| Van Halen | review #2 | 1978 |
| Van Halen II | 1979 |
| Women And Children First | 1980 |
| Fair Warning | 1981 |
| Diver Down | 1982 |
| 1984 | review #2 | 1984 |
| 5150 | 1986 |
| OU812 | 1988 |
| For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge | 1991 |
| Live: Right Here, Right Now | 1993 |
| Balance | 1995 |
| Best Of: Volume I | review #2 (compilation) | 1996 |
| 3 | 1998 |
Believe it or not, before the three ring circus started with their 'who's gonna be the next singer?' controversies and the ego of a certain guitarist, this band could probably make the claim of being the most significant and influential hard rock band of the past 25 years. For better or worse, with their debut album, they pretty much set the stage for virtually the entire hard rock scene of the 80's to follow. I mean, these guys seemed to have everything within their prime period - a guitarist who virtually reinvented the instrument with his flashy, extremely unique tone and style, one of the ultimate frontmen in rock history whose persona and energy was often as big as the music itself, and a rhythm section that somehow got a great groove going in spite of its' often ridiculous simplicity. Add that to a considerable sense of pop songcraft amongst all this over-the-top madness, and you have a pretty terrific band here.
The core of the sound in the early period, of course, revolves around those first two personalities I mentioned, guitarist Eddie Van Halen and vocalist David Lee Roth, who almost constantly seemed to be dueling for the spotlight within the songs, a thing that tends to happen when you have two of the most egotistical and flamboyant players at their position ever. Plus, a rhythm section as basic as Michael Anthony (bass) and Alex Van Halen (drums) could only work in a band like this. And yet despite the fact their excess could get somewhat over-the-top (and of course, their influence set the stage for even worse stuff in the 80's), it's exactly what made the band so unique - that very excessive style led them to become virtually the ultimate party metal act. I mean, when they weren't dabbling in dark subject matter (Fair Warning), older cover material (Diver Down and other moments) and synth pop in the mid 80's (1984 and 5150).
Of course, one part of the lineup wasn't always a constant, as Diamond Dave apparently decided he was too good for the band in '85 and left for a career as a solo artist, replaced by former Montrose frontman and solo artist himself Sammy Hagar, a much more conventional hard rock singer. With Sammy, the band predictably journeyed into more generic territory over the years and seemed to lose much of the spirit they had in the first place, but they weren't without their share of great hard rock/pop tunes like "Dreams" and "Top Of The World" or even diversity (OU812). This era came to an end in 1996 for numerous reasons, and then the band truly began to crumble under their own silliness with the singer controversy which you all undoubtedly understand the gist of by now. Note that those two comments below (posted quite awhile before this current intro) seem to sum it up quite nicely.
Not much else to say here - the individual albums speak for themselves even more than any silly band intro ever could, so on to the reviews.
--Nick Karn
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COMMENTS
Hey, did you know that there are very strong rumors that Roth is coming back yet again. Personally, I don't see how two people who hate each other so much (eddie and dave) are going to be able to stay together. It sure as hell didn;t work during the "Me Wise Magic" and "Can't get this stuff no more". Magic kicks ass, but that other song---bleeccch.
I'm a big Van Halen fan myself and I must admit that I'm getting pretty fed up with this situation on who's going to be the next VH vocalist. If I were Eddie, I'd pick up the phone right now and give Dave a call. Yeah, I know that there are a lot rumors that Dave's recording with them right now, but I don' t believe it until I see it. Personally, I'd like to see Dave come back into the band, if that happens it will most likely bring them back on top of the ladder. Sammy Hagar said on The Howard Stern show a few weeks ago that he'd be only interested in singing with the band again if they make it to the RnR Hall Of Fame. But for now, Eddie, get your head out of your ass and make the right decision! Quit making your band situation looking like a fucking soap opera!
Were is the band? We're not getting any younger! whats this I've read about an album that was recorded in 2001 before Eddie got cancer with roth.Roth saying that it was the most amazing music the bands done yet. Have you heard anything to that affect
(Nick Karn's review)
HIGH POINTS: Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Eruption, You Really Got Me, Runnin' With The Devil, Little Dreamer. LOW POINTS: Ice Cream Man.
Much like Led Zeppelin virtually defined the hard rock landscape for the 70's at the end of the previous decade, Van Halen's debut did very much the same in beginning the scene for the next. One could argue that it produced more self-indulgent and awful results in the long run, but hey, that doesn't make the sound here any less spectacular. And what a sound it is - Eddie Van Halen's guitar pyrotechnics are all over the place, with blazing riffs, solos and tricks all over the place (i.e. the hammer-on technique and two-hand tapping, which he may not have been the first to use, but he was undoubtedly the first to really incoroporate this trick fully into his playing style), plus David Lee Roth is going typically wild with some of the most captivating personality you will ever hear on a hard rock record. And several of the songs are really, really catchy too. With all this going for the album, I can undoubtedly say Gene Simmons discovering the band is probably one of the only truly redeeming contributions he's ever made to music history.
Seriously, I can't think of a single trademark of the Van Halen sound that's not at least partially covered here. We've got the obligatory guitar fireworks in the stunning 1:42 instrumental "Eruption", a guitar solo spot often played live by Eddie that was actually laid down in one take. Some take, too, as this stuff is among the coolest, most exciting and distinctive use of 'wanking' ever. There's also the obligatory, dumb simplistic singalong "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" that's executed as a shot at the punk movement, and turns out to be one of the most insanely energetic and irresistibly catchy moments on the whole record. How can you possibly beat that kickass opening riff and the way Roth makes the melody totally come alive? Not to mention the great 'hey hey hey' chants at the end. Sorry, you can't.
The opening "Runnin' With The Devil" also does a whole lot to define the sound as one of the ultimate dinosaur plodders in rock history - there's that over-the-top, incessant one note bassline that seriously manages to work in spite of itself, plus those dark lyrics that may seem cliched now, but are so effective for the mood of this piece. Not to mention that Eddie blows the house down with not one, but two, showstopping guitar solos here. And how appropriate is it that here, on the most energetic hard rock record of the period, they cover what is considered to be the first hard rock song ever (The Kinks' "You Really Got Me")? Done with the totally amazing Van Halen energy and personality, it certainly doesn't come off as any less inspiring than the original, as they sure can do a whole lot with a killer riff. Great stuff. Oh, and these are just the first four songs, by the way.
I'll admit that nothing else on the rest of the album really manages to match up to that, but even among the rest of the tracks, there's still quite a bit of defining stuff, with "Atomic Punk" and "Little Dreamer" probably qualifying as the best of them, both showing a darker side of the band, but in a totally different way. The first of them is an echoey night rocker with another killer riff and a powerful Roth performance filled with over-the-top madness and personality ('nobody rules these streets at night but me! THE ATOMIC PUNK!!!!!'), while the latter is probably one of the better 'power ballads' written by the band, especially since it has an almost despairing, minor key mood with its' guitar part and introspective 'nice guys finish last' sort of lyrics. And there's even a full-on, almost speed metal track in "I'm The One" with some really fast riffing and soloing, and the way it's coupled with a 'bop ba da, shoo be doo wa' harmony part is an interesting diversion.
