Sammy Hagar Gets By With A Little Help From His Friends

Sammy Hagar has been known to throw some pretty legendary parties at his Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. When you have an address book of peeps like Sammy has, you never know who might show up and jam with him. There’s nothing quite like an exotic getaway with your toes in the sand, lots of awesome live music, an endless supply of tasty adult beverages and clothing eventually becomes optional. Ok, now that I’ve caused most of us to drift off and day dream about those surroundings, it’s time to come back down to reality before we all get fired from our jobs.  

Sammy has been rocking the masses for almost four decades with Montrose, Van Halen, as a solo artist and most recently with Chickenfoot. He has just released his first album of musical collaborations in his illustrious career.  Sammy Hagar and Friends may not be the most creative title in the world, but when you have friends like Taj Mahal, Toby Keith, Nancy Wilson of Heart, Kid Rock  and Neal Schon of Journey making appearances I think the title nails it. The album features brand new material as well as creative re-works of some of Sammy’s favorite songs.

Let’s look at a couple of the new songs first and see what the Red Rocker and friends have to offer. “Not Going Down” is a song written specifically for Sammy by Jay Buchanan of Rival Sons. The nasty bass line that crawls throughout the entire song burrows into your head and hooks you from the start. The soulful backing vocals on the chorus along with the slide guitar add a bluesy element to the song that pops up more than once throughout the album. “Father Sun” has a feel of New Orleans to it complete with mandolin, accordion and lap steel. It this one doesn’t get you tapping your toes, then check your pulse please.

What about those guest appearances dude? Ok, ok, let’s talk about a couple of those now. “Knockdown Dragout” features the likes of Kid Rock on vocals, Denny Carmassi of Montrose on drums and a damn tasty solo from fellow Chickenfoot bandmate and guitar god Joe Satriani. It’s a high energy rocking number complete with the obligatory chant along chorus that screams rock and roll. “All We Need is an Island” slows the pace down to a mellower pace with a tropical feel and features the sugary sweet vocals of Nancy Wilson of Heart. Yeah, I’ll admit the song did transport me to a tropical island where Nancy Wilson was there waiting on me to join her for some yummy adult beverages; don’t you judge me.

Now, I know some people get turned off by cover songs, but I think these are more interpretations than covers. The Depeche Mode classic “Personal Jesus” takes a 180 degree turn in a hot, funky way with some nasty guitar work from the, still to this day, very underrated Neil Schon of Journey. Chickenfoot bandmates Michael Anthony and Chad Smith also make an appearance on this track. Holy HSAS reunion Batman! Well, almost but with Chad Smith taking the place of Michael Shrieve and Michael Anthony taking the place of Kenny Aaronson. Could Jimmy Buffet’s party standard “Margaritaville” get any better? Sammy and Toby Keith tackle this one and slow the pace down just a tad on it. They definitely add more of a tropical, calypso type of feel to it. A major thumbs up on the reworking of a song that many may have grown tired of hearing.

The deluxe version contains a DVD plus a bonus audio track entitled “Space Station #5”, which appeared on the debut album from Montrose. It features Denny Carmassi on drums, Bill Church on bass (both members of Montrose) and Joe Satriani on guitar and it was recorded live at a Ronnie Montrose tribute concert in This album could be the soundtrack to one of Sammy’s birthday bashes that he is known to throw at Cabo Wabo Cantina. The songs really do vary in style and composition, but I think that just adds to the overall atmosphere that it creates. 2012. The blistering guitar work featured on this album by both Neil Schon of Journey and Joe Satriani just may have many saying ‘Eddie who?’

Heart Prove That True Talent Is Timeless

Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart are the musical equivalent to a bottle of wine which just gets better with age. A prime example of that would be the band’s new tour entitled the Heartbreaker Tour. It made a stop in Raleigh, North Carolina on June 22. Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience is on-board for this tour as the opening act as well as the special guest for the band’s encore.

Jason’s band definitely got the crowd out of their seats and energized as they their way through as energized set of Led Zeppelin hits ranging from “Whole Lotta Love” to “Babe, I’m Leaving You”.  A short change-over took place and Heart soon took to the stage, not losing the momentum already provided to them by Bonham and his crew. You know it’s going to be a special night when a band opens with one of their biggest hits and Heart did just that with a blistering version of “Barracuda”. That definitely got the rest of the crowd out of their seats.

