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| | Description | Loud rock, fast cars, and Cabo. This is the life of Sammy Hagar. For almost forty years, Sammy Hagar has been a fixture in rock music. From breaking into the industry with the band Montrose to his multiplatinum solo career to his ride as the front man of Van Halen, Sammy's powerful and unforgettable voice has set the tone for some of the greatest rock anthems ever written—songs like "I Can't Drive 55," "Right Now," and "Why Can't This Be Love." In Red, Sammy tells the outrageous story of his tear through rock 'n' roll, detailing the backstage antics and nonstop touring that have made his voice instantly recognizable. Beginning with his musical coming-of-age in the blue-collar towns of California, Sammy traces his rough and determined rise to fame, working harder than anyone else out there and writing songs about the things he loved—fast cars, loud parties, and lots of good times. But solo success was just the start, a prelude to his raucous and notorious decade as the front man for Van Halen, one of the biggest-selling rock groups in history. Filled with behind-the-scenes stories from his time with the band, Red offers the Van Halen story as Sammy saw it, holding nothing back about the worldwide stadium tours, the tensions with Eddie, the messy parties, the divided friendships, and, of course, his controversial and widely disputed exit from the band. After Van Halen, Sammy changed directions again, throwing himself headfirst into the tequila business and creating Cabo Wabo, one of the most successful tequila brands in the world. And all the while he continued to rock, touring the country with his bands the Waboritas and Chickenfoot, and eventually reuniting with Van Halen for a tour that became both a box-office smash and a personal catastrophe. From the decadence of being one of the world's biggest rock stars to the unfiltered story of being forced out of Van Halen, Sammy's account spares no one, least of all himself. His is a tale of a true rock 'n' roller—someone who's spent decades bringing the party with him wherever he goes but always headin' back to Cabo for mas tequila. | |
| | Product Details | | Author: | Sammy Hagar | | Hardcover: | 256 pages | | Publisher: | It Books | | Publication Date: | March 15, 2011 | | Language: | English | | ISBN: | 0062009281 | | Product Length: | 9.1 inches | | Product Width: | 6.4 inches | | Product Height: | 0.9 inches | | Product Weight: | 1.05 pounds | | Package Length: | 9.06 inches | | Package Width: | 6.3 inches | | Package Height: | 1.18 inches | | Package Weight: | 0.97 pounds | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 179 reviews |
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| | Customer Reviews | Average Customer Review: ( 179 customer reviews )
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80 of 89 found the following review helpful:
 The Red Rocker Shines as Autobiographer. Mar 16, 2011
By R. Short
"robertsathard"
Most rock star autobiographies are pretty much the same. Guy grows up in a dysfunctional house in bad neighborhood (The father in this story was the town drunk and the city is Fontana, CA, known to some as Felony Flats), guys falls in love, gets married, has a kid all the while struggling to keep a career as a musician going. Guy has limited success for awhile. There are ups. There are downs. Finally guy hits it big. Joins an existing successful rock band and makes it even bigger. Now either the author or someone close to the author has substance abuse problems which threaten the success of the band that has made it.
Okay, so in this case Sammy Hagar does have a remarkable story to tell: He was the guy who was crazy enough, in a controversial move, to replace David Lee Roth as the lead singer in Van Halen back in the mid-80's, and at the same time turn his back on a highly successful solo career. As a sophomore in high school, I remember the release of "5150" with nervous anticipation. I wanted to project to work, but the newly released single, "Why Can't This Be Love" wasn't my cup of tea. Needless to say, even if the album wasn't perfect, the record was pretty good.
What makes Hagar's book so intriguing is his story telling style. He's very honest and matter-of-factly. There are several amusing anecdotes throughout the book but sadly the book does deal with the drinking problems of band mate Eddie Van Halen and the fall out that took place ten years into Hagar's tenure as Van Halen singer. Die hard fans of Van Halen will probably be familiar with a lot of the drama written about here, but it's presented tastefully, not in a "I'm good, they're bad" kind of style.
As a fan of Van Halen since the days of DLR, I would really like to read a autobiography written by Michael Anthony, Van's Halen's bassist who was quiet during Roth split 1, Roth split 2, and Hagar split 1 as well as the coming and going of Gary Cherone. There would be a book for VH fans.
