Ronnie Montrose RIP

[Philly Q]

I heard on Planet Rock this afternoon that Ronnie Montrose has died at the age of 64.  :(   Apparently he had been suffering from prostate cancer.

He was one of my very first and longest-standing guitar heroes, from the time I started getting into rock music in 1979 and bought the first Gamma album.  And Montrose is still one of my all time favourites.

I don't think he always got the appreciation he deserved, perhaps because he could never keep a band together and - maybe - wasn't the very greatest of songwriters without the right collaborators.  But what a wonderful guitar player.

RIP.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRq_FcCWzdg

[MrBump]

I never really spent any time listening to Montrose - the only thing I really know about them was that Sammy Hagar was singing for them just before he joined Van Halen.

Is it just me, or are there a lot of people dying at the moment..?

[Philly Q]

Montrose was almost like the prototype for Van Halen - four piece band built around a guitar hero, big-personality singer, Warner Bros records, produced by Ted Templeman!  :)

But Sammy only lasted for the first two albums, then he had quite a long solo career before joining VH.

Is it just me, or are there a lot of people dying at the moment..?

There always are!  :lol:

But I know what you mean, there do seem to have been a lot of deaths reported recently - various older soul/R&B singers whose names I can't remember, for starters.

[keith]

Great player first album was killer.......... RIP

[Tellboy]

I used to love the solo from Matriarch from the Warner Brothers Presents album - used to play it over and over again and my son was always asking me to play it to him on my guitar. Post Sammy Hagar with Bob James on vocals.

Can't find the album version on YouTube but this live version is pretty close: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQw-XRqYr2w  (solo at 1:36)

Couple of years ago he claimed Gary Moore had his stolen Les Paul:- http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/ronnie-montrose-wants-stolen-gibson-from-gary-moore-207251

[Philly Q]

Couple of years ago he claimed Gary Moore had his stolen Les Paul:- http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/ronnie-montrose-wants-stolen-gibson-from-gary-moore-207251

Yeah, I thought he was a bit of a dick about that, if I remember the story right.

[Mr. Air]

I haven't heard of Montrose before, but the track "Make it last" reminds me of Free which surely ain't a bad thing.

[gordiji]

RIP, great player especially for budding guitarists looking for playable riffs.

[AndyR]

Catching up here - although I suspect Planet Rock might have been on in our place, it was the compromise station between me (Radio 4), electrician 1 (TalkSport), and electrician 2 (Radio1) before I got some sounds set up and started blasting AD/DC around the previously quiet neighbourhood.

Anyway, sad news, I shall now dig out the first Montrose album for a listen while I do some more damage... ("decorating" :lol:).

[sgmypod]

makes me want to dig out my montrose on vinyl