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Well, my good friend Seshmeister put up an inspiring thread detailing his re-appreciation of VAN HALEN II, which is a stellar album. Now, clearly every album in the six-pack is stellar. But some are more obviously appreciated than others. I have spoken to Sesh, and with his full blessing, I will continue the appreciation threads with my sentiments concerning another overlooked Van Halen gem: DIVER DOWN.
DIVER DOWN was released in 1982. Van Halen was really in a rather untouchable state. They had not yet truly followed up the unbeatable success of their debut, but every album had done excellently and every tour had been bigger than the last. FAIR WARNING had criminally been their least-selling album yet, but the tour was huge (and magnificent if you catch the Oakland '81 videos). The band came off the tour drained and tired, but Dave suggested they quickly jump in the studio to record a quick single before they went on vacation...just to keep their faces in the public eye (funny how this kind of work ethic died the minute Dave left the band). The band recorded a quick and sloppy cover of Roy Orbison's PRETTY WOMAN, and the unexpected happened: the band had a surprise hit. The record company demanded an album to follow up this single, and the band ended up running back in the studio for some of the quickest sessions of their career, producing this rather uneven and somewhat bizarre album.
None of the other albums in the six-pack are quite like DIVER DOWN. True, every album in the classic six-pack is unique. But whereas VAN HALEN II essentially follows the blueprint of the debut, and FAIR WARNING is the next logical step from WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST, DIVER DOWN is somewhat of a mystery. It's clumsy nature can actually be attributed more to its rushed creation than to any artistic statement. Eddie has since disowned the album as Dave's attempt to produce chart hits by recording various covers. Well, PRETTY WOMAN was already in the can and no less respectful than the band's recordings of YOU'RE NO GOOD or YOU REALLY GOT ME. This Kinks cover is by no means an attempt at huge chart success. BIG BAD BILL and HAPPY TRAILS are clearly quick novelty tunes thrown together for fun (and probably to help finish the album quickly). Maybe only DANCING IN THE STREET backs up Eddie's argument. But what's forgotten about DIVER DOWN (especially by Eddie) is the quality of the original material on the album. I'd stack ANY of the originals on this album up against anything else the band recorded. There are some serious masterpieces on this album. And funny enough, the album is only remembered for PRETTY WOMAN and DANCING IN THE STREET, and the band helps to promote this myth by ignoring such classics as LITTLE GUITARS or THE FULL BUG on either of their compilations. Shame.
I listened to this album tonight for the first time in a little while, and I was surprised at how fresh it still sounds. It's incredible (especially the new remaster), but it still suffers in one department...the excellent production on FAIR WARNING (guitar sounds, drum sounds, etc.) has been thrown away for quick recording. In fact, it's my belief that part of the reason DIVER DOWN sounds rougher (and less bottom-heavy) than FAIR WARNING is partly because some of it wasn't even recorded in 1982. Read on.
WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD TIMES GONE
A great opener. Now, I have to admit that I am a die-hard Kinks fan. I own almost every album they've released. And I can honestly say that this is definitely a case of the cover beating the original. It's sloppy, probably recorded in one take one afternoon. But what a statement...Van Hagar would never have had the passion or the originality to record something like this. They were too busy doing horrible covers of WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN (and trying to beat The Who's perfect version with that monstrosity on the live album was such a joke). Anyway, this just sounds good, it swings, and it makes Van Halen seem more legitimate...as if they really are receiving the baton from the old school rock bands of the British Invasion, etc. Furthermore, it's amazing that Eddie doesn't even attempt a real solo in this song. It makes it sound fresh and not just by-the-numbers. If this is Eddie's idea of Roth looking for the easy hit, he'd better clear his ears out. The fact that Ed doesn't realize the genius that's in this truly demonstrates why he'd be swimming in mediocrity in the years to come.