So that leaves the other four tracks on here, and they're quite good in their own way. Well, except maybe the second cover version and weakest track here, "Ice Cream Man", a song where Roth turns more toward obnoxious than entertaining, and it's mostly just generic bluesy stuff. Maybe the closing "On Fire" is a little unnecessary in the wake of more defining and memorable moments, but a dose of pure VH adrenaline is never a bad thing during this time period. Finally, the album's rounded out by two nice grooves in the breakup song "Jamie's Cryin'" (lots of cynical lyrics here) and the 'back seat of the car' song "Feel Your Love Tonight", an almost barroom-type piece that borders on generic but never quite gets there, especially with its' catchy hook and guitar solo. This is a pretty great album which maybe isn't quite as consistently excellent as Fair Warning, but I would be hard-pressed to find a more energetic and quintessential album anywhere else in the band's catalog.
HIGH POINTS: Jamie's Cryin, Aint Talkin Bout Love, Ice Cream Man, Eruption, You Really Got Me. LOW POINTS: Runnin' With the Devil, Feel Your Love Tonight, On Fire
You know, I never really thought about it till i read Bryan Jackson's comments on George Stratosin's VH page, but I don't really like a whole lot of Eddie's leads. Sure, he was undoubtedly one of the most innovative mainstream guitarists of the last 25 years or so technique wise, but he also single handedly spawned the irrelevant speed wanking guitar solo genre. That said, i'd just like to point out something that often gets overlooked with Eddie - he is (or was) a killer rhythm guitar player. In my humble opinion, his rhythm tone, riffage, etc were far superior to his soloing contributions. For example, somebody like the master speed wanker Yngwie Malmsteen can absolutely shred Mr. Van Halen to pieces, but he isnt a tenth of the rhythm/riff writer Eddie was in my opinion. Which is one of the reasons I loathe almost everything about Malmsteen and still have some respect for Eddie.
However, I should point out that as far as I can tell, ever since these first few albums, Eddie has done jack shit in the progression area. Take somebody like Pantera's Dimebag Darrell. As much as i hate the choices he makes sometimes in attempting to find new squeals and sounds hidden in his axe, at least he makes the attempt. And in him we also have a formidable rhythm guitarist plus a pretty darned good soloist who hasnt stagnated for the past roughly 20 years like Eddie.
So how does this pointless flamebait relate to this album? Well, back in good ol 1978 EVH actually was an innovative guitarist. As mentioned before, KILLER distortion tone and powerful, catchy riffage abound on this release. Add that to the fact that one of the more flamboyant front men in rock history was in the band at that point, and you have a recipe for a good solid album. Granted, my score isnt all that high, but the high points are all phenomenal; a near absolute pinnacle of hard rock interplay. "Aint Talkin Bout Love" in particular would easily be the best song the Halens ever did if the truly powerful "Unchained" didnt come out a few albums later. One of the coolest riffs ever penned dominates the song, and oh dear, I really love Eddie's rhythm-to-lead playing style. On the negative side of things, "Runnin' with the Devil" is extensively boring and stupid, popularizing that annoying one note bassline that the talent-starved Michael Anthony would use for the next 23+ years of his career.
Overall, I wish they'd get around to releasing Best of Vol.2 because Vol.1 left off all of my high points except for two, and i cannot wholely recommend this album because of all the filler. If you see Van Halen I cheap, like around $10 somewheres, its worth a purchase. Otherwise I'd pass this release up for 1984, or Fair Warning. Just do yourself a favor and stay away from any Van Hagar or Van Cherone release. You'll thank me in the end.
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COMMENTS
Fellow Pat D: You are aggressive and snob in excess. I agree in regard to Eddie being a huge rhythm guitar, and I desagree about Eddie not doing a 'jack shit in the progression area'. VH has never been in the prog side. Get yourself some old Queensryche or Dream Theater if you wanna listen to arrangements you cannot grasp.
Wha--? You don't like his leads? You're WEIRD.
Honestly, I think the lead guitar work is the best part of the album. Really dig that "Eruption" and "I'm the One" shit. Speed wanking RULES.
And I like his rhythm guitar work, too, especially on "Atomic Punk" (although I don't much care for the song itself). Every song on the album except for "Atomic Punk" and "Little Dreamer" is good. Dave does a good job, too, although I really get annoyed when he exudes his funny macho personality. Who the fuck cares about that? I'M certainly not a sorority girl.
To summarize, this would get a ten, except for those two songs and the overall clipped punky feel of the album. An 8.
I am not a big fan of VanHalen, nor was I when their music was new but I do recognize this first effort to be a good record. I do disagree with most critics, especially here that the show pieces are the obvious radio cover songs from it, that are still over played to this day. With exception I like 'Ice cream' man the best probably due to the most complex lead guitar work on the album. Yes, I said that right. I am an experienced guitarist with a few years on Mr. VanHalen. Although his technique and explosive sound on Eruption is a favorite of most guitar kids from that era, it is not as difficult a piece and he was NOT the first to employ tapping and pull-offs in his style and repertoire! I can name a dozen,where do you think he learned it? Overall I would say this is a good party rock album, almost a must to have, but I prefer to keep a copy of their second to listen to. I would rate it an 8. Much too much are these ratings for albums a bit overblown, especially from critics like Karn, who consistently gets titles of songs wrong in print, more than once per review! Check his favorite song from Quadrophenia! A 10? No way. Not too many albums ever deserve a 9, several hundred do though. An 8 is a very high mark for this album. Jim Valentine
(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: D.O.A., Dance The Night Away, Outta Love Again. LOW POINTS: Bottoms Up!
One of the more unfortunate things about early Van Halen albums is that they had to be recorded really quickly, almost as an afterthought for their live shows. This is probably one of the major reasons that accounts for the fact that this is a bit of a step down from the debut, not to mention that the band had their first album material well-rehearsed for years, plus that one was so genre defining, while Van Halen II mostly follows the same formula, only incorporating a bit more in the way of pop influence and slightly more inventive song structures, with a little less energy and inspired songwriting. Luckily, it's actually no less excellent than the debut in terms of consistency, with probably almost as much entertainment value to boot, and it's certainly a good share of highs throughout its' really brief 31 minute running time. Oh yes, that's another these Roth-era albums - they're too friggin' short!
At least it generally makes great use of its' length, though. That pop influence I mentioned? It's captured in the gorgeously infectious "Dance The Night Away", whose distinctive guitar line, beautiful melody, and Latin flavor malke it fully pleasurable, plus that chorus will definitely stick in your head. "Women In Love" even combines some wonderfully pretty guitar harmonics within its' intro to add a nice flavor to an already pretty good ballad-style track (good job on the chorus, here). Even the cover tune and guitar solo spot are both on the lighter (and less effective) side. The opening "You're No Good", while still displaying a nice level of groove, is essentially more notable for its' vocal wildness over the already existent hook than its' powerful energy, even though it's still quite enjoyable, and "Spanish Fly" is basically an acoustic guitar sequel to "Eruption" and is probably just as technically stunning, but the original just has a lot more impact simply because it's more defining and longer, too.
The remainder of the album, meanwhile, is more in line with the heavier style of the debut. "Light Up The Sky" is another solid speed rocker that seems to give the song a spark not unlike its' title - nice riff and vocal hystronics here. And speaking of vocals, Roth again gets particularly over the top on three other songs - "Somebody Get Me A Doctor" is an even more groove heavy and compact venture into this form, with some top notch riffing and explosive soloing to go along with Roth wailing, and "Beautiful Girls" has a sheer obnoxious, but wildly entertaining, carefree feeling to it, thanks to the vocal personality, the naggingly catchy melody and of course the nice riff Eddie came up with. Of course, the only real disappointing track on the album comes in this style with "Bottoms Up!", where Roth's vocal antics get excessive in the middle, and the other aspects of the song aren't really good enough to make up for it.
