Best of Hanoi Rocks, Volume 1
JR's Best of All Time Mix

JR notes: During their '81-'85 heyday, Hanoi Rocks recorded very few bad songs. The result is a back catalog too diverse and compelling for one collection. But it's still a good sport to put all the songs on a huge list and eliminate them, one by one, until you have enough for one 80 minute disc. So that's what I did. Hanoi already has a number of "greatest hits" collections, but all of them are flawed in serious ways, such as the compulsive inclusion of "Taxi Driver" - a staple of the live set that just doesn't come across on record. Another problem is that the recording rights are owned by different labels, so most greatest hits collections don't have any Two Steps from the Move material. And there's no greatest hits collection that includes consideration of all the old records, the live recordings, and rarities.

But now there is. Of course, I don't sell mine, so it's up here for a matter of friendly debate, nothing more. The annotated guide below explains the reasons for each song selected. There were some really tough decisions, some of which were eased by my decision to create two companion volumes: a "Best of Hanoi Rocks, Volume 2", and a "Best of New, Solo, and Rarities" mix.

But what follows is the all-time collection, the one that I consider to be the best representation of Hanoi Rocks in its prime. Because I wanted songs that reflected the full scope of the Hanoi's musical reach, some songs that could have gone on this collection ended up on the second volume (I could have put more from Two Steps on here, for example, but I like the way the other great Two Steps songs kick off the next collection).

It is worth noting that I did not consider any of the "new" Hanoi for this collection. I feel that material is better suited for compilations of the best solo music from the band members. Fans who want to know how I think the new material stacks up should check out the liner notes for my "Best of New, Solo, and Rarities" mix.

Annotated Track Listing:

(1) "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" - If you're ever trying to convince someone that Hanoi should have been superstars, play this song first. Michael gives a brilliantly arrogant vocal performance, and the band is at the height of its powers. You can't play this song loud enough.

(2) "Rebel on the Run" (B side) - Though this B-side from the Back to Mystery City era really belongs on the rarities CD, I have it on this one for two reasons: first, it stands with the band's best material ever, and second, as strong as Two Steps was, I believe the loose "dirty piano" sound of "Rebel on the Run" was actually the direction the band should have taken on Two Steps as well. As good as Two Steps was, it was also the product of excessive studio meddling. "Rebel on the Run" has a messier, sleazier, and more vibrant sound that, to me, represents Hanoi at its best. Notably, the American bands that took Hanoi to heart the most (Guns N' Roses, Faster Pussycat), sound more like "Rebel on the Run" Hanoi than Two Steps Hanoi.

(3) "Underworld World" - Renowned for its "Welcome to the Jungle" chorus line which was later lifted by a little band from the U.S., "Underwater World" is one of Hanoi's most sophisticated songs. Hanoi benefits from its major label budget on this track, which boasts a "wall of sound" mix that showcases some of Michael's finest sax work. An undeniable groove and a perfect "stop on a dime" ending.

(4) "Tragedy" - Maybe the best song from the earliest Hanoi years ('80-'82), "Tragedy" is one of those "way of life" songs that formed the core of the Hanoi "burn the candle at both ends" ethic.

(5) "Malibu Beach Nightmare" - A great album-opening song from one of the greatest rock records of all time (Back to Mystery City). This song is of special significance because it represented that moment when Hanoi Rocks arrived. Back to Mystery City brandished a polish and depth that Hanoi had not managed before. In his review of the record in Kerrang!, Dave Dickson, long-time Hanoi journalist, said he felt "vindicated." More than any other song, "Malibu Beach" captures that irresistible sense of fun Hanoi pulled off better than anyone.

(6) "Ice Cream Summer" - A classic break-up song, "Ice Cream Summer" begins with Michael snarling "bitch" under his breath, but by the end of the song, he betrays a more complex sentiment. One of Andy's finest lyrical efforts, the last verse of the song, beginning with: "All there is left is a photograph/you smile, and the ice cream's melting down your pants," is one of the great finishing verses in rock.

(7) "Dead by Christmas" - All the Hanoi "greatest hits" collections agree on this much: "Dead by Christmas" is one of the best Hanoi songs of all. Punctuated by keyboards and bitter emotions, there's almost a ska/punk feel to this one. Another great example of the versatility of early Hanoi, reeling off one great song after another.

(8) "Lightnin' Bar Blues" - Though this was a cover, it immediately fit into the live set. It took me a long while to realize how special this one was. Now I realize that some of Hanoi's best songs were casual afterthoughts, recorded loose with nothing to prove.

