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Product Details
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Track Listings
| 1. Tattoo |
| 2. She's The Woman |
| 3. You and Your Blues |
| 4. Chinatown |
| 5. Blood and Fire |
| 6. Bullethead |
| 7. As Is |
| 8. Honeybabysweetiedoll |
| 9. The Trouble With Never |
| 10. Outta Space |
| 11. Stay Frosty |
| 12. Big River |
| 13. Beats Workin' |
Editorial Reviews
VAN HALEN - A DIFFERENT KIND OF TRUTH
DELUXE EDITION Includes 13-song CD + Bonus DVD featuring 3 BRAND NEW acoustic performance videos "The Downtown Sessions."
DELUXE EDITION Includes 13-song CD + Bonus DVD featuring 3 BRAND NEW acoustic performance videos "The Downtown Sessions."
A Different Kind of Truth is Van Halen's first original studio album with singer David Lee Roth since the band's classic multi-platinum album 1984.
Formed in Los Angeles in 1974, Van Halen changed the rock and roll landscape forever with the release of their self-titled, 1978 debut album displaying unparalleled stage presence, revolutionary musicianship, and extraordinary songwriting abilities. With more than 75 million albums sold worldwide, the band's record of achievement is hard to top. Among a long list of awards, recognition and accolades, Van Halen joins an elite short list of two time Diamond Award honorees in the history of the music industry. Presented with two Diamond Award RIAA Certified Status' for their albums Van Halen and 1984, the band has produced a repertoire of hits that remain some of the strongest and most influential rock songs ever written that fans will admire for decades to come.
On their upcoming tour, fans can expect Van Halen to perform selections from A Different Kind Of Truth alongside songs from their arsenal of epic hits that include: "Eruption," "Running with the Devil," "Jamie's Cryin'," "You Really Got Me," "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love," "Everybody Wants Some," "Unchained," "And The Cradle Will Rock," "Beautiful Girls," "Mean Street," "Somebody Get Me A Doctor," "Jump," "Panama," "Hot For Teacher," "I'll Wait," and more from their classic albums Van Halen, Van Halen II, Women and Children First, Fair Warning, Diver Down and 1984.
Van Halen - who the Los Angeles Times recently called "a force of nature" and "one of the flat-out greatest rock bands on the planet".
Van Halen was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in March of 2007.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
419 of 478 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is the album Van Halen has wanted to make for over 10 years, even after all the infighting, the firings, the lead singer switches, David Lee Roth "re-joining" the band for a moment in 2000, and then again for a year or two in 2006, bassist Michael Anthony vanishing from view and replaced by Eddie's son Wolfgang, and meanwhile brother Alex Van Halen just keeps beating away on the drums... you know, it's only So Cal rock and roll, but they like it. And it's a formula that worked for all those years, so why not try it one more time? This is the result.
This is a short (and priced to move) album of "new" songs, so in that spirit I'm going to review this quickly, but if you know me, it never works out that way. Enjoy...
13 songs at just over 50 minutes:
1. Tattoo - from right off the jump, the sonic jet crashes into your ears. The Van Halen of old has landed, and David's somewhat older voice still soars over the destruction of guitars, drums and synths. This song reaches into my heart and grabs it, as it's friggin' Van Halen, man! This rocked so hard, and the ending just quietly silenced itself. Great song either way. It was number one the second it was released, and to be sure it's just a prelude of things to come on the rest of this album.
2. She's The Woman - according to an article by Rolling Stone magazine, this song sounds like an old unreleased song of theirs called "Down In Flames" from 1977. Sure it does, but who cares? It sounds fresh and loud and once again, it rocks! It's like 1983 all over again, and I can see 10,000 Camaros blaring this album - and this short song - out all over America this summer. This is a great rocker for sure!
3. You and Your Blues - the guitar riff is familiar, the voice is haunting and young, the drums come up and the vocal harmonies appear, and there it is, andother perfect Van Halen song. Did these guys jump into a time machine and set it for the 80's, because I'm all for it! This is the song of the album so far, it's rich and lush and the solos are perfect, and the rock is finally back!
