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Chickenfoot. New pandemic? Not likely – monster rock!
Big names and big sound seems to be the agenda for Chickenfoot. You only have to see the line-up to see why.
They formed after jamming at Sammy Hagar’s club Cabo Wabo Cantina in Mexico.
Bringing together their individual talents, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith, ex -Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar and guitarist Michael Anthony along with guitar maestro Joe Satriani, they unleash their huge sound on their hotly anticipated debut.
Unlike mini-supergroup The Raconteurs who’ve taken classic rock well into the 21st century, Chickenfoot seem to have gone backwards to a time when Hagar fronted Montrose, a run of the mill rock outfit, and later, Van Halen.
Smith, regarded as the best heavy-funk drummer in the world gets a chance to really rock- out for the first time without Flea at his side.
Satriani is regarded as one of the genre’s best ever axemen, releasing albums to critical acclaim. That leaves Hagar and Anthony who’ve covered this territory before with Van Halen. So, what’s it actually like.
Well, everything you’d expect is here – ear-busting riffs and stratospheric solos, many of which are too gratuitous for my tastes.
At 61, Hagar still roars like a lion but he’s never been regarded as one of rock’s best. As with Halen, he fits the bill.
What they’ve mustered is a reinvention of the days when big hair and big rock ruled the world, and as accomplished as the individual components are, they haven’t dug out any great songs.
During the halcyon days of commercial rock (not progressive rock a la Led Zep, Yes, Pink Floyd et al), Hagar with VH notched up 12 single chart entries over 15 years in the UK. In this case he’s unlikely to get anywhere near that tally as there’s little real single potential other than Sexy Little Thing (echoes of AC/DC), one of the few songs that has any class or dynamics.
They could also opt for the dirty groove of Future In The Past should they really fancy their chances, or Runnin’ Out or Turnin’ Left but this kind of rock had its day 15 to 20 years ago and there are times, many of them spread over the album, that sound very dated, in particular Satriani’s endless high - end solos, as polished as they are.
There is one track that stands out head and shoulders above the rest – power ballad Learning To Fall. It’s a steady and measured song that builds into a glorious crescendo with Satriani finally delivering a restrained solo that does justice to his talents.
Inevitably, Satriani, his first time in a ‘proper’ band, gets to showboat on the album’s closer, Future In The Past, which has a Chili Peps funky groove with Joe building cool solo drop- ins which end up in his most blazing solo for Chickenfoot.
The verdict – Air guitarists will lap it up, even if it’s predictable.
1. Avenida Revolution
2. Soap On A Rope
3. Sexy Little Thing
4. Oh Yeah
5. Runnin’ Out
6. Get It Up
7. Down The Drain
8. My Kinda Girl
9. Learning To Fall
10. Turnin’ Left
11. Future In The Past
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
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Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2010.