Chickenfoot update: 2nd album news, live DVD news & more

The DLR album is an underrated album that will eventually (if it already hasnt) become a rock cult classic. It’s right up there with john corabi playing and singing on the “one” CRUE album after vince left. Sold poorly when released, but now considered a lost classic.

Thats how I feel about The DLR Band cd.

FMAC and Dooley, I hope I am wrong too!! I love the DLR Band CD. In fact I should listen to it today. But his voice did sound pretty wasted on those high notes. I do agree with you that it didn’t hurt the overall vibe of the songs. They were still a lot of fun. But my main point above was not that they couldn’t make something good. It was really that it was going to be very difficult given the fact that it has been soo long and Dave’s voice was a major delay in 1996 just working on two songs (if you believe the producer and VH Bros)

The one thing that’s truly great about dave is that he has a cool voice. Now, i’m not saying that he still has what he had from 77-85. After all those years of being THE frontman for one of the baddest rock bands in the world, it would be ridiculous to expect him to sound like he did 30 years ago.
From what I saw when I’ve seen him live he still has it. Shit, he never lost it….just got older. I thought he did an amazing job at the show I caught in 2007. And by the roar of the crowd after each song I think they agreed….

FAMAC — You get your point across well on the generic Sammy lyrics. The CF ballads: “Lost in a sea of memories, learning to fly again…” blah-blah-blah and the lyrics for the heavier songs were pretty contrived too.” Fast cars, fast women, I need love” whatever. At least he spared us all the food metaphors. BUT I don’t see how you can compare that to Sammy being lazy; just maybe a little predictable at times. There are some songs that have some pungent lyrics, like Avenida Revolution:
“Rio Grande crawling with desperation
Hard drugs linin’ the gunny sack
The air is thick with desperation
A new life waits for the wetback…”
But then they go into a refrain “Crossing the borderline, into the fire” — a little cheesey I guess. The music must be a matter of taste. I love it personally and I know they’re gonna bring it full force on the next album.

DUCK — you are a funny dude. Gotta laugh at your Sammy comments. Sure, Hagar might have a few different personas. But can’t the same be said for Diamond Dave? — gigalo / lounge singer / radio anouncer / Rocker.

Dirty Duck: Van Halen could do the same type of variety show. First it could be The original line up, but by the end Eddie would get mad at Dave because he is getting all the attention. Then Sammy could come out and Eddie would act like he’s his best friend for a little while but then Sam would do something that Eddie doesn’t agree with 100% and he would be done. Then Gary could come out and Eddie would declare he has a voice like an angel. Gary would brown nose for awhlie because he actually can’t believe he’s in Van Halen. The ass kissing would get old after awhile, so Gary would leave. then after a long break, Sammy would come onstage again, but by now Eddie is so drunk he can’t even walk, so off goes Sammy again. After a long delay, they come back out with Roth, but no Michael Anthony because eddie sees him talking to Sammy and that is intolerable for King Edward. Eddie has he’s son play bass, because hey let’s face it, he won’t talk back to him and will do as he is told. They play for a little while and do OK. Then they take a long break and leave the audience wondering what is going on…

kayser sozay: I agree that Sammy’s work ethic should not be in question. However, I do not agree that Eddie’s lack of releasing music has anything to do with his work ethic as you stated. Ed has made it clear that he has tons of music but recently we discovered from him why we haven’t heard it. IN addition to having NO band to release music with, the main point Ed made was acceptance of his material had become the issue. In guitar magazine he eluded to nothing but critical reviews of everything he has released since 1996. So, we do it if people don’t like it??? I took his point well.

VH at the halftime show would be EPIC! I’d say they are more deserving than the blokes in The Who. Like The Who even watch american football! American football and American’s baddest rock and roll band, just makes sense to me.

After reading some of the comments to the related story here on VHND, it got me to thinking of the old addage: “Is a complete and total donk too dumb to know he’s a complete and total donk?”

Now that I think about it, I believe the addage may have been about a tree falling in the forest, but donk works better for this forum.

Seriously, the Sam and Dave b.s. gets started again…over some silly speculation?

