About
San Francisco gave the world a lot of great rock, but few debuts hit as hard as Montrose's self-titled 1973 album. Guitarist Ronnie Montrose assembled a killer lineup that included a young, virtually unknown Sammy Hagar on vocals, along with Bill Church on bass and Denny Carmassi on drums. Producer Ted Templeman helped capture a raw, muscular sound that felt like a punch to the chest, and tracks like Rock Candy, Bad Motor Scooter, and Space Station No. 5 became blueprints for American hard rock.
The band burned bright but didn't last long in its classic form. Hagar departed after the follow-up Paper Money in 1974, and Montrose cycled through vocalists including Bob James and later Edgar Winter collaborator Keith Relf's former bandmate. Ronnie himself remained the constant, and his searing, no-nonsense guitar work was always the spine of the group. The debut record in particular cast a long shadow, influencing countless arena rock and heavy metal acts that came after.
Montrose never quite got the mainstream recognition they deserved during their run, but among serious rock fans they're considered essential listening. Ronnie Montrose continued recording and performing for decades, earning deep respect in guitar circles before his passing in 2012. The legacy of that first record alone cements them as one of the most important hard rock acts to come out of the early seventies.