4. China Town - look out, keep your heads down, and jump right in, this is THE speed rock song of the album - everything is double-time except for David's laid-back vocals, but it's the formula
that made them famous through over a dozen albums and compilations, greatest hits albums and live cuts, too. The guitar solo here is vintage Eddie, and is so freaking dizzying your head will spin, and then it stops for that one second and then the song jumps back in full blast! Look out, you're gonna get blown away by this one.
5. Blood and Fire - are the boys singing the history of their lives or of the band's, or of both? "Told ya I was coming back..." Dave moans over the smashing guitar work of Eddie, brother Alex keeping fantastic time, and young son Wolfgang just banging away on the bass. they've been through punch-ups, break-ups, silent glances and some of the best rock ever put on vinyl. Here they are in their fortieth year (!) of working this craziness out together, and I'll be honest, they've never sounded better, fresher and younger! Bravo!
6. Bullethead - this song is pure nostalgia, and it takes me to a lost track from "Women and Children First." Great stuff, a quick song, and insane lyrics from the boys who invented power-drill rock and roll.
7. As Is - As this song is, the drums tell you a monster track is coming. And it sure is, a behemoth of sound, quickly building up to David Lee roth once again keeping up in his own way against the all-out assault of the Van Halens. Who wins this fight on this song this time. I'll tell you - we do, and what a solo in the middle. Once again, classic Eddie at work and it is only getting better. As David half-whispers, "Never spoiled by progress..." Another winner!
8. Honeybabysweetiedoll - One of the odder tracks on the album, something like finding a foreign broadcast of Martian rock on the radio by way of Southern California, but it goes right into 1984 again, as if the boys had never stopped jamming together for all those years. It's sexy, and fast, and it's like a moonlight ride with your lover with the lights off doing 125 on the highway as you get closer to... oh, you know what! Another growling mastertake. The song ends quickly with a quick feedback right into
9. The Trouble with Never - what happens when your lover suddenly says no after so much yes? This song once again takes me back to the past glories of the band, but it's a great place to be,
and David's voice has never sounded more syrupy and with that sexy quiet growl he is famous for. Another classic.
10. Outta Space - What if Ted Nugent decided to play with Van Halen? This is the closest you'll ever get to hearing that, as the song's subject takes us to the stratosphere. Another screamer from David, and another wonderful solo from the master, and he's getting better with every song, and on this song you can feel every fret and string being tortured under his capable hands!
11. Stay Frosty - a bit of silly old timey blues, which makes me think this is a sequel of sorts to "Ice Cream Man," as the boys have always loved it, but of course jump right into a quick-time version of the song, and they're letting us know that it's good to have fun, but of course keep your karma careful, and who should know about the ultimate ups and downs but these guys? A great bit of solo Eddie work once again in between as well, and of course what Van Halen album would be complete without the big classic song ending?
12. Big River - now it's time for a bit of seriousness - not! They run right into this song as they have throughout, with abandon and the type of rock and roll that needs to be remembered, 100 percent! This is a great song and one of my picks for another hit, if they let it happen! The guitar work is solid and the solo here is unmatched and timeless, and even though you may have heard similar versions of it, this is Eddie Van Halen, one of the inventors of the speed solo, and here he is untouched. Serious masterwork.
13. Beats Workin' - for these guys, the final song on the album is a love letter to everyone who has ever wanted to start a rock band, to everyone who has failed, and to those who succeeded
only to let it slip out of their hands. The power of rock is here in all it's glory, and it's timeless, and it has kept them playing for four decades - young bassist Wolfgang wasn't even born when they started! A great way to close out the album, with a suggestion from the band itself: it beats working, all of it. It's rock and roll.
So, I had apprehensions, maybe it's because I'm almost 50 now and my rock and roll idols are dead or have gone soft and gone on reality shows to keep their names alive, or worse, gone off to cover Broadway show tunes. So here it is, supposedly the end of the world, and these guys have the audacity to put out an album of straight-forward good old fashioned rock and roll? Just a guitar, a bass player, a singer and a drummer? Well... yes!
I listened, I reviewed, and I loved every second of it. You young kids can call it dinosaur rock, but I dare any of you to tell these guys that. They are rocking their butts off, and it works for me!
