Van Halen | ||
| Allmusic Biography : With their 1978 eponymous debut, Van Halen simultaneously rewrote the rules of rock guitar and hard rock in general. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen redefined what the electric guitar could do, developing a blindingly fast technique with a variety of self-taught two-handed tapping, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and effects that mimicked the sounds of machines and animals. It was wildly inventive and over the top, equaled only by vocalist David Lee Roth, who brought the role of a metal singer to near-performance art standards. Roth wasnt blessed with great technique, unlike Eddie, but he had a flair for showmanship derived as much from lounge performers as Robert Plant. Together, they made Van Halen into the most popular American rock & roll band of the late 70s and early 80s, and in the process set the template for hard rock and heavy metal for the 80s. Throughout the 80s, it was impossible not to hear Van Halens instrumental technique on records that ranged from the heaviest metal to soft pop. Furthermore, Roths irony-drenched antics were copied by singers who took everything literally. One of these was Sammy Hagar, an arena rock veteran from the 70s who replaced Roth after the vocalist had a falling out with Van Halen in 1985. Hagar stayed with the band longer than Roth, helping the group remain a fixture on the top of the charts through the late 80s and early 90s. Halfway through the 90s the groups sales began to slide, just as tensions between Hagar and Eddie began to arise. As the group prepped a greatest hits album, Hagar was fired (or quit) and Roth was brought back on to sing two cuts on the compilation. He was subsequently replaced by Gary Cherone, a former member of Extreme, who lasted through one album before departing. After a half-decade hiatus, the band mounted a reunion tour with Hagar, who left in 2005 only to be replaced by Roth, with this reunion leading to a new album called A Different Kind of Truth in 2011. Through all the upheaval over lead vocalists, Eddie Van Halen and his prodigious talent remained the core of Van Halen. The son of a Dutch bandleader, Eddie and his family moved from the Netherlands to Pasadena, California in 1962, when he was seven years old and his older brother, Alex, was nine. As their father supported the family by playing in wedding bands, Eddie and Alex continued their classical piano training. Soon, both boys were enraptured by rock & roll. Eddie learned how to play drums and Alex took up the guitar, eventually switching instruments. The brothers began a hard rock band called Mammoth and began playing around Pasadena, eventually meeting David Lee Roth. At the time, Roth, who had been raised in a wealthy Californian family, was singing in Redball Jet. Impressed by the Van Halen brothers, he joined forces with the group. Shortly afterward, bassist Michael Anthony, who was singing with Snake, became a member of Mammoth. After discovering that another band had the rights to the name Mammoth, the group decided to call themselves Van Halen in 1974, rejecting the proposed Rat Salade. For the next three years, Van Halen played throughout Pasadena, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles, in both clubs and hotel bars. Their repertoire covered everything from pop and rock to disco, but they eventually worked in their own original material. Within a few years, they had become the most popular local band in Los Angeles, and Eddie became well known for his groundbreaking technique. In 1977, Kiss Gene Simmons financed a demo recording session for Van Halen after seeing them at the Starwood Club. On the strength of Simmons recommendation, Mo Ostin and Ted Templeman signed Van Halen to Warner Bros., releasing the bands debut the following year. Van Halen became a hit due to strong word of mouth, constant touring, and support from AOR radio. Within three months the album had gone gold, and five months later it went platinum. It would eventually sell over six million copies, thanks to the album rock staples "You Really Got Me," "Jamies Cryin," and "Runnin with the Devil." Van Halen II, released in 1979, continued the bands success, as "Dance the Night Away" became their first Top 20 single. Women and Children First (1980) didnt have any charting singles, but was a success on the album charts, reaching number six. The band supported the album with their first headlining, international arena tour, and were quickly on their way to being superstars. Released in 1981, Fair Warning wasnt quite as popular as their previous records, yet it still peaked at number six. Diver Down, released in 1982, was a huge hit, spawning a number 12 cover of Roy Orbisons "(Oh) Pretty Woman" and reaching number three. While all of their previous albums were successful, Van Halen didnt become superstars until 1984, when their album 1984 became an across-the-board smash. Released on New Years Day, 1984 rocketed to number two on the strength of the number one single "Jump." Like many songs on the album, "Jump" was driven by Eddies new synthesizer, and while Roth was initially reluctant to use electronics, the expansion of the groups sound was widely praised. Throughout 1984, Van Halen gained steam, as "Ill Wait" and "Panama" became Top 15 singles and "Hot for Teacher" became a radio and MTV staple. Despite the groups breakthrough success, things were not well within the band. During their 1984 tour, each member played separate solo sets and was physically separated on the stage. Roth was unhappy with Eddies appearance on Michael Jacksons 1983 hit "Beat It," and Eddie grew tired of the comic antics of Roth. In 1985, Roth released a solo EP, Crazy from the Heat, which spawned hit covers of "California Girls" and "Just a Gigolo/I Aint Got Nobody." When Roth delayed the recording of Van Halens follow-up to 1984, he was fired from the band. Most observers were taken by surprise when Sammy Hagar was named as Roths replacement. The former lead singer of Montrose, Hagars solo career had been sporadically successful, highlighted by such arena metal hits as "Three-Lock Box" and "I Cant Drive 55." Though many critics suspected Hagar wouldnt be able to sustain Van Halens remarkable success, his first album with the band, 1986s 5150, was a huge hit, reaching number one and spawning the hit singles "Why Cant This Be Love," "Dreams," and "Love Walks In." Released in 1988, OU812 was just as successful, earning stronger reviews than its predecessor and generating the hits "When Its Love" and "Finish What You Started." For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, released in 1991, was another number one hit, partially due to the hit MTV video for "Right Now." Van Halen followed the album with their first live record, the double-album Van Halen Live: Right Here, Right Now in 1993. By the spring 1995 release of Balance, tensions between Eddie Van Halen and Sammy Hagar had grown considerably. Eddie had recently undergone well-publicized treatment for alcoholism, and Hagar was notorious for his party-hearty ways, even writing a paean to Amsterdams hash bars with "Amsterdam" on Balance. Furthermore, the band had become subject to criticism that it simply repeated a formula. While Balance was successful, entering the charts at number one and selling two million copies shortly after its release, it stalled quickly afterward. The band wanted to release a greatest-hits collection, but Hagar balked at the idea, escalating tensions even further. Following a skirmish in 1996 over the recording of a song for the Twister soundtrack, Eddie decided to make a change by switching singers. Van Halen began