Garage Sale Vinyl, $5 Edition: Montrose
Montrose / Warner Bros. / October 1973
by Christopher Long
This is another of the many important albums that I’ve owned in various configurations — the ones that somehow have all vanished from my collection over the years. So I was particularly amped to finally snatch up another replacement, a well-lived, $5 vinyl copy, while on my recent Florida record hunting expedition. Yes, you can find vinyl bargains out there if you keep your eyes open.
A production collab between Montrose and Ted Templeman (Doobie Brothers, Van Halen, Cheap Trick), the band’s 1973 debut LP was a ball-busting bridge between the early ’70s Led Zeppelin era and the late ’70s Van Halen generation. And it could be argued that Montrose scratched that itch as effectively as any record from either of those two iconic bands.
Led by celebrated guitarist Ronnie Montrose, the band’s self-titled set was a slow burn, meeting with only marginal chart success upon its initial release. In fact, it wouldn’t achieve platinum status for nearly 15 years. But during that time, many of the tracks, including “Rock the Nation,” “Bad Motor Scooter,” “Space Station #5,” and “Rock Candy,” would become bona fide classics.
The album also served as something of a rock and roll training camp, as drummer Denny Carmassi ultimately enjoyed major success with the band Heart, and vocalist Sam Hagar would soon become Sammy and move on to front several other massive music projects.
In sum, Montrose remains a hard-hitting, must-have rock collection, one that to me still feels fresh. And for the paltry price I paid for my current copy, I was pleasantly surprised by the record’s clean condition and how well it plays.
5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Montrose Track List
SIDE ONE
1. Rock the Nation (R. Montrose) – 2:57
2. Bad Motor Scooter (S. Hagar) – 3:43
3. Space Station #5 (R. Montrose, S. Hagar) – 5:17
4. I Don’t Want It (R. Montrose, S. Hagar) – 3:02
SIDE TWO
1. Good Rockin’ Tonight (R. Brown) – 2:57
2. Rock Candy (D. Carmassi, B. Church, S. Hagar, R. Montrose) – 5:17
3. One Thing on My Mind (S. Hagar, R. Montrose, J. Sanchez) – 3:40
4. Make It Last (S. Hagar) 5:29
