MR

Here's an '80s supergroup that Sammy Hagar wishes never happened

Kevin Wuench

Thursday, May 15, 2014
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/80s/heres ... ed/2179873

When the call goes out for "more cowbell", leave it to Sammy Hagar to come to the rescue with the all-star band HSAS and Top Of The Rock.

In between his Three Lock Box and VOA albums, Hagar teamed up with Journey guitarist Neal Schon and bassist Kenny Aaronson and drummer Michael Shrieve to form the one-off supergroup HSAS in 1984. Their album Through The Fire album was recorded live and the concert footage was promoted with a MTV concert, however all crowd noise was removed for the album for its release.

While their version of Procol Harum's Whiter Shade of Pale was released as a single and only charted as high as No. 95, it was Top of Rock with its nasty riffs and Schon's blistering guitar work that made chiseled out the most airplay on album rock radio. In Hagar's autobiography Red, Sammy doesn't have too many fond memories of the short-lived band as he said Aaronson and Shrieve were Neal's friends from Santana and he never connected with them on their tour and thought their reputations for being a great rhythm section was slightly overrated.

When Sammy Hagar formed Chickenfoot in 2008, he missed his opportunity to reclaim the HSAS band name as Chickenfoot is comprised of Hagar, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith - or HSAS if you use the acronym.

Wow. A bit surprised by this. Shrieve is a great drummer and Aaronson was a solid bass player. I still enjoy this record today. Maybe the project was so impromptu and short lived that the rhythm section did not have time to gel together or bond with Hagar. No biggie, still a cool project. I thought "Missing You" was the biggest hit from this though.

I don't think either of those groups were very good, Lots of talent within but not a great song from any of those cds.

yulog wrote:I don't think either of those groups were very good, Lots of talent within but not a great song from any of those cds.

Disagree: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu7LPtdAsF4

Doesn't get a whole better than this if you just want to rock out....

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

That album could have been a real killer....some of the best material was unbelievably left off.

Best Schon side project song ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBiRl6-0_EE&feature=kp

C'mon, most if not all of the first hardline cd is better than that.........

Considering the original lineup was supposed to have John Entwistle, it wouldn't surprise me if Sammy or Neal look at this as a "what could have been" project. That being said, Missing You is a solid rocker that fit with Hagar's repertoire at the time, and Whiter Shade of Pale was a version of a classic that expanded - even improved upon - the original. The rest of it is kind of forgettable, IMO.

I believe that Denny Carmassi was supposed to be the drummer originally? I know that it was supposed to be Entwistle on bass.

scarab wrote:Best Schon side project song ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBiRl6-0_EE&feature=kp

Always thought kind of ironic that this song title, Missing You, has a common bond ...HSAS's best song...John Waite had a solo hit...and SP also later had a solo semi-hit (I hear this played over the store intercom sometimes). 3 different kind of songs, though, obviously.

"Doesn't have too many fond memories of" does not mean the same as "wishes never happened."

HSAS is a KILLER album. Blows that wussy Hardline shit away into smithereens!!

yulog wrote:I don't think either of those groups were very good, Lots of talent within but not a great song from any of those cds.

GTFO! HSAS rules!

Awesome album, awesome song and yes... I still have the album as MP3s to this day.

Kinda pissed at Sammy for saying this. Great album!

Andrew wrote:Kinda pissed at Sammy for saying this. Great album!

Sammy's also said Michael Anthony is one of the greatest bass players ever. So take his opinion for what it's worth.

FamilyMan wrote:

Andrew wrote:Kinda pissed at Sammy for saying this. Great album!

Sammy's also said Michael Anthony is one of the greatest bass players ever. So take his opinion for what it's worth.

Hey, now, nobody fingers E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-G-G-G-G-G-G-G-G like Mikey!