recording new material with Roth without informing Hagar, who went ballistic upon learning of the groups reunion. According to Hagar, Eddie fired him shortly afterward; Eddie claimed Hagar quit. Roth proceeded to record two new songs for Van Halens Best Of, Vol. 1, and once the reunion became public, the rock media reacted positively to the news; MTV began airing a welcome back commercial days after the announcement. However, the reunion was not to be. Following an appearance at the MTV Music Awards, Eddie Van Halen fired Roth from the band, claiming that he was only on board to record two new songs. Roth said that he was duped into recording the songs, believing that the reunion was permanent. Former Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone was announced as the bands new lead singer. Though the resulting Best Of, Vol. 1 was a success, Eddies reputation as a nice guy was tarnished once the entire affair was over. Cherones long-awaited debut with Van Halen, entitled Van Halen III, was finally released in March of 1998. Although the album debuted high on the charts, crashing in at number three, it quickly slipped down, since the reception to the album from fans, critics, and radio was mixed. After Van Halen III proved to be the worst-selling album of Van Halens long and illustrious career (the ensuing world tour was poorly attended as well), Cherone was dismissed from Van Halen in 1999. Immediately, rumors began to swirl once more of an impending David Lee Roth/Van Halen reunion. Things were kept hush-hush in the Van Halen camp until early 2001, when David Lee Roth went public on his website with an update, confirming that he had recorded several new songs with the band but hadnt heard back from them since the previous summer. Only a few days after Roths news, Eddie Van Halen admitted to the public that he was battling cancer, but was told by his doctors that chances were good for a complete recovery. In the summer of 2001, Eddie told MTV News that the bands remaining members had penned a total of three albums worth of new material and that they were still unsure of who their next singer would be. Months later, the band parted ways with Warner Bros., its label since 1979. The bandmembers blamed the label for promoting younger bands, while also admitting that they had not yet found Cherones replacement and were no longer considering Roth. The next three years found various members tending to situations both personal and professional. Eddie and longtime wife Valerie Bertinelli separated, Michael Anthony began making regular appearances with Sammy Hagars Warboritas, and in a surprise move, David Lee Roth and Hagar hit the road together for the popular Heavyweight Champs of Rock & Roll Tour. In 2004, the band announced that Hagar would return to the fold for an American tour in support of a new greatest-hits collection, The Best of Both Worlds. The shows were undeniably successful, but tensions were high, and Hagar and Anthony returned to the Warboritas the following year. In 2007, Van Halen were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and rumors of a reunion tour with Roth began to circulate again. Those rumors were confirmed on August 17th when the group announced legitimate dates, along with a controversial lineup change that replaced Michael Anthony with Eddies son Wolfgang on bass. The tour kicked off in September and went on to gross over $93 million, the most successful tour in the bands history. Riding this great success, Van Halen decided to head into the studio to cut their first album since 1998s III. Working with producer John Shanks, the band recorded the album in 2011, then launched their full-scale comeback in the early days of 2012, performing a showcase concert at Cafe Wha? on January 5, with the single "Tattoo" arriving five days later. The full-length album, A Different Kind of Truth, followed in February 2012. Greeted by generally positive reviews, A Different Kind of Truth debuted at two on the Billboard Top 200 and saw a similar high position throughout the world; it would later be certified gold in Canada. Van Halen supported the album with a worldwide tour, which included a June 21, 2013 gig at the Tokyo Dome that was later released as a double-album in 2015. Tokyo Dome Live in Concert was Van Halens first-ever live album with David Lee Roth. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 23 Title: Exciting Pops Collection Released: Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:07:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 You Really Got Me (02:42) 2 Runnin With the Devil (03:39) 3 Aint Talkin’ Bout Love (03:54) 4 I’m the One (03:51) 5 Rosalita (07:02) 6 Born to Run (04:29) 7 Thunder Road (04:48) 8 Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (03:10) 9 4th of July, Asbury Park (05:36) 10 Eruption (01:57) 11 Jamie’s Cryin’ (03:29) 12 Atomic Punk (02:59) 13 Feel Your Love Tonigh (03:40) 14 Growin’ Up (03:05) 15 Spirit in the Night (04:56) 16 Incident on 57th Street (07:45) |
 | Album: 2 of 23 Title: Van Halen Released: 1978-02-10 Tracks: 11 Duration: 35:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Runnin’ With the Devil (03:37) 2 Eruption (01:42) 3 You Really Got Me (02:37) 4 Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love (03:49) 5 I’m the One (03:46) 6 Jamie’s Cryin’ (03:30) 7 Atomic Punk (03:01) 8 Feel Your Love Tonight (03:42) 9 Little Dreamer (03:22) 10 Ice Cream Man (03:19) 11 On Fire (03:00) |
| Van Halen : Allmusic album Review : Among revolutionary rock albums, Van Halens debut often gets short shrift. Although it altered perceptions of what the guitar could do, it is not spoken of in the same reverential tones as Are You Experienced? and although it set the template for how rock & roll sounded for the next decade or more, it isnt seen as an epochal generational shift, like Led Zeppelin, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, or Never Mind the Bollocks Heres the Sex Pistols, which was released just the year before. But make no mistake, Van Halen is as monumental, as seismic as those records, but part of the reason its never given the same due is that theres no pretension, nothing self-conscious about it. In the best sense, it is an artless record, in the sense that it doesnt seem contrived, but its also a great work of art because its an effortless, guileless expression of what the band is all about, and what it would continue to be over the years. The band did get better, tighter, over the years -- peaking with their sleek masterpiece 1984, where there was no fat, nothing untidy -- but everything was in place here, from the robotic pulse of Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen, to the gonzo shtick of David Lee Roth to the astonishing guitar of Eddie Van Halen. There may have been antecedents to this sound -- perhaps you could trace Diamond Daves shuck-n-jive to Black Oak Arkansas Jim Dandy, the slippery blues-less riffs hearken back to Aerosmith -- but Van Halen, to this day, sounds utterly unprecedented, as if it was a dispatch from a distant star. Some of the history behind the record has become rock lore: Eddie may have slowed down Cream records to a crawl to learn how Clapton played "Crossroads" -- the very stuff legends are made of -- but its hard to hear Clapton here. Its hard to hear anybody else really, even with the traces of their influences, or the cover of "You Really Got Me," which doesnt seem as if it were chosen because of any great love of the Kinks, but rather because that riff got the crowd going. And thats true of all 11 songs here: theyre songs designed to get a rise out of the audience, designed to get them to have a good time, and