Montrose

This is a monster of a rock album. The debut of Screamin' Sammy Hagar and guitarist Ronnie Montrose. (vastly underrated) I can only compare this to Led Zeppelin's bombastic debut album. This record was that good! They were Americas' version of Led Zeppelin. The first track, Rock The Nation scorches the air, an anthem for American rockers. With each track, the album just gets better and better.


If you built a time capsule for the future, and wanted to have someone listen to rock n roll, this would be in the top 25 albums of all time. Some will debate this, but what I mean is top debut albums of all time. Van Halen fans will love this CD! I have no idea if this has been remastered. HINT ..... HINT ..... To those folks that like classic rock and nothing else, buy this CD. With rap, hip hop, pop, country, pounding the air waves presently- very few rock bands seem to get signed these days, this is a gem from the past to pick up.

it's no fluke so many of the reviews are so glowing. This is old school rock of the best kind. If anyone is rocking like this these days kindly let me know. If this isn't in your rock collection then I'm afraid your rock collection is not complete. Sammy Hagar never sounded better and Ronnie Montrose is smokin'. Listen to the intro of Rock Candy and you will know all you need to about how rock is supposed to be played. Simply a powerhouse riff! [...]

Pure rock n roll plain and simple. The way it should be, Ronny and Sammy need to teach the new generation how to play.

Monster hotdoggin guitar god riffs. Sammy Hagar in his early 20's. Not a dud track in the bunch. This album is a blueprint for many, many following bands, specifically Van Halen. I can't believe you don't already own this album, and you say you like rocknroll. I'll wait here until you order it.

to come out of the '70s. This album stands as a milestone in the history of rock--with the introduction of Sammy Hagar, the rise of Ronnie Montrose as one of the best rock guitarists around and a solid rhythm section of Bill Church and Denny Carmassi driving it all along."Good Rockin Tonight", "Rock the Nation", "Bad Motor Scooter", "Rock Candy" and my favorite from this one-- "Make It Last"-- are all outstanding songs. I saw Montrose twice in 1974(the first time opening for the formidable Humble Pie) and they ROCKED!I had never heard of them when they opened at the Pie concert, but by the end of their set I was a dedicated fan.Get this disc!

I owned the original Montrose album years ago. I had never heard any of the later tunes, but this CD is a strong testament to his endurance and quality. I started playing the CD and was surprised that there were so many songs that sounded like I should know them, but I had never heard before (if that makes sense). The songs are strong, production is great and the sound is big. If you listen to 70s guitar rock and you wish you could find some more music besides the same old songs that classic rock stations WEAR OUT, give this one a try.

I love Sammy Hagar and this album has some good classic's on it... Rock Candy, Bad Motor Scooter, and Rock the Nation. It also has some good rock ballads... If you love guitar rock, this is the album for you!

C.d. rocks. If you are looking to update you collection Amazon is the place to do it.
Amazon delivered quickly and in good shape.

The first Montrose album was great. Sammy Hagar's voice and Ronnie Motrose's guitar was quite a combination. The first 3 songs on this compilation represent that terrific album. The rest of the songs are good but pale in comparision to the first three. Ronnie Montrose needed a stud singer to fully develop his power chord music. If the orginial group would have stayed together, they most likely would have been bigger.

I was actually reading up on the new George Lynch CD (Furious George) and I noticed he does a cover of "Space Station #5) by Montrose. That brought back fond memories of that fantastic album and after reading 61 consecutive excellent reviews on Amazon (that has to be some kind of record!) I decided to go out and re-purchase it. However I could not find it locally and I ended up with the Best of CD which is fantastic. I was especially glad to see they retained the sequence of the Montrose Album with Rock the Nation, Bad Motor Scooter and Space Station #5 (the best 1-2-3 sequence I have ever heard) and since I got the Best of collection I also got "I got the Fire" (a personal favorite) as well as some other later Montrose songs.

It's amazing to think this stuff is going on 30 years old - it truly stands the test of time and is probably some of the best America Hard Rock ever produced. You just don't hear this kind of guitarwork (technical skill not to mention tone and excellent effects) in today's music, and in my opinion Hagar never sounded better than he did with Ronnie Montrose. The guitar work is phenomenal (the lead in Bad Motor Scooter still sends chills up my spine). I am so happy I got this! Oh yeah, one last thing - this CD is meant to be played LOUD - enjoy!

This album is great. I was an early Montrose fan and growing up as a teenager in the 70's in the SF Bay Area, I was fortunate enough to see Ronnie several times - mostly at the long defunct Winterland Arena in SF.

