SONIC WAVES…Hanoi Rocks/Two Steps From The Move

Hanoi Rocks will probably for me anyways go down in rock history as the band that got robbed of well fame and fortune. ( I’m not gonna go into details as everyone knows the deal) still though I was in grade 11 and here’s  this band that looks like well a heavy metal fashion disaster but I tell ya what’s inside on this 10 song LP is one of the,if not best sleazy street rock master pieces of our time! So after getting pumped on Hanoi and buying the record and seeing there Up Around The Bend Video on MuchMusic .Two months later…Boom, Razzle the drummer dies….Bam….Hanoi’s career evaporates into a puff of smoke!

But hey 30 yrs later this album still sounds current and vibrant….so thanks Mike,Sami,Andy,Nasty and Razzle(RIP)….

Like they say Saigon Shocks….Hanoi Rocks…..

UP AROUND THE BEND- Is the CCR track …cool cover version first time I seen the video for this I was like the lead singer looks like a chick but he has some cool gruff in his voice. Now having said that,for me personally for a first track on an album this is the weakest song . That just goes to show you how strong the original material on this was!

HIGH SCHOOL-So Mike(singer ) teaches us about the birds and bees of teaching a classroom filled with girls..the song starts with a quick riff and Razzle(drummer) just let’s it rip on the skins. The production on this album is mint.CBS hired Bob Ezrin to produce it. Imagine Ezrin going from producing  Kiss’ The Elder tracks like Just A Boy/World Without Heroes to Hanoi singing about a bunch of horny 17 yr girls learning the abc’s of life….

I CANT GET IT- This is Hanoi’s frustration on not getting it,like the Girls,rolls,private jet ,dirty blonde and red corvettes,wife,kids,house and pets…This is Hanoi at its finest catchy verse/pre Chorus/Chorus …listen to the link above. One of my fav tracks by Hanoi ….

UNDERWATER WORLD-ahhh Hanoi branches out with this  song they sing about welcoming you to the Under World…could it be sumthin in the sea? Na I doubt it. It has tons of coolness to it. Different vibe to the rest of the tracks on Two Steps but it works never the less….

DONT YOU EVER LEAVE ME-Is the power ballad tune on here. I think the way the music climate was back than this song would have been huge if Razzle hadn’t gotten into that car. The  guitar solo at the end as well as lead vocal in this tune are awesome. Michael gives er!

MILLION MILES AWAY- Is that there women are a million miles away….Michael plays a wicked sax solo in this tune(you  didn’t know that I bet right?) and then the song kicks into a whole different rhythm  like If Duran Duran was on  crack down in RIO.

BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS- Is a song about someone being strung out but it’s a very catchy number. Tons of cool percussion on this,plus the solos ..it’s all good…

BOILER-If this song was redone nowadays (2014) it would be called Cougar! It’s a very catchy track with a real sense of humour. Good on those Hanoi boys just wanting to have fun and hang out with some Boilers back in 1984! Crank the video posted below…..

FUTURAMA- Seeking fame and fortune..a pretty quick snappy Little number…brief and to the point!

CUTTING CORNERS- Is another one of my favs the band just rips it up in an old Aerosmithy kind of way. Love Mike Monroe’s vocal delivery in this song . Hanoi is basically telling me back than to  get thru life you have to cut corners…Jesus I’m glad I had direction from Hanoi back in 84! Thanks guys….

WARNING-Total Dud free recording!

Two Steps sits pretty somewhere in the bottom half of my all time top 10 album favs! Everything about this one just rocks but in a different way. Andy McCoy the guitar player and main songwriter knew how to craft some real cool street rock and he had the lead singer in Micheal Monroe to deliver it….me and TBone played the crap out of this album and after some drinks one of us will or perhaps with Tbones brothers Darr and Rugg all will occasionally recite  the I CANT GET IT LYRICS…..