Music Review: Chickenfoot – Chickenfoot (Deluxe Limited Edition)

November 11, 2009 28 Comments

It’s been a great first year for the super group Chickenfoot. With a critically acclaimed album and tour and a Gold Certified record, it’s been as good a start as former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, Red Hot Chili Pepper Chad Smith and guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani could have asked for.

Now the band is giving something back to the fans by releasing a deluxe, limited-edition version of their CD. The CD contains the original album, as well as the previously only available through iTunes and vinyl bonus track “Bitten by the Wolf” — a heavy blues track that would be at home on the acoustic side of Led Zeppelin III with its distorted vocals and slide guitar.

In addition to the CD is an hour-long DVD filled with studio footage, interviews, live clips and the full-length music video for “Soap On A Rope.” The band intros all of the clips by singing a variation of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” substituting Chickenfoot for the word Christmas and with each band member setting up the footage. It’s clear from these clips, as well as the other studio footage and interviews that these guys love being in a band together, which is refreshing to see, especially considering the sometimes rocky internal politics of both Van Halen and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Live footage is taken from a number of locations, most notably the band’s appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival, though additional audio was taken from Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut and the House of Blues in Atlantic City. While the studio versions of these tracks are strong, live is where Chickenfoot really shines, extending solos and driving the songs much harder than on CD.

While some fans may accuse the band of double dipping by rereleasing their album, the CD is limited edition and the DVD is worth the price alone. Chickenfoot is a band whose members play purely for the love of music and it shows. After a successful album and tour, the future looks bright for the band.

View Chickenfoot merchandise at Van Halen Store.

Bluesbro

I love the Foot, but I think I’ll pass on this. I already have the Bitten song from vinyl, and have seen most of the vids I’m sure. It is the concert DVD that I am waiting for.
http://www.Qereach.com K. Reyoch

I plunked the $$ down. Well worth getting ‘Bitten by the Wolf’ and all the bonus features. Plus, now I can play Santa and give my first CD to someone who has been naughtynaughtynaughty.
bosox

I am glad I waited to buy the album. Good enough excuse to get it now.
Pat

this is why people hate paying for cd’s. putting out the same album again, with some bonus footage and one song? at least put some of the songs that didn’t make the album. a majority of artists are doing this and it’s disgusting.
Kevin Malone

“Chickenfoot is a band whose members play purely for the love of music”

I am very glad there is a Chickenfoot but I am sick of reading this nonsense.

Chickenfoot is a money grubbing merchandising machine.
sammyvanroth

what’s wrong with playing for the love of music and making money? you can do both…
Mike

“The sometimes rocky internal politics of Van Halen and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.” VH, sure, but the Chilis? I got the sense that Anthony, Flea, and John have been nothing but supportive of Chad being in Chickenfoot? Correct me if I’m wrong here…
ME!!

Now, I love Chickenfoot. Love the music, the guys are a blast to watch in their videos and live performances, but I gotta say the writer at Blogcritics.org really should stop and think before writing something like “the band is giving something back to the fans”. I mean I would think that practically anyone who already bought the album would not think of this as the band “giving something back” as much as the band sticking to the fans by forcing them to pay for the album all over again just to get the bonus DVD. Granted it’s a small price to pay and many of us have no doubt forked over that much or more to get just a DVD of our favorite bands’ performances, but it’s the word usage and phrasing of the writer that bugs me. I’m sure Sammy and the guys aren’t thinking of it as sticking it to the fans but rather as giving a little something extra, sort of a little incentive, to those that haven’t bought the album already, but being a writer myself I’d have thought that one through a little before arrogantly and pridefully publishing it for all the world to see because quite honestly it sounds more like he’s advertising for a record company than writing a review.
http://www.yahoo.com Dr. Evil

I’m a big fan of Sammy, Mike and Chickenfoot, but won’t be shelling out any extra dough for this limited edition CD. It’s a classic case of double dipping. If they were really concerned about their fans having Bitten by the Wolf, they could post a free download on their website. Other bands have done this sort of thing and it means a lot.
http://vhnd.com 50yr old fan

hey kevin malone, how do you pay the bills? this is america you know. at least they aren’t stealing from innocent people.
Rich

I think the reviewer was referring to the days of the Chili Peppers when they were pretty doped up and especially the early to mid 90s (when one guitarist, John, left due to substance abuse and hating the popularity. The album without him was a depature from their usual style and wasn’t really very well recieved, much like Van Halen III).

