Reviews (page 3 of 7)
This album is a brilliantly chaotic missing link between 70s punk and 80s glam, and I’m honestly surprised it took me this long to find it. It’s got that raw, street wise energy of the New York Dolls mixed with catchy, melodic hooks that clearly paved the way for bands like Guns N' Roses. Tracks like "Malibu Beach Nightmare" and "Tooting Bec Wreck" are pure fun, unapologetically dumb in the best way possible, featuring some surprisingly killer saxophone and piano work that gives the whole thing a unique, eclectic edge. Fuck yeah, Peacemaker!
Its actually decent but fairly uninteresting I cant imagine coming back to it or describing it as an album i needed to hear before I died
Starts out pretty good, but feels like they only had a few good songs in them.
This is #day581 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… hell yeah, Finnish glam punk is what I've been missing in my life. Actually, it was pretty fine. "Tooting Bec Wreck" has a cool bass melody. And then there's that occasional sax, which I can never resist. Very '80s all around. I'm pretty sure you can do without this record before you die, though. Let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day582.
Not for me
Sono stato molto generoso, però ci sono stati album molto peggiori a cui ho dato 3 stelle e questo si fa ascoltare.
meine Güte was für ein geschrei..
they invented 80s hair metal. This is enjoyable.
It's alright, but not as glam rock/metal as I thought. Hoped for something better. Nothing noteworthy.
Glam rock, art rock, whatever label you give it, has never been my first choice but this one was tolerable.
I didn't mind this actually, quite a fun inclusion that livened a misty grey day. Didn't engage with it very deeply but there was plenty of fun vibes to carry it.
I was surprised that this band was more punk/glam than it was hair metal. Unfortunately it's bland punk and and bland glam. The drums in particular are a let down. Not particular interesting overall.
I expected to hate this, but this is way more listenable than I though it would be. It's not as terrible as Poison or fucking Nitro I thought, maybe it's because they're finnish and not americans, I don't know, the voice has a bit more personality and it's a bit punky by moments, well the first track is. Shouldn't be on the list obviously and I was a bit bored during the second half, but it's fine.. Fav: Malibu Beach Nightmare Tooting Beck Neck
Lovely surprise, great fun.
Bland hair metal. I remember why grunge killed this stone dead.
This is a solid 3.5. Super fun. The only thing more criminal than this not being a more popular album is Vince Neil killing this band’s drummer and only serving 19 days for it.
Fun Finnish proto-Poison
Well that was generic
Crap
This was fine. Nothing super special but I dug it.
Hair band glam rock that is only mildly interesting
It's fun in a trashy 1980s way, but not that memorable.
Another I’d never heard of, and unlike any hair metal I’ve ever listened to. Knew of Razzle from Motley Crue’s The Dirt, RIP.
It wasn't best nor worst. Honestly I enjoyed it but there are lot of better albums.
Glam rock. Enough said.
Early hair band entrant. I still haven't forgiven Vince Neal for essentially killing Razzle
Vraiment, y’a des albums dans cette liste où je m’arrache les cheveux à me demander comment ils ont pu se rendre à la cut finale. Genre, aucun Gentle Giant en vue, par contre un wannabe Alice Cooper étiré à l’eau passe peinard?
Too fast and hard for me
Þetta var allt í lagi hjá þeim finnsku. Ég er nú ekki mikill áhugamaður per se um glam rock. Leitt með trommarann. Lögin eru í sjálfu sér fín, en þetta er barn síns tíma og gerir ekki mikið fyrir nútímarokkara.
Örugglega ekki margar finnskar hljómsveitir á þessum lista, en hármetall er ekki alveg mín tónlist.
Couldn’t listen to this
Pretty cool
ok so .. not bad at all but like what the hell is this
Ganz nice, aber auch nicht wirklich outstanding - Wäre bestimmt auch okay gewesen zu sterben ohne dieses album zu kennen ...
Fat no for me
Odd hair metal
Rock album, just ok.
Aussi étonnant que ça puisse paraitre, le glam finlandais, c'est non.
It's weird that this is punk cuz it's pretty boring
A reminder that there's such a thing as "proto hair metal." Some decent riffage (e.g., Beating Gets Faster) and the Mott guys producing is probably responsible for the solid use of keyboards. I might rate this higher if I'd seen them live in a club in 1984, but I'm also sort of glad I didn't?
Didn't mind, would listen again
I don’t want to listen to this anymore as it was starting to grow on me the further I got! Best leave it there.
I enjoyed this like I enjoy Billy Idol. Only in very small doses, but when the mood is right, it hits the spot. Then the mood wears off and you go and listen to proper music.
What a strange fucking album. Not a fan of cock rock, which I think this falls into? But turn it breaks so many conventions. There are moments that are sweet and genre bending and then moments of ick. Almost like a novelty album of the era.
Back to Mystery City is at most a decent album. The songs themselves aren't bad but that is solely because of how generic they sound. I don't really know how it made it to this list since it adds pretty much nothing of value to it. 2/5
The instrumentals were decent, the lyrics and the vocals were so far. Felt like I was trying to copy major bands, but missed the mark.
Better than a 2 but not quite a 3 for me.
by what metric this was judged one of the 1001 albums you must hear before you die.
This was surprisingly good. I hate glam rock, but the instrumental stands out as quite catchy and fun, and the storytelling is ok as well. It's not a 10 album, but most of songs are quite decent. 3/5 . I knew this band before because he influenced a Brazilian singer called Supla. His music is horrible, so I didn't have high expectations for this one. Good that I was wrong.
Yeah enjoyed this tbf
Boring generic 90s rock
I definitely didn't expect Hanoi Rocks to pop up on this list, but the book makes a compelling case for its inclusion. If you close your eyes, you could hear the Replacements playing some of this, or some other more melodic punks of the era (Goo Goos?). It travels down more cock-rock territory as it proceeds—"Lick Summer Love" et al.—but in general I didn't mind this as much as I expected.
I'm very much aware of the legend of Hanoi Rocks and their outsized influence on 80s hair metal that followed, but first time ever hearing them. Pleasantly surprised. More than a little cheesy at times but impressed by their instrumentation and style. And I know they were a huge influence on Izzy Stradlin - not only the coolest member of GNR but in my belief system the guy responsible for the songwriting magic of Appetite (and his departure the reason GNR stopped being so good) - and for that I am thankful. More of a fascinating history lesson than a great record.
