Brian May comments on Chickenfoot
From guitarist Brian May’s official website:
No - it’s not a Ban-the-Bomb sign. It’s explosive. It’s …. a Chicken Foot!
For those who like to ROCK (enunciated with a deep gravelly voice, a la Tommy Vance …), in a classic grass roots, frig-off, out-and-out real way …
This is the new album you have to get.
Chicken Foot are a new California ‘Super Group’ of wondrous musicians having a ball together and playing REAL rock music.
Just reading the group line-up is enough to get your taste-buds going … it’s a Classic Rock Nerd’s dream … (I proudly count myself in that category) - the awesome Chad Smith (from Red Hot Chili Peppers) on drums … undoubtedly one of the world’s finest … Michael Anthony (Van Halen) - undoubtedly one of the worlds greatest bass players … on vocals Sammy Hagar (Montrose and Van Halen) … undoubtedly one of the world’s great rock and roll vocalists, writers, guitarist front men. And … Jesus Christ … who would you like on Guitar? Joe Satriani!!! Well, our cup overflows, a finer guitarist you can find nowhere on this planet …
So … these guys play FOR REAL in the studio (and soon in a theatre near you) - with no clicks, only big bangs. I have had this album in my car since I came back from LA doing American Idol … I raced down to Sunset Strip where they were playing … after the TV show was over … to catch the end of the Chicken Foot show. And missed it! Very uncool. But I did come away clutching the new album in my hand. So - in the car? Well, it’s been a problem really … cos for a long time I could not get past track 3. Reason being … it’s so great. You just have to play it over and over again. It’s called “Sexy Little Thing” … a great great simple riff from Satriani … one of those riffs everybody wishes they had thought of … and then the colossal rhythm section kicks in … Big fat rolling growly bass. .. and enormous drums. Somebody’s gonna hate me for saying this, but I never quite felt Chili Peppers’ records quite captured the truly monumental power of this guy Chad, who has become a great friend … he played with us at the launch of WWRY in Vegas. On this record, you truly get the full effect of this frightening virtuoso hard hitter … there is a naked snare drum hit on this track which KILLS me every time it comes around … I have to turn it up and deafen myself every time … it makes me yell ! So probably many people have seen me driving around town recently and screaming like a madman. Well, this is why. You get the same kind of feeling from Sammy Hagar as you did on the Van Halen tracks “Why can’t this be Love” and “Best of Both Worlds” - pure excitement. He’s pretty underrated as a singer, in my opinion … never runs out of grit and top notes, or energy. Satriani? I LOVE hearing him play big fat rhythm - he still shreds and burns and performs impossible somersaults on the guitar … but that driving rhythm playing is … well, a total joy.
Enough. Go get it, please. It will cleanse and refresh and energise you.
Cheers
Bri
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June 29th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Guitar God himself Brian May… who in his lifetime jammed with “The King” likes Chickenfoot???
Oh my!!
June 29th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Change the name of the site please…..
June 29th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I agree…nice to hear it from Brian, I think this was genuine props from one hard rocker lover to his fans. I’ve had this album in my car since the day it came out. Listen to it on my ipod when going for a run. Just a great album. Not a bad track on it. I wasn’t so sure about ‘Oh Yeah’ at first, maybe just because it was the single. But now I’m digging it. Same with ‘Soap on a Rope’ - it was cool at first - now it really rocks, just a killer riff and cool lyrics (a big f u to all the Sammy haters). Lots of little things you don’t hear the first few weeks of listening are popping up. I had some favorites at first, now others are starting to stand out. Hard to choose favorites now cause the whole album jams. There is a definite reason the album is doing so well on the charts - people dig it. The whole album kicks ass. So glad to hear a fun, hard rocking CD. Can’t wait to see them live - I entered the contest to win tickets to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Got my wife and drinking buddies listening to the CD - we took photos after an evening of drinking and festivities then sent a few in with hopes to win some tickets! Will be a blast, Cleveland rocks!
June 29th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Nice observation Vanicionado. Starfleet Project was fun to listen to (hard to watch the cheesy video!), and the stories behind it were a lot of fun too.
June 29th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
That is kind of fitting, actually, an overrated guitar player about a way overrated band.
June 29th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Don’t be knockin’ Brian May. He is legendary cool.
June 29th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
sweet
June 29th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
As Ed once said, commenting on the overwhelming crowd reaction to newly acquired lead singer Sammy Hagar back in 1986..
“We luv ya”!
The proof is in the pudding.
The Foot is for real.