(9) "Until I Get You" (Live) - One of the great expressions of unrequited love, the live version of "Until I Get You" from All Those Wasted Years gets the nod over the studio version from Mystery City due to the aggression of Michael's performance and the brilliant acapella section: "For your love/I'd give anything/for your time/the stars above, and if I'll ever get you/I'll never let you go." Though they never nailed this song in the studio, it is perhaps the most legendary of the Hanoi ballads.

(10) "Oriental Beat" (Live) - Proving the strength of the Hanoi catalog, I chose this song second on my Best Unknown Hard Rock of the '80s mix, but it only appears as number ten in this collection. "Oriental Beat" is one of Hanoi's best rockers, though the studio version is a bit muted. I consider the live version from All Those Wasted Years to be the definitive option. The rat-tat-tat guitar opening to this song is genius.

(11) "Motorvatin'" - Another Hanoi rocker that seems to be about nothing, but captures the essence of that Hanoi "pull ourselves together" comradery. I like Sebastian Bach's faithful cover almost as much as the original. It's a toss-up between the live and studio versions - I chose the studio version for this mix.

(12) "11th Street Kids" - Though this was Andy's made-up story of a group of kids that banded together and then lost their way, "11th Street Kids" is somehow one of the most personal and deeply treasured of all Hanoi songs. One of Andy's signature guitar leads, Andy's opening sets the tone for the song with its joyful/sad fragility. There isn't a Hanoi fan out there who doesn't feel a chill during the last two lines: "All that's left is writing on the wall/I wonder where all the 11th street kids are today."

(13) "Million Miles Away" - A love song for the ages, the "please don't forget about me" coda to this song is unexpected but perfect. The sax solo that begins the song still floors me. I always thought Andy played the lead that opens that final section; I learned recently it was Nasty Suicide's work. At any rate, it is one of my favorite guitar breaks of all time.

(14) "Beating Gets Faster" - "I don't care about the victory/if I can still have your company" - the most underrated of all Hanoi songs leads off. I'll never forget the day I found a special "white vinyl" edition of Mystery City with this "bonus track" on it. I went home, put it on the turntable, and found a passionate love song embellished with fabulous rock piano. This one sounds as great with the windows rolled down as it did in '84.

(15) "Café Avenue" - One of the most autobiographical of all Hanoi songs, "Café Avenue" tells of the days where pennies were scarce and the guys pulled tricks or whatever they had to do. The vocal delivery is perfection, with Michael drawling from one verse to the next. "I suppose I started searching/searching for money and fame..."

(16) "Whispers in the Dark" - We're sixteen songs in the mix, and finally, we take a small step down from what I consider to be the all-time classics in the Hanoi catalog. But there's a ton of strong material still to reckon with - songs that are not just carbon copies of the "big fifteen" but have their own distinctive sound. One such track is "Whispers in the Dark," a keyboard-based song that showed Hanoi had a potentially different path to stardom as a new wave act. Though it was an avenue Hanoi didn't explore further, "Whispers in the Dark" is a fine example of the genre-defying diversity of Hanoi in its prime. Most of their experiments, even the half-assed ones, came down on the successful side - a rare feat that the "new Hanoi" has not been able to achieve.

(17) "Oil and Gasoline" (B side) - Another song that really belongs on the rarities mix, but is just too powerful to overlook here. A B-side afterthought, this might be Hanoi's most erotic song and, on top of that, "Oil and Gasoline" boasts Michael's greatest sax solo. The last verse of the song, "we're just lovers on the highway..." is perfection.

(18) "Sweet Home Suburbia" - Along with "Beating Gets Faster," this one gets the nod for the most underrated Hanoi song. In "Sweet Home Suburbia," Hanoi takes on suburban mediocrity and offers its prescription: decadent living via sex, drugs, and rock and roll. This song would have been appreciated more had it not been hampered by the stilted mix of Oriental Beat, the worst-produced Hanoi album. The drums could have been jammed into the mix to great effect. But even handicapped by an imperfect mix, this song is a nice discovery for the casual Hanoi fan.

(19) "Tooting Bec Wreck" - Another one of those "way of life" Hanoi songs, this one features that elusive search for the "eternal party," paying tribute to the strange characters that escorted Hanoi through years of inspired debauchery. It should also be noted that this song closes with one of Andy's greatest guitar solos - maybe a step down from Keith Richards in "Sympathy for the Devil" and Roger Waters in "Comfortably Numb," but only a step.

(20) "Fallen Star"- Just Michael and the piano, "Fallen Star" is one of the most unusual and stark songs Hanoi ever recorded. I consider this to be Michael's finest moment as a vocalist, showing a subtlety and range he does not exhibit in his solo work. It's a fine closing song for "best of" volume one.
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