Book Review: Red

Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock
by Sammy Hagar

Synopsis: For almost forty years, Sammy Hagar has been a fixture in rock music. From breaking into the industry with the band Montrose to his multi-platinum 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. 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.

Well there's no denying that Sammy Hagar is driven to succeed and worked his ass off to get there. I was amazed at how he tells of diving into the tequila business which eventually became $100 mil money maker and all his business ventures I wasn't aware of, some of which failed. I loved the tales of the Van Halen days and the tour he did with David Lee Roth plus all the great backstage stuff and stories about songs I've heard a million times from his entire career. It's all a really remarkable story of the American dream and a guy who went out and grabbed it by the sack.

He owns up to some faults, from infidelity to the failed business moves to failure on some parenting fronts and plenty of drugs and such, which all made it seem a bit more honest and open. But there's no way of knowing both sides of some of the stories without the other side chiming in, which never happens of course. There's nothing from Eddie or Alex or DLR anywhere here. It's all Sammy's side. Take some of it with a grain of salt perhaps? It all feels right and honest having following the stories for years, but still...

I also wish there was more on the formation and success of Chickenfoot and stories from the road with those great musicians and such, but he's squeezed that whole tale into just a few pages, which is a bit disappointing.

It's an easy and fun read, especially if for fans of the Red Rocker or Van Halen. It never gets incredibly in depth and some parts are written a bit too simple perhaps. I'd loved for it to have been another 100 pages with a bit more detail into some aspects. But it's still a solid rock doc that you can pretty much devour over a weekend.

7/10