Chickenfoot: Self-Titled CD Review
Patricia Walker
June 21, 2009
Chickenfoot
Track listing:
Avenida Revolution
Soap on a Rope
Sexy Little Thing
Oh Yeah
Runnin´ Out
Get It Up
Down the Drain
My Kinda Girl
Learning to Fall
Turnin´ Left
Future in the Past
Bitten by the Wolf (bonus on vinyl version)
Produced by Chickenfoot and Andy Johns
Distributed by Redline Entertainment, Inc.
Joe Satriani: Guitar
Sammy Hagar: Lead vocals
Chad Smith: Drums
Michael Anthony: Bass
After seeing Chickenfoot live in San Francisco, I was truly wounded. In a good way. In a fantastic way. I don´t know what I was expecting, but it was nowhere near the caliper of what I saw that night.
As for the album, the packaging is already hot! Available in both vinyl and CD versions, the cover is printed with heat-sensitive ink that reacts to the touch causing the picture to appear or fade.
Inside is some of the best rock music I have ever heard.
Sammy was quoted as saying that Chickenfoot sounded a lot like early Zeppelin (a comment which quickly earned him a lot of heat.) But after hearing this album, I have to agree that Chickenfoot´s music is just as powerful as Zeppelin. Besides the combined talents of Joe, Sammy, Chad and Michael, the surprising changes in these songs are but one element that makes them exciting and memorable. Just when you think you know where the song is going, it changes and lights up into something completely different. It´s a pleasure to listen to, an honor, really.
The intro to "Avenida Revolution" slithers like a forbidden snake up your spine. Chad´s drums grab you RIGHT NOW. This song is an unexpected explosion, an electric tidal wave of sound with a dirty, nasty, dark, heavy rock beat. Sammy´s scream at the end, buries it deep. Satriani, Smith and Anthony all have small solos which highlight their outstanding abilities.
In "Soap on a Rope," Joe´s guitar quakes with riffs reminiscent of SRV (Stevie Ray Vaughan) and is accompanied by a bend uuuuuup that takes you up with it. There´s also a transition where the guitar moans like a human voice in harmony with itself—a brilliant interjection. "Soap on a Rope" makes you feel good.
"Sexy Little Thing" forces you to move your ass. Satriani´s guitar opens the song like a mandolin, then quickly kicks into gear. It´s one of those catchy tunes you can´t get out of your head.
"Oh Yeah" takes on a darker undertone. At the end of the first musical phrase, it tastes a lot like the chord progression in the Beatles´ "Because," one of my all-time favorite songs. It builds and explodes, then falls back down, rising again with a guitar solo.
"Runnin' Out" is a political statement about the struggle to hold on to hope. "Long after the mud has settled, you left us with a dirty man..." and "we're running out of heroes" are clear messages about disenchantment with politics.
"Get It Up" has a melodic, rolling bassline that really stands out. It´s so full of energy, you can´t escape its impact. The repeated references to the word "round" are intriguing. Even Joe's guitar seems to convey the feeling of swirling. Chad gets a chance to wail on drums and Mikey can clearly be heard screaming his distinctive backing vocals, giving it all he's got. This is the sound of Chickenfoot.
"Down the Drain" is another song that captures Chickenfoot´s voice from the first note. I love the lyrics "do me when I´m dirty." Those words really seem to convey the power of this band. Based on the teaser of this song on Chickenfoot's website, I had initially thought this song lacked substance. I wanted more than what I heard. But being able to hear the entire song, I find it loaded with substance. The music here doesn´t lack for anything. Chad's and Mikey's contributions are forefront in "Down the Drain." And Sam´s scream at the end just seals this song, wraps it up, seals it nice!
My least favorite is "My Kinda Girl." It's a full-force, rocking song, but it doesn't stand out for me.
As for "Learning to Fall," there is something beyond the words here, beyond the melody. It drifts just below the surface and weaves itself with Joe´s guitar and the beautiful flowing harmonies. I don´t think I´ve ever heard Sam´s voice contain so much depth. It reveals something intimate about him that he feels compelled to share and yet wants to guard because maybe it´s just a little too personal to give away—and would they get it even if he did? But it shines through anyhow; he can´t help it, and it glides and caresses like fine cognac warming your insides.
This is by far my favorite. At one point, the guitar rises like a rose out of ashes—truly a captivating listening experience. My only criticism is that when they played this live, I wish they would have given me time to recover before they went into the next song. I missed the first half of "Turnin´ Left" because I was so taken with "Learning to Fall," I couldn´t tear myself loose!
Joe´s guitar proficiency is in its glory in "Turnin´ Left." This is a heavy-hitting, hard-driving rock song that burns rubber right from the start. Again Sammy´s and Mikey's combined screams open this song full throttle, accompanied by the hammering beat. Is that a scream combined with the squeal of the guitar or just a perfect blend of musicianship? Great high-energy piece.
"Future in the Past" begins rather funky, then turns the corner and takes on a middle-Eastern flavor. It spins like a belly-dancer's flowing silk veil, taking you in different directions, then climbs into a hard rock bend. This is another favorite of mine. There are a lot of twists here. I think the lyrics contain more meaning than they originally exhibit.
"Bitten by the Wolf" (bonus track on vinyl version) didn´t grab me at first. But when it did, it became another of my favorites. I heard dimensions to Sammy´s voice I´d not heard before, except moments he'd given us a taste of in Van Halen´s "Apolitical Blues." Sammy can sing the blues. Only a singer with this much depth of soul can pull this off to this height. Some strategically-placed emphasis on certain words like "muddy," unleashed by the gravelly sound of a raw blues slant, go through me like a jagged stab of lightening.
