RECORD STORE TALES MkII: Getting More Tale #375: VH Predictions FAIL!
I like to think I’m such a know-it-all. Higher-than-thou, my musical knowledge trumps yours, etc. However when I’m wrong (it happens frequently), sometimes I’m colossally wrong. Below is an example of me being completely, 100% totally wrong. Although I’m glad I was. When the Van Halen reunion with David Lee Roth was announced, I believed it would not last long. I took the time to write out this list below. With the live album coming, and the hot rumours of another tour, this is a great time to showcase one of my most colossal failures as a clairvoyant.
Date: 2007/02/08 07:10
TOP TEN REASONS WHY THE =VH= VAN HALEN REUNION TOUR WILL GO DOWN IN FLAMES
10. Wolfgang Van Halen on bass means that there are three Van Halens in the band vs. one Lee Roth. David will feel outnumbered at every turn.
9. Wolfgang Van Halen, a 15 year old kid, is an untested property. Will it sound like the same band without the very recognizable Michael Anthony on bass?
8. No new songs, no new album, just another greatest hits (the third and most obvious rip off for your money). [NOTE: at the time Van Halen were planning to release a “best of DLR-era” CD, which was thankfully cancelled.]
7. David Lee Roth’s voice has been utterly destroyed since about 1991.
6. Eddie Van Halen is but a shadow of the man he once was. A raging alcoholic surrounded by yes-men, his guitar playing hasn’t touched upon brilliance in almost a decade. Throw his 15 year old son into the alcoholic tour and you have recipe for disaster.
5. Roth and the VH brothers haven’t gotten along in decades. The fact that the brothers recently attempted–and failed at–a reunion with Sammy Hagar before this indicates that this is a last-ditch effort to save the band. Not exactly the kind of motive to make a reunion happen.
4. Roth will say and do what he wants, much to the chagrin of the ultra-controlling VH brothers.
3. Alex VH’s spinal problems, while not heavily discussed, are probably only getting worse with time.
2. 40 dates isn’t much of a tour for a band of this stature.
1. Classic VH = Edward Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth, and Michael Anthony. Without Anthony, this is not classic Van Halen. This is in effect the fourth version of the band. VH-IV, if you like. That isn’t what I wanted to see on tour this summer.
I am glad to be have been proven wrong on this one. Van Halen has defied the odds and my predictions. I couldn’t be happier about it.
I will be live on the Craig Fee Show on 107.5 Dave FM this afternoon 12/01/14, around 5:20 pm Ontario time, to discuss one of the tracks included on this album. Listen live by clicking right hereto stream!
Van Halen’s first “greatest hits” compilation was historic in its fallout. The band had talked for years about putting out a “best of” set, with one disc of Dave and one disc of Sammy. That never happened but the concept continued to be discussed in the Van Halen camp, with Sammy Hagar adamantly against it. When Hagar’s friend and Van Halen’s manager Ed Lefler passed away, he was replaced by Canadian Ray Danniels, who was also handling Rush, Extreme, and King’s X. Hagar and Danniels never quite saw eye to eye and when push came to shove, Hagar refused to participate in the recording of new music for the compilation. The Van Halen camp considered this to be highly hypocritical of Sammy, since he had done just that for his own solo “greatest hits” CD, Unboxed (1994). All of this led to a tense telephone standoff with Eddie Van Halen himself, the revelation that Ed had already started working on new songs with former singer David Lee Roth, and Hagar quitting the band. (On top of all that, and unbeknownst to Hagar or Roth, was that was Van Halen were also eyeballing Gary Cherone, who Ray Danniels brought in from one of his other bands, Extreme. They had even recorded some test tracks with Mitch Malloy who ultimately turned the gig down.)
When Best Of Volume I was finally released in fall of 1996, there was so much confusion in the air that many fans really had no idea who was in Van Halen or what the hell was going on. At the Record Store, I had one guy come in and return this on the day of release, October 22, 1996.
“Yeah, I want to return this CD,” he said. “I already have these songs.”
What?! You couldn’t tell that from the title Best Of Volume I?
That’s indicative of the confusion in fandom. This guy had assumed, like many people, that Van Halen had a brand new album of songs out with David Lee Roth singing.
Another common urban myth was that there was such a thing as Best Of Volume II. People would constantly ask if we had it, when it was coming out, and sometimes even insist they had seen it before in stores. When asked when Best Of Volume II was coming out again and again, I started answering “18 years”, because that’s how long it took for them to come out with Volume I.
T-Rev wrote up a quickie review for our store newsletter. He praised the remastering job, but bemoaned that only one song was included from Van Halen II, and that there wasn’t enough Dave in general. I would agree. At the very least, a song like “Can’t Stop Loving You” should have been ditched for something else like “Everybody Wants Some!!” However, to put this into context, in 1996 that was one of Van Halen’s most recent hit singles, just over a year old. The rest of the album takes tracks from each studio record (sans Diver Down which Eddie doesn’t speak too highly of). The most notable omissions were “Hot For Teacher” (only available on the Japanese release of Best Of) and “Love Walks In” (which I can do without). Presumably there would have been more tracks on a Volume II, which never materialized. (18 years my arse!)
To me, the hits part of this disc is just preamble. The reason fans went out and bought this CD was the return of David Lee Roth on the two new singles. Nobody cared about the hits they already had. Indeed, as implied by T-Rev’s review, most of us didn’t really agree with most of the hits selected.
