rtbuck
Senior Member
Michael Monroe – Another Night in the Sun; Live in Helsinki
Released: 2010
Label: Spinefarm Records UK
Review by Bucky
It was back in the mid 80’s when I stopped in for my weekly visit to ‘Home of the Hits’ record store in search of a new artist. Home of the Hits was unlike your local “Mall” record store. This place specialized in hard to find import records that you were unable to find anyplace else. It was the only place I knew of where I could find records by Johnny Thunders or the Sensational Alex Harvey Band plus they had albums by all of the artists of the NWOBHM. Anyway, I spotted a double live record of a band I had read about but never heard…Hanoi Rocks. I picked up “All Those Wasted Years” & looked at the songs. I was always into cover songs & one look at this record & I had to buy it. I noticed “Pipeline” (one of my favorite instrumentals which Johnny Thunders covered), “Lightning Bar Blues”, “Train Kept a Rollin’”, & “Under My Wheels” (I’ve always been a huge Alice Cooper fan). I bought the album & became a fan instantly buying up their previous releases. I even found a VHS tape of “All Those Wasted Years” put out by Sony & was blown away buy that performance. I really felt they were going to really break into the big time with the Bob Ezrin produced ‘Two Steps From the Move’ but then the unfortunate tragic death of their drummer Razzle put an end to the band. I still followed the careers of the members: Michael Monroe (solo & Demolition 23), Andy McCoy (Cherry Bombz, Shooting Gallery, Suicide Twins), Nasty Suicide (Cherry Bombz, Suicide Twins, & Cheap n Nasty), SamYaffa (Jetboy , Demolition 23, Joan Jett, & NY Dolls), & of course the different versions of the reunited Hanoi Rocks over this past decade.
Michael Monroe is back with a new live CD & a new band featuring Sam Yaffa & NY Dolls guitarist Steve Conte. ‘Another Night in the Sun; Live in Helsinki’ which was recorded this past June. The album features a nice retrospective of Monroe’s career featuring a bunch of tracks from his Demolition 23 project he did with Yaffa including a Johnny Thunders cover, a couple of Hanoi Rocks tunes, a few new solo tunes, & some wild covers. Both Michael’s vocals & the band are amazing throughout the show. He opens with a 70’s style rocker from his Demoltion 23 album “Nothing’s Alright” & then Yaffa pounds out the familiar bass intro to the Hanoi Rocks classic “Motorvating”. Up next it’s back to the Demolition 23 album as the band launches into the melodic “Hammersmith Palais” which is followed by a new song that totally rocks out titled “You’re Next” from his upcoming album (the tune features a rocking harmonica break). Michael & the band kick ass on the title track of his ‘Not Faking it’ album (which is a Nazareth cover). Up Next is “Another Night in the Sun” which is followed by a couple more solid rockers from Demolition 23 “Dysfunctional” & a Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers cover “I Wanna be Loved”. Michael pays a tribute to punk legends the Damned by playing “Love Song” & “Machine Gun Etiquette”. Another great new tune titled “Motorheaded for a Fall” precedes a couple of classic Hanoi Rocks tunes “Back to the Mystery City”, & “Malibu Beach Nightmare”. As the show is coming to an end Monroe rocks out to his popular MTV Hit of 1988 “Dead, Jail, Rock & Roll” & Demolition 23’s cover of the Dead Boys “Ain’t Nothin’ to Do”. The show ends with a rocking foot stomping 7 minute cover of the Stooges classic “1970” with pieces of “Radar Love” & “Baby Please Don’t Go” mixed in. This is one great rock n roll show by Michael Monroe & one thing for sure is he’s not faking it he’s the real deal!
Bucky
