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Classic Rock magazine’s Van Halen Buyer’s Guide
With a consummate showman, the guitarist of a generation and some classic tracks, they revolutionized hard rock.
If ever a rock band epitomized the American Dream, it’s Van Halen.
Formed in Pasadena, California in 1974 by four teenage kids from families that had migrated across the Atlantic in the pursuit of a better life, Van Halen were loud, brash, shamelessly ambitious, larger-than-life: classically all-American. And so was their pioneering spirit.
Van Halen revolutionized hard rock music. When the band’s debut album was released in 1978, punk had unsettled rock’s old order; giants such as Zeppelin and Sabbath were on their last legs. But VH had seen the future. “This is the 1980s!” declared singer David Lee Roth, boldly if prematurely. “And this is the new sound – it’s hyper, it’s energy, it’s urgent.”
The key to that new sound was Eddie Van Halen, whose innovative two-handed ‘tapping’ technique made him the most influential guitarist since Jimi Hendrix. But VH wasn’t a one-man show. Eddie’s brother Alex went at his drum kit like a prizefighter. Bassist Michael Anthony underpinned Eddie’s histrionics and provided killer backing vocals that had him rightly described as the band’s “secret weapon”. And then, of course, there was ‘Diamond Dave’, a wisecracking, split-jumping, super-toned blond Adonis, son of second-generation Jewish immigrants, and hard rock’s greatest showman. As Roth stated: “I once heard somebody say to the Van Halens: ‘You guys play the music, the Jew sells it.’ Well, you’re fucking right!”
With Roth as cheerleader, Van Halen were America’s favourite party band, their high-octane turbo-pop songs the soundtrack to the ‘me’ decade. But when Roth left the band in 1985 amid mutual hostility, much of the magic went with him, even if his replacement, Sammy Hagar, was a better singer.
Nevertheless, the new-look ‘Van Hagar’ proved just as successful as the former model, while Roth’s solo career stalled in the 90s.
Hagar lasted 10 years. His successor, former Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone, was out after one album. Hagar returned for a chaotic reunion tour in 2004, and two years later came the announcement that Roth was rejoining the band with, shockingly, Eddie’s 15-year-old son Wolfgang replacing Michael Anthony.
Whatever happens next, Van Halen’s place in the pantheon of classic rock acts is secure. With 56 million albums sold, they are 19th on the list of biggest-selling acts in the US. And at their best (with Roth) Van Halen ruled.
ESSENTIAL: CLASSICS
VAN HALEN
Warner Brothers, 1978
As one of the classic debut albums, this 10-million seller is up there with Zeppelin’s and Sabbath’s and Appetite For Destruction. Van Halen was like a bomb going off. With its short, punchy songs, technical flash, testosterone-charged swagger and sense of daring, it kick-started the 80s two years early. “We were not afraid of defying convention,” said DLR. “Everybody was ascending.”
Eruption was Eddie’s volcanic showpiece. And the orthodox songs were equally explosive, from Runnin’ With The Devil through to frenetic closer On Fire. Classic Rock’s Geoff Barton, then reviewing for Sounds, called the album “senses-shattering”. Van Halen had arrived – with an almighty bang.
1984
Warner Brothers, 1984
The last of the definitive Roth-era albums was also the one that made Van Halen a household name on this side of the Atlantic when its lead single, Jump, hit No.7 on the UK chart. In playing this simple rock song on a keyboard, guitar hero Eddie beat all those airy-fairy synth-pop acts at their own game.
I’ll Wait, the album’s other big pop crossover hit, was also powered by a keyboard riff, but the hard rock crunch of Panama and Hot For Teacher ensured that the band’s hairy fan base wasn’t alienated.
On 1984, Van Halen could do no wrong… But by 1985 Roth was gone, and the band, in whatever guise, would never be as great again.
SUPERIOR: THE ONES THAT HELPED CEMENT THEIR REPUTATION
VAN HALEN II
Warner Brothers, 1979
How do you follow a belter of a debut album? Many have dropped the ball, from Montrose to The Darkness. But Van Halen walked it, banging out their brilliant second album in just six days. It sounds like it, too: fresh, a little loose, fizzing with energy, its air of beer-fuelled spontaneity encapsulated in Roth’s fumbled lyric and giggles on Bottoms Up!
Shrewdly, Van Halen didn’t try to top the fire-power of Van Halen, opting instead for a lighter, more playful vibe, running from the jammed intro to You’re No Good (such chutzpah!) to Roth’s farewell kiss on the closing Beautiful Girls. And in Dance The Night Away they delivered the perfect pop-metal song.
DIVER DOWN
Warner Brothers, 1982
Possibly the laziest album ever made. There are just 18 minutes of original material on Diver Down. But no matter: despite the whiff of contractual obligation, the album is a blast.
Back in the mid-70s, when they were still a bar band named Mammoth, the boys had a repertoire of 300 cover tunes. Diver Down recalls that era with a stinging rendition of The Kinks’ Where Have All The Good Times Gone!, plus covers of Roy Orbison’s (Oh) Pretty Woman, the Tamla Motown classic Dancing In The Street and a jazz number featuring dad Jan Van Halen on clarinet.
The original songs on the album are all great too, especially Secrets, the sweetest thing Van Halen ever recorded.
FAIR WARNING
Warner Brothers, 1981
The cover illustration – details from Canadian artist William Kurelek’s The Maze, portraying scenes of urban madness and violence – was befitting of the most left-field VH album.
Fair Warning is tough, edgy, dark, and in places plain weird. ZZ Top aside, no other mainstream, multi-platinum hard rock band would have dared to record such bizarre tracks as Dirty Movies (a funky porno satire), Sunday Afternoon In The Park (a sinister, new wave-inspired instrumental), and One Foot Out The Door (a punky, half-finished throwaway).
However, the meat of the album lies in two straight-up rock songs: the bruising Mean Street, and Unchained, featuring Eddie’s chunkiest riff.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST
Warner Brothers, 1980
Van Halen’s third album included a poster of Roth in classic beefcake pose, photographed by the legendary Helmut Newton. Roth was rock’s leading pin-up boy, but VH hadn’t gone soft. The album is a hard rock tour de force, typified by Tora! Tora!.
And The Cradle Will Rock…, is Roth’s homage to teenage drop-outs. Fools and Everybody Wants Some!! are fluid jams built around crushing riffs. Romeo Delight threatens to run right off the rails. The only light relief comes with the drunken sea shanty Could This Be Magic?
Women And Children First is Van Halen’s true cult classic album. In Roth parlance: “Pure fuckin’ rock.”
GOOD: WORTH EXPLORING
5150
Warner Brothers, 1986
For many people, Van Halen just wasn’t Van Halen without Diamond Dave. Eddie saw it differently. “We lost a frontman,” he said, “but we gained a singer.” And with Sammy Hagar on board, the band’s career arc continued upwards.