From time to time there are thought provoking posts, (ie:Dooley and others)but too often, useless drivel from some who are short of brain power and long on time on their hands.

@Kayser sozay

Really, quantity over quality? I’m glad you don’t work for me. I’d be broke!! Do you read the news at all? Ask TOYOTA and the proud owners of a camary about quantity over quality!

Sammy’s not a great lyric writer, never has been. Yeah he might come up with a melody or chorus but that’s about it. These rumours of him replacing Steven Tyler in Aerosmith is an insult to Stephen Tyler. Stephen Tyler is a brilliant lyric and songwriter. It is no wonder his songs resonates with every generation. Like Alex Van Halen said once about Sammy, “Sam’s a screamer”. And there’s nothing wrong with that, look what it did for Brian Jonhson. But Tyler and Roth have a unique original sound and they have that blues growl that Sam just doesn’t. Sam better be careful he doesn’t put himself into many pots or else he’ll be known/labelled as just a ‘singer for hire’. Not good for his ego, look what it did for Joe Lyn Turner, just the thought of his name is cringe worth.

Speculative opinions…so rewarding.

The Duck speaks the truth.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Chickenfoot and I’m glad Sammy & Mike have been so active. I am really impressed with how great they have been doing. Go Chickenfoot!

But I also agree that truly great music (including, in my opinion, 95% of what Van Halen has ever recorded) is TIMELESS. Van Halen gave the world around 100 songs that are just as good now as they were 15, 20, or 30 years ago. Heck, they gave us 20 years worth of incredible music. (Sure, in a perfect world, they would have never slowed down, but 20 straight years of cranking out TRUE QUALITY MUSIC is an incredible feat. I can only think of one band who has written great music for longer than 20 years, and that would be the Stones. (But I like VH much better). Not even Zeppelin, the Beatles, etc were active for that long.

While the songs that Sammy has done outside Van Halen have been occasionally good or even great, he has never given the world any song as popular as “Jump,” or any song as special as “Dreams,” or as kick ass as “Unchained,” or as musically impressive as “Hear About It Later,” or as rebellious as “Runnin’ With The Devil”, or as fun as “Dance The Night Away,” or as funny as “Hot For Teacher”, or as fun-in-the-sun as “Beautiful Girls,” or as sexy as “Everybody Wants Some!”

And I don’t blame Sammy for not topping those songs! I don’t think anyone can, including even the current form of Van Halen. Those songs are as great as rock ‘n’ roll has ever been, and by the looks of things now-a-days, as good as it will EVER get.

Sammy has been very active since Van Halen, which is great for him and his fans. But when you look at quality versus quantity, Van Halen will be cherished and remembered much more than Chickenfoot, or Montrose, or Sammy Hagar, or whatever Wolfgang does (if anything), etc.

Van Halen had *PURE MAGIC* from 1978-1995, and that is why we all are here.

Hey guys,if you like tokin’ and sippin’ to Sammy music then go ahead,but mozart he ain’t.I don’t care if he’s done 57 solo albums,38 tours,and 18 dvd’s in a short time.Mcdonald’s throws out a lot of junk in a short time too.Also his lyrics are still in the “red on the head bet she was good in bed” vein.At least dave had clever ways to sing about partying.Sorry no argument changes my opinion on Hagar.

chris it is guys like you that don’t know what they are talking about. the music you love was written by eddie and the music you don’t care for was written by eddie. i agree that vh is eddie but he writes the music he hires the singers and he pretty much calls the shots. to put down van hagar music is hypocritical because ed wrote the music. if you don’t like van hagar music thats cool and thats your opinion but to say that it sucked is not a matter of opinion just based on the length of time the band was together and the sales that were generated by that version of van halen. i am also not a gambling man but i can assure you noone held a gun to eddie and told him to write and record the songs van hagar did. you guys keep blaming sam for van hagar but who asked him to sign on and sing? you need to see that eddie was his own worst enemy and the choice he made in his life are what has affected the legacy that will be van halen. 3 lead singers. tell me the name of another big time band that went thru 3 singers. i am not a hater but ed screwed this thing up and even just the way mike was treated says it all. and on top of the band drama he also has a failed marriage on top of it. and one final thing here i think the only ones who really give a shit about this are the 30 or so people who come to this sight consistently. no one is holding their breath for any new music.

