Sammy Hagar and The Circle - Space Between(2019)
Members:
Michael Anthony – bass guitar, backing vocals
Jason Bonham – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Sammy Hagar – lead vocals
Vic Johnson – guitar, backing vocals
Space Between is the debut studio album by
English-American rock supergroup The Circle. Released May 10, 2019 on BMG. The album was produced by Jaimeson Durr, vocalist Sammy Hagar, and guitarist Vic Johnson, and debuted at No. 4 on the US Billboard 200 chart, making it Hagar's highest charting album to date.
First Impressions:
A good hard rock album with a signature Sammy flair.
It's no secret that Sammy Hagar has been a staple in a lot of peoples record collections over the past several decades, his being in several big name bands is part of that. From Montrose to Van Halen to Chickenfoot to his solo oriented projects, everything Sammy touches is almost certain to be quality....but how does this supergroup fare? It has the pedigree to be grade A, but is it? Well let's just hold the pretense and stop the chattering and dig into this album, as usual track by track...let's do this.
1."Devil Came to Philly" 2:35
A good way to start an album, not pretentious and loaded with that classic Sammy Hagar feel...got no complaints at all with this one...that leads into....
2."Full Circle Jam (Chump Change)" 3:38
A nice dirty blues rock song in the vein of George Thorogood. Great swagger and cool lyrics, everyone shines on this one, not much more can be said.
3."Can't Hang" 3:56
A southern rock type of track, this is a bit formula in it's presentation but still has its charms, those charms come in the form of Michael Anthony and his trademark background vocals in the chorus. This one is still a great song even with its formula feel.
4."Wide Open Space"3:46
A lot of acoustic guitar on this album, this ballad is no exception. Sonically it harkens back to some of the 80's best hair metal ballads. Well written and executed very well. There is nothing not to like here, it's something Sammy does well, and this is just another goo one from him.
5."Free Man"4:20
Ohhh boy, a nasty riff and heavy drums. A mid tempo beast that is so satisfying from the get go. This will get your fist pumping and your teeth grinding. The simplicity of this one makes it a great listen and an even better sing along...it's just so nasty sounding.
6."Bottom Line" 2:43
A free spirited song with some fun organ hits in it. A pure party song in feel and it will drag you back to your past at times while maintaining a relevant feel even in its classic style. A fun song and a great energy builder...perfect place for this song to be on an album like this.
7."No Worries" 3:27
Another bluesy type of song, and its a good one too. Great feel, great lyrics, great execution by all members in this group. I have nothing bad to say about this one at all. It's a treat to listen to.
8."Trust Fund Baby" 4:15
A rocker...and a good one too. Great feel on this. A blues rocker, well performed with Mike's trademark backing vocals, Jason's solid drumming, and Sammy and Vic serving their guitar parts very well and loose. This is what you come to expect from Sammy and it doesn't disappoint.
9."Affirmation" 3:20
This is a great song, culling from so many sound types. A pulsing bass with effects fresh from an early van halen or ZZ top album, a bit of organ in the background, great mid tempo track with Sammy's great trademark voice, love this one.
10."Hey Hey (Without Greed)"2:51
Wrapping this album up is an acoustic sing along, simple outro style style track with no real bells and whistles. A classic way to close an album.
Conclusion:
This album is not a huge leap in Sammy's already stellar discography but it is another solid inclusion. As supergroups go, it's not overstated and nobody gets all the spotlight, this is more a cooperative project by 4 very talented musicians and it is obvious they had no intention to be a big deal. This is a well made album with a lot of playing it safe, but doing it well. I have no real issues with this album It's what I have come to expect from Sammy and I have not been disappointed yet by him. This is a good album and I recommend it for fans of his for sure, but if you are looking for flash and innovation, this may not be for you.
Score: 4.5/5
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