I believe that this is the first entry from a Finnish group. Their music is basic rock, leaning a bit towards heavy metal. The lyrics are quite intelligible, easier to understand than a lot of US and English singers. Some of the songs on the album remind me of the Clash. Overall this was better than expected.
Girl who just read about exotica: Is this... exotica? Nope, it's just 80s rock. It's fine. At least I learned that there's a British place called "Tooting Bec".
damn i already feel it's gonna be an experience that i don't want to repeat i think i get the vibe so far it's been interesting to say the least. very 80's sound light, chill, very "party like" it resembles Kult a bit – but it's more party vibe less political 2 out of 5 zmęczyło mnie to
Mid — did get better at the end
It's okay. It was kinda boring tbh. I can't say the songs were bad, but it felt pretty mid to me.
An other fucking 80's album in this white ass list. You mean you rather put this than any album of C. Berry even if every single guitar's riffs in this album are widely inspired by him... Trafic.... It's not worth than an other but I'm not in the mood..
Another one I never needed to hear. Gains a point for not being from England or the USA and having this sort of gloom hanging over it. Edit: No, sorry, it’s a deserved 1.
I've never enjoyed this band or their albums. Not an essential band or album at all. The writers have it wrong. They have very much so over estimated their influence on anyone. Hair metal, or as it is more often called today, glam rock, was really more inspired more by Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, David Bowie, and Kiss than by bands like Hanoi Rocks. Throw out this cynical album and instead embrace the pure vapid joy and escape that they offered U.S. audiences in the 80s bands of Motley Crue, Poison, Whitesnake, Warrant, Extreme, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Mr. Big, Cinderella, Firehose, Nelson, Skid Row, and Guns N' Roses. I use vapid not as an insult but as a celebration, because it offered relief to U.S. audiences who were exhausted by Vietnam War, stagflation, and Watergate of the 1970s. They were also exhausted with the overly serious tone of the music industry from the 1970s and just wanted a bit of fun for once. You will get more out of it, if you enjoy it as the pure Dionysian expression it was intended to be, and not as music critics treat it, as some sort of failure because it didn't express enough outrage or virtue signaling to please the critics who seem to incorrectly view themselves as the proper gatekeepers of music.
pretty good 80's rock that manages to stand out from the crowd. I actually wound up enjoying this a fair amount considering I knew nothing of them going in.
This was a pretty standard 80s rock album and I was only going to give it a 3. But then those saxophones hit and those church bells hit and damn this album grew on me. Not an all time great but more enjoyable than some!
Fun glam but yeah… why is it here? There’s better.
This is a bit silly but pretty good fun. Somewhere in the intersection of glam rock, power-pop, post-punk, and hair-metal. Some bits sound like the Clash. Some sound like proto-Libertines landfill indie. One track even reminded me of the Stone Roses.
Puolet biiseistä puuttui spödifystä, mutta en tiedä oisko ne lisännyt arvoa miten paljoa. Ei puhuttele.
Perus rokkia, ei jääny oikein mieleen tai soittoon, muttei ärsyttänytkään. Tuskin tulee tutustuttua sen enempää ainakaan tähän levyyn. Hanoi Rocks ei ole koskaan ollut suuremmin lähellä sydäntä.
same old same old again but the last song made me feel like I was as Disneyland??? Lol maybe because I was slowly going insane while running 20 miles
Meh
i've only ever known hanoi rocks by who they influenced. _back to mystery city_ is a marvelously strange concoction of punky, pub rock, even a hint of goth with its keyboards, all slathered in glam rock. i don't know if i'll ever listen to this again, but i won't rule it out and will listen to other stuff by them. i was skeptical when i saw this as today's album, but i left as an interested listener
Somehow listening to this made me dislike hair metal / glam rock even more than I already did. Shallow, vapid lyrics, cheap sounding 80s production, boring songwriting. I guess there are some moments that are kinda fun but this isn’t something I’ll be returning to.
There is absolutely no reason for this album to be here, but I don't mind it because "Until I Get You" is my new jam. So sure, why not. Favorite track: Until I Get You
80s New Wave trash. No melody. Pussyfoot themes. No toughness at all in any of these guys.
Bland early glam metal / soft punk. Probably inspiration for some, otherwise shouldn't be in the 1001 listens before you die.
glam rock! a band from finland?? very cool. this was alot of fun - really enjoyed the saxaphone in some of the tracks. also really like the album cover. that dude's hair is awesome. solid guitar riffs. never heard of this group or band until today - i can hear the cool 80's rock beats in their sound. this was good! 7/10
Hanoi Rocks? Hanoi is okay.
As ever with albums like this, if each song had been shortened by about a minute it would've felt that much better. Despite, that, the longest track on here ('Tooting Bec Wreck') is actually my favourite, so what do I know?
Repetitive. I don't love heavy rock anyway, and this was just all kind of forgettable.
Hårrock e blant de rareste musikksjangeran æ vet om, tror æ, den e helt klart av sin tid.
Hard Rock, 1983 -> 2
Between 3 and 3.5. Enjoyed but nothing stuck with me. Probably will not go back
Album No. 0148 on my list. Neither Hanoi Rocks nor their album "Back To Mystery City" had ever been on my radar - I had simply not been aware of their existence. Well, and what can I say? I could have lived happily ever after if that had not changed. "Back To Mystery City" is really peak 80s glam metal. And not necessarily in a good way. I don't think it's a terrible album, and since it predated some of what the rest of the decade had in store regarding this genre, I guess it may have been somewhat influential. But personally, I think it's rather mediocre both in terms of music and lyrics, and is not particularly well produced either. I found the whole thing rather boring, the songs feeling somewhat generic, repeatable, and interchangeable. I'll add "Malibu Beach Nightmare", and "Beating Gets Faster" (a lighthearted pop metal song) to my playlist. To summarize: not fully terrible, but rather a forgettable album overall. 2/5 stars.
I thought this was pretty solid. Nothing spectacular, just a fun listen. It's a little glammy and dated, but that kind of adds to the charm. Overall: 3/5
Pretty bad, not gonna lie.
That was some music I guess. Like maybe they were the progenitor of all the tropes of hair metal and I listened to far too much dad rock in high school but there was really nothing that really excited me.