Now that I've gotten all those tracks out of the way, I'd like to talk about my two favorite dark horse gems here. The first of these, "Outta Love Again", is another groove piece that's catapulted to greatness due to the really effective use of wailing and backing harmonies in the verses, plus its' wild, oddly catchy refrain. And the riff rocker "D.O.A.", my personal favorite on the whole album, is just a killer rocker - it has one of those simple, but instantly memorable and hard-hitting riffs, another truly captivating melody and almost bleak lyrics about a run-in with the law. But the truly awesome feature here is that wild and completely exciting sped-up ending section. Great stuff! Overall, the songs here individually may mostly be a touch weaker than their particular counterparts on the debut, but taken together on its' own, by most other standards Van Halen II is still a somewhat excellent, good-time party record that holds up quite well within the band's catalog.
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: In A Simple Rhyme, Romeo Delight, Take Your Whiskey Home. LOW POINTS: Fools, Could This Be Magic?
Sounds like a bit of a slump to me. Most Van Halen fans seem to love this record, and it does indeed seem to embody the 'party band' side of them more than perhaps anything else in their catalog, but I don't know. The actual songwriting here seems to be heavily inconsistent, and in my mind whatever energetic moments some of these tunes might have doesn't make up for the fact that several of them aren't very good melodically, and they also feature David Lee Roth's obnoxious persona getting even more and more upfront. Maybe that's part of my problem with the album - if there's any effort where I could call DLR irritating, it would probably be this one. But among all this, however, at least the attempt is being made to shift the sound a little, so I can't accuse this effort of being too formulaic. In fact, it's almost a hard blues comedy album with a slightly poppy edge - a neat style, if you ask me.
The question is, how many of these songs are actually successful at it? The opening "And The Cradle Will Rock" (which is actually the first Van Halen tune to use synthesizers, albeit in a fairly minor role) certainly has a fine main riff and effective cynical youth lyrics, and though I find the energy level in the song to be a little lacking, it's still quite catchy, and there's no reason to knock it at all. The other single "Everybody Wants Some!", though, is a more bothersome moment - though it's fairly entertaining at the core, especially in terms of melody (I have to admit the chorus is a guilty pleasure and the solo break is quite powerful), that riff is dangerously simplistic, and Roth just sounds like a complete idiot here. Speaking of idiotic behavior, Roth certainly doesn't bring much inspiration to the generic speed rocker "Loss Of Control" with his stupid 'pilot' antics - only Eddie's playing here is enough to salvage it a little.
Not only does Roth seem to be falling flat, however, but not even the rest of the band can do anything to save the two worst songs on here. The lengthy ZZ Top-esque blues track "Fools", which runs for almost 6 minutes, gets my vote for the worst song the band ever did in the Roth era - unlike his inspirational moments before, Eddie's playing in the intro just sounds like boring wanking, and once it gets to the actual song, there's very little hook of any kind to be found, just tongue-in-cheek stupidity. The acoustic "Could This Be Magic?" isn't nearly as uninspired, but it just seems too overly cutesy with those backing harmonies and dull retro-styled melody. Oh well - at least when they merge the two blues and acoustic elements together, with DLR humor that actually works, they come up with a minor classic in "Take Your Whiskey Home", which has hilarious acoustic verses which feature Roth sounding drunk over a great guitar part before turning into an awesome catchy hard rocker.
Plus, the other two songs on here (note I don't count the 55 second interlude "Tora! Tora!" as one) are truly among the best the band ever came up with, and along with the previous highlights, they help increase the rating significanty. "Romeo Delight" is probably one of their best fast rockers, with a main riff and Eddie soloing frenzy that just tears, and that dramatic heartbeat imitating middle section is a great touch! Even better, though, is the closing "In A Simple Rhyme", which is probably my favorite Van Halen song, period. Man, Eddie could really write a classic pop number when he wanted to, and I'd say this is his best ever attempt at it. The main vocal melody and intricate guitar work are both equally gorgeous and uplifting, and the way it just builds with energetic playing to that heavenly chorus is just incredible. Beautiful lyrics, too. Those last three songs I mentioned always make me feel a bit guilty for not giving this a 7, but because of the weak stuff here, I can never go that high, as much as I want to. But at least the masterpiece was coming!
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Hey, did anybody else notice that "Everybody Wants Some" is almost exactly the same as "Aint Talking Bout Love"? Not exactly creative, are we Mr. Halen.....
Their best. Not one dull moment. I have to admit that Roth does go overboard on some of the tracks, but it keeps me entertained for some reason. And Eddie is in the fuckin zone on this one. Check out his playing in "Romeo Delight".....Incredible! Man, does his guitar CRUNCH on that one! Ditto for "Loss Of Control"! Every other song on here is great too! Even the acoustic number! And "In A Simple Rhyme" is their best album closer ever! A 6 for this is a joke. Easy 10 for this one! BUY IT NOW!!
[email protected] (John Schlegel)
Only a 6.5, and only half a point higher than Diver Down? Hmmm . . . strange. I think this album is every bit as good as Van Halen II, although you justify your opinion well. The album is a little uneven, and certainly not as strong as the stunning debut (my favorite). But "Fools" isn't THAT bad! There's stuff on Diver Down and 1984 worse than that. "Loss of Control" is sure dumb, though. I love the machine gun guitar at the beginning, but the falsetto backing vox in the chorus are downright laughable, and completely spoil the song for me. "Could This Be Magic?" isn't too shabby either--it's a great beer-drinkin', sing-along, sea shanty, actually! Seriously, try it--hold glasses in the air with your friends and sing together the "Sail away with someone's daughter" part. It's a hoot and a half! (I know, as I've actually done this.) I guess this aspect of the song doesn't make the album more credible, though . . . go figure. All the songs you raved are great; "Take Your Whiskey Home" is one of my favorite early Van Halen songs. I agree with all your ratings for Roth-era Halen except this one--it gets an 8 from me. Then again, I might give 1984 a 7 . . . dunno'.
(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Push Comes To Shove, Unchained, Mean Street, Dirty Movies. LOW POINTS: None.
This album has sort of managed to become a 'dark horse' effort in the Van Halen catalog, and it's easy to see why. After getting perhaps the closest they ever got to becoming the 'party metal band' many people perceived them as, this effort does away with that role almost completely. Just one look at the album cover's grim images and the song titles hints that this is a darker direction, and while not totally doing away with the more upbeat style of before, it's often drenched in a more serious, Eddie Van Halen dominated sound. And more importantly, this helps make the songs great - the nighttime mood, the catchy hooks and Eddie's playing help create the most consistently excellent set of VH tunes ever. The rest of the band is in top form, too - David Lee Roth manages to bring the songs to life with his vocals and keeps his juvenile behavior to a minimum, and even the rhythm section has learned to stand out here.
The first two tracks in particular immediately establish some sort of departure here. Sure, "Mean Street" may have an electrifying introductory guitar spot that could easily fit on any album, but once the actual song sets in, there's a really biting main riff to go along with dark lyrics (the opening lines of the whole album are 'at night I walk these stinkin' streets past the crazies on my block', after all), and that spoken bridge ('see, a gun is real easy in this desperate part of town') further establishes the mood. It's a great, vintage groove based hard rock song even without all that, though. Heck, we even have a potential party anthem turn all dark on us in "Dirty Movies", as it uses an appropriately 'dirty' guitar sound and a haunting, bottom-heavy tone to the rhythm section, and the lyrics about a prom queen turned porno queen to become a damn classic. 'Come see baby now!' indeed.