the album still crackles with energy because of it. Sheer visceral force is one thing, but originality is another, and the still-amazing thing about Van Halen is how it sounds like it has no fathers. Plenty other bands followed this template in the 80s, but like all great originals Van Halen doesnt seem to belong to the past and it still sounds like little else, despite generations of copycats. Listen to how "Runnin with the Devil" opens the record with its mammoth, confident riff and realize that there was no other band that sounded this way -- maybe Montrose or Kiss were this far removed from the blues, but they didnt have the down-and-dirty hedonistic vibe that Van Halen did; Aerosmith certainly had that, but they were fueled by blooze and boogie, concepts that seem alien here. Everything about Van Halen is oversized: the rhythms are primal, often simple, but that gives Dave and Eddie room to run wild, and they do. They are larger than life, whether its Dave strutting, slyly spinning dirty jokes and come-ons, or Eddie throwing out mind-melting guitar riffs with a smile. And of course, this record belongs to Eddie, just like the bands very name does. There was nothing, nothing like his furious flurry of notes on his solos, showcased on "Eruption," a startling fanfare for his gifts. He makes sounds that were unimagined before this album, and they still sound nearly inconceivable. But, at least at this point, these songs were never vehicles for Van Halens playing; they were true blue, bone-crunching rockers, not just great riffs but full-fledged anthems, like "Jamies Cryin," "Atomic Punk," and "Aint Talkin Bout Love," songs that changed rock & roll and still are monolithic slabs of rock to this day. They still sound vital, surprising, and ultimately fun -- and really revolutionary, because no other band rocked like this before Van Halen, and its still a giddy thrill to hear them discover a new way to rock on this stellar, seminal debut. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 23 Title: Van Halen II Released: 1979-03-23 Tracks: 10 Duration: 31:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You’re No Good (03:17) 2 Dance the Night Away (03:09) 3 Somebody Get Me a Doctor (02:54) 4 Bottoms Up! (03:06) 5 Outta Love Again (02:53) 6 Light Up the Sky (03:12) 7 Spanish Fly (01:02) 8 D.O.A. (04:11) 9 Women in Love (04:09) 10 Beautiful Girls (03:56) |
| Van Halen II : Allmusic album Review : Its called Van Halen II not just because its the bands second album but because its virtually a carbon copy of their 1978 debut, right down to how the band showcases their prowess via covers and how Eddie Van Halen gets a brief, shining moment to showcase his guitar genius. This time, he does his thing on acoustic guitars on the remarkable "Spanish Fly," but that temporary shift from electrics to acoustics is the only true notable difference in attack here; in every other way, Van Halen II feels like its predecessor, even if there are subtle differences. First, theres only one cover this time around -- Betty Everetts "Youre No Good," surely learned from Linda Ronstadt -- and this feels both heavier and lighter than the debut. Heavier in that this sounds big and powerful, driven by mastodon riffs that aim straight of the gut. Lighter in that theres a nimbleness to the attack, in that there are pop hooks to the best songs, in that the group sounds emboldened by their success so theyre swaggering with a confidence thats alluring. If the classic ratio is slightly lighter than on the debut, there are no bad songs and the best moments here -- two bona fide party anthems in "Dance the Night Away" and "Beautiful Girls," songs that embody everything the band was about -- are lighter, funnier than anything on the debut, showcases for both Diamond Daves knowing shuck and jive and Eddies phenomenal gift, so natural it seems to just flow out of him. At this point, its hard not to marvel at these two frontmen, and hard not to be sucked into the vortex of some of the grandest hard rock ever made. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 23 Title: Women and Children First Released: 1980-03-26 Tracks: 9 Duration: 33:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 And the Cradle Will Rock… (03:33) 2 Everybody Wants Some!! (05:08) 3 Fools (05:56) 4 Romeo Delight (04:19) 5 Tora! Tora! (00:56) 6 Loss of Control (02:39) 7 Take Your Whiskey Home (03:11) 8 Could This Be Magic? (03:09) 9 In a Simple Rhyme (04:40) |
| Women and Children First : Allmusic album Review : After two pure party albums, the inevitable had to happen: it was time for Van Halen to mature, or at least get a little serious. And so, Women and Children First, a record where the group started to get heavier, both sonically and, to a lesser extent, thematically, changing the feel of the band ever so slightly. Where the first two records were nothing but nonstop parties, theres a bit of a dark heart beating on this record, most evident on the breakneck metal of "Romeo Delight," but also the pair of opening party anthems, "And the Cradle Will Rock" and "Everybody Wants Some!!," which dont fly quite as high as "Dance the Night Away" or "Runnin with the Devil" because of the tense, roiling undercurrents in Eddies riffs, especially the thudding, circular keyboard riff propelling "And the Cradle Will Rock." The very fact that a keyboard drives this song, not a guitar, is a signal of Eddies burgeoning ambition (which would soon become inseparable from his desire for respectability), and there are already some conflicts between this somber musicality and David Lee Roths irrepressible hunger for fun. Where that tension would eventually tear the band apart, here it just makes for compelling music, adding richness and depth to this half-hour blast of rock & roll. This is the first Van Halen album to consist entirely of original material and theres some significant growth here to the writing, evident in the winding, cynical neo-boogie "Fools" and also in the manic "Loss of Control," which gallops by with the ferocity of hardcore punk. These, along with all previously mentioned songs, are the heaviest music Van Halen has made (or would ever make), but as the album rushes toward the end Diamond Dave pulls them toward his country-blues jive fixation with "Take Your Whiskey Home" and the all-acoustic "Could This Be Magic?" giving the album a dose of levity that is welcome if not necessarily needed. Then, before the album comes a close, the band unleashes its first stab at a power ballad with "In a Simple Rhyme," where the groups attempts at melodic grace are undercut by their compulsion to rock. This may not make for a full-fledged power ballad, but this tension between the two extremes -- by their increasing songcraft and their unhinged rock & roll -- makes for dynamic music, and captures all the contrasting glories of the album in one song. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 23 Title: Fair Warning Released: 1981-04-29 Tracks: 9 Duration: 31:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mean Street (05:01) 2 “Dirty Movies” (04:07) 3 Sinner’s Swing! (03:10) 4 Hear About It Later (04:34) 5 Unchained (03:30) 6 Push Comes to Shove (03:49) 7 So This Is Love? (03:07) 8 Sunday Afternoon in the Park (01:58) 9 One Foot out the Door (01:58) |
