Classic Albums Revisited: Montrose

You cannot underestimate the impact of the first Montrose record, released in 1974 if my memory serves me correct. Around that time, many of the "established" heavy bands were getting soft...Zep, Sabbath, Purple. This album was a swift kick in the ass, sorta like the Sex Pistols album was in 1978. It was one motherfucker of a record....like they were saying "this is how you rock!". Loud, heavy, no ballads, and even pop metal poster boy Sammy Hagar was in the band!!! (not that i'm a fan of Sammy, that is, outside of his work with Montrose).

I remember first reading of the album in Circus magazine. It was those reviews I used to really love, where they rate the albums with one ear, two ears, a heart, or something like that. They gave the album "Two LOUD ears". So ever on the lookout for something heavy, I rushed right out to pick it up. It did not disappoint!!

The best thing was the production. Ronnie's axe sound, a classic Les Paul into Marshall sound, was just MASSIVE. Listen to the riff on "Rock Candy". Jesus!! The riff just slams you into the wall, completely pulverizing you.

Alas, like so many other bands with killer first albums (the first Van Halen comes to mind, of course that one was without Sammy boy), the second album "Paper Money" was OK but a lot weaker. After that, it was done and Sammy went on to become a mega millionaire but he was never to rock again! Montrose continued on with several line-up changes (albums like "Warner Bros. Presents" and "Jump On It"), then formed Gamma, but it was really never as heavy as this again.

But that first album, is an absolute MUST own, and a classic hard rock/metal masterpiece. If you don't own it, you're a pussy. It just got released on 180g vinyl so buy it now!