5150, the first ‘Van Hagar’ album, was also the band’s first US No.1. With trusted producer Ted Templeman having defected to the now solo Roth camp, VH enlisted Foreigner’s Mick Jones to put a fine gloss on what became the album’s three keyboard-driven hit singles: Why Can’t This Be Love, Dreams and Love Walks In.
And yes, Sammy was a better singer than Dave. But 5150 didn’t have the spark of classic VH. And we all knew why.
FOR UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE
Warner Brothers, 1991
All four studio albums that Van Halen recorded with Sammy Hagar topped the US chart, although the third of them might not have sold so well if it had been titled according to the singer’s wishes. “I wanted to name the album just Fuck,” Hagar said. Instead, they chose something more oblique.
The album – co-produced by an exonerated Ted Templeman – is patchy, but it has three songs as good as any from the Hagar era: Poundcake – heavy, grungy, with Eddie applying an electric drill to his fretboard; Top Of The World – vintage feelgood VH; and the piano-led Right Now – and arguably the best song the band have ever written.
OU812
Warner Brothers, 1988
Having proved with 5150 that there was life after Dave, Van Halen couldn’t resist a little dig at their former singer with the title of their eighth album, a cheeky reference to Roth’s Eat ‘Em And Smile.
OU812 did good business (current US sales: four million), but it’s a hit-and-miss affair. Lacking Dave’s levity, the heavier tracks are all bluster, but a lighter touch on the three hit singles works beautifully. Black And Blue is a funky boogie lit up by Michael Anthony’s doo-wop-influenced vocal harmonies, When It’s Love is a deluxe rock ballad, Finish What Ya Started is a genuine surprise, with Eddie twanging country-funk guitar licks and Hagar croaking soulfully.
AVOID
VAN HALEN III
Warner Brothers, 1998
Even the most partisan of Roth loyalists had to admit that Hagar could sing. What’s more, Hagar had starred on one of the greatest rock records of all time: Montrose’s legendary self-titled debut. But the same could not be said of Sammy’s replacement. Gary Cherone was the wuss who sang in Extreme – wearing a leotard.
Van Halen and Cherone was a disastrous mismatch, and produced just one album – that sold only 500,000 copies, when every other VH album had shifted at least two million. The reason is that Van Halen III stinks like a wet dog. Every song sucks, and Cherone sings them like a drowning man. It’s an album so bad, in fact, that Van Halen have never made another since.
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January 3rd, 2010 at 10:58 am
VH3 is not so bad… or is it? I sure listen to it sometimes.
January 3rd, 2010 at 11:18 am
So the only studio album not on the list is Balance which in my opinion is a great album.
Right there next to OU812.
January 3rd, 2010 at 11:38 am
I agree Ben… With only the exception of a song or two, Balance is awesome. While I don’t entirely agree with this review’s personal bashing of Gary Cherone, I must agree that it is awful. Honestly, it is the only VH CD that doesnt sit with the the other CDs in my collection rack.
January 3rd, 2010 at 11:45 am
I agree pretty much. Esp with the first part
January 3rd, 2010 at 12:10 pm
It might as well have been an Extreme album. It was just missing the Van Halen in your face attitude the other records brought. Eddie should have just made this a solo album. Just to get this out of his system…lolol!
January 3rd, 2010 at 12:15 pm
The author of the “review” totally misses the point
January 3rd, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Diver Down next to Fair Warning? Guy’s an idiot!
January 3rd, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Classic Rock’s a UK publication so maybe you guys don’t know it.
It’s a 2 page spread each issue, this (the VH one was AGES ago tho).
It’s a set framework, certain number of albums in each category – that’s why some albums aren’t on there.
January 3rd, 2010 at 1:44 pm
Balance was imo the best Hagar album IMO kinda of Sams fair warning
January 3rd, 2010 at 1:46 pm
I don’t like VH3 much either but to call Gary a wuss who can’t sing is a bit “extreme” don’t you think. The guy was in an impossible situation from the word “go.”
Gotta give the guy a nod though for recognizing Montrose’s debut as one of the greatest rock records of all time. It truly is, even if many people still aren’t aware of it. Every time I hear “Space Station No. 5″ I can’t believe it was from the early 70s. Sounds like something that could be released today and be current.
January 3rd, 2010 at 1:49 pm
To be honest, I don’t understand the VH3 bashing. I love the album just like I love every other album VH made.
January 3rd, 2010 at 1:57 pm
VH3 was a bad album. Cherone had two strikes against him when he joined VH. Trying to replace two singers with big shadows who carved their own niche in the band was disaster from the word go. To hear him sing the songs in concert was cool, but the album itself sucked ass. Whenever a new album comes out from VH with Dave singing, will erase the bad taste that VH3 has left us with now for 12 years.
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:01 pm
and I care why ? I dont need some idiot magazine jerkoff to tell me what Van Halen records are great… THEY ALL ARE !!!
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Diver Down is better than 5150 and Carnal Knowledge? Whatever.
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:28 pm
fair warning should be with the debut.
5150 and F*CK should be under ” superior”
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Are you kidding me? Wow I know many don’t like Gary. But what a douche bag thing to say. I mean Year to the Day. One of my favorite Van Halen songs. I happen to think Gary did a Hell of a job!!! I still love you Gary!!!!
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Why does everyone bash on VH3? I Love Every Album Van Halen Has Done! Its Something Different Than The Others. I Enjoyed The Guitar Work In The Album.
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:58 pm
i agree alot with most of these like Jor-L5150 and Kayser Sozay and ben. I’d like to add on my behalf that Gary Cherone is not a wuss. He sings mean street like noones buisness, fire in the hole is a great song, and has the reviewer ever heard of him singing Mutha Dont Wanna Go to School, or Get the Funk Out? Gary Cherone is very under estimated due to that gay song he put out and the rest of VH3
January 3rd, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Jor-L5150: Spot on.
January 3rd, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Typical shite.
VH3 is nowhere near the worst VH album (let Diver Down & OU812 fight that battle)
Why don’t they even mention Balance? That was the best Hagar album.
The classics should have been VH1 & Fair Warning.
January 3rd, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Just looking at these albums got me thinking how cool
VH album covers were. I remember as a kid staring forever at
the VH1 cover and the classic 1984 cover.
Still have my T-shirt of the latter though the fit is
a bit tight now.lol
January 3rd, 2010 at 4:40 pm
VhIII was an eddie van halen solo album.This guy just checked the sales of vh’s records and judged accordingly and in no way should appetite for destruction be even mentioned in the same breath as van halen 1.It made the guy who wrote it a douche right from the start.Sure i’ve jammed to appetite a few times,but vh1 is sacred.
January 3rd, 2010 at 4:43 pm
C’mon any hard core VH fan would tell you that every album they released kicks ass!!!! And yes that goes for VH3 too!!!!
January 3rd, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Gary4life must be pissed! I have to admit it the guy is a bit harsh on Gary. Fairwarning should be listed as superior but I am sure the article is for the masses.
