Hagar, Schon, Aaronson, Shrieve - Through The Fire (1984)

(U.S 1983-1984)

Hagar Schon Aaronson Shrieve (also known as HSAS) was a supergroup band featuring lead vocalist Sammy Hagar, lead guitarist Neal Schon, bassist Kenny Aaronson and drummer Michael Shrieve. The group reportedly rehearsed for less than a month before playing in concert. They released a semi-live album, recorded during two live performances at The Warfield in San Francisco, entitled Through the Fire. The album includes a cover of Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale".

After the release of Journey's Frontiers in early 1983, guitarist Neal Schon decided to pursue another project with vocalist/guitarist Sammy Hagar. Hagar had released his Three Lock Box album in late 1982 and afterwards took a three-month safari vacation in Africa. Schon and Hagar then began looking for other musicians to complete the band. In an interview from mid-1983, Schon talked about the band's formation: "Sammy and I just get along so well. We're already working on an album together, and it's a killer! Right now we have Denny Carmassi, who used to work with Sammy on drums, and we're looking for a bassist. We worked a bit with Tom Petersson, but I guess he had other commitments."

Schon went on the Frontiers tour with Journey from February to September 1983, and then reconvened with Hagar. By this time, Carmassi had left the band to join Heart, and the remaining two band members became Kenny Aaronson on bass and Michael Shrieve on drums. Shrieve and Schon had played together in Santana in the early 1970s.

To record their album, the band played live dates from November 9, 1983 to November 21, 1983 at the Warfield Theatre. Two of the dates, November 14 and November 15 in San Francisco, California were recorded and broadcast by MTV. This footage was aired at least once but was never released on official videotapes or DVDs. The album Through the Fire was edited in-studio to reduce the crowd noise, but otherwise was left as recorded.

The first single released was their cover version of  "A Whiter Shade of Pale" in May 1984, which reached No. 94 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Another single released, "Top of the Rock" (as a promo only,) peaked at #15 on the "Billboard" Top Rock Tracks, and it became popular in various airplay regions of the United States. In addition, a third single from H.S.A.S., "Missing You" (also promo only,) peaked at #37 on the Top Rock Tracks.

The band toured briefly in California in 1984, adding rhythm guitarist Nick Sciorsci for live performances.

HSAS only produced one album before Schon returned to Journey, and Hagar recorded his VOA album and subsequently joined Van Halen. Hagar and Schon reunited almost 20 years later to form the short-lived Planet Us project, which would also feature past Van Halen and future Chickenfoot and Sammy Hagar and the Circle bassist Michael Anthony.  [extracts from "The Guinness Who’s Who of Heavy Metal", Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). Guinness Publishing. p. 172/3]

Album Review 1

There was no denying the skills of the assembled musicians, but the results of this collaboration amounted to little more than middling mid-‘80’s arena rock. In fact, much of the material now comes across as an underdeveloped forerunner to Hagar’s work with Van Halen, especially the pop-metal of “Missing You” and “He Will Understand”. The fairly stimulating opening track “Top Of The Rock” now seems like something of a prototype for Van Halen’s later hit “Top Of The World”. Of course, Neal Schon’s style of high-speed guitar virtuosity is different from that of Eddie Van Halen, but not by as much as you might think. Schon’s playing is the album’s best attribute, showing the guitarist letting loose outside of Journey’s increasingly commercial structure. Aaronson and Shrieve worked well together to provide a sturdy rhythm section for the material. But, as is often the case with supergroup recordings, Through The Fire is less than the sum of its parts – and so were HSAS. This album will be enjoyed most by fans of Van Hagar and of Journey’s early jam-band albums.

Album Review 2

While most trendy types might not remember HSAS, I’m sure that a lot of metalheads and a few non ones do. When Sammy Hagar toured solo at the end of the year and even during his first tour with Van Halen, there were signs around many a concert venue that read, “Sammy Hagar, Top of the rock.” That’s because it’s the best known song from the album. He played it that night I saw him and it is a brilliant song. However, it’s only my second favourite. The top slot goes to the very next track, “Missing You.” That song really cooks and Neil belts out great guitar solo on it.

