Best Hagar-era Van Halen album?

In your opinion, what is the Best Hagar-era Van Halen album?

I've recently been adding all the Hagar-era albums to my site. (Thanks Vexer6) Of the four Sammy Hagar albums, I actually find "Balance" to be the most enjoyable. I know it's not a popular release as it doesn't contain any big radio hits, but that may very well be the reason I enjoyed it moreso than the more poppy, radio-oriented albums.

Anyone else?

I'd say it's a toss-up between For Unlawful... or Balance for me. For Unlawful...was still on the poppier side of hard rock, but it stripped away some of that 80's synth spit & polish. I bought that as a new release and it got lots and lots of play for a long time.

Balance is a much darker record, so that one tends to get more spins from me these days.

5150 is my favorite Van Hagar album

'For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge' is IMO the best of the Sammy Hagar era.

Balance is awesome. I LOVE the instrumental "Baluchitherium." That is in my top two of favorite Van Halen songs.

5150 is good as well. Some of the songs on that record were demoed with Roth still on vocals, but I doubt any recordings still exist. "Get Up" has a great thrash-like riff to it.

OU812 is a bit lackluster. The production has always thrown me, but the songs still have some kick. I really like "Source of Infection." The lyrics are childish, but the guitar riff is very bluesy and the leads are amazing.

F.U.C.K is OK. It's got "Poundcake;" that's about it for me. Still need to give this one more listens.

"Baluchitherium" sounds a bit unfinished to me. It almost sounds like a song that was written for lyrics, but was released without vocals. However, the opening drum instrumental is cool. That could have been on the first Van Halen CD along with Eruption.

Quote :

"Baluchitherium" sounds a bit unfinished to me. It almost sounds like a song that was written for lyrics, but was released without vocals.

According to Wikipedia, it was.

There was also a bonus, Japanese-only released track that I've never heard called 'Crossing Over'. Kinda cool I suppose. It fits in with the dark mood of the rest of the Balance album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8UlcOhzeyw

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Quote :

"Baluchitherium" sounds a bit unfinished to me. It almost sounds like a song that was written for lyrics, but was released without vocals.

According to Wikipedia, it was.

It was suppose to have lyrics, but they were axed in the end. I think Eddie's guitar replaces Sammy's voice very nicely.
I'll cover the rest in my Van Halen thread.

5150 I think. They all have some good tracks on, namely I Can't Stop Loving You and When It's Love.

I'll have to go with 5150, even though it has some ugly ballads, it has some damn good rockin' songs......... Hello Baby...........

I actually like OU812 best. All the albums have some clunkers on them but that one got played to death by me when it came out. Black and Blue is such a sensitive love song.

5150 is my fave. Just a great release from beginning to end. OU812 is just a hair behind (although it does have one of my favorite Hagar era tunes on it-Finish What You Started).

007 wrote:

5150 is my fave. Just a great release from beginning to end. OU812 is just a hair behind (although it does have one of my favorite Hagar era tunes on it-Finish What You Started).

Thats how I feel too. 5150 gets the most play of the VHaggar era.

Probably F UCK

5150


after all, Dreams is my favorite Van Halen song of all time.

F.U.C.K. and Balance


OU812 (needs to be remastered but is a good album)

The keyboards on 5150 are worse than they were on "1984"...

For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, by far. It's the most fun of the sometimes boring Hagar albums.

probably 5150, with OU812 second. In my opinion each successsive album after 5150 was just a bit worse than the last, although the all have some good songs.

The reason i like the Roth albums waaaay more than the Van Hagar ones is because Van Halen was a straight up meat and Potatoes metal band before the keyboard stuff became prevelant. Half of 1984 is good too, but after that it's wussified cheese with the exception of Balance and F.U.C.K. I like the songs on OU812 but the production is really thin and the keyboards are still too upfront.

I must be the only Van Halen fan that did not care for 'OU812'

manny wrote:

I must be the only Van Halen fan that did not care for 'OU812'

That's the most boring all. Every time I see a good review for it I'm left scratching my head. "When It's Love", "Feels So Good" and "Finish What Ya Started" (one of Van Hagar's best) are the only songs that stand out to me.

For Unlawful

Quote :

the production is really thin and the keyboards are still too upfront

I think that statement could apply to plenty of 70's band that transitioned into the 80's and sort of "lost their direction" with the advent of newer technology, synthesisers and a new poppier, slicker sound that was taking over radio. Ted Nugent, Van Halen, Alice Cooper, Ozzy, etc.

manny wrote:

I must be the only Van Halen fan that did not care for 'OU812'

It's one of their absolute worst albums...in fact, it's a pretty good example of basic laziness & "our fans will buy anything" attitude in the songwriting department.

detuned wrote:

manny wrote:

I must be the only Van Halen fan that did not care for 'OU812'

It's one of their absolute worst albums...in fact, it's a pretty good example of basic laziness & "our fans will buy anything" attitude in the songwriting department.

I thought that about Diver Down. Basically an EP with three new Van Halen songs, some silly fillers, guitar fluff and a few covers. Less than 30 minutes of music, it's basically an EP.