{"id":47782,"date":"2016-01-18T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-01-18T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/features\/i-got-the-fire\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T11:35:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T11:35:12","slug":"i-got-the-fire","status":"publish","type":"feature","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/features\/i-got-the-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"I Got The Fire"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the challenges in ranking Ronnie Montrose\u2019s catalog is that he really has four catalogs. <\/p>\n

There is his groundbreaking work with the seminal hard rock band bearing his last name. There are the eight very diverse solo instrumental albums he kicked off in 1978 with the dynamic fusion-oriented Open Fire<\/i> and continued releasing through the \u201980s and \u201990s. Don\u2019t forget his stellar 1979-82 run with Gamma, a trail-blazing rock quintet with an electronic edge. And then\u2014before and betwixt all of the above\u2014there were his abundant appearances in a supporting role on albums by a diverse roster of notable artists including Van Morrison, Edgar Winter, Gary Wright, Tony Williams and many others. Montrose was a musical iconoclast who constantly resisted the efforts of labels, managers, and the media to pigeonhole his musical identity by jumping from r&b to blues rock to hard rock to jazz fusion to space rock and back around again. As if to put an exclamation point on that trajectory, his final full studio album (1999\u2019s Bearings<\/i>) was all acoustic.<\/p>\n

This column ranks all of the studio albums on which Montrose served as the bandleader, encompassing albums billed to Montrose, Gamma, and Ronnie Montrose. It\u2019s an incredibly eclectic collection of music and ranking it is about as subjective an exercise as you can imagine. I would also stipulate that Ronnie Montrose never issued a \u201cbad\u201d album, just a series of very different ones, as his vivid musical imagination and unsurpassed skill with his instrument drove him to explore the endless possibilities. So while we\u2019re sticking to the convention of \u201cworst to best\u201d in terms of titling this column, what you\u2019re actually seeing here is one individual fan\u2019s least favorite to most favorite album featuring Ronnie Montrose. In a catalog this diverse, your mileage will almost certainly vary.<\/p>\n

[Editor’s Note: You may also want to check out our extensive, in-depth 1998 interview with Ronnie Montrose<\/a>.] <\/i><\/p>\n

18. Montrose \u2013 Mean<\/i> (1987)\"montrose_mean_150\"<\/b><\/p>\n

Although credited to Montrose the band, this album has nothing whatsoever to do with the 1973-76 group. Rather, Mean<\/i> finds guitarist Montrose and Gamma bass player Glenn Letsch teaming up with Buster Brown vocalist Johnny Edwards (later of Foreigner) and drummer James Kottak (later of Scorpions) for an album\u2019s worth of cold, sleek \u201980s metal, highlighted by a song (\u201cM For Machine\u201d) created on spec for the RoboCop<\/i> soundtrack. It\u2019s a solid enough effort, just not a particularly appealing sound, and one that Montrose never showed interest in revisiting.<\/p>\n

\"ronniemontrose_diva_150\"17. Ronnie Montrose \u2013 The Diva Station<\/i> (1990)<\/b><\/p>\n

In a catalog filled with creative left turns, this album challenges Territory<\/i> for the title of the sharpest set of curves Montrose ever negotiated over the course of a single album. Sonic experiments are to be expected, but the willfully weird \u201cLittle Demons\u201d is out there even for Ronnie, and \u201cChoke Canyon\u201d isn\u2019t far behind. In addition, the decision to add three vocal tracks to this otherwise instrumental album leaves the whole thing feeling disjointed, although two of these tracks thankfully feature Gamma vocalist Davey Pattison; the third, which doesn\u2019t, is best forgotten… A pair of tone experiments at the tail end turn out to be the highlights, with the searching \u201cHigh And Dry\u201d giving way to the shimmering, ever-so-slightly discordant \u201cSolitaire.\u201d\u00a0 <\/p>\n

