Van Halen

It has been 10 years since I last listened to Van Halen’s Balance on my BOSE Acoustimas 7 audio system.  Of course it was an original recording, bought in the US.  Today I have another encounter with Van Halen, not the entire album but at least some of the songs are there.  I downloaded them from the internet.  It was a compilation titled Best of Both Worlds.  “Can’t Stop Loving You” sounds so nostalgic.  I wish they included “Don’t Tell Me (What Love Can Do)” but since this compilation comes in two-CD set, I reckon the song is included in the second installment.

Most of the songs in this compilation are taken from pre-Sammy Hagar albums, with David Lee Roth as the frontman.  Talking of frontman, Van Halen is different because fans will easily identify Van Halen with Eddie. Being a lead guitarist, this is an excellent feat considering main vocalists are the more prominent figures in any rock bands nowadays.  He is one of the best guitarists in the world for any decades.

I still can’t accommodate the voice of David Lee Roth.  After all these years, his voice still sounds so strange, so irrelevant and so insignificant to me.  He belted only a few good numbers during his long stint with Van Halen.  “Jump” and “The Cradle Will Rock” are the only two that stand out.  Except for Eddie’s guitar playing prowess, The other songs sound so normal and so ordinary.  

Unlike David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar has a powerful voice.  His rendition of “Why Can’t This Be Love” is so captivating.  This is the voice that suits Van Halen the best.  

There is another CD that I haven’t got the chance to listen to for quite some time.  It is Gin Blossom’s Cracked Rearview Mirror.  “Hey Jealousy”, “Until I Fall Away” and “Found Out About You” remind me of my college years in The United States.  Alternative was the name of the game then back in 1993.  With Pearl Jam on full assault, competing with the likes of Stone Temple Pilot, Soundgarden, and Spin Doctors.