January 3rd, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Including Diver Down as a superior album? He was right – it was a crap, lazy record. It’s really a poor piece of work, and to this day, it is probably the one VH album I wouldn’t go out of my way to play – ever. Balance was a terrific album – and the live album was pretty good too. 5150 is an absolutely outstanding album too. In the superior category, I would have put the first VH album, Fair Warning, 5150, and Balance.
As a St. Louisan, I have a natural love for Sammy and all of his work; odd to me that this guy really seems to segregate Dave’s VH work as better than Sam’s. They were both outstanding for different reasons – and pretty much we all agree that the Gary Cherone incarnation sucked. He’s got a great voice, but the chemistry just wasn’t there.
January 3rd, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Superior = Fair Warning, VH1 & 1984, VH2
Very Good = Women & Children, Diver Down & FUCK
Good = OU812, 5150, Balance
Need open mind = VH3
FUCK had some very HEAVY groves and was the finest of Hagar efforts.
Just my 2 cents:-)
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:03 pm
Poor “Van Halen 3″…it never gets any respect…nor does it deserve any.
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:12 pm
VH3 > Chickenfoot
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:49 pm
This guy put the Sammy albums after the DLR LPs… And we all know why…
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:54 pm
56 million albums sold??? WTF!! I thought they exceeded 65 or 70 million in the 90′s!!!
Sounds wrong!!
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:22 pm
The VH3 concert was awesome. Album does lack attitude. I could see Dave or Sammy singing some of those tunes! Actually I could see both of them trading off lines on WITHOUT YOU!
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:13 pm
In my opinion, Diver Down and Vh3 are at the bottom of the list. My problem with Diver Down is the folk tunes and with VH3 is that some of the songs sound like multiple songs pieced together and that Ed was rushing to get something on the market.
January 3rd, 2010 at 9:37 pm
This guy is an idiot. OU812 is way worse than balance and maybe just a little better than VH3. For Unlawful and 5150 are two amazing albums that at least belong with women and children. To really know Van Halen, you need to listen to every roth track and all of 5150 and For unlawful at least. Once youve done than there is no denying 1: van halen is the greatest band to ever walk this planet and 2: Eddie van halen is the best musician/composer since the 19th century.
January 3rd, 2010 at 9:40 pm
retards > dick bacon
January 3rd, 2010 at 9:58 pm
Yet another “review” about how Roth is better in every way than Hagar. I definitely got turned off by this after he called Gary Cherone a wuss and a bad singer. Wake up, dude. Just because he didn’t fit in with Van Halen does not mean he’s a bad singer. Go get a job that you can succeed at.
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:13 pm
All Van Halen materials are great! To me not a bad one made! Lets remember these guys have great musical upbringing. By the way I wouldn’t rate Diver Down that high compare to the others because there’s some cover songs on it not all original VH songs. I mean come on Dancing In The Streets, that’s not Van Halen.
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:32 pm
I am no pathetic reviewer, but I will say there is no one to compare the different eras of Van Halen. They are three different groups of music. I personally was most affected by the Sammy era as I lived for that time, went to those shows and made Cabo a home away from home. When I picked up a guitar, the Dave era was like my gospel of rock music. I know this will not be popular, but I liked the VH3. It wasn’t Dave or Sammy, but it was still Eddie…give Cherone some for it was thanks to him we heard some of that classic stuff again music wise. That was not no crap record, 5150 and FUCK were beyond good, they were rock n roll killers. Even farther back, Diver Down was a fun covers record, but to compare to the legend of Fair Warning. This review is just one narrow view of a great bands history. I have always let the music do the talking and not listen to lame stuff like this. Does anybody really even care what Classic rock has to say…
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:33 pm
Essential = Fair Warning, VH1, 1984, 5150
Superior = VH2, F.U.C.K, Woman and Children First, Balance
Good = Driver Down
Avoid = OU812, VH3
Personally I love every VH album but if i had to rank em this is where i think things go. Also, that reviewer sucks! Gary can sing his heart out…..it just doesn’t sound right with Van Halen and their own sound, plus the producing on the album is absolutely terrible making things worse for Gary.
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Essential Albums: VH, VHII, WACF, Fair Warning + Me Wise Magic
Superior: 1984, Diver Down, and For Unlawful C.K…
Over-rated: 5150
Inferior: OU812
Scrapin the Bottom of the Bucket: Balance, VHIII, Porno Soundtrack Music
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:55 pm
I think Cherone’s a really cool dude- just didn’t like the album. Not his fault, in my opinion…
January 3rd, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Well wheres balance? and diver down sucks badly compared to FAIR WARNING….and i love both era’s and just love the MUSIC no matter who’s singing…they both had there pluses and minuses. I even like VH III and love the song ONCE….i listen to it all the time with headphones….sounds great
January 3rd, 2010 at 11:15 pm
I thought Catherine was pretty awesome Chris. It’s a way cool instrumental and one of the better things that Ed has written in a while
January 3rd, 2010 at 11:30 pm
I don’t really get the Diver Down bashing…no, it’s not my fave DLR VH album but I’d still rather hear that than most of the Van Hagar catalog….and over a lot of other crap that’s out today. I think for ‘Hang ‘Em High’, ‘Secrets’ and ‘Little Guitars’ alone DD is worth it.
I don’t think Cherone is cool….he lost my respect on his anti-abortion stance. As far as his singing is concerned, he’s good….I just didn’t think he was good for VH.
January 4th, 2010 at 1:19 am
LUV IT seriuosly well done n seriously on the money.
DIVER DOWN is brilliant , man u cld throw in eat em n smile , scyscraper there up there with the best of VH
January 4th, 2010 at 3:13 am
Come on guys, OU812 is a great piece of work. As for the best album, let’s just say that I run a small consulting business, Fair Warning Inc.
Ps, let’s all file VH3 along with the other Extreme albums. As such, it’s a great piece of work
January 4th, 2010 at 4:21 am
dlr solo was not van halen
vh3 is more van halen
its the guitar dude
not that eat em and skyscraper and the 3rd album were bad
just not van halen
better than van halen 3 that is for sure
new album will be okay
why does everyone slag balance
was it overproduced or too cheesy or predictable
maybe
it was too slick for sure
fuck is the number one album of the hagar era
5150 still sounds like the roth era
January 4th, 2010 at 4:21 am
Canes_fan5150: I hate to say it, but just in case I missed something, I went back to YouTube and watched “Catherine” again. Dude, that su*ked hard. I’m not that great of a guitarist but even I can play better than that…
Catherine is a sad pathetic self-indulgent boring piece of music masturb*tion that sounds nothing like what EVH was formerly capable of…
Even the comments on YouTube ripped it apart… He looked and sounded like Gollum trying to play the guitar. Honestly, it’s worse than all the copycats who tried to imitate EVH on the Shrapnel records. At least they could play interesting.
Catherine was a sad view of a wasted EVH on a drunken ego trip. Thank God he’s seems to be getting better now.
