All Those Wasted Years

Although many would like to forget the '80s glam rock movement, there's no denying that one of the genre's leaders, the oft-overlooked Hanoi Rocks, were by far the best. Unlike other bands of the era whose influences were strictly heavy metal, Hanoi had roots in punk rock (Stooges, Ramones) as well as hard rock. Their 1985 double live album, All Those Wasted Years, shows that they were the real deal (as well as a major influence on future raunch-rockers Guns N' Roses). Nearly all of the band's best tracks are included here, such as "Back to Mystery City," "Motorvatin'," "Mental Beat," and "Taxi Driver." Also included is a triple-shot encore of cover songs: Alice Cooper's "Under My Wheels," the Stooges' "I Feel Alright" (aka "1970"), and the Yardbirds/Aerosmith standard "Train Kept A-Rollin'." The death of drummer Razzle a year after this concert was recorded proved a crippling blow for the band, and they splintered not long after -- which is sad, because Hanoi Rocks had the talent to put all the other glam metal bands of the '80s to shame. ~ Greg Prato