| Fair Warning : Allmusic album Review : Of all the early Van Halen records, Fair Warning often gets overlooked -- partially because its a dark, strange beast, partially because it lacks any song as purely fun as the hits from the first three records. Because of that, there were no hits from Fair Warning that turned into radio anthems; only "Unchained" and, to a lesser extent, the grinding opener, "Mean Street," rank among the groups best-known songs, and theyre not as monumental as "And the Cradle Will Rock," from the preceding album, Women and Children First. Theres a reason for that: this album aint a whole lotta fun. Fair Warning is the first Van Halen album that doesnt feel like a party. This may be a reflection of the bands relentless work schedule, it may be a reflection of the increasing tension between Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth -- the cause isnt important, because whatever the reason, Fair Warning winds up as a dark, dirty, nasty piece of work. Gloomy it may be, but dull it is not and Fair Warning contains some of the fiercest, hardest music that Van Halen ever made. Theres little question that Eddie Van Halen won whatever internal skirmishes they had, since his guitar dominates this record, even with the lack of a single dedicated instrumental showcase (the first time he lacked one on a VH album). Eddie sounds restless here, pushing and pulling the group toward different rhythms and textures, from the disco beat that pulsates on "Push Comes to Shove" to the swinging rhythms on "So This Is Love?" and, especially, the murky synths that comprise the instrumental "Sunday Afternoon in the Park" and the grimy, gunky closing rocker, "One Foot Out the Door." Either inspired or spurred on by the gloomy rock Eddie cranked out, David Lee Roth casts his net far wider than his usual litany of girls and good times. He spits and swears, swaggering without his usual joie de vivre, with even his sex songs feeling weary and nasty. Whatever spawned it, that nastiness is the defining characteristic of Fair Warning, which certainly doesnt make it bunches of fun, but it showcases the coiled power of Van Halen better than any other album, which makes it worth visiting on occasion. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 23 Title: Diver Down Released: 1982-04-14 Tracks: 12 Duration: 31:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Where Have All the Good Times Gone! (03:03) 2 Hang Em High (03:29) 3 Cathedral (01:22) 4 Secrets (03:27) 5 Intruder (01:39) 6 (Oh) Pretty Woman (02:55) 7 Dancing in the Street (03:45) 8 Little Guitars (intro) (00:42) 9 Little Guitars (03:49) 10 Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) (02:45) 11 The Full Bug (03:22) 12 Happy Trails (01:05) |
| Diver Down : Allmusic album Review : Fair Warning was such a dark, intense record that Van Halen almost had no choice but to lighten up on their next album, and 1982s Diver Down is indeed much lighter than its predecessor. In many ways, its a return to the early albums, heavy on covers and party anthems, but where those records were rough and exuberant -- they felt like the work of the worlds best bar band just made good, which is, of course, kind of what they were -- this is undoubtedly the work of a finely honed band who has only grown tighter and heavier since their debut. As a band, they might be tight, but Diver Down is anything but tight. Its a downright mess, barely clocking in at 31 minutes, cobbled together out of five covers, two minute-long instrumentals, and five new songs. By most measures, this should be the kind of slop thats difficult to muddle through, but its not: its one of Van Halens best records, one thats just pure joy to hear. Like the debut, its a great showcase for all the groups strengths, from Eddie Van Halens always thrilling guitar to the bedrock foundation of Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthonys throbbing pulse to, of course, David Lee Roths strut. Each member gets places to shine and, in a way, covers showcase their skills in a way none of the originals does, since they get to twist "Oh, Pretty Woman," "Dancing in the Street," and "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" inside out, all the better to make them their own. But this isnt complacent; Van Halen is stretching out in different ways, funneling the menace of Fair Warning into the ominous instrumental "Intruder," playing with the whiplash fury of a punk band on "Hang Em High," and honing their pop skills on the bright, new wavey rock of "Little Guitars" and the sweet "Secrets," which displays the lightest touch theyve ever had on record. Combine that with the full-throttle attack on the covers, along with Daves vaudevillian song and dance on "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)" -- a shtick thats electrified on the equally fun "The Full Bug" -- and the result is a record thats nothing but fun, the polar opposite of its predecessor. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 23 Title: 1984 Released: 1983 Tracks: 9 Duration: 33:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 1984 (01:08) 2 Jump (04:03) 3 Panama (03:32) 4 Top Jimmy (03:01) 5 Drop Dead Legs (04:15) 6 Hot for Teacher (04:44) 7 I’ll Wait (04:44) 8 Girl Gone Bad (04:35) 9 House of Pain (03:19) |
| 1984 : Allmusic album Review : At the time of its release, much of the fuss surrounding 1984 involved Van Halens adoption of synthesizers on this, their sixth album -- a hoopla that was a bit of a red herring since the band had been layering in synths since their third album, Women and Children First. Those synths were either buried beneath guitars or used as texture, even on instrumentals where they were the main instrument, but here they were pushed to the forefront on "Jump," the albums first single and one of the chief reasons this became a blockbuster, crossing over to pop audiences Van Halen had flirted with before but had never quite won over. Of course, the mere addition of a synth wasnt enough to rope in fair-weather fans -- they needed pop hooks and pop songs, which 1984 had, most gloriously on the exuberant, timeless "Jump." There, the synths played a circular riff that wouldnt have sounded as overpowering on guitar, but the band didnt dispense with their signature monolithic, pulsating rock. Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony grounded the song, keeping it from floating to pop, and David Lee Roth simply exploded with boundless energy, making this seem rock & roll no matter how close it got to pop. And "Jump" was about as close as 1984 got to pop, as the other seven songs -- with the exception of "Ill Wait," which rides along on a synth riff as chilly as "Jump" is warm -- are heavy rock, capturing the same fiery band thats been performing with a brutal intensity since Women and Children First. But where those albums placed an emphasis on the bands attack, this places an emphasis on the songs, and theyre uniformly terrific, the best set of original tunes Van Halen ever had. Surely, the anthems "Panama" and "Hot for Teacher" grab center stage -- how could they not, when the former is the bands signature sound elevated to performance art, with the latter being as lean and giddy, their one anthem that could be credibly covered by garage rockers? -- but "Top Jimmy," "Drop Dead Legs," and the dense yet funky closer, "House of Pain," are full-fledged songs, with great riffs and hooks in the guitars and vocals. Its the best showcase of Van Halens instrumental prowess as a band, the best showcase for Diamond Daves glorious shtick, the best showcase for their songwriting, just their flat-out best album overall. Its a shame that Roth left after this album, but maybe its for the best, since theres no way Van Halen could have bettered this album with Dave around (and they didnt better it once Sammy joined, either). | ||
 | Album: 8 of 23 Title: 5150 Released: 1986-03-25 Tracks: 9 Duration: 43:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Good Enough (04:04) 2 Why Can’t This Be Love (03:47) 3 Get Up (04:37) 4 Dreams (04:54) 5 Summer Nights (05:06) 6 Best of Both Worlds (04:49) 7 Love Walks In (05:11) 8 “5150” (05:44) 9 Inside (05:02) |