January 4th, 2010 at 5:29 am
Diver Down should not be on the top of any greatest list – unless your talking greatest remakes. Diver Down?! Diver Down?! You gotta be kidding me!!! Diver Down?!
January 4th, 2010 at 6:08 am
I think Balance is their best album, ok who wants to fight me now ? : )
January 4th, 2010 at 6:20 am
I like Gary just not with VH. He is a good guy and perfect for Extreme. Here is my list.
Superior: VH1 & Fairwarning
Excellent: VH2, Women/Children & 1984 (Never a big fan of synthesizers)
Good: 5150, Diver Down, Balance & Fuck
Fair: 0u812, Live Album, 1st Greatest Hits
Poor: VH3
Dreadful: 2nd Greatest Hits w/ those shitty new Sammy tunes, Van Halen not releasing an album for sooo long.
January 4th, 2010 at 6:32 am
One thing’s for sure, you can pick and chose out of that list (as we all will) but which ever way it falls for you you’re going to end up with a selection of albums the like of which only a few bands in history will have equalled. There’s only a handful of bands that can boast a catalogue like the one we see above and it’s the absolute cream, the list of which probably reads something like: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, U2, Queen, AC/DC, Pink Floyd and… er… er…
Now you don’t have to like that list, but thinking in that context is a pretty good way to judge where Van Halen stand in the greater scheme of things.
January 4th, 2010 at 6:42 am
I guess we know whether he’s a Dave-man or a Sammy-man! Agree or disagree, you have to be amused with his writing style. There’s 43 comments so far and I bet we could have 43 different reviews or lists.
I loved every Dave-era VH record and solo album. Ditto for Sam. I think VH III should have been the “searching his soul” EVH solo album. To put the VH tag on it after 2 bad breakups was inviting a storm.
All in all an entertaining read.
January 4th, 2010 at 7:38 am
this guy is just stirring up conversation…he might as well ,we have nothing else ..right now anyway…the new years greeting from the boys speaks for itself…2010 will be good for vh fans..
January 4th, 2010 at 7:41 am
Hold the fort Bort, just because you are #1 on life’s greatest mistakes list, doesn’t mean you should be so harsh on Diver Down have a little class like good old SCAR (LOL)!!!!!!
January 4th, 2010 at 8:57 am
This ridiculous “buyer’s guide” was obviously written by someone who’s 20 years old and learned about VH last year. Treat it as such.
“Come on [dude], give us a break.”
January 4th, 2010 at 9:07 am
spot on analysis with the exception that “right now” is one of their greatest songs. frankly, it deserves to be on VH3 as it is soooo bad!
January 4th, 2010 at 9:32 am
“spot on analysis with the exception that “right now” is one of their greatest songs. frankly, it deserves to be on VH3 as it is soooo bad!”
Don’t be daft! OK, you might not like Right Now (and it’s probably not what the author claims), but that’s a quite silly statement.
January 4th, 2010 at 9:46 am
I would not agree with all the album ratings. FUCK is not very strong. Judgement Day is in my top 10 but the rest of the album is not.
VHIII was Eddie’s record, as many have mentioned. I believe it is a preview of any VHIV(4)offering.
We all have feelings about Dave or Sammy.
These are the facts:
Van Halen is Dave, Eddie, Mike and Alex.
Van Halen can be Sammy, Eddie, Mike and Alex.
Van Halen should never be anything else.
So, let’s keep the kids at home, get in the studio. Make an album. Go on tour and fucking rock!
“Hear about it Later!”
January 4th, 2010 at 10:15 am
Hi,
Agree with some of this review. Don’t agree about there being only 3 songs on For Unlawful. Balance not being on there lost all accountability on the review for me. I love Balance. Better than OU812 and For Unlawful. VH3 had horribly produced vocals. It really sounds like rough demos that were never worked on again. However, I thought “One I Want” is as great a song as any VH tune. That songs rocks! Other than that the rest of the album sounds like someone tackled Gary Cherone and tied his balls with a tight fishing line, then forced him to sing the vocals afterwards!
AN INTERESTING THOUGHT FOR VH3: If you take most of the songs and replace the singers they could be great. What if Ozzy sang “From Afar?” What if Phil Collins sang “Once.” What if Samny sang “Without You” and “That’s Why I love You?” What if Dave sang “Ballot or the Bullet?” What if Steven Tyler sang One I want or Josephina? It seems to me that an all star record would have made those exact same songs great.. I think that’s what Ed wanted to do before 5150
January 4th, 2010 at 11:22 am
i agree with diomanddlr. This dude is probably a kid who wrote this. As most people who slam here probably are.
I may act silly here BUT I never slam anybody or any albums.
Probably why we haven’t goton shit lately.
When i grew up as VH fan nobody owned computers to whine and vent everyday and the VH goodies were thrown at us.
I agree with ED, why should he give us something already knowing everybodys behavior here.
January 4th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
In 1982 I was 17. My parents came back from vacation in Southern California and instead of a lame t-shirt they got me Diver Down hot off the press. It was fun to listen to and even though it was short on originals (I heard the guys had just gone on vacation for the first time in years and when Pretty Woman started soaring up the charts they got called back to do a whole record. They had just recorded the one song so they’d have something on the airwaves.) it is one of my favorite VH albums to listen to. It’s just a plain fun record! I also must admit VH3 was different and it took quite a while but it grew on me and though it doesn’t have the same attitude as a Dave or Sammy record, I still like it. The guitar playing and even Gary’s voice.
Here’s to all 3 versions of the band! (I really think they need Michael back but I think he’s havin’ to much fun in and success in Chickenfoot).
Lance in Iowa
January 4th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
BoogerMuncher
Yeah, yeah, that’s right, that’s why Ed ain’t producing, because of the whiners! Jesus, get real! A hundred and twenty million people buy his albums, he sells $100 million worth of tickets to the last tour, he’s acknowledged the world over as the premier guitarist of his generation and probably one of the most influential guitarists of all time, he has one of the most prolific rock careers of all time and now he’s going to shut up shop because people were a bit so so about some lazy tunes tacked on to yet another lazy Best Of and a few people think that Christmas greeting was basically lame and bordering on ungrateful? If Ed’s that sensitive you got to wonder how he survived all those years in the rock business. How did he even manage to get through all those years in the company of Roth? Then again, maybe Ed’s just dragging out yet another excuse…
January 4th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
I love the music on III. Dave is great, Sam was good.
January 4th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
vh must have recorded something by now,…cmon ed throw us a bone…just one more cd with roth,let us relive the dream one more time…please…..im not to proud to beg.
January 4th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Geez, this article was what got me into VH, well over two years ago – and you guys found it NOW? Congrats. But thanks for posting.
And the VH3 bit made me initially interested in Extreme, aka my current obsession. This magazine is to thank no matter what they write. XD
January 4th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Kinda embarrassed to admit, but Diver Down got me hooked on VH. It was the album (or casstte actually) that I could not stop listening to, at the time. Led Zep II had a similar effect on me.
