Best and Worst of Van Halen...

Heard Intruder/Pretty Woman on the radio at the gym yesterday and man, it just sounded so good at the time. I had to pull out Diver Down and bring it in to work today. What is your favorite VH albums and least favorite?

I myself love the first four albums, but there is not denying the impact and power of the debut. I am not a big fan of the Hagar era of the band. Don't hate them, just never immersed myself into them enough to get into them. Van Hagar is really a different band than the Roth era stuff IMO. VHIII doesn't even register.

As far as I'm concerned, VH ceased to exist after DLR left. I was never a big Hagar fan before he joined VH, so the combination did nothing for me. When my friends and I went to the Van Halen's Monsters of Rock tour back in 1988, we left before Van Halen even came on stage! (We were just there to see Metallica, Dokken and the Scorpions!)

My fave DLR albums are Van Halen II and Women & Children First.

Talking Roth-era, I still love their debut the best. Not a bad song on there. Their others are great as well, but if I had to pick one for the worst, it would be Diver Down. Too many cover tunes, not enough original material. To me, it just seems like a record they threw together and rushed to get it out.

Hagar-era took me a long time to warm up to, but once I did, I found some really great songs. It's hard to compare them to the Roth years. It's really apples & oranges. They all stand up on their own pretty well, but if I was rating them, I'd say OU812 is my favorite and 5150 is the least fav (still good though).

Van Halen III should be wiped from existence.

i've never been a massive van halen fan but i do like them. i've got the debut and then i got the 'best of both worlds' greatest hits. roth era is probably better but some of the hagar stuff is great as well (ie. poundcake, its about time)

The "debut" and "Fair Warning" rule! Roth-era only for me...with the exception of "5150".(which DLR was rumored to actually have been invoved in the writing of).Then,of course EVH's fretwork shined on every album i might add.


IronAge--

I've always been a big Van Halen fan. I love the entire DLR era and really like the Hagar albums. I think the VHIII album was a bunch of jams thrown together with a singer picked for his ability and willingness to sing the entire catalog on tour. VHI is my favorite DLR and 5150 for Hagar. I wasn't sad to see Hagar leave. I think he was taking the band in the wrong direction. With DLR I hope they right the ship and bring the band back to glory.

I can't wait for the tour....

IronAge wrote:

The "debut" and "Fair Warning" rule! Roth-era only for me...with the exception of "5150".(which DLR was rumored to actually have been invoved in the writing of).Then,of course EVH's fretwork shined on every album i might add.


IronAge--

I agree. there is no doubt that their s/t is their best and I loved II and Women/Children alot but I always considered Fair Warning to be the peak of their Van Halen-ness, everything great about the band came full circle on that album. Diver Down was hit-n-miss and 1984 was way too polished and contrived and everyone and their little sister was into them by then.
I remember being a huge VH fan back in 1979 and everyone was like "I dont like that new style of rock; gimme Ac/Dc and The Stones any day over that new VH crap!". Its kinda cool being a huge fan of a band long before the whole world decides to like em, eh?

I only own their first album but with 1984 (or somthing like this) this is the best.

Favorite: VH2 VH 1984 5150

Least Favorite: OU812 VH3

Least Favorite: OU812 (Have never heard VH III)

Favorite: VH I

I have only heard a couple of songs off of VHIII (it seems to be an almost unanimous verdict from those who have heard it that it's their worst album by far), and it's awful.

However, it wasn't Gary Cherone's fault it turned out how it did, in my opinion.

Fair Warning would be my favorite, but any of the first four could be there, IMO.

OU812 is my least favorite. I've never heard III, either.

Best - VH 1&2 and Fair Warning
Worst - VH 3
Just for the record i would take OU812 over 5150 and Diver Down is a pretty good record too!

Little Guitars! Great song!!!!!!!!!!

DLR ear is the best, but I do like the Van Hagar era - they released a VH III? - Just kidding - I didn't like that album at all

DLR in order of preference: VH1, Fair Warning, W&C1ST, VH2, 1984, Diver Down

Van Hagar in order of preference: For Unlawful CK, 5150, Balance, OU812

thejokeriv wrote:

DLR in order of preference: VH1, Fair Warning, W&C1ST, VH2, 1984, Diver Down

Van Hagar in order of preference: For Unlawful CK, 5150, Balance, OU812

Flip VHI and Fair Warning and that's exactly how I would rank them as well.

Tall Tyrion wrote:

thejokeriv wrote:

DLR in order of preference: VH1, Fair Warning, W&C1ST, VH2, 1984, Diver Down

Van Hagar in order of preference: For Unlawful CK, 5150, Balance, OU812

Flip VHI and Fair Warning and that's exactly how I would rank them as well.

Van Cherone just doesn't have the same ring, does it?

Not even close, although I kind of wish I had gone to see them live with Cherone.

Tall Tyrion wrote:

Not even close, although I kind of wish I had gone to see them live with Cherone.

Not a hugh Van Cherone fan - he's a great singer, but wrong for VH

I like both eras of the band almost equally. David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar are both very comparable singers in their own rights. I've not heard Van Cherone yet.

I can take Van Halen with either Roth or Hagar. Van Hagar was actually my first introduction to them so I kind of favor them (yes I know, Blasphemy). I never understood why people were so hard on Sammy when he joined. The name was Van Halen and Alex and Eddie were still there so people should not have blammed Hagar. If anyone should be blamed for the change in sound it was Eddie and Alex, it is their band after all. After Hagar left I really didn't listen to them anymore (except the old stuff). Not because Gary Cherone is a bad vocalist, I loved him in Extreme, but because I felt he was trying too hard to sound like Hagar instead of being himself. I guess that is also why I like Hagar, he remained himself instead of trying to sing like DLR.

i admit i own no vh albums what so ever but such a classic band they are means i have heard so many of their songs so i am more of a casual fan. same with aerosmith i know loads of songs from tv and radio but own no albyms by them

TheGooch wrote:

i admit i own no vh albums what so ever but such a classic band they are means i have heard so many of their songs so i am more of a casual fan. same with aerosmith i know loads of songs from tv and radio but own no albyms by them

I'm more of a 'casual' fan myself. I only own their Greatest Hits and for now - it's enough for me. Perhaps one day I'll have more of their stuff, but when I was in high school I never liked them much. Now that I'm older I'm getting into a lot of stuff I didn't like in high school though.

when i went to school i was a huge Queen fan. now i cant bear to listen to them anymore same with meatloaf who i was a huge fan off

TheGooch wrote:

when i went to school i was a huge Queen fan. now i cant bear to listen to them anymore same with meatloaf who i was a huge fan off

I'm a casual Queen fan (have their Greatest Hits but that's it).

I don't care for Meatloaf either though.