Below is a review of the new album by the Music Critic for the Molson Canadian "I Am Online" website, Dan Reynish. It can also be found in the FRESH PLASTIC section at www.molson.com.

Okay, I admit it! It is my fault! Yes, blame me! This whole Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar, situation that we find ourselves caught up in again, it is all my fault! I accept the blame, and I take full responsibility. Confused? Well, let me explain.

Back in 1986, when David Lee Roth announced that he was leaving Van Halen to do a movie called "Crazy From The Heat,' and the group announced that he was being replaced by Sammy Hagar, I was a kid going to high school on Prince Edward Island. I was a longtime fan of both Van Halen and Sammy Hagar, and I saw this as the best of all possible worlds. Then, as I graduated and moved to Nova Scotia, Van Halen became bigger than ever with each of their records outselling the previous one. Sammy’s addition even gave me a new favorite song. "Why Can’t This Be Love," replaced "Running With The Devil."

Then in late 1990, I began planning a move to Toronto. I was very nervous, because I wasn’t sure what effect my moving to Ontario would have on the band. I finally decided to go when it was pointed out that the band flourished upon my move to Nova Scotia, maybe another move would take them even higher!

Well, it wasn’t going to take long for me to see if the move would affect the band. It was announced that in November of 1991, the band would release "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge."

The cd came out, and for the whole week before the sales numbers were announced, I did not sleep a wink. I knew the record was tremendous, but I was still nervous. Then, when the numbers were announced, I was rewarded! My move never hurt the band. The record debuted at number one on the charts! With each move, the group seemed to get more popular!

The nineties continued, and the band continued to flourish. I was living in the best of both worlds! I got to reside in the city I wanted to, and my favorite band continued to do well. Nothing could stop us!

Then I got the call that would forever change our lives! My High School reunion was being planned, and that meant a return to the place where I lived when the band first broke up! Sure, I was excited to be going back to P.E.I., but what effect would my trip have on the band? I hadn’t been back to Canada’s smallest Province in ten years, and the band was more successful than ever. What would happen if I went back? What could happen if I went back?

Well, putting my fears aside, I decided to take my chances, and go back to The Island. In hindsight, it was a huge mistake!

As I was getting off the plane in Charlottetown, I heard on the radio that Sammy had left/been asked to leave Van Halen. I was devastated! My going back to the province I loved, caused the band I loved to fall apart! My reunion was terrific, and it was great to see everyone again. But even as I was laughing on the outside, I was heartbroken on the inside.

As I was leaving to come home, I heard a rumour that Diamond Dave was coming back to do two new songs! Wow, Dave, the man the band had said they hated for years was coming back! This was great! I began to love the possibilities! Sure, I would miss what Sammy and Eddie had done together, but I could have Dave in the band for a while, then, when Dave became tiresome, I could go to P.E.I. and get Sammy back! Yes, sir, Dan Reynish had it all! And the whole world was going to benefit!

Of course, I didn’t figure on the members of the band wanting a say in it all. My dream, and the dream of millions of other fans, was not to be. So that is the story, and I take full responsibility. The breakup is all my fault!

Ah, if it were only that simple! The saga that was Van Halen circa 1986, became the saga of 1996 as well.

As it stands right now, Sammy is working on a solo record, Dave is out of the band again, and former Extreme singer Gary Cherone is the group’s new singer. New records are expected from Hagar and Van Halen in 1997. There is no word yet on how Roth will capitalize on his involvement in this situation.

So, what about the two new songs? Do they stand up? And do they belong on a greatest hits record? All good questions, and the answer to all three is a resounding YES!

Track 16 on the CD is "Can’t Get This Stuff No More." It is a bluesy kind of song with a boastful lyric and vocal by Dave. When the first line, "Got me a date with a supermodel," kicks in, it is almost as if the last decade never happened. The song is great!

New song number two is "Me Wise Magic." This is the better song of the two, and the first single. It features the patented Eddie Van Halen guitar sound and a restrained vocal from Dave. Well, it is restrained until it gets to the chorus, then Dave is back! It is another tremendous song!

"Greatest Hits Volume One" features such Van Halen classics as "Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love," "Runnin’ With The Devil," "Jump," "Why Can’t This Be Love," "Right Now," "Can’t Stop Lovin’ You" and the first appearance of the song from the movie "Twister," "Humans Being," on a Van Halen cd. Add the two new tracks, and you have an incredible cd that is a nice wrap-up of the first twenty years of Van Halen.

So, as 1996 draws to a close, this is where the world of Van Halen stands. The greatest hits cd, Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth are out, and Gary Cherone is in. Now, it will be interesting to see what happens next.

One thing that will happen for sure is that I am planning a trip to P.E.I., sometime during 1997. So stay tuned, it is unlikely that the final history has been written for Van Halen just yet, or my involvement in it.