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The Kiss thread prompted this one.

BIG BIG debut record...the summer of 1978 wouldnt exist without VH.

Endless dysfunction endless drama and the highest IQ of any classic rock frontman?

Opine por favor.

The DLR VH records are gold......I never heard A Different Kind of Truth - but the reviews for it were extremely good.

The only record from the original era I have a slight issue with is Diver Down......the entire record is just over 30 minutes, which doesn't bother me as much as the fact that of the 12 songs on the record - only four are genuine VH songs (Hang 'em High, Secrets, Little Guitars and The Full Bug). Every other song is either a cover (two of which are kinda jokey) or an instrumental thing.

Any VH without DLR is barely worth discussing.

ADKOT is an excellent release....perhaps the best new release by a classic rock band
in 10 years...

DLR is "on fiyaaaahhhh" on the new one...erudite wit and humor in full play.

I loves me some classic DLR VH.

I love DLR Van Halen, every single album... it would be extremely hard to choose one, except 1984 that's honestly is my less fave one...
after that, never heard a single song, plus that guy with horrible hair used to sport an extremely irritating t-shirt...

Michele wrote:I love DLR Van Halen, every single album... it would be extremely hard to choose one, except 1984 that's honestly is my less fave one...

Here's a theory. Even if DLR had stayed in the band, they'd still have ended up sounding less like good early VH and more like mostly not so good later AOR VH. They were already headed in that direction on 1984.

Obviously it's not their best but 1984 is still a great,great record.

1984 > Diver Down

I like 1984. I like most VH releases, to some degree. I really liked 5150. After that, the good/shit song ratio got lower and lower. I actually like the first song on the Cherone album quite a bit. There might be one other one. I still think EVH is probably the greatest rock guitarist ever. And the fact that he plays fast/started the whole tapping thing is probably at the bottom of the list as to why I think that. The riffs he writes are just stunning. He has such a unique feel and style, and without fail every time I hear a new VH record I hear something that makes me go "holy shit", guitar-wise.

version sound wrote:1984 > Diver Down

Oh for sure and I agree with Gary. Diver Down is easily the weakest of the DLR era and for the exact reasons captaintwoman said. It's a tossed-off, cobbled-together effort for sure.

SamDBL wrote:I like 1984. I like most VH releases, to some degree. I really liked 5150. After that, the good/shit song ratio got lower and lower. I actually like the first song on the Cherone album quite a bit. There might be one other one. I still think EVH is probably the greatest rock guitarist ever. And the fact that he plays fast/started the whole tapping thing is probably at the bottom of the list as to why I think that. The riffs he writes are just stunning. He has such a unique feel and style, and without fail every time I hear a new VH record I hear something that makes me go "holy shit", guitar-wise.

He's an innovator for sure and like with most innovators, the imitators latch on to one (in this case very annnoying, mainly) aspect of his style (the tapping in EVH's case) and milk it for all its worth while ignoring the other stuff that makes him great. I'll take a great riff any day over a wanky solo. Malcolm > Angus, that type of thing. Then again, I'm not a guitar player, so take that for what you will.

JGJR wrote:

Michele wrote:I love DLR Van Halen, every single album... it would be extremely hard to choose one, except 1984 that's honestly is my less fave one...

Here's a theory. Even if DLR had stayed in the band, they'd still have ended up sounding less like good early VH and more like mostly not so good later AOR VH. They were already headed in that direction on 1984.

I think the same...
don't know if 1984 is better than diver down, for sure Fair Warning is one enormous album!

I'll add another thumbs-up for 5150. Everything through that record is very good to great and I really liked ADKOT a lot.

DLR is a grade-A asswipe. Cannot take him seriously.

DLR rules, I'm not a Sammy Hater, 5150 was the first time I saw VH & it's hard to not like Sammy Hagar, but got to see them twice on the first reunion & they were great & DLR is still awesome. ADKOT is up there as far as reunion albums. Other than the NY Dolls first comeback record & the recent Dino Jr. albums it's my most listened to of that stuff.

DLR is way more sexy than Sammy Hagar.

i think the original songs on diver down are great. hang em high and little guitars might be some of their better overlooked songs. they definitely get overlooked when you throw in the covers though. 1984 is a pretty solid album. i think they were going in that keyboard direction with dave or hagar. i like 5150 and some of the later stuff(poundcake is a great song, but i grew up on that era of VH). the only problem is hagar has this horrible amount of cheese and they started writing all of the keyboard/AOR ballads like why can't this be love. i would say that there are at least two or 3 good songs on every hagar album except the last one that came out after for unlawful.

yourenotevil wrote:...they started writing all of the keyboard/AOR ballads like why can't this be love...

Funny that you call that song out. I don't think it falls into the category of AOR Ballad. Now, "Love Walks In" from the same album, that's a cheesy ballad. But I think "Why Can't This Be Love" is a great pop-rock song. And that guitar riff is a great, unintentional (I assume) Devo rip. Try listening to it back-to-back with 'Girl U Want".

scannest wrote:

yourenotevil wrote:...they started writing all of the keyboard/AOR ballads like why can't this be love...

Funny that you call that song out. I don't think it falls into the category of AOR Ballad. Now, "Love Walks In" from the same album, that's a cheesy ballad. But I think "Why Can't This Be Love" is a great pop-rock song. And that guitar riff is a great, unintentional (I assume) Devo rip. Try listening to it back-to-back with 'Girl U Want".

fair point. i don't think why can't is even that bad of a song, but it certainly is cheesy. same thing with right here, right now. everything sammy has ever touched is corny as fuck. i think montrose had some good songs, and sammy had some decent stuff as a solo artist, but he was the king of rock n roll cliches in some ways. i can't drive 55 is a good song, but it is pretty hokey.

First Montrose lp is a ripper.

Includes this song which may sound familiar to the punks.

LOVE DLR era VH. so glad they reunited and gave me the chance to see them live. For all those guys that are in the Bill Ward situation with VH, I like Michael Anthony, but Wolfgang is a solid bass player and takes nothing away from VH. Best replacement possible and I love that kid. Yeah, sure DLR 's voice is shot, but they're still entertaining as hell!

Now on to Sammy. I love OLD solo Samny like "Standing Hampton" and "3 Lock Box." Anything AFTER "VOA" is terrible. I love Montrose also, but I'm not too keen on VAN HAGAR. I like some songs ("Top Of The World," "Runaround," "Dreams," etc) but a lot of it lacks balls and Eddie did too much keyboards during that time period.

tango fistula wrote:ADKOT is an excellent release....perhaps the best new release by a classic rock band
in 10 years...

DLR is "on fiyaaaahhhh" on the new one...erudite wit and humor in full play.

Totally agree. Great record.