The hits just seemed to be endless as “Heartless” was next and followed by “What About Love” and then “Magic Man”. Nancy took over lead vocals on a beautiful cover of Elton John’s “I Need to Turn to You” as well as a mandolin flavored version of their number one hit “These Dreams”, which was stunning. It was also very nice to hear some newer music from their latest work of art Fanatic performed live. “Alone”, “Even It Up” and “Crazy For You” also made an appearance on this particular night as well. “Walkin’ Good” and “Dear Old America” were included in their set, with the latter providing one of the more powerful and moving points of the night for those who were paying close attention to its content.

The encore saw Jason Bonham and some of his band mates join Heart on stage for a Led Zeppelin tribute. To kick it off, Ann and Nancy came out to center stage and performed an acoustic version of “The Battle of Evermore” which set the bar for what this encore was going to be like. It was beautiful and powerful with their amazing voices accompanied by an acoustic guitar and a mandolin. The rest of the band joined them for the rest of the encore which included a kick-ass version of “Kashmir” as well as an outstanding version of “The Rain Song” which provoked even more goosebumps.

The night closed with what I was hoping would be the closer, which I am sure wasn’t too much of a surprise for many who were there. Nancy plucked the opening chords of “Stairway to Heaven” and you could sense this was going to be something pretty amazing. I am sure lots of us have seen the clip of the Kennedy Center Honors where Heart came out to salute Led Zeppelin and performed one of the most amazing versions of “Stairway to Heaven” that many have ever witnessed. Would they be able to recreate that magic again? Well, they did bring a choir out on stage with them in Raleigh and although Zeppelin wasn’t there, it was as close as you could come to recreating that magic at the Kennedy Center.

It was an amazing night of music and a very powerful performance by all who were involved. For me, it was somewhat spiritual for me as you don’t go to a concert too many times and have church break out. Ann Wilson’s voice has not faltered a bit over the years and it almost sounds stronger than ever. To be perfectly honest, I don’t know if I have ever seen the sisters look or sound better. They seem to be so happy and alive on-stage as well. I have seen Heart quite a few times throughout their career and this particular stormy night in Raleigh, NC was hands down the best performance that I have ever by them. As a fan of music and great performers, I feel fortunate to have witnessed something so special that night.

Heart Go Home On Fanactic

I don’t know which is harder to believe: the fact that it’s been 37 years since Heart’s debut album Dreamboat Annie was released or the fact that they still manage to put out amazing material today. Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart are at a point in their career where they don’t necessarily need to put out new music, but they want to. The commercial success enjoyed in the late 70s and again in the late 80s may not be there, but these talented ladies are at a much more rewarding point in their long career. They are doing things their way and they haven’t sounded happier.

Heart’s new album Fanatic is the follow-up to 2010’s Red Velvet Car, their first Top 10 album in 20 years. That album was also praised highly by both fans and critics. Fanatic has the Wilson sisters cranking up the amps and rocking a bit harder than they did on their last album. There are also some new elements being incorporated into their music 

added yet another layer of complexity to these talented ladies.

The album opens with the title track and its distorted riff intro lets you know that this is going to be interesting. This is a killer track with its psychedelic feel and crunchy guitar tone. “Dear Old America” tells the tale of a father returning home from war. An interesting note about the song found in the album’s liner notes. The tempo switches to double time midway through the song. It seems that this happened accidentally due to a computer tempo error, but the band liked it and kept it that way.

“A Million Miles Away” is a very interesting song with its incorporation of electronic beats and elements not usually found on a Heart album. The ladies kick it old school in the Zepplinesque “Mashallah!” which is amazing. The addition of a string section in the song just takes elevates this rocking number to another level. What’s that? You need some more rock from the Wilson sisters? Well, there’s also “59 Crunch” and it won’t disappoint.

“Pennsylvania” brings us our first ballad with a bit of a rock edge. A haunting song lyrically and the guitar tone adds such an element to the song to compliment Ann’s amazing vocal delivery. On a gentler note, “Rock Deep (Vancouver)” is a beautiful, gentle ballad and brings to mind “Dog and Butterfly” with its peaceful acoustic side. Again, the use of strings on this song gets a major thumbs up. It’s an absolutely gorgeous song. It’s amazing how the Wilson sisters can tell a story in three and a half minutes.

