Michael Monroe – Not Fakin’ It

MICHAEL MONROE
NOT FAKIN’ IT
Released in 1989 (Mercury)
Billboard Chart Position #161

Track List:
01. Dead, Jail Or Rock ‘N’ Roll
02. While You Were Looking At Me
03. She’s No Angel
04. All Night With The Lights On
05. Not Fakin’ It
06. Shakedown
07. Man With No Eyes
08. Love Is Thicker Than Blood
09. Smoke Screen
10. Thrill Me

Band Member:
Michael Monroe – vocals and harmonica

Additional Musicians:
Phil Grande – guitar
Nasty Suicide – guitar
Jimmy Ripp – guitar
John Regan – bass
Kenny Aaronson – drums
Anton Fig – drums
Thommy Price – drums
Sue Hadjopoulos – percussion and tambourine
Ian Hunter – piano
Ed Roynesdal – keyboards
Mark Rivera – saxophone
Little Steven – background vocals
Holly Vincent – background vocals
Kim Lesley – background vocals
Nicole Hart – background vocals
Gennaro – background vocals

Production:
Produced by Michael Frondelli and Michael Monroe.

Review:
Not Fakin’ It was the second effort (first to be released stateside) from ex-Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe, and would prove to be the vocalist’s most successful album and a sleaze rock classic. Released singles were the exceptional rockers “Dead, Jail Or Rock ‘N’ Roll” (which featured members of Guns N’Roses in the promotional video) and “She’s No Angel” (a remake of the Heavy Metal Kids song), as well as the haunting ballad “Man With No Eyes”. But there isn’t a bad song on the disc, be it the cover of Nazareth‘s “Not Fakin’ It” which begs you to sing along, the mid-tempo “All Night With The Lights On” or the rocking album closer “Thrill Me”.

The sound here is hard/heavy rock mixed with blues, as Monroe has stuffed this album full of celebrities such as Little Steven, Hanoi Rocks alumni Nasty Suicide, Anton Fig (best known as a member of David Letterman‘s late-night TV band) and the legendary Ian Hunter. Not Fakin’ It is a very good album, and in a perfect world would have received more recognition on it’s way to massive sales. I would also like to give sympathy to Michael since he lost his wife June to cancer, by giving this record two thumbs up!

Reviewed by Pam for Sleaze Roxx, September 2003.

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