Sammy Hagar
Cosmic Universal Fashion

Ladies and gentlemen, here comes the solo return of what is, in my opinion, the greatest rocker in history: Sammy Hagar (also known as "Red Rocker")...

It has been a full 11 years since his last official solo release, even though he remained active in the music scene with other projects like The Waboritas and, more recently, Chickenfoot, and despite his age and extensive musical output, Sammy has not lost his compositional streak, good taste, or pure rock spirit!

I must admit that at first, I found this album quite disappointing due to the sparse cover and the electronic sounds of the title track, but after a careful analysis, I came to appreciate it.

Okay, let's get to the point, with a thorough "track by track" of the album which, though presenting some dips (especially in the initial part), turns out to be quite homogeneous and enjoyable throughout its entire duration.

We start with "Cosmic Universal Fashion", the "title track" of the album, which will probably make long-time fans frown, used to classic hard rock sounds. The fact that it's a song with an unusual sound for Sammy does not prevent it from being a good track, very enjoyable and, in a sense, fascinating, especially due to its peculiar "muted" solos.
We proceed with the duo "Psycho Vertigo" - "Peephole", which, as far as I'm concerned, represents the lowest point of the album, even though they are still well-made and executed tracks (a small note of merit for Sammy's vocal performance at the end of "Peephole", truly impressive for a "senior citizen" of 62!).
These first tracks give an illusion about the continuation of the album, which instead takes a whole new direction starting from the fourth track, "LOUD", which can be considered the best of the album, thanks to its powerful, aggressive sound and its unforgettable chorus, which you'll hardly forget.
The same goes for "Fight For Your Right To Party", a cover of the famous Beastie Boys song, which maintains a constant tension, then makes way for decidedly more relaxing and very inspired tracks, "When The Sun Don't Shine", with rock-funk sounds, and "Switch On The Light", featuring the charismatic bluesman Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, who adds a touch of class to the guitar parts.

The mood turns aggressive again with "24365" and "I'm On A Roll", both starting with a vocal introduction by Sammy himself and representing the best part of the album, thanks to their rock, very melodic sounds and the complex guitar parts, rich in "pinch harmonics".
The album comes to an end with an acoustic reinterpretation of the Van Halen song "Dreams" (with a nod to the same Van Halen's song Cabo Wabo), beginning with a fabulous and almost moving spoken introduction, where Hagar encourages everyone to believe in themselves and follow their dreams.

Truly exceptional, therefore, this latest effort by the "Red Rocker" who continues not to disappoint his fans; let's just hope we don't have to wait another 11 years to listen to a new album, which will surely be equally successful...