In the end, I'm giving the album 5 glorious stars - they deserve it, they've restored my faith in true rock and roll, and the fun spirit four guys can have by just sitting down and playing what they've been doing since many of us were young, at least me.
Go now, buy the album, and as us old people say, crank it up to eleven! You'll be glad you did!
(thanks for reading, and please leave some feedback (or a vote) if you liked it or not, and also check out my other reviews here on Amazon!)
This is a short (and priced to move) album of "new" songs, so in that spirit I'm going to review this quickly, but if you know me, it never works out that way. Enjoy...
13 songs at just over 50 minutes:
1. Tattoo - from right off the jump, the sonic jet crashes into your ears. The Van Halen of old has landed, and David's somewhat older voice still soars over the destruction of guitars, drums and synths. This song reaches into my heart and grabs it, as it's friggin' Van Halen, man! This rocked so hard, and the ending just quietly silenced itself. Great song either way. It was number one the second it was released, and to be sure it's just a prelude of things to come on the rest of this album.
2. She's The Woman - according to an article by Rolling Stone magazine, this song sounds like an old unreleased song of theirs called "Down In Flames" from 1977. Sure it does, but who cares? It sounds fresh and loud and once again, it rocks! It's like 1983 all over again, and I can see 10,000 Camaros blaring this album - and this short song - out all over America this summer. This is a great rocker for sure!
3. You and Your Blues - the guitar riff is familiar, the voice is haunting and young, the drums come up and the vocal harmonies appear, and there it is, andother perfect Van Halen song. Did these guys jump into a time machine and set it for the 80's, because I'm all for it! This is the song of the album so far, it's rich and lush and the solos are perfect, and the rock is finally back!
4. China Town - look out, keep your heads down, and jump right in, this is THE speed rock song of the album - everything is double-time except for David's laid-back vocals, but it's the formula
that made them famous through over a dozen albums and compilations, greatest hits albums and live cuts, too. The guitar solo here is vintage Eddie, and is so freaking dizzying your head will spin, and then it stops for that one second and then the song jumps back in full blast! Look out, you're gonna get blown away by this one.
5. Blood and Fire - are the boys singing the history of their lives or of the band's, or of both? "Told ya I was coming back..." Dave moans over the smashing guitar work of Eddie, brother Alex keeping fantastic time, and young son Wolfgang just banging away on the bass. they've been through punch-ups, break-ups, silent glances and some of the best rock ever put on vinyl. Here they are in their fortieth year (!) of working this craziness out together, and I'll be honest, they've never sounded better, fresher and younger! Bravo!
6. Bullethead - this song is pure nostalgia, and it takes me to a lost track from "Women and Children First." Great stuff, a quick song, and insane lyrics from the boys who invented power-drill rock and roll.
7. As Is - As this song is, the drums tell you a monster track is coming. And it sure is, a behemoth of sound, quickly building up to David Lee roth once again keeping up in his own way against the all-out assault of the Van Halens. Who wins this fight on this song this time. I'll tell you - we do, and what a solo in the middle. Once again, classic Eddie at work and it is only getting better. As David half-whispers, "Never spoiled by progress..." Another winner!
8. Honeybabysweetiedoll - One of the odder tracks on the album, something like finding a foreign broadcast of Martian rock on the radio by way of Southern California, but it goes right into 1984 again, as if the boys had never stopped jamming together for all those years. It's sexy, and fast, and it's like a moonlight ride with your lover with the lights off doing 125 on the highway as you get closer to... oh, you know what! Another growling mastertake. The song ends quickly with a quick feedback right into
9. The Trouble with Never - what happens when your lover suddenly says no after so much yes? This song once again takes me back to the past glories of the band, but it's a great place to be,
and David's voice has never sounded more syrupy and with that sexy quiet growl he is famous for. Another classic.
10. Outta Space - What if Ted Nugent decided to play with Van Halen? This is the closest you'll ever get to hearing that, as the song's subject takes us to the stratosphere. Another screamer from David, and another wonderful solo from the master, and he's getting better with every song, and on this song you can feel every fret and string being tortured under his capable hands!
