Call Upon The Author

Ah, the super group. Every few years a bunch of well known rockers feel the need to get together and throw out some new music to try and keep themselves active. Sometimes, like Cream, it can be brilliant, but more often (see Velvet Revolver) the results are, at best, mixed. So, how does Chickenfoot fare? Surprisingly well actually. We knew Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony would gel from their time together in Van Halen and Chad Smith always provides the goods so really it was long time solo performer Joe Satriani who was the wild card here. Certainly sitting toward the top of the pile when it comes to sheer skill with a six string, the question was how well he’d fit into a band dynamic. Thankfully, these guys gel so well it’s difficult to believe this is their debut. Well, with uber-producer Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, The Rolling Stones) in the booth these guys have produced an album that is, in every sense of the word, “classic”. From the balls to the wall rock of ‘Soap On A Rope’ to the surprisingly poignant ‘Running Out’. On opener ‘Avenida Revolution’ the band even dabble in politics (the subject matter of the violence along the road that links California to Mexico), albeit attached to some meaty riffs. Hagar and Satriani work brilliantly well together and, if this proves to be more than a one time venture, could well stand alongside front man-guitarist pairings like Plant & Page, Jagger & Richards or Daltrey & Townsend. The rhythm section deserve praise too, Anthony & Smith forging a granite hard base for Satriani to launch his aural fireworks and Hagar to roar out more lyrics. It’s fair to say then, that this band is far more than the sum of their parts… shame about the name though.