Steve – you make a fair counterpoint to what I was saying. I wasn’t judging the quality of Sam v. Ed. I was simply explaining that when Ed called out Sam’s “work ethic” he was implying Sammy doesn’t like to work. Which is belied by the facts. Your point that perhaps Ed has been hard at work making tons of music he hasn’t released is a fair one. I have no idea. Maybe it is true. If I had to guess, though, I would doubt that he’s been at work in any serious sense – but if I’m right, I don’t attribute that to Ed being lazy so much as I attribute that to the demons Ed’s been wrestling with for years now and the fact I think his confidence is shot from the reception VH III received and the fact that a lot of VH fans have been very critical of his choices, treatment of others, decisions, etc. (rightly so in my opinion). I’m just calling it like I see it – I’m not trying to bash Ed because he truly is one of my heroes and one of a handful of “pioneers” in rock regardless of whether he ever picks up a guitar again.

FatCat – You completely missed my point. I wasn’t arguing that quantity was better than quality or something to strive for over qualiy. I was simply arguing that “work ethic” has nothing to do with the quality of one’s work – just whether or not one is willing to do the work. Period.

And Duck – I will answer your question honestly. No, I don’t think everything Sam has done is memorable. The first Montrose album was epic. I also think HSAS was amazing. And then you’re right, he’s only got a handful of solo tunes that people recognize instantly. Even though I like a lot of Sam’s solo stuff, I don’t consider it as being anything close to as significant as his music with VH (or VH with Roth – I love VH with both singers). VH was the best thing that ever happened to him and the primary reason he’s famous at all. The Chickenfoot album really cemented for me that Sam is at his best when he’s working with a musical genius. There was Eddie and now he’s working with Joe Satriani. Before you get your dander up understand that while I really like CF, I’m not putting CF’s music on par with VH. I’m only saying that CF is the best thing Sam’s done since leaving VH and he’s really elevated his game whereas with the exception of two post VH solo albums and a smattering of post-VH songs from his other albums, I think Sam was for the most part phoning it in.

Although I defend Sam and admire the guy, there is no denying that he will never have a musical legacy like Ed’s and that what musical legacy he does have will always be tied to Ed. But the reason why I admire Sam and forgive him for any musical shortcomings is that no matter what you think about his music, there is no denying that he does what he does for all the right reasons. He does it because he loves his fans and he loves his job. And he’s as down to Earth as can be. And that’s rare for someone who is his age and has achieved his level of success in life.

So yes, I will absolutely agree with you that Sam will never have the historical musical significance of Eddie. However, (and I hope you will return the favor by being honest with me on this point) unlike Ed, he’s still out there doing it, still going strong, still sounding great, still writing lyrics (yes, many of them cheesy but not all of them) and the guy is turning 63 this year (looks 43 – go Cabo Wabo)! So while I understand there are those who don’t like Sam’s music, I don’t understand a lot of the animosity people here and elsewhere have toward him. My best guess is that it’s because he’s a constant in-our-face reminder of how our most fervent yet unrequited desire as VH fans is that Ed would take a page out of Sam’s book and just DO SOMETHING because we know how good it could be.

Cheers.

Look edward van halen is probably the second most selfish person to axl rose .

Gees how many times can i guy straight out lie? sammy work ethic, Daves huge ego , getting rid of cherone , all edward van halens , gees he has very little back bone .

Gees and childish???? that rock n roll hall of fame debacle , that was embaressing , as a VH fan i was ashamed

Cld he be anymore self centred??? oh poor eddie im so talented , ill become an alcoholic , n from what was said he was so self centred at dimebags funeral, incredible!!!!!!

He treats the fans with absolute contempt , dont ever say the fans meen the world to me?????? gees they came to oz once with gary cherone!!!!!! gees dave n sammy have been.
At least they cld release a dvd with some rare concerts but no , why wld u give fans anything??????

