The end of the world's greatest rock band ever.. (Ou812 - Van Halen)

Member Name: thedevilinme

Product:	Ou812 - Van Halen
Date:	25/06/08 (119 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great guitar work

Disadvantages: The band got tired and cliche`

The students of the world are not rebelling anymore, tied down by expensive grants, the need to be seen in label clothing, and pacified by indie music. British Music, like university, has become a sterile right-of passage. A bit of Van Halen would soon get them kicking down the doors of Number Ten and the Whitehouse! Where are the guitar riffs these days in British rock music? Why are those strings not being bent in anger anymore? You can see it in the eyes of the Britpoppers on MTV that they would much rather rock out and get some sweat dripping of their floppy fringes than continue with the elevator indie they are churning out in the not so noughties. In their heyday bands like Van Halen would quickly get you out of your slumber make no mistake, however cheesy they appear. Music is supposed to be fun and a bit of laugh. It isn't always about the lyrics guys. The whole music industry needs that Marty McFly moment in 'Back to the Future', where Michael J Fox dresses up as a spaceman and plays that really load VH track in his future dad's ear to shake him from that malaise to get the girl so Marty can be born. We need to rock out, as Jack Black said on School of Rock..!
I suppose I still like the band because I, too, am still annoyed with the way things work in the world and rock music is my 'outlet' to express that view, along with my dooyoo rants, of course. Indie was always too pretentious and cozy for me and Ill leave that genre to those who need to fit in at college and bed-sit land to get through the day. Music is about taking on the world and US rock gives you that buzz.


Many rock fans preferred the old David Lee Roth, Van Halen in the 70s and 80s, when he and the band were still raw and angry with the world. I do believe Roth had briefly rejoined in 2008, now that Eddies brother Alex Van Halen was been fired from bass guitar duties.

As you can imagine, liking Van Halen means I was never really that mature about music, just liking something to go jogging to as I was very good runner in my day. Van Halen certainly gets the blood pumping. Although '5150' is the greatest album the boys ever made, probably the best rock album of all time, 'Ou812' isn't bad and perhaps the last decent VH album as the band got rather too big for their boots and stadiums. But it was of the time and the one band, along with Journey, I really wanted to see live I never got the chance to. As they still tour I intend to see them somewhere.

Tempered on the boozy Sunset Strip rock scene of Whiskey A Go-Go, their style is very much of the decade, lots of tight Lycra, big hair and hot girls hanging of their groin. Van Halen invented stadium rock and this band certainly ate them selves up on stage. David Lee Roth's stage persona set the template for all front men and even Spinal tap watched videos of their Pasadena shows to get the look right, which was ironic really as Saxon, the band Spinal Tap are modeled on, copied Van Halen in the first place.

Ou182 is not the best album by far, and perhaps the last time I took them seriously. The boys were allegedly doing a lot of drugs around now and splits in the original line up where ripping their music style and creative energy apart. There are some good tracks here but the whole thing just feels flat compared to their past classics.

I have always loved Van Halen, especially the Sammy Hagar years, Qu182 his last but one studio album. Lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen is the best in the business, his unique wow wow bar, finger tapping, bottlenecking style really packs a punch, the metal plectrum scraping down the E-string spitting serious sparks. If those sparks had a sound it would be the groaning orgasm coming from Eddie's guitar. There really is no one else like him out there and that's why Van Halen are the 19th best selling band of all time with the most singles released on the Rock Billboard chart. When Bill & Ted partied on it was to these guys, make no mistake...

-Tracks-

'A.F.U'. (Naturally Wired)

It's your basic cheesy rock gobbledygook drug reference ditty to open proceedings, lots of power riffs and screeching vocals to kick things off.

'Black And Blue'

With lyrics of 'slip n slide and push it in', need I say more on what this is about.

'Cabo Wabo'

Sounds like Sammy took some hooker to Mexico and wrote a song for her. How sweet. Its gentle feel like the summer breeze shows Eddie can do mellow.

'Feels So Good'

Bit of a ballad feel to it and definitely some over production. Someone was drunk on the 24 track.

-Side Two-

'Finish What Ya Started'

Another disguised balled, stadium rock style, and a chance for Eddie to let rip with a six-string reprise standing on the speaker in front of 85,000...


'Mine All Mine'

A much paceier track continues side two with Eddie going through the full gamete of his amazing skills. To try and duplicate this stuff if you do axe dabble isn't easy. When he is in the grove the rest, apart from Hendrix and Neil Schon, can sit the f**k down and listen.

'Source of Infection'

More truly ridiculous and lazy lyrics are accompanied by likewise lazy guitar and bass. But it does build into something and has a nice lick in their.

'Sucker in a Three Piece'

By far the best track on the album with real adrenaline and tempo pumping through it. A brilliant riff and bass sole with power drums makes it one of my favorite VH tracks of all time.

'When it's Love'

The only hit on the album briefly flirted with the British charts although by now the 'power ballad' wasn't what we wanted. With heavy signature synthns from Michael Anthony it was the first sign the band were now expensive boys with expensive toys and never to be the same again. Some say that was the case when David Lee Roth left.

-Previous albums-

1984 (7/10)
5150 (10/10)
Balance (3/10)
Diver Down (6/10)
Fair Warning (5/10)
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (2/10)
Live: Right Here, Right Now (5/10)
OU812 (6/10)
Van Halen (6/10)
Van Halen II (6/10)
Van Halen III (6/10)
Women and Children First (5/10)


http://www.van-halen.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Halen

Summary: The end of an era for me..