It’s hard to believe that forty years have gone by since Sammy Hagar first made his mark on the rock and roll scene. He launched his “Four Decades of Rock” tour this summer which spanned his entire career from the early days of Montrose through his solo career, Van Halen, and Chickenfoot. The Red Rocker is due to release a new album, “Sammy Hagar & Friends.”
The record is a combination of new tracks and cover songs and is his first ever collaborations album with a host of both country and rock superstars lending a hand. There is a good mix of genres with the acoustic guitars and country feel of “Winding Down” and “Bad on Fords and Chevrolets” which features none other than Ronnie Dunn. Sammy channels his island vibe with the help of Toby Keith on a cover of Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” and Heart’s Nancy Wilson helping out on the vocal duet “All We Need Is an Island.” Of course Sammy is a rocker at heart and rocks it out on “Knockout Dragout” with Kid Rock and guitar great Joe Satriani and on the live in studio track, “Going Down” which features guitar work by Neal Schon. A surprise track is an unusual blues version of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” with a distinctive Sammy spin on it. The album is produced by John Cuniberti and has a real cohesive feel to it.
After four decades in rock, “Sammy Hagar & Friends” shows he is still at the top of his game musically with a rock solid performance. With a little help from his friends, he has given us a memorable album that will stand the test of time.
