Diver Down Review

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Diver Down ReviewEddie Van Halen once referred to DIVER DOWN as his "least favorite album." Pointing to the profusion of cover songs and the fact that the mini-Moog riff that opens "Dancing In The Streets" was meant for an original VH tune he was writing, EVH noted, "I'd rather bomb with my own stuff than score with somebody else's." In that vein, I once read a review of this LP that said, "This is the product of an exhausted, bored band at a creative lowpoint."
True, true. Yet DIVER DOWN is not a terrible or even a bad album. It is merely mediocre by the standards of the Old (1979 - 1985) Van Halen. And considering that band gave us ridiculously brilliant albums like VAN HALEN I and 1984, that's a sliding scale.
First of all, the three main cover tunes ("Dancing", "Where Have All The Good Times Gone?" and "Pretty Woman") are well done, although "Pretty Woman" is technically way off, the result of the band playing it in the studio from memory rather than actually doing their homework (just like high school, Dave!). In fact, I like all of these songs better than their originals - VH truly made them their own. In keeping with old VH traditions, there are also two gag-reel songs, "Big Bad Bill" and "Happy Trails", which are as ridiculous as you'd expect them to be.
On the softer, more AOR-radio friendly side, we've got "Secrets" and "Little Guitars", two underrated and understated tunes you will never - ever - hear on contemporary radio. And the good old VH trademark of an instrumental song ("Cathedral") marks the first real foray by Ed into keyboards and is really a beautiful and evocative track. His next outing was the key-solo on "Jump", and we all know how that one ended up.
DIVER DOWN has a vaguely spaghetti-Western type of theme (I guess Dave was watching a lot of Sergio Leone in 1982?), most particularly on the oddly compelling song "Hang `em High", which is arguably the best track on the record. In addition, "The Full Bug" features an exuberant harmonica solo. This song rocks full-bore and will get you a speeding ticket if you listen to it while driving.
All in all, DIVER DOWN is decent three-star album from a great band playing with one hand occupied by beer, or possibly a groupie's bra. It has most of the things you'd associate with DLR-era Van Halen, the main difference being the lighthearted, almost disposable nature of the songs, which lack the hard, gritty resonance of earlier albums or of side 2 of "1984." It' a quirky, very distinctive, upbeat type of Big Rock with just enough edge to prevent it from straying into sugar-pop-rock territory.
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Women & Children First Review

