Friday videos: Mitch Malloy auditions for Van Halen

After the demise of Van Hagar in the mid-90s, Eddie and Alex had to find a replacement lead singer. Mitch Malloy, frequently reviewed on Now This ROCKS (click here), auditioned for the gig, which ultimately went to Gary Cherone (Extreme). Below is a rare demo that captures what Van Halen would have sounded like in a parallel universe where Malloy took the job as their new lead vocalist. The song they did was "Panama", so let's first refresh our memory of the original with David Lee Roth.



Now here is the Mitch Malloy version:



But the job went to Gary Cherone:



And lest we forget, and to round out the comparisons, the Sammy Hagar version:



So there you have it - which version do you think is the best?

Review: Chickenfoot “III”

Rock
Sammy Hagar’s supergroup vehicle Chickenfoot is back with their second record called “III”. Didn’t some other band in Hagar’s history release a record of that same name? Hmmm…anyway, “III” is the follow up to the self-titled debut from 2009 (reviewed here). It is nice to see these veterans of rock out of the coop and ready to take another swing at saving rock and roll. For the uninitiated, Chickenfoot is composed of one half Van Hagar (Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony), guitar wizard Joe Satriani, and Red Hot Chili Pepper drummer Chad Smith.

“III” is one of those records we would refer to as a “one-sider” back in the day. If these ten (actually 11) songs were split on an LP, the first half would clearly be the superior one. Seriously…the first half of “III” really brings it. The album rips into high gear with the sultry guitar power of “Last Temptation” – lush with power chords and crunch, this song is a comfort zone for Hagar’s impressive roar. The party continues with the sing-a-long “Alright Alright”, featuring great harmonies from Anthony that induce Van Hagar flashbacks. But “Different Devil” is probably my favorite track. While slower in pace, the song is beautifully written and performed – would have been a huge hit back in the 80s. “Up Next” cranks things back up and is one of those songs where the verses are actually better than the chorus.

What makes the first half of the record work so well is that the guys wrote great hooks into the songs. That really can’t be said of the second half, which is more aloof and experimental with exception of an arena ready standard in “Big Foot”. “Come Closer” is a fairly nondescript ballad that even the well done harmonies cannot save. “Three and a Half Letters” is an interesting piece, with spoken word verses and a simplistic chorus. I like the concept of the song, which features timely lyrics about the unemployment rate, but there is something incredulous about Cabo Wabo dwelling Hagar singing “I Need A Job”. “Something Going Wrong” is another tune that just didn’t live up to its promise – an acoustic-based track from these guys was a pleasant surprise, but there just isn’t a good hook to be found here.

The band called their second record “III” because they claim, with irreverent immodesty, it is too good to be a sophomore release. “III” is certainly better than the debut in my opinion, but not that much better…”II ½” would have been more appropriate. While all the guys sound in top form, the MVP is clearly Satriani, who makes guitar solos sexy again.

By the way, I got the deluxe edition which contains a cool DVD about the making of the record. It is also worth splurging for since it is printed in 3D. It comes with 3D glasses so you can view the eye popping cover art and photos of the band members – really wild!

iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 3, 4, 8

Chickenfoot – Official site.

Check out the video for “Big Foot”

Odds and Ends

Each week I use this space to post some mini-reviews, cool tracks, random thoughts, neat news, or whatever else I damn well please.

MiniReview
The Brigadier “Holiday Special” [EP] - Our old friend Matt Williams, aka The Brigadier is back with another EP in his seasonal series. This one celebrates summer and is called “Holiday Special”. Things couldn’t start off better than with the beautiful sunny side up spirit of “When The Sun Comes Out”, which contains just enough crunch in the guitar to give the brilliant harmonies a nice little kick. Not only my favorite off this EP, but one of my favorite Brigadier songs. “Swansong” is a pleasantly melancholy goodbye tune while “A Holiday Romance” is a cute island-flavored song. “Ogmore-by-Sea” is an interesting mix of surf and country guitar. Like holidays, all good things must come to an end, and the Brigadier departs for now with an epic, extravagant ballad entitled “Time To Go Home”. Among his most ambitious tunes, “Time To Go Home” oscillates between breezy orchestration and rocking fuzzy guitar breaks. Definitely a few tracks on here going onto my summer playlist. More info here.

Surprise of the week
New research from Australian scientists will convince you to always have some AC/DC handy if you take out your boat into shark-infested waters. Read why here.

News
New Chickenfoot record in sight? “Chickenfoot’s second album is almost finished, and we’re hoping to mix sometime in June,” says guitarist Joe Satriani. “It is heavier, and better than the first one, and I can’t wait to get it out there!” Read more here.

In related Van Hager news, Sammy Hager and the third Van Halen singer (Gary Cherone, better known as front man for Extreme) will be sharing a stage tonight. Cherone's new band, Hurtsmile, will support Sammy Hagar and the Wabos at Casino Del Sol tonight. Cherone also commented that Extreme is back at work on a new album. The full story is here.

How about some new Pearl Jam? With Eddie Vedder’s solo record out of his system (“Ukulele Songs”), the band is back at work on new material for their tenth album. Read the full report here, and check out this video from Vedder’s solo outing.



Random iPOD song of the week
From her breakthrough record, “I Do Not Want What I Do Not Have”, this definitive breakup song from Sinead O'Connor leaves me with chills every time. This particular performance is also noteworthy as it shows Sinead in rare form – with hair!

Review: Chickenfoot "Chickenfoot"

It is refreshing to see a classic hard rock act get the A-list treatment in terms of promotion. I seem to find signs of Chickenfoot everywhere - even on the (gasp) radio! For those of you who have recently been rescued from a desert island, Chickenfoot is rock's latest supergroup comprised of one half Van Hagar (Sammy Hagar and Mike Anthony), guitar wizard Joe Satriani, and Red Hot Chili Pepper drummer Chad Smith.

The pros: The chemistry between these guys is fantastic and their individual talents gel well to produce a modern rock feel - the record sounds great. Sammy's vocals are still incredible after all these years of tequila-drenched wailing and to say that Satriani is amazing with the guitar is a vast understatement. The packing is pretty cool, too, with the heat-activated digipak whose artwork shows up after warming up.

The cons (you know there have to be significant cons when one of the pros commends the packaging!): The biggest drawback is that the songs are mediocre at best, lacking the meaty hooks and sing-a-long choruses that make arena rock songs memorable. There isn't enough of the trademark Hagar and Anthony harmony vocals, which may have been avoided as a conscious effort not to sound too much like Van Hagar. Finally, Sammy seems to be on a 'man on a mission' with his lyrics to prove that older does not mean wiser (with rare exception).

Like the band's ridiculous name, the Chickenfoot CD is attention getting, but leaves you scratching your head and asking, "What? This is the best they could do?" For me, Chickenfoot is one of this year's biggest musical disappointments - it is a clucking bore! There is an abundance of talent in this coop spinning out of control - if it can be centered to revolve around strong melodious hooks, they will truly earn the title "superGROUP".

iPOD-worthy: 5, 8, 9

Chickenfoot on MySpace. Official site.

Get the Chickenfoot mp3 album for only $3.99 at Amazon.