Van Halen Album Rumored To Be Nearing Completion

March 29, 2011 243 Comments

The Van Halen News Desk (VHND.com) was the first to report last December that Van Halen were set to record a new studio album with Grammy Award winning producer John Shanks. In January, Shanks confirmed this via his Twitter account.

Today, respected Metal Show host, Eddie Trunk, tweeted that he heard gossip from a “reliable source” that the “VH album is close to done and will come out this year. Label TBD” This matches up perfectly with what we heard from a trusted source at the beginning of March – that the recording process is going great and the band is starting to mix the new tracks. Also, from another reliable source of ours today, we hear that this Fall is the most probably time that the album will be released and a tour will begin.

Get ready, everybody…the Van Halen juggernaut is gearing up!

Filed Under: Van Halen Tagged With: Van Halen new album tour 2011 John Shanks

Aussieed

Well the planets seem to be in sync!!!!

Cant wait…..

And cant wait to get on a plane and come and see them play in the USA again!!!!!!!
Sparks in ’11

@bb170 – Take it Back & Down in Flames are all time faves of mine. Also love No More Waiting, Just Waht You Wanted (both appropriately titled) Big Trouble and parts of Light In The Sky. Lately diggin’ on their covers of the Grind by Tommy Bolin, The Fool and Me by Robin Trower and We All Had a Real Good Time by Johnny Winter. I know they did those 35 years ago, but holy shit were they ahead of their time. Oh and Chevrolet by ZZ Top and Walk Away by the James Gang. Ed was Wolfs age when he kicked those out. Damn, I wish Ed would do what Zappa did and clean up all of the bootlegs and sell’em officially. Please the loons like us and earn the money that’s rightfully theirs.
Denny

Rock needs Van Halen – Van Halen needs to rock.
http://www.vhnd.com Simon from Switzerland

….The Scorpions began a farewell tour in Europe last year, they’re still on the road in 2011 : April, May, June + November.
RothHagarFan

When my eyes see it, my ears hear it and my hands hold it then and only then I believe
KJ

‘Label TBD’? I thought there was that story about Van Halen re-upping their publishing with Warner-Chappell.
Mike

I’ve been a fan since Fair Warning, but I must say my interest has diminished considerably. I didn’t even see the last tour, after seeing every concert from the Diver Down tour to the 2004 tour. I feel like this band has much to prove with this album. This better not be another “3″, or the boys need to pack it in. I hope the album does great, but I’m still taking a wait and see attitude.
swizzle

Dear Eddie, Dave, Alex & Wolfie,

Please make a public announcement….

Regards,

Fan forever
Steve K

I don’t get why some of you guys live so much in the VH past as far as wanting old demos to be on a new album.Demos are made for a box set not a new album that is possibly coming out.I’m pretty positive that the new music isn’t going to sound like VH 78-82.VH hasn’t recorded a full album with Dave since 1984 “a very long time ago” so don’y expect a Fair Warning sounding album.I’m thinking the producer is going to make a more radio friendly album to get a wider fan base.I don’t want a commercial album from VH but let’s face it that’s how the music industry is now.We’ll be lucky to hear anthing sounding like romeo delight or unchained.
evh51503

rumor has it? just a rumor !!sources that i know say look for a september -october release! I know we are all so amped up to hear some new stuff!!!! It will get here ..I HOPE!!I believe it will happen but you know ed and alex when they say so, its just how they work,they dont have a label pushing them to a timeline!!So lets all cross our fingers and pray to our rock gods and hope that this all goes down!!
StJames888

The timing seems to be right, a fall arena tour would be more likely (profitable) 3 nights at an arena vs. a 1 off at a shed in the weather… Knowing VH’s M.O.- they dont talk till they’re ready, they will roar when the time is right!!!

GOD BLESS THE MIGHTY VAN HALEN!!!!
bbl70

Hey Sparks ‘11

Yeah, I love those originals as well. Its funny you should mention those covers. I have never heard those particular songs covered by VH but lately I have been addicted to this “VH Covers Band from Pasadena” playlist. The set list in no particular order is:

30 Days in the Hole (Humble Pie)
Firehouse (Kiss)
Keep Playing that Rock & Roll (Johnny Winter)
Last Child (Aerosmith)
Live From The Music (Bad Co.)
The Rover (Led Zep)
Still Alive & Well (Johnny Winter)
Superstitious (Stevie Wonder)
Sweet Emotion (Aerosmith)
Twist & Shout (Isley Bros.)
Waiting for the Bus (ZZ Top)
Walk This Way (Aerosmith)

This is an absolutely ridiculous performance by VH here. Blazing solos and Eddie-isms galore throughout the entire set. Dave=On fire. Alex is an absolute animal behind the kit and you can really hear what Mikey meant to VH in this incredible live setting. Every tune sounds like a VH song. Any one of these covers here would be very much at home on a new VH album. I wonder if they will throw a cover on the new album like the old days? Sparks: I will have to check out those covers and add them to my playlist ASAP.