Even the tracks that might sound potentially happy do have quite a dark tone to them. The engaging, fast groove rocker "Sinner's Swing!" manages to take the rest of the album's aura by lyrically turning into a tongue-in-cheek celebration of the dark world portrayed here. "Hear About It Later" might have a somewhat pop-oriented melody, with nice melodic sentiments in both the main guitar line and the chorus, but "Dance The Night Away" it is not - the general mood of the lyrics, again, are somewhat bleak, as is that vintage guitar break throughout. The minor hit "So This Is Love?" probably comes the closest to being a true break from all the darkness, with the kind of swinging, uptempo groove that almost never fails coming from a band like this, and even that one has a questioning title and chorus.
Those three tracks, as fun as they are, though, still sound a tad bit weak within the overall mood of this stuff, even if most bands would kill to have songs like those as 'filler' on their albums. It's just that the better material clearly overshadows them - besides the aforementioned classic 1-2 punch that opens the album, there's also "Unchained", the best known song here. Deservedly so, too, as that riff is surely one of the more ominous and hard-hitting Eddie has ever come up with, and the rest of the song is truly a high-energy paradise, with an unforgettable chorus and much-needed, wonderfully ridiculous spoken section by Roth in the middle. Even when Eddie switches to keyboards near the end of the album with the closing two-song suite at the end, the results are creepy. The keys in the 2 minute instrumental "Sunday Afternoon In The Park" set a totally angry, bitter and hypnotizing mood that sounds like nothing else, and the way it segues into the short but overlooked, pulsating breakaway rocker "One Foot Out The Door" (synth driven again, but highlighted by the terrific guitar soloing) is something else.
The real highlight of the album in my mind, though, just has to be the simply brilliant dark funk number "Push Comes To Shove". I normally don't care for Michael Anthony's simplified bass style too much, but that killer groove he sets up here is undoubtedly his finest moment. Add this to lamentful lyrics and vocal melody ('will you ever be the same? is this the one that got away?') that totally embody the album's mood, plus the way the subtle guitar touches gradually build up to one of Eddie's most stunning and song-appropriate guitar solos ever, and it's simply incredible. I also have to love the way it begins to fade out on the slight key change and Roth spoken word passages. Excellent stuff. Maybe Fair Warning isn't as perfect as I used to consider it, but still, it's their most consistent batch of songs that best embodies all of their strong points with little of their weaknesses, plus it has the most intriguing mood on a VH record ever. Extremely underrated, too.
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Great album, probably the most consistant they've ever done. However, I'm gonna disagree with Nick here about Michael Anthony. I hate the way this guy plays bass. I really do. In my opinion, you can always tell a Van Halen tune (whether it is from the sucky, vastly different Hagar era, or Roth) from Mr. Anthony boucing his one note bassline off of Alex's kick drums. Once or twice, hey, he sounds pretty good. But after a career of using the exact same minimalist technique it becomes extensively annoying. Alex used to be quite the kickass drummer, too, back in the early days. Like "Hot for Teacher" off of 1984, or just about anything off this album. Nowadays he's slower than Lars Ulrich. Anyways, rambling aside, I give this a 9, only because Roth DOES get a little too over-the-top sometimes. And "Unchained" kicks the ass of any other song they've ever done.
(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Secrets, (Oh) Pretty Woman, Little Guitars. LOW POINTS: Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now), The Full Bug, Hang 'Em High.
I really don't get why an album like this had to be made. In my mind, the band was practically at the height of their songwriting powers with Fair Warning, and then they go do an album where five of the twelve songs here are covers? Not to mention that three of the other tracks are merely short instrumental links to their respective following songs, leaving only four originally written, actual songs with vocals. Can you say regression? I mean, the covers on the first two albums worked just fine as diversions before, but it's not like we're talking about a still developing songwriting unit like the early Rolling Stones or anything like that. Add that to the fact that the loungey, comic persona of Roth is magnified to the same degree as Women And Children First, and it's an effort that has the potential to be a serious disaster, one that makes it seem like the last album never even happened.
There's also the serious problem that two of the originals do not strike me in much positive way at all. "Hang 'Em High" at least has decent energy, but the only thing remotely memorable about it is that opening guitar burst in the intro, while "The Full Bug" just seems like an incredibly half-hearted combination of "I'm The One" and "Take Your Whiskey Home". And even a couple of the covers are really subpar, especially the irritating big band novelty of "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)" (which has a clarinet by Jan Van Halen, of all things) and the thankfully short snippet of "Happy Trails" that closes the album. Plus, when they decide to do another Kinks song, this time to open the album, it mostly fails, because unlike "You Really Got Me", the emphasis is not on the kickass energy of earlier, but on the ironically clever lyrics and vocal intonations of the original. Needless to say, they don't quite pull it off. "Where Have All The Good Times Gone?" More like 'where have all the good songs gone?'
At least there are still quite a few of them, thankfully. The other original vocal tunes here ("Secrets" and "Little Guitars") are terrific pop numbers, the former one being a lightweight, wildly catchy and uplifting summer groove with a wonderful guitar line and refrain, and the latter is a very well-constructed Spanish-flavored pop song with numerous beautiful hooks and excellent acoustic playing from Eddie. The instrumental "Cathedral" also manages to stand out, as this live staple is a pretty neat church organ imitating guitar piece, and the most well-known performance here, a cover of Roy Orbison's "(Oh) Pretty Woman", again shows how well this band can handle doing rock classics (there's also the matter of me not being at all fond of Roy Orbison's voice that makes Van Halen's version preferable). "Dancing In The Streets" (though an overcovered song) is also given a similarly enjoyable synth-driven treatment. Enjoyable is what this album really is in spite of all its' many problems, and if you are able to get over the frustrating lack of good original material and sometimes flat performances here, you'll probably enjoy it too.
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COMMENTS
This album by no means ESCAPES being a total technical failure. But, somehow, it is barely salvaged by this carefree and thankfully fast-paced, "fun" sort of vibe (like, you know, the other guy said). None of the originals are that memorable in my opinion, but they're all pretty listenable, and provide requisite filler between the standouts, which are for the most part covers. I personally like "Where Have All the Good Times Gone," even though I admit it is sophomoric and everybody else seems to hate it. The gleeful, powerfully performed versions of "(Oh!) Pretty Woman" is definitely the album's highlight and major hit; too bad ol' "Edward" is too stubborn to release it onto a best-of album, as the tyrant would like to erase from history the fact that Van Halen ever recorded a cover (what a little dreamer). I just don't like the song "Dancin' in the Streets," though. Believe it or not, I do enjoy "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)" and "Happy Trails," if only for their laughable ill-placement on a rock record. But therein lies perhaps the sole redeeming factor of this album, that it has this irresistible, stupid charm. Yes, somehow, perhaps due to Diamond Dave's childish charisma and some sporadic creativity, this album miraculously warrants a 6.
(Nick Karn's review)
HIGH POINTS: Jump, Girl Gone Bad, Hot For Teacher, Panama. LOW POINTS: Top Jimmy.
The last three or four albums had been venturing increasingly further into pure pop music as well as synthesizer use, but it was here where the combination of these two things really took off, both in terms of sound and commercial success. It seems that both pure pop and metal are present here in about equal amounts, not to mention the synths seem to add somewhat of a New Wave element to the music in a couple tracks. As a result, this is a record that is not quite like any other in the early-mid 80's metal landscape, but yet it still bears the distinctive Van Halen style. Essentially, this is one 33 minute party held right in your stereo - not exactly what George Orwell had in mind for 1984, eh? And the production also seems to be far superior to earlier efforts, with no more of those annoying tendencies like Eddie's guitar only coming out of one speaker or anything like that, and all the instruments coming through loud, clear and energetic.