11. Stay Frosty - a bit of silly old timey blues, which makes me think this is a sequel of sorts to "Ice Cream Man," as the boys have always loved it, but of course jump right into a quick-time version of the song, and they're letting us know that it's good to have fun, but of course keep your karma careful, and who should know about the ultimate ups and downs but these guys? A great bit of solo Eddie work once again in between as well, and of course what Van Halen album would be complete without the big classic song ending?
12. Big River - now it's time for a bit of seriousness - not! They run right into this song as they have throughout, with abandon and the type of rock and roll that needs to be remembered, 100 percent! This is a great song and one of my picks for another hit, if they let it happen! The guitar work is solid and the solo here is unmatched and timeless, and even though you may have heard similar versions of it, this is Eddie Van Halen, one of the inventors of the speed solo, and here he is untouched. Serious masterwork.
13. Beats Workin' - for these guys, the final song on the album is a love letter to everyone who has ever wanted to start a rock band, to everyone who has failed, and to those who succeeded
only to let it slip out of their hands. The power of rock is here in all it's glory, and it's timeless, and it has kept them playing for four decades - young bassist Wolfgang wasn't even born when they started! A great way to close out the album, with a suggestion from the band itself: it beats working, all of it. It's rock and roll.
So, I had apprehensions, maybe it's because I'm almost 50 now and my rock and roll idols are dead or have gone soft and gone on reality shows to keep their names alive, or worse, gone off to cover Broadway show tunes. So here it is, supposedly the end of the world, and these guys have the audacity to put out an album of straight-forward good old fashioned rock and roll? Just a guitar, a bass player, a singer and a drummer? Well... yes!
I listened, I reviewed, and I loved every second of it. You young kids can call it dinosaur rock, but I dare any of you to tell these guys that. They are rocking their butts off, and it works for me!
In the end, I'm giving the album 5 glorious stars - they deserve it, they've restored my faith in true rock and roll, and the fun spirit four guys can have by just sitting down and playing what they've been doing since many of us were young, at least me.
Go now, buy the album, and as us old people say, crank it up to eleven! You'll be glad you did!
(thanks for reading, and please leave some feedback (or a vote) if you liked it or not, and also check out my other reviews here on Amazon!)
177 of 213 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Van Halen is my favorite band of all time. I'd say my two favorite albums are VH II and Fair Warning. I have been waiting for this for 16 years since they released those 2 new songs off the Greatest Hits package. I remember that day like it was yesterday.
When I heard Tattoo, I was slightly discouraged initially. It wasn't what I was expecting, however I liked the song. But I kept the faith, and refused to bash the band like many others who heard Tattoo and discounted the rest of the 13 songs on the album without even a listen. Man oh man, and does the rest of the album kill! Each and every song following Tattoo are extraordinary songs. Van Halen have returned to form and given us their most aggressive album ever. And to the nay sayers who are complaining about them re-working old unreleased songs, so what? They are THEIR songs that were UNRELEASED for a reason. They were unfinished in the form they were in. I can't understand why a band isn't allowed to use their OWN material that THEY wrote and never released officially. Would you rather other writers come in or Van Halen to sound more modern like Nickelback or have Eminem come in and rap in the middle of a song? Quit complaining and thinking you can tell one of the greatest bands in history how they should sound or make an album. That's why they are Van Halen and you are you sitting in your mother's basement with a negative attitude. If you actually listen to the album, it is, IMO, their best since Fair Warning.
Stand-out tracks for me are: Chinatown, As-Is, She's the Woman, Trouble with Never, Stay Frosty, Outta Space, and Big River. However, each and every song is stellar. Even Tattoo which, when listened with the rest of the album, grows on you like a nice mustache. At worst I'd say 12 excellent tracks and one not bad track (Tattoo). If you ask me, that's pretty darn good.
A note on production: I was very scared of how this album would sound. I was afraid it would sound too glossy and polished and poppy. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that this album sounds just as good and as raw as any of their early albums. Big Brown Sound from Eddie and Thunderous drum sound from Alex is all there. Very pleased with the production! I feel that background vocals were handled very well also! While Mikey is missed, I didn't think about him once while I listened bc Wolfie nailed it. He is killing it on the bass (almost sounds like Sheehan) and definitely did a tremendous job on the backing vocals. Mikey will always be a part of VH but if that's what it took for these guys to get along again, have fun, and make a great album, then so be it. Wolfie is doing a great job at filling Mike's shoes!