This album is destined to become a classic.
There is not a bad song here.
Track listing:
Avenida Revolution
Soap on a Rope
Sexy Little Thing
Oh Yeah
Runnin´ Out
Get It Up
Down the Drain
My Kinda Girl
Learning to Fall
Turnin´ Left
Future in the Past
Bitten by the Wolf (bonus on vinyl version)
Produced by Chickenfoot and Andy Johns
Distributed by Redline Entertainment, Inc.
Joe Satriani: Guitar
Sammy Hagar: Lead vocals
Chad Smith: Drums
Michael Anthony: Bass
After seeing Chickenfoot live in San Francisco, I was truly wounded. In a good way. In a fantastic way. I don´t know what I was expecting, but it was nowhere near the caliper of what I saw that night.
As for the album, the packaging is already hot! Available in both vinyl and CD versions, the cover is printed with heat-sensitive ink that reacts to the touch causing the picture to appear or fade.
Inside is some of the best rock music I have ever heard.
Sammy was quoted as saying that Chickenfoot sounded a lot like early Zeppelin (a comment which quickly earned him a lot of heat.) But after hearing this album, I have to agree that Chickenfoot´s music is just as powerful as Zeppelin. Besides the combined talents of Joe, Sammy, Chad and Michael, the surprising changes in these songs are but one element that makes them exciting and memorable. Just when you think you know where the song is going, it changes and lights up into something completely different. It´s a pleasure to listen to, an honor, really.
The intro to "Avenida Revolution" slithers like a forbidden snake up your spine. Chad´s drums grab you RIGHT NOW. This song is an unexpected explosion, an electric tidal wave of sound with a dirty, nasty, dark, heavy rock beat. Sammy´s scream at the end, buries it deep. Satriani, Smith and Anthony all have small solos which highlight their outstanding abilities.
In "Soap on a Rope," Joe´s guitar quakes with riffs reminiscent of SRV (Stevie Ray Vaughan) and is accompanied by a bend uuuuuup that takes you up with it. There´s also a transition where the guitar moans like a human voice in harmony with itself—a brilliant interjection. "Soap on a Rope" makes you feel good.
"Sexy Little Thing" forces you to move your ass. Satriani´s guitar opens the song like a mandolin, then quickly kicks into gear. It´s one of those catchy tunes you can´t get out of your head.
"Oh Yeah" takes on a darker undertone. At the end of the first musical phrase, it tastes a lot like the chord progression in the Beatles´ "Because," one of my all-time favorite songs. It builds and explodes, then falls back down, rising again with a guitar solo.
"Runnin' Out" is a political statement about the struggle to hold on to hope. "Long after the mud has settled, you left us with a dirty man..." and "we're running out of heroes" are clear messages about disenchantment with politics.
"Get It Up" has a melodic, rolling bassline that really stands out. It´s so full of energy, you can´t escape its impact. The repeated references to the word "round" are intriguing. Even Joe's guitar seems to convey the feeling of swirling. Chad gets a chance to wail on drums and Mikey can clearly be heard screaming his distinctive backing vocals, giving it all he's got. This is the sound of Chickenfoot.
"Down the Drain" is another song that captures Chickenfoot´s voice from the first note. I love the lyrics "do me when I´m dirty." Those words really seem to convey the power of this band. Based on the teaser of this song on Chickenfoot's website, I had initially thought this song lacked substance. I wanted more than what I heard. But being able to hear the entire song, I find it loaded with substance. The music here doesn´t lack for anything. Chad's and Mikey's contributions are forefront in "Down the Drain." And Sam´s scream at the end just seals this song, wraps it up, seals it nice!
My least favorite is "My Kinda Girl." It's a full-force, rocking song, but it doesn't stand out for me.
As for "Learning to Fall," there is something beyond the words here, beyond the melody. It drifts just below the surface and weaves itself with Joe´s guitar and the beautiful flowing harmonies. I don´t think I´ve ever heard Sam´s voice contain so much depth. It reveals something intimate about him that he feels compelled to share and yet wants to guard because maybe it´s just a little too personal to give away—and would they get it even if he did? But it shines through anyhow; he can´t help it, and it glides and caresses like fine cognac warming your insides.
This is by far my favorite. At one point, the guitar rises like a rose out of ashes—truly a captivating listening experience. My only criticism is that when they played this live, I wish they would have given me time to recover before they went into the next song. I missed the first half of "Turnin´ Left" because I was so taken with "Learning to Fall," I couldn´t tear myself loose!
Joe´s guitar proficiency is in its glory in "Turnin´ Left." This is a heavy-hitting, hard-driving rock song that burns rubber right from the start. Again Sammy´s and Mikey's combined screams open this song full throttle, accompanied by the hammering beat. Is that a scream combined with the squeal of the guitar or just a perfect blend of musicianship? Great high-energy piece.
"Future in the Past" begins rather funky, then turns the corner and takes on a middle-Eastern flavor. It spins like a belly-dancer's flowing silk veil, taking you in different directions, then climbs into a hard rock bend. This is another favorite of mine. There are a lot of twists here. I think the lyrics contain more meaning than they originally exhibit.
"Bitten by the Wolf" (bonus track on vinyl version) didn´t grab me at first. But when it did, it became another of my favorites. I heard dimensions to Sammy´s voice I´d not heard before, except moments he'd given us a taste of in Van Halen´s "Apolitical Blues." Sammy can sing the blues. Only a singer with this much depth of soul can pull this off to this height. Some strategically-placed emphasis on certain words like "muddy," unleashed by the gravelly sound of a raw blues slant, go through me like a jagged stab of lightening.
This album is destined to become a classic.
There is not a bad song here.
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