Sammy Hagar, “Not 4 Sale” (Cabo Wabo/33rd Street)
ByOct 7, 2002 10:00 PM
Six years after getting bounced from Van Halen, Sammy Hagar continues to crank out his own brand of easily digestible, good-time rock.
Six years after getting bounced from Van Halen, Sammy Hagar continues to crank out his own brand of easily digestible, good-time rock.
Hagar himself best sums up the album’s overall vibe on the title track, in which he sings: “I start to hum this old melody / It sounds familiar, but that’s alright / It gets me by, it keeps me high.” It’s not a ground-breaking release but, at this point, the well-established musician clearly is making music for himself and his legion of loyal followers, and isn’t trying to win over critics or new fans.
The album’s handful of heavier numbers--particularly opening track “Stand Up"--prove that Hagar, who turns 55 this month, hasn’t mellowed with age; he’s still able to sing as forcefully and howl as loudly as he did 20 years ago.
Familiar-sounding soft rock rounds out much of the album, and is punctuated by the country-tinged “The Big Nail” and experimental Led Zeppelin tribute “Whole Lotta Zep.”