Hanoi Rocks press release

Press Release:
The music world needs Hanoi Rocks now more than ever, and now, 19 years after its original demise, the Finnish band has returned with a new album, Twelve Shots on the Rocks. It is available in North America on Liquor and Poker Music. Once again Hanoi Rocks proudly blends punk and hard rock influences and elements of other styles to create a distinctive, swaggeringly original sound that serves as a defiant example of true rock 'n' roll. Hanoi Rocks is one of the leaders of the recent resurgence of rock.
Immediately upon Hanoi Rocks' initial formation in 1980, the band was leading rock 'n' roll in exciting new directions. By bridging punk and classic rock Hanoi Rocks was a uniting force at a time when these genres were often disrespectful toward each other and suspicious of each other's motives. The 1981 debut Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks kick started the band's career. Success quickly followed in Europe, Japan and the rest of Asia with the release of several subsequent albums.
The United States was starting to fall under Hanoi Rocks' spell and 1984's Two Steps from the Move was poised to become a major success when tragedy struck. The sad story is well known but it's difficult to ignore from a personal and historical standpoint. On December 8, 1984, drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley was killed in a car crash while riding with Motley Crue vocalist Vince Neil, who was driving drunk.
Hanoi Rocks was already dealing with some internal problems but Razzle's death was the final blow. They lost a close friend and an important musical partner. They toured briefly with former Clash drummer Terry Chimes but everything fell apart by mid-1985. Vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Michael Monroe soon struck out on his own and 1989's Not Fakin' It started to take off stateside behind the standout track Dead, Jail or Rock 'N' Roll but he says various business and management actions stalled his solo career here.
The history of hard rock arguably would have been completely different had Hanoi Rocks not splintered apart in 1985. Hanoi Rocks is the godfather of glam. The band's music predated what the likes of Guns N' Roses, Poison, Cinderella and, ironically, Motley Crue would create and have enormous success with later in the decade.
Monroe, who sings lead and plays saxophone, guitar, harmonica, keyboards and percussion, and lead guitarist/background vocalist Andy McCoy first reunited in 2001.
"We didn't really keep in touch over the years but a Hanoi Rocks box set was being released in Scandinavia in 2001 so we ended up jamming together at a club where a record release party for the box set was being held," Monroe says. "We then played two festival gigs as Hanoi Revisited and they went so well that we started writing songs together again. It was easy and the songs all came together very naturally. A lot of ideas were ones we'd had before the band broke up. We gave it a lot of thought before deciding to reform Hanoi Rocks. We're taking this reformation very seriously. I never thought it would happen."
Joining Monroe and McCoy for the recording of Twelve Shots on the Rocks were three members of Monroe's solo band guitarist/background vocalist Costello, bass guitarist/background vocalist Timpa and drummer Lacu.
The Liquor and Poker Music version of 'Twelve Shots on the Rocks' has been remixed and remastered in accordance with Monroe and McCoy's wishes, and includes five extra songs in addition to the original dozen.
The 17 songs on Twelve Shots on the Rocks are "Intro," "Obscured," "Bad News," "New York City," "Delirious," "A Day Late, A Dollar Short," "In My Darkest Moment," "People Like Me," "Whatcha Want," "Moonlite Dance," "Gypsy Boots," "Lucky," "Watch This," "Designs on You," "L.A.C.U.," "Are You Lonely Tonight" and "Winged Bull."
The remarkable thing about this album is the musical diversity. Hanoi Rocks admired early punk and glam innovators like Mott the Hoople, the New York Dolls, the Dead Boys, the Stooges, Sweet, Alice Cooper and others while also embracing '50s rock, blues-rock and classic rock notables such as Little Richard, the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith.
"Rock 'n' roll was part of the culture in America. In Finland we were exposed to these bands on the radio -- and my father was a well-known radio announcer here -- but for a long time rock 'n' roll was mostly looked upon as something that strange-looking kids enjoyed in moldy basements," says Monroe.
Hanoi Rocks did not get the chance to fulfill its promise until now. 'Twelve Shots on the Rocks' is the right album at the right time, and Monroe is especially pleased about his development as a songwriter.
"I believe I've really come into my own as a songwriter. I didn't really write much for Hanoi Rocks the first time around and, to be honest, I didn't really like our albums except for 'Two Steps from the Move.' I guess it was a matter of taste. There's more Michael Monroe on this album, and I'm much more comfortable in the studio now. I even played a couple of the guitar solos," says Monroe, who was hit with yet another tragedy a few years ago when his wife died, thus inspiring the haunting In My Darkest Hour.
Monroe remarried last July and is a happy man again thanks to his new wife and the rekindling of Hanoi Rocks. He is looking forward to the future, especially the road ahead with his partner in crime McCoy. A promotional tour is planned for the duo this spring followed by a full-blown Hanoi Rocks tour.
"A new generation is discovering us. There are no limits with Hanoi Rocks," says Monroe