While the keyboards probably would be a bit distracting later on during the 80's, and even here they occasionally sound really dated (the opening minute long instrumental title track has somewhat of a cheesy 'sci-fi' tone to it), they also contribute greatly when they make their appearance. This is particularly true of the band's biggest hit ever in "Jump", which I can't imagine anyone not having heard by now, but it completely deserves all its' overplay, as the keyboard part it's based on is one of the most distinctive and uplifting in all of rock history. Plus, I can't deny how perfectly written the melody is, or how awesome the multiple guitar and synth solos are. It's probably the best song on the record and most immediately catchy, but it's by no means the only highlight here.
Especially since three of the band's best carefree rockers (two of them also huge hits) also hail from this album. The singalong "Panama" manages to gel perfectly into a truly great summertime anthem - I dare you to get that opening riff or simplistic, but unforgettable chorus chant out of your head. I really love how moody that middle portion sounds, too. The addictive speed of "Hot For Teacher" is probably even better (with a classic video to boot), as it has some of the absolute best drumming of Alex Van Halen's career, and not just in the furious pounding in the intro, either. Dave also chimes in with some hilarious little spoken parts appropriate to the :cough: 'innocence' of school days, and you can't beat that great solo midway through, either. I've also got to mention my dark horse favorite within these tracks in the completely off the wall "Girl Gone Bad", a energetic, classic display of VH at their best if there ever was one. Everyone contributes equally here, from the high-speed solos, the great display of kit bashing, basslines that are actually quite fast and independent for once, and of course, those vocal antics.
Nothing else on the record can even hope to come close to those four numbers, but the remaining four (besides the title track) all have something to offer. The only slight letdown would be the obnoxious "Top Jimmy", which isn't really bad, as it is quite a catchy speed demon about a rock star that everyone goes crazy over, but it's also a bit novelty-ish and slightly stupid. "I'll Wait", meanwhile, is another effectively moody synth piece dealing with a fixation on a Playboy centerfold, and while it does sound slightly corny and maybe overly pop-ish, it's certainly pretty good. As is "Drop Dead Legs", which has a nice slow groove that sets up pure sleaze in the melody and vocals, though the real attraction is that powerful, lengthy solo at the very end of the tune. Awesome stuff.
Of course, everyone knows that, unfortunately, this was the very last album the band ever did with the great DLR, as he originally left the band for a career in Hollywood, but when that fizzled out, he decided to go solo, with some, though definitely not overwhelming, success. But what's really cool is the way the very last track on here ends the era. True, the rocking "House Of Pain" (a number actually on the band's original demos) isn't amazingly special by itself, but the way it suddenly breaks into this repetitive riff/groove which the song itself eventually fades out on creates a totally excellent effect, since that particular riff sticks in so ear-catching and well placed here that it stays in my head long after the album is over. Man, I just love stuff like that. And this album as a whole, pretty much, as there couldn't have been any better way to mark the end of a great period of music, but soon, it was time for a change...
Another impressive outing from the band. "Panama" has easily one of the most recognizable, kickass riffs and shoutable choruses in rock history, period. It's also, in my opinion, the number one summer tune of all time. Case in point: The other day here in NY, the temperature climbed above 60 for the first time this year, and yours truly was out on the highway after classes with the windows down. And lo and behold, some great DJ on KSuck (I call them that since they seem to have an endless fixation with Limp Suckit and Korn nowadays) decided to play "Panama". Wow. No song works better with the wind blowing through your hair speeding down the highway on the first-pseudo-day-of spring.
Oh yeah, the rest of the album. The opening instrumental is kind of pointless, but thankfully it isn't too long. You've all heard "Jump", so suffice it to say, you either hate it or love it. I like the song, but it is one of the few times Eddie did a synth-driven song right. Then there's "Hot for Teacher", with easily the most impressive drum work that Alex has ever done, although his drums always sound a bit too artificial for my taste. "Top Jimmy" is absoulutely ridiculous, yet catchy in a weird kinda way. "I'll Wait" is another radio staple, far less catchy than "Panama", but still very cool mood music.
Overall, a solid release from the band. But boy, did they go off the deep end after this. The funny thing is, without the Van Halens and Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth didn't do any better. I will admit to grooving to "Just a Gigolo" quite a bit though. Funny song. Great video. Too bad I cannot say the same for any other of his solo stuff. Oh well.
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COMMENTS
[email protected] (John Schlegel)
In response to Nick's review: I like "Top Jimmy"! I know you didn't actually dis it that badly, but "novelty-ish and kinda' stupid"? Indeed, but "Hot For Teacher" isn't? The latter song is still a VH classic, though, and I remember being most disappointed with it's omission from the Best Of album in '96. It does feature some of Alex's best-ever drumming throughout, with some truly impressive double-bass playing and bass drum/tom-tom interplay. Too bad the drums sound like a bunch of plastic buckets. That leads me to a major criticism of mine for this album, that the overall sound quality is a bit blocky and flat. I also think "Drop Dead Legs" is a piece of crap, and "House of Pain" is pretty nondescript. "Jump" and "Panama" are great songs, each in their own unique ways, but I guess that goes without saying. To pick up where I left off with my commentary of Women and Children First, yeah, this one gets a 7 from me.
In response to Pat D.'s review: Yeah, Limp Biskit and Korn do suck.
(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Love Walks In, Dreams, 5150. LOW POINTS: Get Up.
And so begins the controversial Sammy Hagar era of the band, the one that many fans don't particularly look back on with fondness. There are obvious reasons for this - Hagar is essentially a limited vocalist who doesn't have anywhere near the presence or charisma of Roth, and the actual tone of his voice is quite generic, though as far as fitting in with the music goes, I can't really think of anyone that would have been better suited to replace Roth. Of course, I know many will always dislike this effort, not only because of Sammy, but also the fact that Eddie as a songwriter is writing increasingly more generic music, and the production seems more dated and stiff (especially the drum sound), plus the more prominent synth use doesn't always help. Of course, there's more music here than before, too, as at 41 minutes, it's the longest album the band had recorded this far into their career (like I noted before, all Roth era albums were disappointingly short, ranging from just 31 to 35 minutes).
But yet, in spite of all that could be wrong with the album, the actual songs here, while mostly more of the same type of feel-good party rock as before, are quite good. Probably a big reason for this is that most of the actual music here was written before Hagar's entry into the band, and he doesn't have the chance to impact the music as much as he could have, though his impact is there. That's not always a bad thing, though - even the songs I suspect he had the most to do with are good, like the first one he ended up writing with the band ("Summer Nights"). It seems to embody the carefree party rock tradition of before the most, and while it's not quite as good as the better songs in this vein, it's entertaining enough. Plus, the closing synth-groove of "Inside" is a lyrically amusing look at his introduction to the group, with an infectious chorus and backing vocal display to boot. Nice.
