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Starting with a very obvious consideration, that is, to fully grasp the essence and the way a band makes music, one must grab a "live" recording, I say that "All those wasted years" is the quintessential manifesto of the five glam-rockers from the cold of Finland, a band that, as I have already stated (for a detailed description, refer to my previous review), did not achieve a commercial success comparable to its potential.
So guys, imagine the scene, but imagine it vividly, it's 1983, we're at London's Marquee on a chilly winter day, the five youths from the Scandinavian peninsula are almost at the peak of their (modest) success, and on the tour to promote their latest work "Back to the mystery city," they hit the English capital. A year later, around the same time, during their first overseas tour supporting Motley Crue, they lost their drummer "Razzle" in a tragic accident (with Vince Neil at the wheel), and shortly thereafter they disbanded, but that is another sad story.
Let's get back to the CD, pardon, the concert; the venue is packed, there is great anticipation for the lively punk-glam-rock and also a bit of skepticism, punk is considered dead and buried here since the days of Sex Pistols. But there they are on stage, Andy McCoy more vigorous than ever with his Indy jacket and red cowboy hat, while "Mike Monroecito," in a black jacket with fuchsia trim, is faithfully made up and with the world’s most flamboyant and glam hair.
One, two, three, four... and off they go, after an initial intro titled "Pipeline," with "Oriental beat," from the self-titled album dated 1982, a classic, an initial taste of explosive energy, the first heartfelt sax solo by Mike and a successful attempt to describe a delightful trip to the orient that garnered much appreciation even from the Japanese. Then, there's hardly time to breathe, and they continue immediately with "Back to the mystery city," a magnificent song, a pounding tumult of rock 'n' roll, of colossal proportions that blends sparkling and inflammatory dynamism with the raw, stark aggression worthy of the "New York Dolls." This is followed by "Motorvatin" with its bass intro, delivering explosive power here as well, neck-breaking riffs, moshing, and tension.
The pace slows with the gloomy, sensual, evocative ballad "Until I get you," introduced with a simple "this is a song about a girl and a very beautiful boy," showcasing all the unrestrained passion of Mike, now seducer, now tormented by a languid feeling, which exudes suffering as McCoy on guitar seems to amble towards a sorrowful, tragic finale.
The atmosphere becomes increasingly intense with the psychotic, experimental "Mental beat." Here the five are dreadfully hallucinated, with Mike messing around with the microphone engaging the audience to sing the chorus, hysterical shrieks here and there before Razzle's semi-performance on drums; the piece ultimately dazes with its bacchanal march, a kind of orgy, and the audience, stunned, seems unable to distinguish Mike’s hairline from the neon lights of the almost completely dark venue.
After a pleasant guitar solo begins "Don't you ever leave me," the only piece slowed up compared to the disc version (the one from Bangkok), in fact, all the other tracks are faster, rawer, instinctual, and grandiose, demonstrating the punk heritage of Hanoi Rocks. "Tragedy" another unforgettable classic follows, tightly attached, rambling and cutting riffs, an infernal chaos among the crowd followed by "Malibu beach nightmare," relentless intensity, drums, guitars, and sax at a frenetic pace make it an unrepeatable track, even more so as a live performance where it appears more lively and exhilarating than ever.
Next is the quite pleasant, albeit modest, "Visitor" where Mike practically admits to being a scoundrel (those three|four things that a respectable rocker wouldn’t miss); and then the wonderful, evergreen, sincere, anti-rhetoric "11th Street Kids." The last climb before the final rush is given by the stubborn, hypnotic, "Taxi Driver," one of the favorites as a live performance, a threat to human tranquility and positivity, and the kick-ass rock’n’roll of "Lost in the city." There's also room for a bit of cabaret, with the amusing rhyme "Lightin Bar Blues," a genuine declaration of intent, a call to the purity of true rockers' attitudes
"I don’t need no diamond rings I don't need no Cadillac car I just wanna drink my ripple wine down in the lightin' bar." (Purity that they in fact lost, along with the drummer, with the dangerous company of the Crue).
"Beer and cigarette" another clear declaration of intent, destined to become a sort of anthem and acceptance, interpenetration of that state of complacent and damned stars marked by vices, but also a humble form of ethical primitivism, unfussy rock, flamboyant guitars, and Mike prancing with a harmonica at his mouth. And finally, the three covers, which, although they do not reach the effectiveness and malaise of the originals, are undoubtedly well interpreted and well played, according to their naughty full-of-fun style.
The first is "Under my Wheels" by 'Alice Cooper,' perhaps the best-performed of the three, in "I feel alright" Mike holds his own, but he certainly doesn’t have the sublime insanity of rabid stray dog-like Iggy Pop howling to his heart's content "I feel alright" with the crowd pleading not to be bitten by that wild and mad frenzy.
