Reluctantly dubbed as a supergroup, Chickenfoot (consisting of former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar (vocals) and Michael Anthony (bass), solo musician Joe Satriani (guitar) and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith) released their eponymous debut in early June of 2009. I had the good fortune of seeing the band play two weeks prior to the album dropping, and was instantly a fan despite that I had not yet heard the music. It was hard not to be impressed with the talent, enthusiasm, and sheer spirit funneled into their catchy, hard rockin’ yet melodic tunes. Needless to say, the album itself has since received countless plays and I’ve been anxious for a follow-up. Well, its here… almost… with a scheduled release of September 27th.
Much in the same ‘just for the hell of it’ kind of way the band chose the moniker of Chickenfoot, their second album has been named much in the same vein, calling it Chickenfoot lll (three). Hagar has mentioned that it’s just so on-point they feel as though they’ve skipped album number two. And clearly he’s onto something, because it’s GOOD. With the foursome getting to know each other better over the past two years, its surely lent a hand in getting tighter as a band and experimenting a bit more along the way. Clearly that shows on this release, as it’s not entirely the Chickenfoot sound that was developed on their first outing. Instead, in addition to the familiar rockers fans have grown to love, they’ve also added some slower tempo tracks and have incorporated some blues and pop. Essentially, it’s Chickenfoot and then some.
Surprisingly, Satriani’s renowned guitar prowess takes a bit of a backseat on some of the tracks, but the sweet harmonies of Hagar and Anthony still shine and lend familiarity.
“Last Temptation”, “Up Next”, "Lighten Up", and “Alright, Alright” come off as classic Chickenfoot, as does the lead single and video of the instantly catchy, “Big Foot”. I can see this one as being a staple on the set list of all live performances, as it’s in the same realm as “Oh Yeah” from the band’s debut. However, “Come Closer” manages to slow things down considerably as it explores some R&B terrain and the funked-up “Dubai Blues” features some blues-rock along with a memorable riff.
Along the line of experimental comes “Something Gone Wrong” which offers up some unanticipated banjo along with acoustical guitar, as well as “Three and a Half Letters”, a song prompted by Hagar’s late manager who asked if they could write something pertaining to the current economic situation. Instead, Hagar chose to tackle the subject by reading some poignant letters written to him by fans as they described their suffering. Although the chorus is pure Chickenfoot, those looking for a song that sounds like “Sexy Little Thing” or “Down the Drain” certainly won’t find it here and might choose to skip over it, whereas others might embrace it for what it is and find it well worth a listen.
All in all, it’s a varied album that offers a LOT more than the band’s debut. Really, it’s no wonder they decided to call it Chickenfoot lll.
Tracklist:01.Last Temptation
02.Alright Alright
03.Different Devil
04.Up Next
05.Lighten Up
06.Come Closer
07.Three And A Half Letters
08.Big Foot Chickenfoot
09.Dubai Blues Chickenfoot
10.Something Going Wrong
11.(Hidden Bonus Track)
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Fileserve @ 320K