Elsewhere, though, there's still plenty of Eddie here, both on guitar and on the keys. As for his most inspiring performance on his primary instrument, look no further than the title track, which is probably one of the more seamless combinations of hard rock and pop to be found here (infectiousness abounds), and I can easily rank the soloing here among his best work. But the real gems of the album are more keyboard-driven - both "Love Walks In" and "Dreams" are probably even more obviously pop-oriented than "Jump" was, but they're both great synth pop numbers. The former is arguably the finest song the band ever wrote with Hagar in my opinion, as the intimate, majestic mood it evokes through its' keyboard hook and melody is just gorgeous beyond words, plus, the lyrics are actually almost poetic! The latter is almost as great, as the prime pop melody is really compelling, and both the guitar and synth parts are equally fantastic (particularly the awesome multiple guitar solos here).
As for the rest of the album, this is where the standard sound rears its' ugly head a bit, though not in an offensive way. The opening "Good Enough", despite the attempts of both Eddie and Alex to make it something electrifying, gets a bit bogged down in plodding midtempo, though it's wildly entertaining in places. The same can be said for "Get Up", I guess, but that's a pretty darn standard speed rocker there, with a lot more substanceless flash than actual melody. The other two major hits aren't among the better work from the band either, though both the quirky synth pop of "Why Can't This Be Love" and even "Best Of Both Worlds" are enjoyable despite their obvious flaws (the banal lyrics - 'only time will tell if we stand the test of time'? - and overly smooth sound of the former, and the extremely dumb arena rock goofyness of the latter). I loved 5150 when I first heard it, but as consistently solid as it may still be and as great as the best songs are, there's just too much generic and dumb material on here for me to call it as truly great as I once thought, even if it's still the best of the Van Hagar albums.
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Mine All Mine, Feels So Good. LOW POINTS: A Apolitical Blues, Sucker In A Three Piece.
Alright, now this is getting just a little self-parodic. Maybe it wasn't so much apparent with the last album, since Sammy Hagar didn't have as much influence over the songwriting before, but here I can't help but notice how much of a weak link in the band he really is (and he was probably the one who came up with the incredibly awful album title, too) Interestingly enough, after the mostly corporate rock of 5150, this album sees the band perhaps taking more stylistic twists and turns than any other album in their career, and they attempt to combine the diversity with the feel of the David Lee Roth era, but that attempt is kinda, ehh, made more difficult by Sammy's presence. His annoyingly formulaic singing often limits the potential of the songs, for one, and in other places it really becomes obvious how utterly godawful a lyricist he is, apparently thinking he's impressive with his sexist high school level trash talking.
Both of these issues, of course, are troublesome when trying to live up to the style of DLR, who was always tongue-in-cheek, exciting and charismatic with both his vocal approach and lyric writing, and Sammy just isn't any of those things. And there's also the problem of the fact that not every approach they attempt works. The closing cover "A Apolitical Blues" is about as senseless as its' title - it may not be the worst Van Halen song ever, but it is definitely the most pointless one, with practically no melody or direction in its' slide guitar crapulence. The more groove-oriented numbers "Black And Blue" (which at least has a very catchy chorus going for it, I will say that) and especially "Sucker In A 3 Piece" just fly by in its' cluelessly vapid state. I also find "A.F.U. (Naturally Wired)" to be quite forgettable, though not offensive.
Even the potentially enjoyable diversions aren't quite as successful as they could be - the fascinating country-metal fusion "Finish What Ya Started" isn't bad, but its' full potential and tightness definitely comes across a lot better in a live setting, where it doesn't sound so awkward, and the Latin flavored "Cabo Wabo", the band's longest song to this point at 7 minutes plus, just isn't arranged very well, and Sammy just sounds fairly bland throughout. The playing and actual pop-flavored melody is quite nice, but not much else. And the requisite 'power ballad' this time around ("When It's Love") has another nice synth part to it, but there's something about the overall tone of it all that just sounds a little stale and overly generic. I mean, pretty much anyone could write that song.
With all this unevenness going around making it arguably Van Halen's worst album to this point, I still can't quite push the rating down below 6, mostly because of the admirable attempt at diversity, the numerous enjoyable moments throughout, and of course, the major highlights here. The biggest one would be the cool metallic, fast paced synth groove of the opening "Mine All Mine", which has a wonderfully dramatic melody that builds to a harmonized chorus, and the almost Caribbean atmosphere of "Feels So Good" does justice to a rather nice melodic singalong number, the kind Sammy's voice is best suited for. And if you're looking for vintage guitar work like in the DLR days, Eddie's lightning fast playing and precision is all over "Source Of Infection", which considerably lifts an otherwise so-so song from filler territory. What can I say? Decent album as a whole, but somewhat uneven and disappointing, if you ask me.
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Top Of The World, The Dream Is Over, Right Now. LOW POINTS: In 'N Out, Man On A Mission.
Apparently, Eddie Van Halen entered the 90's a bit sick of synthesizers, so on the band's first album of the decade, he ditched them almost completely. Therefore, it's no surprise that this is easily Van Halen's hardest rocking and 'in your face' album since at least 1984, if not earlier. I'm not, however, exactly sure what it is about this effort that made it so difficult to record that it took almost a year to do so, as a good amount of the material isn't really any less formulaic than a lot of the OU812 tracks, even if the soloing is more prominent this time around. Maybe it took that long to come up with a title for this damn thing (which for this album, is probably their most clever, I might add - hint: take the first letter of each word in the title). But in any case, the songwriting has become more consistent since the last effort, and it is refreshing to hear this band put out an album that actually rocks.
Of course, it may be better than the previous effort, but that doesn't mean it's entirely devoid of nasty flaws - besides the generic sound here, two of the tracks in the middle of the album, "In 'N' Out" and "Man On A Mission", are almost exactly the same trashy, way overlong Hagar dominated type of song. Don't both choruses have just about the same melody? It sure seems like it. Some of the other material is also marred a little by obnoxious lyrical angles and vocal jobs - come on, when Hagar's got his head that far up his ass, I don't particularly want to hear a song called "Spanked" from this band, even if it is admittedly amusing and catchy in places, and "Poundcake" is pretty much a lyrical abomination, but despite this and its' only okay melody, it does feature some explosive playing from Eddie (including a cool drill bit in the intro!)
And that's about it for the noticeable flaws on the album, besides the sometimes generic style (again) - I have to confess I really like every other song on here. The almost punkish "Judgement Day" is refreshingly aggressive and defiant in a way we haven't really heard from this lineup, and "Pleasure Dome" is a really intriguing sort of extended jam where the interplay between the usually plodding rhythm section actually shines, and along with Eddie's guitar lines and the 'tortured' vocals, it manages to create an epic feel helped by the spoken word, solitary lyrics as well. There's actually an instrumental here too (in Eddie's nice guitar spot "316") and a quite well-written poppy singalong in "Runaround", whose chorus might get stuck in your head for a few minutes if you don't have a Hagar allergy.
It's the other three pop-oriented songs on here, however, that push the record a little more into 'very good' status despite its' weaknesses. You've probably all heard the ballad "Right Now", a song Eddie actually wrote in the early post-Roth days but conveniently saved for this album, and it is indeed a nicely meaningful, social commentary number (with a brilliant accompanying music video) that features an incessantly catchy chorus chant. "The Dream Is Over" and "Top Of The World" are even better, though, as they're both the ideal Van Halen pop songs of the 90's - not overproduced, lyrically pretty without being cheesy, and featuring great hooky choruses that always put me in an upbeat mood, particularly the latter closing track, an almost anthemic credit-roller with great harmonies and a very solid melody that leaves an uplifting aftertaste. The album's not as good as 5150 on the whole, but it might be more immediately likeable - and less overproduced. Give it a try.
