Although probably best known for his affiliation with
Van Halen from the mid-'80s through the mid-'90s,
Sammy Hagar was of course a solo artist beforehand, churning out quite a few so-so releases for Capitol, before jumping ship to Geffen and scoring the biggest hits of his career. As a result, the
Sammy Hagar edition of Capitol's ongoing
Classic Masters series is a bit of a misleading title, as there's no "I Can't Drive 55" or "Three Lock Box" anywhere to be found here. What you do get is a thorough overview of
Hagar's solo career from early on, including such
Hagar trademark hard rockers as "Red," "Trans Am," and "Bad Reputation," plus a few laid-back tracks -- a bluesy cover of "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" and "You Make Me Crazy." Also included is a fine live version of
Montrose's "Bad Motor Scooter," which serves as a sort of
Hagar history lesson (it was with
Montrose that
Hagar first burst on the scene back in the early '70s). If you're looking for a collection of strictly early
Hagar tracks,
Classic Masters fits the bill -- just don't be fooled into thinking that this is a thorough career overview (also sneaky is the
VOA-era image of
Hagar on the cover). By combining this release with 1994's
Unboxed, you'll have all the solo
Hagar you'll need. ~ Greg Prato