Customer Reviews

Best of, Volume 1

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(47)
3 star:		(33)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Ive had this cd since it came out.I was just reading the reviews hear and just came to mind.Were is 'don't tell me'.Thats one of the best songs that then have ever written.Yes there are to many ballads on this album and less rock songs from Van Hagar era.Love 'Humans being' though, but could have put more of the Balance a;bum on this one guys.Guess we will have to spend our money once again for the double disc just to get those three new songs.Can't wait for the tour. Long live Van Halen

Let me say that I love Van Halen. They--either with David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar--are one the best rock bands ever to exist. But, this compilation, though full of great music, does not serve either Roth or Hagar well at all.

Tracks 1-8 are from David Lee Roth's 1978-1984 years, plus 16 and 17 are two then-new songs with him on vocals. There is so much missing; "You Really Got Me," "Janie's Cryin',", "Beautiful Girls," "So This is Love?", "Mean Streets," "Inturder"/"(Oh!) Pretty Woman," "Dancing in the Streets," "I'll Wait," and "Hot For Teacher" are all radio staples and many were top 40 singles. Notice that DIVER DOWN (which is where "Pretty Woman" and "Dancing in the Streets" are found) is totally ignored. Also, while a great instrumental, "Eruption" doesn't make a good lead-off track. "Running with the Devil" or "You Really Got Me" (if it was included) would've made a better choice. The two new songs are okay rockers and it's nice to hear DLR on vocals again, but the lyrics are pathetic ("a slice at a time, like a pizza pie"?) and his vocals aren't up to his best.

Tracks 9-15 are sung by Sammy Hagar who was singer from 1986 to 1996. What's missing from here? Try "Love Walks In," "Best of Both Worlds," "Black and Blue," "Feels So Good," "Finish What Ya Started," "Top of the World," "Runaround," and "Not Enough." Also, most of the songs are ballads; "Poundcake" and "Right Now" are the only rockers by Sammy on here. An attempt by Eddie to make the recently-departed Sammy look wimpy? "Human Beings" is avaliable on a VH album for the first time (a song from the TWISTER soundtrack), but it's nothing to get excited about.

What I think should've been done is a two-disc set. Disc one should have tracks 1-8, the other DLR songs I mentioned, and the two new songs at the end. Disc two should've had tracks 9-15 and the other songs I mentioned on it. There's a lot of good music on here, but there could've been a lot more.

To me, the hits part of this disc is just preamble. The reason everybody went out and bought this CD on October 22, 1996 was the return of David Lee Roth. Nobody cared about the hits. I remember working at the record store the day this was released. A lot of people thought it would be a new studio album. I had many comments that day saying, "But I already have most of these songs." One guy even bought it assuming it was a new studio album and returned it the next day -- I guess he didn't read the title?

Anyway, enough rambling. Best Of Volume I was much hyped due to "Can't Get This Stuff No More" and "Me Wise Magic", the first new songs by the original Van Halen in over a decade. For fans of this band, we were elated to hear new music that clearly harkened back to the pre-synth, pre-1984 sound of Van Halen. Dave's voice is now lower and less powerful, but his delivery is pure gleeful Dave, even on these darker songs. His lyrics (which according to Roth, Eddie didn't like) are as poetic as ever. Eddie's letting his guitar speak, basing both songs purely on riffage. This was a pretty cool about-face from the too-comercial sounds of Balance.

This album is worth it just for these two new songs alone. It is, thus far, the only place you can get them.

For Sammy fans, there is the excellent "Humans Being" with its angry modern verses and bright shiny chorus. This is the only Van Halen album where you can get "Humans Being" saving you from having to buy the terrible Twister soundtrack. (Missing is a track called "Respect The Wind" billed by Eddie & Alex Van Halen from the same soundtrack.)

The hits portion of this disc, gloriously remastered for the first time, is brief (it's a single disc, after all) but almost completely without filler. Only one track, Sammy's way-too-pop "Can't Stop Loving You", doesn't belong. However, to put this decision in context, in 1996 that was one of Van Halen's most recent hit singles, just over a year old. The rest of the album takes tracks from each studio record (sans Diver Down which Eddie doesn't speak highly of). The most notable omissions were "Hot For Teacher" (available on the Japanese release) and "Love Walks In" (which I can gladly do without). Presumably there would have been more tracks on a Volume II, which never materialized.

Of interest, if you're lucky enough to own a first pressing of this CD, you own a very rare alternate version of "Runnin' With the Devil" where the verses, chorus and solos were arranged in a different order than that of the original album version. Take a listen and see if you're one of the few lucky ones.

5 stars. Despite the brevity, this album doesn't overstay the party.

...but only for the last three tracks. "Humans Being" is undoubtably the best Van Halen song ever (even if it is a Hagar song)--this track is a masterpiece.
"Can't Get This Stuff No More" and "Me Wise Magic" are the results of the month long DLR/VH reunion. The general concensus is that these two tracks are subpar, though I'm in the minority that actually likes them. The tracks are mello and restrained, with a very distinct Blues influence. Definately a different sound from early VH, but not at all bad.

This is VH's first Greatest Hits album. The song selection stinks. Most of the songs are from the Sammy Hagar era, which, in my opinion, is not true Van Halen. And the DLR songs that were picked to go on the album are not the best. Missing are many of the classics that no metalhead should be without like 'Sinner's Swing', 'Light Up The Sky', 'Pretty Woman', plus many more. And even the Sammy Hagar songs were bad. They should have included 'Inside', 'AFU', or something else.

What can I say but Perfect! A true must in every way for every rocker!

I can't for the life of me understand all the hate for "Humans
Being" I hadn't heard this until now. I was a rock fan as I kid
but I fell out of it during the late 80's when my brother died.
I did see Twister and I did hear this song(but didn't realize
who it was by)and thought it was awesome. But I never heard it
again another the other night when I heard it on yahoolaunch
radio thing.

This is one of the best sounding songs I've ever heard. You have
to have bad taste to not like this song.

It says Volume 1 for a reason...I am sure down the road they will release a 2nd one with missing gems like Jamie's Cryin' and Hot For Teacher.

You can only fit so many songs on a cd...I'm hoping for a box set release with their original Gene Simmons demos included someday.

There's no doubt that this is a great collection full of classic rock, but by including both eras it misses too much. But it does have the tracks "Runnin' With The Devil", "Dance The Night Away", and "Jump", as well as "Dreams", "When It's Love", and "Right Now". It would be more complete had it just included "Jamie's Cryin'", "I'll Wait", "Best Of Both Worlds", and "Finish What Ya Started". However, with a 2004 summer tour comes a new "Greatest Hits" collection. Let's pray for a disc of "Dave", and a disc of "Sammy".

Van Halen were a pretty good rock band in the 80s. These days, though, they aren't just remembered for their music, but the egos and bust ups that lead to Diamond Dave quitting/ being fired and Sammy Hagar joining. To be honest I was never really a fan of the early Van Halen (e.g. Fair Warning et al), they were, to me just a good Guitar orientated rock act with a larger than life front man, with a slightly rough edged voice. I much preferred the more inventive, and surprise surprise, more commercially successful albums, where they expanded their musical range (1984, 5150 and OU812). Sammy Hagar was a good addition to Van Halen after Diamond Dave went solo, with strong musical performances on the latter 2 albums. Diamond Dave did a good solo album in Eat 'em and Smile, but then declined after that. No for me it is the period from 1984-1989 when they were at their best, and any compilation should reflect this, and this one isn't a bad one. Roll on the complete remastered box set, that will be a far better buy than a piece meal compilation.