Customer Reviews

Bangkok Shocks Saigon Shakes

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

armed with an endless barrage of catchy hooks and rock solid riffs (not too mention an endless supply of lipstick and hairspray), Hanoi Rocks established themselves as rulers of the glam rock throne of the 80's. whereas their old peers on the scene made albums that just sound dated and embarassing when listened to today; something about Hanoi Rocks has endured the test of time. their songs capture the glamour, the sleaze, the sex, drugs and rock and roll that they lived and played. using the template of blues-based hard rock and adding liberal doses of punk, pop, and some reggae, Hanoi Rocks created scores of amazing albums...whose songs came across like a cross between the New York Dolls and some of the later records by The Clash. each record didn't just contain incredibly well written songs, but they also built up the legend and mythos of this mighty band with each release. Hanoi Rocks fans are legendary for their rabid devotion and this album, Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks, was the starting point for my fascination.

beginning with the quick pace of "Tragedy", the album launches right into it's urgent and confident stride with this great melodic rocker filled with hooks. next is the classic "Village Girl" which works a steady reggae punk ryhthm and has an anthemic feel to it. great great song! there's plenty of great ballads here too, like the sleazy slide of "Don't You Ever Leave Me" and the touching intro to "Cheyenne." really, folks, if i keep analyzing each song on this great cd, i'll be here all day. needless to say, if you're a fan of the Dolls, Rolling Stones, Guns N' Roses, the first Motley Crue album, or The Clash...you have absolutely no excuse not to check out this band! you have been warned!

First saw the light of day in 1981, as this was the Finnish glam metal band's first record. Not bad for one of those lesser known '80's hair bands. Have always liked what I did manage to hear from these guys. Sorry to say that I have the original CD reissue, not the later pressing with the six added bonus cuts. Regardless, Hanoi freaking R-O-C-K-S! Tunes I got the most out of were the rocking "Tragedy", "Village Girl", "Lost In The City" {I'm almost sure I've seen a video for this song somewhere}, "First Timer" and "11th Street Kidzz". Belongs right next to your CD's by Jetboy, Faster Pussycat, Kix, Poison and obviously Motley Crue.

Generally this Hanoi Rocks' debut album is considered as their best but although it contains lot of fast, energic glam rock, it doesn't reach to Oriental Beat's level. Bangkok Shocks Saigon Shakes Hanoi Rocks is still a very very good debut album with Tragedy, Lost In The City and Cheyenne as highlights. Lyrically they aren't superior but Mike Monroe's vocals and powerful guitar playing by Andy McCoy are enough to create good feeling which is most important. This album has that glam/hard rock sound of the early 80's from which many bands such as Guns n' Roses was to take their inspirations. Again if compared to Hanoi Rocks' next album Oriental Beat this suffers from lack of truly big hits. Bangkok songs are constantly good but the best remains to be heard in next album(s).

Finland's Hanoi Rock seemed like a band ten years out of time and an ocean and most of a continent away when they debuted in 1981 with their reinvention of early seventies glam rock on `Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks'. A rock band from this Scandinavian nation was an anomaly in itself but their sound was very reminiscent of classic New York Dolls, Mott the Hoople and glammed up Stones circa-1972. Led by guitarist Andy McCoy, who had been living on the streets of Stockholm since he was fifteen and fellow Finn transplant Mike Monroe, Hanoi Rocks took their mascara, hairspray and scarves to London to begin their recording career. In addition to McCoy and Monroe, the rest of the band also grabbed Anglo pseudonyms to better mesh with the punk rock esthetic. The music on the debut does borrow heavily from English punk as well as the before mentioned influences but it still sounded unique in the popular music landscape of the early `80's where synth pop or the NWOMHM were the boundaries of public tastes for the young European rock fan. Monroe sounds a lot like Gen X era Billy Idol here especially on lead single "Tragedy" as well as David Johansen. My personal favorites include not only the latter song but also "Don't Never Leave Me" and "Village Girl". "Never Leave" would later be rerecorded on Hanoi's international debut `Two Steps from the Move" but here on the debut it sounds perfect and the jungle rhythms on "Village Girl" bring back Bo Diddley "Lost in the City" is as much a Mott the Hoople tribute as anything the band would do here and "Cheyenne" has a very Stonesy intro. It is no surprise why Axl Rose has been so complimentary of this band since the look of GnR is Hanoi Rocks! `Bangkok Shocks' is a very good early eighties rock record, not metal but not new wave either just a refreshing redux of a classic era in early seventies rock. Please operator...

Glam and sloppy hard rock with a pounding infectious rhythm, Hanoi Rocks seemed to be living in a boarded up garage in 1981, unaware of the incoming post punk and new wave invasion. While we were trading punk for new wave, and new wave for post punk, Hanoi Rocks remained in a glittery '70s cocoon of New York Dolls style screech and scowl falsetto vocals and Alice Cooper glam debauchery, delivering songs that peel out of the garage and drive faster than your old man's Buick. This is big hair rock and roll with a juvenile lunacy indebted to Small Faces and The Sweet. Glam meets garage.

For a first album this sure kicks. How impressive. From the first til now they are still kickin'. This album has such songs as "Tragedy" & "Walking With My Angel", wonderfully done. Their first effort is well worth a listen. They just kept getting better with each record. In my opinion they are the best band ever. For a bunch of 19 year old boys this is a killer record.

I agree to a great extent with previous reviewers. However, I find this particular group second best in all of history, preceeded only by Guns N Roses (in order: GNR, Hanoi, Joy Division, HIM, Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols, Broder Daniel, NY Dolls, T-Rex). This album maybe their best since it contains the second best song ever, Village Girl (preceeded only by GNR-Rocket Queen). It's raunchy, raw and true to heart. Not a thought whatsoever has been wasted on critics or commercial aspects. In contrast to the general view on glam rock, that it is insipid and commercial - much due to the effort of Poison et al, you'll find that Hanoi rocks is exactly the opposite of that. They are cool despite the fact that they wear doisies, leather and spikes - because they don't give a damn.

Although they are usually lumped in with the 80's era glam metal acts,Hanoi Rocks were more rock n' roll than metal, and closer to glam's early to mid seventies roots (New York Dolls,Johnny Thunders solo,T. Rex all come to mind)than their eighties brethren (Motley Crue,Poison etc.),who they probably influenced (more look and attitude wise)somewhat; and at times you can hear the coming of Guns N' Roses(who again were more metallish than Hanoi) in their music.There is also a late 70's punk element to their music,so it's not as outwardly commercial as you would expect from an 80's group with this type of look.Their debut is interesting,rockin' and loose, and at times refreshing,though not as essential as a Dolls or T. Rex album. Not a bad edition to your collection overall.