Customer Reviews

A Different Kind of Truth

5 star:		(346)
4 star:		(82)
3 star:		(45)
2 star:		(33)
1 star:		(32)

 

 

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!)

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!

Look, I'm a big Van Halen fan so there was no doubt I was going to pick this up. However, I am completely shocked by how good it is. I pretty much expected a couple decent tracks, albeit with a beat DLR voice.

Boy was I wrong. Every track is great. DLR sounds great. Eddie's tearing it up.

Must buy album.

This is a shocking return to form. Their heaviest album since Fair Warning, it features Eddie blazing away on guitar like he hasn't in decades. For someone who has gone through so many problems over the years, it is amazing to hear him so thoroughly rejuvenated. Dave's voice has never been better--he has actually extended his upper non-falsetto register and is now actually singing rather than the singing/rapping mix he tended to favor the first time around. The vocals overall are just awesome--classic VH melody melded into unique arrangements over sledgehammer-heavy riffing. For those who feared that Mike's absence would leave a huge, unfillable hole, in comes Wolf, playing the best bass I've ever heard on a VH album and doing an astonishing job with the background vox, including passages where he hits the high notes in Anthony-esque fashion. How crazy is it that the perfect replacement for Mike ends up being Eddie's son? And how about Alex? What can I say, he's always been a monster, no change here--he sounds amazing as well. Some people are so put off with many of these songs being updated, new takes on old unreleased demos, and I don't understand what the problem is. VH has *always* mined the vaults for new ideas, going back to the earlier albums, and many bands do the same. It's still their own original stuff and it still explodes from the speakers quite satisfactorily. When it's this good, who cares where it came from or when it was written?

I was one of those that had basically sadly written off my favorite band forever after all the missteps since Balance. I am thrilled to have them back and in better shape than ever! I just turned 50 yesterday, and to have their triumphant return released a day after that is blowing me away. Can't wait to see them on tour this Spring.

When the Beatles released "Free as a Bird" in the 1990s, we were taught that it's usually best to let go of the past. When "The Who" took the stage at Super Bowl XLII, we were reminded of the ravages of time, and that we're only young once. Rock heroes of generations past cannot be preserved in amber, we thought. They may have had their time . . . but it was long ago, trapped in the vinyl grooves of a generation long bereft of youth.

So when I heard Van Halen was coming out with a new record, I braced for the worst. Their task seemed impossible: recapturing a long lost sound without losing it's spirit; honoring their own legacy without slavish mimicry; harnessing the energy of their youth and proving that it's genuine. Somehow, Van Halen has succeeded. 'A Different Kind of Truth" isn't just different from other Rock reclamation projects; it's unprecedented. Where other bands have failed, Van Halen has succeeded. Against all odds, Van Halen has gone boldly where no band has gone before.

This isn't supposed to happen. Van Halen is supposed to sound dated, pale - a bad imitation of what they had been during the glory days. But as Roth said in an interview with the Toronto Sun, some things age better than others. While other bands from Rock's halcyon days have aged like heads of cabbage, Van Halen is a vintage wine that seems to taste better in 2012 than 1982.

Seriously. Although the band's publicity sets in New York and L.A. have only featured one or two songs from this new album, Van Halen may be forced by popular acclaim to include as many as 6 or 7 tracks from "ADKOT" in the setlists on their upcoming tour. Tracks like "Chinatown," "Big River," "She's the Woman," "Beats Workin'," "As Is," "Stay Frosty," "Bullethead," and "Outta Space" are blazing, top-shelf instant classics. Oddly enough, the weakest track on "ADKOT" is the much-maligned single "Tattoo."

"A Different Kind of Truth" does not suffer from the absence of Michael Anthony, the band's longtime Jack Daniel's swigging, bearded, mullet-haired bassist. His soaring backround vocals are gamely replaced here by a third Van Halen twin - Ed's son Wolfgang. And if that weren't impressive enough, Wolfgang also provides the band with a youthful drive that locks-in perfectly with Alex Van Halen's thundering percussion. It's a perfect match that rounds out the band and gives it a pulse just like the band had in it's glory years in the last 70s.

And one has to wonder if the presence of Wolfgang in the studio has had an influence on the rest of the band too, because Van Halen on "ADKOT" doesn't sound like a bunch of AARP members trying to defy Father Time. Ed's licks are as red-hot as on any previous Van Halen album. Gone are the "mature," soft-rock stylings of the Van Hagar era. It's almost like Van Halen finally figured out what it does best, and decided it was the only thing they were going to do.