Gees try touring the world?????? have they ever really done a world tour outside of america?????? its always been about the dollar , even more so then kiss!! even they release dvds , gees bonjovi release more dvds every yr then vh

Lets go through all vh bad decisions!
ou812 terrible album , the worst production on any album , am i right????eddie shd never be behind a recording desk

mitch malloy !!!! what a great singer , but no

gary cherone , nice guy but cldnt sing 4 shit , n pranced around like a fairie on stage

vh 3 production was tttteeeerrrrible , the songwriting dreadful, how can professional musicians do that??

let me sing a song !!!!!!!!!!!!!! yikes!!! how many camn say i!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Does eddie even admit to 3???

Get rid of michael anthony, there goin to pay 4 that one trust

we only tour the us because it makes the most money 4 us.

Alex always says wld led zep do that????? THEY WLDNT HAD HIRED CHERONE 4 STARTERS !!

Eddie n Alex have ruined the VH legacy , yes its sad but they will be remembered 4 a great band , music , ruined by selfish people who cldnt get over their own egos

Adam—Sammy did not give us a song as special as “Dreams”???? I DO BELIEVE HE WROTE IT!!!! Can’t believe everyone else missed that!

Vah Hagar was the counterfeit Vah Halen brought to you by Eddie, just like the USA now has counterfeit money brought to you by the Federal Reserve…

Except the Unlawful album… Thumbs up on that one

The way things are going I wouldn’t be surprised to see Chickenfoot at next year’s Super Bowl. That wouldn’t be bad (far better than many other acts for sure) but it would be a shame if Halen still hasn’t done anything to merit at least consideration for a Super Bowl appearance!

Fingers still crossed for the Deluxe Ultra VH Super Combo Boxed Set with DVDs, new album, b-sides, live tracks from club days … Wishful thinking.

Funny thing is, I remember reading years ago that Mikey was the one with the vast collection of live recordings from way back in the early, early days. Good luck getting those priceless gems now! Bummer.

“3) LIVE DVD UPDATE:
Joe Satriani was interviewed at the VOX booth during the NAMM 2010 show and said that Chickenfoot’s upcoming DVD will be released in sometime in April and will contain at least one hour of really cool bonus features in addition to the live concert filmed in Tempe, Arizona last year.”

Joe doesn’t say anything about the live DVD being the Tempe, Arizona show. They also recorded the Atlanta show.

So where did this Tempe quote come from?

Kayser Sozay – that was a great post!

Man oh man. I read a few gripes about all the ChickenFoot coverage but I’ll be damned. This post spawned some of the best comments I’ve read on the VHND in a lo-o-ong ass time.

Big props to KAYSER for laying it down like slutty cheerleaders on prom night (that was corny, sorry, Hagar wrote it) JUST KIDDING. Hagar rocks [period].

And DIRTY DUCK thanks for the quacks dude. I do love Roth’s many multiple talents but just had to play devil’s advocate and ruffle your feathers a bit. DLR’s a great artist too. I didn’t read his book to answer your question, but might check it out.

All the wise VHND gurus posted some great shit in this thread. I’m still digesting it all and weeding out the bullshit. Damn, if you don’t speak English than don’t bother trying to type a novel on here, people! Ugh! What is this unintelligible babble?!

Speaking of babbling, here I go again. . . I think the blessing & the curse of being a Van Halen die-hard fan, is that from the time they stopped recording music; it left a dark and meaningless void in the world of rock. (Like Adam & Steve were saying) So we listen and RE-listen to the same cd’s over and over and download countless bootlegs — looking for every last wad of glorious music. Kinda like a pot head scraping the bong for every last drop of resin. Well we smoked it all up now! SO, along comes (IMO) a KICK-ASS rock group like Chicken Foot (comprised of ex-Van Halen musicians no-less) and they release a respectable first album with guitar licks and grooves we haven’t been fed in a LONG TIME. If you don’t like it, then fine! BUT, for those of you that INSTANTLY hate the ‘Foot for the fact that they’re not Van Halen?! Hey, pop the cd in the car on the way to work (those of us that actually leave the basement once in awhile) and give it a listen. You might be glad you did. YES, it’s a DIFFERENT SOUND then Van Halen. But once you smoke the good shit, nothing else tastes as sweet.