Makes me wish I was listening to New York Dolls instead, which in turn makes me wish I was listening to Roxy Music instead, which once again in turn secretly makes me wish I was just listening to Virginia Plain on repeat. Nobody's perfect I suppose, and this album can attest to that.
This was fine, nothing special
Enjoyable listen! Ice cream summer stood out to me.
It was OK I guess, for glam rock.
Glam rock. That was just ok
There's some fun tracks here but nothing too special.
This was pretty good
Less interesting musically and more interesting for it represents.
It really is just another glam metal 80s album. A bunch of trendy for the time dudes trying to be awesome and get the spotlight. The lead guitarist is really the thing holding them together at all. The rhythm section is pretty good on their own. But the singer can't sing, which can work with some bands, but he really just doesn't fit at all and rips. It's like he's trying too hard to have bite and ferociousness, but it either sounds like a random, weird animal or exactly what he looks like on the cover. The production, I think, is the real let down. I feel like they would be a lot more listenable if the sound had any substance. Just sounds hollow and shallow. Not a great album, but it has a few listenable, fun moments
Dumb proto-hair metal without a lot of punch. Not godawful, but not particularly interesting.
80’s glam!
Never judge a book by its cover. Except for this album which is exactly what the album cover sounds like
A little dated sounding now, but probably good for the time. Pretty fun. Feeling generous
A rather forgettable late 70s early 80s punk-metal-rock album for me. The album was cohesive and sounded "right", but the music didn't really interest me.
WAAAAYYYYYYY better than I expected. I saw the album cover and literally went "what the fuck is this? Who the fuck are these people?" Was kinda a snoozefest until "Tooting Bec Wreck"; this was when the album gave me a killer groove. I honestly don't give two rats about the rudimentary lyrics, I usually don't pay attention to the lyrics in a song anyway. (I was brought up on pop and EDM, so I give more weight to production than lyrical meaning) Until I Get You is an amazing song! I will listen to it and Bec Wreck a couple more times. Rest of album was boring.
vult een gat ergens tussen glam, pubrock en punk.. geen idee of het echt noodzakelijk was dit gat te vullen, maar het is geen slechte plaat
Incredibly stupid proto-hair metal. I think it speaks volumes about the genre that these people barely spoke English but I wouldn't bat an eye at these lyrics even if I didn't know that. Pretty fun in places though.
I thought this was going to be standard 80s hair metal (which to be fair, I would have been fine with) but this is really good. Even my wife who hates that shit enjoyed it. Also, fuck Vince Neil for killing the drummer.
its fine, GO NEXT
80s rock baby
Listening session: january 31th, while going for a walk Listened to before: no Thoughts: I actually liked the album cover better than the music and that says something Favourite track: Tooting Bec Wreck
Finnish 80's glam rock? Anyone...? Come on, they're fun... look at their hair! No...? OK then, we'll leave it back in 1983 Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Naff ★★☆☆☆ (4/10) Total reviewed : 215 Already owned : 49 Purchased : 10 To buy list : 4 Nope : 152
I'm surprised I haven't heard of these guys before. Very typical 80s rock. Not that bad at all, but also nothing that stands out.
ok
Glam Power pop. Decent, but not much more than that.
I mean it’s alright.
1/27/26. Cool discovery! Not crazy about hair metal but this one was decent, however it felt repetitive and formulaic throughout. Was disappointed after the opening track which I really enjoyed.
Fun album. These guys influenced bands like guns n roses, etc. Favorite track: strange boys play weird openings other picks: malibu beach nightmare, tooting bec wrect
Initially I was just confused by this. I've heard the name of the band but after minor research I note this is not an album seen very favourably. Then the first two songs go from "okay this is sort of nice oh and suddenly it's insane". But I appreciate the sound is constantly changing. Honestly all things considered I could really see myself liking this if I'm in the right mood or doing the right activity. I anticipated a sound more akin to Europe with the hair and the hard rock/glam mix but this was... something entirely different. Sidenote the glam genre is very heavily weighed and not very well reviewed. Especially considering for a FACT I know there are suede albums on this list and not in the genre. Anyway, I think this album is condensed fun in a bottle. While I may not listen to it day to day and it is very much standing in the shadows of giants considering when it released, I could never bring myself to openly dislike this album. Also worth noting I see the influences and importance of this album. I see how this leads to bands like Guns and Roses and Skid Row, bands I like a lot and are very important to my taste. Songs like "Until I Get You" really show there is substance with that style and while on some level if I heard this blind I could probably have told you the year it released pretty accurately I don't think that's a bad thing. Ultimately I think this is pretty enjoyable if you approach with an open mind, even if the one two punch of the first two songs is a little nuts. While maybe not the best aged or most incredible music written in 1983 it deserves some level of attention for its important to the genre because it literally influenced Guns and Roses and you CAN tell. Best Songs: Until I Get You (Seriously just a great song) Worst songs: N/A Rank compared to everything else so far: 48/61 (below Daydream Nation, above Coat of Many Colors)
It’s ok
I really don't know why this album of tired old rock tropes and cliches has made it on to this list.
Classic 80s sound.
Classic glam rock sound. Razzle is gone too soon
Tried to give this another listen, but I really just don't like it. The first three tracks have an energy and playfulness I can almost get into, and when she interesting instrumentation, but then it devolves.
Apparently, these guys helped birth Poison, Guns N ' Roses, Motley Crue, and all the other '80s hard rock glam bands. I don't knee-jerk hate those bands the way I did when I was younger, but I also don't find much that differentiates one band from another, to the point of boredom. If I didn't know the history/lineage, I'd assume Hanoi Rocks was just another one of those bands, because this sounds like all of them. I struggled to keep this on past the third track.
More like Hanoi Is Okay, amirite? I knew a couple songs going into it that I thought were fine, and that’s how I felt about it overall. It was fine. Every time it threatened to be solid glam rock, it turned a bit too lame. Every time it threatened to be a bit too lame, it turned into solid glam rock. 3/5
3.5 but appreciate the early GNR vibes
Back to the mystery city was one of the top 10 sexual moves listed in Len Houmous’ Karma Sutra. 3.1 2/10 Malibu Beach Nightmare
Strange Boys Play Weird Openings n/a Malibu Beach Nightmare 3.4 Mental Beat 3.4 Tooting Bec Wreck 3.6 Until I Get You 3.7 Sailing Down the Tears 3.4 Lick Summer Love 3.6 Beating Gets Faster 3.5 Ice Cream Summer 3.4 Back to Mystery City 3.2 Score: 3.466666667
Really nice listening to some European music. Love the rock and roll of the album. Made me want to discover this band further. Would listen to again.
