CHICKENFOOT's SAMMY HAGAR: 'III' Is 'The Best Record I've Made In 100 Years'

Bryan Reesman of The Aquarian Weekly recently conducted an interview with CHICKENFOOT, the supergroup featuring frontman Sammy Hagar, bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Chad Smith. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On the band's sophomore album, "Chickenfoot III":

Anthony: "Obviously, having been in the studio on the first album and been on tour, everybody's really comfortable musically with each other now, and I think with this album we carved out a CHICKENFOOT sound. I think we're more evolved and not just jamming anymore."

Hagar: "It was just difficult getting it altogether again because Chad was ready go back to the [RED HOT CHILI] PEPPERS, and I just finished my book and was ready to go out on a book tour. There was too much on my plate, and I didn't feel like going in, as much as I love the band."

"I think it's the best record I've made in 100 years. I can't tell you any record in my life that's better from my standpoint my singing, my lyrics, melodies, what I put into Joe's music. I don't think I ever did as good a job on any VAN HALEN record."

On CHICKENFOOT's manager John Carter also Hagar's longtime manager, musical collaborator and personal friend who passed away during the making of "Chickenfoot III":

Hagar: "He was a dear friend, and he was my bouncing board, man. He's the guy that I called up and asked, 'What do you think about this lyric?' 'Eh, it sucks.' He was the only guy that really would push me and crack the whip on me. When I would say, 'Fuck you, this is good enough,' he would go, 'No, it ain't.'"

Satriani: "He was just such an amazing guy, and really funny, and not for a second would he take anybody getting maudlin about anything. He was an ass-kicker, and that's what he was doing on his deathbed. He would hear a demo and call up and say, 'That sucks, you guys got to write a better song. Why don't you try one of my ideas?' He was being Carter, and we loved him for it. But we all kept a stiff upper lip."

Hagar: "I think he actually fucked me up, because he knew he was dying. I didn't know he was dying we all had our heads in the sand but he was saying, 'If this is the last record you ever make' Everything he was saying to me was kind of about himself, and I was getting all pissy with him. Then when we found out he was really sick and was going to die, I got self-motivated and went, 'I have to write the best lyrics I ever wrote, and I don't have my buddy here to tell me if they're great or not. I have to be my own judge.' That's when I really got motivated and inspired for 'Up Next' and 'Something Going Wrong'."

Read the entire interview from The Aquarian Weekly.

Photo credit: Neil Zlozower