Montrose: Ronnie Montrose (vocals, guitar); Johnny Edwards, Bob James, Sammy Hagar (vocals); Jim Alcivar (keyboards); Nick DeCaro (mellotron); Alan Fitzgerald (synthesizer, bass); Randy Jo Hobbs, Glen Letsch, Bill Church (bass); Denny Carmassi (drums, background vocals); James Kottak (drums).

Compilation producers: Ronnie Montrose, David McLees.

Recorded between 1973 and 1987. Includes liner notes by Martin Popoff.

Digitally remastered by Bill Inglot.

Montrose: Denny Carmassi, Glen Letsch, James Kottak, Jim Alcivar, Ronnie Montrose, Sammy Hagar, Bill Church, Bob James.

One of the most inventive bands of the '70s, Montrose were the missing link between the Faces and Van Halen, quietly rewriting the rules of classic rock without ever really being heavy metal--the riffs, shrieks, and weight are all there, but the feel is more swaggering than sociopathic. THE VERY BEST OF MONTROSE is a reissue of the band's lone greatest-hits collection--originally released by Rhino in the early `00s--and it is the perfect summation of this band's under-the-radar brilliance. All the highlights from both the Sammy Hagar and Bob James eras are covered here sufficiently, as well as their brief reunion period in the late `80s.