Didn’t finish, funky 80s rock tho
daaamm i loved this one! one of my favorite new ones so far! fave song: until i get you
quit bleak. But do like it it has a groove
I can't take this album seriously at all. It's got a fun glam rock energy to it and if I was in a dingy basement gig venue somewhere it'd be a great time. But as an album it feels poorly produced and the songwriting is so basic it makes me feel like I could have written the songs as a teenager. I'm not quite sure how it ended up on the 1001 best albums of all time list if I'm honest. It gets an extra point for the saxophone. 5/10.
Not on Amazon Music
I really can't stand this hair metal type of music
This is pretty poor
Vocals, instrumentation, lyrics, and production were just cringy bad. We are all worse for having heard this. Still better than anything by Oasis.
Favourite Songs: Until I Get You
Pretty boring actually
Pretty fun and honestly a breath of fresh air after some looooong overstuffed albums
When your crowning achievement is influencing Ratt and Motley Crue, you especially can't have a song about fucking a virgin into submission. I was most offended by the 50s rock pastiche.
I should have discovered this album much earlier! I had heard of Hanoi Rocks and remember seeing the cover a few times (I was even familiar with some of Michael Monroe's solo work), but I never felt the need to listen to the album. “Malibu Beach Nightmare” and the first few songs sound like a European punk rock band from the early 80s with a touch of new wave (which Hanoi Rocks probably were at the time). But then, starting with “Until I Get You,” the band really finds its own style, and I recognize some ideas that are strongly reminiscent of the early works of Guns n' Roses. This is exactly the missing link between punk rock and glam rock that I've been missing until now—now it all makes sense! It would have been a shame not to know this album before I die!
Way better than expected. Ive seen them as a Motley crue from wish (brrr), but they were actually way better. Gonna check out their earlier stuff too.
Mediocre at best, but I didn’t hate it.
Somewhat forgettable in the background
The first song being a fake out was actually brilliant! Super punk, which was fantastic given how clearly Hanoi Rock's only goal was to have fun. Back to Mystery City is a fun mix of punk, glam, and rock. I mean, I'd even call this album campy! I say this out of love because I quite enjoyed it. I mean, "Malibu Beach Nightmare" was silly, but the piano and sax in the instrumental section were dynamite! So even if they had fun and it's a silly album, it's at least well done. 3.5, rounding up.
Look, I find this type of 80s glam/hair/metal thing to be a guilty pleasure. And I definitely didn't even mind this album. And a song that was inspired by an Alice Cooper track? Count me in. But still, this album was ultimately pretty underwhelming as far as an inclusion on this project goes. It's one of those albums where I could probably listen to it and go "yeah, this is passable", but I definitely expect more from an entry on this project. Furthermore, all of the music on the album is catchy in the moment (to me), but none of it was very memorable. This is one of those albums that is about a 2.5 for me, and I had to decide "do I round up or do I round down?". Well, I couldn't really find any inspiration for rounding up, so here we are.
I mean, I enjoyed listening to it but also who the fuck are these guys making random glam rock stuff and why should I listen to this other than it’s kinda fun. Hmmm
this was actually unpleasant to listen to.
I don't have any songs on this to playlist, but I didn't hate any of it. It felt a bit pointless and forgettable.
not bad. ripped a few ideas from others but comes together
I can see why this is important, but it doesn't mean I need to like it.
On some level, I can understand why someone would want to include Hanoi Rocks as an artist to listen to before you die. The Finnish group is often considered one of the pioneering acts of glam metal. Several bands copied their style and attitude, so it would make sense to take a look at the original article. As for the album of choice, it probably makes sense to have one that charted in the UK and featured drummer Razzle before his untimely death. With all that said, what did we get from Back to Mystery City? I'll admit, despite my affinity for cheesy glam rock music, even I can recognize that the album's quality is sporadic. Ignoring the intentionally off-putting intro piece "Strange Boys Play Weird Openings", this album is strongly bookended with "Malibu Beach Nightmare" and the title track, with the high-octane guitar riffing, punching percussion, and Michael Monroe's rowdy vocals that one would come to expect from the genre. But the rest of the tracks are stuck in the mid-tempo doldrums, even towards the ballad territory with "Until I Get You", and it becomes hard to ignore how undercooked the songwriting is, instrumentally and lyrically. Andy McCoy may be a decent guitarist, but as a songwriter, I've heard better. That kind of leads to what I consider to be the ultimate indictment for Hanoi Rocks and why they are at best relegated to having a cult following - the glam metal bands that came out around their time and after boast more significant musicianship and better production in addition to the style and attitude. For as much as I generally had an okay time with this record, I probably would have had an even better time spinning some Guns N' Roses or Skid Row. Even back in 1983, this album came out a couple of months after Def Leppard's Pyromania, which has managed to maintain cultural relevance for much longer. Hell, Finland as a country would produce better music within the next decade with acts like Nightwish and Children of Bodom. All of this to say that Back to Mystery City is a solid enough record that holds some historical significance in the pantheon of heavy music, and that's about it.
Lotta cringey hair metal but also a few bangers.
✅✅✅ Tooting Bec Wreck
Not my cup of tea, but didn't hate it
It rocks
Positives: Not as bad as the cover image suggested. They are Finnish, even though one song was called Tooting Bec. Negatives: I have been back at school for one day and cannot remember any of it other than that there was a song called Tooting Bec and it wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be.
Was dreading this when I saw the tags of ‘glam’ and ‘hair metal’. It wasn’t as glam or hairy as I was expecting which was a blessing, though just a bit non-descript. A day later, I couldn’t tell you much about any of the songs, other than about half of them incorporating what Lyra calls the ‘football drum pattern’. No idea why it is on this list other than, from what Wikipedia told me, being the first Finnish band to chart in the UK. Big whoop.
Like if the Replacements or Cheap Trick had an early 80s glam rock side project. There’s some cringe, but I feel this is actually pretty solid! Beating Gets Faster is a solid bop, and Lick Summer Love has awful, awful backups. We take the good with the bad.
