MattA75's Full Review: The Best of Both Worlds [Digipak] by Van Halen
Let's just pretend that whole Gary Cherone thing never happened, eh? After all, that is essentially what Van Halen is doing.
Back in 1995, Sammy Hagar was, depending on who you believe, fired, or he quit. The group decided to try things out again with original lead vocalist David Lee Roth, recording a couple of new songs with him for a best of album, Best Of, Volume 1, but ultimately deciding to cut ties with him again, especially after his making a complete a*s out of himself at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Fast forward to 2004, and finally, Hagar is back in the fold. Not that he ever should have left. While Hagar's material with the band didn't live up to the group's first 8 years or so of output with Roth, it isn't nearly as bad as some people insist it is either; in fact, it's pretty enjoyable, as long as you take it for what it is and not for what it isn't.
The group is on tour this summer, and they have a new double disc greatest hits package out, dubbed The Best of Both Worlds, a title appropriate not only for the Sammy-era tune of the same name, but that it collects truly the biggest hits from both the Dave and Sammy eras. It effectively pretends that Gary Cherone never happened, with not even Without You getting a sympathy play on here.
Some fans will no doubt bemoan that they already bought many of these songs for a second time in order to hear the new Roth tracks. And those same fans will no doubt be a bit po'd that they will have to buy many of these songs for a third time in order to hear the 3 new Sammy cuts on here. But let me tell you: those 3 new Sammy cuts are well worth the investment.
It's About Time is the current single at radio, and it is one of the best rock singles of the year. With some crunching guitar playing from Eddie Van Halen, and soaring vocals from Hagar, it is a perfect example of the type of hard rock with pop and top 40 radio sensibilities that the group started exploring late in the Roth years and perfected in the first go round with Hagar.
On Up for Breakfast, the group essentially cuts a Roth tune musically, and Hagar gives the song the extra bit of vocal swagger that makes it work as well as it does. The sexual innuendo that is all over the song is definitely smile inducing as well.
The weakest of the new cuts is undoubtedly Learning to See, a five minute plus mid-tempo song that doesn't seem to know if it's a power ballad or not. It does feature some nice work from Sammy on vocals though, and I really like some of the melodic guitar textures that Eddie lays down throughout the song.
Eruption kicks things off, and works as a nice little counter to the aforementioned three new tracks that immediately follow it.
What may surprise people is that the two discs are not split up by singer, i.e. there is not a "Dave disc" and a "Sammy disc." Instead, the band has worked to create discs that work well together when played front to back. The ultra cool thing is that the band manages to do this even while alternating one Dave track and one Sammy track from Ain't Talking 'Bout Love forward.
What was wrong with the first greatest hits album is fixed here. Women and Children First isn't ignored, and that means one of my favorite Van Halen tracks ever, And the Cradle Will Rock... is here in all it's a*s kicking glory, while some of the band's greatest moments with Sammy hold their own. This includes the uplifting and captivating Dreams, as well as the driving pop/rock of Top of the World (which has a truly great chorus) and the pure guilty pleasure pop-schlock of Can't Stop Lovin' You.
Not to be forgotten on the first disc is the playful side of the Dave era, (best exemplified by Beautiful Girls and the cover of (Oh) Pretty Woman), as well as some of the biggest hits of the Dave era, ranging from You Really Got Me to Hot For Teacher to the most over-rated VH song ever, Jump, to the disc closing, fist pumping Unchained.
Disc two begins with one of the best driving down the highway songs ever created, Panama. This is paired with another of the best Sammy era hits, Best of Both Worlds, complete with its head banging, joyous chorus.
The over-rated Jamie's Cryin is here as well, and a couple of the Sammy era songs on this disc can't quite compete with most of the rest of the package (I'm talking about Runaround and Not Enough).
Disc two still has plenty of treats though: the group's best two ballads, Why Can't This Be Love and When It's Love, are here, and the song that separates them, Runnin' With the Devil, has one of the best and most recognizable basslines in rock and roll history. The Sam/Dave alternating tracks stop towards the end, as Everybody Wants Some! appears, followed quickly by a song that will make you dance, Dance the Night Away.
The set closes with 3 tracks taken from the band's 1993 double disc live release, Live: Right Here Right Now. All 3 tracks are Dave hits getting tackled by Sammy. Sammy always seemed to have an aversion to doing more than 3 or 4 Dave songs in the live set, but the ones here are no brainers. Ain't Talkin Bout Love crackles with energy and power, while both Panama and Jump are given healthy renditions.
The only track I may have considered placing on here that did not make the cut would be Humans Being, the last track the band recorded with Sammy (for the Twister soundtrack) before he broke away from the band. Not only did that track rock, but it did ok at radio, and it was on the single disc Volume 1. It's exclusion here is puzzling, especially given the aforementioned weaker tracks that did make the cut.
With that being said, The Best of Both Worlds is an excellent two disc Van Halen primer for the new or casual fan, and the new Sammy tracks show that whenever a full new album is coming out, it should be highly anticipated. Owning this shouldn't excuse you from buying any of the classic VH albums, but it is a solid course in Van Halen 101. 4.5 stars.
Tracklisting (with original album in parentheses):
DISC ONE
1. Eruption (from Van Halen)
2. It's About Time (new track)
3. Up For Breakfast (new track)
4. Learning to See (new track)
5. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love (Van Halen)
6. Finish What Ya Started (OU812)
7. You Really Got Me (Van Halen)
8. Dreams (5150)
9. Hot For Teacher (1984)
10. Poundcake (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge)
11. And the Cradle Will Rock (Women and Children First)
12. Black and Blue (OU812)
13. Jump (1984)
14. Top of the World (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge)
15. (Oh) Pretty Woman (Diver Down)
16. Love Walks In (5150)
17. Beautiful Girls (Van Halen II)
18. Can't Stop Lovin' You (Balance)
19. Unchained (Fair Warning)
DISC TWO:
1. Panama (1984)
2. Best of Both Worlds (5150)
3. Jamie's Cryin' (Van Halen)
4. Runaround (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge)
5. I'll Wait (1984)
6. Why Can't This Be Love (5150)
7. Runnin' With the Devil (Van Halen)
8. When It's Love (OU812)
9. Dancing in the Street (Diver Down)
10. Not Enough (Balance)
11. Feels So Good (OU812)
12. Right Now (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge)
13. Everybody Wants Some!! (Women and Children First)
14. Dance the Night Away (Van Halen II)
15. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love (live) (Live: Right Here Right Now)
16. Panama (live) (Live: Right Here Right Now)
17. Jump (live) (Live: Right Here Right Now)
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Van Halen s The Best Of Both Worlds covers the best songs from both the David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar eras and includes liner notes by Rolling Stone ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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