Official "A Different Kind of Truth" Album Review Thread

[Jetstream]

I have listened to this LP in its entirety and can make a pretty accurate comment on all the other reviews out there...they are still not given this LP proper consideration because there is like some overly critical exception when dealing with Van Halen now. Any other group, any group, which would have released this would not just get a 'great effort' stamp or 'its pretty good (with the all purpose add on 'with things consider bs) but a DAMN THIS IS FANTASTIC. If you want to have an accurate rating of these reviews...add two points. 1 for the slights towards Dave and 1 towards the Van Halens. You know that constant 7 most give the LP, it is really a 9. This LP is superb and there are NO weak points.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Well, the best statement that I've heard when discussing the various reviews of the album was made before the VH show at the Forum by Jeff of VHND....

He said, "if you don't think this (VH) album isn't good, then just what new album do you think IS good??"

[degüello]

I fucking LOVE this album!!! I've listened to it five times since buying it yesterday. I'm completely blown away, they have delivered the goods tenfold. What a rush!

[Jagermeister]

I'm finally going to go buy it today I think.

[ThrillsNSpills]

The live version of Trouble with Never is unbelievable. The solo (Henson studio?) is mindblowing .

[So this is love]

The live version of Trouble with Never is unbelievable. The solo (Henson studio?) is mindblowing .

Where is it?

[ThrillsNSpills]

Where is it?

was in the JHale/Bantonelli thread. I think this was from Brett.

[Zing!]

Asked my eight year old: "What's your favorite Van Halen song?' Kid promptly responds without missing a beat: "Chinatown, Trouble With Never, and Blood & uhhh..." Me: "Fire?" "Yeah, Blood and Fire!"

Chip off the old block, god bless the child.

[VanCanHalen]

Asked my eight year old: "What's your favorite Van Halen song?' Kid promptly responds without missing a beat: "Chinatown, Trouble With Never, and Blood & uhhh..." Me: "Fire?" "Yeah, Blood and Fire!"

Chip off the old block, god bless the child.

Teaching them young I love it! GOOD JOB, help navigate todays youth to some actual good music

[silverfish]

ADKOT gets 4 stars from The Buffalo News:

"For the first time in 28 years, a new Van Halen album features original singer and
frontman nonpareil David Lee Roth. And guess what? It’s the best Van Halen record
released in 28 years. Maybe even longer.

“A Different Kind of Truth” is the equal of all but the first two of the original Rothera
Van Halen albums. "

link to full review

[Von Halen]

I fucking love this album. The louder I play it, the more I love it. My 13 year old Son loves it.

It made me go back and listen to the Gene Simmons demo's again.

Stay Frosty is just fucking classic Van Halen at it's finest. There isn't another band from the past, or the future, that could get away with putting out an album like this. This album is why there is, and always has been, only ONE mighty Van HALEN!

[fourthcoming]

It's nice to not have to keep living off all the unreleased tunes anymore like I've been doing for the last 20 years!!! I still love all the rarities and unreleased stuff I have amassed over the years but I am currently listening to ADKOT EXCLUSIVELY.

[vandeleur]

Well, I got my copy of ADKOT on Wednesday 8th, whereas Amazon had announced the 6th, but due to the fucking freeze, I suppose,
I received it 2 days late. Anyway...

Before it came out, and for months, I had feared of being disappointed with the album, and it eventually amazed me.
ADKOT can easily be shelved right next to or under (depends on how you keep your CDs) 1984, IMO. There's some continuity.
The sound is huge and clear music is hyperexciting, fun, brilliant, ballsy, and so are Dave's lyrics - I count his voice as part of the music.
The proverbial virtuosity is here, immaculate!
It's more than I expected for them to do at best, and it feels awesome!

‘Tattoo’ : Still great to listen to, despite I overplayed it throughout January. It's so solid a tune, Dave's story and words kick ass! Who would have guessed the rest of the album would be so heavy, though?
I really dig the high-low loop in the end of Eddie's solo. Dave's vocals sound damn great.

‘She’s the Woman’ : I wasn't convinced that reworking the "Zero" tunes was such a good idea, but I changed my mind as soon as my CD player started track 02. I loved the 1977 Simmons produced version, but this one was worth being done! The slight changes in the vocal placements are pertinent, make the song even more percussive.
Ah, and that funk-hard rock riff, the tight, powerful interaction guitar/bass/drums...

‘You and Your Blues’ : They could have used this track instead of 'Tattoo' as the first single - but I dig 'Tattoo' just as much. Dave really sings his lungs out - "Everybody suffers.........".

‘China Town’ : the tune starts tremendously with Ed playing the incredible intro... The riff and bass/drums are awesome... Playing it live is a real challenge. It's my least fave track on the album, I confess, because of the pre-chorus and chorus, the only moments I don't really like.

‘Blood and Fire’ : Beautiful intro - then the verse made me first think of a Men at Work tune... Before the chorus explosion, "Ooooh YYYYEEEEEAAAAAAH"... A classic one, already, but almost every track is too.

‘Bullethead’ : Their Sabbath side is in there, but of course at VH speed and flamboyance - b-b-b-b-ballsy!!!

‘As Is’ : one of my top fave in the album - Al's "1-2-3-4", the insane riff and vocals, 'Hot For Teacher' 's little brother. I'm fond of this one. Ed's solo, the break and the outro are HUGE!! Full of ideas, just like CVH, and most of the album is.

‘Honeybabysweetiedoll’ : another one of my top fave tunes - the opening sounds, kind of mad, and the Indian-like, tremendous riff following... Dave's voice with the backing of Ed's and Wolf's... Top stuff, from the Top Band... Nothing Could sound more kickass IMO. Nothing but WOW!!!

‘The Trouble With Never’ : The intro and riff kick fucking ass, the tune is killer too. The chorus is more "classic" - but I'm no fan of chorusses. Ed's solo is another killer - but he delivered nothing else than killers on this record. The break is brilliant, the calm part with Dave singing very low, then the riff towards the chorus, the outro till the clear stop... Fucking great!

‘Outta Space’ : My second least fave of the album - bu I dig it anyway, just a little less than the other tracks -, this one delivers too, Wolf is amazing, Ed riffs like hell, the band is tight - but well, I'll surely dig this one as much in a few weeks.

‘Stay Frosty’ : one of, if not my top fave tunes, this one is an immediate classic! There's everything in there, the sound, the riffs, the story, the huge solo and outro... Already legendary!

‘Big River’ : Ah... The beat, the riff - funk-hard-rock like they used to play in the early days - Dave's vocals are huge there too... The solo and bridge before the last chorus are stellar! One of my top faves.

‘Beats Workin” : another of my top fave tunes - makes me think of 'In a simple rhyme' a lot - the riff is just awesomely-fuckin' excitingly brilliant!! Dave sounds even more at his best here IMO. What a kickass sound... The bridge before the last chorus, and then the last chorus, how Ed fills the gaps and... PLAYS!! Tremendous!!

Throughout the record there's everything I dig in VH: their why-just-play-it-let's-put-everything-we-can approach, invention, virtuosity, fun, balls, drive...
They managed to produce genuinely new stuff with a some partially old stuff, without self-parody. It's a real feat, I don't think they could have done any better than this.
The best gift they could offer their fans, for sure.

'A Different Kind Of Truth' I am gladly a believer of. :D

great review

[chi-town324]

everyday i have a new favorite...the sign of a masterpiece

[Jagermeister]

Just wanted to punch in real quick and say I finally hot it. Fucking kick ass.
Stand outs big river, outta space , stay frosty. I'm very happy!