A huge thanks to Van Halen for restoring my faith in modern music!
When I heard Tattoo, I was slightly discouraged initially. It wasn't what I was expecting, however I liked the song. But I kept the faith, and refused to bash the band like many others who heard Tattoo and discounted the rest of the 13 songs on the album without even a listen. Man oh man, and does the rest of the album kill! Each and every song following Tattoo are extraordinary songs. Van Halen have returned to form and given us their most aggressive album ever. And to the nay sayers who are complaining about them re-working old unreleased songs, so what? They are THEIR songs that were UNRELEASED for a reason. They were unfinished in the form they were in. I can't understand why a band isn't allowed to use their OWN material that THEY wrote and never released officially. Would you rather other writers come in or Van Halen to sound more modern like Nickelback or have Eminem come in and rap in the middle of a song? Quit complaining and thinking you can tell one of the greatest bands in history how they should sound or make an album. That's why they are Van Halen and you are you sitting in your mother's basement with a negative attitude. If you actually listen to the album, it is, IMO, their best since Fair Warning.
Stand-out tracks for me are: Chinatown, As-Is, She's the Woman, Trouble with Never, Stay Frosty, Outta Space, and Big River. However, each and every song is stellar. Even Tattoo which, when listened with the rest of the album, grows on you like a nice mustache. At worst I'd say 12 excellent tracks and one not bad track (Tattoo). If you ask me, that's pretty darn good.
A note on production: I was very scared of how this album would sound. I was afraid it would sound too glossy and polished and poppy. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that this album sounds just as good and as raw as any of their early albums. Big Brown Sound from Eddie and Thunderous drum sound from Alex is all there. Very pleased with the production! I feel that background vocals were handled very well also! While Mikey is missed, I didn't think about him once while I listened bc Wolfie nailed it. He is killing it on the bass (almost sounds like Sheehan) and definitely did a tremendous job on the backing vocals. Mikey will always be a part of VH but if that's what it took for these guys to get along again, have fun, and make a great album, then so be it. Wolfie is doing a great job at filling Mike's shoes!
A huge thanks to Van Halen for restoring my faith in modern music!
72 of 91 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I'll open this review by saying I realize I'm in the vast minority with my rating. (As of this writing, less than 20% of the reviewers have given the album three or fewer stars.) My hope is that people will understand I'm sharing my open-minded opinion of the music and won't thumbs-down the review just because it doesn't align with their own opinions.
First, the good...
I'm absolutely impressed with how well each individual band member has held up over the years. In terms of technique and chops, I don't think Eddie has flagged one bit; his riffs and solos are just as clean and blazing as ever. Diamond Dave's attitude remains fresh and slightly obnoxious in the way VH fans like myself enjoy, and although he's not screaming and squealing orgasmically as much as he did in the late '70s, he doesn't come across as a watered-down version of himself like so many singers do when they're well past their prime but trying so hard to believe they've still got it. What can I say about Alex? While he's not showing much flash--nor does he need to--he still lays down the bedrock well enough. What really surprised and pleased me is how well Wolfgang slid into Michael Anthony's slot. He's got a smooth vocal upper range and his playing is like a clock, the perfect foil to Eddie's fretboard pyrotechnics. Wolfie even shows off a bit of technical complexity here and there without stepping on anyone's toes. The kid definitely has musician's blood in his veins.
Now the not-so-good...
Like everyone else reading and writing these reviews, I was completely pumped in anticipation of this release. Michael wouldn't be part of the project, which was a bit of a bummer, but we all saw that coming. Just to hear Eddie and Dave collaborating again full-bore more than piqued my interest and got me hopefully wondering. Would they challenge and inspire each other as they did thirty years ago? Would they create new sounds to be later imitated but never duplicated by others? Did they have more Camaro-blasting burger joint classics in them? Most importantly, would they rock hard?
