It took 15 years and nine multi-platinum studio albums for the mighty Van Halen to finally release a live album. The performances, recorded over two nights in Fresno, CA in 1992, are top-notch (you wouldn’t expect anything less from a band famous for its live shows) and so is the sound... a little too top-notch, in fact. Rumor has it that the songs were doctored in the studio. Whether the sound is due to a little augmentation or just expensive production, we'll never know, but what we do know is that it's lacking the raw heaviness and energy you expect from a Van Halen show; it's just a little too refined. Instead of blowing you away, it gives you the urge to play a sporting game of croquet.
The set consists mostly of Sammy-era tunes, with four Diamond Dave tracks, two of Hagar's solo numbers and a cover of the Who's "Won’t Get Fooled Again" thrown in for good measure. In fact, almost half of the songs are from one album, 1991's 'For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge'. Now I know that they were touring in support of that album when they recorded these shows, but when a legendary band only records one live album in its career, you got to mix it up a little, dig deep into the catalogue and pull out the hidden gems and fan favorites! Instead, we get what sounds like a rehash of 'Knowledge' with crowd noise recorded over the top and the same few Dave-era hits that we've heard live at every Van Halen concert with Sammy at the helm. Even if they had stayed in the Hagar era, there's a rich supply of killer songs to choose from: "Good Enough," "Summer Nights," "5150," "AFU," "Sucker in a 3-piece," "Get Up"... shall I go on? What were they thinking? The set isn’t necessarily bad, it’s just not very inspired. What could have been...
Highlights include a "You Really Got Me" / "Cabo Wabo" medley, Sammy’s solo tune, "One Way to Rock," the energetic "Judgement Day," and a shortened, instrumental version of "Pleasure Dome" that leads into Alex’s drum solo. "Won’t Get Fooled Again" isn’t bad, and "Poundcake" is worth its weight, but otherwise, the album is a little bland. Such a shame as a live album by such a classic monster as Van Halen should have been so much better.

TRACK LIST:
1. Poundcake
2. Judgement Day
3. When it’s Love
4. Spanked
5. Ain’t Talin’ ‘bout Love
6. In ‘n’ Out
7. Dreams
8. Man on a Mission
9. Ultra Bass
10. Pleasure Dome-Drum Solo
11. Panama
12. Love Walks In
13. Runaround
14. Right Now
15. One Way to Rock
16. Why Can’t This be Love
17. Give to Live
18. Finish What Ya Started
19. Best of Both Worlds
20. 316
21. You Really Got Me-Cabo Wabo
22. Won’t Get Fooled Again
23. Jump
24. Top of the World

Review by Jon Paine