VAN HALEN

 

1984

 

No matter what anyone else says, David Lee Roth was the personification of Van Halen.  After he left, the band was never the same.  1984 marks the last of the band’s golden era, as it was the last release with Roth.  1984 also marked the group’s entry into the mainstream market with several smash hit tracks – "Jump", "Panama", "I’ll Wait", and "Hot For Teacher", with the latter track being best known for it’s video showcasing the dancing-challenged Alex Van Halen holding his own with the others.  If you are not big into Van Halen, but want one VH disk for your collection, this is the one.

 

For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge

 

Hee hee.  I get the joke.  The first letter of each word in the title spells a naughty word.  That is probably one of the few bright spots of this clunker.  Sammy Hagar lacks the personality of David Lee Roth, and the band suffers for it.  "Right Now" is a good tune, especially the piano at the beginning, and its video is a classic (especially the parts about the nude beach and the bad idea).  Speaking of bad ideas, continuing on without Roth was a bad one.

 

 

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