The Good: There’s a mystery! The Bad: We did not get a map to find said city… The Ugly: The fucking album cover… sorry… Finally I get to listen to the album which, at times, is listed as the lowest ranking of all albums on this journey. I have to say that the first couple of tunes made me wonder why people hate this album so much… Then, around track #4, you start wondering who ever, in their right mind, decided to sign these boys to a record deal… The vocals are pretty darn bad to listen to, and the songs start fizzing in the middle. I guess we all understand that they are included due to the tragic death of the drummer… but then again, Spinal Tap warned any wanna-be-musician that the choice of percussion can be lethal! Out of respect for the dead I will grant the album 3*, because it’s not total trash, but it’s not great either...
This was my first time listening to Hanoi Rocks. They've always been one of those bands that a bunch of other bigger-name bands cite as being the originators of glam. Unfortunately, this just doesn't do it for me.
10/10
This isn’t hitting that hard for me. It’s just rock music. Not much sticks out about it to me. Might be a case of listening to the thing that then became the standard, though, and I’m unimpressed because I’ve heard what is ultimately their influence in too many other things.
feels pretty standard, it was good listening though
Tää on hyvä levy, vaikka jäänyt kokonaisuutena vähälle kuuntelulle Hanoi-tuotannosta. Paljon hyviä biisejä!
Liked this more than I thought I would. Did not know this was the drummer that Vince Neil killed. He's very good on this record.
I haven't listened to a ton of actual 80's glam metal stuff like this; I didn't hate it but I was hoping it would be sillier/trashier/catchier or something.
Three songs was too much, travesty on the ears.
80s garage band that never made it?
For anyone approaching this list with no knowledge of metal, you might get the misimpression that "hair metal" is one of the major subgenres. This one is essentially hard rock, with some occasional elements of pop-rock and punk. There's nothing specifically bad here, but damn it's a highly optimised mix of brash and boring. I'm quite keen to not hear this again. 2.5*
Lots of good sounds!
Loud, dumb glam rock. It's a fun listen, but I didn't really take anything away from it.
Embarrassed to say I've never heard this before. Guess I was too busy listening to Shout at the Devil. More 80's rock, please! 4.75
Don't give this album extra credit by calling it "hard rock"
Pretty generic glam metal, it’s listenable but not remarkable. I never heard of the band before and I’ll probably forget about them before too long to be honest.
A couple times I tapped along but most of it just sounded generic and like things I’ve heard hundreds of times before. Not into it.
I was worried when I heard the first track, what’s wifh all the bird sounds… but after that I really liked this, 3..5 rounds to 4 stars.
Eh, it’s fine but there are other hair metal bands I’d rather hear
Second best band I’ve heard from Finland, just behind that cha cha cha Eurovision entry that was completely robbed a fee years ago. I liked the first minute or two of all these tracks, but they often overstayed their welcome
Ahh nice enough, and an interesting Wikipedia read which is always appreciated. Simpsons: No
Really didn't interest me. Was glad it finished.
I enjoyed it
Couldn’t really connect with it.
Do I kind of like a hair metal album?! This record really surprised me. I assumed I would dislike it but was pleasantly surprised. That said, I still wouldn't put this on, although if someone else did, I wouldn't be mad.
3+ Stars (9/15)
Solid rock album. Kinda reminds me of cheap trick at times
don’t feel anything special with this one. it’s fun but -to me- it’s nothing groundbreaking or obviously belonging on a list like 1001 albums to listen to before you die. favorite tracks: malibu beach nightmare until i get you sailing down the tears
Day 6 of the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die with @marmeu. This album was overall incredibly boring and Tooting Bec Wreck being the only above average song on here. This album is just pretty boring and each song doesn't bring much new to the table. It seems to be a style I have heard oh so much and I don't see myself returning if this is my baseline. Overall boring and repetitive. 39/100
Se calhar fui eu que me fartei de rock
Hanoi Rocks seem like scholars of rock and roll. There are lots of little references and musical jokes and genre switch-ups in their songs. They often sound like they're nodding to their influences in a sort of tongue-in-cheek way. Their main mode is hard rock and heavy metal, but there's no shortage of theatricality and showmanship. They've got as much in common with Dexys Midnight Runners as they do Black Sabbath. It's a fun energy.
Nice 80's radio rock record. The band sounds pretty tight, but the main vocals are sometimes a bit low in the mix.. I feel like I often wanted more bigger hooks or true frontman "moments" that were so prevalent in this era. Nice record overall though, surprised at the very low play counts (Spotify only had 1 song with over 1 million, "Until I Get You", and no other track over 400k). "Malibu Beach Nightmare" is probably my favorite here, great energy and super fun sax part that comes out of nowhere.
Hanoi Sucks. 80's junk punk. Mediocre production value.
Fun. 4
Quite Hanoing.
Nothing different to any other band like this around at the time. Not sure why it's in the list!
Some fun moments of glam excess but not really essential listening
I suppose 1983 was just about right for this. I do not care for the glammy metal stylings. It is as if they listened to a good bit too much '70s AOR to practice their English. It's like a really good high school band before they learned some creative individuality.
I’m sorry that their career was truncated - sounds like a sad and premature end. Although Hanoi Rocks, this just didn’t for me. Never even reached the heights of mediocrity.
Even while I knew who Michael Monroe and Hanoi Rocks were, remarkably, I don't know that I've ever listened to a note of their music before this. I assumed they were from California (but... Finland?) and that epitomizes how little I know about the band. The album is a solid blend of punk, glam, rock, don'tgiveafuck, and I appreciated this a lot more now that I would have years ago, so maybe I was just waiting for the right moment to engage. Monroe seems to have influenced the likes of Perry Farrell — but Monroe's willing to explore different elements of his voice and style, to his credit and the benefit of the music. That said, there was plenty of material that held this back from a higher rating, but I liked this more than a simple 3.
I can't say I enjoyed this exactly, but it's a strange record, and I love that journey for them.
Just wasn’t it for me. I found myself drowning it out early on and through the rest of the album. Next pls
Ass
Was surprised to see this called heavy metal. It sounded like a weird mix of punk and new wave. It was not great.
This was loud and fast soft punk. Is this what they call hair metal? I like the glam aspects and the energy, but I didn’t walk away itching to spin it again. Not bad for some Finns!