16. Ronnie Montrose \u2013 Territory<\/i> (1986)\"ronniemontrose_territory_150\"<\/b><\/p>\n

Following the dynamic fusion of Open Fire<\/i> and the synth-heavy hard rock of Gamma, fans could be forgiven for anticipating that Territory<\/i> might combine the strengths of both. Instead, the ever-mercurial Montrose delivered an album that defines the term hodge-podge. Thumping hard rock instrumentals (\u201cCatscan\u201d) rub shoulders with bizarre diversions (\u201cI Spy\u201d), classicist space-rock (\u201cTerritory\u201d), an instrumental r&b cover that doesn\u2019t quite work (\u201cI\u2019m Gonna Be Strong\u201d), and a George Harrison cover with Ronnie on lead vocals that surprisingly does (\u201cLove You To\u201d). The highlights again arrive at the end in the form of a pair of distinctly New Age-y instrumentals, notably the superb, contemplative tone poem \u201cWomen Of Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"gamma_4\"<\/a> 15. Gamma \u2013 4<\/i> (2000)<\/b><\/p>\n

File Gamma 4<\/i> under \u201cseemed like a good idea at the time.\u201d Ronnie and Gamma vocalist Davey Pattison always appeared to enjoy working together, taking every opportunity to do so in the years after Gamma dissolved, including this four-fifths reunion of the Gamma 2 <\/i>and 3<\/i> lineups, with bassist Glenn Letsch and Gamma\/Montrose drummer Denny Carmassi joining the fun. The missing element is keyboards; a major part of the band\u2019s attack in 1979-1982, they\u2019re relegated to the background here, and the songs, while serviceable enough blues-rock, rarely approach the fire and imagination that once propelled this group into the stratosphere. <\/p>\n

14. Ronnie Montrose \u2013 Mutatis Mutandis<\/i> (1991)\"ronniemontrose_mutatis_150\"<\/b><\/p>\n

The ominously-named Mutatis Mutandis<\/i> felt like a truer sequel to The Speed Of Sound<\/i> than The Diva Station<\/i>, delivering a hard-hitting, imaginative all-instrumental workout. Montrose wails memorably on cuts like \u201cMutatis Mutandis,\u201d \u201cZero Tolerance,\u201d and the very pretty \u201cThe Nomad,\u201d while \u201csynthesist\u201d Gary Hull adds texture and dimension to numbers like \u201cMercury\u201d and the dreamy, semi-acoustic \u201cVelox.\u201d The other players are pretty anonymous and the album loses energy in its final third, but Mutatis<\/i> remains a solid showcase for the many moods of Mr. Montrose.<\/p>\n

\"montrose_warner\"<\/a> 13. Montrose \u2013 Warner Brothers Presents<\/i> (1975)<\/b><\/p>\n

Warner Brothers Presents<\/i> and its sequel Jump On It<\/i> traded immediately memorable founding lead vocalist Sammy Hagar for the eminently forgettable Bob James, even as the group expanded its sonic palette by adding keyboardist Jim Alcivar (later of Gamma). This first outing with the new lineup is a study in contrasts, with heavy numbers like the Deep Purple-influenced \u201cMatriarch\u201d and \u201cBlack Train\u201d balanced by lighter, more pop-flavored tracks like \u201cAll I Need\u201d and the old-school party-rock number \u201cTwenty Flight Rock.\u201d Ironically, the one real standout is Ronnie\u2019s solo track \u201cOne And A Half,\u201d a trilling, gorgeous acoustic piece. <\/p>\n

12. Montrose \u2013 Jump On It<\/i> (1976)\"montrose_jumponit_150\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

<\/b>The best of the non-Hagar Montrose albums, Jump On It<\/i> was produced by Jack Douglas of Aerosmith fame and features a pair of punchy \u201cgo for it\u201d anthems in \u201cLet\u2019s Go\u201d and the title track. The former features Montrose firing slide-guitar rockets into the air, while \u201cJump On It\u201d blazes straight ahead, adding experimental elements like vocoder and a wild, trebly solo to the mix. The one instrumental, the atmospheric, fusion-y \u201cTuft-Sedge,\u201d presages Open Fire<\/i> in a big way. Unfortunately, the drop-off in quality after those three highlights is substantial. <\/p>\n