June 29th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
I respect Brian May but it is a little strange that he of all people just randomly make this posting on his web site.
June 29th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I agree completely. What class…. Brian May is a shining example of what a Rock Star should be. Humble, even though he can out-write and out-play (not that it matters) almost every rocker out there. Also very refreshing to see that music still gets him nuts…
The Snare hit on Sexy Little Thing. Brian, if you’re reading this, you probably can hear some of your influence in Satch’s playing and tone….
The guys in Chickenfoot must be blowing each other like circus seals after reading this….lol
Go get this cd NOW.
As far as comparing to Van Halen…he doesn’t need to. I personally hope Ed and the gang outdo this album because I think they can…you know…healthy competition….Ed is the shit and if anyone thinks differently then they’re fucked in the mind.
Don’t let what happened to MJ happen with Ed to realize what a talent we have in him (and all these guys.)
Fuck, I wish Jesus would come down and produce the next VH Album. Can you imagine the sonic insanity?
We are lucky as listeners and players to have all these fuckers around.
Be thankful and God forbid the next fucker who knocks Brian May…
Love and Peace
Scorch Riddlin
June 29th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Every word is truth. If you don’t have this record, GO GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 29th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Wow, now haters suggest Brian May is an “overrated” guitar player?
Do you hate anyone who isn’t Eddie?
June 29th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Rich, don’t lump Rick in with everybody else. I like Brian May as well as probably most on this site.
June 29th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Scorch IS the true Guitar God!! All must bow to him!
June 29th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
hey punkatomic,why do you say that?is it because chickfoot news is more than what color flowers eddie had at the wedding or what songs they played at eddies wedding?i can see it now,eddie will honeymoon for about 6 months and after that have to take a 3 month break after his honeymoon then after that maybe have a another kid so he’ll need some more time off for that then around 2012 start another album.
June 29th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
It’s so funny to hear the haters hate on the possitive elements of a good band that isn’t Van Halen. It’s so darn rediculous to read so much negativity towards Chickenfoot. These haters love to hate anything that isn’t Van Halen but yet EVH was the one who accepted Sammy Hagar into the band back in 1985, hired Mitch Malloy, dumped David Lee Roth and brought Gary Cherone aboard all during 1996. I’m not knocking EVH. He has his reasons for playing musical singers but since he was the one deciding who was in and who was out of the band, he is really the one that the haters need to question: Why did EVH ruin (in the haters eyes) Classic Van Halen. It’s not like Sammy, Mitch or Gary ever joined Van Halen against EVH’s will. But… As they say… Don’t hate the player… Hate the game!
June 29th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
LONG LIVE CLASSIC ROCK!! AS I HAVE STATED BEFORE, IT IS NOW TIME TO BRING REAL MUSIC BACK TO REPLACE THIS MUSIC? CALLED RAP (CRAP?), JUST LIKE DISCO IN THE LATE 70S, EARLY 80S, THEN PINK FLOYD CAME OUT WITH “THE WALL”!!!LONG LIVE CLASSIC ROCK!!!
June 29th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
very f%$#@!! cool…brian may rocks!
June 29th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Every new article…there has to be a few to try to bring things down. I guess Queen was just a so-so band, right? Whatever.
How bout something positive? How’s this for kick ass? Earlier this afternoon I posted in this thread about a contest I recently entered and now I just got a ‘congratulations’ email letting me know I won 2 tickets to a ‘free’ Chickenfoot concert at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!! If anyone’s interested in what happened…and if anyone else is going: My wife and I and a few buddies took some photos (no, not that kind) on Friday night and emailed them about 20 minutes before the midnight deadline This was in the middle of a fun night of hanging out drinking and partying it up (our neighborhood kicks major ass). I made a little shrine for the ‘photo shoot’ of CD’s from Chickenfoot of course, Van Halen, Montrose, solo Sammy stuff, some Satch CD’s and a couple of Chili Pepper’s. Added an old poster of Cabo Wabo Tequila that one of my employee’s gave me (a young kid that knew I loved Van Halen and anything related), and of course a polished off bottle from my 40th b-day party. My wife’s pretty hot if I can say that, so she was nice eye candy in the photo. It was somewhat spontaneous (the shrine took 5 minutes to put together) and 100% genuine (I just saw the email asking for photos that afternoon) – just some real fans having a good time. All Van Halen, Satch, Chili, and now Chickenfoot fans! They said we were randomly picked. Maybe it was or maybe it wasn’t. Bottom line – some real fans gonna be at that show! Not some random radio show winners that may or may not know the music, or industry insiders (ever had mediocre or shitty Van Halen seats and looked down to see someone in the front row that couldn’t care less? Not this time!). It’s gonna rock!! And at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame of all places? F’ing badass!