The first time I saw Montrose, it was after Album 1 and yes, did he ever rock. The last time I saw Ronnie, it was a pure acoustic set. He definitley mellowed with age. I had most of his albums at one time.

This second Album is fantastic as he explored beyond the hard rock mantra of the time. It was more in line with some of Journey's early stuff (which you will never hear on the radio). Very tasty and one of my favorites.

Definitely a buy!

Here is where the original guitar licks were
stolen from. Ron Montrose is America's
unsung guitar hero!

Ronnie Montrose had a heavy metal classic with his first album; so what was the logical next move? Evidently, turn down the guitars, add synthesizers, and put some boring slow ballads into the mix. What could have been a monster 70's act instead quickly (and deservedly) faded into obscurity. I recently bought the CD to see if it was as disappointing as I remember it back in '77. It was.

PAPER MONEY isn't quite as good as Montrose's self-titled debut (how could they EVER match THAT ONE), opening with two cover versions, but it's still a five-star CD. There are plenty of great songs here, which show the band becoming more adventurous musically, but the best thing here is the perennial sports anthem "I Got The Fire", which I quoted in many a promise to stay in shape for young women I was close with in my younger days. The fact that Sammy Hagar and Ronnie Montrose, the group's two leading lights, advocate sanctions against Indonesia in retaliation for that country's trumped-up 2005 drug-smuggling conviction of a young Australian tourist, as well as increased funding for law enforcement and capital punishment or life without parole for kidnappers, makes PAPER MONEY an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience.

The Stones' song "Connection" on this album is the way it was supposed to be recorded in the first place.

"Jump On It" was the band Montrose's 4th and final album, and the second release after Sammy Hagar's departure. This 1976 release followed the much darker, Deep Purple-influenced "Warner Bros. Presents", which is also a fine piece of mid-70's hard rock. After a series of solo projects and forming the great band Gamma, Ronnie Montrose reformed Montrose for a single album in the 80's entitled "Mean", employing a third vocalist.

Bob James was the vocalist on "Jump on It" and I feel that he does a fine job on it. His voice has a higher timber and somewhat less of a hard edge compared to Sammy Hagar's classic rock voice, but I enjoy it all the same. The songs are well-written and feature some very fine guitar playing. I believe that this record was overlooked and saw relatively poor sales due to the controversial and somewhat tasteless album cover. It's too bad, because the music itself is far more sophisticated than the cover would suggest. The fact that it has been reissued again on Wounded Bird I think attests to the quality of the music.

1. Let's Go: Starting with a driving, tribal-sounding drum beat, this song features a very catchy chorus and melody, as well as Ronnie's electric slide guitar used to very good effect. This is one of the very best songs on a great album and it was also featured in Rhino's "the Best of Montrose" compilation.

2. What Are you Waitin' For?: Listen for Ronnie's guitar tone and the echo-drenched, melodic and expressive solo. Technically Ronnie is a great player, but I am probably most impressed by his incredibly tasteful note selection on all his solos. I feel that his playing here was near his peak (Gamma 1 may have been the peak) and his timing, phrasing, speed, and taste are always so impeccable. Guitar solos should only add to a song. On this album, Ronnie's always do. In fact, they are an integral part of why each song is so great.

3. Tuft-Sedge: you may have heard this moody instrumental piece on public television, where it served as a theme song for a certain program for awhile. This is a unique piece of music that still sounds fresh today, combining a catchy sythesizer hook that almost sounds like a horn with bongos in the background and light, airy acoustic guitar accompaniment. It also breaks up the album nicely, adding some diversity to the otherwise straight ahead rock songs. Bravo!

4. Music Man: Wonderful rock ballad with some soulful, expressive singing by Bob James. I am glad that he was featured on this cut, and Ronnie seems wise enough to allow the song to be piano driven. Once again, it breaks up the album nicely. But guitar fans need not worry-- Ronnie ends the cut in classic rock fashion with an expressive, soaring solo with wide, utterly controlled bends and just a beautiful, lyrical expression of longing and pain. This is what guitar solos are for. The break at the end gives me chills.

5. Jump On It: I believe this cut opened the second side of the vinyl slab back in the day. A fast-paced romp with a driving drum beat, this song once again features a guitar solo that starts with a classic hard rock tone and builds and builds as Ronnie works his way up the neck and at a certain point is presumably run through a special effects processor to somehow be transformed into a jittery, watery, blurry sort of sound.

