|
Sammy Hagar The Essential Red Collection |
Hip-O Records B000276002 |
|
|
Now this is how you make a good compilation. Everything to do with this release screams class. Sammy may not have had a say in the fact that Universal wanted to do a compilation, but credit to him, he jumped on board to ensure the release would be as good as possible. And true to the title, this is an essential collection of the Red Rocker's tunes. This release takes music from his earliest days in Montrose (Bad Motor Scooter) and runs through both Sammy's Capitol Years (Red, I've Done Everything For You) and his move to Geffen in the 80's (Two Sides Of Love, There's Only One Way To Rock, I Can't Drive 55, Eagles Fly to name a few…) before shifting to more recent times when Sammy struggled with labels (Little White Lie, Marching To Mars – MCA Records, Mas Tequila - 33rd Street) before re-joining Van Halen. The compilation also gathers a few of the rarer tracks of Sammy's career, at last placing them in the one place for fans to enjoy. Thinking Of You and Call My Name were supplied from Sammy's own unreleased masters and are 1974 demo's that never made his solo debut. High Hopes from the Geffen compilation Unboxed is included as are Sammy's several soundtrack appearances – Fast Times At Ridgemont High (from the movie of the same name), The Girl Gets Around (Footloose) and Winner Takes It All (from Over The Top).
Add to that some excellent and detailed liner notes from both Ted Nugent and veteran music writer Scott Schinder, which includes new comments from Hagar himself. Great songs, great sound, great packaging and class from head to toe. This is how it is and should be done.
|
23/03/05: Kenneth M - kennethm@sympatico.ca
06/03/05: Chewsmoka - chewsmoka98@yahoo.com
14/02/05: John Elway - megjimp@cableone.net
29/08/04: Freddy De Keyzer - freddydekeyzer@hotmail.com
29/08/04: Todd Carper - metalhead7@msn.com
Rating: 90
An awe inspiring compilation of the man's career (less the Van Halen years) which could only have been bettered by the inclusion of the following tunes: 1. Let Sally Drive 2. Shaka Doobie (The Limit) 3. I Don't Need Love 4. My Home Town (HSAS) 5. Top Of The Rock (HSAS) 6. Hot And Dirty (HSAS) 7. Missing You (HSAS) 8. Valley Of The Kings (HSAS)
The inclusion of the those songs would have taken this release to a perfect 100, especially #'s 1,3,4 & 5. Anyway this is a really nice package of the Red Rocker's vast repitoire. There is "Only One Way To Rock". Cheers!!!!
Rating: 50
The only reason this scores so low to me is the exculsion of the smash hit "Three Lock Box", that omission alone is a crime, I know running time is a factor, but it would be like leaving "Dr Feelgood "off Motley Crue's best of. Otherwise, Sammy is one of my all time best singers, and the rest of the material is put together well, you just can't get over that omission(and I am not the only one who spotted this!)
Rating: 90
This is great. It includes songs from all Sammy eras as well as his soundtrack tunes as. This is a strong well-thought-out release.
Rating: 80
Nice compilations from the red rocker. But there should have been a lot more songs on it.
The sound is great, which is nice !
All by all: good release, but new stuff is what we all want !
Rating: 92
Sammy Hagar is a metalhead's dream. I have listened to every disc he has put out since 1973, from Montrose (the Self titled) disc which is one of my alltime favorite heavy metal releases to his solo days, to his stint in guitar nirvanna with Van Halen (some call it Van Hagar). Through it all, Sammy offers us a lesson in how to stay young, vital, and relevant in a dog eat dog music business. What does all of his work in all its incarnations have in common??? HOOKS, upbeat lyrics, variance in tempo, and a gutsy, raspy, melodic gem of a voice to sing the songs with. This release has it all: you want a rocker to get you going try Bad motor Scooter which still smokes some 30 years on. You want upbeat rockers?? How about Red, I can't Drive 55, Marching to Mars. How about Glossy and rare like Winner takes it all? Want a Party tune??? Try Mas Tequila. This is a brilliant, well put together offering that gathers old and new, Rare and hits all on one release. This is a must have for any true Sammy fanatic (which I am). I don't have my copy yet but I can't wait to get it. To not have to play some of the soundtrack songs like Fast times and Winner takes it all (where that is the only song I want to hear) will be nice. Rock on Red Rocker, you have stayed true to your passion and 30 years in the biz do not show their age on you at all. Young at heart and rocking til he dies (and beyond?), that is Sammy Hagar. Get it NOW!
ADD YOUR OWN REVIEW! (Ratings out of 100)
