Review by Phil Rozier for MPM
This band needs no introduction, but we’ll give it one anyway, because when rock gods assemble, it’s only polite to roll out the thunder.
Sammy Hagar & The Best of All Worlds is not just a supergroup, it’s an übergroup, a volcanic eruption of rock royalty. Leading the charge is Sammy Hagar, the Red Rocker himself: Van Halen alumnus, solo icon, and the man who made “I Can’t Drive 55” a lifestyle. His voice still roars like a V8 on a desert highway.
Backing him is a lineup that reads like a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame fantasy draft:
Michael Anthony (bass, vocals): The harmonic powerhouse and low-end legend from Van Halen, whose backing vocals are practically a second lead.
Joe Satriani (guitar): A fretboard sorcerer whose solos defy gravity and logic. If guitars had a Jedi council, Satriani would be Grand Master.
Kenny Aronoff (drums): The human metronome with a cannon for a snare. Known for his work with John Mellencamp, Smashing Pumpkins, and countless others, Aronoff brings precision, power, and pure rock fury.
Rai Thistlethwayte (keyboards, guitar, vocals): The multi-instrumental wizard from Australia whose versatility adds depth and dynamism to the sonic landscape.
Together, they’ve unleashed The Residency; a live album forged in the fires of Las Vegas, celebrating the greatest hits from Hagar’s storied career.
As for the review? That honour falls to me. It’s a joy and a privilege to sit back and absorb the artistry of these legends. Let’s dive into The Residency and witness how these titans gel, groove, and go full throttle.
Piercing your ears with feedback and a monstrous tapping solo, track 1, ‘Encore, Thank you, Goodnight’. I’m a sucker for a basic drum groove, played with feeling, played with joy. There are drums, crisp snares, screaming pick slides, and that voice. What’s not to like!?
‘Top of the World’ keeps the fun coming, and it’s another live floor filler. A pleasant mixture of headbanging and swaying to the rhythm, accompanied by those sing-a-long choruses. ‘staaaanding on top, of the world’…. You can’t really write how it’s sung but you get the idea. Then you’ve got the middle fill section and the climb up on the fret board. Its party rock at its’ very best.
‘Summer Nights’ starts with impressively awkward finger picking on the guitar, dive bombs on the trem, and then that solid drum groove kicks in leading to another house party of hard rock. ‘We celebrate when the gangs all here’. Not much more to add to that really!
With 18 tracks on this collection of live, feel-good classics, I wouldn’t attempt to try and entertain you by reviewing them all. Individually unique, each one, one theatrical performance after the next. Each member of the band, is like a band unto themselves. The highest of performers, the ultimate professionals, spectacular in isolation but bring them together, and you’re listening to almost 5 bands all at once.
A lot of rock bands have an edge, a theme, a storey or a stage show. From Alice Cooper’s nightmare, to Marlyin Manson’s violent macabre, to Iron Maiden’s war time persona. Bringing that into the 21st Century, look at Ghost, and what must be one of the greatest rock n roll stories to date (a literal theatrical storey being told out in front of our eyes over the years).
And then there’s Hagar and his gang of wizards. Their theme? Just having the time of their lives, and they invite you to join them. Spanning years of performing experience, 40 years of sound, and a connection with the crowd that few can obtain.
‘Human Beings’, ‘5150’, ‘Aint Talkin’ Bout Love’, ‘Why Can’t This Be love’. The last of which Hagar screams ‘here we go, party time!’. To be honest, Sammy, the party started the moment you walked on stage. Claiming it’s party time, by the time you get to song 12, you’re a little late to your own party!
Rarely does an album, or a show (as to be honest, it feels like you are at the show when listening to this record), keep the bangers coming, keep the choruses crowd worthy, and keep it stadium massive in feel. Even on track 16, ‘I Can’t Drive 55’, you’d think you’d be tiring. But no, the sound and feel are as fresh as the opener. I’m jealous of the audiences passionate ‘55’ in unison, as I would have loved to have been there.
And so, as The Residency fades out with the final crash of cymbals and roar of the crowd, I sit here elated and honoured beyond words to have heard this album ahead of its general release. It’s not just a live record; it’s a living tribute to over 40 years of rock history, performed by the very architects who built it.
As a child of the ’80s, these were the sounds that shaped me. The riffs, the voices, the lyrics. It wasn’t just music; it was a compass. They influenced my attitude, my beliefs, my direction. And now, decades later, I find myself writing about the very legends who lit that fire. It’s surreal, it’s joyful, and it’s a full-circle moment.
This album deserves nothing less than the highest attention. Sammy Hagar & The Best of All Worlds don’t just play, they command. They demonstrate their legendary craft with the ease of world leaders in their field yet never lose the spark. The show is fun, funky, rocking, heartfelt, joyful, and unapologetically kick-ass. It’s a masterclass in how to honour the past while still blowing the roof off the present.
Long live rock. Long live the legends.
LISTEN TO ‘BEST OF BOTH WORLDS’ HERE
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