Retro Spins: Van Halen - 5150

Did Sammy Hagar ever stand a chance of successfully stepping into the Van Halen arena, and filling David Lee Roth's shoes? No. The answer is no. No.

Regardless of who you spoke to, it all came down to clashes between Roth and Eddie Van Halen over artistic direction, control over the band's sound, the singles being released, and the pace of it all. Roth had recently found success with the EP Crazy From The Heat and was even in talks with CBS for a movie deal. As such, it was the perfect time for him to say farewell and bow out of the band.

Eddie approached both Patty Smyth of Scandal, and Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates fame to fill the shoes of lead singer. However, both would ultimately decline. The guitarist would be introduced to Sammy Hagar through his mechanic. At that point in time, Hagar was already a successful solo artist with his album VOA, and single, I Can't Drive 55, as well as for his work with the band, Montrose. Ironically, both he and the band had been produced by Ted Templeton, producer of all Van Halen albums thus far. Everything just seemed to line up.

Warner Bros. president Mo Ostin would literally say, "I smell money," when the band demoed Why Can't This Be Love for him. No doubt, the money came. 5150 would be the band's first number one album on the Billboard charts. The single would race up the charts to peak at number three, and was followed by Dreams, and Love Walks In, which both reached the top thirty.

The subsequent tour which followed was supported by the VHS and laserdisc, Live Without A Net, which featured live performances from the show recorded live at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New Haven, Connecticut. It appeared that despite the popularity of David Lee Roth, the world was ready, and willing to embrace Sammy Hagar as the new frontman, and welcomed him with open arms.

Van Halen takes everything that made MCMLXXXIV so popular, builds on it, and layers it with Hagar's voice. Songs like Get Up are so familiar in sound, that it could easily be mistaken for a faster version of Hot For Teacher - If you can imagine the drums and guitar in that song getting any faster. In fact, it's so familiar that it barely stands out as its own album at times.

Yes, there are definitely hits here, the aforementioned ones noted above, and these ultimately are the reason I picked up the album. However, I also have to admit to myself that Hagar does indeed hold his own. Though Earth shattering at the time, in retrospect, it's a transition that works. Van Halen could indeed continue forward with a new frontman, and perhaps even be better for it.

I do have to ask though. Why is it when I'm listening to Dreams that I feel like I'm on a snowy mountain slope in the 80's, skiing my heart out to save the lodge in some super unrealistic wager between myself and the local rich bully?

Hmm...weird.

Overall, 5150 is a solid album. Is it better than MCMLXXXIV, no, I don't think so. However, it's definitely a solid launching point for Van Hagar. From there, I suppose I would go into the band's final 80's album from the era, OU812. However, as they say, been there, done that. In review of that write up from back in 2022, I wasn't too invested in it. My review was short, and to the point. Perhaps a little too summed up. I may have to give it another shot. Until then, this ends my trip through Van Halen.

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Retro Spins: Van Halen - Diver Down

When you're an established band, you owe it to your fans to bring to each album 100%. So, when you've released four successful albums back-to-back, in my book you have no business then phoning it in to release what essentially equates to a cover album. It's lazy. It's a cash grab. It's disrespectful to your fans. But here we are, 1982's Diver Down, and Van Halen is doing just that.

Though a hiatus was initially planned, Roth and Eddie agreed to record a remake of Roy Orbison's (Oh) Pretty Woman. Unexpectedly, the song flew up the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number twelve. It's success prompted Warner Bros. to push and eventually persuade the band to return to the studio, where Diver Down was slapped together in just two weeks.

Diver Down would chart better than the previously released, Fair Warning. However, by this point in time, both lead singer and guitarist were constantly clashing over musical styles, and the band's overall direction. During this time, Eddie would also set to work on the soundtrack for the 1984 film, The Wild Life. This experimentation period of drum machines and synthesizers would ultimately be what shaped the direction for what would become their next studio album, and final with David, MCMLXXXIV, AKA 1984.

But we're getting too far ahead. First, we have to pump the brakes and wade through the cover laden mess that is, Diver Down. Plus, I've already done a Retro Spin on the aforementioned mega album.

As a whole, this album doesn't work for me. I said it above, and I stand by it. It's lazy. It's a cash grab. It's disrespectful to your fans.

Yes, the instrumentation of it all is sold. The gravely vocals of Roth come through, and as a whole it hits every note, no pun intended, that is Van Halen's signature style. However, it doesn't offer anything necessarily new. Songs like (Oh) Pretty Woman, and Dancing In The Streets, don't necessarily need to be reenvisioned. Let alone by David Lee Roth, Eddie and Alex Van Halen, and Michael Anthony. Especially, when the latter is quite frankly abysmal. It's pretty bad when the David Bowie and Mick Jagger produce single are a better version.

I will give a slight nod of approval to (Oh) Pretty Woman, and mainly because it was the standout single that made me buy the album. I also didn't realize, until today, that there was an interlude that preceded the song. Combined with it, it's pretty okay. A cash grab, nonetheless, but okay.

Again, I will attest that I really like Van Halen when that quirky Lee Roth style comes through, and it doesn't any greater than with the unique, Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now), and even sillier Happy Trails. They're both so out of place on the album but bring with them so much charm that you just have to love them.

My next stop on the Van Halen train is the first to feature "new" singer, Sammy Hagar. Like I said above, I've already played through MCMLXXXIV. I definitely prefer the David Lee Roth era of the band, so it'll be interesting to dive into this one.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.