They stuck “Can’t Get This Stuff No More” and “Me Wise Magic”, the first new songs by the original Van Halen in over a decade, at the tail end of the CD. As fans, we were elated to hear new music that clearly hearkened back to the pre-synth, pre-1984 sound of Van Halen. Dave’s voice was lower and less powerful, but no less expressive. His delivery is pure gleeful Dave, even on these darker songs. His lyrics (which according to Roth, Eddie didn’t like) are as Diamond Dave as ever. As far as guitar goes, Eddie’s letting it, basing both songs purely on riffage. This was a pretty cool about-face from the too-commercial sounds of Balance.
Neither song was really single-worthy, but they would have made solid album cuts, had this incarnation of Van Halen continued to make an album. Of course, that didn’t happen. Best Of Volume I is, thus far, the only place you can buy them. And that means if you love original Van Halen, you need to buy this album.
For Van Hagar fans, there was the excellent newbie “Humans Being”, with its angry modern verses and bright shiny chorus. I’ve always liked the song, because of the chorus and Eddie’s guitar. The verses, not so much, but as a song it holds together as something different for Van Halen. In some ways it pointed the way forward to Van Halen 3. This is the only ‘Halen album where you can get “Humans Being”, saving you from having to buy the terrible Twister soundtrack.
(Missing is a track called “Respect The Wind” billed by Eddie & Alex Van Halen from the same soundtrack. It’s not really that good, and it’s not billed as Van Halen the band, so seek as per your own needs. Presumably, “Respect the Wind” was from the batch of music that they were working on while Sammy refused to record. See KeepsMeAlive for a review of the Twister soundtrack CD.)
Roth mentioned in his autobiography Crazy From the Heat that he hated the cover art and booklet for this. It looked devoid and sucked dry of all life. I would agree. A music video was planned but nixed. The concept was the trio of Michael Anthony and Eddie & Alex Van Halen playing on a stage, with a big screen behind them of Dave singing. Insulted, Roth refused to do it.
Of interest, if you’re lucky enough to own a first pressing of this CD, you might have a mini-rarity. There was a version with an error on it. You may own a very rare alternate mix of “Runnin’ With the Devil”, released by mistake, where the verses, chorus and solos were arranged in a different order than that of the originally released album version. Take a listen and see if you’re one of the few. That version was quickly discontinued and corrected.*
3.5/5 stars. Despite the brevity, this album doesn’t overstay the party.
*My friend at 107.5 Dave FM, Craig Fee, had this to add about the “error” mix of “Runnin’ With the Devil”:
You just solved a huge mystery for me. Something that has been bugging me for YEARS.
When I first moved here, I was listening to Dave FM one day. I heard this fucked up version of “Runnin’ With The Devil” with the “whoooooo whooooooo” part at the end edited out. I mentioned it, but Darryl didn’t do anything about it. 5 years later, we are still playing this version. It sounded like a bad edit made by an overzealous producer who was trying to do something to the song.
Until this post, I had no idea why somebody would butcher the song like that. Now I know why. The majority of the big ‘hits’ were dubbed from that CD.
I have the version I bought the day it was released. I listened to it twice. I have no idea if it’s the edited version.
Craig advised me to load both versions (Best Of and Van Halen I) into Audacity and sync them. I did and I could see right away visually that they did not match up. I hit “play” and everything was synced until around 1:15. Then, as Craig puts it, “all hell breaks loose” and the two versions completely deviate. So apparently I do have both.
The only modification I made to the tracks was to reduce the version from Van Halen in volume by 7%, so they were roughly the same.
VAN HALEN – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge(1991 Warner Bros.)
What a frustrating experience this album was for me. This was supposed “the one”; the album that would please the DLR fans and finally unite Van Halen fandom. Heavier with only one ballad, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge was to be a statement. Edward Van Halen had said that neither 5150 nor OU812 were ever properly finished to his liking. In both cases, the band were under pressure to get out there and tour (OU812 because of the 1988 Monsters of Rock). F.U.C.K. was to be the album that he finally got to spend time on and properly finish. It was also Eddie’s first album using his new Ernie Ball guitars. I expected my brain to be blown.
And it was, or it was by the first single at least. “Poundcake” lived up to the promise. Sure, lyrically it was…well, pretty stoopid, but musically? Van Halen had some balls back! This motherfucker grooves like a slow train. As far as guitar tricks went, Eddie went all out with harmonics, taps, and…drills? The shimmery guitars were subtly different from Eddie’s classic “brown sound”, but a guitar sound is an ever-evolving quest. On this song, his rhythm guitar tones recall his friend, Brian May. With “Poundcake” as a first single, I couldn’t wait to hear the whole album.
MuchMusic came close to banning this video
I was given the CD (same copy I still have) on my birthday in ’91, by childhood friend Bob. I still remember popping the CD in for the first time that afternoon. Then a few days later it was given to me again (this time on cassette) by my Aunt and Uncle!
Momentum is maintained on the second track, “Judgement Day”, heavier than the first. The riff is anchored by a whammy bar trick, and it’s tasty. I cannot find fault with “Judgement Day”. This is what I wanted and hoped for from the new Van Halen album. The groove is still there, Alex and Mikey gelling in a relentless way. Sonically, both guys are recorded better than ever. The bass and drums on For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge are really something to behold.