ADKOT answered those questions for me, unfortunately not in the direction I'd hoped. Clearly from the reviews here, on various music sites, and in magazines and newspapers across the country, it's rocking a lot of people...I'm just not one of them. That's too bad, because so many folks out there are making comparisons between this latest opus and classics like Women and Children First and Fair Warning. I don't hear it. Hey, maybe it's my fault for not being sixteen anymore. When those earlier albums first came out, they had a certain something at once sexy, dark, and playful that insinuated itself into my teenage id. They inspired me to--for better or for worse--play guitar loudly, drive fast, and spray-paint my tiny universe in crisscrossed red, white and black stripes. Then again, maybe I just haven't given this album enough spins. The way it works for me with albums, at least most of the time, is a handful of tracks grab me right out of the gate while others are slower to reveal their charms.
So far, this new album hasn't revealed a single jaw-dropper. In fact, I'm hard-pressed to find even a thirty-second block of music that might just blossom into something great after multiple listenings (although the fade-out to "As Is" is a strong contender at the moment). The most ADKOT has done to this point is made me go back to the classic DLR-era cuts to see if I could define their mystique for myself. Maybe through that exercise I could put a finger on what I feel is lacking today. While most of what's missing amounts to an intangible spark at least partially attributable to what was my own coming of age at the time, there are a few aspects I can point to as what I consider definite weaknesses on ADKOT.
BACKUP VOCALS: Most great DLR-era tracks feature Eddie and Mike on backup vocals. These vocal harmonies are an instantly-recognizable VH fingerprint. What's more, they tie VH to a rock 'n' roll, R&B and Motown tradition, one in which the song was built on vocal melody. Perhaps the most important aspect of these backup vocals is that they elevate great tracks to anthem status as they become eminently singable to the masses. In the case of ADKOT, many of the vocal harmonies (to my ears) are built around multi-tracks of Dave's own voice. Instead of that great call-and-response vocal dynamic found in songs like "Runnin' With the Devil," "Unchained," and "Jamie's Cryin'," you get The Diamond Dave Show, which isn't my brand of whiskey. Yes, there are background oohs and aahs, but nothing like the construction of the aforementioned VH classics.
EXPERIMENTATION: There's always been at least one track, be it a proper song or an intro to another song, that featured some level of instrumental experimentation, like the sound engineer let the Van Halen kids run amok in the control room for an afternoon and left the tape recorder running. It's that kind of musical curiosity that resulted in "Sunday Afternoon in the Park," "Intruder," and parts of "And the Cradle Will Rock...," to name just a few moments of sonic chaos gone right. I feel like the Van Halen kids have grown up and are playing nicely with their toys now. Makes me want to say, "C'mon, guys. Grab a pair of scissors and RUN!!!"
SONGWRITING: This is by far the most subjective and undefinable element for me to criticize, but I feel the songs lack the musical depth and level of interest I've come to expect from early VH. This ties into the experimentation point at least partially, but taking the songs as a whole, I'm not getting any of that same air-guitar or singalong joy from these tunes that I'd hoped for. Never do I get to the end of any one song and say to myself, "Dayum, I just *gotta* hear that again," reaching for the iPod's back button. Nothing here is great all the way through for me. On the other hand, I could listen to "Somebody Get Me a Doctor" on repeat for an hour or more and be perfectly happy. Again, one of the more personal and subjective critiques.
PRODUCTION QUALITY: I dunno, maybe it's just how things are done these days, but I agree with an earlier reviewer who said the tracks sound spatially squashed. Ninety percent of the sound is pushing through the center channel. Feels like someone took all the furniture out of a Beverly Hills mansion and crammed it into a studio apartment on the Lower East Side. But it's not just about the separation; the EQ sounds muddier. Part of that that is due to Eddie's brown sound becoming more saturated, which has taken away a lot of the clarity. Every musician has a golden tone in his or her head, and maybe this is a step closer to that tone for Eddie, or maybe it's the evolution of his own ideal. Either way, it's a step further from what I want to hear. Too muddled and overblown.
Overall, I'm giving this album three stars, because while it's not making me want to dive in more and more with every listen, it's not actively pushing me away either. I'll still come back to it on occasion, and maybe I'll discover new gems every now and again.
In the meantime, be cool. Stay frosty.
