Duh Vuh Duh

I'm with you two, I can't believe that is the lead single, if so, I weep for this new album, I thought the song was pretty embarassing.

I'll admit I have a slight bias towards Hagar stuff, but I can't believe people are clamoring to DLR when this is the result. Just comparing Tattoo to the, I think, latest work from them with Hagar and I think the Hagar song blows Tatoo away. Was their last work with Hagar, 'Humans Being'? Going to check now.

ETA: "It's About Time", "Up For Breakfast", and "Learning to See". Ok, still pretty un-inspired, but I think they are better than Tattoo. The harmonizing they do with Hagar and Anthony just made up a lot of what made them good. Not sure how to describe it, even the late Hagar stuff still seems to have the VH signature sound, which I think is mostly completely absent from the new single.

cungar

I can just imagine Kool and the Gang's manager getting the call at their gig at the Morongo Casino in Stockton. "What's that? A world tour with Van Halen? Who is this joker?"

SmackDaddy

Fixed!

Kool and the Gang?

Jason

Kool and the Gang are a huge step up from either of the opening acts on the 2007/2008 tour

Barth

30 year Van Halen fan here, I like Roth and Hagar so don't bash me to hard. But getting to know Eddie's personality over these years, maybe he's bringing in Kool and the Gang as a name but not somebody who can steal their thunder.
He seems to have a problem when the attention gets drawn from him. I'm sure a recognizable name will help sell tickets I'm just not sure its a good fit. I don't think most fans will look at the lineup and say "Oh wow Kool and the Gang is opening up what a great deal! We have to go!" Haven't looked and can't remember who opened in 07-08. A band like Bad Company, Cheap Trick, or even Ted Nugent seems a better choice.

atlantamoi

Clamoring is a strong word when it comes to anything new by Van Halen. I just think seeing them live with David would be fun. No more, no less. Every VH album with David blows away anything the band did afterward. The disappointment of hearing 5150 when it came out was fairly strong for me. I'll probably never give "Tattoo" another listen ever again (unless for reason I find my way to their show).

As for Kool & The Gang. Awesome! I love going to concerts when the opening bands sound nothing like the main act. I laughed when I first hear about this. Kudos.

Jason

Ky-Mani Marley (2007) and Ryan Shaw (2008) were the two opening acts on the last Van Halen tour.

I'm looking forward to Kol and the Gang too. Should be energetic, and I probably wouldn't see them otherwise. Better than some uttly forgettable hard rock act with one album.

Hokeyboy

More than a few buddies are in the same opinion I'm at. The song SUCKED at first, it was OK the second time around, and kinda diggin' it afterward. I'm not saying it's some great game-changing awesome tune, but I like it. Like I said, it grows on you.

The Infidel

I was only disappointed with 5150 because it seemed like they were trying way too hard to distance themselves from the previous work they did with Dave. After Dave had reportedly been so dead-set against the use of keyboards for so long, it sounded like Eddie was using the shit out of them on purpose, just to spite him. And, being a drummer myself, I HATED the overwhelming use of electronic drums by Alex.

I can't agree that everything from the Dave era overshadowed everything afterward. Both eras had their good and bad points. With the Dave albums, you could hear in the music and production when the partying and general abuse was starting to take its toll. There were bright moments here and there, but I don't think any one Dave era album shines above any others, as a whole.

With the Sammy era albums, like I said before, I think they just started off way too strong with 5150, but then calmed down some with OU812, which, to me, is a great album. But again, all the Sammy era albums had good and bad points, and you could also tell by listening between the lines that tensions were growing.

creekdipper

I'd rather he bring in Valerie Bertinelli to hawk Jenny Craig or Weight Watcher products.

Come to think of it, that might be more beneficial to the likely audience than any other act.

Supermallet

Fair Warning, without a doubt. One of the best hard rock albums ever recorded. The other Dave albums are good to great, but Fair Warning is the best.

OU812 is a very strong album, I agree. Nothing else they did with Sammy ever touched that album for diversity of style and songwriting chops.

Hokeyboy

I hated 5150 when it came out (I was 15 and a LONGTIME Van Halen fan ((which was half my life at that point))), which was odd because I was a big Sammy Hagar solo fan (he was my first concert, in a bill with Bryan Adams, Journey, and Aerosmith). But 5150 sounded forced, wooden, and overproduced. And "Dreams" was singlehandedly the biggest pussywimp swish song the band has ever done, before or since. "That's what dreams are made of..." Jesus.