I can see why Hanoi Rocks is on the list. This record marked a pivotal moment in their career, blending elements of punk, glam rock, and 70s pop into a unique sound that influenced future Sunset Strip metal bands like Guns N’ Roses and Poison. A guilty pleasure that brings me back to the 1980s! 4⭐️
How did the costoms at the border acept this?
Fun and energetic! ★★★
This was generally inoffensive and I was gonna give it a 3, until I caught a stray with the errant “bitch” in the second to last song.
This is one of those sleazy albums I just can’t help but enjoy. It’s a gritty mix of glam punk and hard rock, and what’s really cool is that it came before glam metal and hair rock really took off. In fact, this album is often considered one of the first glam and hair metal records of the 1980s, and it had a huge influence on bands like Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Guns N’ Roses. Like I said, it leans heavily into that sleaze rock vibe, so it’s definitely not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those who get it, there’s a lot to appreciate.
Not really that good, to be honest.
In the early 80s, Hanoi Rocks generated considerable hype that, frankly, I never bought into. I haven't revisited the band since that decade, and I went into "Back to Mystery City" having no memory of ever hearing it. Its inclusion on this list of 1001 albums was a genuine surprise. While it’s a pleasant listen, a solid, good rock album, it’s certainly not brilliant or earth-shatteringly original. The music’s biggest disservice is its thin production; the sound demands a fuller treatment than it receives here. As a result, "Back to Mystery City" is a straightforward three-star record: neither poor nor essential. 1 "Strange Boys Play Weird Openings" (3/5) 2 "Malibu Beach Nightmare" (3/5) 3 "Mental Beat" (3/5) 4 "Tooting Bec Wreck" (3/5) 5 "Until I Get You" (3/5) 6 "Sailing Down the Tears" (3/5) 7 "Lick Summer Love" (3/5) 8 "Beating Gets Faster" (3/5) 9 "Ice Cream Summer" (3/5) 10 "Back to Mystery City" (3/5) Total - 30 Average - 3 173/1001 94/173 albums reviewed were new to me.
Onko ainoa suomalaisedustus? Torille!
Ok
Just another solid punky hard rock album, nothing special but has good energy
*I lost all the notes I wrote for nearly half the album... I'm totally mad. System went: [Couple of sentences per track] [Favourite Tracks] [Overall impression] [Inspirations/Visuals/Reminds me of...] Skip the impression yo... Overall, it's a very fun album, blending genres like rock/metal/psychedelic/ rock and roll/ pop for their sound. Favourite track is Tooting Bec Wreck for it's chaotic mix of a little bit of everything. These guys are considered Glam Metal and apparently became one of the biggest inspirations for later bands in that genre like Guns and Roses, Skid Row and Poison (according to wikipedia.) They were also Finnish! Front man Michael Monroe's voice totally fooled me! Tooting Bec Wreck reminded me of Earthworm Jim with it's farm animals and grimey reverbed bass tone introducing the song. You can imagine the band's total lean into childish fun on stage while they performed this.
This is from Finland, so they are represented. Not very well. Towards the end there were a few songs that I would give three stars, but generally they remind me of your average high school garage band.
Ok, this is VERY 1980s. For starters, it's hair metal. It has everything you'd expect from the genre with added saxophone solos on top, which enhance the 80s feel. I don't really get why it's on the list as the band isn't hugely popular in modern times. Unfortunately, they lack the catchy hooks of the genre's greats. 3 stars for the music, loses 1 star for some very gross lyrics (the title track is the worst offender, but no song here is completely innocent).
Finnish gem
Was man so alles entdeckt. Finnische Rockmusik aus den 80ern hatte ich auch noch nicht auf dem Schirm
Probably doesn’t belong on the list, but it was at least enjoyable.
Ik verplicht mezelf om niet naar de ratings te kijken voor ik een album aanzet om niet beinvloed te raken. Hier heb ik dat toch gedaan na het 2e nummer, om te kijken of ik nou gek word of dat dit gewoon een heel matig album is? Hoezo staat dit op die lijst? Is het omdat het ontzettend invloedrijk is voor Finse rockmuziek? Staat Doe Maar dan ook op de lijst? Ik heb af en toe zo ontzettend veel vragen voor hoe deze lijst is samengesteld. Voel me ook wat lullig tegenover het album van gisteren. Dat was saai, maar dit is gewoon echt slecht. Dit voedt wel weer mijn theorie dat bijna elk rock/punk album uit de jaren 80 op deze lijst moet. Nee, dit is niet echt mijn ding. Instrumentaal is het opzich prima, maar de zang is echt heel slecht. Ook lijkt de opname kwaliteit behoorlijk matig, wat natuurlijk de 80s glam vibe niet echt helpt te verdringen. Gelukkig is het een kort album, het krijgt geen 1 omdat ik het niet haat. Maar als ik nooit meer Hanoi Rocks hoef te luisteren is dat een persoonlijke overwinning. Zelfs de saxofoon op sommige nummers kan dit album voor mij niet redden, en dat zegt een hoop! FAVO: Beating gets faster(op de valreep toch een mierzoet liedje dat gewoon wel vibet ofzo)
fun glam rock
Sorry I loved this
I mean, it is not terrible. But certainly not my type of music either. To me it is boring and somehow reminds me of cheap alcohol.
Eh was not memorable
Fav: Malibu Beach Nightmare Least Fav: Tooting Bec Wreck Being one-note isn’t much of a problem if the one thing they’re doing is great. In this case it’s… not too bad
When I got this album its description and cover didn’t appeal to me at all and I was prepared for a head scratching member of this list, but it surprised me. I expected a cheesy 80’s punk/hair metal hybrid, but I heard a record that I could have easily mistaken for a lost Replacements album. It’s one of the better discoveries of this project so far from a band I’d never heard of before.
Decent 80s rock. Not as cheesy as some of the other hair metal of the era.
The hair metal equivalent of Coldplay just really fucking boring
From and album cover and name of the band I thought this was going to be some awful 80s synth thing, but this was actually great. Was always on the verge of going full cheese, but this was just a really fun album to listen to. Surprisingly great bass lines on this one.
Interesting
Not totally objectionable, but I really don’t think this needed to be on the list tbh.