It concludes, before the final goodbyes, before what magnificently serves as a side dish on the DVD with "Blitzkrieg Bop" (with Mike and Razzle swapping roles) and inexplicably excluded from the CD, "Train kept a rollin," stretched to the extreme with the crowd singing it on their way home drunk and high, but conscious that nights like the one just passed are a huge breath of fresh air for music.
Tracklist and Lyrics
02 Oriental Beat (03:14)
I'm gonna take a holiday, be somewhere far away
I won't be back for a while, for a long, long time
I wanna get away from the west to the place that I like best
And where the nites are long and the girls are pretty
I'm-a-going to rock 'til I drop, around the clock
Ain't never ever gonna stop
Gonna send you a postcard from Hanoi
I won't be comin' back so beware my babe
I am ten thousand miles away
Chinese girls make me happy, it's enough if I tell 'em I'm not from the USA
And they believe every word I say
Hanoi Rocks every mornin', at night I fall asleep to the smell of romance
As I see my geisha-girl dance
'round and 'round the world goes around
I used to believe I was such a happy guy
Now I've found my place on earth
Leaving for Europe just can't be worth
Baby, baby, won't you take my hand
to Aikido garden well, you understand
Propaganda surrounds us but never mind what they say
I ain't going back home, I ain't going back home
Chinese guys make me heavy, it's enough if I tell 'em
I'm not from the USA, and they believe every word I say
Here is no holiday 'cos holiday is everyday
And let me tell you the truth:"if I'd leave I'd be a fool!"
04 Motorvatin' (03:19)
I have a Saturday night drive in a subway train
A lot of speed inside my brain
Shakin', breakin' it loose, the best that I can do
I gotta get out, gotta get out now
I wanna hear my wheels scream and shout
Get out of the subway
Get my wheels on the street
And start motorvatin'
Runnin all alone in a lowdown street
Just a searching for my medicine
And a little satisfaction from a woman, Is all I need
I gotta pull myself together
Hey hey hey, hear me say
I gotta drive right into the fire
And I'm burnin', burnin', burnin'
I'm motorvatin'
I've got skin thight jeans and high heel shoes
A leather jacket and nothing to lose
Gotta rock the nation, down the filling station
Don't try to get a ride in my Cadillac
You don't look good enough for that
Sure I am a loner but I'm never alone
I get by on my own
We've gotta pull ourselves together, hey hey hey, that's what I say
We've gotta pull ourselves together, hey hey hey, now hear me say
We've got to drive right into the fire, and start burning, burning, burning
We're motorvatin', we're motorvatin'
05 Until I Get You (04:32)
For your love I`d give anything
For your time stars above
And if I ever get you I`ll never let you go
Don`t deny, you have seen me before
Realize, look me in the eye just a while
I got love `n I won't hide it
Now when I finally found it
Hey you hey you where did you come from?
From supermarket corridor?
Hey you, hey you what`s going on?
While I turn my head away you had gone the other way
Away, oh there she walks again
I have to be her boyfriend
Hey you, it`s true, Baby, there I stood
When I looked her in the eye
She gave me her sweet sweet smile
Don`t deny, you have seen me before
Realize, look me in the eye just a while
I got love `n I won't hide it
now when I finally found it
I`ve seen you many times before
For each time you mean more
I`d like to be always yours
So it`s up to you
Please take me home with you
You, you`re the sweetest thing
For you I`d give anything
If you`re a dream
Then let me sleep forever
Until I get you...
I`ll be dreaming of you every night
And all of my time
08 Tragedy (03:50)
Well the music's slowly dying and I'm jumping outta my jeans
I jump into the bed, you're there already waiting for me
Ain't this a perfect way to spend the night
There ain't no better way of killing time than loving you
Be sure of that I do
It's reached top speed and I'm getting inside of you
Well this is hot stuff mama, taste it, it sure tastes good, oh yes it does
It's may be cold outside but in you the fire is burning
And when you bite me babe love is hurting
Tragedy, life reminds me 'bout a symphony on the radio
First a little bit too fast and then a little bit much too slow
Tragedy, life reminds me 'bout a symphony I heard today
First a little bit too fast and then a little bit much too slow for me
I wake up in the morning and I feel the pain in my head
If it's the rest I need I'd rather be dead
No destinations in this life I live
No expectations, I just drift and drift and drift
Life is like
Tragedy, reminds me 'bout a symphony on the radio
First a little bit too fast and then a little bit much too slow
Tragedy, life reminds me 'bout a symphony I heard today
First a little bit too fast and then a little bit much too slow for me
09 Malibu Beach Nightmare (02:33)
I wanna stay in the sun
I gotta have my fun.
When the work is done down
the Malibu Beach.
And when the winter is gone
I won't stay for long
just turn the radio on down
the Malibu Beach.
I'll find a sweet, sweet girl,
that sea pearl.