BTW: I love the picture of Ed & Dave here. So friggin cool!!!!

Did I mention to anyone here that I can’t wait for the new album????
ousawvh2

In our modern age of social networking why is the Van Halen camp closed so tight lipped about something so exciting? They’re missing out on some prime opportunities to rejuvenate their fan base. If my memory serves me correctly Janie is a PR person, but VH certainly isn’t utilizing this opportunity either. They need to generate some serious buzz and excitement about what they’re doing. It’s been 27 longs years since a VH album with DLR. No buzz means no excitement in my opinion. C’mon guys get us fans excited about what you’re doing.
Sparks in ’11

@Steve K- I’m not holding out for the new to sound like the old, but there is no denying that there are some remarkable tunes that never evolved beyond the demo stage that would most certainly make for modern day rock, as Ed was about thirty years ahead of his time when he wrote them. If I remember correctly, and I do, the whole VH fan base went berzerk when Ed used about 15 seconds of Show No Mercy/No More Waiting at the begining and end of Take Me Back/Dejavu on Balance. Someone not to kindly referred to Dave as the king of the cover tune. Well Ed has always been king of rehashing. I love most of their covers and welcome any rehashing.
I had posted a while back that the new recording of old songs worked out great for King’s X (Black Like Sunday) and Cheap Trick (The Latest).
Will I be disappointed if their are no covers or rewrites? F no m’ man!
Sparks in ’11

@bb170- Hit the Youtube. I thought, I had the bulk of the unreleased stuff on cd from years ago. Boy was I wrong. Fricken gold mine, that tube!

Hey, what show were you at in NJ ’86? They did 4 sold out nights. I was at the 2nd one. Good times!
rogerz13

take it for what it is… Us as fans have always wanted another VH album with DLR on vocals… looks like it’s going to happen finally…But enjoy it for yourself they will not light a fire in the music world that world is to far gone and controlled by idiots… Rock with it and screw the people who don’t get what VH means to us… Bring it on…
bbl70

Yeah. I am going to have to check them out on the tube. I love the tube. Its the best. Yknow, I don’t remeber which show I was at in 86. I just remeber that it was incredible. BTO opened for them and I remember some of the guys from BTO came out into the crowd to give high fives to the fans. I was in the floor section so I got some skin from one of the guys. That was my first concert. I was sixteen. Oh the memories. Anyway, I totally agree with your post about the unreleased songs. Those are such great tunes and so ahead of their time. When I discovered those unreleased songs I remember wanting to tell the whole world about them. I went to St Lucia on my honeymoon in 2000 and I see some dude with a VH tattoo on his arm so we get to talkin and I start telling him about the original outtakes that I had of VH and I thought the guy was going to flip his lid so we caught a buzz and ditched the wives for a few and listened to some tunes. Watching a fellow VH fan get totally blown away was a very satisfying feeling. The wife? Been there, done that…. it is not very often that I run into a freak VH fan like myself that’s why I like coming on here to see what you all have to say.
Dooley

bbl70: you said:

“I love the picture of Ed & Dave here. So friggin cool!!!!”

Yes, it is a cool picture. Those guys are in great shape for being in their 50′s. But (and this ain’t a put-down) I still laugh about Dave’s coat. Somebody else on VHND said it looks like what a maitre d’ at a fancy Mexican restaurant would wear. And I agree with that…in a good natured way.
evhua

I want to hear some BRAND NEW FRESH VAN HALEN MUSIC !

BRAND NEW RIFFS FROM THE GREATEST GUITARPLAYER ON THE PLANET !

COME ON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Roth_Leaps_83

bbl70 —

I know what you mean about the wife. Women come and go, but Roth-era Van Halen is forever and keeps getting better with age.

Dooley —

That’s a pretty awesome photo. Anytime I see a picture of Dave & Eddie smiling onstage together no matter what year it was taken, I know life is gonna be alright. Both of those guys are in phenomenal shape for their age and put all of us to shame.
SuperStrat Mike

No matter what comes out, I will enjoy it. When these guys have something to say musically, I’m confident it will speak volumes about where they were/are in 2010 and 2011; probably not the same as 78-84, but probably not a bad thing either. It will be interesting to see where these guys are musically after so much time has passed since they last wrote and recorded together. And yes, I’ll be in line for my tickets…..waitin to hear the words of the Diamond one:
“…look at all the people here tonite!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Rock on VH!! SSM
Jake

It will be cool to hear one instrumental (maybe a revamped take on Act Like It Hurts), about 5 or 6 songs in the vein of Panama, Romeo Delight, And the Cradle Will Rock, Unchained….about another 3 or 4 songs that are heavier and kind of more progressive a la Me Wise Magic, Humans Being. After that they can do whatever they want.
bbl70

@ Sparks 11

Hey I checked out those covers on the tube here at work, (while I was “supposed” to be working), and I have heard some of these before. GREAT stuff!!! I love how Dave is always trying to get people to get up & dance. “We’re playing dance music for people who like to party tonight!!!” “Where are the fucking dancers!?!?!?!” “Get up and see if that honey you been lookin at wants to look back at you.” C’mon people get up—its good & healthy for ya—don’t just sit around all night, you’ll get hemorrhoids—then you’ll be in sad shape.” HA HA—I love it.

