MSU Red Cedar Message Board

I agree that Van Halen did an outstanding job with "You really got me" - and I'd agree it's better than the original but keep in mind, too, that the song was a pretty old song and I don't think was a huge hit in the USA (I could be wrong). Remember that band Slade? The Scottish band that wrote "Cum on feel the noise?" - IIRC, they had written quite a few songs that later were covered by other bands and became hits in the USA. As Plate of Shrimp pointed out, The Kinks really haven't gotten a lot of credit and exposure in the USA despite the fact that they were a phenomenal band.

Maybe true, but the material on VH III was horrendous.

van halen only covered 7 tunes.

pretty woman
dancing in the streets
ice cream man
where have all the good times gone
you really got me
won't get fooled again
you're no good.

imo...all of their work was solid until balance. it's well known most of the dlr lyrics are simple while sammy was a much better lyricist. the vh brothers are classically training pianists which would explain the sometimes heavy use of keyboards in their music.

vh3 should never have been released. what a pos.

These Hagar lyrics are deep:

Send “Why Can't This Be Love” Ringtone to your Cell
Oh here it comes
That funny feeling again winding me up inside
Every time we touch
Hey I don’t know
Oh, tell me where to begin cause I never ever
Felt so much

Chorus 1:
No I can’t recall any love at all
Baby this blows ‘em all away

Chorus 2:
It’s got what it takes
So tell me why can’t this be love?
Straight from my heart
Oh, tell me why can’t this be love?

I tell myself
Hey only fools rush in an only time will tell
If we stand the test of time
All I know
You’ve got to run to win an I’ll be damned if
I’ll get hung up on the time

Chorus 1

Chorus 2

(solo)

chorus 2

Tell me why can’t this be love
Baby why can’t this be love
Got to know why can’t this be love
I wanna know why can’t this be love
Send “Why Can't This Be Love” Ringtone to your Cell

with ghost and fanboy motown around, don't count on it.

Here is the new video.

Truth.

+1 for R.P. First time ever.

Of course you didn't think it was that bad you're stuck in the 80s with that goofy hair lol

I'm as big a Van Halen fan as anyone, but that new song is not very good. Roth's voice sounds extremely flat, as it well should because these guys aren't 30 anymore.

It's cool to see them jamming after all these years. I predict a messy break up and war of words after their tour.

Also, anybody remember when Sammy and Roth teamed up in 2002? If my memory serves me that was a complete disaster.

Not gonna lie, I thought everyone enjoyed Van Halen until I read this board. What exactly is there not to like? You get exactly what you expect; dumb, fun, loud rock n' roll. They don't claim to be anything more.

That being said..the new song sucks. Not gonna stop me from catching them on this tour

Melodicrock's review is in!

http://melodicrock.com/

VAN HALEN - FIRST IMPRESSIONS REVIEW:
So it's been almost 24hrs with Van Halen's newie A Different Kind Of Truth. Initial fan feedback from those that received their copies seems to match the enthusiasm of those still expecting it. The band needed to deliver and they have done just that.
My first reactions were sent out via Twitter last night. here's a rounded out summary of those thoughts. A full feature review of the album will be posted next week - as soon as I get at least 30 spins of the album done.
The best thing about this new album - besides actually hearing new material at last - is the amazing energy on display. And this is vintage Van Halen as promised.

Track by Track:

Tattoo - Weakest track on the album. Still find it an odd kind of opening track (She's The Woman has a far more authoritive intro), but we're all familiar with it now. VH at their most commercial pop. An easy track to ease the public back into the band. I still see it as a better track 2 or 3.
She's The Woman - great presence and a dirty riff to kick off. Simple chorus. Heavy groove. Sweet instrumental bridge into the solo and a pounding rhythm section. EVH absolutely on fire!
You And Your Blues - Love the intro and the move into a big sonic blast. Dave sounds amazing. Classic VH meets darker dirty style like Humans Being or From Afar even. Monster song and fast solo, some big harmonies and generally a cool anthemic blast.
China Town - WOW! Blazing solo to kick off then triple time slamming drums and bass. Fast fast FAST and furious. Short Dave style chorus (typical throughout the album). That guitar sound is like Balance to these ears. Furious solo and drum flurry. Back to a steady vocal, old school Dave.
Blood And Fire - More old school VH here. Uptempo again. Simple chorus once again, but some nice riffing around the song. Has a 1984 feel to it. Surprise melodic bridge intro some tasty picking and a blazing heavy solo! Feels like the tempo picks up even more.
Bullethead - Fast and furious again and WTF was that guitar intro??!!! Simple fast one word chorus - classic Dave. But heavy and fast! Song includes the album's title in the lyrics. Effects in play for short solo. Fast rocking fun.
As Is - Loving this tune especially. This is HEAVY!!! And fast again with a Hot For Teacher vibe. How old are these guys again??? Great little chorus. Big BIG sound. And the close out is amazing. Guitars everywhere and dark and heavy. And some harmony box from DLR - who continues to sound incredible. What a solo! Fast furious shredding. Then into a Metallica heavy vibe. Now some HFT style spoken bridge.
Honeybabycutiedoll - Maybe the most bizarre guitar sound I've ever heard from EVH. Another uptempo track, a real groover. Dave speaks the vocals, but it works. One of those classic quirky VH tracks that each album seems to have one of.
The Trouble With Never - Another spoken word mid-track breakdown. Dave is having a blast and the groove of this album is unreal. Big commercial rocker that follows the last track perfectly. Big harmonies back again.
Outta Space - Another fast rocking groover. Yep, this beast is heavy! Another slamming display of rhythm. Dave vox really strong here.
Stay Frosty - Acoustic intro...Dave quirky lyrics and vocals and more spoken word stuff. Interesting use of DLR on this album. Then....BAM!...the song turns ULTRA heavy and features a monster groove. Mammoth close out with Alex going nuts.
Big River - More groove and lots of riffing. Dave going for a big vocal again. Fast and in your face again. Simple chorus as is the norm. Classic VH here. God the guitar sound is just HUGE!!!! Another great solo. Bit longer this time. Mixing riffs and picking.
Beats Working - Hard edged riff and matching drum beat. Fun rocker with more reminders of 1984. Defies explaining!

To summarize. The band have come together however they made it possible, but it's done and it's actually worth the wait. Another 30 plays and some flaws are going to come to light - Michael Anthony's trademark vocals an obvious point - but those flaws aren't going to be anything detrimental to the enjoyment of this album.
Every track has it's place and there's not a dull moment to be had.
The album is surprisingly heavy, very upbeat and has energy beyond description. This is not a 'chorus' album. Sammy Hagar brought that to the band, so fans of that era might be a little left out at times here. This is more a reflection of the classic vibe the band had in their early days. And why not - 7 of the album's tracks were moulded from 70s demos. But today they sound as fresh as they possibly could be. David Lee Roth's vocals have been wisely moulded into the groove of the album - its the best I've heard him since Eat Em And Smile. And the Van Halen's are simply stunning.
And to top it all off - ADKOT features a monster production job and a crystal clear mix. The guitars have real and immediate impact and the music is a finely balanced mix of old old classic familiar Van Halen along with and some fresh and recent Van Halen too.
It is everything Dave Halen fans have been waiting since 1984 for and there's plenty there too for Van Hagar fans. Full feature review to follow next week.