6. Rich Man: Ronnie and Co. slow it down after that blistering number for another rock ballad, this one driven by melodic synthesizer and-- as always-- tasteful acoustic guitar accompaniment. As it was mentioned in an earlier review, this song was written by the late great Dan Hartman, who was one of Ronnie's bandmates in Edgar Winter's for "They Only Come Out at Night". Ronnie wisely keeps it simple during the guitar break in the middle, and the song closes ascending on a mixture of synth, acoustic guitar, and wonderfully melodic guitar soloing for an emotional high.

7. Crazy For You: a driving, organically pulsing piece saturated with synth and a couple of guitar track accompaniments, this song is a classic example of how hard rock can be melodic and still rock. Ronnie's solo is relatively simple, but so effective. He can play fast, but he knows that he doesn't have to play fast all the time to be most effective. What was needed here is a simple, catchy, melodic solo with perfect, subtle bends and once again he delivered. This song may have been intended to be the pop hit the band was reportedly under pressure to produce. I don't care. I like it anyway.

8. Merry Go Round: This song clocks in at over 5 1/2 minutes, opens with nothing but a beautiful acoustic guitar line and Bob James' plaintive voice, and features an interesting middle break of carnival/circus noise before resuming its catchy main riff. I just love this song because it is a perfect example of melodic hard rock, with soaring vocals, overdubbed guitars, and an admixture of synth that holds it together and fleshes it out. It's a dense, interesting song with a lot going on. Listen to his guitar tone on this one- the fuller, more distorted rhythm guitar track here is classic overdriven Les Paul. Hearing that sound is like going to church for me. Listen closely into the mix for how the bass line drops in and out of the riff, making for an interesting, varied rhythm accompaniment. Ronnie is also the master of the extended solo, tastefully and seamlessly going multi-bar with endlessly imaginitive, adroit, and tasteful soloing. Dig the symphony in the mix towards the end, too!

I love the first self-entitled Montrose album with Sammy Hagar. It's a classic, classic piece of 70's hard rock and it is rightfully iconic. In comparison, this album is not as straight-ahead simple rock, employing substantial synthesizer and even bongos and strings at times. But I love it even more than the first one. I feel that musically it is more sophisticated in arrangement and melody, but it still rocks. Bob James is a fine rock singer and I would argue is even more effective than Sammy Hagar would be on the ballads. I think "Jump on It" is criminally overlooked. Ronnie Montrose's guitar playing on this is stellar, and both his and the rest of the band's musicianship is evident.

When Ronnie Montrose exploded onto the hard rock scene in 1973 with his self-titled debut album/band, he knocked the US hard rock world off its feet. No one really expected such an aggressive band and sound from the ex-Edgar Winter Group guitarist. However, he was unable to take it to the next level. His inability to maintain a steady band line-up and refusal to stick to playing just hard rock frustrated the record company and confused potential fans. After a chaotic 2nd album and the departure of vocalist Sammy Hagar, Montrose reconvened with a new singer and new sound. Their 3rd album, "Warner Brothers Presents Montrose" was much more consistent than "Paper Money" and was a great step in the right direction. However, more line-up changes and a horrible step towards pop music greeted fans who bought 1976's "Jump On It". There are a couple of great songs on here, but much of the rest is wimpy, power ballads or cheesy pop tunes. If you're a new fan looking to find the legend of "Montrose", start with the self-titled debut, then 1975's "WB's Presents". If you like those two,then try "1974's "Paper Money". Buy "Jump On It" last, or maybe not at all. Most of the best "Jump On It" stuff is on the "Best Of Montrose" CD. "Jump On It" was a horrible way to close the door on a classic band.

A lot of fans say that this album, and other subsequent Montrose albums, were overlooked because Sammy Hagar left the band. Well, I actually lived through this period - I was 18 when "Jump on It" came out - and trust me: no one didn't buy a Montrose record because Hagar had quit the group. We hardly knew who he was then.

The debut self-titled Montrose album is considered a classic and featured Hagar on lead vocals. The band stumbled through its second release ("Paper Money") with part-time help from Sammy... and then he was gone. The point is, Sammy Hagar was not the icon back then that he is now. He was a good rock singer but when he left Montrose no one batted an eye. If subsequent Montrose albums didn't sell as well as the debut, it is simply because they just didn't have enough quality songs on them.