These covers are so great to listen to in anticipation of a new VH release. Like I said before, VH puts their own spin on covers and each one of them sound like a VH original. When I started listening to these and the unreleased stuff around the time VH 3 came out, I felt like I re-discovered VH.

@ Leaps: Yeah the wife is a pain in the ass sometimes. In 2007, I tried to get her to go to the VH show in Philly while she was pregnant with my little girl so the little one could be exposed to the mighty VH, (Roth—full frontal), in the womb. I wound up ditching that idea because she would probably just bitch and moan about it being too loud or that she didn’t feel good—blah blah blah—so I just left her at home and went by myself. Got my balls busted by security for trying to sell the extra ticket in the parking lot—thank God they didn’t find my spliff. Funny, they emptied all my pockets but my front shirt pocket—mmmmm. “Smells like lemon scented pledge if I ever smelled it”
On Fire ’78

@ Roth_Leaps and bbl70, i took my girlfriend to the 2 shows in Las Vegas and she was entertained the first night and bored the second. Needless to say she isn’t my girlfriend anymore! Spliff huh??!! I took my digital videocamera in at the show in San Jose and Tampa. I have a nice edited video momento thanks to lame security! Ready to go back on the road to break the 07-08 record of 10 shows!! See you on the road!!
Roth_Leaps_83

bbl70 & OnFire —

If the wife or girlfriend isnt into Halen, then her ass stays home! VH tickets are too precious to waste on someone who’s gonna be bored at the show. That’s why I got on the singles chat boards and offered an extra ticket for the 2007-08 tour. Found a girl who was interested and we had a great time rockin’ out, not to mention got ourselves a hotel room after the show, hee hee!

Fuck those security ass clowns. I snuck in a mini-DV camcorder to a Van Cherone show and got some nice footage. Back in those days, nobody had cell phone cameras so it was still prohibited to film a concert. I just waited until it got dark and captured 4 or 5 songs. YouTube wasnt around in the late 90′s so I needed barter for the VH bootleg trading sites that were popular. I got a copy of the US Festival and ’82 Largo show that way.
Stan Marsh

Dear Alex, Eddie, Dave & Wolfgang,

UPDATE YOUR F@$KING website! Let’s hope your new album is a little better than your official website that’s out of date and obviously not very well managed.

Sincerely,
Stan
freddiegirl

Heh..you guys are dating the wrong girls! I ditched my prom to see a VH concert..

I do understand though, I can talk guitars and music for hours; my bf gets bored with it; he’s not the music fan that I am but my eyes roll back if he talks about motorcycles for too long. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to have seperate interests…
Sparks in ’11

My wife surprised me with tix to the NJ show in ’08. Believe me, I’m the lucky one in the marriage. I actually feel sorry for her for pickin’ me from time to time, but that’s a whole other story. Anyways, Alex just busts in to his drum solo and you could actually see people file towards the gates, and she says to me, “where’s everybody going?” I told her that’s how many people got drunk in the parking lot. They all chose that time to take a leak ’cause they didn’t want to miss any songs. She was like, “that’s rude”. What a turn on, seeing your woman intently watching Reverend Al FSU on the drums!

One more thought on the whole musical expectations topic. A lot of people in here are hoping that deeper cuts get pulled out for the next tour. It all makes sense that some of us would hope to hear some vintage grooves on a new CD. To proceed with an a nice blend of classic and modern vibes would definitely help bridge a fan generation gap. Something for everyone. Let’s face it, they’re the only band out there who’s living fans range from 14 to 64!! They are in a very admirable and respectable position as a band. 3/4 original + 1/4 inevitable = history in the making. ‘Cause these are…good times. Daaamn good times.

Just hum.
Keith

With today’s technology, should be NO reason it can’t be mixed, mastered, and produced for release by EARLY SUMMER.
I hope when they tour they realize the economy still sucks and us fans deserve a break for waiting so long and not having to pay a fortune for tickets.
johnny

Look at all the people here tonighhhhtttttt!!
jim

I had heard Wolfy was in college and they were working around him. Once his classes end this spring, will give the band a few months to get in sync before a late summer/fall tour.
Jim

Taking bets:

Van Halen vs Chickenfoot.

