Michael Anthony Says the Who and Zeppelin Influence Chickenfoot’s Music

2012-02-25

Story by Cat Badra

Sammy Hagar on Chickenfoot: ‘I’m having a good time’

When Sammy Hagar gets together with his buddies in hard-rocking supergroup Chickenfoot to slap down tracks, he always has a killer time. C’mon– it doesn’t get much better than a jam session bringing together Hagar, guitar legend Joe Satriani, Red Hot Chili Peppers drum guy Chad Smith and ex-Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony. Even so, Hagar says there’s also some stress that goes along with the process.

When asked by Goldmine if working with Chickenfoot is the most fun he’s ever had making music, Hagar responded that while it’s close, he admittedly “didn’t have as much fun” making the band’s sophomore album, “Chickenfoot III,” as he did putting together the first one.

That’s actually a good thing. “Don’t take that negatively; I think it’s a better record,” he explained. “But I really felt some pressure after the success of ‘Chickenfoot,’ because no one cared if that one was going to be successful. No one thought it would be that successful. I mean, I thought it was going to be successful, but I didn’t think it would go gold in every freaking country. And it was on the charts for a year. I haven’t had an album on the charts for a year my whole life. So that caused some pressure.

“It took a little bit of the casual ‘we don’t care’ attitude out of it for me. And I thought, ‘I do care. And I really gotta out-do that last record.’ … You know, we worked on it. And that work was not fun. I’m having a blast now that it’s done. I mean, I cue that sucker up… It seems kind of narcissistic, but I’m having a good time.”

Anthony added that the new album was influenced by ‘70s-era greats, such as Led Zeppelin and the Who. “ …It just kind of comes out of everyone’s influences,” he said. “We all grew up around the same time and the same era, early ‘70s, listening to Cream, Zeppelin, Who – all those kinds of bands. Joe said in an interview I heard where he says, ‘We’re like a ‘70s band, you know.’”

 




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