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Women & Children First Review1980 saw the release of Van Halen's "Women and Children First," their third album in a chain of classic releases spanning the late 70s into the early 80s. "Women and Children First" is probably the bands' most under-appreciated album. This is due to the fact that it's in the middle of a chain of classic releases like "Van Halen," "Van Halen II" and "1984." Yet it hasn't quite received the cult status of "Fair Warning" or the sales of "Diver Down."
Although "Van Halen II" (1979) is a classic album, it's slightly underwhelming when compared to the magnificent self-titled debut (1978). It's the classic case of the "sophomore slump," when a band that has been playing clubs for years uses up all its best material on the debut, and then has to use what's left over for the follow-up (although what was "left over" was still pretty good!). For "Woman and Children First," the band recorded a whole new batch of songs that sounded fresh, and less like leftovers.
It goes without saying that Van Halen was at their prime during the Roth years (1978-1985). The debut album and the follow-up see Van Halen young, fast and furious. This was also the case by the time Van Halen released "Women and Children First," but the band also sounds a little more loose, more relaxed, but without losing any of the fire or passion that made them so great. Eddie's playing, which goes without saying, sounds terrific. Every song on "Women and Children First" has one, or two killer, killer solos. Bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Alex Van Halen provide a stellar rhythm section and David Lee Roth shines as only he can. There has never been, nor will there ever be, in the history of rock n' roll, a singer that has the charisma, charm, showmanship and ironic wit of David Lee Roth.
"Women and Children First," starts out surprisingly mid-paced (although never tepid) with its first couple of songs. The classic rock staples "And the Cradle Will Rock..." and "Everybody Want's Some!" get the album off to a great start. The former a dedication to the endurance of the rock n' roll sprit and the latter a tribute to, well, what everybody wants. Both songs feature Eddie Van Halen at his best. His solos never sounded more soulful or melodic. And Dave just shines. "Everybody Wants Some" really shows classic David Lee Roth at his best, especially with his "I like way the line runs up the back of the stocking," and "no no no no no, don't take `em off", and "yeah, that's it, a little more to the right" lines. These two tracks really show classic Van Halen at there finest. The pace slows down even more for the bluesy "Fools" an ode to the powers that be that would obstruct the prowling of the Diamond one.
The pace goes into hyperdrive with the classic "Romeo Delight" which is probably one of Van Halen's most underrated songs. The main riff is absolutely killer and Eddie's playing is fast and furious. One of the best moments of this song comes towards the end, when the rush of the song comes to a sudden halt, and then you hear the sound of a tapping, softly at first, and then getting louder and louder. Dave's quite melodic "oh baby, feel my heartbeat, feel my heartbeat, feel my heartbeat" over the tapping which gets increasingly louder adds the perfect effect as only Diamond Dave could. The Sabbath-like "Tora! Tora!" which leads into the anarchic "Loss of Control" are two non-song tracks that add a bit of spice to the album and are essential to its overall flow.
The band goes semi-acoustic towards the end of "Women and Children First." "Take Your Whisky Home" sounds like an old blues song from the South. The lines "Well my baby, she don't want me around, she says she's tired of watching me fall down, she wants the good life, whhah, and all the rest, but I like that bottle better than the rest" show the true spirit of classic Van Halen. The acoustic "Could this be Magic" is pure magic. In it, Dave sings of the inevitable doom of what will become in his current romance, but in pure Dave kitsch. The background vocals and harmonies from Eddie, Michael and Nicolette Larson add the perfect touch. The album closes with the beautifully written ballad "In a Simple Rhyme." This is simply one of rock's greatest, most highly underrated love songs. It actually rocks pretty hard, but is elegant and soulful. I would go as far as to say that it's like a "Sweet Child `O Mine" of the early 80s. Eddie and Michael's background vocals over Dave's soulful blues delivery is pure magic. Eddie's thunderous solo over Michael Anthony's melodic bass line sounds terrific. And Diamond Dave never shined so bright. Some of his best lyrics are right here:
Then she made the mountains sing
Birds against an icy sky
And I heard bells ringin'
I think I heard an angel sigh
"Woman and Children First" closes with an untitled 15 second Sabbath-like instrumental titled "Growth." Supposedly, the follow-up album, (which turned out to be "Fair Warning" 1981) would begin with the same riff, although this turned out not to be the case. "Growth" sort of comes out of left field, but is none-the-less an interesting piece of music and a cool way to end the album.
The first six Van Halen albums are absolutely essential cornerstones to any great rock collection. Although "Women and Children First" is not the band's most well known album, it is still a classic and a must have for any Van Halen fan, or fan of hard rock or classic rock in general.
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Alive Box Set Review

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Alive Box Set ReviewI was hesitant to purchase this box set since I already own the first three "Alive" albums on cd (not to mention the first 2 on vinyl). I decided to make the purchase based on the inclusion of the Millennium Concert, the great price and having all the albums in the same place. I do not believe "Alive III" was ever remastered, so the sound improvement here is very noticeable. What pleasantly surprised me was the better sound on "Alive I & II". I did a side by side with "Alive! Box Set" cds and the 2 disc remastered sets of "Alive I & II". I found these new recordings to sound clearer, brighter, louder (when played at the same volume level), and to have more concert hall ambiance and overall punch when compared to the 2 disc "remastered" versions. The differences I heard immediately were Criss's drums & Gene's bass on the "Alive!" album giving my car subwoofer a much better workout. While the sound improvement on these first two "Alive!" albums might seem like a slight "tweak" to some, the ears of dedicated KISS fans will really appreciate the improvement.
So, for the music fan who does not own any Kiss albums, shame on you! This is a great place to start; four great live cds in one collection at a very reasonable price. For any KISS fan wondering if this set is worth the money, ask yourself one question, "Do you want the best?" I thought so....add to cart ASAP.Alive Box Set OverviewTime to rock and roll all nite! Presenting the three classic Kiss Alive! albums, Alive 1975, Alive II 1977 and Alive III 1993, newly remastered in one ultimate boxed set. Also includes The Millennium Concert (New Year's Eve 1999/2000) on CD for the first time ever!

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Best of Rockers & Ballads Review

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Best of Rockers & Ballads ReviewWe used to call this music heavy metal, but the stuff they call heavy metal today is so unlistenable that I don't know if the Scorpions still fall in that category. Anyway, it's still hard rock -- with melody. It's not just power chords, which sets it above mediocre to poor rockers like Motley Crue. It's not just wild guitar solos (I don't think that these guys could play as fast as Eddie Van Halen). But the Scorpions rank high on the metal food chain. And if you disagree, that's okay, but I don't recommend that you express that opinion in Germany, where the Scorpions reign like Bruce Springsteen in the U.S.A. or U2 in Ireland.Best of Rockers & Ballads Overview

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