First, the good...
I'm absolutely impressed with how well each individual band member has held up over the years. In terms of technique and chops, I don't think Eddie has flagged one bit; his riffs and solos are just as clean and blazing as ever. Diamond Dave's attitude remains fresh and slightly obnoxious in the way VH fans like myself enjoy, and although he's not screaming and squealing orgasmically as much as he did in the late '70s, he doesn't come across as a watered-down version of himself like so many singers do when they're well past their prime but trying so hard to believe they've still got it. What can I say about Alex? While he's not showing much flash--nor does he need to--he still lays down the bedrock well enough. What really surprised and pleased me is how well Wolfgang slid into Michael Anthony's slot. He's got a smooth vocal upper range and his playing is like a clock, the perfect foil to Eddie's fretboard pyrotechnics. Wolfie even shows off a bit of technical complexity here and there without stepping on anyone's toes. The kid definitely has musician's blood in his veins.
Now the not-so-good...
Like everyone else reading and writing these reviews, I was completely pumped in anticipation of this release. Michael wouldn't be part of the project, which was a bit of a bummer, but we all saw that coming. Just to hear Eddie and Dave collaborating again full-bore more than piqued my interest and got me hopefully wondering. Would they challenge and inspire each other as they did thirty years ago? Would they create new sounds to be later imitated but never duplicated by others? Did they have more Camaro-blasting burger joint classics in them? Most importantly, would they rock hard?
ADKOT answered those questions for me, unfortunately not in the direction I'd hoped. Clearly from the reviews here, on various music sites, and in magazines and newspapers across the country, it's rocking a lot of people...I'm just not one of them. That's too bad, because so many folks out there are making comparisons between this latest opus and classics like Women and Children First and Fair Warning. I don't hear it. Hey, maybe it's my fault for not being sixteen anymore. When those earlier albums first came out, they had a certain something at once sexy, dark, and playful that insinuated itself into my teenage id. They inspired me to--for better or for worse--play guitar loudly, drive fast, and spray-paint my tiny universe in crisscrossed red, white and black stripes. Then again, maybe I just haven't given this album enough spins. The way it works for me with albums, at least most of the time, is a handful of tracks grab me right out of the gate while others are slower to reveal their charms.
So far, this new album hasn't revealed a single jaw-dropper. In fact, I'm hard-pressed to find even a thirty-second block of music that might just blossom into something great after multiple listenings (although the fade-out to "As Is" is a strong contender at the moment). The most ADKOT has done to this point is made me go back to the classic DLR-era cuts to see if I could define their mystique for myself. Maybe through that exercise I could put a finger on what I feel is lacking today. While most of what's missing amounts to an intangible spark at least partially attributable to what was my own coming of age at the time, there are a few aspects I can point to as what I consider definite weaknesses on ADKOT.
BACKUP VOCALS: Most great DLR-era tracks feature Eddie and Mike on backup vocals. These vocal harmonies are an instantly-recognizable VH fingerprint. What's more, they tie VH to a rock 'n' roll, R&B and Motown tradition, one in which the song was built on vocal melody. Perhaps the most important aspect of these backup vocals is that they elevate great tracks to anthem status as they become eminently singable to the masses. In the case of ADKOT, many of the vocal harmonies (to my ears) are built around multi-tracks of Dave's own voice. Instead of that great call-and-response vocal dynamic found in songs like "Runnin' With the Devil," "Unchained," and "Jamie's Cryin'," you get The Diamond Dave Show, which isn't my brand of whiskey. Yes, there are background oohs and aahs, but nothing like the construction of the aforementioned VH classics.
EXPERIMENTATION: There's always been at least one track, be it a proper song or an intro to another song, that featured some level of instrumental experimentation, like the sound engineer let the Van Halen kids run amok in the control room for an afternoon and left the tape recorder running. It's that kind of musical curiosity that resulted in "Sunday Afternoon in the Park," "Intruder," and parts of "And the Cradle Will Rock...," to name just a few moments of sonic chaos gone right. I feel like the Van Halen kids have grown up and are playing nicely with their toys now. Makes me want to say, "C'mon, guys. Grab a pair of scissors and RUN!!!"