Then, things slide. The awful “Spanked” is the worst song on the album, and possible contender for worst Van Hagar song yet. “All you bad bad boys, call her up on the spank line,” sings Sammy with a straight face. The sad thing is, the song would have been a fine instrumental, or basis for something with David Lee Roth. Sammy ruins it with shitty lyrics and a shitty melody. Too bad. “Runaround” is a good song on first and second listen, but you tire of it quickly. It’s bland, as is much of F.U.C.K. The problem with “going heavy” for an album is the risk of losing diversity and texture.
The 7-minute “Pleasure Dome” can barely be called a song. Organized chaos with some lead vocals, yes. But it’s barely a song. There are moments of brilliance contained within (the drums in particular) but it’s not particularly worthy. And this was the side closer.
As crappy as “Spanked” is, “In ‘N’ Out” is virtually a carbon copy. It has some sparkling guitars to go with it, but like “Spanked”, the song sucks. I can’t believe somebody didn’t say, “Guys, let’s cut the album down to 9 tracks like we used to do, and leave those two for B-sides”. “Man On a Mission” isn’t much improved. Just dull rock with dumb lyrics. Totally uninspired. It’s just four guys playing music without much direction other than, “turn it up!”
Things change up a little bit on “The Dream is Over”. This also-ran isn’t a bad tune, though nowhere near single quality for Van Halen. It’s at least a step in the right direction. It feels as if the album was in a slumber, and it has now woken up — the title is apt. And thankfully Sammy isn’t singing about girl parts for a change.
Van Halen didn’t consider “Right Now” to be a ballad, but it’s the only song with a keyboard. It’s a welcome oasis in the desert of monotonous rock. It’s a great song. I don’t think anyone can say that it hasn’t been played to death, so I don’t need to comment further. MTV awards, Pepsi, blah blah blah.
Nice suit.
“316” (named for Wolfy’s birthday 3/16/1991) is an acoustic guitar part that Eddie had been playing live for years. Later, Eddie used to play this piece for Wolfgang while still in the womb. But it’s just a brief 90 second instrumental, a segue into “Top of the World”, also a single. It took a while for me to recognize the riff. In fact, I didn’t pick up on it until I heard this song following “Jump” on the album LIVE: Right here, right now. Only then did I realize: it’s based on the outro riff from “Jump”! So they re-used that oft-forgotten riff and built a new song around it. It’s a good song, very pop rock, but a suitable album closer.
As high as this album charted (US #1), I’m convinced For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge is one of the albums responsible for the death of hard rock in 1991. Sure, a lot of people bought it. But a lot of people also didn’t like it very much. Maybe they were getting tired of the schtick, but I do know I found it really hard to proudly blast this album out of the car.
VAN HALEN (Not Van Hagar!) Coda: Can’t Get This Stuff No More
Welcome to the final installment in my latest series of reviews at mikeladano.com: an in-depth look at all the classic VAN HALEN albums, with David Lee Roth. If you missed anything, don’t fret: the complete list is right below. Dig in!
VAN HALEN – “Can’t Get This Stuff No More” / “Me Wise Magic” (1996 Warner promo singles)
Van Halen had been doing just fine, thank-you-very-much, with Sammy Hagar for a decade. There had always been rumors that they were on the verge of a split with Hagar. I remember hearing those rumors on MuchMusic in 1987, around the time Sammy had released his self-titled solo album. The rumors returned when Sammy released his Unboxed compilation in 1994. When the split did finally occur in 1996, it was explosive. Especially when Van Halen announced that they had resumed work with David Lee Roth, and two brand new songs featuring his voice would be released on the forthcoming Best Of Volume I album.
A somewhat embarrassing MTV Awards appearance by the reunited Van Halen stoked the fire. They presented an award to a stunned looking Beck, who thanked them in his speech. Dave, always the ham, made the most of the opportunity to address the crowd. Edward looks uncomfortable, keeping his distance and trying keep the subject on the “Best Male Video” award.
As predicted, the reunion was strictly temporary. A tense studio situation (with new producer Glen Ballard) produced two cuts. The first, “Can’t This Stuff No More”, was considerably darker than most of the Van Hagar tunes the band has been putting out. You can hear some quiet organ overdubs, but it is otherwise void of keyboards. Roth uses his lower voice, as he had on his previous solo album Your Filthy Little Mouth. Eddie’s guitar sounds a bit like his work on 1984, but with a much fatter tone. As a single, “Can’t Get This Stuff No More” is a bit of a disappointment. If it had accompanied a whole album of new material, it would have made an excellent album cut.
“Me Wise Magic” is the one with the catchy chorus. It too has a dark tone to it, perhaps reflective of the mood in the Van Halen camp. Roth again uses his low voice, until the chorus when he lets those patented Dave shrieks loose. They’re older, more ragged and tamed, but it’s that same Diamond Dave “charasma!” that we had missed for so long. The chorus isn’t bad, but the song doesn’t boast one of those classic guitar riffs that albums such as Women and Children First were loaded with. There’s no mistaking the player as Edward, especially come solo time, but it is undeniable that these two “new” songs lack a certain magical aura. Both would have made excellent album songs, surrounded by others of different tempos and types. As “new” compositions on a greatest hits collection of questionable intent…
3.5/5 stars
Whether you are traveller or tourist, this is the end of the ride; the series stops here. We know what happened next: Van Halen 3, inactivity, followed by years of confounding turbulence. Finally, the album A Different Kind of Truth (2012), and redemption.
