Hagar Schon Aaronson Shrieve

Ever since a 15-year-old <a href="spotify:artist:4YLlWUd8PnnyGVKxqoebs7">Neal Schon</a> erupted on-stage with Santana at Woodstock, the guitarist always sought to rock harder. His dazzling runs and killer chops balanced nicely with <a href="spotify:artist:5xQKoGD7Ql92fWd1uWwKkf">Steve Perry</a>'s pop predilection for ten years of juicy <a href="spotify:artist:0rvjqX7ttXeg3mTy8Xscbt">Journey</a> records, but even a couple albums with <a href="spotify:artist:50zRydJXfkLzGIOj9mITfy">Jan Hammer</a> couldn't satisfy Schon's axe-god aspirations. His yearning for a four-piece <a href="spotify:artist:2cnMpRsOVqtPMfq7YiFE6K">Van Halen</a>/<a href="spotify:artist:0VdoLGGpWcDZnzep6SSTdP">Montrose</a> environment was met by meat-and-potatoes metalhead <a href="spotify:artist:1hXjTjJzZTXDZ75AclOo6N">Sammy Hagar</a> on one heavily doctored live document, the creatively titled Through the Fire. Aaronson looked cool and played bass on tour with <a href="spotify:artist:7lzordPuZEXxwt9aoVZYmG">Billy Idol</a>, giving some new wave credence to this quartet (in image only). Drummer <a href="spotify:artist:1ruEDrFZVTsTgtfWMJgN7b">Shrieve</a> also boasted Santana roots. Of course, Through the Fire is by the numbers, not in a league with <a href="spotify:artist:1hXjTjJzZTXDZ75AclOo6N">Hagar</a>'s peak in the landmark <a href="spotify:artist:0VdoLGGpWcDZnzep6SSTdP">Montrose</a>, but as enjoyable as his solo '80s work. Hagar, Schon, Aronson, Shrieve approaches each cut as an epic, and some fat could be cut from each, but <a href="spotify:artist:1hXjTjJzZTXDZ75AclOo6N">Hagar</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:4YLlWUd8PnnyGVKxqoebs7">Schon</a> wisely use the opportunity to stretch their considerable AOR muscles. <a href="spotify:artist:1hXjTjJzZTXDZ75AclOo6N">Hagar</a>'s always dubious lyrics try the patience at times, but radio song "Missing You" captures sizzling prime <a href="spotify:artist:4YLlWUd8PnnyGVKxqoebs7">Schon</a>, and the dinosaur juggernaut "My Home Town" lumbers like an extinct GFR/<a href="spotify:artist:5q4AzEtCoYJyXjMMoEkSU5">BTO</a>/FM staple. <a href="spotify:artist:4YLlWUd8PnnyGVKxqoebs7">Schon</a> went on to a more restrictive role with <a href="spotify:artist:5fhMbh4PVSLSODF2fhWwqt">Bad English</a> (featuring <a href="spotify:artist:2TPyCsRoh2tjeZLTQ2ojlj">John Waite</a> in the <a href="spotify:artist:4N6ZeJMZv6aDwFKvrEX8Cl">Perry</a> role), and tried on hair metal with Hardline, again allowing him to cut loose but lacking the classic rock crunch of Through the Fire. ~ Doug Stone, Rovi