Thanks, Duck. The feeling is mutual. After all, we’re all VH fans here, right? But I just have to ask since you brought it up… Why defend Roth doing a Vegas lounge act as being the natural result of his passions and influences and then call Sam’s hanging out with Emeril “weird” when he has a passion for cooking and food? What’s that about if not simply an anti-Hagar bias?

Thanks to you too, Adam. Just trying to be honest.

I really don’t have an agenda here. I just like to tweak people about getting on Sam’s case because for the most part, I think people that get on his case aren’t honest with themselves about why they do it.

Roth was a rock God as Classic VH came up. One of the most compelling front men in history if you ask me. I don’t think he’s ever had anything close to Hagar’s vocal talent but it didn’t matter because he made up for it with a star quality Sam has never had so I absolutely understand why the VH fans were so rabidly loyal to him. There was absolutely nothing like classic VH when they were doing their thing. His fan base was well deserved.

When he left the band, it was a HUGE disappointment. And it was very hard for the loyal Roth fans to accept Sam when he came in. Even harder because the band’s success and popularity continued to climb with Hagar while Roth’s waned. We’ve no doubt heard the analogy before but I think it’s spot on… it’s like the child who loves both parents and they divorce.

Out of a sense of loyalty to dad, you are automatically against mom’s new boyfriend. It doesn’t matter how great the new boyfriend is. It’s just hard to watch mom become even happier and thrive with the new guy. It’s human nature to want to see your parents get back together so you can be a happy family again. So you badmouth the boyfriend. And you become critical of any change you see in your mom – regardless of whether or not the changes make mom happy or were entirely made by mom – and you blame it all on the boyfriend.

It’s no doubt easier to take if the new boyfriend isn’t some stranger out of nowhere but someone you already know and admire. This was my situtation – I was already a fan of Hagar before VH broke up. When I was 14, a friend of mine played me “Heavy Metal” off Standing Hampton and I loved it. I made him play it like 10 times back to back. Shortly after that I saw Sammy live and it was my first concert ever and it blew my mind. I’m sure we all feel the same way about our first concert experience no matter who it was. It’s a damn cool experience. So already being a fan of Hagar, the lineup change in VH was not too hard for me to take. I didn’t want Roth to leave but if he had to, I was happy to see Sam take his place. If it was someone I wasn’t a fan of, I’d likely be bashing him the same way a lot of people here bash Sam.

But I do think that’s usually what this is about. It’s those that loved Roth but didn’t already have some type of bond with Sam that bash him regardless of his merits. They were never open to the change in the first place and Sam gets the brunt. They hang their hat on the fact that VH released more ballads and became less hard edged so they say “Sam ruined VH.” Well kids, mom was able to expand her horizons a little more with the new guy but mom and the new guy could be every bit as hard – edged as mom and dad could when they chose to be.

No doubt there are those people who just flat out don’t like Sam musically and as a result could never get into VH with him at the Mike. That’s great. I said before, musical taste is a subjective thing and to each his own. But you don’t often hear those people bashing the hell out of Sam with the vitriol of a lot of people on this site. It’s those people who I equate with the kid of divorced people.

Oh Shit! The Mother of ALL posts! Do yourself a favor and go listen to some Van Halen instead of reading this.
I like to take a break in the day to do some writing, so today I came here and read the interesting comments and felt like writing this. I apologize in advance for my arrogance and self-importance. But it’s just for fun.

Kayser Sozay – You seem to always have something interesting and/or funny to say.

Dirty Duck – I wanted to address your post. First of all, to get something out of the way that has nothing to do with VH. I thought “The Monster Squad” was great back in the day when I was kid and I now have it on DVD with all of the extras, interviews with the cast and everything. COOL. Anyway I know I can be kind of a nerd, so with that out of the way I want to give you my answer to your post about Sammy Hagar’s music for you or anyone who cares to take the time to read it. If you don’t read it I won’t blame you – that’s cool to. I want to preface this by saying that I write long posts only because I’m passionate about music not (just) because I’m an egotistical jerk who thinks he knows everything or who thinks he’s always right about everything. I just like to converse with other people who are really into music.