Edward Van Halen picked up the phone. On the other end was a man claiming to be “Quincy Jones”, asking Eddie if he was available to play on an album. Not knowing the name “Quincy Jones” and assuming it was a crank call, Eddie slammed down the phone yelling, “Fuck off, asshole!” Only a followup phone call from Michael Jackson clarified the situation. Quincy Jones, the legendary record producer, was working on the new Michael Jackson album. Could Eddie come by and play a guitar solo on an upbeat, driving song?
What Eddie laid down (in reportedly two takes) was selected by Guitar magazine as the greatest guitar solo of the 1980’s.
In one tension-filled solo, Eddie threw every trick from his bag: whammy dives, complex neo-classical trills, hammer-ons, pull-offs, tapping, harmonics, squeals, and finally a big fat pick slide.
If one wants to hear what Eddie Van Halen sounds like, all they need to do is play “Beat It”.
VAN HALEN – 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) (1984 Warner)
Having compromised his artistic instincts on 1982’s Diver Down, Edward Van Halen refused to do the same again. He and longtime engineer Donn Landee proceeded to build 5150, Eddie’s home recording studio. There he was free to experiment with the synthesizers that had begun to creep into Van Halen albums. When the studio was complete, Eddie felt that he had more control.
But there were other issues beginning to surface. The Michael Jackson cameo, for example. Roth had reportedly vetoed previous offers for Van Halen to do guest appearances on records. (Van Halen had also appeared on the semi-obscure Brian May and Friends EP Star Fleet Project.) When Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson extended the offer to appear on “Beat It”, Edward did it without telling the others in the band. Roth claims he never would have objected to Edward working with an artist of Quincy Jones’ stature, but the feelings of betrayal had set in.
Edward and Roth both recall that Van Halen had the main keyboard hook from “Jump” for years, and had submitted it for consideration twice. Roth and producer Ted Templeman rejected it both times, wishing Eddie to keep the focus on his guitar playing. The third time was the charm, and Roth finally agreed to write lyrics for the song, now titled “Jump”. Another synth piece of Eddie’s, now called “1984” was used on the album to precede “Jump”.
It’s impossible to underestimate the impact of “Jump”. Those big fat Oberheim keys were unlike any that Van Halen had used before. The song’s success made other bands pay attention, who were quick to begin adding keyboards themselves. The trends this song ushered included the successes of Bon Jovi, Europe and the like. Veteran bands like Kiss started adding keyboards to their live shows. “Jump” was a perfect storm. It captured Van Halen’s already likable and cool party-hearty spirit, with the cool new wave bands that had replaced punk. Eddie’s tasteful guitar solo ensured that his fans would still listen to every note in order to figure out just how the hell he did that. Meanwhile, who couldn’t love his sheepish grin in the music video?
If you listen carefully during the fade, you’ll hear a familiar guitar riff. Can you name it? That very riff was recycled in 1991 on Van Hagar’s song “Top of the World”!
“Panama” was also a single, no keyboards this time! David made the ladies faint every time during the middle break. The high-flying video showed their sense of humour and electric stage show. If any fan was left doubting after “Jump”, then “Panama” assured them that all was alright. Guitar pyrotechnics and cool lyrics are where’s it at.
What’s not to like about “Top Jimmy”? Perfectly fusing his experimental and hard rocking sides, Eddie created a hook using guitar harmonics for “Top Jimmy”. There’s the patented Van Halen backing vocals, a smokin’ song, and David Lee Roth running the show. This is one of those album cuts that’s every bit as good as the better known tracks. Same with “Drop Dead Legs”. Alex’s steady beat, Eddie’s smoldering riff, and Roth’s leathery moan are a trifecta of perfection. If you listen to the riff, you’ll notice Eddie’s innovative way of using a whammy bar in a musical fashion, as an actual part of the music. Towards the end, Eddie goes into a different riff, and solos his way to the side’s fade-out.
“Sit down, Waldo!”
Dave’s knack for video scored a home run with “Hot For Teacher”. You wouldn’t necessarily think a song like this, a hard shuffle with a lot of talking in it, would make for hit. Hell it opens with 30 seconds of nothing but drums! “Hot For Teacher” remains a pinnacle of hard rock music videos. There’s the humour, the girls, the cool car, and of course “Waldo” who got the last laugh, didn’t he?
“I’ll Wait” is the third and last synth track on the album (including “1984”). It too was chosen as a single, and like all the others, it has stood the test of time. “I’ll Wait” is a very transitional song. Roth keeps it cool, but musically, Van Hagar was already in sight. The echo of later songs like “Feels So Good” can be heard in that throbbing keyboard. “I’ll Wait” (credited to the band and Michael McDonald) went through a period in the 1990’s of sounding dated, but today it sounds timeless. Rather than commercial, today the keyboards sound classy. The guitar solo is simple and full of feel.
Ominous guitar tapping and shredding opens “Girl Gone Bad”, a devastating assault of Eddie’s most aggressive guitar. A song like this absolutely needed to be on 1984 in order to maintain the band’s metal credentials. Many teenagers injured their wrists trying to pick as fast as Edward. Meanwhile, Roth does his very best Robert Plant impression during the middle section. “Yeah, ahh, ahh, owww! Oooooooowhoah! Ma…ma…ma…oh!”
Finally, exhumed from the band’s distant past is “House of Pain”. This song was always one of Van Halen’s heaviest, featuring a chugging metallic riff. Eddie’s increasingly interesting solos have evolved, and they make the last couple minutes of “House of Pain” absolutely indispensable for anyone wanting to know anything about the electric guitar.