The concert is in Cleveland on August 15 - we’ll make a long weekend out of it, eat and drink at the Great Lakes Brewery. They make the best pale ales on the planet. High powered too, only need a few. Remember the Drew Carey Show theme song? Cleveland Rocks! It’s damn true…
Anybody else here going? Maybe we can meet up and party! I can think of a few regulars here that I wish could make it, always positive, always got the good old time Van Halen spirit. Wish you could be there my brothers. You know who you are. Let me know if anyone else here will make it. Will be an epic time, can’t wait… -Jim
June 29th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Brian May is a genuine innovator ( for the style of music he plays which is worlds away from Van Halen who is a genius as well-different trees in a different forest ) and it is so humbling seeing someone with his talent and history speaking out for his friends band…It is also so retarded and funny that instead of enjoying this some has to call him an overrated guitarist..I think people should aim their frustration where it belongs not at people who are actually doing something.
June 29th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Nuff Said
June 29th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Rick just can’t get off the hate wagon can he? Give it a rest, you’re in the extreme minority here with those comments.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Oh Rick, you sad-ass negative fool!
June 29th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Brian May kicks ass period! The solo on “Killer Queen” is as rhythmic and as feeling as the solo on VH’s “Secrets”.
Biff… when I heard “Starfleet” for the first time, it was on a cassette one hundred times removed from the original. I work at a radio station and the Program Director brought in his Vinyl copy last year and recorded it to digital for me. That album kicks butt!!! (Also got a bootleg copy of a pre-’VH 1′ concert from SoCal.) Brian and Eddie trading licks… sweet georgia brown! I have a ton of magazine’s of Eddie interviews and he said on one song he broke a string and they just kept on going.
Queen kicks butt…
I think some people can’t get over the fact that the lead singer wasn’t of a certain orientation.
Small minds… small world.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
if Brian really said, im in awe. to hear a great musician such as BRIAN FRIKN’ MAY compliment on a band as amazing as Chickenfoot, that is just cool as all hell!!!
June 29th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
thank you brian for speaking the truth.
June 29th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
“punkatomic says:
Change the name of the site please”
Change sites, please.
June 29th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Sammy was right — better than the Zep!
June 29th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
congrats biff! nothing sweeter than free tickets!
June 29th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Rick Who?
June 29th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Well Said Brian May!!!!!! That’s a class act Guitar Player who knows what Real Rock is all about from Queen to Chickenfoot. God Save the Queen and Long Live the Foot.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:32 am
Rick, Brian May “overrated”? You’re a musical ignoramus.
And or all those who don’t hate anything that isn’t Eddie Van Halen…
Couple of years back saw Brian May do a guitar clinic at the London Guitar Show and at the end of it Chad Smith joined him on stage for a few numbers. A little earlier Chad had given a drum clinic which opened your eyes to how good a drummer he is when you strip away the rest of the Peppers. When he joined Brian on stage he said this was one of his lifetime ambitions fulfilled to play with one of his musical heros. Great day.
And the Chickenfoot album get better with each listen.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:46 am
Brian May, a real class act. Except when he thinks “Queen” is viable in any way without Mercury
June 30th, 2009 at 4:52 am
Yeah guys, whatever. I don’t hate everything not VH and I don’t hate Brian May. Queen is generally not my cup of tea, but of course they are legit and some stuff is killer. Sure Brian is unique and all, but I don’t think he belongs in the real top league as a guitar player (which again is of course subject to judgment). My statement was kind of anticipatory, as I knew with him saying something like this he would be lifted into the highest spot on the sky by all the CF lovers here. In the end he’s probably just a buddy of Chad and helps him out with some good promo. Every little helps and CF has to start from the bottom (also figuratively).
June 30th, 2009 at 7:05 am
The Chickenfoot album is great. The Eat em and Smile album was great. All the Van Halen albums were great.
As a fan I don’t have to choose either or, I can enjoy all of it.
Peace
June 30th, 2009 at 7:08 am
Again…I’ll say it
If you want Van Halen ONLY news go to the category:
http://www.vhnd.com/category/van-halen/
Then we don’t have to see your whining…maybe next year you’ll have something to read!
June 30th, 2009 at 7:52 am
right on rockenvelop!!!!!
