Van Halen - Best of, Volume I (1996)

GREATEST HITS WEEK (JANUARY 17-23, 2011)

Van Halen really messed this one up. Poor track selection and sequencing. Plus the addition of two insignificant new tracks. My suggestion would have been to have to issue a Volume I, 1974-1985 (The David Lee Roth years) and Volume II, 1985-1996 (The Sammy Hagar years).

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #1 (1 week, Nov 9, 1996)

Tracks:

	Year	Rock	Pop
Eruption	1978
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love	1978
Runnin' With the Devil	1978		84
Dance the Night Away	1979		15
And The Cradle Will Rock...	1980		55
Unchained	1981	13
Jump	1984	1	1
Panama	1984	2	13
Why Can't This Be Love	1986	1	3
Dreams	1986	6	22
Poundcake	1991	1
Right Now	1992	2	55
Can't Stop Lovin' You	1995	2	30
Humans Being	1996	1
Can't Get This Stuff No More	1996	12
Me Wise Magic	1996	1

Top 40 omissions: You Really Got Me (#36, 1978), (Oh) Pretty Woman (#12, 1982), Dancing In The Street (#38, 1982), I'll Wait (#13, 1984), Love Walks In (#22, 1986), Black and Blue (#34, 1988), Finish What Ya Started (#13, 1988), Feels So Good (#35, 1989), Top Of The World (#27, 1991). I guess the record execs were holding these back for Volume 2 which never materialized.

The first 8 tracks (with DLR) are all good, but the compilation would have been stronger with the inclusion of You Really Got Me, Hot For Teacher, Beautiful Girls, I'll Wait, and at least one of the singles from Diver Down. My favorite VH song is Panama, so the CD can't be all bad if that's included. However, the CD starts off with Eruption then doesn't seque into You Really Got Me. How can you do that?!? Those two go together like fried chicken and waffles.

Of the Sammy Hagar stuff, I like Why Can't This Be Love and When It's Love. I never liked Right Now, in part because of the video which had the lines printed in big block letters across the screen such as, "Right now, a mad man is wandering the streets of the town you live in." That's too disturbing for my delicate sensibilities. I don't understand why the last three tracks are even included on this compilation. Maybe I just lost interest in the band after I left college.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, I don't listen to this CD often. I'd rather listen to Diver Down or their first album. One of the best lines from the 1998 movie The Wedding Singer (which is set around 1985) is when Adam Sandler tells his girlfriend, "Please get out of my Van Halen t-shirt before you jinx the band and they break up."

Van Halen - Diver Down (1982)

There are a few bands that people my age are practically required to know and Van Halen is one of those bands (The Cars, Journey, Duran Duran are others in that category). I also have much respect for Eddie VH as a musician. My buddy Blake (the biggest VH fan I know) calls this a covers album, but if you like covers, that's not a bad thing.

Press of the time:

• Musician: "a dynamite bar band become larger than life.
• Rolling Stone (★★): "a cogent case for consumer fraud"
• Robert Christgau (B-):  "Less impressive, if only because hangloose covers like "Big Bad Bill" and "Happy Trails" are for more attractive bands."
• Billboard: "determined to continue their streak of top five long-players"
• Trouser Press: "Maybe one day these guys will even make a great album"
• RPM: "already become a hot item"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #3
• Billboard Rock: #3
• CashBox: #4
• Rolling Stone: #4

Tracks: 12 of 'em in only 32 minutes. I can easily listen to this CD without skipping any tracks. I could do without the final track, the cover of Happy Trails, but whatever. The other 4 covers are top notch. Of the original tunes, I prefer Secrets and Little Guitars.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: In high school, my friend Brett had this release on cassette. I borrowed it from him for about 2 years. I'm pretty sure I eventually returned it to him. Possibly.