I loved the first Montrose album, containing four standout tracks: Rock the Nation, Bad Motor Scooter, Space Station No. 5 and Rock Candy (a far better track than Led Zeppelin's later Candy Store Rock). Paper Money, if anything was even better, with the title track, I Got the Fire, Starliner and Jagger/Richards' Connection. The band were compared with Led Zeppelin at the time, with Sammy Hagar even looking like Plant, but were less blues based and more rock 'n' roll inspired. Ronnie Montrose is a consistently inspired, but restrained and tasteful guitarist, while Sammy Hagar has an equally restrained and melodic voice. He is neither screamer nor shouter, but has, in his own words, got the power. Denny Carmassi, Bill Church and Alan Fitzgerald were all equally talented.
Whereas Ronnie Montrose eventually found another great singer in Davey Pattison, brought Alan Fitzgerald to the fore (as a synthesier player) and made three staggering albums with Gamma, Sammy Hagar seemed to flounder. He continued with the same rhythm section as Ronnie, but his albums seemed flat by comparison. Only his version of Donovan Leitch's Young Girl Blues stands out as a strong piece of work. Having shown his frustration at being the front man of a band named after its guitarist, he ironically settled in another such band, Van Halen. Despite a few standouts like That's What Dreams Are Made Of, Hagar was probably too good a singer for the group, who really needed a showman with David Lee Roth's charisma.
Sammy Hagar's spell with Van Halen was commercially and financially successful, but the split was acrimonious and followed by ill-conceived reunions and various 'supergroups', until Chickenfoot materialised. Never a drinker or drugtaker, Sammy's voice is still in good shape, but Michael Anthony's presence reminds one of Ginger Baker's in Blind Faith, ie. an unwelcome reminder of the past. Guitarist Joe Satriani may be a technical virtuoso, but he does not have the feel and songwriting ability of Ronnie Montrose. But most uncomfortable of all is the presence of Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer Chad Smith, who brings to the band an awkward funk element. Don't get me wrong, he is not a bad drummer and funk can sit with hard rock, as in the Red Hot Chili Peppers themselves and Glenn Hughes/Trapeze, but this just does not work.
Chickenfoot was rapidly renamed Chickenshit by disappointed fans of the individual players and journalists gave it a luke warm reception at best. All credit to the band though, because they persevered and returned with the deliberately misnamed Chickenfoot III. With Ronnie Montose's Gamma 4 being a disappointment (Davey Pattison later joining Robin Trower), surely now is the time for a Montrose reunion.
They decided to just go with it and yes I do own the first Steel Panther.. It has some great songs but I've only listened to a couple of times.. I don't mind throwing money their way since it's for a good cause..