Co to ma być? Dlaczego te wszystkie rockowe płyty brzmią tak samo? Ma to jakiś klimat, wokal też jest przyjemny, ale w żadnej mierzę nie czuję, że mam do czynienia z jedną z najlepszych płyt w historii. Bo niby dlaczego? Co drugi rockowy zespół tak brzmi. 6/10/
Overrated
First listen
Never heard of this band, not even a whisper and honestly I'm not sure why. Maybe it's just me. Maybe their sound is not unique enough, but Back to Mystery City is a good album and a good listen. Standout songs: Malibu Beach Nightmare, Until I Get You and Back to Mystery City
Painfully mediocre and generic, no idea how it got on this list.
1983. Fairly good enough but didn't push into the exciting.
Super cool George Thorogood style Bar Blues rock-mixed with catchy Glam rock hooks! Understandable that the American powerhouses that melded the Arena rock and Heavy-glam, were impacted by this band.
Not my style
Eh pretty 80s and not really my interests
Poison ripped these guys off.
2.5
Meh, a little too hair metal-y for me. It was fine but nothing really hooked me.
The title track starts off pretty groovy, with lots of energy. The rest isn't bad, but it kind of sounds like glam rock that time forgot. Or like tracks written for the unproduced sequel of Rocky Horror Picture Show. It's much better than Mott the Hoople, which of course was on this list due to Bowie involvement. But not really great. The horns on Ice Cream Summer add a level of cheese unnecessary even for glam rock. Lick Summer Love pretty bad... that horn is back as well. Sailing Down the Tears sounds like glam rock mixed with some sort of country jangle. This album isn't the worst as some tracks have some redeeming quality, but definitely doesn't deserve this list. 2/5
Ist die Band so schlecht oder tut sie einfach so als wäre sie eine neu gegründete Schülerband in den 70ern? Aber ok, in einem kleinen Club mit genügend Schnaps on top waren die vielleicht ganz lustig.
The cool thing about this album is that you can hear the influences on Hanoi Rocks here - The Ramones, The Stones - the sax even feels a bit Springsteen. But you can also hear how this albums influences a bunch of music to come. I knew of the connection to Motley Crue of course, but you can really hear what an impact the band had on the whole hair metal scene. Take that for what it's worth because, well, hair metal.
Finland done good.
Apparently... 💥 Why Back to Mystery City is 1001-worthy 1. It’s the band’s creative peak. This 1983 record is generally considered the definitive Hanoi Rocks album — the moment where their street-punk energy, glam swagger, and melodic songwriting all came together. Earlier albums were rawer; later ones more polished. Back to Mystery City nails the balance. 2. It bridged punk, glam and hard rock before anyone else did. Hanoi Rocks fused the attitude of the Sex Pistols with the hooks of Mott the Hoople and the flash of early Aerosmith. That mix directly inspired the next wave of glam-metal bands — especially Guns N’ Roses, who cited Hanoi Rocks as their template for Appetite for Destruction. 3. It’s packed with cult-classic songs. Tracks like “Malibu Beach Nightmare,” “Mental Beat,” “Until I Get You,” and the title track showed real sophistication beneath the sleaze. They’re full of restless youth, romance, and desperation — what Michael Monroe called “the beautiful chaos of being alive.” 4. It captured a global moment in rock. Recorded in London and produced by Dale Griffin (of Mott the Hoople), the album gave European glam a new identity just before MTV and Sunset Strip rock exploded. You can hear the DNA of this record in bands from The Cult to Skid Row. 5. It’s historically influential. Without Back to Mystery City, the entire glam-metal movement of the mid-’80s would look and sound different. It’s cited by Slash, Nikki Sixx, and Duff McKagan as a direct influence — Duff even said seeing Hanoi Rocks live “changed everything.”
Could be any 80s hair rock band tbh. If it was on i would listen i guess, but not an album i would choose to put on myself. Hate the random screaming. Feels like they're trying too hard to be "experimental" and "deep". Half the songs sounded pretty same same. Will not listen again or seek out more of the artist. Agree with Robert christgau "Monroe and McCoy lack hooks, are backed by "cute if over-calculated" dual guitar playing, and "yowl English-language lyrics that must impress Finns more than native speakers like myself.""
Another ‘meh’ one for me. Some of the songs were OK and getting a bit more catchy after a second listen. If I had gone through life not hearing this album I would definitely not consider myself deprived.
Very good. Cool. Hard rock. Glam metal. Like Kiss but i might even say it's a little better than their average song (but Kiss hits are like no other). It's a little more garage it's a little more real. i like it but probably not as much as i should
I'm so glad I wasn't around in the 80s
It’s a little stupid, but it’s fun. The songs are catchy and the performances are solid. Favorite songs were Malibu Beach Nightmare, Sailing Down The Tears, and Beating Gets Faster.
Even though this is getting 3 stars, I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised. When I first saw the band name I thought, wtf. A quick glance at their discography did not encourage things. It seems like they are leaning in to some sort of 80s Orientalist marketing. But at least the music on this album had something to offer. This was an interesting listen because it charts a certain progression in rock music at the early 80s. I’m hearing echos of the New York Dolls and the Sex Pistols, with a moderate dose of sleaze (not as much of the heavily processed sleaze found on other records of this era). Listen to the bridge on “Malibu Beach Nightmare” and then the intro to “Pretty Vacant.” I’m also hearing the foundations they laid for future artists like Rancid and QOTSA (“Mental Beat” sounds like it could be an outtake from …Like Clockwork). The album was a fascinating glimpse into a particular musical moment, threading the needle of glam, punk, hair metal, and old-school rock-n-roll. I’d be interested in returning to it and better understand the cultural conditions that led to a band like this coming out of Finland.
This is the second time this album came up for me and I feel my review changing. Original review 8/17/25: Interesting back story but that’s about it Revised 11/4/25:I really enjoy Malibu Bay, it stuck with me since the first listen a few months ago. This time around perhaps I’m more open minded or in a different headspace, but someway somehow the album got another star out of me. Good energy, would buy on wax…but not for more than $5. Disclaimer: I only got two hours of sleep last night. That may be the reason I enjoyed this more.
i’m sorry but this album does not need to be here. it’s completely fine musically but there’s not a single thing it does that another group does better and more interestingly already on this list. just a waste of a spot imo
Upbeat and authentic, it feels like the band is having fun. Maybe a bit basic sounding, but apparently they're on this list for their influence in glam metal. Tracks to Track: Sailing Down the Tears
Hanoi Rocks? No. No they don't. Best Tracks: Mental Beat; Sailing Down The Tears; Back To Mystery City
did give my morning walk a sort of twin peaks gleam to it
Boring
Fun! I never heard of Hanoi Rocks before but I liked listening to it. I enjoyed the saxophone that was added in some songs. Favorite songs: Back to Mystery City, Until I Get You, Malibu Beach Nightmare
Heavy influence on glam metal to come.