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Love Walks In, Dreams, Finish What Ya Started. LOW POINTS: excessive solo spots, too many songs included from F.U.C.K., butchered DLR era songs
Since the band probably figured they were deep enough in their career that they could afford to take three or four years between studio records, I guess releasing their first live album after constant touring wouldn't be a bad idea. Unfortunately, despite some strong performances on this double disc set, which spans over two hours, this is a lot more predictable than it should have been, in no small part due to many, many problems. I know they were touring in support of For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, but did they really have to include 10 of the 11 songs from it here? And the one they didn't include ("The Dream Is Over") is one of the better ones on the album. Not to mention that very few differ from the original versions in any significant way (other than maybe "Runaround" as more of a crowd pleaser), even if they do sound quite fine as a first exposure to these songs.
Secondly, this album often doesn't go beyond 1986 very much for its' material, and that may be a good thing, since the Roth-era tunes here are mostly butchered. I'm not sure if we should be thankful or not that there are any of them here, since apparently Sammy isn't very fond of doing those songs unless he thinks they're better than his own (whatever), but "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" and "Jump" are almost entirely devoid of personality, and "You Really Got Me" is probably the aural equivalent of screeching nails across the chalkboard. "Panama" is saved due to the amusing spoken section he throws in there, but urgh. And even though they're probably among the man's better tunes, the Hagar solo songs "There's Only One Way To Rock" and "Give To Live" simply aren't necessary at a Van Halen concert considering what better material could have been included.
And then we have the excess of solo spots from the instrumentalists - Michael Anthony's piece "Ultra Bass" isn't too bad, though it's practically the exact same solo he's probably played on every tour, Alex's drum solo coming at the end of "Pleasure Dome" isn't really noteworthy at all, and Eddie's 11-1/2 minute extension of "316" does combine his previous solo spots that originally appeared on earlier albums, which is just fine, but in no way does it deserve to be as long as it is. Well, I guess I probably should point out some of the merits - as mentioned before, the tracks from the previous album still mostly sound fine here (even if they're redundant), plus "Dreams" and "Love Walks In" are as wonderfully played as ever (in the former's case maybe even better!), and "Finish What Ya Started" reaches its' full potential as the convincing country/metal fusion it originally tried to be. But the whole of this album, however, is just so unnecessary that nobody but fans and completists need it.
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Feelin'. LOW POINTS: Amsterdam, Big Fat Money, Not Enough.
Although it certainly wasn't known at the time it was recorded, this one turned out to be the band's final studio album with Sammy Hagar, as he would be fired (or quit depending on who you believe) due to a huge dispute between him and Eddie over commitment, new material for the band's next album, and the very existence of a future hits package. However, around that time, at least there was a pulse in the Van Halen camp - on the studio album released the year before, it doesn't sound like anyone in the band cares about the final product in the least. All the material sounds so half assed and thrown together as if it was recorded in a couple hours (Eddie says four months, but I sure as hell don't buy it). Plus the lyrics here are so mindless and poorly written even by Van Halen standards that it could be one of the worst jobs in that department I've heard from any major band.
The lyrics, though, could be forgiven if there was solid music and melodies to go along with them, but those are more difficult to find than any of the previous album. The hit single here, "Can't Stop Lovin' You", certainly doesn't have them in abundance - I guess it is kind of catchy, but there's basically no substance to it whatsoever, and that's all there is to it. The minor single "Not Enough", though, is even worse - this piano ballad is just lame and uninspired, with a totally cliched, generic melody and very little life to it. The attempt at punk in the careless speedster "Big Fat Money", meanwhile, is both musically incredibly primitve and lyrically extremely idiotic - it's like a bad political commentary or something! Their rather weak laid back attempt at a sort of relaxed, Zeppelin acoustic styled song in "Take Me Back (Deja Vu)" is little better, distinguished only by a decent melodic chorus.
The absolute nadir of the album, however, is the atrocious "Amsterdam", a completely moronic pot smoking anthem with one of the absolute stupidest choruses I've ever heard in my life, and the once inspired playing is just flat. Compared to this, the opening rocker "The Seventh Seal" (complete with chanting monks) and the slow grinding intensity of "Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do" almost sound like a solid diversions, even though they're basically just mediocre songs. And who's idea was it to record sloppy 'horror movie' music and pass it off as an actual song ("Strung Out"), or actually include a pointless filler drum solo ("Doin' Time")? At least on one of these instrumentals, Eddie bothered to write something that has an actual structure and memorable melodic hook in the almost David Gilmour-ish "Baluchitherium", which is certainly enjoyable, though not one of his better performances.
And thankfully, along with this final instrumental, we get two other songs that save this record from getting too terrible of a rating. The first of these would be the soaring, relationship ending song "Aftershock", which musically is probably one of the better examples of how Eddie's distinctive 'brown' guitar sound has evolved, and though it's not great by any means, it's catchy at least. The closing, slightly bluesy epic style of "Feelin'", meanwhile, is truly the closest thing to quality Van Halen on here - it has quite a dark and almost sorrowful guitar line and the way it builds up from a pure melancholic mood in the verses to an actual passionate vocal delivery in the verses is fairly breathtaking, but the real treat of the song is the spectacular guitar solo that's one of the few inspired performances amongst an album of filler-ish dreck. All in all, Balance still gets close to a 5 because other than those low points, it's not really awful, and there is some good material amongst the crap, but it is incredibly lazy and tired, and that's reason enough to call it the low point of the band's career.
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I still think that 'Seventh Seal''s rhythm guitar riff is amazing, and the whole song itself. Reminds me of Blue Murder's 'Valley of the Kings' in case someone knows 'em. I also think, and please forgive me those of you who are DLR fundamentalists, that Hagar delivers his best singing in 'Don't tell me what love can do'. I just like his voice, my fault. In any case, Van Halen is a huge case of self-destruction. Roth, Eddie and Hagar are three huge egomaniacs. This can help to push the envelope, but since the 'boss' (Eddie) focused only on himself and the buzz, Roth is the worst example of the show business-Hollywoodesque crap and Hagar will never be someone, the band had no other possible ending.
(Nick Karn's review)
HIGH POINTS: Me Wise Magic and most of the other hits included. LOW POINTS: Humans Being and the absence of too many other major songs.
Now a compilation like this was certainly overdue, as throughout their career, Van Halen have had more than a CD's worth of hits in both eras of the band, much of this stuff great material. Unfortunately, it's not a hits collection that happened to be conceived all that well. The attempt is made to condense the most well-known material from the Roth and Hagar periods onto one disc, and while it does have quite a few of the major biggies ("Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", "Dreams", "Right Now", "Jump", "Dance The Night Away", "When It's Love", "Eruption"), there are still several songs almost as huge that are absent ("Hot For Teacher", "Love Walks In", "Beautiful Girls", "You Really Got Me", "(Oh) Pretty Woman", "Finish What Ya Started"). I think those omitted tracks make a strong case for the view that this really should have been a 2-CD set. Or at least give both Dave and Sammy a disc a piece.
There's also the problem of some of the selections that are here - I know they wanted to represent something from Balance, but "Can't Stop Lovin' You" is one of their weakest songs in the pop department, and the Twister soundtrack cut "Humans Being", despite having a couple nice guitar solos throughout, is done with the same half-assed feel which marred that last album, and that vocal melody is one of the more idiotic the band has ever come up with. Likewise, "Poundcake" from For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge is a really, really curious choice to say the least - when was that one ever a hit? Regardless of these flaws, though, this does work fine as an introductory package for casual fans, but I would say those more curious about the band could do better investing in the studio albums.
