RONNIE MONTROSE Tribute On 'In The Studio' (Audio)

March 9, 2012

North American syndicated rock radio show "In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands" pays tribute to the '70s hard rock innovator Ronnie Montrose, who passed away this past weekend at age 64. In a special "In The Studio" medium rare online program, MONTROSE lead singer Sammy Hagar takes a personal look back at the first MONTROSE album, widely cited by members of VAN HALEN to DEF LEPPARD as the missing link in the evolution of hard rock.

Guitarist and namesake Ronnie Montrose's credentials as a sideman were impressive, versatile enough to play tasty acoustic guitar on Van Morrison's seminal "Tupelo Honey" and then turn around to power-chord EDGAR WINTER GROUP's "Frankenstein" into rock history as the only No. 1 rock instrumental ever. We would later hear echoes of that first 1973 MONTROSE album in the 1978 VAN HALEN debut.

Even though commercial success eluded MONTROSE, their influence was indelible, and the album "Montrose" would be the linchpin for much of the modern hard rock sound that would follow. Ronnie Montrose told "In The Studio" host Redbeard his theory on why his early work is still cited almost 40 years later. "When you don't have a vocabulary musically that will allow you to make an elaborate statement, you make your statements direct, concise and to the point," he said. "And I think the first MONTROSE album musically does that."

To listen to the show, go to this location.

Photo below courtesy of RonnieMontrose.com

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