Van Halen

[Soulstation1]

Any word on this one?

Seen lots of 2012 video over on YouTube

DLR's voice is shot

EVH is lookin and sounding good

Check out Hot For Teacher over on YouTube

[Shawn]

The album is quite good, sounds exactly like old Van Halen (somewhere between Women & Children First and Fair Warning). The reason it sounds like old Van Halen is because all the songs were from 1970's era demos, re-arranged and with new lyrics written.

I expected a trainwreck, what they actually released is one of the few "FUN" rock albums I've heard in the past decade.

Eddie sounds phenomenal throughout.

...I should also mention that I haven't owned a Van Halen album since the 80s, so I'm not even close to being a fanboy. But I bought the new album and I've played it alot.

[CraigP]

I heard it in a music store and was shocked how lean and mean the band sounded, and I've never been a fan.

[jlhoots]

I heard it in a music store and was shocked how lean and mean the band sounded, and I've never been a fan.

And I never will be a fan.

[CraigP]

Well, I still didn't buy it!

[Rooster_Ties]

Not much of a VH fan, but I'm even less of a DLR fan. So, Van Hagar, if I must.

[BFrank]

I DL'd it from Amazon when it was $2.99 a week or so ago.

Can't seem to get through it, though. All the songs sound the same to me: ultra-high energy, jackhammer drums, insane guitar EFX, crazy stop-and-go rhythms, and DLR vocals. Sounds like a recipe for success, but ultimately there seems to be no song structure.......at all.

Maybe I just need to give it more time.

[Shawn]

The catchiest songs are near the end of the album, I'd recommend checking out "Big River" (which sounds like it could fit on VHII) and Outta Space (which should have been the album opener).

I'm shocked I liked the album, I haven't listened to Van Halen since 1987 or so.

[JETman]

Alex Van Halen's drumming has never been a recipe for success.

[Shawn]

Alex Van Halen's drumming has never been a recipe for success.

I've heard worse, it's a fairly simple rock band, he doesn't have to be Tony Williams.

As far as the financial kind of "success", I'd say 80 million albums sold worldwide ain't too shabby.

[Soulstation1]

I dig Alex Van Halen's intro on Hot For Teacher

[BFrank]

The catchiest songs are near the end of the album, I'd recommend checking out "Big River" (which sounds like it could fit on VHII) and Outta Space (which should have been the album opener).

Like I said, it may just need more listening and I'll certainly check those tunes out.

[Dave James]

When I need a quick Van Halen fix, I rarely turn in any other direction than Hot For Teacher from their album 1984 . That song perfectly captures the whole naughty boy essence of the band in less than five minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4GZFbCqx18

[JETman]

Alex Van Halen's drumming has never been a recipe for success.

I've heard worse, it's a fairly simple rock band, he doesn't have to be Tony Williams.

As far as the financial kind of "success", I'd say 80 million albums sold worldwide ain't too shabby.

Isn't it sad when excuses like this are routinely given for poor musicianship???

I'd say that the 80 million albums sold worldwide is more of a reflection on people settling for less than a reflection on the band.

[Big Al]

Alex Van Halen's drumming has never been a recipe for success.

I've heard worse, it's a fairly simple rock band, he doesn't have to be Tony Williams.

As far as the financial kind of "success", I'd say 80 million albums sold worldwide ain't too shabby.

Isn't it sad when excuses like this are routinely given for poor musicianship???

I'd say that the 80 million albums sold worldwide is more of a reflection on people settling for less than a reflection on the band.

No, what's sad is when narrow definitions of how things should be stand in the way of actually enjoying something for what it is, which is simply this: a fun album, a good album, not a great album, but a lot better than anyone had any right to expect it to be, and easily better than anything from their Hagar days.

[Shawn]

Isn't it sad when excuses like this are routinely given for poor musicianship???

I'd say that the 80 million albums sold worldwide is more of a reflection on people settling for less than a reflection on the band.

I don't agree that he's a "poor" musician, that's your opinion. Van Halen has some great songs, they are a fun "party rock" band, does music have to be "significant" in some way to get approval? It shouldn't, it's supposed to be about entertainment.

