"Chickenfoot" will probably go down in the history books as the silliest name for a rock band. If this eponymous debut album is anything to go by, this could be the undisputed rock supergroup collaboration of 2009. What happens when you take one of the top five ranked electric guitarists on the planet (Joe Satriani), put him in a room with one of the best rock bass guitarists (ex-Van Halen 'Michael Anthony'), partner him up with the second lead vocalist of Van Halen (Sammy Hagar), and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer, Chad Smith? It's a no brainer; you get one of the hottest rock'n'roll albums of the year. The album kicks off in rocking fashion with `Avenida Revolution', which Joe Satriani described to me as an experiment to "see how dark Sammy would sing". It's a stunning opener which sets the bar sky high for the rest of the album, but one listen to the follow up track `Soap On A Rope' and you know that consistency is not going to be a problem. `Sexy Little Thing' is an absolute gem with a fabulous chorus, highlighted by Michael Anthony's backing vocals meshing beautifully with Hagar's, who delivers a tremendous performance throughout the record. `Oh Yeah', `Get It Up' and `Running Out' all rock hard and heavy and there's diversity in the form of `Learning To Fall' which slows the pace a touch, and a nod to Led Zep's `Thank You' with album closer `The Future Is In The Past'. I can't find fault with any aspect of this album. Sammy's vocals sound better than ever, Michael Anthony plays better and sings better than he ever did with Van Halen, Joe Satriani is right on target in the guitar department and Chad Smith plays the skins like a madmen summoning the rock and roll spirit of John Bonham at times. All this, encapsulated in such an immense production and wild vibrancy makes it sound almost like a live album - there's no fade outs, polishing, or tons of overdubs, this is just a rock record for the ages and one that comes highly recommended.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
