Red

My Uncensored Life in Rock

By: Sammy Hagar

Narrated by: Scott Shepherd

Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

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

For almost 40 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.

©2011 Sammy Hagar (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Found myself glued to thos story!

I really loved this book. I tend to like books that are narated by the author but in this case the narrator did a stellar job. My most memorable moment was Sammy's childhood. This a great rags to riches story with all its turbulence and rockin roll moments along the way!

I loved it!

I was disappointed that Sammy was not the narrator but the dude that did it was really great! loved the entire book.

Red Sammy Hagar

Killer story by Sammy Hagar, holding nothing back for his fans telling it like it is. Scott Shepard was a great narrator. Sounded a lot like Sammy Hagger, Cabo, Robo, Sammy.

Thanks

Right on, Sammy. I really enjoyed that. Just listened to the whole thing here on the jobsite. All the best!

Sammy ! He’s down as down can be .He’s like his mom Salt of the earth

I liked his side
Of the Van Halen’s..story it was sounding pretty truthful.__im sure I’ll listen to this one again !!

How Sammy made it to the top

I really enjoyed the book, always respected the man starting with when he was with Montrose, quite the career.

classof1982rocker

What made the experience of listening to Red the most enjoyable?

The narrator was great!

What did you like best about this story?

I thought it was very balanced and somewhat inspiring. Even if it is a little over the top on how many records were sold and and home many arena's were sold out, it is a great story.

What about Scott Shepherd’s performance did you like?

He sounded like Sammy telling his own story. His age seemed appropriate and it was like listening to a long one sided conversation.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I listened in like 15 minute chunks but was forced to stop.

Any additional comments?

Very entertaining. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is there are no real life lessons just a guys life in Rock!

Great Book!

Would you listen to Red again? Why?

Yes, because I find Sammy Hagar to be a fascinating guy and I have been a fan of both his solo music and his Van Halen music as well. Also, Sammy and I have similar upbringings mine in San Jose, CA his in So Cal.

What other book might you compare Red to and why?

None

Which scene was your favorite?

I really like the end of the book when Sammy talks about helping others that might think that they cannot make it in this world of ours because they were born under a bad sign. He gives hope and that's cool.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I was absolutely gripped to this book.

Sammy is the real deal...

Where does Red rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I'm glad he didn't waste all of his time talking about the Van Halen years. Like he says,

What was one of the most memorable moments of Red?

Dealing with his druken father!

Which character – as performed by Scott Shepherd – was your favorite?

Sammy

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were laughs and snickers at various moments in the listening.

Any additional comments?

Buy this book! (or audible)

Entertaining listen

When I realized that Sammy Hagar wasn’t narrating this I was a bit disappointed but the narrator did a great job coming across like him and even sounding like him.

So many celebrity autobiographies are 7 hours of name dropping with little detail and introspection. I appreciate that Hagar spent significant time on his upbringing and personal relationships as it gives a lot of insight into the kind of guy he is. It seemed unfiltered and authentic. Definitely comes across like a good schmo you’d want to have a drink with. For rock fans I’d definitely recommend.