I want to get this, but I pre-ordered the debut album…this might go on my Christmas list or something.
Rich

Also, I think with less album sales possible because of torrenting, bands release deluxe editions to try to get more fans involved and actually get some money back into the record industry. The bands make way more money off of touring and merchandise than they do album sales.

I for one want to keep buying CDs so I try to buy when I can, support the industry and so forth.
http://michaelquinn.com.au MichaelQ

But But …. It’s got a White Cover !!!!

LOL – yeah not getting this. Do what Coldplay did and make it an addon you can get on iTunes.

This sort of stuff would be great for iTunes LP Extras – especially now Apple has the new Music Movie section.
The Doctor

I’ll buy a copy!
mjc

i’d be nice if vh’s first 6 albums were rereleased in deluxe editions.
Adam

You guys that are making fun of this as some kind of “cash grab” are being ridiculous!

If you are thinking of this DVD/CD as “they MADE me buy the album again just to get a few extra things” are so wrong.

If it will help, just ignore the fact that you get the “regular” CD, and think of it as getting an INSANELY COOL HOUR LONG DVD (with the bonus track on a CD) for a very cheap price! If they simply sold the DVD for $12, then you’d think of it as a great deal. Why don’t you think of it that way? Why the negativity? Pathetic.

And as for the DVD – it is well worth it, as half of it has never been seen anywhere before.And for any parts that you have seen online, it is great to have it on an actual DVD.
JR

Yeah, the dvd is fantastic! It’s basically like a chickenfoot movie.
el c

just got the deluxe version. isnt it great loving a band that provides such an option for its fans???
an option, thats right.
you love em, then buy it cause its definately worth it.
you dont like em? dont buy it.
real fuckin simple students isnt it?
but what you cannot deny is the option that CF has done in providing such footage. nearly every band in the world has a deluxe re-issue with loads of extras and goodies that fans clamour for.
people labelling CF money grabbing (yeah any of those 4 need or want the dough) is only cause we, the vh faithful have been lulled into a product depraved existance (except if you want an axe, sneakers, guitar hero or a porno). imagine a similar re-issue of any of the vh releases?
dont dis the band who gives the fans what they want just cause you aint used to that.
ah the tunes from hoody doody mountain are all but a memory.
Simon

i’ve seen a 45 minutes broadcast of the Montreux – Show on TV last week, the DVD alone is worth it’s money ! i’ll buy it !
Snoova

I agree with Adam… I just look at it as if I bought a Chickenfoot DVD for $10.25 and got a free cd with it.

Works for me!
Chris B.

Paid 10 bucks for it at Best Buy. Twenty five if you include the skull cap I bought with it, which my two year old affectionately calls the “Chicken hat”.

Totally worth it for the live and studio Foot-age. If only it included all the interview time from the Podcasts and a whole live show. Then I would have gladly thrown 30 bucks at it.

Not complaining, just trying to find a way to have them milk more money from me.
Ian

“Now the band is giving something back to the fans …”

By making them buy the album a second time. How thoughful of them!
http://vhnd.com 50yr old fan

Ian, how are they making you buy it?
sammyvanroth

hahaha good point 50yr old fan. i think sam, mike, joe and chad kidnapped ian at guitar point, drove him to best buy and forced him to buy it…..
Tony

Another ten bucks well spent by me! Plenty of posters crying, and I gotta tell ya…that is pretty funny. The White Album was well worth the ten dollars, and you guys that are whining about this should not be using the internet. Because I doubt you can afford that bill, if you are crying about $10.00.
Chad

> Chickenfoot is a money grubbing merchandising machine.

Oh? Have you see the Eddie Van Halen sneakers? *eye roll*
Cam Winston

The Chickenfoot CD re-entered Billboard’s top 50.
Word is spreading, apparently, and the sales are not dwindling away as they generally do with releases that have been “out there” for a while.
Pete

I can’t wait to get this…