I listen to lots of serious music, but once in awhile it's nice to put on some straight ahead party rock and cut loose.

At least Van Halen actually PLAYS instruments, how many million selling pop stars of today could even tune a guitar let alone play it?

[JETman]

Isn't it sad when excuses like this are routinely given for poor musicianship???

I'd say that the 80 million albums sold worldwide is more of a reflection on people settling for less than a reflection on the band.

I don't agree that he's a "poor" musician, that's your opinion. Van Halen has some great songs, they are a fun "party rock" band, does music have to be "significant" in some way to get approval? It shouldn't, it's supposed to be about entertainment.

I listen to lots of serious music, but once in awhile it's nice to put on some straight ahead party rock and cut loose.

At least Van Halen actually PLAYS instruments, how many million selling pop stars of today could even tune a guitar let alone play it?

Oy! This is the age old question, isn't it? I for one can "party" to serious, well-played music. It does NOT have to be dumbed-down for me to cut loose. Zeppelin's songs were pretty much about the same things that VH's were, but VH could not even hold a candle to LZ in terms of musicianship, production, arrangement, etc. Btw, don't start a whole "who's a better guitarist" tangent.

Alex Van Halen's drumming has never been a recipe for success.

I've heard worse, it's a fairly simple rock band, he doesn't have to be Tony Williams.

As far as the financial kind of "success", I'd say 80 million albums sold worldwide ain't too shabby.

Isn't it sad when excuses like this are routinely given for poor musicianship???

I'd say that the 80 million albums sold worldwide is more of a reflection on people settling for less than a reflection on the band.

No, what's sad is when narrow definitions of how things should be stand in the way of actually enjoying something for what it is, which is simply this: a fun album, a good album, not a great album, but a lot better than anyone had any right to expect it to be, and easily better than anything from their Hagar days.

You are soooooo missing my point!

[JSngry]

I remember when Fair Warning came out, a guitar player friend of mine who was into anybody who played with facility commented that Eddie Van Halen & Jan Hammer were starting to sound like the same player, just on different instruments.

That, I thought, was a very interesting way to hear things, so I tried listening to Van Halen (then, anyway, obviously things changed as the years passed) as a pop-fusion band instead of a straight-up rock band.

It didn't not work, I'll say that.

[Shawn]

Oy! This is the age old question, isn't it? I for one can "party" to serious, well-played music. It does NOT have to be dumbed-down for me to cut loose. Zeppelin's songs were pretty much about the same things that VH's were, but VH could not even hold a candle to LZ in terms of musicianship, production, arrangement, etc. Btw, don't start a whole "who's a better guitarist" tangent.

Your "dumb myself down" comment just proves to me how fucking "superior" you think you are. I have no patience to argue with musical snobs, I learned not to piss into the wind many years ago.

Edited March 9, 2012 by Shawn

[Soulstation1]

What's kinda strange

Wolfgang playing bass on songs made before he was born

Also Wolfe is gonna need the Jack Daniels bass

[7/4]

I like the new album, it reminds me of VH II.

This one is a pleasant surprise, when so many comeback albums are not.

[Soulstation1]

DLR stopped the show and cussed out some knuckleheads fighting at the manchester show

Seen VH three times

1984

5150

OU812

Side note

Damn Valarie looks incredible at 51YO

Edited March 15, 2012 by Soulstation1

[JSngry]

Side note

Damn Valarie looks incredible at 51YO

Valerie has finally developed "some hips" and looks so much better for having done so, imo.

[Noj]

I grew up with my brothers' Van Halen records so their music will always take me back to my youth. To me, the DLR Van Halen is the very best "heavy metal" party music group, followed by AC/DC. Like all music, it has its own place, its own intended audience, and its own set of standards.

My brother exclusively loves all guitar rock and metal, so that's what's playing when I hang out with him. I "get" it, but it gets tiresome and I can't understand how anyone can just constantly be immersed in that rock sound alone.

Having heard the new VH, I'd say it's much better than I expected but I didn't hear any tracks which can compete with their biggest hits from the past. It's an album of second-tier Van Halen, without the high points of their older albums.

[7/4]

Val is a babe.