Van Halen - A Different Kind Of Truth?

[Comic Book Dude]

Tatoo really grew on me, plus Roth just writes the best lyrics in the world. The song is great for the lyircs alone , IMO.

I gotta agree....there's a lot of hating going on about that song, but I think it's great. After I heard it the first couple of times, it got stuck in my head big time......cool tune among MANY cool tunes on this disc. Like I said before....Roth is King.

 

[jem777az]

I thought it would be cool to compare the original demos of a few VH songs that made it to the new album. The most noticeable difference is the absence of Michael Anthony's background vocals. Obviously DLR doesn't have the same range he once had, and EVH's playing style is way different now. But for songs that are nearly 40 years old, I thought they gave them a cool modern vibe while still retaining the old school kick-ass sound.

She's The Woman (Demo) - notice the riff in the breakdown? Mean Street anybody?




She's The Woman (Album Version)




Big Trouble (Demo)




Big River (Album Version - aka "Big Trouble")




Put Out The Lights (Demo)




Beats Workin' (Album Version - aka "Put Out The Lights")




Let's Get Rockin' (Demo)




Outta Space (Album Version - Aka "Let's Get Rockin'")

 

[TribunalRecords]

LOVE this album. cannot stop listening to it.

 

[VenomGA]

LOVE this album. cannot stop listening to it.

Honestly me too, (well Not Tattoo, but the rest of the album!)

 

[5150]

I've tried to like this album but I can't stand to listen to a more than a few songs at a time. I like some of the early VH, back when Eddie could play and Roth's childish lyrics and yelps were tolerable. But as far as I am was concerned, Roth was only as good as his guitarist. Whether it was Eddie or Steve Vai.


As for this album, there are a few decent songs but overall, the songs and guitar playing is uninspired. Even worse, Roth ruins the songs. His voice is grading and the lyrics are pathetic, not to mention extremely dated. A 56 year man pretending to be a teenager. The ego and swagger is plain silly at his age.


I am glad many of you find this album a great joy and it reminds you of early VH and more to the point, your younger years. I for one found the Van Hagar years a vast improved to what came before and now after. Sammy added much more depth and originality to their music. Better melodies and lyrics. Compared to Roth's juvenile lyrics, Sammy was a freaking wordsmith. I don't blame Sammy for singing as few of the old songs as possible during his ten year stint with VH.


As for Eddie, he was a great guitar player throughout the early and Hagar years. Now, like Roth, he too is rather sad and uninspiring. I found nothing interesting or entertaining in his playing on this album. He's playing by the numbers.


Not surprisingly, the best songs are the old demos and “Stay Frosty”. The latter is the only style Roth can sing with any conviction.


This is not so much a comeback album as a reason why they should have hung it up years ago. This album does not remind me of the fun and original early years nor their creative peak with Sammy. Time to stick a fork in this gas bag of a band.


I for one will not be paying the outrageously expensive concert tickets. I give this line-up less than a 20% chance of making it through the tour before self-destructing.

 

[Harvester]

This album does not remind me of the fun and original early years nor their creative peak with Sammy. Time to stick a fork in this gas bag of a band.

 

[Pelata]

I give this line-up less than a 20% chance of making it through the tour before self-destructing.

Well, they've already completed 2 tours, so...

For the new album, I like "As Is", "China Town", "Honeybabysweetiedoll" and "Big River"...

 

[Comic Book Dude]

The ego and swagger is plain silly at his age.

You do realize that Roth's ego and swagger (along with Eddie's playing) is what made Van Halen great, right? If you actually listened to and read the lyrics on this album, you'd find there's nothing childish about them....they're whiskey-soaked philosophy based on a life fully lived.
That's fine if you love Sammy so much; go listen to Chickenshit.....I'll be listening to A Different Kind Of Truth, and loving every minute of it.

 

[nomisofsiman]

You do realize that Roth's ego and swagger (along with Eddie's playing) is what made Van Halen great, right? If you actually listened to and read the lyrics on this album, you'd find there's nothing childish about them....they're whiskey-soaked philosophy based on a life fully lived.
That's fine if you love Sammy so much; go listen to Chickenshit.....I'll be listening to A Different Kind Of Truth, and loving every minute of it.

Also, while I respect Hagar for being the much better singer, he doesn't bring the energy, charisma, personality that Roth does. I've listened to the Hagar stuff and it honestly bores me. I also do find both musically and lyrically for those albums to be cheesier (in a more sappier way I guess). I think this is why there always will be that division between Van Halen fans. Some love Roth and some love Hagar.

 

[Pelata]

Some love Roth and some love Hagar.

Some, like me, love both.

 

[TribunalRecords]

Why do people still compare Van Halen and Van Hagar? They are two TOTALLY different bands. Neither sounded like each other when it came to songwriting. You either like Roth fronted VH or you don't, but Hagar fronted a completely different band as he brought out a different writing style in the VH brothers.

back to thread topic. NEW VAN HALEN ALBUM FUCKING RULES. it's so much fun to hear them back like this again. i was biggest skeptic, not going to lie, but they floored me with this batch of tracks. other than Tattoo not a song i want to skip with it plays.

 

[Pelata]

Why do people still compare Van Halen and Van Hagar? They are two TOTALLY different bands.

And Hagar has been out of the band (pretty much) since 1996...

 

[nomisofsiman]

Some, like me, love both.

Oh. I'm sure there are those as well. It's just a lot of people will tend to show their loyalty to one or the other more.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

I've tried to like this album but I can't stand to listen to a more than a few songs at a time. I like some of the early VH, back when Eddie could play and Roth's childish lyrics and yelps were tolerable. But as far as I am was concerned, Roth was only as good as his guitarist. Whether it was Eddie or Steve Vai.


As for this album, there are a few decent songs but overall, the songs and guitar playing is uninspired. Even worse, Roth ruins the songs. His voice is grading and the lyrics are pathetic, not to mention extremely dated. A 56 year man pretending to be a teenager. The ego and swagger is plain silly at his age.


I am glad many of you find this album a great joy and it reminds you of early VH and more to the point, your younger years. I for one found the Van Hagar years a vast improved to what came before and now after. Sammy added much more depth and originality to their music. Better melodies and lyrics. Compared to Roth's juvenile lyrics, Sammy was a freaking wordsmith. I don't blame Sammy for singing as few of the old songs as possible during his ten year stint with VH.


As for Eddie, he was a great guitar player throughout the early and Hagar years. Now, like Roth, he too is rather sad and uninspiring. I found nothing interesting or entertaining in his playing on this album. He's playing by the numbers.


Not surprisingly, the best songs are the old demos and “Stay Frosty”. The latter is the only style Roth can sing with any conviction.


This is not so much a comeback album as a reason why they should have hung it up years ago. This album does not remind me of the fun and original early years nor their creative peak with Sammy. Time to stick a fork in this gas bag of a band.


I for one will not be paying the outrageously expensive concert tickets. I give this line-up less than a 20% chance of making it through the tour before self-destructing.