SONGWRITING: This is by far the most subjective and undefinable element for me to criticize, but I feel the songs lack the musical depth and level of interest I've come to expect from early VH. This ties into the experimentation point at least partially, but taking the songs as a whole, I'm not getting any of that same air-guitar or singalong joy from these tunes that I'd hoped for. Never do I get to the end of any one song and say to myself, "Dayum, I just *gotta* hear that again," reaching for the iPod's back button. Nothing here is great all the way through for me. On the other hand, I could listen to "Somebody Get Me a Doctor" on repeat for an hour or more and be perfectly happy. Again, one of the more personal and subjective critiques.
PRODUCTION QUALITY: I dunno, maybe it's just how things are done these days, but I agree with an earlier reviewer who said the tracks sound spatially squashed. Ninety percent of the sound is pushing through the center channel. Feels like someone took all the furniture out of a Beverly Hills mansion and crammed it into a studio apartment on the Lower East Side. But it's not just about the separation; the EQ sounds muddier. Part of that that is due to Eddie's brown sound becoming more saturated, which has taken away a lot of the clarity. Every musician has a golden tone in his or her head, and maybe this is a step closer to that tone for Eddie, or maybe it's the evolution of his own ideal. Either way, it's a step further from what I want to hear. Too muddled and overblown.
Overall, I'm giving this album three stars, because while it's not making me want to dive in more and more with every listen, it's not actively pushing me away either. I'll still come back to it on occasion, and maybe I'll discover new gems every now and again.
In the meantime, be cool. Stay frosty.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not great, but not too bad
With initial impressions of the much anticipated new Van Halen album A Different Kind Of Truth leaving me with a fair degree of disappointment I wanted to let this one sit with me... Read more
Published 4 days ago by wizey
Not the Van Halen I remember
Sorry, I just don't get it. I couldn't get though the samples. David Lee sucks on this album. Songs are all over the place. Read more
Published 5 days ago by Louisiana
Long Live The Mighty...
Honestly, I was just hoping for a few great moments. A few flashes of brilliance that recalled the magic from back in the day. Read more
Published 6 days ago by John A. Sepetys
Fair, but will soon be forgotten
Look, I first saw VH live when they were an unknown, hard-working struggling backup band. I'm pretty sure I have all of their albums: some hot, some not. Read more
Published 7 days ago by C. Perry
I Like it!!
I Loved David Leroth in the 1st few Albums, And I did Like Sammy Hagar. however i stopped listening after that, they got kind of hard, tried things new i guess i didnt get along... Read more
Published 8 days ago by Swilli
Okay...I had a feeling about this one...
Ladies, Gentlemen, Boys and Girls,
I own over 10,000 LP's and 5,000 CD's.I am a collector. Read more
I own over 10,000 LP's and 5,000 CD's.I am a collector. Read more
Published 9 days ago by I. C. Cunningham
couldn't even get past samples
I couldn't even get past listening to the samples. I listened to the samples and not one song sound like something I wanted to listen to all of the way through, now this either... Read more
Published 10 days ago by Robert
I've got my new Summer album for 2012.
So good. This is the album that I've been waiting for since 1984. Good hooks, blistering guitar work, and Diamond Dave doing his thing. I love it. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Michael C. Mcdonald
Welcome Back We Missed You
Hey you know what? That new Van Halen album kicks ass.
I came into this expecting to find washed up rock and roll pop and found a sound explosion. I can only say "wow! Read more
I came into this expecting to find washed up rock and roll pop and found a sound explosion. I can only say "wow! Read more
Published 10 days ago by fidoprincess
It's Van Halen ... Lovin' it
Must make one point first... Love Van Halen no matter if DLR or Sammy is singing. ( hell even liked the VH3 material too... Gary just wasn't a great fit ). Read more
Published 12 days ago by Scott C. Gross
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Van Halen's album A Different Kind Of Truth was produced by Van Halen.
David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar, Gary Cherone, Michael Anthony, Eddie Van Halen and two other artists have been a member of Van Halen.
David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar, Gary Cherone, Michael Anthony, Eddie Van Halen and two other artists have been a member of Van Halen.
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