HANG 'EM HIGH
What can I say? This is stellar material. Of course, it's also known in fan circles as LAST NIGHT ("Where were you...last night!!") from the original '77 demo tape...same music, different vocals and lyrics. Which version is better? Well, the '77 one would have fit a lot better on the debut album. But this version has the more imaginative vocal (IMO), and is just another example of Dave coming up with something melody-wise that the rest of us can only scratch our heads and say, "Wow...how did he think of singing that?" I bet Dave came up with this vocal in two minutes, probably forgetting all about the original melody. Yes, the band were clearly rushing through these sessions, grabbing unused songs and reworking them for their 5th LP. But what's amazing to me here is that the guitar sound, drum sound and bass sound are all vintage '77-'78 recording style. Listen to Ed's echo/chorus sound, with the guitar panned hard-right. This is the debut album recording sound...with that mushy cymbal, etc. I bet you $10 this is the recording the band made for the debut...and they just dug it up and re-recorded the vocals for this album. The rest of the album doesn't have that old-style guitar sound. Anyway, does it matter? Nah. This is classic Van Halen, and one of my favorites.
CATHEDRAL
Yep, another guitar solo. And not one of my favorites. But it's a new sound, and Ed's been throwing this in ever since. It's always amazed me that Ed came up with various signature solo pieces on almost every six-pack album except WACF and 1984, but he absolutely went dry during the entire Hagar-era. The only signature piece he came up with during the boring years and that he plays live is "316"; and for anyone to tell me that that rather boring progression even compares to the innovation heard in pieces like this, SPANISH FLY or obviously ERUPTION makes me laugh.
SECRETS
An original that Ed claims he presented to the band during the FAIR WARNING sessions but was rejected. All I can say is that I love this song, but I can't even dream of it being on FAIR WARNING. It just wouldn't fit. It fits perfectly here, however. Ed was right about one thing...the band didn't need covers because he could write tons of great commercial material on his own. And I'd say with the proper promotion, this could have been a major hit. It's just a great, catchy little song. It's a crime this has been overlooked on any VH compilation. The guitar part, the funky rhythm section, the amazing vocals and great pop song lyrics...Ed's magnificent solo! What the hell happened to this band? Damn, I miss them. How could a band pull off a song like this in their sleep and then record RUNAROUND? Hagar would never be able to dream a vocal line like this one, and Ed is just inspired throughout. Probably on my top 10 list.
INTRUDER
Okay, they just recorded this as an afterthought to match the longer PRETTY WOMAN video. It's actually kind of shit (IMO). It's fun to hear the band playing something loose in the studio, just having fun. But I would have preferred something that takes advantage of Ed's guitar skills or Al's drumming (or even Dave's ad-libbing) more than this mess. Of course, it segues straight into...
(OH) PRETTY WOMAN
Well, this does its job. It's hilarious...Dave even pointed out that they didn't really listen to the original before doing this. And they ended up missing one of the catchiest parts of the song: the bridge or "second chorus". Still, this is good fun...but nothing special. Again, no solo. I have to say it's a crime that this track and DANCING IN THE STREET represent this album on the latest BEST OF, which I've wisely chosen not to purchase. Any new fans of the band will hear this or the other song and decide not to delve deeper into DIVER DOWN land. Would it have been so hard to include LITTLE GUITARS instead of Sammy singing PANAMA?
DANCING IN THE STREET
The album's real shit moment, for me. Maybe even the only total shit moment in the six-pack for me. Ed has bitched that Dave turned an original synthesizer piece of his into this Martha and the Vandellas hit. Sure, sure. But from the sound of the music, Dave didn't rob the world of anything special. This just has no appeal to me. It never did. It probably helps that I never liked the original song, at all! I especially hate the Mick Jagger/David Bowie version. Anyway, this one blemish brings down the album for a lot of people. But if they just sit through it (or press the SKIP button), some of the band's greatest jewels await...
LITTLE GUITARS (INTRO)
Wow. That's all I can say. This amazes me every time I hear it. Eddie actually learned how to make his playing sound Spanish without actually learning the proper way. Where is this Eddie? What happened to him? Does domestic life, divorce and cancer really kill ALL your creativity? How could this band produce six albums of this stuff in so short a time? Anyway, I think this is much better than CATHEDRAL...and this is of course the one solo Eddie has ignored since playing it. Of course, I play drums and sing. I don't play guitar. So maybe this really would be too hard to pull off live. I don't know. The only solo I've heard Ed do since this that I thought was similarly impressive was his PRIMARY solo on the VH3 album. Yes, I know. Throw tomatoes at me. I still maintain that mess was better than pretty much almost any of the Van Hagar albums. No, it's not Van Halen and it still is shite. But there are flashes of the old Ed on that album, and PRIMARY is a good solo.
