Review MICHAEL MONROE ‘I Live Too Fast to Die Young’

On June 17^th this year, Michael Monroe will celebrate his 60^th birthday and shows that the spirt of rock’n’roll isn’t a matter of age. Monroe joined Hanoi Rocks back in 1980, the springboard for the iconic frontman to a career that impresses.

In the meantime, Monroe also released several solo albums with ‘Old Man gang’ being the latest to date. Four years after having unleashed the record, Monroe presents his newest effort in June this year. ‘I Live Too Fast to Die Young’ is the well-chosen title of the album which is the career of eleven new rock songs. At a life stage when some people have their eyes on pension, Monroe get off to a next flying start. Monroe’s new offer is a blistering tock album that combines decades of experience with the ‘young at heart’-approach Monroe puts into play.

‘Murder the Summer Love’ is the right punch to start the album. Energetic rock with a well-crafted melody is what gets to one’s ears after dropping the needle. The tune brings everybody into the right mood for a solid portion of rock’n’roll. ‘Young Drunks – Old Alcoholics’ continues adds to the power of rock and comes with some strong lyrics. The starting triple gets completed by ‘Derelict Palace’. The slower paced and melancholic song shows another side of Monroe’s musical range. It’s a song with lot of feel embedded and a strong expression.

Another song, being a bit calmer, is called ‘Antisocialite’. Based on a gently arranged piano the song is a ballad that avoids the cliches. First it is Monroe’s voice that doesn’t make the song to a polished standard ballad. The roughness of life is woven into the track which makes the track to an authentic emotionalizer.

The piano plays a role in ‘Can’t Stop Falling Apart’, but this time more as an addition to a high-energy rock hymn. The song echoes the beauty of rock music before ‘Pagan Prayer’ brings the punk spirit to the plate. The fast and dirty tune is a highlight on the album, a piece of music that is straight to the point.

Also to mention is the title track, a typical Michael Monroe signature song with a special extra. No less than Slash added a guitar solo and hereby made a great song even more thrilling.

‘Dearly Departed’ is the final track on the album and brings back emotions. Kept calm and with Monroe’s vocals in the forefront, a dark mood wraps ‘Dearly Departed’ and makes it to a special ending of a great album.

‘I Live Too Fast to Die Young’ is a highlight in 2022. Michael Monroe brings all his experience to plate, and it is the rock’n’roll heartbeat that allows him to create a raw and vivid album that reflects the emotional aspect of life through each note played. The album reflects sophisticated hard rock right from the streets of life.