The brick smashes the ear drums with mach 5 turbulence that virtually cleanses the canal with optimal precision. "Avenida Revolucion" is the first track and it takes little time to realize that it is only a curtain call introduction to what this who band is about.
Hagar has taken the pulse of VAN HALEN and surrounded himself with power players Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani and Chad Smith who record for the pleasure of performing live. Smith, who shows off his skills outside of his band RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, lays down a foundation that the rest of the boys can salute with their respective instruments and jam in coats of miraculous sounds.
Brought together initially to jam live at Hagar's Cabo Wabo restaurant/nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, they forged a bond on stage that inevitably culminated in the studio for some fresh new material. "Down the Drain", "Future In The Past", and "Sexy Little Thing" are typical rock-driven songs that are meant to make audience members to get out of their seats. With the strength of Satriani's everlasting guitar virtuoso playing, he is able to lay down tracks over some of the band's heavier work.
Guitar greats still exist but up-n-comers that are extremely talented are moving out of Rock 'n' Roll and into other genres. The history of rock has always put the guitar player in the front and most prefer not to be the singer in the band. They like to work their craft with magical finger picking using the scales like stairs to an athlete in training. These days, good guitar players have moved into Jazz, Blues, and even Country music where there is respect for the artistry of the instrument. Since the early 90's, the guitar has been buried by the mixers and engineers in exchange for an overall sound that will get radio airplay.
Joe Satriani still breaks out into some of the greatest solos and is one of a few true rock guitar players to command a stage. Working non-stop between touring and recording, he still finds time to incorporate his skills into a band setting. Although he has filled in on tour or in the studio for bands that have been down a guitar player, he has never been a member from the beginning. CHICKENFOOT offers him a chance to start at the commencement of a project, recording and touring as a complete unit.
This record opens eyes everywhere to those who may have only heard of him or never realized that they were listening to a track that he played on. Satriani does not let his fans down, old or new, with this CD. Along with Hagar's ability to write fun rock songs that translate on stage, the two will have a long and prospering career together under the heading CHICKENFOOT.
Hagar has been writing colossal radio-friendly rock songs with grit but never with a band with such individual talents. His solo career was a long, grinding process, so with each successful record he grew as a songwriter. Once he began building on his love of the color red and promoting his tours using the slogan "Red Rocker", more people began to take notice. This is something that he has brought to the recording of this album. CHICKENFOOT 's debut is shrouded in staggering rhythm rock songs that reflect what this band will do on stage. When Hagar works his magic with rock bars that do more than fill empty air, it is the groundwork that works perfectly with Satriani's style.
The track listing epitomizes the writing, brewing each track to a boil before leading the listener into the next track. Michael Anthony, we believe, is among the best bass players throughout the years. Like Pete Best when he was yanked from THE BEATLES , Michael Anthony was ripped from a band that he had dedicated his life to. VAN HALEN stripped Anthony from his bass playing duties in the band, soon replaced by Eddie Van Halen's son in 2007. Michael has a great ear, knowing when to push the funk beat against a drummer's rock beat that gives the feeling of a power rhythm section. He could not be buried in the mixes of the VAN HALEN records, and now surrounded by the members of this band, he is even more of a necessity. More relaxed in the studio, he shows off even more of his skills during "Sexy little Thing", "Down the Drain" and "Future in the Past", with co-writing credit on the last two.
These boys have created a rock record that will fit the stage so we can not wait for them to hit the road in support of Chickenfoot.
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