Bob James was Hagar's replacement... I had never heard of him at the time and haven't heard from since. Nonetheless, he was a fine vocalist -- not as rough and growl-ly as Hagar, but blessed with some nice rock 'n' roll pipes nonetheless.

"Jump On It" is the fourth Montrose album and the second one with James on vocals. And to me, it's the second best Montrose record overall -- after the initial debut album.

The CD opens with "Let's Go," a pulsating, driving rocker that is infectious and features some blistering guitar work from Mr. Montrose. The song begins with a propulsive drum beat and bass line that causes an almost Pavlov-like response in bringing you to your feet. James sings the hell of it. It's one of those perfect summer-time rock songs to play in your car at full volume with the top down! LET'S GO!

The title track is another great rocker, frentic and frantic, with the band playing as tight as they can get.

"Jump On It" also contains some very fine rock ballads. "Music Man" gives me goosebumps, even to this very day... James' plantive vocals ("Let me be your music...man") hit you squrely on the solar plexis. And "Rich Man," written by the late/great Dan Hartman, is just a perfect little piece of pop rock -- somewhat a precursor to what we would hear from Van Halen 10 years later.

Anyway, if you admire the guitar work of Ronnie Montrose, you probably already have the first album. For me, this is the next one you should add to your collection. (Unless you're still hung up on that Sammy Hagar thing.)

A great album frequently overlooked because Sammy Hagar was no longer in the band. However this album is a good rock album from Montrose and finally available as a domestic print cd. Also now available are WB presents and Open Fire, both great albums.

A great album frequently overlooked because Sammy Hagar was no longer in the band. However this album is a good rock album from Montrose and finally available as a domestic print cd. Also now available are WB presents and Open Fire, both great albums.

Awesome pure rock here yet again from Montrose. Awesome guitar work and straight up groovin rock.

For years I wanted this album on Cd and I was lucky enough to find it many years ago as an import. Montrose's finest album by far and most people don't even know it exist! If you love 70's rock give it a shot...you won't be disappointed. Killer cuts like 'Matriarch' and 'All I Need' rise to the top, but the entire album is excellent from start to finish! Check it out before it's too late!

This album was moving toward the end of Montrose, and really is more like Gamma. The sound had been cleaned up and molded into too safe of a product. Ronnie Montrose should never have left Ted Templeman- the man who produced MONTROSE- the huge record that defined the sound of hard rock guitar. With this effort, and 'jump on it' the guitar sounded like it was recorded on a small solid state 10' combo amp. Too bad. Matriarch leads off the album and is basically the best song. But then immediately we get a weak ballad... who picked the song arrangement? 20 flight rock is ok, BUT THEN Whaler starts another weak ballad- complete with lame keyboards (sounds like harpsicord...) and violins???? What the heck is that???? What record exec was behind this??? Dancin feet has some nice guitar runs, and then into a pretty cool acoustic guitar track. The album ends with Black Train - which may be one of the worst fade outs ever - I mean come on- let us listen to the lead guitar... Anyways - I had to have this in my collection - if only for the cool album cover... I have all Ronnies stuff, so this completes my collection.

I almost forgot about this record... Although it really is completely different from the classic first and 2nd Montrose albums, it's pretty good. Too bad Ronnie Montrose couldn't keep an early familiar band together where the fans could get used to all the members, even if it was Montrose mark 2. I think Montrose could have been a lot more famious. A reunion with Sammy and the original members would be no less than steller. I saw Montrose with this line up open for Kiss back in 1975 at the L.A. Forum. I liked em' better than Kiss. Being "LIVE" that says a ton to top Kiss... Back to this recording! It's good! Better for the ones who already had it in the 70's and forgot about it. Takes a couple of listens to like it to it's full credibility if you've never heard it before, but definitely worth having in the collection.

Great recording,just as I remember it. Montrose comes back with a reformed band and puts out a very tasteful "hard rock" effort. In my opinon,this is one of his best. Of course it's hard to top his debut recording with Sammy Hagar on vocals. But this one has a slightly different approach. Jim Alcivar's keyboards are definately an asset to the band. What's great about this type of recording;not overplayed,i.e.on the radio. In fact never heard it on air."Matriarch": "KIller Tune".

Yeah Baby!!!!

This hard to find lp is on CD and contains the instrumental version of Town Without Pity.I make this difficult to get cd available on CD-R FREE with a bonus 7 minute version of Town Without Pity LIVE for collectors in need of this classic.
Contact me at smoothbluz11 @ yahoo.com and I'll get you a FREE COPY(I DO NOT SELL CD-R'S)for your collection.