Hearing the next three tracks, I am now convinced that when the band played live, they played all three together as one song. Each track quickly goes from one to the next so you don’t really get a break. Furthermore, all three are in the way out space rock mode and they fit very well together. In the MTV concert, only the title of the first song, “Animation” was introduced but it went on for far longer than the four minutes it says the song lasts on the label. Actually, I am pretty sure that the song lasted for the duration indicated by the three songs.

Hagar and Schon

There is one blip in comparing the album with the concert and that comes in the form of the band’s cover of the classic, “Whiter Shade of Pale.” The song closes the concert and I think it was a great song to close the show with. However, it’s not the closer on the album and now I wonder if it should have. It’s still done very well and I think that Procol Harum would have been impressed. After that comes the hard rocker, “Hot and Dirty,” which Sammy stated in the concert that it was about Kenny the bass player’s girlfriend. Can’t fault the song, it’s really good and Neil Schon shows his talent up and down all of it. While not a ballad, “He’ll Understand” is, to quote Sammy, on the tender side. It starts out as a ballad but that changes not far into it and has a smoking guitar solo. The irony is the closer because I am fairly certain that it was the opener for the concert. However, it works both ways.

The reason why all nine songs are so good is down to the talents of the four men who comprised HSAS. Sammy’s vocals and Neil’s guitar work were always going to be a lethal cocktail, no doubt about that. But we should raise a glass to the rhythm section of Aaronson and Shrieve because together, they make a fine one. 

In For The Kill (Live at San Jose, California 1983)

This post consists of FLACS ripped from my pristine (shrink wrapped) vinyl which I purchased from Reading Records in Carlton in the mid-80's.  I was first drawn to this album when I realised Neal Schon (ex Santana and Journey) was one of the four artists, but was also interested in hearing their cover of A Whiter Shade Of Pale.  Although I wasn't a big fan of the 80's metal bands, HSAS was one supergroup that I thought had real talent and were destined for greater things. Sadly, they never recorded again and disbanded as quickly as they had come together. Maybe this was for the best as I doubt if they could have topped this debut album. 

I have included full album artwork for both Vinyl and CD as well as some official Geffen Press release documents that are worth a read. I have also taken the liberty of also providing a singular FLAC for tracks 3,4 & 5 which run into one another without any distinctive break. If you are not fussed with track numbers, you will find this single track more enjoyable to listen to. This album will not disappoint, especially fans of Journey and Van Halen

Tracklist

01 Top Of The Rock 4:18

02 Missing You 4:26
03 Animation 5:02
04 Valley Of The Kings 3:22
05 Giza 1:20
06 Whiter Shade Of Pale 4:46
07 Hot And Dirty 4:17
08 He Will Understand 4:47
09 My Home Town 4:05

HSAS are:

Sammy Hagar - Vocals

Neal Schon - Guitars

Kenny Aaronson - Bass

Michael Shrieve - Drums

HSAS Through The Fire Link  (224Mb)

STOP PRESS:   Thanks to the generosity of a fellow blogger (DRaftervoi) on the other side of the globe, I am now able to provide you with the six missing tracks (in FLAC) from the HSAS concerts that this album was originally taken from.  

If you would like to hear the 'Westwood One In Concert ' in its complete entirety, as presented by a local radio station in 1984 (with ads and disc jockey intros), then I highly recommend you head over to  https://voodoowagon.blogspot.com  and take a listen to Dave's freshly digitized posting, while pursuing some great newspaper reviews of the 1983 HSAS concerts that he also sourced. 

Missing Tracks

01 - Movin' In For The Kill

02 - Tough Enough

03 - Eyes Of Love

04 - Hope And Fear

05 - Ever Since You Came

06 - What Will Never Be

HSAS  Missing Tracks  (223Mb)