This one’s a bit puzzling as an inclusion. It sounds like a milder Mötley Crüe - more pop-rock gloss than hard rock grit (at least by my standards). It’s fine, but I don’t fully hear the “must-hear” significance here. Still, given that Hanoi Rocks has been cited as an inspiration for Guns N’ Roses, Ratt, and Poison, I can see how this might represent an evolutionary bridge, taking the glam-punk of the New York Dolls and nudging it toward the full-blown glam metal that dominated the ’80s.
Underwhelming hair metal. I don't think anyone would be talking about them if their drummer didn't die tragically.
Thoroughly not-good. I hear nothing that even gives me a hint as to why this would be included on this list. From the years of their releases and their cover photos I'd guess that they are somehow credited for being on the vanguard of hair metal? But David Lee Roth had copied the New York Dolls look years before, and his little band was great. The music here is abysmal. Not only VH, but also Billy Squire were doing the "sexy-strut" thing far better at the same time, and without the jarring tendency of drifting into Bay City Roller's-esque bubble gum pop.
Vilken överraskning, en genre jag vanligtvis ringaktar. Detta svänger och är lite lagom skitigt. Otroligt mycket bättre än Guns n roses. Köper gärna ett ex av Hanoi rocks om jag ramlar över en vinyl
Name, cover and musical direction make for confusing mix. Hard rock, metal. Finnish rock. Fun hair rock, quite silly at times.
Never heard of them. After listening to their music, I know why. Not good.
New find and a great proto-metal album
Не очень вслушался, глэм как не очень нравился, так и не очень нравится. Но в целом любопытная запись.
Not bad!
Suprised to see the low rating on this one globally (2.67) as of today. While it’s nothing groundbreaking, I still thought this was a fun glam rock album. There isn’t much here that warrants a further listen, but this seems like a good guilty pleasure album. 3 stars.
Decent listen
On first impressions, this album was fine but one of the weaker rock entries in the list so far. Upon revisiting the album for this review, I liked it less. It's not really bad, but it gets the bottom spot. I could've lived without this one. Favorite track: maybe "Ice Cream Summer"
It was pretty good we enjoyed it. We stopped it many times accidentally
Lovely punk rock album!
This feels like a bridge between the glam rock of the 70s and the glam metal that would dominate the 80s. It has more of the artistry and musical inventiveness of the former, with the jocular energy of the latter.
Honestly was expecting a lot worse, p decent just quite unmemorable
As a dyed in the wool Gen Xer, I have a soft spot for 80s hair metal and these guys are basically the big brothers of that scene, at least until Vince Neal killed their drummer. I wouldn’t say I liked it but it’s a solid record for the era and entirely responsible for the career of Poison, who basically just took these songs and changed the words. Demerits for that, but overall, a solid C+
Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Sehr tolles Album!
Trying too hard to be badass. No sale.
I don’t hate it. It’s competent punk. But I have no idea why it’s here. I might give this 2.5 stars if I could.
Nice to have some non UK or US hard/glam rock for a change of pace from the usual. These Finnish lads are perfectly ok and rock hard. Apparently, they influenced the likes of Guns N’ Roses, Poison, Manic Street Preachers, Skid Row, Foo Fighters and Alice in Chains in one way, shape or another. Which is nice. But perhaps one had to be there in the late 70s and early 80s to fully appreciate what these guys were doing and how their sound and music was influential. While this was a pleasant enough listen when it was on, I found it totally forgettable as soon as it was over, and something I’m not ever likely to listen to again.
A glam-punk romp with big attitude and even bigger hair. The energy’s undeniable and the sax cameo is a delight, but the songs blur together and it never quite transcends its genre trappings. Fun, not great.
Look, I’m no music critic or an expert in what is good, but I for the life of me can’t figure out why this album is on here.
One of the pioneers of the "makeup rock". It's actually pretty good. 4 stars.
For what I'd call a 'classic rock' record, this wasn't half bad. Obviously very cheesy by today's standards, but didn't feel like it took itself too seriously. Favourite tracks: Malibu Beach Nightmare, Mental Beat, Sailing Down the Tears, Lick Summer Love (lol).
I think my friend Peter would love this.
You know how cave paintings are important parts of human heritage, but also, like, bad drawings?
Great but basic 80s rock album
Big, stupid, fun. 3/ 5
it was Fine.
Two duds in a row. The production on this is so flat that it's easy to forget you're actually listening to it. It just pretty much happened in the same room as me and I can't really recall anything of note about it other than the in sax in _ Malibu Beach Nightmare_ which adds some much needed dynamics to an otherwise utterly forgettable album.
Started off strong, fun, ended with a bit of boredom in it so the rating fell from the bike a lil bit.
Any group which inspired G'n'R is good in my books. This is too glam for my tastes, and you know if a song has any type of horn you can almost guarantee it'll be garbage. This has a few of those, but on the whole it's tongue in cheek, silly fun. It's lacking any killer tunes, its not serious enough for punk, not heavy or technically proficient enough to be Metal. That's the harbinger of much of the shite we'd see in the 80s - a chaotic mix of genres with a focus on image and ability over songwriting chops.
Classic suomirock. One more star for the haircuts!
More like Ranoi Hocks DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
Butt rock from Finland.
Sounds like generic Scandinavian glam rock. Maybe influenced Hellacopters or Turbonegro by showing that Scandinavians can play rock. Or maybe I'm making that up or imagining it. Makes me want to eat fries and grilled sausage with spicy sauce. But maybe I'm just saying that because somebody is carrying a bag of fries on the subway I'm currently on.
I’ve heard for a long time that this band was apparently influential as hell on all the 80s hair metal bands, and now that I’m finally listening to them for the first time that is certainly evident. They are such an interesting mixture of hard rock and art rock with a very European sensibility.
Another one I didn't know, but I'd listen to them again.
Glam punk. The missing link between glam rock and hair metal. Sort of like listening to Guns and Roses for the first time, or Kiss without knowing it's Kiss. The music is good without biographical distraction 3.49 stars