ADKOT - Six Months Later

[FORD]

Well, even though they dragged "House of Pain" out of the cobwebs for 1984, it was almost a completely different song from the one that should have been on the first album (but somehow got cut from it. I'd bet there's a finished take of that song from late 1977 in a vault somewhere, with the ending fading into the car horn noise and RWTD, just as it did in the original demo)

[DLR Bridge]

Any vault tunes out there that you'd like to see dusted off and polished up? I'd be interested to hear an updated Babe Don't Leave Me Alone.

Your pick and...

Take It Back (Believe Me)
Light In The Sky
The Shape Your In
Get The Show On The Road
Honolulu Baby
Here's Just What She Wanted
Eyes Of The Night

[Hardrock69]

I admit I had not listened to this since April. After seeing this thread I blasted it out again last night. Sorta like falling in love again.

Absolutely KICKASS album!

They did such a great job on everything connected with this! The songs are great, the production is good, the publicity they did at Cafe Wha? and Henson and everything was spot on.

For once everything fell into place.

Oh, and I got to see one of the shows on the tour too!

[SilvioDante]

This a topic I planned to handle a few weeks ago, but my computer got some wicked bad virus. Now that I am up and running....


Like most of us, after this album first came out, it playing constantly at my place. Indefinite loop. After a couple weeks, I put the songs on my iPod playlist and visited them at random until about June. Then I put them up. I wanted some space to let the songs marinade in mind. About 2 weeks ago, I pulled them back out and this is what I came up with: (If I may be so bold)

Tattoo: 3.5/5 Stars. I cranked this song all the time until the CD came out. Suffered a little burn out on this one. Now, it's a great tune. The "first single" debate will continue here as long as this site continues and I can see both sides of the argument. Bottom line, great tune, might be my favorite solo on the album (the descending part RULES!)

She's the Woman 4/5. Love how this song kicks in. Not much to say but great classic VH tune.

You and Your Blues 3/5. I like this. Great groove. I love the lyrics.

Chinatown 2/5. I get where everyone like this song. I can completely respect the musicianship on this. It just doesn't hit me.

Blood and Fire 3/5. I like it, but not as much as some. Song sounds disjointed at times to me. GREAT lyrics.

Bullethead 3/5. Solid. Nothing stands out.

As Is 5/5. NOW the CD starts for me. This song KICKS. Not enough can be said. Great riff, great lyrics. Love the break. Best song on the CD.

Honeybabysweetiedoll 4.5/5. Remember the 30 sec. slivers we got to hear before the album came out? I thought this song was gonna suck out loud. Man, was I surprised! Second best song. Experimental but still VH.

The Trouble With Never 3.5/5. Poppy, I get it. Hendrex-esque opening is cool. Friends of mine that aren't VH fans ( I know, I need better friends) like this the best off the album.

Outta Space 4.5/5. Just more classic VH. Never liked the Let's Get Rockin' lyrics. You could tell they were written by a high school kid. Step up in the lyric department for me.

Stay Frosty 4.5/5. Its an easy out to call this a "Ice Cream Man rip off". This song is the essence of VH. If I were to name one song that sums up this band, it might be this one. Bar band on 11. Sense of humor. Good time music. That is VH.

Big River 5/5. I love this tune. See Outta Space.

Beats Workin' 3.5/5. Another tune that the 30 sec. clips didn't do justice. Nice ending to the CD.

There you have it. I know this is a Dave site and all, but IMHO, this album is a triumph of Edward Van Halen. As a child of the late 70's early 80's that just happened to play guitar, Ed was/is my idol. There is alot of animosity towards him on this site and I made excuses for him for years, but after 1996, he was dead to me. Until this year. He put his demons, both personal and chemical, behind him to prove, WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT, that is is a legend in the world of guitar. I think the lyrics to "Blood and Fire" could very well be about him.

This CD also proves who the heart of the band was, David Lee Roth. I look at the Brothers Van Halen as the body of a Maserati. It's a shell, doesn't move. Dave is a 12 cylinder monster. Dangerous and exciting. He who shall not be named is like a 6 cylinder that your would find in most Honda Civics. It's safe and your mom likes to drive it. Then there was the Chevy Volt engine, but I'll ignore that. The 12 cylinder is back in this bad boy and pedal is to the floor. Thanks Dave!

I find interesting that the "best" songs on this album to most of us (As Is, HBSD) are new tunes. Shows that the guys still have it.

I think it is still early to put this CD up with the six pack, but I can see me listening to this CD for a while.

[PETE'S BROTHER]

if nitro sees that 12 cyl comment.........

[78/84 guy]

Great thread. I listened to it almost daily for 5 months. Then stayed away from it until about a week ago. I missed it ! It's a great listen overall. I agree with Steve Vai in that interview. It's almost too heavy of a production ! But I didn't get how he said he couldn't listen to the whole album at once ? Whatever. It is a great comeback album without question, even if you don't love all of it. Hell the only original album I love all the way through is VH II. I just hope it sold enough copies throughout the world to in their mind, justify making at least one more ! I want one more ! Anyone else ? Lol. I could use a couple more tunes like As Is & Honeybaby. Instant classics to me. Even if the bullshit radio stations don't play them. Their loss !