Also, 1984 is an essential, classic in my book.
Fun to talk/read about these records…
January 4th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Balance was ok. I think For unlawful carnal knowledge was the best of the hagar years, and I have a few favorites of the dave era. when I listen to VH3 I compare it to the Black sabbath born album. It was another example of a band line up that looked good on paper.
January 4th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
When I heard VH3 for thr first time I felt like that material was written for Hagar, I couldn’t see roth singing any of those tunes.
January 4th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
I would have put Fair Warning up there with Van Halen and 1984. I would have dropped OU812 and 5150 into the avoid category along with Balance, and I would have not mentioned Van Halen III instead of Balance.
I think Carnal Knowledge is the best Sammy record. Andy Johns really helped them sound better, as did dropping the stupid electronic drums. The record is more adventurous and guitar based then previous Van Hagar, and more band-like in sound.
I love the way people say Hagar is a better singer than Roth.
Did Roth write better lyrics? Yes
Are Roth songs more memorable? Yes
Do a bunch of other singers sound like Sammy? Yes
Has anyone ever come close to singing like Roth? No
Do you know anyone who can do Roth’s two tone screams? No
January 4th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
Interesting thought there Steve, although I think “Once” would be more of a Peter Gabriel song and “One I Want” would be perfect for Geddy Lee. Always thought it sounded an awful lot like a Rush song, particularly very end of the song.
January 4th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
Dudes
VH3 is an incredible display of writing ability on EVH’s part. I love it. EVH has evolved out of simple rock jams. He is a classical trained musician and his music has always reflected it. You can’t find alot of popular music that changes keys and modes the way King EVH does. He is a genious.
There are only two simple rock jams on VH3 (Fire in the Hole and Year to the Day). That is where EVH is nom. His music is very progressive, tonally. Listen to Alan Holdsworth and you will get a glimse into where he is. Bye the way, the guitar solo to Year To The Day is the best blues solo ever. Period.
Listen to Dirty Water Dog. It is a jazz progression with a very catchy hook. That is brilliant that he and Gary pull it off.
If you are looking for ear candy than perhaps your ears have not evolved with EVH’s. I can assure you that any new material will have some very progressive jams in it. Like it or not.
I think he needs to dump the concept of a singer and go instrumental.
January 4th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
How about this for some news,,,,,,,The Crimson Tide is headed for their 13th National Championship. Let’s wish them well and hope VH comes out with some tunes in 2010.
January 4th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Essential Van Halen: VH1, FW, 1984, For Unl
Great Van Halen: VH2, W&C, Balance
Good Van Halen: 5150, 0U812
Not so good Van Halen: VH3, Diver Down
VH3, Diver Down, and 0U812 sound like they were recorded in a vacuum. It’s like somebody turned the treble all the way up and the bass all the way down. I can’t listen to those records anymore, they sound so bad.
January 4th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
I LOVE Balance!!! I celebrate the entire catalog!!! Poor Gary4Wife!!!
January 4th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
This guy is obviously a Roth fan. And where I have no problem with that, I do find this review extremely safe and typical. What a suprise, AVOID VH3! Why? If you are open minded then you’d like it. The guitar work is excellent and people find it easy to just hate on Cherone, whereas I wouldn’t really care who was singing it as I listen to the riffs.
Diver Down is the worst VH record, I don’t care what people say. That does not make it a BAD record, Hang ‘Em High and The Full Bug (and Little Guitars I guess) were good. But 5 covers wears thin. “Intruder” was simply written to extend the music video to “Pretty Woman”. This album screams “commercial” at me, and what the fuck is up with Happy Trails?
I will not attempt to order the VH albums, everyone has their favourites. I love OU812 and always feel Fair Warning is really unappreciated or overlooked. Balance is also a gem as others have suggested, it has some sweet heavy riffs that weren’t prominent on the earlier material but came to light again in VH3.
Plus, by now I think we all know what we prefer from the VH back catalogue so I think its best left alone.
January 4th, 2010 at 6:11 pm
I agree with RickieVanWhalen about dumping the singer concept, at least for an album, if they can’t resolve the singer issue.
Carlos Santana recorded a solo album “Blues For Salvador” without the Santana band and it sounded great, though some critics dogged it.
But Ed needs someone to help guide his genius into a cohesive offering, like on “For Unlawful” or “Me Wise”. (Please no LP-length jams similiar to “Catherine”).
I suppose that’s one if any good aspect(s) of record company controls. It potentially saves us from over-indulgencies of rock star excessiveness.
Just an option where we can choose to turn OFF the vocals on any VH album after DLR would be handy to jam the tunes only…
January 4th, 2010 at 6:39 pm
Picking a favorite Van Halen album is almost impossible. But if somebody put a gun up to my head I would have to say VH 1. That first album is so raw and pure. The power of that album is unmatched. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, that’s not just the best VH album that’s one of the all-time best rock albums in the history of rock and roll. If I had a time machine I wouldn’t try to change history I would just go back to the late seventies and early eighties and see Van Halen about 500 times.
The best I could do ranking the other VH albums would be to say VH III is at the bottom (mainly due to Gary Cherone, not the music- I could listen to Eddie tune his guitar).
I would go crazy trying to put the rest of the albums in order, they are all to freakin awesome.
January 4th, 2010 at 6:49 pm
If VH3 would have been produced differently. (to me it was like the opposite of VH1. VH3 sounded like it was produced about 5 times over) And they had either Sammy or Dave singing, it would not be at the bottom of so many people’s list. Cherone’s presence just didn’t feel organic. It felt forced. Not to mention he’s a gigantic cheese ball, IMO.
January 4th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
What a dumb review — so DLR-centric. VH began their change in sound on 1984, which was reviewed as “classic”. Just because Sam came in later doesn’t mean 5150 was less important in their history. What are the odds that lightning would strike twice? Yet it did with Hagar. 5150 should absolutely be on the “Classic” list, since it was with a new lead singer (proving they were still a force) AND it was their FIRST #1 album. Yet, it’s put on the “Worth Exploring” list? Please. I’m a fan from the beginning and am so glad that it was Sammy Hagar that took over for DLR. Very few others could have taken them that far after the lead singer left. I would be happy for either singer to be in the band if they’d just put out a new CD!! (although Chickenfoot rocks)
January 4th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Bullseye, Panama Red! Couln’t have said it better myself!!
January 4th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
It’s really fascinating to read all the comments here. I really pray that Ed or Dave don’t read this website because I would stop make music if I was them!!!
I read about “resolving singer issue”, I read about Diver Down being crap, about Balance being a great album, about weird stuff to be honest.
First of all, the singer is David Lee Roth. Eddie stated clearly that after his wedding, the graduation of Wolfy and his hand operation’s recovery he would begin to rehearse all of the songs he had written in the last years with Dave.
Do you expect to get a detailed description of their daily lives to calm down kids?
By reading you people, I understand why they are so discrete about their whereabouts!! Jeez, relax a little!