Oh, and for hardcore fans, there's a real good reason for this package to exist. During the whole Hagar ousting controversy, they reunited for a very short time with David Lee Roth two new tracks, tacked on at the end of the disc. And while "Can't Get This Stuff No More" is just a solid, typical groove rocker (albeit a rather fun 1984-style one with a nice chorus), the closing "Me Wise Magic" rules! Of course, it really helps to have Roth's personality-filled singing back up front (especially at the uplifting harmony-filled chorus), but the real greatness of the song is how incredibly well it flows from this awesome epic guitar line through several different sections and truly fantastic solos. I guess Eddie was truly inspired by this reunion, then, since this track contains what is easily his most inspiring performance in years, and I also wouldn't hesitate to call it the band's best song of the 90's. Regardless of this 'magical' song, though, I'm still kind of skeptical about what real value this compilation actually has, even if the material is mostly good.
Another really overrated band. In some cases even more than U2. But they used to be a good band, back in the early 80's, before that Michael Bolton-style crooner Sammy Hagar took over and ruined just about everything. David Lee Roth, the original vocalist, while falling flat in attempting to be a tough guy, at least had some attitude, and a cool hard rock singing voice. Plus he had charisma. Sure, Sammy has charisma too, but his charisma indicates a pussy-whipped, whiny, petty little man who has nothing to do but shriek (and he does shriek) about why he can't find love, get love, or can't stop loving.
Dammit, why the hell does every damn song in the Sammy Hagar era have to have something to do with love? What happened to that attitude and kickassness (is that a word?) that was evident is such Roth songs like "Unchained"? And I'm not being unfair here either. Listen to to absolutely stunning change between 1984 (Roth's last album) and 5150 (Sammy's first). It's like Eddie and co. got an injection of Suckacillin and had their collective manhood stomped on before recording 5150. There certainly are NO balls or testosterone evident anywhere after 1984.
And yet, there's still more to bitch about. Not only is there too much "love" in the air in post-Roth Van Halen, but Eddie's guitar goes to the shitter after 1984, and does not show up again until.For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (oh, isn't that a clever way to put FUCK on the cover of your album without getting Tipper Gore pissed off). Eddie decided that his kickass guitar tone and combo rhythm/lead lines were inferior to a synthesizer. So rather than the cool guitar-driven (or at least guitar-dominated [1984]) tracks of the past, Van Halen moved in the same lousy direction of Rush (towards keyboards) in the mid and late 80's. But Van Halen's new sound is EASILY the more irritating of the two, cause Geddy actually has virtuosic keyboard skills, and a better voice than Sammy Hagar, possibly the only person Geddy DOES have a better voice than.
So why did I give this album a nine? Because my writing has no truth in it, and I'm just looking to bitch? I'm sure some of you Van Halenites out there are saying just that. But no, in case you can't figure out what Best of Volume I means, this is a greatest hits collection. It contains the least irritating songs of the Sammy years (Tracks 9-15), two new Roth tracks (Tracks 16, 17) (Dave briefly reunited with VH a couple of years ago, but left after those two songs cut), and NOT ENOUGH of the great old shit. I would have liked to see "Beautful Girls", "Hot For Teacher", "Jamie's Cryin", or "You Really Got Me". They could've taken out "And The Cradle Will Rock" and "Runnin With The Devil", two of my lesser favorite Roth songs, or better yet, ditched all of the Sammy tracks, although I doubt that would make this a true Greatest Hits album.
You will, therefore, not be too dissapointed in this album, all the tracks sound great, and Sammy does not get too irritating on here. The exceptions being "Poundcake" and "Can't Stop Loving You", neither of which had any business ever being written, never mind occupying space on a greatest hits album. All in all, a good purchase, though I think Van Halen I is a better buy, because it's got a lot of great tracks, and Mr. Bolton.....um...I mean Hagar is nowhere to be found. I love "Me Wise Magic". Its almost a throwback to old Van Halen, and you know why? Cause Roth sings on it! I rest my case!
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Dirty Water Dog, How Many Say I, Without You. LOW POINTS: Ballot Or The Bullet, Fire In The Hole, Year To The Day.
Unfortunately, the band's short lived reunion was David Lee Roth was not to be, so Eddie, Michael and Alex once again found themselves without a lead singer. Their eventual decision turned out to be Gary Cherone, formerly of the pop/funk metal outfit Extreme in attempt to reinvent the band. This move and the resulting album, however, was not the most accepted by fans - in the end, this is widely regarded as a complete disaster and the absolute low point of Van Halen's career. Granted, there are a few very noticeable weaknesses in terms of songwriting - the songs are extened way longer than they should be in many cases (besides the two instrumental interludes, everything on here goes over 5 minutes), and other tracks really don't have any melody or point to speak of. But still, there are enough gems here for me to call this one at least somewhat underrated - in terms of hooks, riffs, and overall creativity, it's tons more inspired than Balance could ever hope to be, at least.
Plus, there are a few songs on here that are quite a departure from anything the band ever did before. Especially "Once", which may admittedly get somewhat repetitive and overlong at the end, but this ambient piece has no comparison in the VH catalog whatsoever - it's simultaneously eerie, melodic, majestic and atmospheric. The slow closing ballad "How Many Say I" actually features Eddie on lead vocals, and his gruff vocal tone makes it vastly different than any previous ballad, and it's actually a very beautiful pop number (plus the way Gary joins in on backing vocals is very nice). Of course, I'm the few people in the world who seems to love it, as fans generally spit all over it, so don't take my opinion too seriously. The two brief instrumentals, meanwhile, are really interesting in sound - the opening "Neworld" has a somewhat New Age-ish, waltsy tone that somehow works, and "Primary" is actually an Eastern take on "Eruption", with sitar and all. It's pretty cool, I think.
I'm not gonna pretend this album is anywhere near perfect, as much as it is remarkable in ambition and is too underappreciated in general. "Fire In The Hole" and especially "Ballot Or The Bullet" are pretty much guitar rock numbers with absolutely no decent memorable melodies, and in the former's case, nothing of note after the pretty good opening riff. "From Afar" at least starts off majestic before regressing into kind of a second rate B-side. Plus, on "Year To The Day" Eddie and the gang attempt to go for some sort of Zeppelin-styled epic, and while it does have some promise (the yearning melodies and lyrics), it gives us almost no reason why it should be the band's only song over 8 minutes, especially when it shows that Eddie seems to have lost the gift he once had to make his solos all that interesting. I guess that also kind of goes for the amusing rocker "One I Want", which just aimlessly wanders in the solo portion, overshadowing some hilarious tongue-in-cheek lyrics from Cherone in the process.
But yeah, despite this attempt at diversity looking suspiciously OU812-style uneven, and Gary trying a bit too hard to sound like Sammy (though I really think he does establish a frontman identity of his own), I can't really knock the record overall. There are a couple more big highlights in the lead single "Without You" (while an acquired taste this one does have phenomenal "Me Wise Magic"-style playing from Eddie and one of those uplifting choruses the band does so well at), the classic rock-styled ballad "Josephina" (this one just seems so well-written) and finally, "Dirty Water Dog" is probably the closest thing to brilliant on here, as it's a quirky, convincing and amusing number with an addictive guitar/rhythm dominated groove started by brushes in the intro. Oh, and excellent pop-styled chorus on this one, too. While certainly one of the band's most inconsistent albums, 3 really shouldn't be knocked as much as it is, and yes, I do think it's a shame that its' unpopularity probably led to Gary's exit from the band. Who knows what kind of album this band will do next at this point, if any at all...
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