Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A GREAT Way to Discover a GREAT Band, December 4, 2005
I bought this boxed set 6 months ago and have been very happy with it. It is a 6 disc set that comprises of the Hanoi Rocks first 5 albums (Bangkok Shocks, Oriental Beat, Self Destruction Blues, Back to Mystery City, and Two Steps from the Move) as well as their live release "All Those Wasted Years". The sound quality is excellent. If I had any complaints, I think they could have put some extra tracks on each of the albums, and maybe that the CDs come in flimsy cardboard cases instead of the conventional plastic ones. However, to be fair, the reason that this is a great purchase is that you can get the first six Hanoi Rocks releases for a little over $20! And their music is great fun 80's glam.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rock and Roll's great lost hope for the 1980s - from Finland, no less, August 24, 2007
Of all the music I listened to growing up in the 1980s, hard rock, prog, blues, indie, metal, jazz, etc., I could never figure out how Hanoi Rocks remained such a footnote in rock history. Hailing from Finland may not have helped, but this band's move to London in the early 80s should have led to much greater acclaim, rather than simply being the band associated with "that Motley Crue incident."
With a mix of glam, hard rock, indie quirkiness and punk, the band had a ferocious energy and miles of melody to travel on. Their image was heavily cultivated, and did in fact add to their sound rather than detract. The band saw themselves as some sort of "globalized" rock contingent, with their lyrical characters enjoy the backstreets and sleaze of South East Asia, middle of nowhere London, or Downtown New York.
The musical evolution of the band has an early Clash vibe mixed with a bit of R&B, moving to a more polished hard rock sound towards the end of their career. Most interestingly in this box set is the leftovers and rarities collection, "Self Destruction Blues," which features a superb depth of songwriting and pristine production.
Andy McCoy's guitar was always melodic, soaked in tone and focused on the song rather than blind solos. Mike Monroe's vocals were always razor sharp and heartfelt. The rhythm section was well above par for a hard rock band, especially in their habit of often pushing the emphasis onto the fourth beat for added power.
As a box set collecting their primary catalog, I can't imagine this price and availability lastings too long. For such a short career, these discs are testament to great talent snuffed out too soon.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Hanoi ROCKS!!!, April 5, 2009
Wow, how did I miss these guys? I pretty well grew up in the 80's, listened to all the Hard Rock/Heavy Metal of the time, and yet, somehow missed these guys. You want some good, old-fashioned glam-rock/metal? Pick this up! You'll not be disappointed.
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Interact With Your Music: Discover, listen to, and buy new music, all from the pages of SPIN's digital edition, free to Amazon customers.
See all 71 tracks on this disc
by Hanoi Rocks 