As “House of Pain” fades out and 1984 comes to close, a sadness overtakes me. The end sounds abrupt; unfinished. The album was so good, so great, that I want to hear more. But there is no more.
Another successful tour followed the 1984 album, and the band were burned out. David Lee Roth got the covers EP Crazy From the Heat out of his system. There was also some kind of companion movie to the EP in the works, something that bothered the Van Halen brothers greatly. After a while, the band settled in to begin writing the next album, their seventh. It was not to be. According to Alex Van Halen in a fall 1991 M.E.A.T Magazine interview, David Lee Roth fired the entire band.
Van Halen had to replace a frontman, a difficult thing to do in any circumstances, much less when that frontman was David Lee Roth. In the meantime, David Lee Roth had to replace an entire band. A difficult thing, especially when the lead guitar player of that band is oft-recognized as the best in the world.
Both bounced back. Van Halen pondered a number of singers including Patty Smyth of Scandal, before meeting Sammy Hagar. Hagar’s energy and musical chops helped fill Roth’s sizable shoes. Meanwhile, Roth chose to replace Van Halen with not one but two acclaimed virtuosos. On bass was ex-Talas maestro Billy Sheehan. On guitar, from Frank Zappa’s band, little Stevie Vai. Throw in the talented Gregg Bissonette on drums, and you had one hell of a band.
Both artists would find 1984 hard to top in the eyes of the most stubborn old fans. It’s hard to blame them. 1984 is a very special record, and quite arguably Van Halen’s very best.
5/5 stars
And that is all.
Or not…
They did try again, in 1996. We’ll be taking a look at that next time.
Of all the classic Van Halen discs in the canon, I find Diver Down hardest to review. After the pugnaciously perfect Fair Warning, the band really started battling over direction. Deciding to try for some hits rather than continue experimenting musically, Van Halen turned in the 31 minute Diver Down, a collection of covers, instrumentals and joke tunes with only a couple of serious rockers. Yet every time I listen to it, don’t I absolutely enjoy Diver Down?
To my ears, Diver Down sounds like an intentional return to the party rock sounds that launched Van Halen in the first place. It certainly does not sound like an album that should follow Fair Warning. Now, we’re back into covers: The Kinks’ “Where Have All the Good Times Gone!” opens the record. Eddie pointed out that the song and album are loaded with errors. He misses some harmonics in “Where Have All the Good Times Gone!”…and it’s fucking perfect. There’s nothing wrong with Van Halen showing up to play a drunken party again in the old neighborhood, is there? Even if they’re the big kids now?
“Hang ‘Em High” was an older song that the band exhumed for Diver Down. It immediately evokes the heavier material from some of the earlier records. Only now, Van Halen had learned to work in a recording studio and were taking advantage of some of the tricks they had picked up over the years. Eddie’s extended solo sounds spontaneous and live.
“Cathedral” is a trick of guitar volume swells. By physically manipulating the volume knob on his guitar, Eddie created a sound that reminded him of a church organ. Tonally it resembles where Van Halen would go on the next album. This is just an intro (a beautiful one at that) to “Secrets”, a laid-back original. “Secrets” has vibe, and this is as good a time as any to point out the ace rhythm section of Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony. These guys were a big part of the overall Van Halen sound.
By 1982, David Lee Roth was starting to become interested in the new medium that was music video. He directed the concept video for “(Oh) Pretty Woman”, a Roy Orbison cover. Dave’s classic ingredients were all there: a cavalcade of characters, little people, and a joke-a-minute style of cool. The video however ran too long once edited together. The song was not even three minutes long, and Dave didn’t want to make further cuts. Instead he played synthesizer, while Eddie made guitar noises with a beer can on the neck, and they called that “Intruder”.
“Pretty Woman” features the biggest mistake on the entire album (which is just loaded with ’em, just listen). Where Roy Orbison sang this:
“‘Cause I need you, I’ll treat you right,” Come with me baby, be mine tonight.”
Roth unwittingly sang just this:
“‘Cause I need you, need you tonight…”
Side Two commenced with yet another cover. David Lee Roth really wanted to do “Dancing in the Street”, but Eddie wasn’t into it. Eddie already had a unique synthesizer part he was working on for his own song, and Roth suggested they use it for “Dancing in the Street”, which they did. If there was one song I’d skip on Diver Down, it would be this one. It does get a fair bit of radio play, though.
“Little Guitars” (and the intro that precedes it) is a bonafide Van Halen classic. Eddie was intrigued by flamenco guitar but couldn’t get the fingerpicking. Instead he used his own tricks (and a pick) to make it sound similar to what the flamenco players were doing. The song itself is a sassy mid-tempo rocker with a shiny melody. Once again the classic ‘Halen harmonies are to thank.
There are two schools of thought on “Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)”. One is that it’s a joke cover tune that shouldn’t have been on an album. Another is that while the song is humorous, it is also very special. This is a song from 1924 that Roth had discovered on the radio. Then, Dave suggested that they invite Jan Van Halen, the father of Eddie and Alex, into the studio to play clarinet. I get chills up my spine listening to Jan’s lyrical playing. Alex is playing with brushes, the others are on acoustics, and Dave is absolutely at home. This song is quintessential Dave Lee Roth, and conjures up that ol’ timey Al Jolson sound.