LITTLE GUITARS
Another masterpiece. The band was a truly creative goliath during these years. Numbers like this and GIRL GONE BAD still astound me. The guitar sound (from Ed's tiny guitar) is marvellous. Dave is really on fire here (although I wasn't sure the first time I heard it). I love Al's simple opening drum intro. My favorite part of the song is actually Ed's little elephant noise guitar part in the song's softer breakdown. Listen for it...it's magnificent. At least the band had the guts to pull this one out live on the 1984 tour. I don't remember them doing it on any of the DIVER DOWN boots I have. Anyway, another reason I consider this album possibly the band's most overlooked gem. (And my favorite lyric ever..."Can't crow before I'm out of the woods, but there's exceptions to the rule."
BIG BAD BILL (IS SWEET WILLIAM NOW)
Okay, this is novelty. It's fun, and works much better when heard with the rest of the album. But I can't honestly say this is one of my favorites. I appreciate Ed's dad's rather shaky but swingin' playing on this song. "Dave was such an asshole!" Yeah, sure Ed. He only convinces you to put your dad on this recording for no other reason than he thinks it will be fun. The band took so many chances in these years. They were truly fun, exciting and obviously constantly inspired by each other. If the story of Dave hearing this on his short-wave radio and then running to the band with it is true, then wow! That's a lot more fun of a story then some lame-ass story of how something like SPANKED was written. ("I was jacking off and Ed was watching me when he suddenly came up with this riff...") Still, for all its charm, and for all its representation of the good ol' early Van Halen, it's still novelty to me.
THE FULL BUG
Wow. I believe this is also an older number. Ed has gone on about the amount of original material he had that the band didn't explore. Sure. But I bet they also pulled out numbers like this because it was easier to quickly lay down something they were familiar with than newer numbers. All that aside, this is stellar, vintage Van fucking Halen. Everything, from the great shuffle groove, Dave's unbeatable lyrics and swagger, plus his fantastic harmonica solo, allow this to make a one-song case as to why the original vintage was better than the cheese brand. Isn't that Dave playing on the intro? Anyway, my favorite part has always been the little guitar and vocal breakdown in the middle. Check out Ed and Dave standing together and playing this part at the US FESTIVAL...an unbeatable Van Halen moment. "The best part of a man!" How about the best part of a band, Dave?
HAPPY TRAILS
Echoes of the '77 demo tape. Again, this does nothing for me. It's fun, but it's novelty. And I could live without it. But it does feel like it fits the rest of the album.
Okay, so it's disjointed and messy. But there are too many brilliant moments that force a listener to admit that this album is a minor masterpiece. As I said before, I'd stack up the originals on this album against any of the band's other original material. I've always sort-of looked at this album as the band's version of EAT 'EM AND SMILE. With I'M EASY and THAT'S LIFE, plus a couple of other bizarre mellow moments, EAT 'EM AND SMILE is certainly a smiling, bizarre masterpiece. It has some stellar pop and rock moments, but also the strange cover versions and oodles of amazing Dave energy.
My last point...the only thing that has ever bothered me about DIVER DOWN is that it would have been nice to strike maybe two of the covers (DANCING IN THE STREET and BIG BAD BILL) and replace them with other material it's been confirmed the band was working on or considering for the album. For instance, the band apparently did a great version of the '77 Demo song BIG TROUBLE during these sessions (maybe they actually just put new vocals on the debut album recording of it). I've always felt that BIG TROUBLE was, with a few other tracks, the band's lost masterpiece. Maybe putting BIG TROUBLE on this album, along with a reworked SHE'S THE WOMAN (also from the '77 Demo...plus the "Zero" demo, which includes BIG TROUBLE) would put this album into an even higher place in rock history. It would certainly force Ed to shut the fuck up. Any time he's asked about the older albums, he completely dismisses this album.
