Album Review — Michael Monroe

Michael Monroe — I Live Too Fast To Die Young

It’s been a busy week so I’m going to do a first time listen review on the new Michael Monroe release “I Live Too Fast To Die Young”.

Monroe is the singer of classic band Hanoi Rocks and has been releasing solo records fairly regularly for the last 20 years or so. The album features multiple guests including Slash from Guns N Roses.

Here we go…

“Murder The Summer of Love” — A driving track starts things off. The chorus is rather melodic. A good start.

“Young Drunks & Old Alcoholics” — Is melodic punk a thing? That’s what this sounds like. It has those punk elements but it’s very melodic. It’s a good track.

“Derelict Palace” — I’m not a big fan of Monroe’s voice on this one. I didn’t notice it as much on the first two tracks but this one has him in a lower register and it reminds me of Lou Reed.

“All Fighter” — This one is a little more aggressive from the start. Monroe’s voice fits this style better for me.

“Everybody’s Nobody” — This one is more mid tempo but still has the melodic punk feel to it with a short harmonica solo.

“Antisocialite” — With a title like this I expected a heavy track but it’s a piano ballad. I like Monroe’s voice on this one.

“Can’t Stop Falling Apart” — This one hits the mark for me. Lots of gang vocals in this raucous track with a bluesy swing to it. The best track so far.

“Pagan Prayer” — A bass riff opens this aggressive rocker. Most of these songs check in right around three minutes and are straight to the point. This one is the shortest of the bunch. The bridge is the best part of this track.

“No Guilt” — Another mid tempo track that has a little more complexity to it. One of the better tracks I’ve heard.

“I Live Too Fast To Die Young” — Another rocker that features a Slash guitar solo. It has a similar feel to the opening track.

“Dearly Departed” — The closing track stands out as it’s different than anything else on the record. I expected it to build but it never really does. I appreciate something a little different to close the record.

Hanoi Rocks is an influential band and many major acts count them as huge influences including Guns N Roses. It’s just not my thing. There are some elements here that I like but it just doesn’t grab me.

I’m guessing fans of Monroe and Hanoi Rocks will be happy with a new record. And I don’t find any fault with it other than it’s just not my thing. My rating reflects my personal opinion and taste more than anything else. But I would trust a fan of Monroe to get a real sense of where this record stands compared to the rest of his catalogue.

80 out of 100

Track Listing

01. Murder The Summer Of Love*
02. Young Drunks & Old Alcoholics*
03. Derelict Palace
04. All Fighter
05. Everybody’s Nobody
06. Antisocialite
07. Can’t Stop Falling Apart*
08. Pagan Prayer
09. No Guilt*
10. I Live Too Fast To Die Young*
11. Dearly Departed

*Best Songs