Montrose! How Did I Miss Them?

**GuitarGeek** · 12-13-2018

Originally Posted by Trane

Yikes!!! I thought we'd never catch you off-guard in your extremely vast rock culture

Oh, there's a lot of gaps in my record collection, some of them more embarrassing than others. I don't have any Free records, in fact, I think the only things I've ever heard by them are All Right Now, Wishing Well, and Mr. Big. I have the impression I'd probably like them if I heard more, but I've just never gotten around to getting any of the albums.

And I've really only ever owned four Led Zeppelin albums: II, IV, Houses Of The Holy and Presence. And I only have the first three Lynyrd Skynyrd records (I used to have the late 80's live album, though). I've never owned Dark Side Of The Moon or The Wall on CD, likewise for Who's Next (I bought all as used LP's though back in the 80's), and I've never owned Quadrophenia at all (mainly because I was holding out til I could find a copy of the first CD edition, before Townshend's freeloading brother-in-law remixed everything, but never followed through). And so on.

**Jerjo** · 12-13-2018

Chris, all you need is the first two Skynyrd albums and the live one.

Back to Montrose. I remember something back in the day about Ronnie firing Sammy because he was sick of the band being referred to as "crotch rock". Sammy's lyrics, when not diddling with eratz sci-fi themes, were pretty much that. But that first album is a stone cold classic and the next two had their moments. Just don't listen to closely to the words.

The instrumental Open Fire, as already noted, is worth seeking out. Some truly fine instrumentals.

**JJ88** · 12-13-2018

I have one of theirs around on CD somewhere. I recall on the OGWT DVD commentary the writer David Hepworth suggesting that in hard rock, they were sort of the bridge between Led Zeppelin and Van Halen (although he had to be told that Hagar went on to actually join the latter...). And I can see that.

**dropforge** · 12-13-2018

Originally Posted by proggy_jazzer

Montrose was a bad-ass player, and well-loved by many of my high-school cronies. The band "Montrose" included Hagar, but by the end of the 70s they'd long parted ways I believe, Sammy for his solo career and later VH, and Montrose to form Gamma and other solo projects. Don't believe they worked together after the mid-70s.

Sammy's only on the first two albums, Montrose and Paper Money. By '75, Sammy was a solo artist, which he'd be for the next ten years before hooking up with those guys from Pasadena.

Speaking of Ronnie, I think he was a phenom. I like his tone in that early '70s "era" better than anyone else's, save perhaps Iommi's. The guy was on fire. His first solo album Open Fire ('78) is essential stuff in my book, and done way before there was any kind of electric guitar "virtuoso" subgenre to speak of. Ronnie's got a bunch of other solos I dig, like The Speed of Sound and Mutatis Mutandis.

Gamma? Yep, love 'em, too! Gamma 1 & 2 (as they're simply titled) are top-shelf early '80s hard rock with other flavors peppered in (some blues here, a little new wave there). Gamma 3 is nearly as good. Gamma 4 arrived many years later and isn't at the same level.

**dropforge** · 12-13-2018

Originally Posted by Enid

Open Fire, Territory, The Speed Of Sound, The Diva Station, Mutatis Mutandis, Music From Here, and Mr. Bones..all have brilliant moments . Even if you skip over a few vocal tracks on Territory and The Diva Station..for the sake of disliking vocals, ..they still contain some if the most interesting Rock instrumentals along with brilliant guitar playing. All 7 studio recordings are worthwhile to any collector who appreciates Ronnie Montrose for his diverse guitar playing.

Bingo! The ones in bold are by far my favorites. There's also the all-acoustic Bearings.

**progholio** · 12-14-2018

I had kind of mentally written Montrose off because the radio killed it for me when i was a teenager. I went on a whole Van Halen kick a a couple years back since i read the book Van Halen Rising (highly recommended) which led me to rediscover the fisrt Montrose albums since they were produced by Ted Templeman. Interesting that in the early days of Van Halen Templeman suggested booting Dave and getting a "professional" singer and that Hagar was available. Those early Templeman produced Montrose records are the bomb. His solo album Open Fire is pretty swell too.

**SteveSly** · 12-14-2018

Originally Posted by progholio

I had kind of mentally written Montrose off because the radio killed it for me when i was a teenager. I went on a whole Van Halen kick a a couple years back since i read the book Van Halen Rising (highly recommended) which led me to rediscover the fisrt Montrose albums since they were produced by Ted Templeman. Interesting that in the early days of Van Halen Templeman suggested booting Dave and getting a "professional" singer and that Hagar was available. Those early Templeman produced Montrose records are the bomb. His solo album Open Fire is pretty swell too.

Have you read Sammy's book? Highly recommended!

**progholio** · 12-17-2018

Originally Posted by SteveSly

Have you read Sammy's book? Highly recommended!

no but i did read Dave's book, i enjoyed it but probably not everyone's cup of whatever.

**SteveSly** · 12-17-2018

Originally Posted by progholio

no but i did read Dave's book, i enjoyed it but probably not everyone's cup of whatever.

Yup, I read Dave's too, although it was a long time ago. I remember it be quite enjoyable.

**Enid** · 12-18-2018

Ronnie Montrose is still somewhat of an underdog of the 70s. He's mentioned occasionally on forums and on YT vids...but not by the masses. And during the Rock genre 70s...when bands like Thin Lizzy and UFO were barely breaking through to the youth...Montrose were even less popular. He was the guitarist for Edgar Winter..but it wasn't as if thousands of kids ran out to buy the first Montrose album based on Montrose reputation/credentials/..and overall excitement. He's pegged a "Rock player". I find that moronic. That's ignorant to do. Even though he chose to play Rock....evidently he did not in several cases . He played Classical guitar...and progressive Folk on a steel string acoustic. I just think its really weasely to label him as a Rock player..when clearly....he's more diverse. Of course this also means classification of overall style...but he shouldn't be placed in a category where he's thought to be like all the others.