Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Ears
Both Montrose's first s/t and second album, Paper Money, are both great, but Ronnie Montrose went on to form Gamma which were at least as good, if not even better. I would say Sammy Hagar was well established before Van Halen, but I think he joined through the Ted Templeman connection and for the big money. Ronnie could not put a foot wrong for me, whereas Chickenfoot showed the decline in Sammy's creative output. I was sorry when Ronnie died, particularly because of the tragic circumstances of his illness, but also because he took the prospect of another Gamma album with him.
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I never thought
Paper Money was anywhere near as good as the debut BUT I think Montrose's best album to be their third
Warner Brothers Presents..... with Bob James on vocals. Saying this though, I'll be listening to
Paper Money for 1974. I've not listened to Gamma in years, so I'll enjoy listening to them again. Sure Sammy Hagar was well established before he went to Van Halen, but my point was he became an even bigger star after he joined VH. Everything Ted Templeman got involved in meant big money and commercial success, Montrose were the exception to that rule. How Ronnie died was indeed very sad and it's not a nice subject to dwell on.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Ears
I had never heard of Ursa Majoru or their 1972 album, before reading your post. I've listened to some tracks on You Tube and they did not disappoint. Wagner can sing too. I keep stumbling across these obscure power trios; the last was Bogert, Derringer and Appice who were short-lived, but not bad.
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Many eons ago I used to think of power trios as something really special and quite unique, I quickly realised when doing this journal, just how common they actually were back in the late 1960s to the mid 1970s. Most could play though, as it always seemed something of an achievement to be able to play and make as much noise as a four or five-piece band. The Ursa Major album was a good album, not great but certainly very good and Wagner could sing as you say.