Well, it's recorded, Ed. And I listened to it tonight. And I fucking loved it. So...shut up.
DIVER DOWN was released in 1982. Van Halen was really in a rather untouchable state. They had not yet truly followed up the unbeatable success of their debut, but every album had done excellently and every tour had been bigger than the last. FAIR WARNING had criminally been their least-selling album yet, but the tour was huge (and magnificent if you catch the Oakland '81 videos). The band came off the tour drained and tired, but Dave suggested they quickly jump in the studio to record a quick single before they went on vacation...just to keep their faces in the public eye (funny how this kind of work ethic died the minute Dave left the band). The band recorded a quick and sloppy cover of Roy Orbison's PRETTY WOMAN, and the unexpected happened: the band had a surprise hit. The record company demanded an album to follow up this single, and the band ended up running back in the studio for some of the quickest sessions of their career, producing this rather uneven and somewhat bizarre album.
None of the other albums in the six-pack are quite like DIVER DOWN. True, every album in the classic six-pack is unique. But whereas VAN HALEN II essentially follows the blueprint of the debut, and FAIR WARNING is the next logical step from WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST, DIVER DOWN is somewhat of a mystery. It's clumsy nature can actually be attributed more to its rushed creation than to any artistic statement. Eddie has since disowned the album as Dave's attempt to produce chart hits by recording various covers. Well, PRETTY WOMAN was already in the can and no less respectful than the band's recordings of YOU'RE NO GOOD or YOU REALLY GOT ME. This Kinks cover is by no means an attempt at huge chart success. BIG BAD BILL and HAPPY TRAILS are clearly quick novelty tunes thrown together for fun (and probably to help finish the album quickly). Maybe only DANCING IN THE STREET backs up Eddie's argument. But what's forgotten about DIVER DOWN (especially by Eddie) is the quality of the original material on the album. I'd stack ANY of the originals on this album up against anything else the band recorded. There are some serious masterpieces on this album. And funny enough, the album is only remembered for PRETTY WOMAN and DANCING IN THE STREET, and the band helps to promote this myth by ignoring such classics as LITTLE GUITARS or THE FULL BUG on either of their compilations. Shame.
I listened to this album tonight for the first time in a little while, and I was surprised at how fresh it still sounds. It's incredible (especially the new remaster), but it still suffers in one department...the excellent production on FAIR WARNING (guitar sounds, drum sounds, etc.) has been thrown away for quick recording. In fact, it's my belief that part of the reason DIVER DOWN sounds rougher (and less bottom-heavy) than FAIR WARNING is partly because some of it wasn't even recorded in 1982. Read on.
WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD TIMES GONE
A great opener. Now, I have to admit that I am a die-hard Kinks fan. I own almost every album they've released. And I can honestly say that this is definitely a case of the cover beating the original. It's sloppy, probably recorded in one take one afternoon. But what a statement...Van Hagar would never have had the passion or the originality to record something like this. They were too busy doing horrible covers of WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN (and trying to beat The Who's perfect version with that monstrosity on the live album was such a joke). Anyway, this just sounds good, it swings, and it makes Van Halen seem more legitimate...as if they really are receiving the baton from the old school rock bands of the British Invasion, etc. Furthermore, it's amazing that Eddie doesn't even attempt a real solo in this song. It makes it sound fresh and not just by-the-numbers. If this is Eddie's idea of Roth looking for the easy hit, he'd better clear his ears out. The fact that Ed doesn't realize the genius that's in this truly demonstrates why he'd be swimming in mediocrity in the years to come.
