OU812 (1988)
1. Mine All Mine
2. When It's Love
3. A.F.U. (Naturall Wired)
4. Cabo Wabo
5. Source of Infection
6. Feels So Good
7. Finish What Ya Started
8. Black and Blue
9. Sucker in a 3 Piece
10.A Apolitical Blues
 
Nobody was really sure what was going
to happen to Van Halen with Sammy Hagar fronting the band. After the
success of 5150, it was very clear that this
incarnation had what it took to be successful. Whereas 5150 had the band gradually changing its sound from
the heavily laden party atmosphere of days gone by into a more
structured, melodic outfit, this record finds that evolution complete
with no signs of the hedonistic cult band of days of yore.
That's not to say this was necessarily a serious band. No, Van Halen would
always have a hearty, party atmosphere about them. It's just that with Sammy at
the lead, the music took precedence over the partying. None of the
radio staples here sound like old Van Halen, yet they all resonated just
as well with the majority of the band's followers. Songs such as
Finish What You Started, When It's Love and Feels So
Good were all powerful enough to stand on their own without (too
many) allusions to sex, partying and teen-age lust. As a matter of
fact, the only thing on this record that sounds somewhat reminiscent of
days gone by is the carefree Source of Infection.
Most of the record flows very well together. Oddly, the title cut Mine All
Mine is almost a bit of a 'serious' song - at least where the lyrics
are concerned. It almost sounds as though the band are searching for
religion, or at least for the various world religions to have some sort
of harmony amongst themselves. Most of the album, though, is very light
- as a Van Halen record should be. The only dog on the album is the
cover of A Apolitical Blues,that closes out the record.
The song does what it's supposed to do, but it proves that Van Halen
simply should never try to play the blues. It kind of brings the whole
record down a notch.
Yes, there would always be those that swore that
this incarnation (affectionately known by many as 'Van Hagar') would
never be as good as the band when it was fronted by David Lee
Roth, but it was what it was, and the band deserves masses of credit for
making this incarnation work as well as it did.
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