Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot Review

Posted by Aaron Mayagoitia on 06.09.2009

What do you get when you blend half a Van Hagar with one Red Hot Chili Pepper then spice it up with some Satriani? The result is Chickenfoot, a new supergroup with a unique mix of backgrounds that’ll keep bringing the question “what does that sound like?” to the table. Guessing yet? Check out the review to know if this new supergroup is a flop or a whop.



History has told us that supergroups are shooting stars that shine like no other but only for a brief time. The clashing of egos inevitably starts cracking the hull that was solidly built upon musical connection and the itch to get out of a comfort zone. Even though some supergroups have lasted longer than others, all of them are prone to spontaneous combustion, but it is that volatile nature however which draws fans to listen to their music and to go to the shows; it’s like watching a chimp on a tightrope while balancing a can of nitroglycerin on its head. And if somebody tells you that there’s a new supergroup out there that mixes cock rock, funk and instrumental metal, you can add a blindfold and a bottle of whisky to the chimp scenario.

In Chickenfoot’s case, the chimp made it halfway through.

Chickenfoot is formed by Van Hagar’s Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Chad Smith, and Joe Satriani’s own self. For this occasion, Sammy Hagar drops the guitar and sticks to singing, so the only guitar you’ll hear is brought to you by Satch’s fretboard wizardry. Michael Anthony plays bass and functions too as a trusty background singer. Chad Smith plays the drums. It is worth mentioning that this is the first band scenario Satriani has worked in (unless you count that one time he helped Deep Purple finish that one tour that was sabotaged by Ritchie Blackmore’s tantrums).

Through the record you can sense a vibe of musical camaraderie that makes you feel that the project was done smoothly and with everyone involved having a good time. There are rockers, funkers and even slow, moody numbers on the album. My guess is the rocking part came from Hagar, the funk came from Smith, and the moody atmospheres came from Satriani, Anthony being a jack of all trades and swiftly adapting to the flow of the music.

But how does the damn thing sound?

It sounds like a funked-up Van Hagar album without the cheese. After all, the Van Hagar part of the band outnumbers the Chili Pepper and Satriani part of it. This is Sammy’s album in a way; he’s all over the album singing his lungs out and ad-libbing constantly; the majority of the lyrical content is surplus Van Halen/Hagar. Satriani is the main attraction however; he finds the right spots and the right way to add fireworks to the songs without being obnoxious. Chad Smith and Michael Anthony provide a meaty, syncopated backing rhythm that is flawed because of the way it ended in the mix (I’ll get more into that in a second).

Ok, now I know how it sounds but is it any good?

The Highs:

1. - The guys went with what they know.

There’s no pretention involved in this album. The guys just decided to rock out and have a good time and that sensation is transmitted through the music.

2. - Joe Satriani.

One would think that Satriani wouldn’t have been able to adapt to a band mindset, but this only proves that he should do it more often because now he has to pace himself and this gives his playing a focus that yields more concentrated bursts of virtuosity instead of relying completely on dazzling instrumental compositions.

3. - The funk.

The Michael Anthony/Chad Smith combo is excellent. Satriani recently had displayed in his solo career an itch for funking up and now he’s found his perfect companions to get it done right. The funk makes the songs fun and mixes things up instead of relying completely on 4/4 rock ‘n’ roll.

4. - The energy.

The guys didn’t hold back for this, they went out and played loud and hard. This makes me think that the band live has an added dimension incapable of being caught on tape that renders the album versions of the songs as meek compared to what they can be turned into in front of an audience.

The Lows:

1. - The guys went with what they know.

Rock clichés are abounding on the album, mostly in the lyrics. The “tell me what you want, tell me what you need” line should be laid to rest for good. There’s also a fair share of cock rock lingo and attitude that can be too much at times. You’ll understand what I’m saying if you have listened to Satriani’s “I Just Wanna Rock” song off his latest album; that song is the perfect example of rocking out the dumb, clichéd way. Well Satch, I guess you got what you wished for.

2. - Sammy Hagar.

He’s too over the top at times. His screeching screams are welcome to set the rocking mood, but some times he should’ve just shut up and let the guys play, this making the songs need more time than usual, which brings me to my next point…

3. - Song length.

Just like AC/DC’s Black Ice, Chickenfoot’s album shouldn’t be listened to in one sitting. The songs tend to drag on at times, ranging from the four to six minute mark. Black Ice has killer songs and so does Chickenfoot, but they are best listened to with a 60 minute separation in between songs.

4. - The mix.

There’s too much bass on the drums and that can be grueling to listen to after a while. This has to do with the point above. Chad and Michael play great, but they don’t sound that great on record.

In the end, Chickenfoot should be considered a novelty band, a group of excellent musicians who started jamming and happened to think there would be people out there who would want to listen to what they came up with. Some of the stuff they came up with is very good, but the package as a whole is uneven. Maybe live they can make a better statement. We’ll see.

The 411: Chickenfoot’s debut album offers loud, energetic and funky rock ‘n’ roll that is also flawed by the audio mix and the song lengths; only hardcore fans of the members involved or people too curious to know how the band sounds will rush to buy the album, the rest are better off catching the band live and having a cold one while they party at the gig hoping they’ll play some Van Hagar/Halen tunes.

Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]