Seventeen years ago this week Van Halen released its two-disc best of collection titled The Best Of Both Worlds. While Sammy Hagar did get to record three new tracks with the band, he said he wishes there could have been more.
“Looking back now, I really wish we would’ve made a whole new record,” Hagar said in a recent post to his and Michael Anthony’s Van Hagar/Other Half social media pages.
Released on July 20th, 2004, The Best Of Both Worlds included songs Van Halen recorded with both David Lee Roth (1978 – 1984) and Hagar (1986 – 1995). It also included three new tracks recorded with Hagar: “It’s About Time”, “Up For Breakfast” and “Learning To See”. “It’s About Time reached #6 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart while “Up For Breakfast” peaked at #33 on the same chart. The album debuted at #3 on Billboard and has been certified Platinum for sales of a million copies in August of ’04.
On June 11th, 2004 the band went out on a reunion tour with Hagar and Anthony in support of the best of collection. It was the band’s first tour since 1998 and the first with Hagar since 1995.
Below are the complete comments from both Hagar and Anthony taken from the Van Hagar/Other Half Facebook page:
Sammy: It was interesting going back in the studio with Van Halen after all those years and creating new music for every package of the greatest hits. This kind of thing is what broke the band up the first time in 95. I was against doing a greatest hits of any kind and wanted to make a new record. That never got to happen, and this go around it didn’t either. My favorite track hands-down is “Up for Breakfast” – it was fun writing and singing those lyrics. Makes me think we should add that to the Circle set list. Looking back now, I really wish we would’ve made a whole new record.
Mike: As this was all happening, I was pretty much estranged from the band and the Van Halen brothers. I remember Sammy meeting with Alex, and from there talks of a reunion started. After negotiating and me pretty much giving up all my claims to anything Van Halen, I was back in and ended up coming into the studio to sing the backgrounds on three songs that were recorded, “It’s About Time” being one of them. Then we started preparing for what would be the 2004 reunion tour…
“It’s About Time”
“Up For Breakfast”
“Learning To See”