HANG 'EM HIGH
What can I say? This is stellar material. Of course, it's also known in fan circles as LAST NIGHT ("Where were you...last night!!") from the original '77 demo tape...same music, different vocals and lyrics. Which version is better? Well, the '77 one would have fit a lot better on the debut album. But this version has the more imaginative vocal (IMO), and is just another example of Dave coming up with something melody-wise that the rest of us can only scratch our heads and say, "Wow...how did he think of singing that?" I bet Dave came up with this vocal in two minutes, probably forgetting all about the original melody. Yes, the band were clearly rushing through these sessions, grabbing unused songs and reworking them for their 5th LP. But what's amazing to me here is that the guitar sound, drum sound and bass sound are all vintage '77-'78 recording style. Listen to Ed's echo/chorus sound, with the guitar panned hard-right. This is the debut album recording sound...with that mushy cymbal, etc. I bet you $10 this is the recording the band made for the debut...and they just dug it up and re-recorded the vocals for this album. The rest of the album doesn't have that old-style guitar sound. Anyway, does it matter? Nah. This is classic Van Halen, and one of my favorites.
CATHEDRAL
Yep, another guitar solo. And not one of my favorites. But it's a new sound, and Ed's been throwing this in ever since. It's always amazed me that Ed came up with various signature solo pieces on almost every six-pack album except WACF and 1984, but he absolutely went dry during the entire Hagar-era. The only signature piece he came up with during the boring years and that he plays live is "316"; and for anyone to tell me that that rather boring progression even compares to the innovation heard in pieces like this, SPANISH FLY or obviously ERUPTION makes me laugh.
SECRETS
An original that Ed claims he presented to the band during the FAIR WARNING sessions but was rejected. All I can say is that I love this song, but I can't even dream of it being on FAIR WARNING. It just wouldn't fit. It fits perfectly here, however. Ed was right about one thing...the band didn't need covers because he could write tons of great commercial material on his own. And I'd say with the proper promotion, this could have been a major hit. It's just a great, catchy little song. It's a crime this has been overlooked on any VH compilation. The guitar part, the funky rhythm section, the amazing vocals and great pop song lyrics...Ed's magnificent solo! What the hell happened to this band? Damn, I miss them. How could a band pull off a song like this in their sleep and then record RUNAROUND? Hagar would never be able to dream a vocal line like this one, and Ed is just inspired throughout. Probably on my top 10 list.
INTRUDER
Okay, they just recorded this as an afterthought to match the longer PRETTY WOMAN video. It's actually kind of shit (IMO). It's fun to hear the band playing something loose in the studio, just having fun. But I would have preferred something that takes advantage of Ed's guitar skills or Al's drumming (or even Dave's ad-libbing) more than this mess. Of course, it segues straight into...
(OH) PRETTY WOMAN
Well, this does its job. It's hilarious...Dave even pointed out that they didn't really listen to the original before doing this. And they ended up missing one of the catchiest parts of the song: the bridge or "second chorus". Still, this is good fun...but nothing special. Again, no solo. I have to say it's a crime that this track and DANCING IN THE STREET represent this album on the latest BEST OF, which I've wisely chosen not to purchase. Any new fans of the band will hear this or the other song and decide not to delve deeper into DIVER DOWN land. Would it have been so hard to include LITTLE GUITARS instead of Sammy singing PANAMA?
DANCING IN THE STREET
The album's real shit moment, for me. Maybe even the only total shit moment in the six-pack for me. Ed has bitched that Dave turned an original synthesizer piece of his into this Martha and the Vandellas hit. Sure, sure. But from the sound of the music, Dave didn't rob the world of anything special. This just has no appeal to me. It never did. It probably helps that I never liked the original song, at all! I especially hate the Mick Jagger/David Bowie version. Anyway, this one blemish brings down the album for a lot of people. But if they just sit through it (or press the SKIP button), some of the band's greatest jewels await...
LITTLE GUITARS (INTRO)
Wow. That's all I can say. This amazes me every time I hear it. Eddie actually learned how to make his playing sound Spanish without actually learning the proper way. Where is this Eddie? What happened to him? Does domestic life, divorce and cancer really kill ALL your creativity? How could this band produce six albums of this stuff in so short a time? Anyway, I think this is much better than CATHEDRAL...and this is of course the one solo Eddie has ignored since playing it. Of course, I play drums and sing. I don't play guitar. So maybe this really would be too hard to pull off live. I don't know. The only solo I've heard Ed do since this that I thought was similarly impressive was his PRIMARY solo on the VH3 album. Yes, I know. Throw tomatoes at me. I still maintain that mess was better than pretty much almost any of the Van Hagar albums. No, it's not Van Halen and it still is shite. But there are flashes of the old Ed on that album, and PRIMARY is a good solo.
