The Speyside Way, The York Wolds Way, The Tabular Hills Walk, The Cleveland Way, The Oxford canal, The Southern Upland Way, Glyndwr’s Way, & Wainwright’s Coast to Coast.

In 2008 he completed a marathon 1,250 mile walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats in 63 days - incorporating The Cotswold Way, The Heart Of England Way, Staffordshire Way, Limestone Way, Pennine Way, Cheviots, Grampians and Cairngorms.

Mambo Sons - Overend Watts

Overend was also a Producer and one of my favourite albums both he and Dale "Buffin" Griffin produced together

Side One

Side Two

And not to be forgotten of course is that Overend Watts produced what I think is one of the best live albums ever

Love is...

LOVE

Hanoi Rocks

Love can make you crazy, love can make you wild. 

Love is outta fashion, but always in style. 

 Love is great passion, love can always make you smile.  

Love is not to blame, when people fall apart. 

Cryin' in their beer with a lonely broken heart. 

What's to complain, you've obviously played your part. 

Love is not jealousy or wanting to possess. 

Love missunderstood can really be a mess. 

When your love is true, something more and nothing less, you're blessed  

True love blasts thru thick and thin, conquers everything my sweet true love. 

 Love is all around and we gotta let it grow. 

Love don't ever hurt only people make it so.  

Love can make you glow don't ya ever let it go, just flow  

 Love is not a game, to make you go insane. 

Love is not in vain, it'll never cause you pain. 

Crime is not the same, when they do it in the name of love.   

True love blasts thru thick and thin, conquers everything, my sweet true love, my sweet true love.  

True love blasts thru thick and thin, conquers everything, my sweet true love. 

 True love blasts thru thick and thin, conquers everything, 

my sweet true love, my sweet true love.

Alphabet Beats #052: H is for....Hanoi Rocks

H is for 

The Marquee, London December 1983

 

The Albums
    Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks (1981)
    Oriental Beat (1982)
    Self Destruction Blues (1982)
    Back to Mystery City (1983)
    Two Steps from the Move (1984)
    Twelve Shots on the Rocks (2002)

Up Around The Bend - The Definitive Collection (2004)
    Another Hostile Takeover (2005)
    Street Poetry (2007)

Helsinki, Finland April 2009

Singles and Promo Videos
    "I Want You" (1980)
    "Tragedy" (1981)
    "Desperados" (1981)
    "Dead By X-Mas" (1981)
    "Love's An Injection" (1982)
    "Malibu Beach" (1983)
    "Until I Get You" (1983)
    "Up Around the Bend" (1984)
    "Underwater World" (1984)

"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (1984)
    "Don't You Ever Leave Me" (1984)
    "People Like Me" (2002)
    "A Day Late a Dollar Short" (2003)
    "Keep Our Fire Burning" (2004)
    "Back in Yer Face" (2005)
    "Fashion " (2007)
    "This One's For Rock'n'Roll" (2007)
    "Teenage Revolution" (2007)
 

Rewind: December 8th 1984 - Hanoi Rocks Drummer Killed!

December 8th is a day that is burned into the memory of many largely because it is the day back in 1980 when John Lennon was murdered by Mark Chapman on the streets of New York City. Whilst I would in no way wish to disregard this event, because for a lot of people it still causes them deep sadness, I want to say that for me personally I never really felt the same shock and dismay on hearing the news of the death of Lennon. One of the reasons for that I guess is that I am not, not have ever really been a huge fan of The Beatles and in particular I was never a fan of the solo work of John Lennon.

December 8th for me is rather a sad day for another death in the family of Rock 'n' Roll that happened four years after the murder of Lennon and that is the death of  Nicholas Dingley! You will all be scratching your heads saying, "Who on earth was Nicholas Dingley?" Well, he was more well know for his stage name "Razzle", and he was the drummer of Hanoi Rocks.

Formed in Helsinki, Finland in 1980 and by November of the same year they had relocated to Stockholm and managed to get a deal to  release their first single, 'I Want You' backed by 'Kill City Kills'.

I Want You / Kill City Kills.

February 1981 they released their second single 'Tragedy / Cafe Avenue' and also their debut album 'Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks'.

