10/17/2021
One of my favorite albums
FROM THE CRYPTS - CELEBRATING PAST ALBUM RELEASES in the HISTORY of HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL…
On October 17, 1973, Montrose released their self-titled debut full-length studio album via Warner Bros. label. It was produced by Ted Templeman. The album marks the recording debut of vocalist Sammy Hagar, who would later achieve international success as a solo artist and as a member of Van Halen.
After having done session work for various musicians including Van Morrison, Herbie Hancock and Edgar Winter, Montrose was guitarist Ronnie Montrose's first record leading his own band which featured Denny Carmassi on drums, Bill Church on bass, and a then-unknown Sammy Hagar (at that time 'Sam Hagar') on vocals.
Ronnie Montrose chiefly used a Gibson Les Paul, a Fender Bandmaster amp, and a Big M**f fuzzbox by Electro-Harmonix to record the Montrose album.
The album was voted as the 4th best Metal Album of All Time by Kerrang! magazine in 1989.
In 1974, the album was released in Europe via Germany under the title “Rock the Nation”. This version featured a track listing which duplicated the U.S. release but featured a different front sleeve image that replaced the band's photo with that of a large-busted blonde girl sporting a pink see-through blouse.
• Iron Maiden recorded "Space Station #5" as B-side of the single "Be Quick or Be Dead".
• "Make It Last" was covered by Van Halen in their early club days (available on Van Halen bootlegs).
• Punk band Stiff Little Fingers used the riff from the "Space Station #5" for the introduction on their single "Suspect Device" (1978).
Critical Reception:
While considered a classic by many hard rock fans, the album's reputation has grown over time. In 1989, Hit Parader named it within the Top 100 Heavy Metal albums of all time. Tracks from the album received scant radio airplay, with "Rock Candy" and "Bad Motor Scooter" being notable exceptions. It has been reported that the band's label, Warner Bros., did not know how to market Montrose, and, already having the The Doobie Brothers and Deep Purple to cover the Rock and Hard Rock genres, saw the band as something of a redundancy on their roster of artists.
Though the album was not a big seller upon its initial release, peaking at No. 133 on the US Billboard 200, it eventually proved to be an international sleeper hit which over a period of several decades has sold in excess of one million copies, attaining platinum status. Some critics have arguably labeled it the "first American Heavy Metal album". Often cited as 'America's answer to Led Zeppelin', it is held to be influential among Hard Rock/Heavy Metal musicians.
In his review for AllMusic, Eduardo Rivadavia stated; “The '70s gave us a slew of classic hard rock albums and though it hasn't had the lasting influence of, say, Boston's or Aerosmith's first albums, Montrose's eponymous debut proved equally influential and important in its day. Released in 1973, the record also introduced a young Sammy Hagar and his powerful vocals to the world, but the explosive aggression of Ronnie Montrose's biting guitar left no doubt as to why it was his name gracing the cover. A rock-solid rhythm section featuring drummer Denny Carmassi and bassist Bill Church certainly didn't hurt either, and unstoppable anthems such as "Rock the Nation" and their rowdy take on the jump blues chesnut "Good Rockin' Tonight" would lay the ground rules for an entire generation of late-'70s California bands, most notably Van Halen. The simple production techniques of Ted Templeman, who went on to work extensively with Van Halen, really lets the players shine and no amount of time can dim the sheer euphoria of "Bad Motor Scooter," the adolescent nastiness of "Rock Candy," and the simply gargantuan main riff of the phenomenal "Space Station #5." Montrose is a blast from start to finish and remains an essential addition to any collection of '70s hard rock and early heavy metal.”
Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