| 5150 : Allmusic album Review : The power struggle within Van Halen was often painted as David Lee Roths ego running out of control -- a theory that was easy enough to believe given his outsized charisma -- but in retrospect, it seems evident that Eddie Van Halen wanted respect to go along with his gargantuan fame, and Roth wasnt willing to play. Bizarrely enough, Sammy Hagar -- the former Montrose lead singer who had carved out a successful solo career -- was ready to play, possibly because the Red Rocker was never afraid of being earnest, nor was he afraid of synthesizers, for that matter. There was always the lingering suspicion that, yes, Sammy truly couldnt drive 55, and thats why he wrote the song, and that kind of forthright rocking is evident on the strident anthems of 5150. From the moment the album opens with the crashing "Good Enough," its clearly the work of the same band -- its hard to mistake Eddies guitars, just as its hard to mistake Alex and Michael Anthonys pulse, or Michaels harmonies -- but the music feels decidedly different. Where Diamond Dave would have strutted through the song with his tongue firmly in cheek, Hagar plays it right down the middle, never winking, never joking. Even when he takes a stab at humor on the closing "Inside" -- joshing around about why the guys chose him as a replacement -- it never feels funny, probably because, unlike Dave, hes not a born comedian. Then again, 5150 wasnt really intended to be funny; it was intended to be a serious album, spiked by a few relentless metallic rockers like "Get Up," but functioning more as a vehicle to showcase Van Halens -- particularly the guitarists -- increasing growth and maturity. There are plenty of power ballads, in "Why Cant This Be Love" and "Love Walks In," theres a soaring anthem of inspiration in "Dreams," and even the straight-up rocker "Best of Both Worlds" is tighter and leaner than the gonzo excursions of "Panama" and "Hot for Teacher." And thats where Hagar comes in: Diamond Dave didnt have much patience for plainspoken lyrics or crafting songs, but Sammy does and he brings a previously unheard sense of discipline to the writing on 5150. Not that Hagar is a craftsman like Randy Newman, but hes helped push Van Halen into a dedication on writing full-fledged songs, something that often seemed an afterthought in the original lineup. And so Van Hagar was a bit of an odd mix -- a party band and a party guy, slowly veering into a bourgeois concept of respectability, something that eventually sunk the band -- but on 5150 it worked because they had the songs and the desire to party, so those good intentions and slow tunes dont slow the album down; they give it variety and help make the album a pretty impressive opening act for Van Halen Mach II. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 23 Title: OU812 Released: 1988-05-24 Tracks: 10 Duration: 50:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mine All Mine (05:14) 2 When It’s Love (05:38) 3 A.F.U. (Naturally Wired) (04:30) 4 Cabo Wabo (07:04) 5 Source of Infection (04:01) 6 Feels So Good (04:31) 7 Finish What Ya Started (04:24) 8 Black and Blue (05:26) 9 Sucker in a 3 Piece (05:55) 10 A Apolitical Blues (03:51) |
| OU812 : Allmusic album Review : The somber black and white cover could have been a knowing allusion to Meet the Beatles!, but its really a signal that Van Halen is playing it for keeps on OU812, their second record with Sammy Hagar. Indeed, the striking thing about OU812 is that all its humor is distilled into a silly punny title, because even the party tunes here -- and there are many -- are performed with a dogged, determined vibe. When David Lee Roth fronted the band, almost everything that Van Halen did seemed easy -- as big, boisterous, and raucous as an actual party -- but Van Hagar makes good times seem like tough work here. Apart from a few cuts -- the countryish hook on "Finish What Ya Started," the slow, bluesy strut "Black and Blue" -- the riffs are complicated, not catchy, the rhythms plod, they dont rock, and Sammy strains to inject some good times by singing too hard. It gives OU812 a bit of a dour feel, not entirely dissimilar to Fair Warning, but unlike that early unheralded gem, this isnt a descent into darkness; its merely a very inward rock record, as Eddie Van Halen pushes the band toward interesting musical territory. Often, this takes the form of jazzy chord changes or harmonies -- most evidently on the sleek opener, "Mine All Mine," but also on the otherwise metallic boogie "Source of Infection" -- but theres also "Cabo Wabo," the longest jam theyve laid down on record to date, and a cover of Little Feats "A Apolitical Blues" (which could have been a salute to producer Ted Templemans early glories as much as a chance to do some down-n-dirty blues rock). Of course, theres also a pair of power ballads here, both poppier than the ones on 5150 -- "When Its Love" is pure balladry, "Feels So Good" rides along on a gurgling synth -- but really, theyre red herrings on a record thats the hardest, darkest rock Van Halen has made since Fair Warning. And if it isnt as good as that record (even if its nearly not as much fun), its nevertheless the best showcase of the instrumental abilities of Van Hagar. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 23 Title: For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Released: 1991-06-17 Tracks: 11 Duration: 52:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Poundcake (05:21) 2 Judgement Day (04:38) 3 Spanked (04:52) 4 Runaround (04:20) 5 Pleasure Dome (06:57) 6 In ’n’ Out (06:04) 7 Man on a Mission (05:03) 8 The Dream Is Over (03:59) 9 Right Now (05:21) 10 316 (01:29) 11 Top of the World (03:52) |
| For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge : Allmusic album Review : The smirking title indicates the true nature of For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, Van Halens third album with Sammy Hagar. Backing away from the diversity of OU812, the band turns in some of the most basic, straightforward rock & roll of its career. At times, F.U.C.K. recalls the sleek hard rock of Hagars early-80s albums, and its undeniable that his limited vocal power had a great deal to do with the obvious nature of most of this music. While the band is still tight and professional -- and Eddie Van Halens guitar work remains impressive -- the songwriting is, by and large, undistinguished, with the anthemic "Right Now" standing out as the most memorable song of the batch, mainly because of its incessant chorus. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 23 Title: Live: Right Here, Right Now Released: 1993-02-23 Tracks: 24 Duration: 2:21:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Poundcake (05:28) 2 Judgement Day (04:52) 3 When Its Love (05:22) 4 Spanked (05:08) 5 Aint Talkin Bout Love (04:37) 6 In n Out (06:20) 7 Dreams (04:49) 8 Man on a Mission (04:49) 9 Ultra Bass (05:15) 10 Pleasure Dome / Drum Solo (09:38) 11 Panama (06:39) 12 Love Walks In (05:14) 13 Runaround (05:21) 1 Right Now (06:13) 2 One Way to Rock (04:58) 3 Why Cant This Be Love (05:22) 4 Give to Live (05:39) 5 Finish What Ya Started (05:50) 6 Best of Both Worlds (05:00) 7 316 (11:37) 8 You Really Got Me / Cabo Wabo (07:58) 9 Wont Get Fooled Again (05:41) 10 Jump (04:26) 11 Top of the World (04:59) |