Dave plays the acoustic intro to “The Full Bug”, and then Eddie kicks in with that riff. Alex and Michael create that classic Van Halen shuffle as the band careens to the end of the record. Roth throws down a ballsy harmonica. This track could also be considered a bonafide Van Halen keeper.
Concluding with “Happy Trails” is only logical. The boys sound absolutely blitzed as they drunkenly sing acappella, before they all crack up at the end. Diver Down, undoubtedly a party rock album, is over.
While Diver Down is still fun to listen to, it seems like a blip in the overall Van Halen trajectory. It’s clear that it is not as innovative as some albums previous, nor does it rock as heavy. Yet, it’s likable. It still sounds great in the summertime. As Craig Fee pointed out, “I still think DLR’s version of ‘Where Have All The Good Times Gone?’ is way better than the original. For every shitty cover (‘(Oh) Pretty Woman’ comes to mind), you have original gems like ‘Little Guitars’ to make up for it.”
If Women and Children First was the point where the party got dark and a little ugly, then Fair Warning is the hangover. It was also the point where, according to Edward Van Halen, the band started butting heads. Eddie was interested in pushing his guitar, and himself, to new limits. Other influences were more interested in the band continuing to create hits. The conflict seeps through the grooves of what might be called an angry hard rock album.
A year prior, the band had planned on opening album #4 with “Growth”, a riff that was to continue on from the outro to Women and Children First. That concept was abandoned in favor of a bold move: inaugurating the album with a funky guitar solo piece. Edward tried slapping the strings like a bass player would for the unique intro to “Mean Street”; then this changes to his patented tapping technique. There is only one guitar player who naturally sounds like this, and that’s Eddie. Then it’s off to “Mean Street”, a chugging rocker with Roth offering us an ominous warning:
See, a gun is real easy on this desperate side of town, Turns you from hunted into hunter, Go and hunt somebody down. Wait a minute, somebody said “Fair Warning, Lord!” Lord, strike that poor boy down!
What a killer opener to a killer album. Now you know what you’re up against. Van Halen, as heavy as ever, give no quarter on Fair Warning. Maybe that’s why it is such a fan favourite today.
“‘Dirty Movies'” turns in some more stunningly original fretwork. This dark rocker has a catchy chorus and more wickedly cool Roth lyrics. Mike and Alex lay back and let the song breathe. Another classic, “Sinner’s Swing!” doesn’t let up. The Van Halen harmonies are intact, and this is the first upbeat track of the album. Saving the best for last, “Hear About It Later” closes Side One. This is one of my all-time favourite Van Halen tracks. It captures all the classic ingredients: innovative guitar, a smokin’ riff, a great chorus with the VH harmonies, and a whole lot of that Roth attitude.
It’s hard to follow a track like that, unless it’s “Unchained” doing the following. Side Two’s classic opener kicks your ass, my ass, and any asses left in the room. Edward puts the flanger on overdrive for that killer riff. Roth throws down one of his classic spoken word breaks in the middle: “Hey hey hey hey! One break, comin’ up…”
“Unchained” is one of the most important Van Halen tracks in the canon. Some would consider it a peak for this band, and I think that theory holds water. It’s definitely a high water mark, a flawless combination of all the crucial components. “Unchained” is a memorable classic on an album that, at times, can be more difficult to penetrate on first listen.
One of Fair Warning‘s hidden gems is “Push Comes To Shove”. It features a slow disco beat and a funky, slippery bass intro. Eddie’s innovative guitar work is a highlight, but the song is soaked with a cool whiskey-stained vibe. Roth would later explore similar territory on his solo track “Ladies Night in Buffalo?”
“So This Is Love?” was, like “Unchained”, chosen as a single. It has a cool walking bass line by Michael Anthony, something I associate with early Van Halen quite a lot. The track is upbeat and irresistible. It’s a mere reprieve though before “Sunday Afternoon in the Park”. This forboding experimental synthesizer piece acts as an intro to the final song, “One Foot Out the Door”, but the two parts are actually equal in length (just under two minutes each). You can hear the foreshadowing of what would come later on the 1984 album. The synthesizer merges with the whole band on “One Foot Out the Door” which is as heavy as synth-based rock can get. It’s a smoking track regardless of what instruments are playing it. Fear not, Eddie throws in an amazing extended guitar solo with which he closes the song, and album.
Of note is the cover art, a painting called The Maze by William Kurelek. It depicts childhood bullying, and reflects the some of the darker tones inside. Van Halen were changing, and their album artwork alluded to this.
Fair Warning did not sell as well as Women and Chidren First, though it is equal to and arguably superior in quality. The downturn in sales influenced the direction of the next album, which would appear one year later.
Three albums in, Van Halen started to stretch their wings.
The band were selling millions of records and touring was strong. Eddie’s desire to grow as an artist began to stir, slightly. The signs were beginning to show on Women And Children First, Van Halen’s first album of the 1980’s. With producer Ted Templeman still in tow, Van Halen went heavier, and darker.
Eddie’s flanged guitar opens the record with “And the Cradle Will Rock…”, a song which should make virtually any Van Halen road tape. For the first time, you can discern keyboards, accompanying Eddie’s guitar. For the first time, there are multi-tracked guitars used to great effect. Eddie coaxes different tones for different sections from his instrument, and experiments with the stereo field. Not to be outshone is frontman David Lee Roth, with his menacing howls and hip lyrics.
