Following on from the success of the first
album, Chickenfoot came back together to record the follow up, titled
for whatever reason you may like to come up with as Chickenfoot III.
The initial album and subsequent tour had gone well, and that success
and enjoyment of the four members together enticed them to see if the
lightning could be captured in the bottle twice.
In the long run,
this album is more of the same that was produced on the first album
without a lot of change in the vibe or the style or the songs, but
occasionally just enough to make you wonder just what was going on. I
honestly thought the opening track "Last Temptation" was a Soundgarden
song. Not only the music, but Sammy even sing the first few bars in a
very Chris Cornell register. Not a bad song but just not what was
expected. "Alright Alright" gets a little repetitive, while "Different
Devil" settles comfortably in that soft rock genre, where you can almost
be lulled into believing you are listening to a Van Halen song from
Sammy and Michael's final days in the band.
The songs follow a
simplified path, with a tendency to throw in a more bluesy feel in some
places than was necessarily the case on the debut album. "Big Foot" and
"Dubai Blues" show the biggest influence in that regards. "Something
Going Wrong" is the token soft rock ballad of the album, tapping into
that almost country rock feeling with harmony vocals over the top of the
guitar. Heading very close to Bob Segar country, which is a little
disturbing. If this was the closing number on the album it would be
somewhat of a travesty. Fortunately, the 'Hidden Bonus Track' entitled
"No Change" is the closer in most aspects, and its up tempo high energy
collateral helps to wipe the bad taste from the mouth and end the album
on a much better and deserved note.
While I enjoyed Chickenfoot for what it was without ever really developing a great love for it, I have found with Chickenfoot III
that I am unable to find the same level of harmony. While the band
obviously has the talent and the people to make some really top shelf
albums, their style just hasn't grabbed me. It's funny that the final
track on the album is the one I find the most love for, and it was
supposed to be a hidden track. Those that enjoy this style of hard rock
will find plenty here to like. Others like me who were looking for more
would probably do best to give this a miss.
Rating: They lied, on high about YOU and ME, baby! 2/5
Every so often a so-called "super group"
will come along that sparks excitement and curiosity in the music world
and everyday pundits alike. The relative interest in such groups will
generally intensify up until that initial album release, and once it is
out in the open they tend to fall back to the level of interest shown in
just how good their material is. In recent times none was shown more
interest than Chickenfoot, and this is the debut album from the star
studded quartet.
Anyone who came in looking for similarities to
the Hagar-era Van Halen or Satriani solo material or Chili Peppers
funkiness can leave the room now, because that's not what this is about
at all. Sure, the initial buzz you get from anticipating what a foursome
that includes Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani and Chad Smith
is that this should be a sure thing, an album that ticks every box and
produces a masterpiece in a fusion of all of their styles of music.
Well, as you will have guessed, that is exactly what we didn't get.
Instead, we have a solid hard rock album that combines a little from a
lot of music styles, but I guess mostly centring around Hagar's more
recent Cabo Wabo style. In essence we have an interesting album that
doesn't produce anything groundbreaking or outstanding like you have
hoped they would. Instead they have stayed within the parameters of
comfort, not breaking new ground but not disturbing the old ground
either. Certainly the more outlandish of the musicians here, Satriani
and Smith, stay remarkably cool and don't break the constraints of the
song structure. That's not to say they aren't given their moment in the
sun throughout the course of the album, but they are much more
restrained in their output compared to their other day jobs, which is
probably where this sometimes feels a little too structured. Sure, Joe
gets to break out on a solo around the place, and Chad even breaks out
of that 2/4 rhythm every now and then to lay on a roll or two, but then
they are reigned back in to follow the basic hard rock song formula. And
that's merging of the two real styles of the two halves of the band.
While Sammy and Michael have played together for a long time in Van
Halen, they have made these kind of songs their own, and the style just
rolls off their instruments with ease.
The more you listen to the
album, the more natural it feels, and you can't help but be impressed by
what they have achieved. It will appeal to hard rock fans more than the
heavy metal brigade, if only because of songs such as "Learning to
Fall" which draw from the soft rock ballads heart, a follow-the-numbers
track that covers every required aspect of that type of song. Those that
enjoy ballads will be satisfied. Those that do not will question their
reasons for buying this album. There are plenty of good hard rock tracks
here though where the real roots of the quartet come to the fore, such
as "Sexy Little Thing" and "Runnin' Out" and "Get It Up". The
musicianship is superb, and Sammy and Michael's vocals are as good as
ever. Satch's trademark guitaring still breaks out enough in places to
steal the show, such as in "Turnin' Left", while Chad's wonderful drum
sound is still up there with the best in the business.
Chickenfoot
might be a dreadful name for a band, and it mightn't be the first thing
I reach for when I'm looking for a album to put on in most
circumstances, but I can say with certainty that having listen to it
again over the past few days in order to write this review, it's one
that I won't put to the back of my mind in the future. It is an album
that is better than it first appears once you get past the old "super
group" analogy.
Rating: Stand up or be degraded, some things are simply overrated. 3/5