30 of 31 found the following review helpful:
 Easy read, interesting, but over-hyped Apr 04, 2011
By Brad Pattershall
I liked Sammy's solo music, but when he joined Van Halen, it raised him up a notch in my book. Although the prose isn't that great, the book is an easy read. Sammy is pretty balanced in explaining his triumphs and problems. He's pretty hard on the Van Halen brothers, especially Eddie, but his criticisms appear accurate. The book really portrays Eddie as a troubled genius, battling some form of inner demons. Sammy doesn't give enough credit to the band overall, though. The songs he co-wrote with Van Halen are so far superior to his solo stuff that it's not even a close call. Yes, he made lots of money and became famous as a solo artist, but "I Can't Drive 55" and "Heavy Metal" can't compare to "Dreams" or "Judgement Day" just to name a couple examples.
There's alot to admire about Sammy: his work ethic, refusal to quit, love of family, business acumen. However, he's not perfect, with his infidelities, drug use etc. All in all, he comes across as well grounded despite his substanital wealth and fame. He's mostly objective, but no autobiography can be 100% so. Bottom line: easy read, some fun stories, but it's not going to win any awards.
47 of 54 found the following review helpful:
His cheatin' heart (and Eddie's crazy) Mar 21, 2011
By DRD
SPOILER ALERT! I cover some of the book's high- and low-lights in the following review.
It's true that this book seems remarkably candid, so much so that I think some passages reveal more than Sammy may have ever intended. Particularly his attitude toward his first wife, Betsy. My jaw hit the floor when, after her mental breakdown during the recording of "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" and his taking a year off to care for her, he basically came out and said he felt like he'd finally done enough to justify leaving her.
As his fame grew, he'd first subscribed to the Bill Clinton definition of cheating while on the road, but eventually succumbed to full-frontal temptation. All the while claiming sex with his wife was still great. I know, we expect this kind of behavior from rock stars, but the first Mrs. Hagar married the guy before he was famous and probably didn't know what she was walking into. His characterization of her as mentally unstable and "weak" also shocked me.
Meanwhile, his current wife is carrying on w/ him knowing full well he's married to No. 1.
Describing the birth of his first child with wife No. 2 as more meaningful than that of a child with his first wife also was a stunning admission. I give him points for candor, but he sure comes off as something of a dirtbag. (I also wonder how friend and foreword-writer Michael Anthony feels about being called a "loyal dog.")
Finally, unrelated to personal ethics, his descriptions of EVH as, at best, a drunk and, at worst, completely certifiable, made me wonder how the heck the band was ever able to craft some of those classic songs. If Eddie can barely stand, how is he able to even understand verse/chorus/bridge structure?
You don't get much insight into Sammy's creative process here. He mentions the writing of a handful of specific songs, but doesn't go in depth into why certain subject matter might resurface in his writing or if any particular chord progressions mean anything to him.
He's also very open about how, in his late career, he views himself more as a businessman who has a music hobby. But I believe him when he says this fact has allowed him more creative freedom to explore music that is outside his image.
BTW, his self-belief that his lack of desire to be a billionaire (even though he could be if he wanted to, natch) makes him a "working class hero" is patently ridiculous.
So, my star rating is for the readability of the book and the honesty. If I were to rate the man as a human being, I'm sure there would be fewer stars.
48 of 57 found the following review helpful:
 Sammy's book is a bunch of lies. Apr 30, 2011
By S. Evans
"Wakka Wakka"
Sammy's book is a pile of lies and B.S. He was never big, and Van Halen pulled him up from the gutter of trash rock.
# Adam says:
April 26th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
I'm a longtime fan of BOTH VH singers and longtime commenter at VHND. I thought I knew Sammy before this book came out, but I simply can not believe how much he lies in the book! Is he lying about Eddie? I don't know because I wasn't there. All the lies that I spotted are lies that any knowledgeable fan could spot. He is shamelessly rewriting history. I have numbered the lies I spotted below:
1) Page 54: "...the first Montrose album has sold more than 4 million records over the years." According to the RIAA, it's certified just ONE million. (Worldwide sales are barely more than USA sales for all Hagar's albums).
2) PAGE 78: "I sold out the Oakland Coliseum that Fourth of July" [1980]. He fails to mention that he was on the bill with 4 other bands, three of which were hugely popular at the time: Blue Oyster Cult, REO Speedwagen, and Triumph, (and also Randy Hanson). Hagar conveniently implies he sold it out by himself.