\"ronniemontrose_mrbones_150\"11. Ronnie Montrose \u2013 Mr. Bones<\/i> (1996)<\/b><\/p>\n

Again defying expectations (the man had a knack for it), following 1994\u2019s Music From Here<\/i>, Montrose embarked on a two-year project composing and recording music for the video game Mr. Bones<\/i>. The game producer\u2019s intention was to have the title character Mr. Bones play mostly swampy Southern blues guitar, but in due course that became just one of several musical guises that Bones and his alter ego Ronnie Montrose inhabited. This album features several expansive mood pieces interspersed with evocative numbers like the searing \u201cManifesto,\u201d the rollicking slide boogie-number \u201cBones Is Bones,\u201d the emphatic acoustic workout \u201cThe Village,\u201d and the genuinely swampy acoustic-slide showcase \u201cBy The Way,\u201d complete with crickets in the background. Plus, of course, spectacular tone from start to finish.<\/p>\n

10. Ronnie Montrose \u2013 Bearings<\/i> (1999)\"ronniemontrose_bearings\"<\/a> <\/b><\/p>\n

Montrose\u2019s last studio album — at least, that was completed during his lifetime — Bearings<\/i> was also his first all-acoustic outing, and the variety of tones and moods he achieves on these 14 tracks is remarkable. Opener \u201cAll Aboard\u201d delivers immediate returns with a full-on, propulsive jam featuring acoustic guitar, mandolin, acoustic bass and exotic percussion. Deeper in, he throws in touches of jazz (the bridge to \u201cThree Wishes\u201d), classical (\u201cMorning\u201d and \u201cSolid Ground\u201d) and Open Fire<\/i>-style fusion (\u201cLunarization\u201d and \u201cShe\u2019s Watching\u201d). Cut loose from any guitar-hero expectations, Montrose is set free to concentrate instead on tone and feel and resonance, with results that often sparkle on these cinematic, emotionally charged tracks. <\/p>\n

\"gamma_1\"<\/a> 8(t). Gamma \u2013 1<\/i> (1979)<\/b>
Montrose\u2019s end-of-the-decade return to a band setting\u2014and hard rock\u2014after the solo detour represented by Open Fire<\/i> would not be a simple re-creation of Montrose, despite the presence of longtime bandmates Alan Fitzgerald (bass) and Jim Alcivar (keys). Instead, the addition of sandy-throated Scotsman Davey Pattison on lead vocals was coupled with an increasingly exploratory bent that embraced inventive use of synthesizers and greater focus on both melody and virtuosity. The results included heavy, catchy anthems like \u201cThunder And Lightning\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m Alive,\u201d both punctuated by exotic electronic accents and extended, dynamic Montrose solos. The atmospheric instrumental \u201cSolar Heat\u201d similarly complements the furious rocker \u201cReady For Action.\u201d If the rest of the album\u2014and Ken Scott\u2019s production\u2014had matched up to these four tunes, this one would have ranked higher. <\/p>\n

8(t). Gamma \u2013 3<\/i> (1982)\"gamma_3\"<\/a> <\/b><\/p>\n

This was Ronnie Montrose\u2019s favorite Gamma album, and it\u2019s easy to understand why. Taking the production reins himself, Montrose added the futuristic tones of young synth whiz Mitchell Froom to the mix and delivered a super-clean-and-crisp sounding record that takes the band’s futuristic edge to its logical extreme. While Montrose’s guitar work and Pattison\u2019s vocals are always prominent, Froom dominates the album with an arsenal of exotic electronic effects. High points include \u201cWhat\u2019s Gone Is Gone,\u201d a driving track with startling synth textures and dynamic guitar work, and \u201cCondition Yellow,\u201d an evocative instrumental featuring a chorus of eerie, otherworldly synth tones blown wide open by a laser-beam of a solo from Montrose. Beyond those high points, the tracklist was more uneven, with AOR \/ pop-metal tracks like \u201cModern Girl\u201d feeling out of place next to edgier fare like \u201cNo Way Out,\u201d not to mention the occasional lyrical misfire (\u201cMoving Violation,\u201d \u201cMobile Devotion\u201d).<\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