Overall, I don’t think there’s a bad song on here. You know how a band will put out an album and there are one or two tracks that just seem to feel like “filler” in order to make it a full album? You really don’t get that feel on Fanatic. Ann and Nancy definitely rock out on it, but they also manage to keep in touch with their folk roots as well. The guitars are loud and crunchy and distorted at times, but they always rock. I mentioned it before, but I will again. The strings used throughout this album add such a great element to the songs. What a great touch!

Ann Wilson, does this woman just keep getting better with age? She is definitely one of the most amazing voices ever in music and at times probably one of the most underappreciated as I don’t think she has ever gotten the credit she truly deserves. Nancy is no slouch either, but even though she knows how to rock, her vocals add such a tender element to compliment Ann’s voice. Their harmonies are top notch. So many young artists today should pay attention to these ladies and take note on how true talent can manage to keep a career going strong after almost 40 years.  

Red Velvet Car Brings Heart Full Circle

Storytelling is an art form that is slowly fading away in today’s music industry, but not if Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart have their say. The Wilson sisters, over their 30 plus year career, have given us such lyrical classics as “Dog and Butterfly” and “Dreamboat Annie”. The eighties came along and a change came over the sisters. The focus suddenly became less centered on crafting personal lyrical gems and more on cleavage and big hair. It was an educational experience to say the least.

The changes in the industry in the eighties and nineties did cause the girls to stop and look at what was going on. They regained their focus and started to remold the legacy that they has established. The focus went back to writing personal and meaningful songs. It looks as if things have come full circle on their newest release entitled “Red Velvet Car”.

Heart is at a very unique point in their career where they don’t have to record, but they want to. There are still a lot of unpinned lyrical gems floating around in the heads of Ann and Nancy. What better place to start than returning to the home of their original label. This CD was recorded for Legacy Recordings which is part of the Sony Music Entertainment family. The band recording their debut album all the way through 1983’s “Passion works” under the Sony flagship, so this is a homecoming for them.

“Red Velvet Car” contains probably the most personal and introspective lyrics since those gems from their early seventies and all around their strongest CD in years. The lead off track entitled “There You Go” sets the tone of the CD with its unique arrangement of instruments and lyrical warnings. It is a very unique song that sounds refreshingly different for the band.

Radio has been all over the track “WTF” and for good reason. It’s a power rocker with Ann’s powerful vocal interpretation of the lyrics taking it to another level. “Red Velvet Car”, my personal favorite on the CD, is a very sexy slow song. The string section in the background of this song adds a profound layer to this song that just helps it transcend to another level.

Nancy takes over vocals on “Hey You” and just may be one of the best songs that she has ever written. It tells of a love come and gone and the being thankful for what was, but not being bitter or angry during this process. The addition of Nancy on mandolin adds a nice touch to this very Sheryl Crowish song.

“Queen City” pays homage to Seattle where the Wilson sisters grew up and where Ann lives today. “Safronia’s Mark” is another lyrical gem that is about the sister’s great, great, great grandmother from the Civil War era. It’s a beautifully arranged song that is another standout on the CD. Speaking of songs written about family members, “Sunflower” was written by Nancy about Ann and given to her as a birthday gift. Wow and to think that all I ever got from my sister was a card.

The last track entitled “Sand” is a new recording originally done by the girls sideproject The Lovemongers. The song, even though previously recorded, had never truly felt complete. They rerecorded it for this CD and added some different instruments and the song has finally seen its completed form. It’s a beautiful song that I thought couldn’t get any better than the original, but I was sorely mistaken.
Heart chose Ben Mink to produce this CD. They were familiar with his work since he produced Ann’s amazing solo CD entitled “Hope and Glory” back in 2007. He was a wise choice for this project as he continuously challenged the girls in ways that they haven’t been throughout all their recording years. As in challenging Ann’s vocals and asking her to hold back instead of just unleashing her vocals as she normally does. He even challenged Nancy’s play of the acoustic guitar some thirty plus years after she first picked one up.

“Red Velvet Car” is the first CD from the band since 2004’s “Jupiter’s Darling” release, but well worth the wait. Ann and Nancy may be a little older, but much, much wiser. Open the door and hope in this “Red Velvet Car” and be prepared for the musical ride of a lifetime.