[ELVIS]

The circumstances of Diver Down, as I understand it, was that originally there was supposed to be a Live album released in 1982, and that would have bought the band some time before the next record had to be made. But at the last minute, for whatever reason this plan got scrapped, and this left the band on the hook to release an album, according to the terms of their WB contract.

It's not that recording an album within a week or so was problematic for Van Halen - it's exactly what happened with VHII. Difference there is that whole album was already written, and they had been playing the material live for years. And even WACF was mostly stuff they had in the can, even reaching back to the bands earliest demos for songs like "Take Your Whiskey Home" and "In A Simple Rhyme".

Fair Warning was the first album they had to write almost entirely from scratch ("Mean Street" being the exception, being a reworked "Voodoo Queen" with a breakdown piece of the original "She's The Woman" thrown in) so that left them with no material ready and the sudden unexpected need to crank out an album. Obviously they managed to turn a song called "Last Night" into "Hang Em High", but my guess is they passed on doing so with other old songs, because Fair Warning had been an obvious departure from the 73-76 material that dominated the first three albums, that they didn't feel comfortable going back in time so soon after that. So they wrote a couple of new songs, and filled the rest of the space with covers (and even so, at barely over 33 minutes, made their shortest album)

As for why they took this approach with the new album? Apparently Wolfie had a lot to do with it. Somebody turned the boy loose in the vaults, and he probably said "Fuckin A, dad! I can't believe you never released this! Let's put it on the new album"

Well, prior to the announcement of a new album, Ed sounded reluctant to record any new material at all, citing that it would only be compared to Original Van Halen, or some shit...

Well YEAH !!

But what you said FORD is spot on and to me it just proves again that Ed's line of "ten albums in the can" is pure bullshit...

[78/84 guy]

Well, prior to the announcement of a new album, Ed sounded reluctant to record any new material at all, citing that it would only be compared to Original Van Halen, or some shit...

Well YEAH !!

But what you said FORD is spot on and to me it just proves again that Ed's line of "ten albums in the can" is pure bullshit...

I would think he meant ideas for ten albums. The guy doesn't write lyrics I don't think. So other than the old demos & a few unreleased songs they never used it's probably just a bunch of jams & riffs on tape. But who knows with this guy !

[lajustice77]

still can't believe how great it is!!

[chi-town324]

I also put it away for a couple months and then last week pulled it out again...shes the woman really kicks some ass...as well as honey baby ..as is.. hits you right in the face!!..and big river has really grown on me alot fucking love it!..for me they hit a home run with it no doubt!!

[Romeo Delight]

A cool thing happened to me today...I was moving my files from one phone to another and somehow, I made a new 'Album" that combined ADKOT and a one of the Zero cd's. It is an interesting combination of songs and order that I am digging.

[Romeo Delight]

I am pretty much listening to this new album with such frequency so that it catches up to the six pack although I am not consciously doing so.

It's like water reaching its own level so to speak...

[if6was9]

Since February ADKOT is the only VH album I've been listening to. In fact, it's the only album at all. Really. I just can't listen to any other music. I play 2-3 tracks of something else (even from the 6-pack) and I go back to ADKOT.

"As Is" has been my favourite song since I heard it for the first time. I can listen to it 4-5 times in a row, especially the "lalala" part, which is an essence of rock and roll to me.
I love the enegry in "Bullethead". Right now it's number two on my list, but it changes all the time. Before I was crazy about "You And Your Blues", "China Town", "Honeybaby" and "Stay Frosty"
The only track I used to skip was "Tattoo", but recently I rediscovered it.

BTW, Listening to Wolfie's bass is a pure pleasure.

[Angel]

Since February ADKOT is the only VH album I've been listening to. In fact, it's the only album at all. Really. I just can't listen to any other music. I play 2-3 tracks of something else (even from the 6-pack) and I go back to ADKOT.

"As Is" has been my favourite song since I heard it for the first time. I can listen to it 4-5 times in a row, especially the "lalala" part, which is an essence of rock and roll to me.
I love the enegry in "Bullethead". Right now it's number two on my list, but it changes all the time. Before I was crazy about "You And Your Blues", "China Town", "Honeybaby" and "Stay Frosty"
The only track I used to skip was "Tattoo", but recently I rediscovered it.

BTW, Listening to Wolfie's bass is a pure pleasure.

Yup, been the only disc in my car. I'll turn the radio on for awhile, and then it's fuck this noise and hit play.

I find Bullethead, As Is, and Honeybaby are THE BEST three songs in the world when I'm pissed off at something and go for a drive to get it out of my system.

[motherchicken]

Just wondering. If you were not a hard core Roth lovin Sammy Hagar hatin classic Van Halen fan how would you rate ADKOT compared to the rest of the CVH catalog? Are ya just so happy the band put out another album and followed it up with a tour that you automatically consider it a great album? I worshipped Zeppelin as a teenager. If they released a new album and it was on the level of In Through The Out Door I would be disapointed but I realize It might not be in them to make even one more album even close to as good as Led Zep II. Is ADKOT as good as Van Halen II or is it like 1984? I'm on the fence. It's going in the right direction for me but It's not on the top of my VH cds either.