| Live: Right Here, Right Now : Allmusic album Review : Van Halen assembled their first live album, the two-CD Live: Right Here Right Now, from a collection of tapes dating from 1985 (when Sammy Hagar replaced David Lee Roth), to the present. Only a few songs recall Roths days, and too many songs from For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge are featured (ten out of 11). With the exception of the consistently impressive Eddie Van Halen, the album slows to a halt during the solo passages. Most of the time, the performances arent all that different from the original studio recordings. Despite the moments of tedium, Live: Right Here Right Now deserves to be in any real Van Halen fans collection; those who arent devoted to the band would be advised to stick with the original albums. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 23 Title: Balance Released: 1995-01-24 Tracks: 13 Duration: 58:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Seventh Seal (05:18) 2 Can’t Stop Lovin’ You (04:08) 3 Don’t Tell Me (What Love Can Do) (05:56) 4 Amsterdam (04:45) 5 Big Fat Money (03:57) 6 Strung Out (01:28) 7 Not Enough (05:12) 8 Aftershock (05:28) 9 Doin’ Time (01:41) 10 Baluchitherium (04:04) 11 Take Me Back (Déjà Vu) (04:42) 12 Feelin’ (06:34) 13 Crossing Over (05:03) |
| Balance : Allmusic album Review : Balance tries to open up the Van Hagar formula somewhat. Eddie Van Halen sincerely attempts to improve the group musically, by adding more subtle and assured ballads and more fearless rockers. No matter how hard he tries, hes weighed down by the most predictable rhythm section in all of rock & roll, which gives each number the same unvarying deadlocked pulse, completely obliterating Eddies increased musical sensitivity. Of course, he isnt helped by Sammy Hagar, either. With the first single, "Dont Tell Me (What Love Can Do)," Hagar tries to follow the social conscience that served him so well on "Right Now." Unfortunately, he cant help himself and slips back to the raucous partying of "Amsterdam" -- you know, the place where theyre allowed to smoke pot and stuff. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 23 Title: Van Halen Box 1986-1993 Released: 1995-10-25 Tracks: 56 Duration: 4:59:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Good Enough (04:04) 2 Why Can’t This Be Love (03:47) 3 Get Up (04:37) 4 Dreams (04:54) 5 Summer Nights (05:06) 6 Best of Both Worlds (04:49) 7 Love Walks In (05:11) 8 “5150” (05:44) 9 Inside (05:02) 1 Mine All Mine (05:14) 2 When It’s Love (05:38) 3 A.F.U. (Naturally Wired) (04:30) 4 Cabo Wabo (07:04) 5 Source of Infection (04:01) 6 Feels So Good (04:31) 7 Finish What Ya Started (04:24) 8 Black and Blue (05:26) 9 Sucker in a 3 Piece (05:55) 10 A Apolitical Blues (03:51) 1 Poundcake (05:21) 2 Judgement Day (04:38) 3 Spanked (04:52) 4 Runaround (04:20) 5 Pleasure Dome (06:57) 6 In ’n’ Out (06:04) 7 Man on a Mission (05:03) 8 The Dream Is Over (03:59) 9 Right Now (05:21) 10 316 (01:29) 11 Top of the World (03:52) 1 Poundcake (05:28) 2 Judgement Day (04:52) 3 When Its Love (05:22) 4 Spanked (05:08) 5 Aint Talkin Bout Love (04:37) 6 In n Out (06:20) 7 Dreams (04:49) 8 Man on a Mission (04:49) 9 Ultra Bass (05:15) 10 Pleasure Dome / Drum Solo (09:38) 11 Panama (06:39) 12 Love Walks In (05:14) 13 Runaround (05:21) 1 Right Now (06:13) 2 One Way to Rock (04:58) 3 Why Cant This Be Love (05:22) 4 Give to Live (05:39) 5 Finish What Ya Started (05:50) 6 Best of Both Worlds (05:00) 7 316 (11:37) 8 You Really Got Me / Cabo Wabo (07:58) 9 Wont Get Fooled Again (05:41) 10 Jump (04:26) 11 Top of the World (04:59) 1 Eagles Fly (06:03) 2 Mine All Mine (05:28) |
| Van Halen Box 1986-1993 : Allmusic album Review : A Japanese import box set that collects the Sammy Hagar era of Van Halen from 1986 to 1993, specifically the albums 5150, OU812, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, and the live double CD Van Halen Live: Right Here, Right Now. A bonus disc adds two tracks previously available on a German import single: "Eagles Fly" and "Mine All Mine." | ||
 | Album: 14 of 23 Title: Best Of, Volume 1 Released: 1996-10-17 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:12:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Eruption (01:42) 2 Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love (03:49) 3 Runnin’ With the Devil (03:37) 4 Dance the Night Away (03:09) 5 And the Cradle Will Rock… (03:33) 6 Unchained (03:29) 7 Jump (04:03) 8 Panama (03:32) 9 Why Can’t This Be Love (03:47) 10 Dreams (04:54) 11 When It’s Love (05:38) 12 Poundcake (05:21) 13 Right Now (05:21) 14 Can’t Stop Lovin’ You (04:08) 15 Humans Being (05:10) 16 Can’t Get This Stuff No More (05:17) 17 Me Wise Magic (06:05) |
 | Album: 15 of 23 Title: Van Halen III Released: 1998-03-10 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:05:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Neworld (01:45) 2 Without You (06:30) 3 One I Want (05:30) 4 From Afar (05:24) 5 Dirty Water Dog (05:27) 6 Once (07:42) 7 Fire in the Hole (05:31) 8 Josephina (05:42) 9 Year to the Day (08:34) 10 Primary (01:27) 11 Ballot or the Bullet (05:42) 12 How Many Say I (06:04) |
| Van Halen III : Allmusic album Review : The "III" in the title of Van Halen III refers to the unveiling of the third incarnation of Van Halen, the post-Sammy Hagar lineup featuring former Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone as lead singer. According to the party line, Van Halen ditched Sammy because they wanted to try new musical and lyrical approaches that Hagar was reluctant to pursue. And it is true that Van Halen III makes a slight break from his dunderheaded party rock, but thats a difference that only hardcore fans will be able to hear. Less tired but no more inspired than Balance, Van Halen III suffers from the same problems as Hagar-era Van Halen -- limp riffs, weak melodies, and plodding, colorless rhythms. On top of that, there are layers of pretensions, from portentous lyrics to segmented song structures that dont sound all that different from "Poundcake." Evidently, the group wanted to prove that it could still rock more than it wanted to stretch its musical muscle. There are a couple of new twists on the Van Halen format, whether its funky breakdowns or political consciousness, but its all too familiar, since Cherone sounds uncannily similar to Sammy, and Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony remain the blandest rhythm section in all of hard rock. That would be a shame if Eddie had a clear idea of where he wanted to take the band, but he seems content to wallow in the big arena rock he has long since exhausted, churning out faceless riffs and technically proficient guitar solos that never expand the vocabulary he established 20 years ago. Van Halen III may showcase a new version of Van Halen, but that doesnt make it a new beginning. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 23 Title: Metal Hammer Collection Released: 2001 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:19:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 You Realy Got Me (02:37) 2 Inside (04:03) 3 Why Cant This Be Love (03:39) 4 Bottoms Up! (03:04) 5 Runnin With The Devil (03:34) 6 Top Of The World (03:51) 7 Love Walks In (05:11) 8 Ballot Or The Bullet (05:38) 9 From Afar (05:14) 10 And The Cradle Will Rock... (03:29) 11 Pound Cake (05:00) 12 Aint Talkin Bout Love (03:49) 13 Cabo Wabo (06:51) 14 Cant Stop Lovin You (04:05) 15 Mean Street (04:24) 16 Jump (03:56) 17 Dont Tell Me (What Love Can Do) (05:56) 18 Panama (03:32) 19 Spanish Fly (00:58) |