3) PAGE 80: [In 1982]: "We went out on tour, headlining arenas, double nights in a lot of places." From my years working in concert promotion at Electric Factory in Philly in the '80?s (a huge concert promoter back then), I have the list of Sammy's 1982 tour dates straight from Pollstar. There was only ONE city listed where he played twice: San Francisco. Again, he is lying through his fake teeth.
4-7) Page 90 contains one incredible paragraph that is the biggest pile of B.S. I've ever read relating to Van Halen in my life!:
"The tour for VOA was my most successful. I sold out arenas everywhere, two, three, or four nights some places, one of the top grossing tours in 1984-right up there with Van Halen, who broke at the same time with "Jump" and all that. I remember getting an award in Portland, Oregon. I sold out two nights and got the Show of the year. Van Halen was runner-up. We were neck-and-neck on the road. My album was 1.6 million, but they ended up selling 10 million records."
4) "VAN HALEN "BROKE" WITH JUMP IN 1984?? How he belittles VH's earlier success! I was under the impression that they broke in 1978, when they exploded with their earth-shattering debut, rewriting the rules for rock music and sold 2 million copies right out of the gate! Ed was winning every guitar player award in site. In only their first year, VH far eclipsed everything that Montrose & Hagar ever did. Everyone was talking about VH in '78, and NO ONE was talking about Hagar or Montrose.
5) "I SOLD OUT ARENAS EVERYWHERE, TWO, THREE, FOUR NIGHTS IN SOME PLACES, ONE OF THE TOP GROSSING TOURS IN 1984-RIGHT UP THERE WITH VAN HALEN".
Wow. With this statement, Hagar completely abandons any mindset that the "truth" is sacred. He is SHAMELESSLY rewriting history here. VAN HALEN was the monster that was selling out multiple arenas, not him! Hagar COULDN'T EVEN PLAY most cities on the east coast because he simply wasn't popular over there. Hagar could sell out arenas in the midwest and in California, and that's practically it. His VOA tour was his biggest tour ever, yet he played ONE night in each city except for places where he was big, such as St. Louis, Dallas, and San Fran, where he played two nights. He was playing ONE night in virtually every city (not 2-4), and overall, he played smaller venues than where VH was booked, and sold far less tickets in those venues. The VH tour was a 100% sell-out virtually everywhere, and on the other hand, Hagar had plenty of cities where he could only sell 30%-50% of the tickets, even after "I Can't Drive 55'.
6) "We [VH & his band in 1984] were neck-and-neck on the road." On what planet? Anyone who was alive during the '80's knows that Van Halen was infinitely more popular than Hagar. Perhaps Hagar was the only person on EARTH who didn't see it that way. In 1984, Van Halen was through the stratosphere - their tour absolutely dwarfed all other rock band's tours, especially Hagar's.
7) "I remember getting an award in Portland, Oregon. I sold out two nights and got the Show of the Year." Again, from my years working in concert promotion, I have here Sammy's 1982 tour dates. He played ONE night in Portland, Oregon, on 3/19/82, at the Memorial Coliseum. The dates before and after were both in Washington. No other Portland dates.
8 ) Page 113: "Before I joined the band, Van Halen didn't have a particularly tight show. Roth would talk. They'd do another song. Ed would play a 20 minute guitar solo. They would do another song. Roth would talk some more, another song, Al would do a drum solo for 30 minutes. On the 1984 tour...they were doing 8 songs in a 2 hour show. They ended every song the same way."
Any fan who reads this who either saw Van Halen before Sammy joined, or owns ANY amount of old Van Halen bootlegs, knows that every single thing Sammy said in that paragraph is complete B.S.. EVH's solo was always around 10 minutes. Alex's was always 3-4 minutes. They always did 16 songs, not counting solos. VH was a well-oiled machine, a stellar production, and tightly choreographed - the exact opposite of what Sam describes. Again, he is shamelessly rewriting history to try to diminish what Van Halen was before he joined.
9) Page 121: "The record [Sammy's solo album "I Never Said Goodbye"] went platinum immediately."
As of today, 4/26/11, it has only been certified Gold status w/ the RIAA.
10) Page 122: "We [VH in 1986] were selling out four nights in arenas anywhere." Although the 5150 tour was a smashing success, and they occasionally would sell 2, 3 or even 4 nights in certain cities, the band played ONE night vast majority of cities. Also, the 5150 tour wasn't as big as the 1984 tour, which had the band playing one additional night in several cities than they were on the 5150 tour.