So that’s for the fictional “singer issue” that many of you seem to be obsessed about.
Now. Diver Down. What exactly is this collective hallucination about it being so mediocre and lazy? What are you talking about? Pretty Woman a crappy cover? Dancing in the streets, low quality? HUH??? Those songs are incredible and at the time they were greatly appreciated by their legions of fans! Cathedral is great guitar experimentation. Big Bad Bill is funny, clever and features Papa Van Halen on the clarinet! Come on! This is so refreshing! Little Guitar, Hang ‘em High, Secrets, The Full Bug are in my book awesome VH songs. WTF is the problem?
I was 13 at the time, and let me tell you that Happy Trails became a classic for my group of friends! Whenever we would gather, listen to music, and party, we would sing this out loud! This is an Hymn!
Maybe the Kinks cover is not their best, but still, it’s VH!
Balance was really painful for me. But hey, I can’t stand Hagar, what he’s done with VH, and I don’t care for your insults and judgments. He gave VH a commercial-predictable-and-pop sound that I couldn’t bare to listen. “Right Now” being the pinnacle of despair for me.
To me, VH is about partying, it’s about raw energy and positive, festive music. It’s also about decadence, sex and women. Hagar ruined it all, IMHO. Don’t get me wrong: he sings very well, he seems like a good person, but his persona didn’t fit in the original concept, at least from my point of view. Maybe because I was a fan during the DLR era and I discovered VH early on, when I was a kid. It was such a powerful combination of talents that it couldn’t exist in another form.
Anyways. I guess we all have our own tastes, so please talk in the first person instead of proclaiming this and that as if you were the Great Decider of Rock Music and try to be patient, there will be a new record, I’m sure. I’ve waited so long for the return of DLR, and it finally happened. So stop the whining and trust them.
January 4th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Rich, Happy Trails just proves that back then VH had a great sense of humor!!! Nothing wrong with that!!! Where have all the good times gone? 2010 could be the year that VH brings the good times back!!!!
January 4th, 2010 at 11:39 pm
In my opinion
1984
5150
FAIR WARNING
DIVER DOWN
VAN HALEN
F.U.C.K
WACF
VAN HALEN 2
BALANCE
VH3
OU812
1984 WAS THEIR ZENITH BRILLIANT IN EVERY ASPECT. 5150 BRILLIANT AS WELL BUT SLIGHTY DIFFERANT MORE MAINSTREAM .FAIR WARNING THERE DARKEST GREATEST MOMENT.
I LUV DIVER DOWN THE WHOLE CD IS UNIQUE AND FULL OF CHARECTOR , NEVER HAVE VH BEEN SO ADVENTURIST
To OU812 TERRIBLE CD , THE WORST PRODUCTION IVE EVER KNOWN ON AN ALBUM N SAPPY GEES , THE FIRST REAL VAN HAGAR ALBUM , FEELS SO GOOD , SOURCE OF INFECTION , N SUCKER IN A 3 PIECE R THE ONLY DECENT SONGS
3 WELL AWFUL PROD AGAIN , CHERONE SOUNDED ABYSMAL , THE SONGS WERE TOOOO LONG ( BLAME EDDIE ON THAT)
January 4th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
They should’ve included balance!!!! I think it is one of the better van halen albums! AND they shouldn’t have bashed Gary Cherone so bad. His vocals didn’t shine on VH3, but that was the producers fault, not his! Gary is actually a great singer, both in ballads and hard rock songs. Whoever wrote this article is out of it because EVERY single Van Halen album rocks!!!!
January 5th, 2010 at 12:14 am
“It’s an album so bad, in fact, that Van Halen have never made another since.”
That certainly puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?
Putting a list like this on a VH fan site is just asking for trouble. We’ve all got our favorites, for one reason or another.
January 5th, 2010 at 1:23 am
fascinated fan
“It’s really fascinating to read all the comments here. I really pray that Ed or Dave don’t read this website because I would stop make music if I was them!!!”
Yeah, that’s right, every rocker should pack up as soon a anyone says something a bit nasty pasty about ‘em. Oh boo boo, there there, poor sensitive souls that they are.
January 5th, 2010 at 2:12 am
EAT EM N SMILE AND SKYSCRAPER R JUST AS GOOD AS ANY VAN HALEN , BETTER THEN AT LEAST HALF THE VH CATALOGUE
January 5th, 2010 at 2:29 am
You can`t rule out DD because of the covers – man, everyone should have a chance to hear Secrets and Little Guitars, Hang `Em High and Cathedral! Just imagine you are trying to sell the band to a non-believer:
Fair Warning and VH1 and 1984 are essential, in that order;
VHII, WACF, DD and 5150 are next in that order;
Balance, OU812 next…with Best of Vol.1 for the last three tracks;
VHIII needs to be bought for Neworld and Without You.
I wouldn`t want to face life with any of them taken out of my collection.
January 5th, 2010 at 3:49 am
I think those who play guitar respects VH3, it’s a good guitar album.
Or what you think?
January 5th, 2010 at 4:28 am
Living in Australia we dont get the VH stuff as much as other places…(that sucks) so have get our fix by the web. WHO is this reporter??? DIVER DOWN is in NO WAY better than the other albums. To miss out rating Balance, shows me he is not a VH fan??? or that he lacks research ability. Sammy has the best voice and Dave is the best showman, Garry was singing when they did tour here and he was excellent then. ITS ALL GOOD. Because they are different, should we rate them in order??
January 5th, 2010 at 4:37 am
It has its moments and would have been a much better album without the terrible singing. A decent voice might have lifted it. And no, that’s not Gary hating or being unable to accept a third singer or Gary being sunk before he even started – it’s just plain bad singing.
I play.
January 5th, 2010 at 5:25 am
Yes, perhaps you are right Karl.
January 5th, 2010 at 6:36 am
Picking 1984 and VH1 as essential. Wow, this guy really did his homework. Am I the only fan who thinks 1984 is over rated ?
January 5th, 2010 at 6:50 am
Well happy nre year rockers!!!!!!
I was away enjoying whiping the slate clean if you know what I’m sayin! Wow….2010…
ANYWAY!
I think it’s funny that anytime someone celebrates those classic roth albums, in a positive review over sammy’s, people get annoyed. Why? If it wasnt for those first 6 albums, we’d probley all be celebrating reissues of our favourite disco tunes! VH changed the face of rock, and of course the electric guitar. Those first 6 albums were without a doubt essential to rock history. If the reviewer is a roth fan so be it! There was a time long ago in a galaxy far far away when rock ruled this planet and VH was a rockers household name. Ask anyone who’s in their late 30′s and older and they’ll tell ya….VH was explosive! It was everywhere! Ed and dave were like the richards and jagger of our era! When you have 7 years of those classic shows and riffs it’s hard for anyone who grew up during that time to put ou812 anywhere near fair warning or their debut (VH).
