CHICKENFOOT - III (2011)

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Chickenfoot, the supergroup of Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith, released their self-titled debut album in 2009, a solid, hard-rocking, good-time album, with several key tracks that most anyone who liked the Sammy Hagar era of Van Halen would enjoy.

If you own their first album and you thought you knew what Chickenfoot was all about musically, you’re wrong. The group’s sophomore set is in no way a carbon copy of the first record.
Really, it’s no wonder they jokingly decided to call it "Chickenfoot lll".
True to lead singer Sammy Hagar‘s recent promises, the new album finds the rock supergroup expanding their sound considerably.
Of course there’s a fair share of Zeppelin-inspired stomp to be had on "III" but the band also tries out a few surprisingly direct heartland-style rock songs, as well as a sultry, R&B-influenced bedtime come-on, during the record’s compact 49-minute running time (this version has a bonus track).

The scorching opener “Last Temptation”, the twisting riffs and gang-shouted vocals on “Up Next”, the Deep Purple-referencing introduction of "Lighten Up", and the rockin' feel of “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.
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.
Bonus track “No Change” has a 'live demo feel, we-are-rocking-in-the-studio', and one guess if Van Halen 2011 doesn't should sound like this track. It's a great song with deep bass line, free drumming and a killer guitar riff.


"Chickenfoot III” is an unexpectedly diverse album, and that's a good thing for the band.
Throughout the recording, Sammy brings it lyrically and vocally, and Michael’s solid bass playing and completely unique background vocals are evident.
For one thing, who knew Joe Satriani could be this much fun, or fit so well into a band dynamic? Every minute you turn around on this album, the instrumental guitar whiz is up to something creative that legitimately contributes to the song in question, without ever overstaying his welcome or overshadowing his bandmates.
The band are still rocking their balls off, but they are very serious about the music they are pumping out. While the first album still had the stink of ‘experiment’ and ‘getting to know each other’, musically, this one fits like a glove.
Chickenfoot are a band and "III" proves that this is more than just a weekend recreation for the four talented musicians.


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
09 - Dubai Blues
10 - Something Going Wrong
11 - No Change (Bonus Track)


Sammy Hagar - Vocals, Guitar
Joe Satriani - Guitars
Michael Anthony - Bass, Vocals
Chad Smith - Drums, Percussion




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www.amazon.com/Chickenfoot-III/dp/B005ELZKWS