Bon Jovi's bassist

[uwe]

To the defense of Herr Anthony, he plays some real nice melodic stuff on the new Chickenfoot album which in many ways sounds like Montrose thirty years later. I only heard Montrose's debut album recently (it's out as a remaster) and was baffled how much their sound preceded what Van Halen did a few years later. I was totally unaware of that. Now Hagar joining Van Halen after Roth's departure makes perfect sense, he was joining the band that was so much influenced by his first band. Even Roth's singing style on the early Van Halen albums nods into the direction of Hagar's singing on that first Montrose album except that Roth didn't have the range and had issues pitching.

I basically only knew Montrose for one incredibly arrogant remark by Ronnie Montrose who when asked in the nineteis why Montrose split said: "We basically split because Sammy wanted to play guitar on stage with me. Sammy is a great singer, but you know how he plays guitar. There was no way I would stand on the same stage with him playing guitar."

[Hornisse]

I've seen Kiss twice (1984 Lick It Up, and the supposed "Fairwell Tour 1973 - 2000") and I recall vividly before they came out for their first song (Creatures Of The Night and Detroit Rock City) that the last song playing on the sound system was Montrose Bad Motor Scooter.  I know you've seen Kiss more than I have Uwe.  Has this always been the case?  Also I think Ted Templeman was responsible for production on the debut Montrose LP.

[uwe]

I've only seen Kiss once and that was comparatively recently! No idea what they played when the curtains came down, it might have even been We Are One from Psycho Circus.

But that first Montrose album is indeed Templeman produced and it is sonically timeless. That's another connection with Van Halen of course. I always thought that Templeman came out of nowhere with that first VH album (which is a timeless production as well). Funnily enough not all his work is like that. He also produced the Aerosmith reunion album Done with the mirrors which was an unremarkable affair compared  to the old Eddie Kramer productions.

[Highlander]

How could you have missed that one, Uwe... a rock solid classic... I followed RM from Edgar Winter ("They Only Come Out At Night" - that in itself a stunning debut [many of us know "Frankenstein" but how many knew it was Montrose on the guitar], if you ignore some mandolin on a Van the Man LP) and onwards... I don't have everything he's released, but I have a fair chunk of it...

I remember seeing Gamma at The Hammy O and Mr Montrose played this jazzy stand-alone solo which left many of us just stunned, silent, and he called out, "Well, what do ya think...?" and we all just erupted...

Ronnie and Sammy...? Two (egos) into one don't go... 

[Freuds_Cat]

I started playing songs from both the Montrose and They Only Come Out At Night albums back in the 80's. Still have and play those albums. Uwe is correct, timeless.

We used to do a fun version of the Montrose version of Good Rockin.

Live and rough recording. Singer gets distracted at the end 

[godofthunder]

Oh man  Montrose ! I have not heard anything in years I gotta go out and get that CD with Space Station #5

[TBird1958]

I've had that first Montrose as vinyl at least 3 times, once on cassette and disc..............

Yeah, I like it!

[lowend1]

But that first Montrose album is indeed Templeman produced and it is sonically timeless. That's another connection with Van Halen of course. I always thought that Templeman came out of nowhere with that first VH album (which is a timeless production as well)

It's not simply Ted's production, but the engineering of Don Landee that ties the two albums together. Ronnie has commented in the past that they were the kings of layering frequencies. Ted/Don would say that they needed something in a particular freq band, and a guitar, keyboard or what have you would be dropped in to fill the perceived spot. The result was a huge sound on all fronts. Ronnie also said in at least one interview that Montrose was built to be the last word in heavy rock - the American Led Zeppelin, as he called it. In another interview he said that he used to cringe listening to the playing on that album because he had considered it to be so raw and unrefined compared to his later work. Only now does he accept it for what it is - four young guys playing at the top of their game at that point in time. We should all be able to create something so raw and unrefined.

[Highlander]

It was the same team on the first Van Halen too, Billy...

In a Kerrang poll years ago, it placed #2 in a top 100 (may have been 500) with LZ#4 in the top slot...

That works for me, Bret...! used to play a few of theires too...

Just had a look at my CD's... I've misslaid my Edgar CD... 

[Hornisse]

I read in Rolling Stone a while back how Edgar Winter came up with the title to that classic album.  He was out and about when he was younger and overheard a kid remark about his look.  The kids mom said "He's an albino, they only come out at night".

[godofthunder]

Oh Man !  I saw The Edgar Winter Group with Rick Derringer in 1973 at the Rochester War Memorial ! I stole all the letters off the marque, sliced my finger open real good ! The letters sat in a box in my parents basement till about 12 years ago !

[TBird1958]

Oh Man !  I saw The Edgar Winter Group with Rick Derringer in 1973 at the Rochester War Memorial ! I stole all the letters off the marque, sliced my finger open real good ! The letters sat in a box in my parents basement till about 12 years ago !

Whoa! I hadn't thought about that in a long time, I saw them here in Seattle on that tour.......It was like my first date, parents had to drive me, I was too young 

[Hornisse]

That was a while back!  Back in '73 I was in 7th grade and still jamming to Frankenstein.  I think it was around that time I discovered I could play with my tackle!

[godofthunder]

Yea my folks dropped me off to  I have to say I loved every second of it !

[Freuds_Cat]

First time I heard Fankenstein was when a small circus/fair visited the small country town I grew up in up in the Norther Territory (Top end-  Crocodile Dundee country, more out back than outback ) back in 74. I was 10. They played that and Skyhooks -Horror Movie endlessly really loud. I was impressed.