Customer Reviews

Not Fakin' It

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

 

 

If you like old school 80s with some powerful and in your face lyrics this is a must have. I never was a Hanoi Rocks fan but I think Michael Monroe has much to offer in heavy metal even to this day. In addition to this I also saw Michael Monroe in St. Paul the year Not Fakin' it came out and got more than my money's worth. Monroe is also an excellent harp player. Check it out!

1989's Not Fakin' It was the second solo album from former Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe. This time around, Monroe is assisted by some former bandmates as well as Little Steven Van Zandt and even one Axl Rose.

Not Fakin' It reminds me a lot of (former Sex Pistol) Steve Jones's Fire & Gasoline album. Both featured guest performers and songwriters (Axl is on that one as well), both came from legendary figures, and both tended to be ignored by the new wave of fans. Despite their undeniable influence on the Hollywood hair metal scene, the average Warrant and Poison fan in 1989 could barely identify Hanoi Rocks, let alone Michael Monroe. It probably didn't help that Not Fakin' It lacked the bubblegum sleaze factor that was Hanoi's stock in trade. It's too bad, because it's a really fun rock n' roll record. Monroe gives a great performance, full of swagger, and the songs are perfectly written for his voice and attitude. Album opener "Dead, Jail or Rock n' Roll" is a great single, and songs like "She's No Angel" and "Thrill Me" also help get the party started.

While it's not as memorable as his work with Hanoi Rocks, Not Fakin' It is still a totally rocking, totally enjoyable Michael Monroe album. Hanoi Rocks fans of course should own it, and serious fans of the Hollywood hair metal scene should give it a listen as well. Honestly, it's hard to imagine any rock n' roll fan spinning this album and not nodding along.

This guy just rocks-Mike Monroe is the undisputed king of glam-No one even comes close. This is one of favorite cd's next to his "Nights Are So Long" disc and the Jerusalem Slim disc. Check those out-They rock.

MICHAEL MONROE-NOT FAKIN' IT: Flamboyount Finnish band HANOI ROCKS' secret weapon was bad boy belter MICHAEL MONROE, who spat out this loud 'n proud pop metal masterpiece at the dawn of the much maligned hair band era; his bloozey, madman howl made BRETT MICHAELS and VINCE NEIL sound like the lame posers they always were. The E STREET BAND's STEVEN VAN ZANT penned two standout ballbreakers here, including the irresistable sneer-fest WHILE YOU WERE LOOKIN' AT ME as well as DEAD, JAIL, OR ROCK & ROLL, a slam-blam-thank you-glam-fest which soars on co-writer MONROE's menacing yelp and scorching harp blasts. In a perfect world, this would be the national anthem of disenchanted youth everywhere. White knuckle fretwork drives home the title track, a name-dropping blitzgrieg from the equally underrated NAZARETH, while sleazoid originals SHE'S NO ANGEL and SHAKEDOWN maintain a ferocious, jackhammer pace, mucho macho singalongs one and all. You'll wonder how the hell you missed this the first time around.

RATING: FIVE EYELINERS

Michael Monroe is never fakin' it. This album is 100 percent full blooded rock n'roll. It's been some years since this album was first released, but the material still sounds fresh and interesting. Some of the songs are even included in MM's new live album, which prooves they are still wanted by the fans too.

Michael Monroe has a fantastic energy on stage, and he takes it with him to the studio, it can be heard and felt in every note he sings, he always performs as if it's his last show or last recording. Despite this he knows exactly what he's doing, he interprets the lyrics and gives them life and he masters all the different song techniques for rock without having to show off, it's just there for you to enjoy. For a guy that is blessed both a genuine musicality and the looks of a Nordic god (he's born in Finland), he's very humble. Maybe that's why this album never got the publicity it really deserves.

So in short: If you want some good rock n'roll that will still feel fresh in another 10 or 15 years from now, buy this album!

This album came out when i was about 14, and the first track i heard was 'dead,jail or rock n roll' and i was hooked! I went strait out and bought the cassette and loved the entire album! Anyone who was a hanoi rocks fan, forget that! michael kicked it on this album! He took it up about 10 notches! There are 2 slow songs on the album, 'man with no eyes' and 'smokescreen' and they are fantastic! They show how human he really is. The cd also provides a high intensity "shakedown" track that will have you replaying it over and over to figure out what he is saying! I played the original cassette so much it wore out and i was so happy to find it on cd! I looked for years for it! It will take u back to the late 80's, in a way that will make you play it until u puke and play it some more! I highly recommend this cd to anyone and everyone! This is not a 'hairband' album, it's pure rock n roll!

The first (or second, If you like) solo album of the ex Hanoi Rocks leader.
10 songs, no fillers, all killers. One of the best "Street/Glam metal" albums ever made.
It starts with a "bang" and ends with "fireworks".
From "Dead, Jail Or Rock 'N Roll" to "Thrill Me" almost 40 minutes of exciting, breathe-taking, straight ahead rock & roll.
A brilliant cover of the Nazareth's number (Not fakin' it) and some very good songs like "She's no angel" , "All night with the lights on", "Love is thicker than blood", "Man with no eyes" make this album a rare example of how a "ROCK" record should sound like. The presence alone of a precious gem like "Dead, jail or rock 'n roll" (a great hymn about the rock & roll power of saving lives) deserves to this masterpiece a place in the top 100 list of the best recordings in the rock history. Little Steven's collaboration to the work, give us an idea of the big things he made, away from the Boss.

Like bubblegum this doesn't really satisfy any hunger but that doesn't make it wrong. My intro to this guy was seeing the video clip for Dead, Jail or Rock 'n' Roll. A bigger slice of cheese your unlikely to find anywhere, unless it's early Poison or Crue. Seriously, this was obviously a guy out on the edge of Hollywood sleaze stardom.

In terms of fun factor this album rates highly and it scores well in terms of hummability. She's no angel, the aforementioned title track and cool takes on stuff like Not Fakin' It make this a party album for sure. There is also some substance in tunes like the more heartfelt and accusatory While you were Lookin at Me.

But that's about all there is in terms of substance. Basically, Monroe needs a vehicle. And everyone who knows the story will know why he doesn't really have one. He may be considered cool by certain 80's devotees but this is a guy with precious little to say and really, when you listen to the music closely, there is little to it in terms of flash or creativity. Certainly a guy in love with rock 'n' roll though.