maandag, mei 23

Whether or not you're a fan of Sammy Hagar and his larger-than-life persona, there's no denying the guy's in-concert might, which has earned him a flotilla of fans and landed him high-profile gigs fronting legendary hard rock bands like Van Halen and Montrose.

HALLELUJAH is a live effort, featuring material culled from 2001 and 2002 gigs, that essentially serves as a chronology of the Red Rocker's career.
After opening with the thunderous "Shaka Doobie" off the millennial TEN 13, this set list finds Hagar dusting off the Montrose classic "Rock Candy" before switching gears into pre-VH solo cuts like the super-catchy nugget "3 Lock Box" and often overlooked soundtrack cut "Heavy Metal." Hagar's lengthy stint with Van Halen is also represented, and finds VH bassist Michael Anthony (who was on the road as part of the brash singer's back-up group), lending a hand.

Even more interesting is a cameo by Gary Cherone, Hagar's vocal replacement in VH on the power ballad "When It's Love." Dipping into the three best albums he recorded with Van Halen, (5150, OU812 and FOR UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE), the California native delivers killer versions of "Dreams," "Top of the World," and "Right Now" sure to please die-hard Van Hagar fans.