She'll make me burn that naughty girl,
all find a skinhead girl,
a black Brixton pearl.
Oooooh, down the Malibu Beach!
Yeeeeaah!
I'll find a sweet, sweet girl,
that sea pearl.
She'll make me burn that naughty girl,
all find a skinhead girl,
a black Brixton pearl.
Oooooh, down the Malibu Beach!
Allright! Prrrraah!
I'll find a sweet, sweet girl,
that sea pearl.
She'll make me burn that naughty girl,
all find a skinhead girl,
a black Brixton pearl.
Oooooh, down the Malibu,
down the Malibu,
down the Malibu Beach!
Gonna take a holiday
down Malibu Beach, thats what I'll do!
10 Visitor (03:25)
I'm not sorry 'bout the things that I've done to you
I'm not sorry, I never felt this good
All I wanted was to get to you
And hurt you for a while
I'm a trespasser in your company
Looks like it's me who fill your thoughts and your diary
Just as fast as my moment comes
I'll turn out to be a memory
The day I came was the day I left
Now you're just like all the rest
I only take I take the best
Like you used to be, now you're left in lunacy
I'm just a visitor, visitor, visitor, visitor...
I'm not sorry 'bout the things that I've done to you
I'm not sorry, I never felt this good
All I wanted was to get to you
And hurt you for a while
My romance, you're in a trance
I'll destroy all of your plans
Just as fast as my moment comes
I'll turn out to be a memory
The day I came was the day I left
Now you're just like all the rest
I only take I take the best
Like you used to be, now you're left in lunacy
I'm just a visitor, visitor, visitor, visitor...
12 Taxi Driver (04:17)
I'll be a taxi driver for you, honey, Take you anywhere you want to
I'll be a taxi driver for you, honey, Take you anywhere you want to
Just call on me, I'll take you anywhere you want to
I'm a milkman for you, babe, I'll milk you anytime you want to
I'll be a milkman for you, babe, I'll milk you anytime you want to
Just call on me, And you can milk me if you want to
(Just) Call me on the telephone, (Oh, baby) I wasn't at home
Sometimes you reach me, sometimes you don't, Sometimes when I'm all alone
Call me up, I'll take you anywhere you want to
Call me on the telephone, Pity for you sister, I wasn't at home
Sometimes you'll reach me, sometimes you don't, Sometimes when I'm all alone
Just call me on the telephone, I wasn't at home
Sometimes you reach me, sometimes you don't, Sometimes when I'm all alone
I'll be your taxi driver , I'll be your taxi driver, Yeah I drive
13 Lost in the City (04:10)
Take me down to the way back home
I lost all my money now I'm all alone
City boys stole my car
City girls stole my heart
Now won't you take me down to the way back home
I lost all my money now I'm all alone
City boys stole my car
City girls stole my heart
Stole my heart, yeah
Well I been in trouble since I don't know when
Never got no money to pay my rent
The city life hits hard on me
But I gotta keep on tryin�
Gotta keep on lying to myself
One day I will make it
And I'll become a wealthy man
I'll make as much money as I can
And I try so hard,
Try try try so hard
Try so hard, yeah
Take me down to the way back home
I lost all my money now I'm all alone
City boys stole my car
City girls stole my heart
Now won't you take me down to the way back home
I lost all my money now I'm all alone
City girls stole my car
City boys stole my heart
Yeah yeah yeah
It's cold and it's rainin�
I'm not happy at all
As much as I can do what I want
Yeah
Alone in the night
I lie back, I'm feelin� like a wretch
I know I'll survive here
Somebody, somebody, somebody,
Somebody, somebody, somebody
I'm really gonna make it get high
Take me down to the way back home
I lost all my money now I'm all alone
City boys stole my car
City girls stole my heart
Take me down to the way back home
I lost all my money now I'm all alone
City boys stole my car
City girls stole my heart
Stole my heart, yeah
15 Beer and a Cigarette (02:53)
Well I met her yesterday, She just came into my way, And I was so surprised
She told me that she loved me, Always would be true to me, Never tell no lies to me
She said her love was free, And I thought that I might, Just take a chance on her
Try hard to get into her, You know what I did
I told her that I love her, Told her that I care, I said I'd be free to ride
And to do it anywhere, Never want no love affair, I just like the clothes you wear
There's one thing I gotta do, Before I kiss you
(I wanna beer and a cigarette), I've got to get myself an ice cold beer, (I wanna beer and a cigarette)
And I need a cigarette, Well I, I didn't come here for no fix, I just need a beer
(I wanna beer and a cigarette), Oh babe, I got to get myself, (I need a beer and a cigarette)
Lord, theres only 2 things on my mind, (I wanna beer and a cigarette), Too much ain't enough
(I need a beer and a cigarette), Well and a cigarette, and beer
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