June 30th, 2009 at 8:44 am
I am in the same boat, I bought the album, and had a hard time going to track #4, Sexy little thing (Track# 3) is friggen awsome. It eats away at your brain when you stop listing to it… I think it far out does OH YEAH…but I guess OH YEAH is a good anthem and a good way to start…
June 30th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Wa Wa Zat Rick??? Your judgement meter is out of wack!!! Here’s a nickel, get a clue!!!!!
June 30th, 2009 at 8:52 am
Hey Rick, if you feel like getting out of your parents basement for awhile, I’m sure David Lee could use some help pulling weeds and wasing Eddie’s car.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Brian May is among the best of the best in - and out of - the music industry. Ignorant people who bash Brian May might as well wear a shirt that says, “hello there. I am an idiot.”
June 30th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Brian May has always been one of my favorite guitarists. He is in no way, shape or form overrated. And from all I have seen, he’s a genuine class act as well.
To The Doctor: Sure, Queen without Freddie Mercury can’t possibly be the same. That’s why they called it Queen + Paul Rodgers. Queen has a tremendous catalog — just because Freddie died does not mean they don’t have the right to break those songs out and give them a different spin every so often. What have they done in the near 18 years since Freddie died … a couple tours with Paul (only one in the U.S)? I don’t think that’s out of line at all, and is actually respectful of Mercury’s legacy by keeping that music alive.
Queen was a groundbreaking act — both live and in the studio — much like Van Halen.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
I gotta say that I’m almost totally ignorant to Queen material (they were a bit before my time and I just never dug them) however I’ve known that Brian May was one of the better guitarists out there.
To hear him dish on this band and album so glowingly is pretty damned impressive. I completely agree with at least two of his points: Chad is a monster (I mentioned that the Peppers seem to have been holding Chad down in an earlier thread after I saw their pre-tour show) and that Sexy Little Thing is just plain great. This better be their next song to hit the airwaves….
MA=VH
June 30th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
It is not possible to overate Brian May as a guitarist. If you think diffently than you don’t understand how to play!
July 1st, 2009 at 9:34 am
Brian May and Eddie Van Halen are the two reasons why I wanted to play guitar. Very cool Brian commenting on a former lead singer of Van Halen and his new band. Great stuff all the way around…
now, for some original music from VH, the first since 1998?
tick tock…
July 1st, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Damn, so it really IS *me* afterall that simply don’t get why Chickenfoot is so great. Cause’ I really don’t get it. Nice production, nice playing, sure, but… somebody tell me to shut up
July 1st, 2009 at 6:09 pm
it’ll be in the used record section in a couple of weeks LONG LIVE THE MIGHTY VAN HALEN
July 1st, 2009 at 6:41 pm
“LONG LIVE THE MIGHTY VAN HALEN”
Dude, they’ve been dead for ten years now.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Dude the reunion tour was the biggest money tour in V.H. history!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:36 am
Andy…
Dont feel left out man. I dont jump on any bandwagons. Never have..never will. I’ve always been a leader, not a follower. I’m not a fan of chickenfoot at all. The reason? I’ve never liked sammy hagar…period. I never liked his voice and i sure never thought he was an entertaining frontman. Not bashing just being extremely honest. For those who like the foot…god bless. At least you know these guys love rock and roll. With all the bullshit wannabe music out there, it is a good feeling knowing that a band can still rock and be noticed! So dont feel left out…love what you love…and love it to death! Love your idols. Thats my motto!
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:13 am
Van Halen is dead ace?
No brother…KISS is fuckin’ dead ok?
VH is alive and well in all the TRUE fan’s hearts.
If VH was DEAD nobody would have attended the reunion tour.
C’mon man…dont be so bitter. life is too short.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:06 pm
right on ducky maybe michael jackson will be buried in a KISS coffin ??????????
July 6th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Ha ha…maybe red rockin chair..MAYBE! LOL!
July 7th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Ha ha ALL the dirty/ducks…MAYBE!LOL!
July 10th, 2009 at 12:19 am
Hi Brian May,
Do U get a commision for plugging Chickenfoot? LOL! Ha.
Seriously, I saw your show at SD Cox Arena a couple years ago and it was supercool. Hope you keep touring!
Peace!
July 10th, 2009 at 12:58 am
RETURN OF THE CHAMPIONS:
Queen plus Paul Rodgers.
I hope they will do it again!
July 12th, 2009 at 7:04 am
I just recieved the album cd today and kept listening to it for hours, and I thinks its reaaaallllly good. Chickenfoot rocks!
July 16th, 2009 at 4:50 am
How good is it to have some great new music to listen too?!?! Thank you Chickenfoot!!!!