If Wolfgang was a big influence on the amazingly rejuvenated Van Halen of 2012, than the return of David Lee Roth was of seismic importance. One of the reasons Van Halen's sound varies so dramatically between lead singers is because of the critical role played by the frontman in this band. Roth sets the tone on "ADKOT" and leads the band back to where it always belonged: barrelling straight through your speakers and in your face. Full of swagger, tongue firmly in cheek, and wittier than ever, Roth proves that he hasn't lost a thing. "The sign on the doorbell says 'Bring it, don't ring it," Roth cracks in "She's the Woman." And that's exactly what the Roth-rejuvenated Van Halen does here.

Much has been made of the fact that Van Halen went back into its vault for material on this album. If there is something wrong with that approach, I can't hear it. And since I can't hear it on the album, I certainly don't care if I hear it from the mouth of some hipster-critic. And neither should you. Van Halen is back. Not just part of it, but the full freaking bug.

As "Van Halen II" is to "Van Halen" I, "A Different Kind of Truth" is unto "Women and Children First". It really is that good. "A Different Kind Of Truth" is everything Van Halen was about, when it was rock n roll; dark, mischievous fun. "It" still remains. Dave is as he was; obnoxious, hilarious and gregarious, the ultimate Master of Ceremony, though less sparkling I think due to mixing than anything else. But the band plows through these tracks as though this was 1985, full of confidence and power. I was discouraged with "Tattoo" like everyone else was, but I knew there was more to the album than that.

"As Is" is an incredible showcase for the band, Dave included, as there are some really memorable vocal spots on this song, as well as instrumental brilliance,
the nuanced delicate powerhouse "Blood And Fire" is an instant hit,
"Stay Frosty" is an everything and the kitchen sink kinda song and it's fun, funny and quite brilliant..

It goes on and on, and all I could think was, how much like "Women And Children" First this sounded. Which is perfect. I didn't catch on to "Fair Warning" 50% of that album was stellar. WACF was brilliant from start to finish. Other than "Tattoo", which is mediocre, there is really not one bad song on this album.
And you know, I read some of the 2 star reviews and this guy says "where's Eddie", "where's the song-writing".
Eddie is here in all his brilliance and the song-writing is top notch. Some people don't know what they are talking about. If you know Van Halen, familiar with the Roth years, "A Different Kind Of Truth" delivers, and in some way, is just as good as any album they put out almost 30 years ago. And crushes the Hagar version.
For that, I am very thankful

The first new full studio album of any kind since 1998, and the first one with David Lee Roth since 1983. It's been a bloody long time. It does surprisingly well, all things considered. First off, David Lee Roth is back, which brings with it an attitude that Van Halen never had with Gary Cherone or Sammy Hagar. I liked the albums produced with both of those guys (some of the Hagar material is really epic). However, the swagger, the attitude, and the "fun" that made up the original Van Halen was lost when Roth departed in the mid 80's. That's finally back.

However, an equally as large part of the pie is gone - Michael Anthony. While he was probably never the best bassist out there, a much larger part of his contributions were his harmonizing vocals. They made all the difference. They're gone. For a decent percentage, Dave harmonizes with himself. Which isn't bad, but man - if Anthony was here, this would have rocked the house. Oh, and I'm not saying Anthony is a bad bassist - he's quite good. But he never ranks up there with the greatest ever.

As for this album.. The single "Tattoo" was first out of the gate, and man, it's awful. That they chose the worst song on the album to be the lead single, and the return of the Roth era VH is QUITE puzzling. It's not like it's a truly BAD song, but if you took Tattoo and put it in the middle of the 1984 album, it'd be a "skip" track. I was quite fearful for the rest of the album.

Didn't have to be. The thing kicks ass. The backup vocals aside, the music in here is quite good. Sounds an awful lot like Van Halen. They went back to the beginning for inspiration - rumors are that half of the songs are based off of material from the pre first album era. One is clearly a leftover (She's the Woman) from their 1976 demo track. But it's not just that kind of feel. There's numerous tracks that are worthy of singling out, so to save thise review from just listing track names and saying "That's aweome".. My favorites early on are She's the Woman, China Town, As Is, Outta Space, & Stay Frosty. But that's not to say the others aren't great.

There's a great guitar sound after Roth's chrouses in Outta Space that has an odd sound that reminds me of the drill guitar sound from "Poundcake". Stay Frosty reminds me (and everyone else from reviews) of Ice Cream Man. I've seen people rag on them for that. I rather like that, as Ice Cream Man is one of my all time favorite VH songs.