 | Album: 17 of 23 Title: The Very Best of Van Halen Released: 2004-01-01 Tracks: 36 Duration: 2:37:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Eruption (01:41) 2 It’s About Time (04:15) 3 Up for Breakfast (04:57) 4 Learning to See (05:15) 5 Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love (03:49) 6 Finish What Ya Started (04:24) 7 You Really Got Me (02:37) 8 Dreams (04:54) 9 Hot for Teacher (04:44) 10 Poundcake (05:21) 11 And the Cradle Will Rock… (03:33) 12 Black and Blue (05:26) 13 Jump (04:03) 14 Top of the World (03:54) 15 (Oh) Pretty Woman (02:55) 16 Love Walks In (05:11) 17 Beautiful Girls (03:56) 18 Can’t Stop Lovin’ You (04:08) 19 Unchained (03:29) 20 Panama (03:32) 21 Best of Both Worlds (04:49) 22 Jamie’s Cryin’ (03:30) 23 Runaround (04:20) 24 I’ll Wait (04:44) 25 Why Can’t This Be Love (03:47) 26 Runnin’ With the Devil (03:36) 27 When It’s Love (05:38) 28 Dancing in the Street (03:45) 29 Not Enough (06:48) 30 Feels So Good (04:31) 31 Right Now (05:21) 32 Everybody Wants Some!! (05:08) 33 Dance the Night Away (03:09) 34 Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love (live) (04:43) 35 Panama (live) (06:39) 36 Jump (live) (04:20) |
 | Album: 18 of 23 Title: The Best of Both Worlds Released: 2004-07-20 Tracks: 36 Duration: 2:37:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Eruption (01:42) 2 Its About Time (04:15) 3 Up for Breakfast (04:57) 4 Learning to See (05:15) 5 Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love (03:49) 6 Finish What Ya Started (04:24) 7 You Really Got Me (02:37) 8 Dreams (04:54) 9 Hot for Teacher (04:44) 10 Poundcake (05:21) 11 And the Cradle Will Rock… (03:33) 12 Black and Blue (05:26) 13 Jump (04:03) 14 Top of the World (03:54) 15 (Oh) Pretty Woman (02:55) 16 Love Walks In (05:11) 17 Beautiful Girls (03:56) 18 Cant Stop Lovin You (04:08) 19 Unchained (03:29) 1 Panama (03:32) 2 Best of Both Worlds (04:49) 3 Jamie’s Cryin’ (03:30) 4 Runaround (04:20) 5 I’ll Wait (04:44) 6 Why Can’t This Be Love (03:47) 7 Runnin’ With the Devil (03:37) 8 When It’s Love (05:38) 9 Dancing in the Street (03:45) 10 Not Enough (06:48) 11 Feels So Good (04:31) 12 Right Now (05:21) 13 Everybody Wants Some!! (05:08) 14 Dance the Night Away (03:09) 15 Aint Talkin Bout Love (live) (04:43) 16 Panama (live) (06:39) 17 Jump (live) (04:20) |
| The Best of Both Worlds : Allmusic album Review : Its no secret that theres a deep animosity between Van Halen -- particularly their leader, guitarist Edward (formerly Eddie) Van Halen -- and their former frontman, David Lee Roth. His 1985 departure was acrimonious, and while his solo career paled in comparison to Van Halens continued success with Sammy Hagar as their frontman, the group never escaped the shadow of Diamond Dave. No matter how many number one albums and singles they racked up, no matter how many shows they sold out, fans and critics alike preferred their gonzo days with Roth, and kept hounding the band for a reunion. Edward held his ground for years, but once the band stumbled with 1995s Balance, he reconsidered, courting Dave for an ill-fated mini-reunion for the 1996 hits compilation The Best of Van Halen, Vol. 1 -- a move that resulted not just in two enjoyable albeit underwhelming new songs, but also the alienation of Sammy, who left the band over this issue. Van Halen recruited Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone for 1998s Van Halen III, but instead of offering a new beginning, the album torpedoed the groups career, losing them fans and eventually their record contract. Years passed with no activity from the band, and the silence whetted the appetite for a reunion -- which for many meant a reunion with Dave, not Sammy, but bad blood can run deep, so when Edward pulled the rest of the band together for a comeback tour in 2004, he chose Hagar as the frontman. To promote the tour, the band assembled a new hits compilation, the double-disc, 36-track Best of Both Worlds. On the surface, this seemed like an ideal solution to the problems that plagued the half-baked Best Of, which at one disc couldnt possibly have fit the hits from both the Dave and Sam eras, but Best of Both Worlds turns out to be another botched collection, and one of the reasons it doesnt work as well as it should is that animosity toward David Lee Roth. Since the bands sound and popularity were built on the records they made with Roth, there was no way for Van Halen to ignore his contribution, but they do their damnedest to diminish it here. There are no pictures of Diamond Dave to be found in the artwork (unless you count the miniature reproductions of the sleeves of Van Halen and Women and Children First) and David Wilds liner notes mention him only twice -- once when he joins the band, once when he leaves -- while conspicuously lavishing praise on Sammy. As petty as this swipe is, its understandable and could even be forgivable if the two discs were well assembled, but theyre sabotaged by an absurd sequencing that alternates a Dave song with a Sammy song for the bulk of the entire collection. This is a jarring sequencing, to say the least, causing a whiplash change of tone, mood, and attitude with every song, which are otherwise well-chosen, containing the big hits from each era (the only exception is the boneheaded move to end the collection with three cuts from the 1993 live album Live: Right Here, Right Now, all Diamond Dave songs sung by Sammy). This attempt to elevate Sammy above Dave in the canon is a bit like trying to say Ronnie James Dio was more important to Black Sabbath than Ozzy Osbourne -- a piece of flat-out hyperbole that does a disservice to what the singer actually achieved. David Lee Roth was larger than life, a gonzo performance artist touched with genius who helped Van Halen seem bigger, sillier, grander than any other metal band; with him in front, they were giants, they were golden gods. Sammy Hagar was his opposite, an everyman who sang about girls and tequila, somebody who brought Van Halen back down to earth. Since part of the fun of rock stars is to have them be larger than life, a manifestation of the audiences dreams, fans naturally gravitate toward the Diamond Dave years, but there are merits to both approaches and both resulted in good to great music. But thats hard to appreciate on Best of Both Worlds, when the Dave and Sammy tunes are mixed up with no regard for chronological, musical, or emotional cohesiveness. The raw materials for a great Van Halen compilation are here -- its just up to users to take these 36 songs and sequence them at home, on their CD players or iPods, to make this the compilation it should have been. [WEA International released the Very Best of Van Halen in 2004, which contains the exact same track listing.] | ||
 | Album: 19 of 23 Title: A Different Kind of Truth Released: 2012-02-06 Tracks: 13 Duration: 50:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tattoo (04:44) 2 She’s the Woman (02:58) 3 You and Your Blues (03:44) 4 China Town (03:15) 5 Blood and Fire (04:27) 6 Bullethead (02:32) 7 As Is (04:47) 8 Honeybabysweetiedoll (03:48) 9 The Trouble With Never (04:00) 10 Outta Space (02:54) 11 Stay Frosty (04:08) 12 Big River (03:52) 13 Beats Workin’ (05:04) |
