Cheap Paper Money (Music) (Montrose) Price

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Customer Reviews of Paper Money

After Ronnie Montrose left the Edgar Winter group, he formed his own group, appropriately called Montrose. The vocalist of this group was none other than future hard rock vocal legend Sammy Hagar. The band's 1973 debut album, which was self-titled, was an excellent album that proved that Montrose had a future ahead of him. The album was followed up the following year. How does the band's 1974 effort, Paper Money, measure up? Read on for my review.

To put it simply, this album is very good, but it just falls flat when you compare it to the first Montrose release. That's not to say it's not an excellent album, though! Underground, the opening track, is an excellent tune that could easily have gone onto become a huge commercial hit. Come to think of it, why didn't it? The band even covers a Rolling Stones tune, which is just as good as the original. Hagar's voice works surprisingly well on the tune. Dreamer is a rocker that is reminiscent of the hard rockers the band shelled out on their debut album, and that's a good thing. And who could forget the instrumental Starliner? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Montrose is a guitar genius, and be demonstrates his prowess beautifully in this song. I've Got The Fire is the heaviest song on the album, and one of the two Montrose tunes that were later covered by heavy metal legends Iron Maiden (Space Station Number Five from the debut is the other.) This is an excellent song that is every bit as good as most of the songs from the debut. Spaceage Sacrifice, the band's tale of an overpopulated future, is also excellent. The band even serves up a ballad, We're Going Home. It's too bad the group didn't do more ballads, because this one's damn good! Closing the album is the title track. It's not one of the best cuts here, but it's still good. In the end, this is a good album, but as was once stated by another reviewer, the tracklist order is questionable. Still, that doesn't hurt my feelings too badly.

THIS TEXT REFERS EXCLUSIVELY TO THE STANDARD AMERICAN CD ISSUE OF THE ALBUM, AND WAS WRITTEN ON MAY 30, 2004. To date, the only version of this album available on CD is the classic issue. This is a problem because it is now out of print (to my knowledge) and has become difficult to find. The same is true of the debut. What the band and/or the record company should do is release a combo CD that has both of the Hagar-era albums on a single disc. It would be a great value, and fans would love it.

In the end, Paper Money is a good album. It doesn't top the debut, but not many things do. Oh well, that's the way the sophomore jinx works. Following the release of this album, Sammy Hagar left the band. He'd become a huge solo star, and his popularity would increase even more when he'd join Van Halen in the eighties. Ronnie Montrose recruited a new vocalist, but the band was never able to recapture the fire they had while Hagar was vocalist. This album marks the end of an era for Montrose. Get it if you're a fan of classic hard rock, but take my advice - Get the debut first.

Montrose Paper Money (1974)
Rating: 4 stars out of 5 = Classic

Montrose's sophomore effort" Paper Money," was the first album of theirs I purchased. So unlike many who bought Montrose, "Montrose" first, I was not disappointed & I'm glad I did. I'll concede that the first album is stronger & rocks harder, but here Montrose tried to branch out some & it worked.

The first cut "Underground" shows Ronnie's pop smarts (though he didn't write it) & Sammy's great vocals, this song could've of very well became a hit that the band needed for commercial success. The Rolling Stones song "Connection," is brilliantly covered here, Hagar's voice was made for this song! "The Dreamer" is a return to the debuts style of heavy riff rocking. The instrumental "Starliner" is uplifting, featuring beautiful melodic leads from Ronnie. "I Got the Fire" is the hardest rocking song of the bunch, & easily rivals songs on the debut. My favorite, "Spaceage Sacrifice," is a song about an overcrowded future is not far off the mark. Ronnie's giant riff here bodes well with Sammy singing & ominous subject matter. "We're Going Home" is a beautiful ballad. The namesake song "Paper Money" is my least favorite song of the lot, but that is not to say it's not good, especially the lyrics that contemplate the value of a material society. All in all "Paper Money" is a classic album. Those who were put off from its broadening use of rock genres different from the first hard rocking Montrose album, should give this one another try, its classic!

**** Stars

If you want to hear what a master guitar player sounds like.
Buy this album. Buy the first, titled Montrose, as well. Some of Ronnie Montrose's solos are mind-boggling, and some are awesome in their simplicity. On the first album, the short little solo on Rock The Nation is sublime. On Paper Money, for all you wannabe's his solo on We're Going Home, will simply blow you away. All the hair-band guitarists iin the world combined can't touch it. Great albums.