“Everybody Wants Some!!” is just as adventurous. It opens with over a minute of drums and guitars, with Roth making jungle sounds and welcoming us inside. Again, Van Halen uses multiple tracks and his guitar in innovative ways to paint an aural picture. Once the song kicks in, it’s off to the races. Roth’s as sassy as ever, the best party frontman in any rock band in the country. His squeals and shrieks are as important (if not more) than the lyrics he’s singing. It’s more about the sounds and the images they evoke, but everyone’s invited:
Everybody wants some! I want some too, whoa Everybody wants some! Baby how ’bout you? Yeah
Some bluesy bends intro the 6-minute “Fools”, a rare long bomber for this band. Much of it is intro, a treat of Van Halen’s fingers on the fretboard, before the main riff kicks in at 1:20. The band lock into a heavy groove, and Roth turns in another cool lyric: “Why behave in public if you’re livin’ on a playground?” The harmony vocals of Michael Anthony and Edward himself seal the deal, as they take center stage on the chorus. Roth’s scat outro reveals influences far deeper than rock and roll.
“Romeo Delight” concludes Side One with a racing guitar riff and a cool vibe. It takes a frontman like Roth to hold his own in a song like this against a player like Edward, and he does. He’s the ringleader of this party and he makes sure you don’t forget it. Each “yeeah!” and “hey!” is placed with precision.
You just gotta take a breath after a song like that. It’s a good time to flip the record, and Side Two opens with a guitar intro called “Tora! Tora!”. God knows how he’s tormenting that instrument to make the sounds he does. Roth’s shrieks introduce “Loss of Control”, Van Halen’s fastest boogie. I wouldn’t advise trying to dance to this one, and headbanging could induce damage to the neck. Eddie’s solo is another stunner, but equally impressive are all the fills, licks and sounds through the whole song.
Acoustic picking introduces “Take Your Whiskey Home”, as Van Halen get swampy. Roth nails that bluesy vibe, but it’s just a fake-out. Van Halen really seem to like to switch gears, and when this sucker goes electric, hang on. The riff is menacing and Dave’s lyrics are some of his best. He’s always had a way with words and this is a great early example of Dave’s type of poetry:
Some goes to women, some goes to Jesus, though I’m absolutely certain both’s all right. But it takes me at least halfway to the label ‘fore I can even make it through the night.
The acoustic guitars are back out for “Could This Be Magic?” Yes, it certainly is magic. Van Halen capture an earlier era, one of simpler scratchy recordings. You can even hear the rain, which was recorded and added to the track. Nicolette Larson sings backing vocals on the chorus, but this sounds like a drunken party. It’s the best singalong you’ve never been invited to, and the vibe is killer.
“In A Simple Rhyme” is an upbeat closer. Women and Children First is a varied ride; it is the point in the party when people start getting a bit drunk and crazy and things look like they could get out of control. “In A Simple Rhyme” is melodic like Van Halen hits past, with a singable chorus and classic ‘Halen harmonies. But wait…this is not the end! Utilizing the concept of the hidden track, an unlisted instrumental is the coda. The doomy riff, called “Growth” was one that Van Halen had played around with, and planned to use again to open their fourth album. Perhaps the name “Growth” indicated where Eddie planned to take the band in the future.
Women And Children First represents growth and…”maturity” is not the word. Perhaps the start of a new world-weary wisdom is evident here. Whatever the case, the success of this album assured Van Halen that they would be able to carry out the sonic experiments they desired.
The 1970’s were much kinder to rock bands than the present. A debut album charting at #18 was considered a great start back then. Today, that is no guarantee. Van Halen II went to #6, and was recorded in only three weeks. Imagine that today, when four to five year gaps between albums is the norm!
Edward Van Halen is said to be not-so-fond of Van Halen II, where Michael Anthony felt II had stronger songs than I. The two albums are very similar sonically, although this time Edward was allowed to do more guitar overdubs. On “Dance the Night Away” you can hear some melody guitar playing over the rhythm, but most of the guitars are still panned hard to the left.
“Dance the Night Away” is one of the brightest stars on Van Halen II. Its catchy melodies recall some of the more pop material on the first album, such as “Jamie’s Cryin'” It is sandwiched between “You’re No Good” (the album opener) and “Somebody Get Me A Doctor”, this writer’s favourite track. “Doctor” is smokin’ and heavy, Roth shrieking about needing ambulances. Edward’s riff is one of his more legendary. Riffs like these helped establish Edward as more than just a soloist and player, but also a rock-solid writer. “You’re No Good” is dark and ominous, reminiscent of “Little Dreamer” from album #1, even though it is actually a cover of a 1960’s easy listening hit.
“Bottom’s Up!” demonstrates Van Halen’s ability to write killer party rock. It’s hard to resist singing along to the drunken, live sounding group vocal section in the middle. Edward plays a sexy solo in the right channel while the rhythm remains on the left. “Outta Love Again” features a stuttery rhythm and some of those patented Roth shrieks, and it closes Side One.
“Light Up the Sky” is as electric as the title implies. It opens Side Two with an ascending lick and chugging riff, fully in metal territory. Edward’s solo is one of the album’s highlights. “Spanish Fly”, the album instrumental, features Eddie fingerpicking on a nylon string guitar. Regardless, there is no mistaking the artist behind the instrument, as all the technique is there. The segue leads into the riffy “D.O.A.”. “D.O.A.” remains a classic Van Halen song, very much an example of their early sounds.
