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Jon Reed's All-Time Favorite Hanoi Rocks Songs (and Albums)
favorite songs
very honorable mention JR's favorite Hanoi album and other miscellaneous comments: About six months ago I asked the members of the Hanoi Rocks list for their favorite underrated Hanoi Rocks songs. In the process, we learned that every single Hanoi Rocks song on every album had at least one ardent defender - a remarkable testament to the diversity and consistency of the Hanoi Rocks catalogue! Afterwards, I posted a few summary comments which included my favorite Hanoi Rocks album: Someone asked me how you can call a Hanoi song underrated when, in a sense, their entire catalog is underrated. At any rate, I found your lists of underrated Hanoi songs very intriguing and sometimes quite surprising - pretty much proving Anssi's point that there isn't really a bad Hanoi song out there. I think the only true consensus we had as a group is that maybe "Taxi Driver" doesn't deserve its seemingly constant appearance on every Hanoi greatest hits package. My next question for you folks was going to be "what was your favorite Hanoi song not included on one of the main studio albums," but that question is pretty much moot now, since it seems that we already had plenty of comments in support of lost gems like "Willing to Cross the Ocean" and "Shakes." And of course Lambchop's fave, "Oil and Gasoline." My personal fave in that rarities category is without question "Rebel on the Run." I noticed that the discussion of underrated songs also led into a discussion of overrated and underrated albums, and I just wanted to join KayJay in support of Back to Mystery City, my favorite Hanoi album. Part of that probably comes down to the fact that many of my personal fave Hanoi songs are on it. I agree that it captures the band at a time when the songwriting was really coming together. And yet Mystery City has more of an underdog and underground feeling than Two Steps. It's hard to put into words, there's just something weird and soulful and unique to me about that album that is unforgettable. Having said that, I think you can make a case for any of the Hanoi albums being the best, even Oriental Beat with all of its production flaws. And it's hard to disagree with the general statement that Two Steps is the most sophisticated creative accomplishment of Hanoi's career. The only bad thing about Two Steps is that instead of being another step in an incredible musical progression, it became the swan song. But that's a story to be retold only when you have a drink in hand and good buddies by your side, and right now as I type I have neither. :) JR Back to Jon Reed's Writing on Hanoi Rocks Index Page
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