To answer your question about Sammy’s music. I don’t really get in the habit of comparing bands because I don’t see a reason for it. It’s not a competition to me. I appreciate each band I listen to for different reasons but mainly cause I like the way it sounds. Not because one guitarist is better than the other or a singer has better range than another, or one has more hit records, etc. But since you asked, I’ve thought about it and I would say overall I have more good memories associated with Van Halens music than Sammy’s solo stuff. And also overall, musically I think Van Halen has been more impressive and more interesting than most of Hagar’s solo albums. And I would say I’m definitely a bigger Van Halen fan than a fan of Sammy’s solo stuff. Having said that, I think Sammy is a very talented musician (Singer, songwriter, guitar player) and I LOVE a lot of his solo material. Some of it is just fun to listen to and some of it has more meaning. And As far as you asking for Sammy fans to be honest about his material being memorable. A lot of Sammy’s material is memorable to ME but no I don’t think EVERYTHING about Sammy’s solo career is memorable to ME. I’m placing emphasis on “ME” because that’s my main point. That some things are memorable to some people and aren’t to others. I’m an individual with certain feelings towards Hagar’s music and so are you.

Dirty Duck, what you said in your post isn’t just your opinion, It’s how you FEEL about his music. And what I say about Van Halen’s or Sammy’s or Dave’s music isn’t just my opinion, it’s how I feel inside. Changing someone’s opinion about a topic of discussion is a lot easier than changing someone’s passion for music, because of all of the ways music can make us feel. Sadness, joy, aggressive, inspired, excited, depressed, carefree. The feelings and memories that music it can evoke in all of us.

Somebody could possibly help me see a different perspective on the plot of a book or movie by sharing their insight or possibly help change my opinion on a particular topic such as lawmaking or scientific processes using intelligent reasoning and theories, maybe even help change a view of mine on the matter of politics and religion through a debate with good logical points. Music however is much more complex. Nobody, no matter how hard they tried, could make me feel like I didn’t love a certain kind of music anymore. No amount of talking, persuading, rationalizing by someone could change my perceptions on what music means to me. I think that’s why people seem to be so incredibly opinionated (including me) when it comes to discussing musical tastes. Music is a part of all of us and it makes us all feel something different at times. Those feelings are hard to change, and when they are felt they become a part of you.
It’s not my opinion that I love Van Halen, Pink Floyd, and Pantera. It’s inside of me, it’s how I feel. I can’t really explain to you, or anyone else in words how Hagar’s music or others music is memorable to me. Because, it just is.

But I think music in particular is memorable to a person for a combination of reasons.
Like how each person is affected by certain sounds from different types of music or bands. Certain types of music affects us in different ways. Some people think Heavy Metal like Pantera is loud noise, but I love it. It energizes me and helps me get through rough patches of anger and aggression. Some people “don’t get” Pink Floyd or think it’s boring. I think it’s brilliant and I like to space out with it.
I Also think what makes music memorable to someone is what the lyrics mean to a person, how they relate and what the lyrics personally mean to them, and also what life experiences you associate with certain songs. (i.e. when people say “That is part of the soundtrack to my life.”)
A lot of times I think people stick with certain bands or musicians throughout their life because they were listening to them during significant times in their lives. Especially the phase between adolescence and adulthood. There is something special about that point in our lives.

Dirty Duck – Their have been bands that you’ve mentioned before that you thought were great that I didn’t think were anything special. But it doesn’t matter because it’s all relative to the listener. Kind of like the old adage “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
The fact that a book, movie, political or religious leader, an artists painting, or a rock band is memorable to one person and not the next is all relative to each persons life. Some people I’m sure would think “The Monster Squad” is a ridiculous piece of cinematic garbage. But I can appreciate it. And I have a friend who probably wouldn’t even include Van Halen on his top 50 bands of all time list. But if I made a top 50 list they would be in the top 3. It’s all relative.

