Customer Reviews

Red Voodoo

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

If you gave up on "Red Voodoo" before the title song (track 4) started, give it another chance. While there is nothing here that can match the calibre of classic Sammy (Standing Hampton, Three Lock Box, and VOA era), there are songs here that are worth a listen. Just skip the first three.

The album kicks off with its big hit, "Mas Tequilla." This song is an obvious Gary Glitter ripoff and has the distinct feel of a product endorsement. It's OK as a party song, but if you're looking for a good listening experience (and you're not drunk), listen on.

The next two tracks get even worse. Sammy "shagging" someone? Puh-leeeze! And "Sympathy For The Human" must be the worst song Sammy Hagar has ever recorded, be it with Montrose, Van Halen, or solo.

But with the start of the title track, things start to pick up considerably. The remainder of this disc has a good mix of ballads and rockers. While nothing's the equivalent of "I Can't Drive 55," it makes for a good listen. Better yet, as the album plays on, it gets better, peaking with the excellent "Right on Right" and ending with "Returning Of The Wish," the best ballad here.

I would have given this album 4 stars if the first three tracks had been omitted, and 5 if they had been replaced with something that even approached the quality of classics like "55" and "Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy." If you don't have any of Sammy's earlier (pre-VH) work, buy it first. Otherwise, "Red Voodoo" is worth a spin.

Attention:" Ladies and Gentlemen, Hobos and Tramps, Cross-eyed Mosquitos and Bow-legged Ants:" it just doesn't get any better than this. Sammy Hagar is the ULTIMATE Red Rocker!!! Some just get better with age and he is the best. What a fun collection of tunes from those that rock like Mas Tequila and Red Voodoo to the ballad of Returning of the Wish along with every song in between. I've been a Sammy fan since his earliest days and he really knows how to make music that makes you feel better just for listening. He always has a positive message in his songs, something these new bands could learn from!! This is the kind of music we need more of, so those of you in the music industry sit up and take notice: this is what your listeners want. Can hardly wait till he tours!!!! Sammy, You're the BEST. Long live vitamin T and the Red Rocker. ROCK ON!!

This new collection of songs is simple good rock and roll but there seems to be something missing. The guitar work on this album just does not stand up to sammy's voice. The one thing that would make these songs great would be the magic and power of Eddie Van Halen's guitar. Eddie Van Halen complemented Sammy's voice so well. It is difficult to listen to this after hearing all the great stuff he did with Van Halen.

I have always dug Hagar either solo or with Van Halen. He always hits the mark with his records. While I don't hate this record, it does have a few missteps and its not his best work. That's not to say that the record is totally bad. Its not. There are some excellent tracks on here and there are a few duds. Like a previous reviewer stated, if this was a record, side 2 would totally rock. Side one, on the other hand, leaves a little to be desired. Shag is just stupid. It sounds like something he might have written when he first started out in the business and never recorded until now. Sympathy for the Human is kinda whatever. I'm sure theres a B-side out there that he could have put on this record in place of both or either of those and this record would have been better. That being said, there are some really good tracks on this record that make it worth it. This is Sammy Hagar. It's a good record, just not his best.

Have been looking for this CD for two years for a gift, was told it may be

available on Amazon. They did have it but a site on here did have it. It was a

great surprise when I gave it for a gift.

I am a big fan of Hagar/Van Halen and Montrose and the newly found Chickenfoot so if you are too than this album is your glass of Tequila-Mas Tequila! The title track is enough to buy the record alone being that is a Smash single before it even ends its Hard Rockin Hagar to the Max!! And there's alot of other party rockers on here to add to your collection of his hits.

This is Sammy's second album after the storied split from Van Halen. His first, "Marching to Mars," was driven by his feelings of betrayal, loss, bitterness, and looking forward. Touring for that album, he assembled the backing band known by this point as the "Waboritas" (later, the Wabos), and this is their debut album together.

Clearly in a better mental space, and happy to have the stability of a regular crew again, this album is a lot more upbeat. A lot of celebration songs, like the made-for-bar-jukebox "Mas Tequila," the overtly named "Shag" (no time for subtlety on this one, I guess), "The Revival" and the upbeat "Red Voodoo."

Mixed in are some good tunes in the classic Hagar style - more artistic than most hard rock, not "pop" enough for radio. These include "Sympathy for the Human" (which evokes both the obvious Stones reference and also Sgt. Pepper), "Lay Your Hand On Me" / "High and Dry Again" (which flow uninterrupted on cd), "Right on Right" and "Returning of the Wish."

"Right on Right" is a rocker recorded live.

"Don't Fight It (Feel It)" features the nifty slide guitar of Roy Rogers, a frequent collaborator these days, and the legendary Tower of Power horn section, which gives it a great crossover appeal. Sammy is always good for songs like this - it won't appeal to his hardcore "guitar-only" fans, but it's just good musicianship.

"The Love" is a mix of power ballad / up-tempo number and probably would've dominated the airwaves during the hairband era.

This is mostly solid, and probably the right album for him to make at this time, but I do have enough knocks to make it a 3-star:

- Too many "borrowed" rhythms. Blatant Gary Glitter rip-off on "Mas Tequila" and "Right on Right" is too similar to the classic "55."

- The music in "Shag" is great but the teenage lyrics make it a guilty pleasure at best - it's cringe-worthy.

So that's 3 out of 11 songs I probably won't listen to, but the rest of the album is pretty good Sammy Hagar music.

I purchased this CD with the hope that it sounded like "I can't drive 55" which I liked the first time I heard it. What I got was warmed over less than hard rock with songs that all sound generic, not Van Halen or Hagar. What a disappointment !

I'm focusing on one song here: "Right On Right" by far the best guitar riff I have heard since the 80's. And the lyrics kick too.

So far all you hard rock heavy metal lovers whining about the 90's and present lacking the great sounds of the past "Right On Right" rocks with a vengeance.

Check it out!

An overall good album for likers of the quintessential Sammy Hagar. Awesome songs are Mas Tequilla are Right and Right, but High and Dry Again and Returning of the Wish are also highlights. Try and get over the VH sound that one is gonna be used to, and you'll find this album to be great.