By September 1981 the band had moved to London to begin work on their second album 'Oriental Beat' and also made their debut at the legendary Marquee Club in Wardour Street on 19th September.

1982 saw the firing of drummer Gyp Casino and in his place came Razzle (who had met Michael Monroe previously and had told him later at a show backstage that he wanted to be the drummer of Hanoi Rocks!). In August the same year the band released their third slice of vinyl with 'Self Destruction Blues', whilst Gyp Casino appears on the album as the drummer it's actually Razzle who is on the front cover of the album!

By 1983 Hanoi Rocks were establishing themselves as a live tour de force in the UK and were popular in Japan as well. Razzle got his first opportunity to record with the band as they went into the studios with ex-Mott the Hoople gents Dale Griffin and Pete Watts to lay down tracks for their fourth studio release 'Back To Mystery City'. 

Late December they would also record and film their show at The Marquee that would later be released as 'All Those Wasted Years' - in my opinion it is one of the finest live albums ever!

August 1984 saw the release of what would be their final album before disbanding following the death of Razzle. 'Two Steps From The Move' was released on CBS. 

 

The band were touring, getting on televison, seemed like they were everywhere! A fantastic cover of CCR's 'Up Around Bend' was the lead single from the album. The album reached #28 in the UK Album Charts.

The third and final single from the album was released in November 84 and it was 'Don't You Ever Leave Me Baby', a song that had previously been released but the band were unhappy with the version and so this one they felt was exactly how they had wanted it to sound.

On December 8th 1984 members of the band (excluding Michael Monroe who was recuperating with a broken ankle - an injury sustained whilst playing in Syracuse on the 29th November) were at the house of Vince Neil along with other members of the Motley Crue partying hard. When the beer ran out apprently Neil, Razzle and two others, all drunk, got in a car and drove off to the nearest liquor store. On the way Neil crashed into another car and Razzle was killed instantly! Neil was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter. He was soon released on $2500 bail. He was convicted in July 1985, and was sentenced to 30 days (though some said it was only 20 days!) in Jail, and was fined $2.6 million in compensation fees.

Hanoi Rocks cancelled the remaining dates of the tour in the USA and only kept two dates in January 1985 in Finland secured. Terry Chimes (formerly of The Clash) would step in and play drums on those two shows.

House of Culture

Helsinki, Finland

3rd-4th January 1985

Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

Motorvatin.

Back To Mystery City.

Underwater World.

Tragedy.

Malibu Beach.

Taxi Driver.

Million Miles Away.

Up Around the Bend.

The band disbanded not long after these dates. They of course got back together - a rebirth they called it - in 2001 and they put out new music but they never really captured the power they had when Razzle was alive. It's strange that before Razzle had joined the band they had all been keen to give up and they said that old Razzle kicked new life into the old dog, but sadly it was the death of their drummer that meant the time was up for them (at least for a good six years at least!).

 

So, I've been putting this little piece together throughout today and taking moments to listen to the music of Hanoi Rocks and watch afresh their classic Marquee show and also The Nottingham Tapes. Razzle might not have been as well known as John Lennon, but the music he played on meant a whole lot more to me and so I offer up this little memorial on a day that has a lot of meaning to me also and one that I cannot forget either.

Gems From My Collection: All Those Waisted Years - Hanoi Rocks (1984)

The month prior to the recording of the album it would have cost £1.50 to see the band at the club. On the December 9th show it would be £2.00 to get entrance.

Recorded in December 1983 at The Marquee and released in 1984 on album and video, 'All Those Wasted Years' captures Hanoi Rocks at their very best live and in concert at the Wardour Street, London venue.  

You will notice that the above album cover that 'Wasted' is actually spelt 'Waisted'. When the album first came out the intitial run crept out with that cover, it's a bit of a rare sight to see these days (later releases had the correct spelling). The tracklisting on the Video is a little different to the album. 'Visitor', '11th Street Kids' and 'Lost in the City' are missing from the video and 'Blitzkrieg Bop' (with Razzle on vocals and Michael Monroe on drums) is missing from the album release.

Ever since it's release it has remained as one of my favourite ever Live Albums.