CoronaVinyl Day 267 (H): Standing Hampton by Sammy Hagar

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Today's CoronaVinyl category is "H," and we're going with another one of my recent pickups from my neighbor, Sammy Hagar's sixth solo studio album, 1982's Standing Hampton.

In between his stint as lead singer of Montrose and replacing David Lee Roth as the lead singer in Van Halen, Sammy Hagar was making some of his own fine rock and roll.  Standing Hampton -- which is a Cockney slang euphemism for a boner -- was Hagar's first solo album to go platinum in the U.S., and it reached #28 on the Billboard album chart.

The album is a solid early '80s hard rock album that features some of Hagar's most enduring solo songs.  "There's Only One Way to Rock" -- which only reached #31 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart -- is one of his signature solo songs.  "I'll Fall in Love Again" -- which was featured on the soundtrack of the best high school wrestling movie of all time, Vision Quest -- was Hagar's highest-charting solo song on the Billboard Hot 100 up to that point, going to #43 (as well as #2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart).  "Heavy Metal" was co-written by Survivor's Jim Peterik and was featured the previous year in the animated movie of the same name.  His cover of "Piece of My Heart" (#73 on the Billboard Hot 100), "Baby's On Fire" (#35 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart), and "Can't Get Loose" (#49 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart) also charted.

Of course, Hagar went onto become Van Halen's lead singer a few years later, he's one of rock's best front men ever (even if I like the DLR era of VH better), and he played a part in popularizing both mountain bikes and tequila in America.  And if you get a chance to read his autobiography, Red, I highly recommend it.

Favorite song on Side 1:  "There's Only One Way to Rock"
There's a reason this song became one of Hagar's most beloved songs.  It kicks ass.  Uptempo, great riff, memorable sing-along chorus.  Checks all the boxes!

Favorite song on Side 2:  "Sweet Hitchhiker"
Not to be confused with the CCR song of the same name, this is another hard-driving rock song, and it has a great guitar solo.