Van Halen--Best of Volume I

Van Halen--Best of Volume I (1996/Warner Brothers) Rating--8.6

A good total-career overview of one of the more influential heavy rock/metal bands ever. There are (understandably) a number of "best of" tracks omitted, but that's ok, as we still get 17 cuts here. What is a bit more puzzling are small items such as song placement. Why would you have "Eruption," and not follow it up with "You Really Got Me"? Music listeners have been hearing that one-two punch for over twenty years. The only thing I can figure is the band possibly didn't want to include any cover tracks.
The songs taken from David Lee Roth's era rock, plain and simple. Most of Sammy Hagar's material is of the lighter, radio-friendly variety. There are two new tracks, with Diamond Dave on vocals.
Interestingly, 'Diver Down' is the one album in the band's catalog that is not represented here. Sure, it's chock full of covers, but "Where Have All the Good Times Gone?" would have been a suitable choice. Ahhh... perhaps on 'Volume II'...
The 'Twister'-soundtrack cut "Humans Being" (w/ Sammy on vox) has a heavy flow and thump, and was some of the meanest work the band had done since a couple of tracks off of '5150' and 'OU812'.
"Can't Get This Stuff No More" and "Me Wise Magic" marked the much-talked-about return of DLR, and toyed with music fans everywhere, as thoughts of a new full-length disc, with the original raucous lineup, got everyone worked up and excited.
"Can't Get..." reminds of a lot of VH's material from 'VHII' through 'Diver Down'--- smooth, laid back, with strong attention to chorus harmony. A really good track, which actually didn't get enough credit and airplay from the radio upon its release. First single "Me Wise Magic" shook some bones, with a nastier, deep-voiced Dave making everyone wonder what could have been, during those long lost years of 1985 through 1996...
One of hard rock's icons... A band that belongs in every collection.
TRACK LIST: Eruption/Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love/Runnin' With the Devil/Dance the Night Away/And the Cradle Will Rock.../ Unchained/Jump/Panama/Why Can't This Be Love/Dreams/When It's Love/Poundcake/Right Now/Can't Stop Lovin' You/ Humans Being/Can't Get This Stuff No More/Me Wise Magic

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