This all instrumental album should be considered a pioneer piece.
One could walk into a techno-rave and slap this cd recorded inthe late 70's on and it would be right at home. Because of this, the album was 30 years ahead of it's time. The blistering licks of "A Town Without Pity" alone is worth owning this album. Super-rich synthisized walls of sound, fantastic percussions.

This cd was given to us as a gift. I now hum classical music note for note!!! These Brainy Baby cds are great. I love them, my husband loves them, and best of all our baby loves them. This one has animal sounds and when she was a newborn she would look all around the room trying to find where the animals were. We still listen to this cd every day upon waking up...it gets us off on the right foot!

I owned the original Montrose album years ago. I had never heard any of the later tunes, but this CD is a strong testament to his endurance and quality. I started playing the CD and was surprised that there were so many songs that sounded like I should know them, but I had never heard before (if that makes sense). The songs are strong, production is great and the sound is big. If you listen to 70s guitar rock and you wish you could find some more music besides the same old songs that classic rock stations WEAR OUT, give this one a try.

I love Sammy Hagar and this album has some good classic's on it... Rock Candy, Bad Motor Scooter, and Rock the Nation. It also has some good rock ballads... If you love guitar rock, this is the album for you!

C.d. rocks. If you are looking to update you collection Amazon is the place to do it.
Amazon delivered quickly and in good shape.

The first Montrose album was great. Sammy Hagar's voice and Ronnie Motrose's guitar was quite a combination. The first 3 songs on this compilation represent that terrific album. The rest of the songs are good but pale in comparision to the first three. Ronnie Montrose needed a stud singer to fully develop his power chord music. If the orginial group would have stayed together, they most likely would have been bigger.

I was actually reading up on the new George Lynch CD (Furious George) and I noticed he does a cover of "Space Station #5) by Montrose. That brought back fond memories of that fantastic album and after reading 61 consecutive excellent reviews on Amazon (that has to be some kind of record!) I decided to go out and re-purchase it. However I could not find it locally and I ended up with the Best of CD which is fantastic. I was especially glad to see they retained the sequence of the Montrose Album with Rock the Nation, Bad Motor Scooter and Space Station #5 (the best 1-2-3 sequence I have ever heard) and since I got the Best of collection I also got "I got the Fire" (a personal favorite) as well as some other later Montrose songs.

It's amazing to think this stuff is going on 30 years old - it truly stands the test of time and is probably some of the best America Hard Rock ever produced. You just don't hear this kind of guitarwork (technical skill not to mention tone and excellent effects) in today's music, and in my opinion Hagar never sounded better than he did with Ronnie Montrose. The guitar work is phenomenal (the lead in Bad Motor Scooter still sends chills up my spine). I am so happy I got this! Oh yeah, one last thing - this CD is meant to be played LOUD - enjoy!

Da ragazzino seguo i Montrose, il loro rock, gli amici del gruppo Gamma ed in particolare Ronnie Montrose. Avevo l'LP ed adesso possiedo il CD di Territory, un album davvero notevole, molto carico .. da avere assolutamente assieme a Mutatis Mutandis ed Open Fire ..
A presto Ronnie .. fatti sentire in musica

The first time that I heard Ronnie Montrose was on Gamma 3. In fact at the time I didn't even know about the band MONTROSE. Gamma 3 was a nice mix of hard rock and that synthesized sound that was about to emerge in the 80's. On of the songs I always loved on Gamma 3 was CONDITION YELLOW, an instrumental. The song CATSCAN featured here on Territory has that same kind of sound. The rest of the album is a mixture of experiments by Ronnie trying different things. Some songs are very odd (I SPY) and some of the songs are very beautiful (synesthesia-women of Ireland). Not one of Ronnies best but there are enough good tracks to make it worth a listen. If you like songs like CATSCAN and CONDITION YELLOW then you should love Ronnies album SPEED OF SOUND and the work he did with ANTI-M on POSITIVELY NEGATIVE. If you are looking for Rock Candy and Bad Motor Scooter then this album isn't for you. I like it, I own it, I listen to it and this REMASTERED VERSION is pretty good.

This soundtrack CD to the popular Sega video game has a lot of great acoustical guitar solos and is perfect for those "just in" to learning some really hot vibes. Highly recommended!

This CD by Guitar master Ronnie Montrose is a real good Cd to set a listen and think , Because it really hits the emotional side of a person and has some of the Best Guitar solos Ronnie has ever done . Get this one it is really good David Gouty