Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Had this album for weeks - still not tired of it!, 19 May 2009
I had the job of reviewing this "supergroup's" new record for the magazine I work for. The term supergroup is something often bandied about, and more often than not it's the result of a record company pushing individuals together, and in the bulk of the cases, the actual albums never quite live up to the alliance on paper. Consider Chickenfoot the exception to the rule! Despite the fact that the foursome is comprised of Red Hot Chilli Peppers (and part time Glenn Hughes) drummer Chad Smith, ex-Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, guitar god Joe Satriani and the eternally youthful Sammy Hagar on vocals, these guys shirk the rules. They don't consider themselves a supergroup, they see themselves simply as four individuals who have a like minded goal of creating a magnificent rock album, and they financed it themselves so they weren't tied to a big label who wanted to compromise their creativity.
That's all well and good, as long as you gel as a unit, and by god, this does. The songs on offer here are truly awesome, the performances rank as possible career bests from any member you care to choose, and it's all given a larger than life production by the legendary Andy Johns, who engineered albums like Led Zeppelin II and III, `Exile On Main Street', and Blind Faith, and produced the likes of Satriani, Van Halen, Cinderella and many, many others.
The album kicks off with `Avenida Revolution', which Satriani described to me as an experiment to "see how dark Sammy would sing". It's a stunning opener which sets the bar sky high for the rest of the album, but one listen to the follow up track `Soap On A Rope' and you know that consistency is not going to be a problem.
`Sexy Little Thing' is an absolute gem with a fabulous chorus, highlighted by Anthony's backing vocals meshing beautifully with Hagar's, who delivers a tremendous performance throughout the record. `Oh Yeah', `Get It Up' and `Running Out' all rock hard and heavy and there's diversity in the form of `Learning To Fall' which slows the pace a touch, and a nod to Led Zep's `Thank You' with album closer `The Future Is In The Past'.
I can't find fault with any aspect of this album. Sammy's vocals are the best he's done in ages, Anthony plays better and sings better than he ever did with Van Halen, Satriani is a demon on guitar and Chad Smith plays like a modern day John Bonham. All this, encapsulated in such an immense production and wild vibrancy makes it sound almost like a live album - there's no fade outs, polishing, or tons of overdubs, this is just a rock record for the ages. Even the album cover is cool - place your hand on the black, and the heat changes it to images of the band! Yes, they have a weird name, but if I hear a better album this year by anybody, I'll eat my hat.
James Gaden - Fireworks Magazine
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30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
2 parts Van Halen, 1 part Chili Peppers and Joe Satriani, 16 May 2009
"Chickenfoot" will probably go down in the history books as the silliest name for a rock band. If this eponymous debut album is anything to go by, this could be the undisputed rock supergroup collaboration of 2009.
What happens when you take one of the top five ranked electric guitarists on the planet (Joe Satriani), put him in a room with one of the best rock bass guitarists (ex-Van Halen 'Michael Anthony'), partner him up with the second lead vocalist of Van Halen (Sammy Hagar), and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer, Chad Smith?
It's a no brainer; you get one of the hottest rock'n'roll albums of the year.
What really works on this album is the rawness of the production and the amazing mix of guitars, vocals and drums, performed by some of the best players at the top of their game. With the production helmed by Andy Johns (Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin), the songs put a bolt of lightening down your spine and kick thunder to the max.
Stand out tracks like "Soap on a Rope", "My Kinda Girl" and "Oh Yeah"
illustrate we're in the company of musicians who are taking no prisoners.
It's refreshing to see Satriani taking a break from his instrumental guitar solo work for a "band collaboration" led by one of the greatest rock singers of all time (Hagar).
The album comes in head sensitive packaging which means when you touch the CD inlay, photos of the band will start to appear. All that seems to be missing is the limited edition tour edition Day-Glo poster!
Rock enthusiasts, who are into AC DC, Bad Company, Van Halen, Chili Peppers, Joe Satriani, vintage Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and GNR, will see this album as the next best thing to Jesus Christ sporting shades, smoking a cigarette and holding a guitar.
This could be the best album Van Hagar never made.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nothing less than superb...................., 6 Jun 2009
In brief i can only say superb.
Its difficult to criticise any track or any individual performer on the cd.
Vocals are excellent and the instrumentals are equally excellent.
Production is superb and all in all it must force the group to stick together and release another and another and..................
Hagar is outstanding and shows hints of his past Montrose , solo and Halen days even though the man is 60.
I wish he would try releasing something with Ronnie Montrose and bring back the halycon days of the first Montrose release.
Wether he does or doesent Satriani and the boys are excellent pretenders to the throne.
Buy it , listen to it and delight in the origionality of the heat sensitive case.
This year is the year of mega releases , UFO , Dream Theater and hopefully the follow up to Journeys Revelation cd of 2008.
Rock on cos Chicken Foot certainly do.
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