RedMy Uncensored Life in Rock

Sammy Hagar

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Summary

Red

By: Sammy Hagar

Narrarated by: Scott Shepherd

Loud rock, fast cars, and Cabo.
This is the life of Sammy Hagar.

For almost forty years, Sammy Hagar has been a fixture in rock music. From breaking into the industry with the band Montrose to his multiplatinum solo career to his ride as the front man of Van Halen, Sammy's powerful and unforgettable voice has set the tone for some of the greatest rock anthems ever written?songs like "I Can't Drive 55," "Right Now," and "Why Can't This Be Love."

In Red, Sammy tells the outrageous story of his tear through rock 'n' roll, detailing the backstage antics and nonstop touring that have made his voice instantly recognizable. Beginning with his musical coming-of-age in the blue-collar towns of California, Sammy traces his rough and determined rise to fame, working harder than anyone else out there and writing songs about the things he loved?fast cars, loud parties, and lots of good times.

But solo success was just the start, a prelude to his raucous and notorious decade as the front man for Van Halen, one of the biggest-selling rock groups in history. Filled with behind-the-scenes stories from his time with the band, Red offers the Van Halen story as Sammy saw it, holding nothing back about the worldwide stadium tours, the tensions with Eddie, the messy parties, the divided friendships, and, of course, his controversial and widely disputed exit from the band.

After Van Halen, Sammy changed directions again, throwing himself headfirst into the tequila business and creating Cabo Wabo, one of the most successful tequila brands in the world. And all the while he continued to rock, touring the country with his bands the Waboritas and Chickenfoot, and eventually reuniting with Van Halen for a tour that became both a box-office smash and a personal catastrophe.

From the decadence of being one of the world's biggest rock stars to the unfiltered story of being forced out of Van Halen, Sammy's account spares no one, least of all himself. His is a tale of a true rock 'n' roller?someone who's spent decades bringing the party with him wherever he goes but always headin' back to Cabo for mas tequila.

Sample Audiobook
Audiobook Information
New York Times Best Seller
  • Edition: Unabridged
  • Author: Sammy Hagar (See All Books)
  • Date Released: Mar 15, 2011
  • Publisher: HarperAudio
  • Genre: Music & Entertainment Biography, Biography & Memoir, Music & Entertainment, Personal Memoir

Total File Size: 205 MB (7 files) Total Length: 7 Hours, 28 Minutes

eMusic Review 0

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Aaron Lefkove

eMusic Contributor

03.15.11
Sammy Hagar, Red
2011 | Label: HarperAudio

The Red Rocker finally tells all!
In Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock, Sammy Hagar, along with veteran journalist Joel Selvin, finally looks back on a career in music that has spanned close to 40 years. With ace narration from Scott Shepherd whose voice is straight out of a bar backroom (or your local guitar shop), listeners get a backstage pass into the rockstar life. The charismatic frontman was already in his third act — first with Montrose then as a solo artist — by the time he joined Van Halen. While those past successes are nothing to scoff at ("I Can't Drive 55," anyone?) they pale in comparison to the arena-rock glory of the Van Halen (or Van Hagar, as fans affectionately refer to it) years.

But, as evidenced in Red, Hagar is cut from a different cloth than many of his contemporaries. He was never known for excessive alcoholism, he never developed a serious drug addiction, and, in contrast to many a fellow rocker, he has as much business savvy as onstage charisma, with a successful chain of bike shops, restaurants (the Cabo Wabo cantinas), and a tequila brand. So while there are no major bombshells or tales of redemption from the depths of depravity, Hagar still doesn't disappoint. In place of typical rock story of rise/fall/rebirth, Red is chock full of serious score settling — with the Van Halen brothers, with David Lee Roth whose platform boots he was enlisted to fill after Diamond Dave split for a solo career, with ex-managers, former bandmates, and a whole cast of music industry leeches and hangers on. Trash talk is the cornerstone of any classic rock bio and Hagar doesn't pull punches.

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Excelent Book

G2Pro

The recording was great and the book was very enjoyable.