Van Halen - 5150 (1986)

Some conversations can be divisive; politics, religion, football, or a discussion comparing David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar. My position is clear. Van Halen have had their best time during Sammy Hagar's era.

Sometime in 1984, I was in the fourth grade, my friend showed me this cool logo of the letters V and H with wings. I didn't know anything more about that, but the logo was just cool. Later I knew it stood for Van Halen. They played a nice song that started with chord-playing synthesizer. The beat just made me wanted to jump around. The title was, apparently, Jump.

The song and the band just passed by. During that era I was more interested in Michael Jackson and Voltus. Only a couple of years later I learned that Van Halen was one of the greatest bands in the rock history. At that time they have parted ways with the jumpy, eccentric front man David Lee Roth, which was replaced with the curly Sammy Hagar.

So the commercially successful "1984", also the singles Jump and Panama, was a bit of irony for Van Halen. The success didn't stop the band from parting ways. But when I dig in to interviews and stories about Van Halen, the album only delayed the break up. Tensions between Roth and the van Halen brothers have been around for a while. At some point, even Eddie van Halen planned a departure. He would like to join Kiss, a band he idolized in his youth. But Gene Simmons, who helped much in Eddie's early career, told him to stay at Van Halen.

When Eddie started working on Jump, he played the synthesizer opening to Roth, which didn't like the piece. But sometimes history worked randomly. The disliked piece become their anthem. The album was a big hit. And they still broke up.

After Roth's departure, Van Halen sought for some potential replacements (including Patty Smith). A mutual auto mechanic introduced them to Sammy Hagar. Hagar has been an established singer at that time, both with his band Montrose as well a solo artist. Their first album in the new era, "5150", became a hit. For the first time a Van Halen's album reached No. 1 in the Billboard list; "1984" only reached No. 2. I only listened to "5150" a few years after it was published. I think it was almost the same time when I listened to "OU812". Until now the two albums are still my favorite.

The album received mixed review, however. Some critics said that it was a failed experiment. Some thought it was a great musical work. Personally I really like "5150." I think Hagar's arrival brought Van Halen's music into another level. Eddie had been longing to write more complicated pieces - something that brought him and Roth into a clash of personality. With Hagar, he was able to pursue the desire. The fact that Hagar also plays guitar freed Eddie to explore other sides of his musical genius, like giving more room for synthesizer. Dreams and Why Can't This Be Love were great examples. Hagar also had a good vocal harmony with bassist Michael Antony (once again, Why Can't This Be Love).

Lyrics was a department that improved greatly. In the Roth era, they wrote wild or humorous lyrics, but sometimes they were just collections of words. Hagar once said, he refused to sing Roth era songs expect some classics like Jump or Ain't Nothing But Love, because he couldn't understand what the words are. I kinda agree. As much as I like Jump, I didn't get what the words are about. (I recently listened to Tatoo,  their new song after re-reunited with Roth. My first expression on the lyrics was "seriously...?")

In their subsequent albums, 'Van Hagar' kept improving. Songs like When It's Love, Right Now, Poundcake, and Can't Stop Loving You are great pieces. However, some things are not for last. The decision to release a "Best of" album was disliked by Hagar, which led to his departure. But tension has started years before. Eddie and Alex' alcoholism, Hagar's Cabo Wabo restaurant, and other things.

Now, Hagar has reunited with Michael Anthony, in their new band Chickenfoot, teaming up with Joe Satriani and Red Hot Chilli Pepper's Chad Smith. Van Halen, meanwhile, has reunited with Roth, and recruited Eddie's son Wolfgang van Halen as their bass player. I guess they are now a family band, aren't they? I hope that the reunion with Roth is a happy one. They tried it before, when Hagar left. But Roth's antics in the 1996 MTV Awards made them think that they were too old for such behavior. But looks like they gave Roth the third chance.

I still hope that if the world has to end soon, there will be a Sammy-Eddie-Alex-Michael reunion before
.