\"ronniemontrose_10x10_150\"<\/a> 7. Ronnie Montrose – 10 X 10<\/i> (2017) <\/b><\/p>\n

“[T]his album, which had been intended as a return to the hard rock form by one of its original leading figures, has been transformed into a final tribute from a group of musical peers who loved and respected Ronnie and his inimitable style. In that sense, the album is never less than a total success; in a career marked by a constant evolution of style and musical approach, 10×10<\/i> will stand the test of time as among Ronnie Montrose\u2019s strongest work.” With contributions from the likes of Sammy Hagar, Edgar Winter, Davey Pattison, Glenn Hughes, Gregg Rolie, Steve Lukather, Brad Whitford, Dave Meniketti, Rick Derringer and Marc Bonilla, atop basic tracks cut by Montrose with Ricky Phillips (bass, co-producer) and Eric Singer (drums).<\/p>\n

\"montrose_paper\"<\/a> <\/b><\/p>\n

6. Montrose \u2013 Paper Money<\/i> (1974)<\/b><\/p>\n

As a follow-up to the band’s landmark 1973 debut, Paper Money<\/i> is a firm statement of artistic independence. Where Montrose<\/i> remains rightly famous for its unrelenting eight-song hard rock assault, Paper Money<\/i> is all over the map. Opening with the blatantly poppy \u201cUnderground\u201d and the mostly acoustic Rolling Stones cover \u201cConnection\u201d was bound to raise a few eyebrows, as was Ronnie\u2019s decision to take the lead vocal on the somber ballad \u201cWe\u2019re Going Home.\u201d The fiery instrumental \u201cStarliner\u201d at least offered a preview of musical avenues to come for solo artist Montrose. More in line with expectations for this quartet were the thundering title track and the smoldering sci-fi number \u201cSpaceage Sacrifice,\u201d not to mention the blistering rocker \u201cI Got The Fire,\u201d still one of the best tunes anyone involved has ever been a part of, three minutes of surging, propulsive electric guitar built around a complex, brilliant central riff and culminating in a force ten hurricane of a solo. <\/p>\n

4(t). Ronnie Montrose \u2013 Music From Here<\/i> (1994)\"ronniemontrose_fromhere_150\"<\/a> <\/b><\/p>\n

Music From Here<\/i> might be the only RM instrumental album that feels like it was made by a band, with bassist Craig McFarland and drummer Michele Graybeal making their presence felt throughout this pure power-trio release in terms of both musicianship and composition. While forceful rockers like \u201cMr. Walker\u201d and \u201cPrimary Function\u201d rank among Montrose\u2019s most memorable solo work, \u201cLife After Life\u201d and especially \u201cIndigo Spheres\u201d give equal, welcome attention to McFarland\u2019s heavy, intricate bass work. Even quieter tunes like \u201cRoad To Reason\u201d and \u201cFear Not\u201d feel like they take Montrose\u2019s solo catalog to the next level, showcasing unique tones and memorable melodies in tight, tasteful arrangements. <\/p>\n

\"ronniemontrose_speed_150\"4(t). Ronnie Montrose \u2013 The Speed Of Sound<\/i> (1988)<\/b><\/p>\n

At the time, this felt like the instrumental guitar album that some portion of Montrose\u2019s early-days fan base had been anticipating for 15 years, a stripped-down, no-nonsense, balls-to-the-wall, Ronnie-and-a-rhythm-section shred-fest. Of course, it was 1988, so there\u2019s a bit of an \u201980s sheen to the production, and Montrose doesn\u2019t shed his quirks entirely, but for the most part, this album focuses on high-velocity numbers like \u201cMach 1,\u201d \u201cSidewinder,\u201d and \u201cWindshear\u201d interspersed with slower-tempoed but no less passionate workouts like \u201cBlack Box\u201d and \u201cZero G.\u201d What The Speed Of Sound<\/i> occasionally lacks in subtlety, it makes up for with intensity, not to mention killer tone from start to finish.<\/p>\n