Heart; More Substance Than Style This Go Around

Church came early for me this week with the combination of a run-in with an old friend and the act of spontaneity. It was a muggy Saturday and my afternoon was free. I had read online that the legendary band Heart was playing a very small, intimate amphitheatre in Raleigh, NC. Although we had no tickets, we decided to take our chance by driving down and seeing who may extra tickets for sale in the parking lot.

Sure enough, standing right by the entrance gate was a woman holding up tickets that she needed to unload. We purchased them for the very low price of only $10 each and entered. I should have known right then that it was going to be a very special evening. The opening act was a new male vocalist by the name of Erick Baker who took the stage all alone and very vulnerable with only his acoustic guitar and the mic. His voice, very similar in vein to David Grey (reference provided from a friend) was amazing and he definitely poured his heart into each song. At one point, I remember hearing him and thinking that the song sounded very familiar. He was doing an slowed down, acoustic version of the Beastie Boys “You Gotta Fight For Your Right To Party”, which he managed to pull off and make it work. Just a quick side note, please look into this artist for he is a very talented guy on the verge of a major break.

The sky started to fade to night and the air started to cool and the setting was great for an outdoor concert. Heart hit the stage about 9:00 and it did not take long to see that these ladies are truly the real deal. In a age of “here today, gone today” flavors of the week in the music industry, it’s always rewarding to see an act like Heart. The Wilson sisters, Ann and Nancy for those not in the know, have been rocking out for over thirty years and still do not get the respect that they truly deserve.

Ann kept the banter between songs very short, acknowledging that there was a lot of history to cover and for the crowd to have a goodtime and enjoy the evening. The arrangements on some of the hits that they have been playing for years were toyed with just a little bit to give the songs a fresh interpretation. Their big hit from the eighties “These Dreams” showcased Nancy on mandolin which was a great artistic move on the her part. It really added to the structure of the song and made it, in my opinion, even better than the original version.

The band is actually touring this summer to support their new CD, “Red Velvet Car” and they played three tracks from it that night including the texting friendly appropriate song called “WTF”, which was actually a good little rocking tune. The band continued to mix up the classic hits from the seventies and the hits from their big, yet brief heyday in the eighties. Ann’s version of “Alone” was stripped down to an almost keyboard only performance that really showed why her voice is one that the most underappreciated voices in the history of music. How many times can you say that you have gone to a concert and that the singer’s vocals sounded even better live than on the CD itself? Ann’s voice live has that pure, raw emotion feel to it that gets stripped away during production in a studio.

All the seventies classics seem to have been spotlighted including the rocking “Barracuda” , “Straight On” and “Magic Man”. A very cool little “mash-up” was their classic “Even It Up” mixed with the Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter” which sounded amazing. A personal highlight for me was my favorite of their classic seventies hits “Dog And Butterfly” on which Ann can do no wrong. Such a beautiful song on which Ann’s connection with the lyrical content is an element lacking in so many singers today.

Heart fans know that the band is notorious live for doing some amazing covers of classic songs from bands that they are fans of. A prime example being the solid cover of Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll”. Well, the girls may have just topped themselves with the encore played this particular night. The two song encore started with a wicked cover of Zeppelin’s “What Is And What Should Never Be”.

What was about to happen next is one of those events that you feel honored to have experienced. At that point, we were taken to church by the Wilson sisters as they graced the crowd with a cover of the Who classic “Love Reign O’er Me”. Now, I am a Who fan and had even talked on Face Book with a fellow writer about the exact same song earlier in the day. To add to the irony of it all is the fact that I was even wearing a Who shirt that evening! What proceeded to happen over the next six minutes was nothing short of spiritual. The power of Ann’s voice delivering the poetic words of Pete Townsend’s masterpiece from Quadrophenia. That, combined with the superb musicianship supplied by the band, created one of the strongest musical moments that I think I have ever witnessed live.

Overall, the show was nothing short of a stellar display of pure talent. Artists like Ann and Nancy Wilson are rare in today’s music scene. True, back in the eighties, they did get caught up in that “packaged” artist machine that pushed style over substance, but it didn’t take them long to come to their senses and get back to what it was all about…the music. Did they play all the hits that night in Raleigh? No, quite a few of their big ones were left out, but just about everyone there walked away with a feeling of satisfaction and definitely getting their moneys worth. In today’s recession, that just doesn’t happen too many times.