The story behind this album is well-known by now, but I'll rehash it in case anyone has fogotten. In 1996, after Sammy was kicked out/quit and Dave was brought in for two new tracks but left in a huff, Van Halen hired ex-Extreme front man, Gary Cherone. Now Cherone's got pipes, and some of his Extreme stuff isn't bad (with 'Pornograffiti' qualifying as other-worldly, of course), but his pseudo-thought-provoking lyrics and progressive musical tendencies were not a good fit for Van Halen. His raspy screams sound a little like Sammy Hagar, but you'll realize it's a new era for the band when you hear Van Halen III's longer songs and sometimes laughable self-seriousness. Folks, this is not the Van Halen we've come to know and love.
Eddie plays his butt off on this release, but it's almost always in vain. The thing that's maddening, though, is that some of the tracks are quite good except for one thing that brings them down -- and it's a different "thing" every time. For example, "From Afar" is a cool moody piece, and could have been pretty decent if not for a lame sampled drum lick that shows up from time to time. Get rid of that and you've got a keeper. "Ballot or the Bullet" has a cool riff and a nice tempo, but the solo is boring drivel. "Fire in the Hole" has a good hook, is energetic and quite heavy, but the chorus is completely uninspired. See what I mean? There's more: "Without You" is nice except for the verse melodies; toss those suckers and it's a cool song. "One I Want" has a killer solo and ending, but the lyrics are stupid. "Year to the Day" is an epic poem of longing, has great lyrics and some killer guitar... but Gary’s singing in the second verse, that falsetto, is just cringe worthy. "Josephina" has some cool guitar tricks and is haunting, but it's just not very heavy. Unfortunately, though, some of the songs miss the boat completely. "Once" sounds like music to meditate to, and "Dirty Water Dog" is just boring. But the creme de la crap is "How Many Say I," a piano/string (isn’t Van Halen famous for a different instrument?) number in which Eddie takes over lead-singing duties. This song is an absolute piece of crap! That's right, it is the absolute worst song, by far, that Van Halen has ever recorded. This steaming pile of suckiness makes me want to puncture my eardrums so I can't hear it anymore. Eddie's vocals suck, but the harmonies with Gary are even worse, it sounds like they're off key. What the hell was Eddie thinking including this dung heap on the album? What makes it even worse is that this is the last song on probably the last studio album that Van Halen will ever release. Did they really want to go out like this? Tragic.
Cool album cover though.

TRACK LIST:
1. Neworld
2. Without You
3. One I Want
4. From Afar
5. Dirty Water Dog
6. Once
7. Fire in the Hole
8. Josephina
9. Year to the Day
10. Primary
11. Ballot or the Bullet
12. How Many Say I

Review by Jon Paine