The current state of the world has left little for veteran rockstars to do, aside from reissuing their catalogs for the zillionth time or selling said catalogs outright. Some have reconvened for the impromptu livestream concert, or even virtual jam sessions via Zoom. One such rockstar is Sammy Hagar. In his nearly 50 years of hard rock superstardom, the Red Rocker has seen and done some pretty crazy things. Yet I’m sure even he couldn’t imagine anything as crazy as the events of the last 10 months.
Lockdown 2020 isn’t an album, but rather a collection of sporadic jams Hagar conducted virtually. Joining him is The Circle: Vic Johnson on guitars, Michael Anthony on bass, and Jason Bonham on drums. Prior to this pandemic, things were riding high for Hagar’s new creative outlet. Their debut full length, Space Between, nearly topped the Billboard 200 and was the most refreshing Hagar release in ages. I saw them on the corresponding tour that summer of 2019. If the deafening roar of 10,000+ “redheads” was any indication, it was that Sammy Hagar was back and bigger than ever.
But alas, the plans of subsequent touring and recording has been put on hold. Instead we’re given this. I will give Lockdown 2020 this much. For a project that was put together virtually, it really doesn’t sound too bad. The mix is clear and the band almost meshes as if they were in the studio together…almost. Plus, at 73 years old, Hagar sounds better than most do at 43. My praise ends there.
Yes, I’m well aware of what this is and what I was getting myself into by reviewing it, but I still can’t help but be rubbed the wrong way by all of it. First off, if you’re gonna play a song, play the whole thing. It absolutely killed me to hear rip roaring renditions of Van Hagar classics like “Good Enough” and “Don’t Tell Me (What Love Can Do)” get cut short for the sake of convenience.
I couldn’t help but get flashback to the times I’ve seen Yngwie Malmsteen live. He’ll play half of a classic song, randomly solo for 5 minutes while his backing band stand around like deer in the headlights, and then just start the next song. It makes me want to yell, “Dude! You didn’t finish the first song!”, but I hold my tongue. I’d rather watch 45 minutes of nonsensical neoclassical shredding than face the wrath of his security team.
Anyways, back to Sammy. Aside from noteworthy takes on AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie” and Little Richard’s “Keep A-Knockin'”, this “album” is nothing more than a collection of limp covers and re-imaginings. The worst of these re-imaginings is “Right Now”, which gets the post-grunge radio ballad circa 2006 treatment. No thanks.
I commend Sammy for his earnest intentions of lifting our spirits during these dark days. However, Lockdown 2020 is less an escape and more a reminder of just how bleak the times really are. Who would’ve thought it’d ever be illegal to rock n’ roll in person? I miss the days when you just couldn’t drive 55!
3 out of 10
Label: Independent
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Van Halen, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin