Van Halen 3

Since we've been having lots of debates over unpopular albums, i think its time to bring up this album. Thoughts on it? I personally think that "Without You" and "Ballot or the Bullet" are perfectly fine VH songs, no problem with them. "Dirty Water Dog" and "Fire in the Hole" are ok songs too. However, theres a lot on this album thats just boring ("From Afar","Once","A Year to the Day"), and it doesnt really have that VH feel to it, aside from the aforementioned "Without You".

The only Van Halen I refuse to own. I sold it shortly after it came out. I tried, I really did. But it's just ugly.

Perhaps I should revisit it. It's been a while.

I gave this a listen not too long ago, thinking maybe my position would change, but it hasn't. It's really bad, with only a couple of satisfying tunes.

I tried listening to it the other night. I have no problem with Cherone being in the band--I like quite a bit of Extreme's catalogue--but the songs on III are just not very good to my ears.

Haven't heard it since it was a new release. I hadn't paid much attention to VH during the Hagar era but gave this one a shot cuz I dug Extreme (I even met Gary C. during their "Pornograffiti" tour ... nice guy)...but the VH3 album did nothin' for me. I traded it off ages ago.

Haven't listened to this in ages! I shall give a try, and comment again.

I wish Mitch Malloy would have lasted more than two weeks or however long it was; I imagine a VH album with him would have been amazing.

Horrible album....

It's very good. It has some of the worst cover art ever, not that VH has a string of outstanding covers. When I was into VH and I bought it, I thought "wtf?" and kind of withdrew from it. Now, if I were to go back and play some VH again I won't skimp on it. I like the serious (...sober?) tone. It has a very particular vibe about it while sounding exactly like what you would expect, and the lack of Roth or Hagar is refreshing to me even though Gary sounds a ton like the latter. Also, VH3 is all about guitar narrative, Eddie is all over the place on there.

I like the album. It is a mixed bag that is all over the place. The guitar alone is rather amazing. The intention and purpose of the album isn't fully understood.

Never heard any of it

Only heard it once or twice, no desire to hear it again.

I've liked it since day one but I have always said the riff to "Ballot Or The Bullet" is the theme to 'I Dream Of Genie'. The only songs I hate r the aforementioned "Ballot Or The Bullet", "Neworld" & "How Many Say I". I have the version with "That's Why I Love You" on it. I got into Extreme with "Waiting For The Punchline".

It's not nearly as bad as its reputation. It's not great by any mean, but it's not horrible. It's an okay album that simply doesn't really sound like Van Halen. Though I do think "Dirty Water Dog" is a pretty great track, one that is more like their classic material with DLR.

Shame Gary Cherone, arguably the best singer the band ever had, got all the blame for the album, as if those songs were all written by him.

I never liked the vocals on it. And overall, it just sounded uninspired.

Gary didn't fit in VH. Just like Paul Rodgers didn't fit with Queen.

I remember hearing a few songs on the radio when it first came out it was nothing memorable. I doubt I will ever own anything by them except their first GH and their first album.

Eyesore wrote:

It's not nearly as bad as its reputation. It's not great by any mean, but it's not horrible.

Exactly. It's nowhere near as bad any anyone says it is. It just lacked Sammy's arranging skills to hammer the songs into shape. "Without You", "Fire In The Hole", "Once", "Year To The Day", and "One I Want" are all really good songs.

Cherone's voice fit just fine w/ VH's music. He wasn't trying to sound like Sammy (which I've heard countless people accuse him of)...he sounds just like he did on Extreme's 'Waiting For The Punchline' (another WAY underrated album).

Gary (according to his interviews) simply added lyrics to existing music as it was. He did not do any arranging or refining (cut that part, play that part twice, etc). One of Sammy's roles in VH was as arranger. Sammy has said in interviews that a lot of the music on VH3 was around when he was in the band and he remembers it. He also said he would have rearranged some of it before releasing it, which Gary didn't do.

I just didn't quite enjoy it, musically a good one, but still lacks a punch.