Crazy Times

Never one for subtlety, Sammy Hagar calls his grappling with the pandemic album Crazy Times -- a title that speaks equally to the personal and the world at large. Hagar does spend some time contemplating "Childhood's End" and "Father Time," but make no mistake, he's still a guy who will jam out to "Funky Feng Shui" and turn Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up" into an anthem for drinking beer. Instead of canceling each other, the party tunes play off the reflective numbers, creating something that hints at emotional depth. Make no mistake, the Circle -- the band featuring Sammy's old Van Halen running partner Michael Anthony and drummer Jason Bonham, along with guitarist Vic Johnson -- still favor good times over glum, yet this set of old pros enjoy flexing their muscles on a variety of different moods, making Crazy Times an unusually effective Hagar record.