)he just felt that the roth era was a magical time for rock and roll and I agree. The truth is I dont think we’ll ever see a band like VH ever again. And thats what makes em’ special! It’s like zepplin or the stones. No one can top those performances or shows. It’s a staple of our youth…a piece of Americana…as american as apple pie.
I’ve said it many times around here….there are many VH fans that just dont feel the sam era. I’m obviously one of those people. I dont think this guy is being biased. It’s not like he said the sammy era SUCKED (good thing I didnt write it
Classic VH paved the road….for future rockers and sammy’s bank account.
January 5th, 2010 at 7:45 am
1.1984 f’ing classic
2.5150 f’ing classic
3.WACF firing on all v8s
4.VAN HALEN I firing on all…
5.F.U.C.K damn good
6.FAIR WARNING lots of fun
7.DIVER DOWN really good and some filler
8.VAN HALEN II really good and some filler
9.BALANCE not bad but overproduced and too many ballads
10.OU812 half good and horrible sound
11. VH3 maybe one good song the single – maybe
sammy singing on vh3 would have easily made it better
the album sounds like sammy on the telephone with a cold and the lyrics are worse than sammys worst (not good)!
at least dave writes damn good lyrics for sure.
January 5th, 2010 at 7:46 am
eddie changed the bands sound in 1983-
1984 and 5150 sound the same
the tone on these albums makes my ears bleed
love it.
January 5th, 2010 at 8:07 am
Gary Cherone is a brilliant singer and musician. He is not a wuss. Maybe the chemistry with VH wasn’t right. Even if you don’t like Extreme you just can’t knock Gary’s work with them.
January 5th, 2010 at 8:48 am
DiamondDean, what half of the VH catalog are you referring too?Hmmm, are you referring to the Sammy era? The Red Rocker era kicks ass too!!!! I love all of DLR’s solo stuff but I would not compare it to any of the VH catalog!!!! From his EP to Diamond Dave, each album DLR put out had it’s own unique kick ass style and I love them all!!!! Just like you can’t compare the Foot to any VH album, the Foot kicks ass in it’s own unique way too!!! LONG LIVE KICK ASS ROCK N ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 5th, 2010 at 8:51 am
I completely disagree with the VH3 assessment. Of all three of the singers, I would say that Gary has the broadest range of them all. Eddie just decided that the instruments that he played were gonna get top billing on the album. Gary’s vocals were an afterthought. As far as the songs all stinking….c’mon. Eddie did write the songs. Go to youtube and listen to the acoustic version of Josephina. It’s awesome. If Gary would have had the opportunity to make a second album I think it would have been a success. JMO.
January 5th, 2010 at 8:53 am
IMHO:
Van Halen
1984
WCF
Diver Down
VH 2
5150
OU812
Fair Warning(I know..you “true VH fans” are going to hang me)
F.U.C.K.
Balance
VH3 should be returned and monies refunded
January 5th, 2010 at 9:13 am
Scar, I noticed you keep defending Happy trails? You are a cornball, I bet you like the Inside off 5150 too?
January 5th, 2010 at 10:44 am
This is great and all but if you are a true VH fan you will not avoid VHIII. If you have children you are proud of them all in thier own way. VHIII is still VH and it still has some great music. It may not be like the debut, 1984 or Fair Warning but it is still VH.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:52 am
VHIII _1998_, I love every song from THE MIGHTY VH!!!! Happy Trails!!!
January 5th, 2010 at 10:52 am
JK-47…I agree completely about 1984. VH was already a different band when that album was made. In fact, I’d go further and say that the original VH ended (the recordings I mean) with Fair Warning. I like DD, but I see it as a pause before the next ‘incarnation’-something to keep them on the radio with something new, even if it is half covers (and I like the originals on there fwiw).
To me, 1984 was cool because it sounded so different for VH, yet they made it work with some good tunes (I like ‘I’ll Wait’, but I don’t like ‘Jump’). However, 25+ years later, it sounds weak compared to the first 4 albums-not raw, not brown, and not as cool as it once was imo either. I also think that some people liked it because they thought it was a detour/pitstop into using keyboards and changing the sound, but imo it turned out that they never came back from that turn. Some of you said you like the tone, but to me, each album (particularly after FW) got more smooth sounding (less brown, I guess). Eddie moved further and further away from gritty distortion and rawness and closer and closer to a polished sound. Listen to the evolution of Alex’s drum sound over the records too. He started off rough and raw (live sounding, if you will). By the time 1984 came about, and more later on, his drum sound was tinny, and a lot of the fills he once played were either impossible to hear over the cymbals being so high in the mix or he flat out stopped playing them. To put it bluntly, Eddie and Alex’s sound became digital, as opposed to analog. MA’s bass practically disappeared from the mix over the years, too. WTF is up with that??
The issue of Dave vs Sammy (for me) comes down to this: Dave was there at the beginning. If 5150 was VH’s FIRST album, and the world had first become acquainted with EVH through that and subsequent albums, what type of legacy would VH have (compared to what is really is)?? I believe that they would be in the upper half of hair bands from that era (if 5150 was the 1st album). Sammy kicked ass with solo stuff like ‘Red’ and some of that other early stuff (‘One Way to Rock’ is cool too imo), but I think that he and VH kind of put out each other’s fires. They both had attitude and balls before he joined. Then, as EVH’s writing was changing, he and VH put out cheesy pop metal tunes that were everywhere back then. Though more technical in some aspects, 5150 and 0U812 aren’t any better (or more catchy) than anything Poison or Dokken was doing back then. That’s why these bands (and many more like them of the time) often played on the same bill, or all together in some of the festivals that took place. Not trying to start anything with anyone here, that’s just my take on it.
As far as the albums go, I’ll take VH2 as #1. It still sounds the freshest from the relaxed intro to ‘You’re No Good’ to ‘Outta Love Again’ being the type of simple, raw, kickass tune (where you can clearly hear all 4 members’ contributions) that VH would move away from over the years. Somehow Dave made a song like ‘Beautiful Girls’ work, and kept it from being cheesy. That wouldn’t have happened with Sammy imo. FW is next, then WACF and VH1 a tie. I won’t even consider listening to any of the others anymore-not even 1984. That’s not the VH that I love
January 5th, 2010 at 11:08 am
If you don’t think that Dirty Water Dogs is an absolutely mind blowing tune, YOU ARE DEAF.
January 5th, 2010 at 11:36 am
Ok guys: we get it.
Gary has a great set of pipes and is not a wuss…
All that doesnt mean shit.
He was NOT made for VH…period!
January 5th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Wait until the new Extreme Live DVD from the HOB in Boston comes out in a month or so….he’ll see how much of a wuss Cherone is. Not a good match for VH, but a great front man, nonetheless!
January 5th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
I don’t personally have a problem with III, there was some interesting music on there. If you want to point fingers as to why it was a commercial failure I think you have to look at how it was made. Eddie pretty much did everything. Instead of just writing music, Eddie has become a control freak that has to have his finger in every aspect of the creation of VH music. Back when he let the people around him do their jobs, the songs took care of themselves. Apparently he even played bass on most of III. I don’t, its supposed to be a band.