3. Gamma \u2013 2<\/i> (1980)\"gamma_2\"<\/a> <\/b><\/p>\n

Powered by one dynamite riff after another, Gamma 2<\/i> flat-out rocks. With Montrose drummer Denny Carmassi reinstalled behind the kit and the rest of the band primed and ready, the chemistry of this lineup is evident from the very start. It\u2019s worth noting that the first four tracks of 2<\/i> are presented in the same configuration on the Best of Gamma<\/i> collection, for good reason: \u201cMean Streak,\u201d \u201cFour Horseman,\u201d \u201cDirty City,\u201d and \u201cVoyager\u201d are four of the strongest tracks Gamma ever recorded, featuring propulsive riffs, rich synth textures, and urgent Davey Pattison vocals. The latter track\u2014a personal favorite of Ronnie\u2019s\u2014is a melodic tale of loneliness and salvation that culminates in one of the most impassioned solos of his career, a steady-building sunburst of notes and phrases and astonishingly nimble runs. The second half of the album is nearly as strong, building toward closer \u201cMayday,\u201d a powerhouse number with another driving chorus, more unique synth effects and\u2014of course\u2014stupendous fretwork from Montrose.<\/p>\n

\"ronniemontrose_openfire\"<\/a> 2. Ronnie Montrose \u2013 Open Fire<\/i> (1978)<\/b><\/p>\n

The worst thing I can say about Ronnie Montrose’s moody, inventive solo debut is that it’s too damn short. At just under 36 minutes, Open Fire<\/i> invariably leaves me wanting more. In a move that was bold even by Montrose standards, the godfather of American hard rock opened his 1978 solo debut with an orchestral<\/i> piece that seamlessly segues into the heavy-fusion title track. Moments later, the stunning \u201cMandolinia\u201d contrasts cascading mandolins and mandocellos with a swirling, pulsating bass synthesizer, with occasional, precise guitar fills occupying the middle ground. Montrose\u2019s dynamic cover of \u201cTown Without Pity\u201d is the one track here that received any airplay, and it\u2019s a beauty, horn section powering along underneath as Ronnie wrings every bit of drama out of each sweeping note of his solos. The second half of the album features a pair of terrific fusion pieces followed by a pair of gorgeous acoustic numbers, before the shifting, startling minor opus \u201cNo Beginning\/No End\u201d arrives to close out one of the truly memorable instrumental albums in rock history.<\/p>\n

1. Montrose \u2013 Montrose<\/i> (1973)\"montrose_s-t\"<\/a> <\/b><\/p>\n

Montrose<\/i> is a classic, essentially the point of origin for American hard rock. The ingredients are simple\u2014massively thundering herds of guitar from maestro Ronnie Montrose, plus clumsy but sincere explications of adolescent fervor and angst from Sammy Hagar, times career-making performances by the rhythm section of Bill Church (bass) and Denny Carmassi (drums) equals pure musical magic. Pounding rockers like \u201cRock The Nation,\u201d \u201cBad Motor Scooter\u201d and \u201cMake It Last\u201d provide a raw, clear vision of embracing life and reaching for your dreams\u2014preferably while ripping out a few choice air guitar riffs. In between, the band rides a monster riff into the stratosphere on \u201cSpace Station #5,\u201d rocks out like Chuck Berry with his hair on fire on the adrenalized Elvis cover \u201cGood Rockin\u2019 Tonight,\u201d and caps it off with the immortal \u201cRock Candy,\u201d five minutes and seventeen seconds of thumping, grinding greatness, one of the transcendent hard rock performances of all time. (Have you ever heard a concert crowd sing along not just to an entire lyric, but to every note of the guitar solo? It\u2019s a beautiful thing.) This album is filled with some of the fist-pumpingest, lighter-snappingest party-heartiest guitar rock ever recorded, and for me personally, it’s also a link of memory to places and friends and moments I’ll carry with me forever. Rock and roll doesn’t get much better than that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ronnie Montrose Albums Ranked Worst To Best<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":49468,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"feature_type":[32],"class_list":["post-47782","feature","type-feature","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","feature_type-feature"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature\/47782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/feature"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"feature_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature_type?post=47782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}