| A Different Kind of Truth : Allmusic album Review : Reinventing Van Halen proved to be a tricky task, so Eddie Van Halen proceeded to reunite the band…a move so obvious it should have come as no surprise that it was easier said than done. Sammy Hagar was brought in for a 2004 hits album and an accompanying tour, a project that collapsed in acrimony so noxious that founding bassist Michael Anthony left with the Red Rocker. Eddie brought in his son Wolfgang as Anthonys replacement and began a prolonged courtship of David Lee Roth that first led to a tour, and then to this, A Different Kind of Truth, the bands first album in 14 years and their first with Roth in twice that long. Thats a long time, but the roots of A Different Kind of Truth stretch back even further, with several songs originating from demo tapes Van Halen made before their debut, and the rest consciously written in that style. No synths are to be found anywhere on the record, theyve been swept aside along with Michael Anthonys bedrock eighth-note thump and Sammy Hagars radio-ready pop polish, stripping Van Halen down to their core: a duel for attention between David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen. Where Sammy enabled Eddies ambitions, Diamond Dave unleashes the guitarists id, taunting him to play faster, harder, tougher, then fighting for space between unwieldy riffs. Certainly, there are hooks here, even some with pop propulsion, but the unexpected signature of A Different Kind of Truth is its heaviness, its 13 songs of loud, unrelenting rock. The only time it comes up for air is on "Stay Frosty," with its acoustic intro deliberately evoking memories of “Ice Cream Man.” Of course, the entirety of this comeback is designed to revive the spirit of the first five or six Van Halen records, and building the album upon those old demos turns out to be a savvy move, as they not only saved promising songs, but re-oriented the band, pushing them toward their essence. It’s akin to the Rolling Stones digging up unfinished songs and completing them for an expanded reissue of Some Girls but in reverse: instead of trying to fit into the past, Van Halen are using their history to revive their present and they succeed surprisingly well on A Different Kind of Truth. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 23 Title: Studio Albums 1978-1984 Released: 2013-03-05 Tracks: 60 Duration: 3:17:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Runnin’ With the Devil (03:37) 2 Eruption (01:42) 3 You Really Got Me (02:37) 4 Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love (03:49) 5 I’m the One (03:46) 6 Jamie’s Cryin’ (03:30) 7 Atomic Punk (03:01) 8 Feel Your Love Tonight (03:42) 9 Little Dreamer (03:22) 10 Ice Cream Man (03:19) 11 On Fire (03:00) 1 You’re No Good (03:17) 2 Dance the Night Away (03:09) 3 Somebody Get Me a Doctor (02:54) 4 Bottoms Up! (03:06) 5 Outta Love Again (02:53) 6 Light Up the Sky (03:12) 7 Spanish Fly (01:02) 8 D.O.A. (04:11) 9 Women in Love (04:09) 10 Beautiful Girls (03:56) 1 And the Cradle Will Rock… (03:33) 2 Everybody Wants Some!! (05:08) 3 Fools (05:56) 4 Romeo Delight (04:19) 5 Tora! Tora! (00:56) 6 Loss of Control (02:39) 7 Take Your Whiskey Home (03:11) 8 Could This Be Magic? (03:09) 9 In a Simple Rhyme (04:40) 1 Mean Street (05:01) 2 “Dirty Movies” (04:07) 3 Sinner’s Swing! (03:09) 4 Hear About It Later (04:34) 5 Unchained (03:29) 6 Push Comes to Shove (03:48) 7 So This Is Love? (03:06) 8 Sunday Afternoon in the Park (01:58) 9 One Foot out the Door (01:57) 1 Where Have All the Good Times Gone! (03:03) 2 Hang Em High (03:29) 3 Cathedral (01:22) 4 Secrets (03:27) 5 Intruder (01:39) 6 (Oh) Pretty Woman (02:55) 7 Dancing in the Street (03:45) 8 Little Guitars (intro) (00:42) 9 Little Guitars (03:49) 10 Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) (02:45) 11 The Full Bug (03:22) 12 Happy Trails (01:05) 1 1984 (01:08) 2 Jump (04:03) 3 Panama (03:32) 4 Top Jimmy (03:01) 5 Drop Dead Legs (04:15) 6 Hot for Teacher (04:44) 7 I’ll Wait (04:44) 8 Girl Gone Bad (04:35) 9 House of Pain (03:19) |
 | Album: 21 of 23 Title: The Live Broadcast Collection Released: 2015-03-02 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:13:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Romeo Delight (live) (03:50) 2 Unchained (live) (07:47) 3 Full Bug (live) (03:54) 4 Runnin With the Devil (live) (03:11) 5 Jamies Cryin (live) (03:44) 6 So This Is Love? (live) (04:46) 7 Little Guitars (live) (04:54) 8 Dancing in the Street (live) (02:49) 9 Somebody Get Me a Doctor (live) (08:51) 10 Dance the Night Away (live) (03:17) 11 Secrets (live) (03:25) 12 Everybody Wants Some (live) (07:03) 13 Ice Cream Man (live) (07:24) 14 Pretty Woman (live) (02:55) 15 Aint Talkin Bout Love (live) (06:00) |
 | Album: 22 of 23 Title: The Collection Released: 2015-03-31 Tracks: 87 Duration: 5:28:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Runnin’ With the Devil (03:36) 2 Eruption (01:42) 3 You Really Got Me (02:37) 4 Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love (03:49) 5 I’m the One (03:46) 6 Jamie’s Cryin’ (03:30) 7 Atomic Punk (03:01) 8 Feel Your Love Tonight (03:42) 9 Little Dreamer (03:22) 10 Ice Cream Man (03:19) 11 On Fire (03:00) 1 You’re No Good (03:17) 2 Dance the Night Away (03:09) 3 Somebody Get Me a Doctor (02:54) 4 Bottoms Up! (03:06) 5 Outta Love Again (02:53) 6 Light Up the Sky (03:12) 7 Spanish Fly (01:02) 8 D.O.A. (04:11) 9 Women in Love (04:09) 10 Beautiful Girls (03:56) 1 And the Cradle Will Rock… (03:33) 2 Everybody Wants Some!! (05:08) 3 Fools (05:56) 4 Romeo Delight (04:19) 5 Tora! Tora! (00:56) 6 Loss of Control (02:39) 7 Take Your Whiskey Home (03:11) 8 Could This Be Magic? (03:09) 9 In a Simple Rhyme (04:40) 1 Mean Street (05:01) 2 “Dirty Movies” (04:07) 3 Sinner’s Swing! (03:09) 4 Hear About It Later (04:34) 5 Unchained (03:29) 6 Push Comes to Shove (03:48) 7 So This Is Love? (03:06) 8 Sunday Afternoon in the Park (01:58) 9 One Foot out the Door (01:57) 1 Where Have All the Good Times Gone! (03:03) 2 Hang ’em High (03:29) 3 Cathedral (01:22) 4 Secrets (03:27) 5 Intruder (01:39) 6 (Oh) Pretty Woman (02:55) 7 Dancing in the Street (03:45) 8 Little Guitars (intro) (00:42) 9 Little Guitars (03:49) 10 Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) (02:45) 11 The Full Bug (03:22) 12 Happy Trails (01:05) 1 1984 (01:08) 2 Jump (04:03) 3 Panama (03:32) 4 Top Jimmy (03:01) 5 Drop Dead Legs (04:15) 6 Hot for Teacher (04:44) 7 I’ll Wait (04:44) 8 Girl Gone Bad (04:35) 9 House of Pain (03:19) 1 Can’t Get This Stuff No More (05:17) 2 Me Wise Magic (06:05) 1 Unchained (04:56) 2 Runnin’ With the Devil (03:44) 3 She’s the Woman (02:57) 4 I’m the One (04:12) 5 Tattoo (04:32) 6 Everybody Wants Some!! (08:30) 7 Somebody Get Me a Doctor (03:22) 8 China Town (03:22) 9 Hear About It Later (05:11) 10 (Oh) Pretty Woman (03:08) 11 Drum Struck (02:54) 12 You Really Got Me (05:34) 1 Dance the Night Away (04:27) 2 I’ll Wait (05:03) 3 And the Cradle Will Rock… (03:44) 4 Hot for Teacher (05:44) 5 Women in Love (04:24) 6 Romeo Delight (05:47) 7 Mean Street (05:11) 8 Beautiful Girls (03:36) 9 Ice Cream Man (05:10) 10 Panama (04:20) 11 Eruption (08:08) 12 Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love (06:07) 13 Jump (05:48) |
 | Album: 23 of 23 Title: Deluxe Released: 2015-04-13 Tracks: 45 Duration: 3:08:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Runnin’ With the Devil (03:37) 2 Eruption (01:42) 3 You Really Got Me (02:37) 4 Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love (03:49) 5 I’m the One (03:46) 6 Jamie’s Cryin’ (03:30) 7 Atomic Punk (03:01) 8 Feel Your Love Tonight (03:42) 9 Little Dreamer (03:22) 10 Ice Cream Man (03:19) 11 On Fire (03:00) 1 1984 (01:08) 2 Jump (04:03) 3 Panama (03:32) 4 Top Jimmy (03:01) 5 Drop Dead Legs (04:15) 6 Hot for Teacher (04:44) 7 I’ll Wait (04:44) 8 Girl Gone Bad (04:35) 9 House of Pain (03:19) 1 Unchained (04:56) 2 Runnin’ With the Devil (03:44) 3 She’s the Woman (02:57) 4 I’m the One (04:12) 5 Tattoo (04:32) 6 Everybody Wants Some!! (08:30) 7 Somebody Get Me a Doctor (03:22) 8 China Town (03:22) 9 Hear About It Later (05:11) 10 (Oh) Pretty Woman (03:08) 11 Drum Struck (02:54) 12 You Really Got Me (05:34) 1 Dance the Night Away (04:27) 2 I’ll Wait (05:03) 3 And the Cradle Will Rock… (03:44) 4 Hot for Teacher (05:44) 5 Women in Love (04:24) 6 Romeo Delight (05:47) 7 Mean Street (05:11) 8 Beautiful Girls (03:36) 9 Ice Cream Man (05:10) 10 Panama (04:20) 11 Eruption (08:08) 12 Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love (06:07) 13 Jump (05:48) |