I respect it more now, while still not in love with it; I even think "Why Can't This Be Love" is a pretty damn good single. OU812, as mallet said, had a ton more diversity (I'd put the Orbison-inspired "Finish What Ya Started" as one of the best songs the band has ever done, Hagar or otherwise), but much of the album felt either rushed or entirely overthought. Bipolar experience. F.U.C.K. was absolute garbage. Haven't checked into much after that.

B5Erik

I remember the HUGE disappointment I felt when I first listened to 5150. I was hoping that Eddie would harness the Sammy Hagar of VOA and take that energy and slightly heavier style and blend it with Van Halen. Instead what we got was the Sammy Hagar of Standing Hampton. Competent, well written hard edged Pop Rock, but nothing like the raw energy of DLR era Van Halen.

OU812 was a slight improvement, and For Unlawful Carnal Knowlege was a slight improvement on that. Still, none of the Van Hagar albums came close to even the weakest of the Roth era VH albums (Diver Down and 1984).

I'm betting this album is marginally better than Diver Down and 1984, and will hold up fairly well against the first four VH albums while not quite reaching their level.

nodeerforamonth

I agree with all this, though I thought Standing Hampton was a good album and nothing Hagar did with VH came close.

Supermallet

I think we'd be lucky for this album to stand up against Van Halen III, honestly.

TomOpus

I have low expectations for this album but I'll probably enjoy it I'm thinking of the band as Van Halen Lite. It's been 30 years since their heyday and they've gone through a lot of life between then and now. It sounds like Van Halen but I don't hear the old attitude (but I don't expect that old attitude).

Hokeyboy

Since this is the all-purpose VH thread (for now), I think Diver Down gets shat upon a bit too much. While it can't touch the first 4 albums, it is to me a much more listenable album than 1984 (which for some reason gets excessively lauded, probably for its top sales, slick production, and easy pop approachability).

OK the over-reliance of covers is annoying (never liked "Dancing In The Streets" and "Where Have All The Good Times Gone" is decent enough) and "Happy Trails" is cute but throwaway, but there are a ton of top-quality tracks like "Hang 'em High", "Little Guitars", "Full Bug", and "(Oh) Pretty Woman". I dig "Big Bad Bill" for its quirkyness and offbeat charm, and enjoy the quick instrumentals "Cathedral", "Little Guitars Intro", and "Intruder" for what they are, a chance for EVH to really experiment with new styles and sounds, and they're over before they can wear out their welcome.

Not a great album, sure, especially coming after the ridiculously superior Fair Warning, but one with some really good standout material on it.

B5Erik

I love Diver Down. It's a FUN album. It reeks of summertime goodness. I put that thing on and I'm immediately transported back to the summer of '82 (and there's a reason I remember it well ).

1984 has a handful of great songs, but another handful of mediocrity. Even so, I'd still rate 1984 far above that bland, safe, 5150.

I like, "Tattoo." It's a grower. And from all I've heard it's one of the weaker tracks on the album (like many VH singles have been over the years).

Rocketdog2000

Pizza the Hutt

Jesus what the fuck color is the grass in Bizarro World?

B5Erik

Green.

We love Van Halen in Bizarro World. Real Van Halen, anyway.

Seriously, Tattoo is better than some of their previous singles. Singles have often been some of the weakest tracks on Van Halen's albums, so to pre-judge the entire new album based on the lead single is pretty Bizarro.

I'm optimistic about the album. Just like I'm optimistic about the new KISS album, Monster. I was optimistic about the latest RATT album, and it turned out to be their best in a quarter century. A lot of people laughingly dismissed Uriah Heep's latest (Into The Wild) before it came out, but it turned out to be a phenomenal album. (Of course, their previous album, Wake The Sleeper, was darned near as good, but no one noticed...)


Why shit on an album before it even comes out??

ytrez

Tattoo, Tattoo.

Ugh. Anyway, Fair Warning is one of the best albums of all time. And I love Diver Down. People made fun of me for years telling me how much it sucked compared to the first 4 VH albums, but that was never the point. On its own, Diver Down is a shitload of fun and I still get a kick out of it. It may not be one of the best but its one of my favorites.

The Sammy years never really did it for me. There are some songs I really enjoy and others I hate (Poundcake) but most are just...meh.

As for Tattoo. I'd rather listen to anything on Balance before having to listen to Tattoo again. Maybe even Van Halen III!

dvdjunkie32

Two decades for this shit song? Eddie looks really rusty on guitar too. I found the song and video downright embarassing. It's a sad downfall for the man who revolutionized guitar playing with his tapping techniques.

cungar

I love how people are calling THIS the sad downfall of Eddie Van Halen. The guy has got his shit together enough to record a new album and launch another Van Halen tour but this is his downfall.

Anyone remember this stage of his illustrious career?

dvdjunkie32

And this is why you shouldn't smoke, kiddos.