Dirty Duck you said – “When I see greatest rock albums of all time specials (tv magazine etc) there’s never a Sammy album mentioned. I just don’t think he’s made any impact with his albums.”
Well, I think that’s an individuals choice to decide if his albums have made an impact. I know his music has had a positive impact on me throughout the years. And I’m sure the same would be said by a lot of the people that go to see him play live and who buy his albums. And do you really care if something is accepted by the mainstream? i.e. magazines, T.V. shows, etc. I know I sure as hell don’t give two shits about that kind of stuff. To me “If it sounds good, it is good.” It doesn’t need it to be validated by anyone else.
Duck, being a big DLR fan, does it bother you that DLR’s albums haven’t been recognized by those same magazines or T.V. specials? I hope not, it shouldn’t. Most mainstream media’s opinion on anything is bullshit.

There are a couple of things that have aggravated me about some peoples comments about Sammy. The main one is people raggin’ on Sammy’s lyrics. Really? Okay, first I have to admit even I talked some shit about the new songs on “The Best of Both Worlds” C.D. but c’mon he’s a rock and roll singer in a rock and roll band. He’s never professed to be with the likes of Voltaire, Kurt Vonnegut, or Gore Vidal for fucks sake. Some of his songs (and Dave’s) are about partying, getting pussy, and gettin fucked up. That’s rock and roll for ya. When I’m in a deeper kind of mood I listen to something else.
Both DLR and Sammy have written some cheesy songs but I don’t focus my attention on those songs because there are so many others that ROCK! Sammy and Dave have written some great songs so that’s what I listen to. Writing music ain’t that easy either. When I go back and read some of the stuff I’ve written, which at one point I thought was really good, sometimes it almost makes me cringe.

Michael Anthony has said- “Nobody has to open an encyclopedia for any of the meanings to what Sammy writes. But that’s great because everyone can relate really well to what he’s saying.”
Another thing that Sammy doesn’t get enough credit for I think (and even dissed for by some people), is his guitar playing. No he’s not an Eddie Van Halen or a Joe Satriani on the axe, but who is? Very, very few people play at that level. But Sammy is a damn fine guitar player. It ain’t easy to sing and play lead guitar at the same time. He is a musician who is respected by lots of other musicians. He has been making music since before most of us on this website were even born or were old enough to get into rock and roll.
Since I’m writing a book here it seems, I might as well suggest a few choice Hagar albums and songs if there is anyone reading this who isn’t that familiar with all of his stuff. You never know Duck (and other guys like Duck), you just might be able to add a few more songs to your list of Hagar songs you can withstand. lol.
First, any new curious fan should probably get “Unboxed.” It’s kind of an unofficial “Best Of” C.D. from his days with Geffen records which includes two new songs he did for that album. A Good two new songs too and good guitar playing by Sammy, “Buying my way into Heaven” which is a song I can relate to that expresses Sammy’s disgust and contempt for T.V. evangelists who prey and thrive off of trusting older people so as to get their money.
And the other newer song “High Hopes”. Another song I can relate to about getting inspiration and great ideas when you get high, like delusions of grandeur and shit, and then having those ideas fade away when you come down from the high.
Also check out the albums “Live 1980″ and the live album “Loud and Clear” and be sure to listen to the song “Young Girl Blues” from that album.
Obviously being a big Hagar fan I could recommend a big list of songs but here are a few songs that I think are kind of passed over gems. “Protection”, “Karma Wheel”, “Serious JuJu”, “Returning of the Wish”, and “Hands and Knees.”
One last thing, Holy Shit I wrote a lot. I hope VHND lets me post this. They probably hate me.
If anybody had the will to read this whole thing Congratulations, you don’t have A.D.D.
Might as well end this post with a few quotes, that’s the classy thing to do right?
Or is it the annoyingly douchey egotistical thing to do, I always get those two confused.

“Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung.” – Voltaire

“Music should never be harmless.” – Robbie Robertson

“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.” – Hunter S. Thompson

“Music is my religion.” – Jimi Hendrix

“Music is everybody’s possession. It’s only publishers who think that people own it.” – John Lennon.