January 5th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Extreme have been covering some roth era van halen tunes, one of them being mean street.I’m not sure if they have done any van hagar covers but I can confirm Mean street and unchained have been in the set.
January 5th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
When I saw Van Halen during the VH3 tour It was packed and in the parking lot people were jamming to all era’s of VH and the band played all era’s of VH some all in all I thought it was a good show.
January 5th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Bobby – good point.
Most of you should know that the approach to writing on VH3 was totally diffent. In this case, Ed took lyrics from Gary and wrote the music, all of it… melodies included. I hardly think the vocals were an after thought as someone said. In the past, EVH provided the tune and vocals were decided on my DLR or SH.
VH3 is pretty amazing stuff, tonally. You have to listen some of it a few times to get it. I think Gary rocked and loved his singing. Sorry Karl!
January 5th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Hey would ya know what? VH3 just confused the hell out of me…How about the Twister soundtrack? I never see anyone commenting on that…Not exactly VH, but dudes, I tell ya some very inventive and mesmerizing tracks in there by Eddie/Alex give it some props for what its worth! Smoke a bowl and put yer ‘phones on!!
January 5th, 2010 at 6:45 pm
It would be cool to see Ed use respect the wind on an album or live.awesome piece of music.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Ok….to be fair here…
If you’re a guitar player I can honestly understand why VHIII means something. There was a vibe on that album that showed that ed was truly “searching” for something different….something fresh….as far as sound was concerned. There is some great playing on that album.
But I’m not a guitar player (always wanted to be a fromtman)so to me the vocals did not match up.
I remember seeing the video for “Without you” on MTV and gringing the whole time. I thought the song sucked.
I remember eddie in that lame jesters hat (which I never understood)and all that ice! I gave it another listen and I felt the same. I was like: this aint VH! And I have NOTHING against gary cherone. Nothing. I think “III sides to every story” is a great album.
He just wasnt made for VH.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Essential = All but those that follow…
Good = Driver Down (Little Guitars makes up for the covers)
Avoid = VH3 (Not Cherone’s fault & 2.5 songs are okay, but the CD is crap when compared to the rest of the catalog)
Any Sammy fan who leaves off Fair Warning or Dave fan who leaves off F.U.C.K. are partisans akin to a White House spokesperson telling us how the respective President’s policies are so much better than his opponents’. Why such nonsense could make its way into a MUSIC discussion is beyond me, but….whatever.
[any first release of a major rock band is going to be the 'best' because its new & fresh. Much like movies, the originals are generally better than the sequels because, surprise, it's something you've never heard before.]
January 6th, 2010 at 10:26 pm
the debut by roth is the best album they ever did fair warning is underrated 1984 is overrated and dated sounding in some spots but it was popular an i will admit has become a classic just not as good overall as its rep makes it. The debut by sammy 5150 is also a little dated in spots but to me its the best album he did with the band evh really could write a song and create memorable hooks i think they would have went that way with the songwriting even if roth was there, the rest of hagar was popular but there really was a slight down hill feel to each subsequent album although fuck was actually pretty consistent top to bottom balence had some good shit but was average for van halen and vhIII wasnt cherones fault nobody could have made that be a success it might have represented eddie stretching out an showing his range or whatever but it was boring the production was crap and produced no hits and even the cover art was low class and chintzy lookin for gods sake its van halen put some effort into it anyways vh is great an its easy for us to analyize and criticize but i still hope for a new album unlikely as it is
January 7th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
“Fair Warning” in the same category as “Diver Down”? “5150″ merely good? What happened to “Balance”?
This reviewer has no idea what he is talking about! Bring in a real Van Halen fan!!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
FUCK BALANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT SUUUUUUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Without a doubt the WORST VH record!
F.U.C.K is the hardest sammy ever rocked with VH period!
January 8th, 2010 at 2:53 am
Rank:
1. Fair Warning (Smash Mouf Mutha Fuckin’ in yo’face shit)
2. VH (Atomic Punk Ass Biootches)
3. FUCK (Thrills, Chills and mutha fuckin’ Drills)
4. VHII (Light ‘em UP!!!)
5. 5150 (Best of Bofe Bioootches)
6. WACF (Everybody want some o’ dis?)
7. 1984 (Jump? How’z ’bout take a mutha fuckin’ dump)
8. Balance (Love Dis, biootch)
9. OU812 (I oughta smack you upside your muggin’ grape)
10. Diver Down (Gay ass muuuh fuckuz)
11. VHIII (HAHAHA)
Now, we be waitin’ why dey be off suckin toes and tossin’ salads fo some mo’ shizznitz.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:13 pm
I absolutely love balance. That is tied with VH I as far as best albums from the band with fair warning being a close third. Fair warning and balance are opposites of the same coin for me. They are much darker than any other albums in their catalogue. The music sounds pissed off. Love those two.
I’m a guitar player, and have listened to III a lot, and I don’t get it. Really think year to the day is an epic and fantastic song, but, to be honest, I don’t really dig that album. Gary was awesome live, especially with the Roth stuff, but I just can’t get into recorded stuff.
January 9th, 2010 at 4:22 am
Dirty Water Dog is a great tune. Get with it brother.
January 9th, 2010 at 10:59 am
Thanks snoop dog…..
January 10th, 2010 at 2:16 am
The thing that makes me mad about OU812 is that the tunes weren’t all that bad…watching their ’89 Tokyo concert “Black and Blue” and “Mine all Mine” are pretty flippin’ sweet. It was just the album: the sound of it and the production of it. I feel similar about 5150, For Unlawful and Balance are much better in my opinion.
January 11th, 2010 at 7:04 am
I never got that? Why did the production and sound get worse as the years went on for VH? I mean I would think it would be the other way around no?
January 11th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Yes, I would too Duck.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
i have seen van halen with hagar (1995) on the balance tour and it was pretty good had some highpoints but eddie wasnt moving around at all kinda just stayin in one spot and it was note for note almost perfect ( he had hip surgery around that time so that explains why he was stationary) but i was disapointed in the fact that there were very few roth songs played sammy wouldnt sing em i know but still kinda a let down but weirdly enough sammy was the mvp of that particular show he did a tribute to jerry garcia who had recently died playing his song where eagles fly and he had alot of energy and he and michael anthony really seemed to be having fun i already talked about eddie who was still playin like a genius just not much energy but alex was goin thru the motions and i must say 15 minute drun solos get really boring! and the second time i saw vh was on the roth reunion tour i really was about 25 yrs late because all the elements were there and some of the magic was evident but the execution was routine and the show was just a generic lets just do it and get paid and move on to cleveland type of thing once again eddie was stationary and seemed shy and nervous roth moved around but his high over the shoulder leg kick now is a over the knee cap leg kick alex was the same consixtent and a non factor wolfgang was nonexistent and it seemed like they used michael anthony backing tracks on some sings particularly beautiful girls