But yeah - VERY VERY solid album. I'm giving it four out of five stars - I'd give it five, but Michael Anthony isn't here. It would have been out of the park with him on here.

NOTE: I opted for the standard CD vs the Deluxe Edition, as the Deluxe was just four songs played unplugged on a DVD. I don't care for unplugged anyway, plus it was $5 more for the Deluxe vs just $10 for the regular.

I think it's safe to say that most Van Halen fans had reasonable expectations for this album, prior to it's release. No one expected a true return to glory, but we all hoped it would be good.

It's not good. It's fantastic!

Seriously, play this album a few times, and you'll wonder why these guys didn't find a way to make more music together over the past 25 years.

To say this album is a pleasant surprise would be an understatement. And a big thank you goes out to whoever woke up that sleeping giant known as Eddie Van Halen. His playing on this album is really great. It's great to hear a classic rock album being put out in 2012. And the people b*tching about them using some of their old demo's need to get over it. They did indeed write them in the first place so it's up to them to use them as they please.
Way to go boys. You did yourself proud on this one!

28 years have passed since Van Halen last released an album with David Lee Roth on the microphone - the 10 million selling juggernaut 1984. In the decade following Roth's departure, Van Halen released 4 highly successful albums with Sammy Hagar earning a legion of new fans who embraced the band's more polished song writing and pop sensibility, but alienating those who felt the band had abandoned its southern California hard rock roots.

Throw in the departure of original bassist Michael Anthony (a gifted vocalist with a keen ear for harmony) and you have a band competing fiercely with its past. Perhaps that's why the band intentionally decided to embrace its history and dig through its archives for inspiration. Roughly half the album is reworked demos from the band's earliest days, many of which appeared on a Gene Simmons financed demo in 1976. In many ways the album is a gift to the long-time, die hard fans who stuck it out through all of the band acrimony over a decade of false starts - a brief stint with Extreme's Gary Cherone, 2 failed attempts to reunite with Roth and a half-hearted tour with Sammy Hagar in 2004 that put Eddie's battle with alcohol in full view.

The song "Blood and Fire" is a nod to the band's rocky past and a salute to the fans - "look at all the people here tonight" Roth croons in a gesture that is certain to illicit roars from a live audience. It is the album's most realized track, featuring a catchy melody from Roth and a solo from Eddie that is as accomplished and thrilling as anything in the band's catalog. "Blood and Fire" and the rather underwhelming first single, "Tattoo," prove to be the album's only nods to Van Halen's softer side.

It only takes one spin of A Different Kind of Truth to realize that the band aims to remind you that they were once America's greatest rock band. Overall, this is a collection of tracks that has much more in common with Fair Warning than it does 1984. "As Is," "China Town," "Bullethead," " Honeybabysweetie Doll" and "Outta Space" are as heavy as anything the band has ever recorded. These tunes are sure to please fans of very hard rock and wouldn't be out of place should the band ever play the Sonisphere Festival. They rock and rock hard. The tempos are furiously fast, putting Alex Van Halen's impressive chops to full use for the first time since "Hot for Teacher." Wolfgang Van Halen not only holds his own, he shines.

That said, fans of the melodic pop hooks of both the Roth and Hagar eras (e.g., "Jump," " Why Can't this Be Love," "Dreams," " Dance the Night Away") are going to be, understandably, scratching their heads during parts of the album. The heavier material in particular is long on ambition but short on melody and song craft. Roth has always been more showman than singer, more wordsmith than master of melody. He talks his way through a little too much of the record for most tastes, often choosing to force lyrics into small spaces when brevity and simplicity might have served the song better.

That's not to say that the album is without hooks. "She's the Woman," " Big River," " You and Your Blues," "The Trouble with Never" and "Beats Workin'" all feature the type of memorable blues rock grooves and soaring harmonies that make so much of the Van Halen catalog winning. "Stay Frosty" is a rollicking ZZ Top-style boogie that harkens back to the acoustic blues to rock explosions Ice Cream Man, Take Your Whiskey Home and The Full Bug. Anthony's vocals are missed, but Wolfgang, Eddie(and perhaps some help from modern studio technology) at the very least approximate the band's signature harmonies.

If this were Van Halen's first album instead of the 7th, Eddie Van Halen's singular combination of blues feel and innovative guitar acrobatics would still launch a thousand imitators. It really sounds that fresh. And what Roth lacks in vocal chops, he more than makes up for with intent, youthful exuberance and a healthy sense of irony. A Different Kind of Truth is a solid effort that is worthy of the band's legacy and a just reward to its loyal (and very patient) fan base.