11) Page 173: "The fans went against Roth. He died a quick death as a solo artist." [When he went solo in 1985]
I would say that most current VH fans are under the impression that Hagar's solo career has been more successful than Roth's. However, if you want to measure the success with ALBUM SALES, Roth's solo career has actually been more successful than Hagar's! Roth's first 3 albums went Platinum (Crazy From The Heat in '85, Eat `EM And Smile in '86, and Skyscraper in '87). Hagar, however, never had could match that success - he never had 3 consecutive Platinum solo albums... just 3 consecutive GOLD albums, and then later in 1987 released another one that only went gold, with the help of Eddie playing bass. Hagar's solo career simply was never as big as Roth's was in the '80's. Roth was consistently platinum, while Hagar was consistently gold.
12) Page 222: When Irving Azoff told Hagar that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame wanted to induct Van Halen, but only the Roth-version of the band, Hagar says, "I went nuts on Irving. I was in the band longer than Roth. He was in Van Halen seven years. I was with them eleven years. I sold more records than he did. How could they do that to me?"
He is wrong on both counts. Roth was in VH for 12 years ('74-'85) and VH sold twice as many albums with Roth than with Hagar. (See RIAA.com).
13) Page 234: Sammy says that, before he joined VH, "I was selling out multiple arenas, had five platinum albums in a row on Geffen, and I was ripe to join Van Halen when they asked..."
I already went over the "multiple arenas" bull. As for "5 platinum albums in a row on Geffen"? He had only 3 Geffen albums, and none were platinum:
1981 Standing Hampton - Gold as of 1985.
1982 Three Lock Box - Gold to this day.
1984 V.O.A. - Gold as of mid-1985.
Those are all the major lies that I can detect, just as a fan. I can't even imagine how many more lies are in the book that the fans would have no way of detecting.
Hagar wants all the fans to think that he was hugely successful BEFORE he joined VH, as if joining them wasn't necessarily the thing that catapulted his career. In countless interviews, he states that his solo albums were going platinum before VH.
This is all a lie. In reality, NONE of his solo albums went platinum by the time he joined VH in mid 1985. Sure, as of 2011, 3 of his albums have gone platinum (Montrose, Standing Hampton, and V.O.A.). But Hampton didn't go platinum 'till 1992, V.O.A. didn't go platinum until Nov. '85, and Montrose didn't until many years later, either.
YES, Hagar was (moderately) successful before VH, and good for him!! Why can't he just be satisfied with the success that he truly DID have and just be HONEST about everything in his book? It's because his ego and his insecurity can't handle the truth.
Sammy's all about HIMSELF. He belittles Roth and Eddie to try to seem better than them. He belittles the legacy that Roth, Ed, Al, & Mike created together, just to make HIS years in VH seem better. I find his behavior disgusting and immoral. Nothing outside of HIMSELF is sacred to him, and certainly not Van Halen! Ironically, his very own autobiography shattered my respect of him.
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Poorly written, but interesting stories Jun 17, 2011
By stodgers
There is a lot to like about Sammy Hagar and his rise to prominence. Primarily a self-made man, Hagar comes across as genuine, likable, and fan-focused in his autobiography. While there is a lot to like about his story, there is a lot *less* to like about this book.
I was actually shocked at the end to find he had the assistance of a journalist to write this, because the book is rife with editing and continuity mistakes that would be understandable if this were just Sammy's take with no other involvement. But in one chapter Sammy says "I never had to work again" and in the very next chapter is scraping away in a mundane job. While these examples seem minor at face value, they leave the reader going back in several instances to re-read paragraphs and even entire pages that just don't make sense. I would not want this reporter handling my story, that's for sure.
As for the content, the best parts are those up through his joining Van Halen, as Sammy has a lot of great things to say about his ascent to stardom and offers advice to those who might want to follow. But after the 5150 section, there is a cynicism and defensiveness that belies Sammy's insecurity about all that surrounded his time in that band. Some of it he admits to, but much of it comes off as sour grapes ("I didn't want to be in a cover band" as an excuse for not singing Jump for instance). But it really gets bad when he starts to criticize David Lee Roth's lyrics: I'm sorry, but line any Roth-era song up against Good Enough or Source of Infection and they'll do just fine. And then the eventual post-VH decline kicks in, and you sense that though Sammy says he's happy with where he is, he still longs for the top.
Overall, I've always liked Sammy and felt he was better for VH than they were for him. Its nice to see a good guy do well for himself from such humble beginnings. Just too bad he couldn't have had a better co-author to help make sense of it all.
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