selected quotes:
War of the worlds
David Lee Roth wiped from history as Van Halen issue a 'greatest hits' spiked with three 'humdrum and horrible' new songs.
Van Halen
Best of Both Worlds
In a move that would make Stalin delirious, David Lee Roth has been deleted from this latest Van Halen collection. Not musically, of course - that would be commercial suicide. But if his face hadn't figured on a smattering of album covers there'd be no sign of him at all. The band (the current line-up) all get to offer their appreciations in the liner notes, and each features in a black and white portrait shot; Roth doesn't get even a mention - but then neither does the 'Van Halen 3' band (with ex-Extreme vocalist Gary cherone), so maybe Eddie wants to forget about that all together. 'Fire In The Hole' anyone? Thought not....
...when the original Van Halen re-formed briefly for their first greatest-hits CD "Best of Volume 1" (and if you have that you will wonder why you need '... Both Worlds'; and the answer is that you don't) the two exclusive songs showcased there were dazzling and full of promise: 'Me Wise Magic' and 'Can't Get This Stuff No More' were wry and rich and made you tap your foot in a distracted way. They didn't make you think they'd be the part of the show where you'd nip out to get a drink before they played 'Panama'. The 3 new songs on '...Both Worlds' unfortunately possess the kind of charm that will drive you out of the door quicker than the drum solo.
'Learning to See' is so humdrum and horrible that I can't imagine it would have even made it on to 1995's terrible 'Balance'-an album so bad it broke the band up...
IN A NUTSHELL
As the bad blood between Roth and Van Halen continues to boil, this collection does the band cause no good at all.
War of the worlds
David Lee Roth wiped from history as Van Halen issue a 'greatest hits' spiked with three 'humdrum and horrible' new songs.
Van Halen
Best of Both Worlds
In a move that would make Stalin delirious, David Lee Roth has been deleted from this latest Van Halen collection. Not musically, of course - that would be commercial suicide. But if his face hadn't figured on a smattering of album covers there'd be no sign of him at all. The band (the current line-up) all get to offer their appreciations in the liner notes, and each features in a black and white portrait shot; Roth doesn't get even a mention - but then neither does the 'Van Halen 3' band (with ex-Extreme vocalist Gary cherone), so maybe Eddie wants to forget about that all together. 'Fire In The Hole' anyone? Thought not....
...when the original Van Halen re-formed briefly for their first greatest-hits CD "Best of Volume 1" (and if you have that you will wonder why you need '... Both Worlds'; and the answer is that you don't) the two exclusive songs showcased there were dazzling and full of promise: 'Me Wise Magic' and 'Can't Get This Stuff No More' were wry and rich and made you tap your foot in a distracted way. They didn't make you think they'd be the part of the show where you'd nip out to get a drink before they played 'Panama'. The 3 new songs on '...Both Worlds' unfortunately possess the kind of charm that will drive you out of the door quicker than the drum solo.
'Learning to See' is so humdrum and horrible that I can't imagine it would have even made it on to 1995's terrible 'Balance'-an album so bad it broke the band up...
IN A NUTSHELL
As the bad blood between Roth and Van Halen continues to boil, this collection does the band cause no good at all.
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