Why Paper Money Still Divides Rock Fans
Fifty years. That's a long time for an album to sit in the cultural waiting room, yet Paper Money still feels like a massive "what if" in the history of American hard rock. Most people look at the 1974 release as the beginning of the end. Honestly, they aren't wrong. It was the second and final studio record to feature the explosive pairing of guitarist Ronnie Montrose and a young, hungry Sammy Hagar.
You've probably heard the debut album, Montrose. It was a lean, mean, proto-metal masterpiece. But by the time they got to the Paper Money sessions, the vibe had shifted. Ronnie was restless. He didn't want to be just a "loud guitar guy" anymore. He wanted texture. He wanted weird acoustic covers and synthesizers.
The result? A record that is brilliant one second and confusing the next. It’s the sound of a band breaking up in real-time.
The Friction Behind the Scenes
Sammy Hagar has been pretty vocal over the years about how miserable these sessions were. Basically, Ronnie was taking over. While the debut felt like a four-headed beast, Paper Money was Ronnie’s show. He even started rejecting Sammy’s songs. Imagine being a young Hagar, brimming with ideas, and getting told "thanks, but no thanks" by your bandleader.
That tension is baked into the tracks. You can hear it in the way the songs jump from the heavy-hitting "I Got the Fire" to the spacey, instrumental "Starliner." It’s a tug-of-war.
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- Ronnie Montrose: Pushing for a more "sophisticated" sound.
- Sammy Hagar: Wanting to keep the foot on the gas with straight-ahead rockers.
- Ted Templeman: The producer caught in the middle, trying to recapture the magic of the first record while the chemistry was evaporating.
Breaking Down the Tracklist
The album kicks off with "Underground," a cover of a Lauren Wood song. It’s... different. It has this Leslie speaker guitar effect that makes it sound more like psych-pop than the heavy metal fans were expecting.
Then you get the Rolling Stones cover, "Connection." It’s fine, but why are we doing two covers right at the start? It felt like the band was running out of steam or just didn't want to work together on original material.
The Highlights
When the album hits, it hits hard. "I Got the Fire" is arguably the best thing on the record. It’s fast. It’s aggressive. Iron Maiden even covered it later, which tells you everything you need to know about its DNA.
Then there’s the title track, "Paper Money." It’s a heavy, mid-tempo stomp with lyrics about the worthlessness of materialism. It’s sorta prophetic if you think about Hagar’s future "Red Rocker" persona, but at the time, it was just a solid closer.
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The Oddballs
"We're Going Home" is where things get really weird. Sammy Hagar reportedly refused to sing it because he thought it was too soft. So, Ronnie did the lead vocals himself. It’s a moody, pensive ballad that sounds nothing like the "Bad Motor Scooter" guys. It's actually a pretty good song, but for a Montrose fan in 1974? It was a total curveball.
The Fallout and Legacy
The tour for Paper Money was a disaster. Tensions between Ronnie and Sammy reached a boiling point in Europe. By early 1975, Hagar was out. He went on to have a massive solo career and, eventually, a little gig with a band called Van Halen.
Ronnie kept the Montrose name going for a while with Bob James on vocals, but the spark was gone. He eventually moved into more experimental territory with Gamma and his solo instrumental work.
So, is Paper Money a "sophomore slump"?
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Kinda. It didn't have the raw, unified power of the debut. But it’s also more interesting because of its flaws. It’s a snapshot of a genius guitarist trying to find his voice and a legendary singer realizing he needs to be his own boss.
What You Should Do Next
If you've only ever listened to the first Montrose album, you owe it to yourself to give Paper Money a fair shake. Don't go in expecting Montrose Part II. Go in expecting a weird, transitional 70s rock record.
- Listen to "I Got the Fire" at max volume to see why it inspired the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.
- Check out the 50th Anniversary Edition released by Rhino—it has some live KSAN radio sessions that capture the band's energy before the wheels fell off.
- Pay attention to Alan Fitzgerald’s bass work. He replaced Bill Church for this album and eventually became the keyboardist for Night Ranger. His style adds a different flavor to the low end here.
Ultimately, this album is a lesson in how creative differences can create something messy but memorable. It’s not perfect, but it’s real. And in a world of over-polished studio products, that actually means something.
Next Steps for the Collector:
Look for the original Warner Bros. "Burbank" label pressings if you're hunting for vinyl. They generally have a warmer, more authentic mid-range than the later reissues. If you're on digital, stick to the 2017 remaster for the best balance between the acoustic textures and Ronnie's stinging lead lines.