1) Who will actually have album out.
2) Who will have affordable tickets.

My money is on Chickenfoot. Sorry VH. Been hearing ‘rumors’ now for years.
karloff

when it’s released it’s released, so SHUT your mouths………
bbl70

Wait a second everyone….. did Leaps just admit to going to see a Van Cherone show?!?!?!
wooten

Yep, they can mix that sucker fast (and good) if they want.
mARVIN

wow i can believ. darkness of guitar sound is dirty but. think to myself van halen is nummer one. why can i wait to the season? it canbe most glorius. marshall stax roar like loin!
karloff

what’s the point for mixing the album FAST???
Ally

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
johnny5150

if it turns out to be true that the guys are waiting around on wolfie, i am gonna hurl. call the real VH bassist please.
josh

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mark S.

Keith, I feel the same way that you do. Tickets prices for most bands have gotten out of control. My very first Van Halen show was at the Roanoke Civic Center, in Roanoke, Virginia and the ticket was $16.00.
jim

Chickenfoot might have an album out first and they may have cheaper tickets. Chickenfoot also apparently does good at twitter, facebook, youtube, etc.. You can claim that Chickenfoot wins.
Chickenfoot will be rendered irrelevant once VH tours or releases the album.

But that’s okay. You can still claim Chickenfoot wins if that does it for you.
Spazzy Magar

I’m sure Sam will bitch a fit if this new Van Halen is good, next he will take all the credit for it, then he will claim all his albums are superior to it.

This new album I hope is good
motorscooter

Im iffy on bringing the girl with me to a concert by any band if our musical tastes differ.

Im not a music snob, so I dont mind enduring the unpleasant mediocre, sounds of a band like Green Day if she wants to see them. Cause bottom line, if Im in love with her, and she’s enjoying herself that’s all that matters.

But if Im going to see one of my musical heroes like Bob Dylan, I’d rather her stay home. I’ll be honest here, even though Bob is my hero the current version of him will not be for everyone.

I dont mind his current howlin wolf voice. But anybody else might be too put off. Although I do think it is an oxymoron if you like Tom Waits but cant handle current Dylan.

However, if it was anyone else like Neil Young the godfather of grunge, or Bruce Springsteen I expect my significant other to have an open mind. Cause both those cats put on awesome live shows.

I want to see Soundgarden in the worst way since they reunited. Those guys put on an awesome live show. And Chris Cornell still has got the pipes even if hes lost some range.

BTW does anyone think it would have been awesome if Chris took over from Sammy back in 97? Cause Soundgarden at the time broke up then. I mean when you got a guy like Chris with such amazing vocals and plus good songwriting skills, it would have made VH bigger and better than ever.

But I dont think Ed’s ego could handle an overwhelming talent like Chris’s though. Oh well, what could have been…
Dooley

Leaps: your comment:

“Found a girl who was interested and we had a great time rockin’ out, not to mention got ourselves a hotel room after the show, hee hee!”

Yeah, a VH show hook-up…that’ll get ya’ laid allright. But like bbl70 just remarked, you also admitted going to a Van Cherone show…really?? That one probably didn’t get you laid, I’d guess.
http://SPANKYVANHALEN DARRELL PAWLAK

IT’S ABOUT TIME…………
Roth_Leaps_83

Dooley & bbl70 —

Yes, I will admit I went to a Van Cherone show. Guilty as charged. In 1998, all I kept hearing from Ed was “This is it — no more changes. Gary is my musical soulmate for life”. So being a diehard Roth fan, I was deeply saddened that the mighty Van Halen was now going to be Van Cherone until my dying days. So I figured I might as well as enjoy some semblance of the glorious rock band of my youth no matter how dismal it had become. Needless to say, I never would’ve done it had I known about the future and not the pasture. I did NOT attend the 2004 Van Hagar Disaster Tour, so my integrity and sanity were left intact.

I need to hear a rational explanation from you Chickenfoot fans (if that’s even possible). I keep hearing all this nonsense about Chickenfoot “winning” if they put out an album every year and Van Halen takes their time with theirs. Is it all about quantity over quality for you morons? I can program my computer to generate some beats and I can Auto-Tune the shit out of my pathetic singing voice and release a new song every day — does that make me superior to Van Halen and Chickenfoot? According to your logic, quantity is the only thing that matters even if it’s utter garbage hitting your eardrums. So explain it if you got guts.
wooten

Mixing “fast” was a figure of speech. Meaning “not drag their feet”. Thought that was obvious.
DiamondInTheBuff

‘WACF’ track #3 for today. Hope we’re not all April Fools for hoping this rumor has validity!
Ed

I’ll Wait….. but not for too long, come on guys – show us what you’re made of!!