“Women in Love…” is a mid-tempo song, with a stunningly shimmery tapped intro by Eddie. It one one of Van Halen’s catchiest choruses. As important as the guitar is to Van Halen’s sound, so too are the backing harmonies. Finally the album concludes with “Beautiful Girls” which is considered to be another Van Halen party classic.
The songs on Van Halen II are not as well known as those on Van Halen, but there is very little difference in quality. Van Halen II is probably less stunning simply because it came second. It’s hard to jump so quickly into a second album and make jaws drop exactly the same way.
There would be no reprieve. After a tour, and almost exactly one year later, Van Halen would release their third album in as many years.
Then, the inevitable happened: Van Halen signed with Warner Brothers in 1977, and went into the recording studio with Ted Templeman. The producer, probably best known for his work with the Doobie Brothers (though he did have a Captain Beefheart record under his belt), helped hone Van Halen’s sound to a razor-sharp edge. The relationship was to be a long and fruitful one. Templeman was responsible for every classic Van Halen album, before helming David Lee Roth’s Eat ‘Em and Smile in 1986. Templeman even returned to co-produce the Van Hagar album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. One might venture that the producer had a huge impact on the overall sound of early Van Halen.
Their first collaboration was released in February 1978. Van Halen. When my dad first heard the name, he responded, “Van Halen? Sounds like some kind of tropical disease.” But they had built an audience playing legendary gigs at Gazzarri’s in West Hollywood, and with the help of a 1978 tour they propelled the album to #18 in the US. Not bad for a rock band in the middle of punk.
It’s impossible to talk about the songs without talking about the players. Edward Van Halen’s guitar work here set a very high bar, even for himself. His biggest complaint about the guitar on Van Halen is that it is mixed hard to the left channel. This old fashioned recording technique failed to create the beefy sound Van Halen had heard in his head. As he put it himself, if you were in a car with the left speaker blown, you wouldn’t hear any guitar, only its faint shadow on the right.
Van Halen may not have introduced techniques such as tapping, pick slides, pinch harmonics, and whammy bar dives but he did use them in new, in-your-face ways. He turned these simple tricks into music, and on Van Halen, he did it mostly without overdubs. Much of the album consists of a single track of guitar. Templeman was trying to capture their live sound, but Edward would later get his way when it came to the guitar.
David Lee Roth was the most exciting rock frontman of the era, in this writer’s opinion, and he managed to bring that to vinyl. He’s raw, menacing, and cool. Every shriek, every sigh, every squeal is scientifically designed for maximum impact at the exact right moment. Meanwhile, Michael Anthony’s backing vocals helped create that “Van Halen sound” — hard rock with harmonies. Like only a few others (Hendrix for example), Van Halen managed to extend their own sound into the covers they did, to the point that their cover versions are as well known as the originals. “You Really Got Me” (The Kinks) is an apt example.
It is not difficult to argue that every song on Van Halen, from the originals to the covers to the 1:45 guitar solo, is classic. There is not much more to be said about these tracks. They had been stewing in Edward’s head and fingers for years, and had acquired a deadly tightness. Side One is one of the heaviest sides of rock and roll in the 1970’s. From the slow burnin’ “Runnin’ With the Devil” to the explosive “I’m the One”, the first side is non-stop smoke. Putting a guitar solo as track #2 might be suicide for some records, but on Van Halen, “Eruption” only serves to whet the appetite for more.
“Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” is menacing, ominous, forboding, and heavy. Roth’s banshee wails are unholy enough to frighten wild beasts. For songwriting, “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” is a highpoint of Van Halen’s entire canon. They continued to play it live with Sammy Hagar on the 5150 tour.
Side Two lets up a bit and introduces Roth’s early pop tendencies with “Jamie’s Cryin'”. Edward’s inimitable riff was later sampled by Tone Lōc for his hit “Wild Thing”, introducing Van Halen to yet another new audience. The reprieve is brief; next is a stampede from the “Atomic Punk”. Although the guitar work is miles above and beyond any punk band, the loud spirit is there and menacing as any other. Switching gears yet again, “Feel Your Love Tonight” is catchy and danceable. The harmonies of Michael Anthony and the Van Halen brothers make the chorus something special, and Eddie’s guitar solo throws in lots of those signature licks that you know and love. “Little Dreamer” is darker, another side that Van Halen does very well. Roth and Edward gel together to paint an aural picture, while Michael and Alex stay out of the way.
David Lee Roth plays the acoustic guitar on “Ice Cream Man”, a blues song by John Brim dating back to 1953. Brim never could have envisioned where Van Halen take the song after the first minute. The space-age guitar solos would have been unimaginable to a bluesman of the 1950’s. What Edward did with the blues on “Ice Cream Man” can only be described as completely original. And let’s not forget about David Lee Roth! “Guarantee-ee-ee-ee-ee-eed…to satis-a-fy!”
Finally, “On Fire” (which opened the Gene Simmons-produced Zero demo) closes this rollercoaster album. Pure heavy metal with burning fretwork is an apt description. Roth has mentioned in the past Van Halen’s early Black Sabbath influences. Here, Van Halen anticipate where Black Sabbath would go with Ian Gillan on Born Again.
Even their logo was bad ass. Van Halen has it all.
5/5 stars
As great as Van Halen still is today, and as highly as I rated it…the best was still yet to come.
My latest series of reviews at mikeladano.com is an in-depth look at all the classic VAN HALEN albums, with David Lee Roth. Jump in!
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