Former HANOI ROCKS front-man Michael Monroe has released the video for the high-octane title track of his latest solo album, “I Live Too Fast To Die Young”, out now via Silver Lining Music. “I Live Too Fast To Die Young” is quintessential Monroe, playing with words and concepts in a playfully irreverent way and wrapping it all up in some proper kick-in-the-balls rock ‘n’ roll.
“This one started life as just a song title — a tongue-in-cheek nod to Vivienne Westwood‘s ‘Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die’ t-shirts after I had been gifted one by a fan in Japan,” guitarist Rich Jones explains. “It’s a reference to Michael‘s seemingly boundless energy and the fact that he’s still kicking ass after all these years.”
“I love reinventing old clichés,” Monroe laughs. “The whole ‘live fast, die young’ cliché is so boring, so I live too fast to die young! It takes more to survive and be here today than to self-destruct and die young!”
A close friend of Monroe, Slash from GUNS N’ ROSES, throws down some lead guitar on the track. “Slash is one of the nicest guys that I know and one of rock’s greatest guitarists as he’s maintained the spontaneity, the human touch and the heartfelt kick-ass attitude in his playing,” Monroe enthuses. “I figured this would be a good one for him to play a solo on, he said he loved the song and that it’s super catchy.”
“Having Slash play an absolutely ripping guitar solo on it was a real honor and it’s since become a fan favorite in our live shows,” adds Jones.
Monroe, the gargantuan, gregarious, glamorous rock ‘n’ roll God who struts and fronts it with the same power and panache he first thrust our way leading HANOI ROCKS all those years ago, does not try to be a philosopher, but goddamn, he projects like one. Throughout “I Live Too Fast To Die Young”, Monroe tells tales of glory and observed stories, some pretty, some shitty, but all through a lens of eventual optimism, hope and a sense of dirty, cheeky late-night fun. Monroe‘s lens has always been directed towards the upside, even after the greatest downs a man can suffer, and the sheer power of his positive energy infuses everything he comes into contact with.
The eleven lean, mean, raw power rock ‘n’ roll songs which make up “I Live Too Fast To Die Young” see Monroe swagger the streets like a rock-punk poet, a storyteller who’s seen it all from the hellholes of Helsinki to the late-nights in London’s St. Moritz with some trashy times in Tokyo to boot. Warm, funny, occasionally sad but ultimately upbeat, “I Live Too Fast To Die Young” brings the listener into the heart and soul of its creator.
Recorded at Inkfish Studios in Helsinki, Finland between November and December 2021 and produced by the band with engineer Erno Laitinen, the album features Monroe on lead vocals and harmonica, Steve Conte (guitars and vocals),Rich Jones (guitar, vocals),Karl Rockfist (drums) and Sami Yaffa (bass/vocals/guitar).
With “I Live Too Fast To Die Young”, it is clear Michael Monroe is striding into the summer with a triumphant — and perhaps most importantly, defiant — roar to offer you a chance to let your hair down (or up!) and to once again enjoy the freedom of joyous celebration and expression.
“We’re entertaining, we all want people to have a good time, but you don’t have to switch your brain off to dance and have a good time,” concluded Monroe. “Fight boredom, fight normalcy, fight against what you’re told, what you’re supposed to do, be, or say. It’s about letting yourself be yourself and no apologies, about having no regrets.”
At a time when fun has been hard to feel, “I Live Too Fast To Die Young” is lean, mean, raw power rock ‘n’ roll music, with cracking cuts such as “Young Drunks & Old Alcoholics”, “All Fighter” and the punky fun of “Murder The Summer Of Love” showing crisp electricity and melodies which wrap their shimmering selves around some razor-sharp riffs. There are also expansive, STONES-tinged saunters such as “Can’t Stop Falling Apart” and “Everybody’s Nobody”, while the title track takes aim between your eyes off a driving back-beat with a defiant chorus dripping with Monroe‘s irrepressible attitude.
“This album has a great combination and balance of songs, and the collection tells a great overall story,” says Monroe. “It has a lot of color and energy, and, of course, it is rock ‘n’ roll, but punk is also always going to be a part of who we are; that will never die.”
“I Live Too Fast to Die Young” Album Artwork
“I Live Too Fast To Die Young” is available on CD digipak, 12″ red vinyl, signed limited-edition 12″ vinyl with alternative artwork, digital download, streaming and special D2C bundles at this location.
“I Live Too Fast To Die Young” track listing:
1. Murder The Summer Of Love
2. Young Drunks & Old Alcoholics
3. Derelict Palace
4. All Fighter
5. Everybody’s Nobody
6. Antisocialite
7. Can’t Stop Falling Apart
8. Pagan Prayer
9. No Guilt
10. I Live Too Fast To Die Young
11. Dearly Departed
Recording lineup:
- Michael Monroe / Lead vocals, harmonica
- Steve Conte / Guitars, vocals
- Rich Jones / Guitars, vocals
- Karl Rockfist / Drums
- Sami Yaffa / Bass, vocals, guitar
* Recorded and mixed by Erno “Error” Laitinen at Inkfish Studios, Helsinki, Finland
* Produced by Erno “Error” Laitinen, Michael Monroe, Rich Jones, Sammi Yafa, Steve Conte and Karl Rockfist
* Mastered by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers
* Additional recording by Bobby Nieminen at Raymond’s Barn
* Piano recorded at Sonic Pump Studios, recording assistant Tommi Saarinen
* Slash‘s guitars engineered by John Ewing
Additional musicians:
* Slash / Gguitar solo and additional guitars on “I Live Too Fast To Die Young”
* Lenni-Kalle Taipale / Piano on “Antisocialite” & “Can’t Stop Falling Apart”
* Suvi Aalto and Astrid Nicole / Additional backing vocals on “Can’t Stop Falling Apart” and “Murder The Summer Of Love”
* Neil Leyton / Additional backing vocals on “Everybody’s Nobody”, “Murder The Summer Of Love” and “All Fighter”