LITTLE GUITARS
Another masterpiece. The band was a truly creative goliath during these years. Numbers like this and GIRL GONE BAD still astound me. The guitar sound (from Ed's tiny guitar) is marvellous. Dave is really on fire here (although I wasn't sure the first time I heard it). I love Al's simple opening drum intro. My favorite part of the song is actually Ed's little elephant noise guitar part in the song's softer breakdown. Listen for it...it's magnificent. At least the band had the guts to pull this one out live on the 1984 tour. I don't remember them doing it on any of the DIVER DOWN boots I have. Anyway, another reason I consider this album possibly the band's most overlooked gem. (And my favorite lyric ever..."Can't crow before I'm out of the woods, but there's exceptions to the rule."
BIG BAD BILL (IS SWEET WILLIAM NOW)
Okay, this is novelty. It's fun, and works much better when heard with the rest of the album. But I can't honestly say this is one of my favorites. I appreciate Ed's dad's rather shaky but swingin' playing on this song. "Dave was such an asshole!" Yeah, sure Ed. He only convinces you to put your dad on this recording for no other reason than he thinks it will be fun. The band took so many chances in these years. They were truly fun, exciting and obviously constantly inspired by each other. If the story of Dave hearing this on his short-wave radio and then running to the band with it is true, then wow! That's a lot more fun of a story then some lame-ass story of how something like SPANKED was written. ("I was jacking off and Ed was watching me when he suddenly came up with this riff...") Still, for all its charm, and for all its representation of the good ol' early Van Halen, it's still novelty to me.
THE FULL BUG
Wow. I believe this is also an older number. Ed has gone on about the amount of original material he had that the band didn't explore. Sure. But I bet they also pulled out numbers like this because it was easier to quickly lay down something they were familiar with than newer numbers. All that aside, this is stellar, vintage Van fucking Halen. Everything, from the great shuffle groove, Dave's unbeatable lyrics and swagger, plus his fantastic harmonica solo, allow this to make a one-song case as to why the original vintage was better than the cheese brand. Isn't that Dave playing on the intro? Anyway, my favorite part has always been the little guitar and vocal breakdown in the middle. Check out Ed and Dave standing together and playing this part at the US FESTIVAL...an unbeatable Van Halen moment. "The best part of a man!" How about the best part of a band, Dave?
HAPPY TRAILS
Echoes of the '77 demo tape. Again, this does nothing for me. It's fun, but it's novelty. And I could live without it. But it does feel like it fits the rest of the album.
Okay, so it's disjointed and messy. But there are too many brilliant moments that force a listener to admit that this album is a minor masterpiece. As I said before, I'd stack up the originals on this album against any of the band's other original material. I've always sort-of looked at this album as the band's version of EAT 'EM AND SMILE. With I'M EASY and THAT'S LIFE, plus a couple of other bizarre mellow moments, EAT 'EM AND SMILE is certainly a smiling, bizarre masterpiece. It has some stellar pop and rock moments, but also the strange cover versions and oodles of amazing Dave energy.
My last point...the only thing that has ever bothered me about DIVER DOWN is that it would have been nice to strike maybe two of the covers (DANCING IN THE STREET and BIG BAD BILL) and replace them with other material it's been confirmed the band was working on or considering for the album. For instance, the band apparently did a great version of the '77 Demo song BIG TROUBLE during these sessions (maybe they actually just put new vocals on the debut album recording of it). I've always felt that BIG TROUBLE was, with a few other tracks, the band's lost masterpiece. Maybe putting BIG TROUBLE on this album, along with a reworked SHE'S THE WOMAN (also from the '77 Demo...plus the "Zero" demo, which includes BIG TROUBLE) would put this album into an even higher place in rock history. It would certainly force Ed to shut the fuck up. Any time he's asked about the older albums, he completely dismisses this album.
Well, it's recorded, Ed. And I listened to it tonight. And I fucking loved it. So...shut up.
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