Van Halen: Fair Warning (1981): Song by Song

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by GodShifter, Dec 8, 2017.

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  1. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident

    Location:
    America
    I feel like I sometimes underrate Unchained because I consider it only my 3rd-5th favorite song from this record (depending on my mood), but I think that says more about strong this record is. Fantastic song from a great record.
     
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  2. Have tired of Unchained a bit, but listening again tonight, there are some things I really like. It's one of Dave's best vocals for sheer attitude and aggression on his voice. His phrasing really works. Eddies clever use of flange on the main riff really drew me in as a kid, and I still enjoy that today. But listening again tonight, it's his rhythm work during the pre-chorus that really shines (and really separates him from the other LA-based guitarists of that era). The way he and Alex turn the beat around in that section is super-cool for a band that got played on the radio all the time. One of the things I love about Fair Warning are those little touches of prog that work their way into the songs. Sounds like Eddie may have been listening to a fair amount of Bill Bruford's band when he wrote some of this material.
     
  3. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    I agree and great point. Also, psychedelia.
     
  4. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Hear About It Later:
    We come to a good one, ya see....
    It starts with this dark, processed guitar, and it sets a really cool mood for the track, with the rhythm section sliding into place at :29, Eddie overdubbing some awesome leads over it, Dave starts at :47, and he is awesome as always, and you hear about all these frustrations at home, he is tired of fighting, tired of her bitching, and I love the little cowbell breakdown at 2:41, which leads into Eddie's solo at 2:50, and it's such a killer solo, man. This is such a gem and one of the highlights on the album.
     
  5. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    @GodShifter

    Hey man are you going to do all of the VH Roth albums? If time is a factor, I could do one of them. Would not be as informative as yours but it would get the job done. I would love to do I or II.
     
  6. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    I was going to do II, although I was also thinking about DD or 84
     
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  7. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    Thats awesome. Maybe I could do I if no one else has the time.
     
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  8. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Go for it
     
  9. Cooks420

    Cooks420 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    “... what a rocker!”

    On any given day, “Unchained” is my favorite VH song.

    I have nothing else to add, other than while I know FW is generally considered a darker album, only an extremely happy person could ever write a ****ing godlike riff like that.

    God bless VH for sharing this song with us.

    11/10
     
  10. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    @Rose River Bear

    You and @Musicman1998 can hash it out between I, II, and 1984. I would like to do Diver Down. I really have no interest beyond that.

    That said, if someone wants DD that badly, I’ll bail on that one, too. I had wanted to do all the classic Roth years albums in one thread, but time has made that nearly impossible for me.

    Let me know what you guys want to do. I promise I won’t step on any toes. As Keith Carradine sang in the movie “Nashville”, “I’m Easy”.
     
  11. npgchris

    npgchris Forum Resident


    Based on what each of you has typed, it sounds like you should do DD, Musicman1998 should do II and 1984, and Rose River Bear should do the debut.

    I wish there was more enthusiasm to do the entire discography, even though I suspect the later stuff isn't as enjoyable. I've never even heard the 3rd and 4th albums with Hagar, nor III or ADKOT. And I basically don't even remember OU812. I guess the fact that people aren't too enthused strongly suggests I wouldn't find as much to enjoy on them, but I find it hard to believe that Eddie, Alex and Michael gave us nothing of value on all of those later albums!
     
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  12. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I’d do every one of them if I had the time. I think I’d be fun as, like you, some of the Hagar albums and III I don’t know at all. Doing these two Van Halen albums has fueled my fire, but I just don’t have the time to do something like the KISS thread and with other willing and eager participants, I have to defer unfortunately.
     
  13. npgchris

    npgchris Forum Resident

    Understood. You've done a great job on the two you've done. It would have been great to have done the whole thing in chronological order, but I can also understand your reticence to do another one so soon after the (nearly year-long) KISS thread.
     
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  14. Value-wise, to the contrary --- Lots of good nuggets. However, the Hagar albums never matched the overall 'mystique / cool' factor of when Roth was in the band. .
     
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  15. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I’m a music junkie and love writing so it’s not so much reticence as time and obligations have rendered it almost impossible for me. I know that @Musicman1998 and @Rose River Bear are both more than capable to carry the torch. Both, in fact, are probably better than me in terms of what they do.

    I’d like to do every album if, for nothing else, I’ve become as a big a fan of Alex as I am of Eddie. They’re both mammoth (no pun intended) players as far as I’m concerned.
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2017
  16. There's a different (and fairly obvious) reference you could have chosen for that.
     
  17. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    A Different Kind of Truth is great. It's also an interesting one to talk about because half the songs are based on other, older songs. Some of which were better in their original incarnations, and some that were improved in the ADKOT versions. And then a few of the new songs are among the heaviest the bad ever did, which is not what you would have expected at that late date. Plus it was the first Dave album in 20+ years, the first ever without Mike, and the one where Eddie came back in blazing form after some very dark years. So there's a lot talk about.
     
  18. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    :confused:
     
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  19. npgchris

    npgchris Forum Resident

    Not being familiar with any of the later albums, it'd be fun to look at each song, and see which ones are good and which ones are weak. Reading a little bit about III has me curious to hear what it sounds like. Either way, I'm sufficiently intrigued enough to seek out the other stuff for a listen. It's just more fun to listen to, and discuss it, with others who have more knowledge and history with this band than I do.
     
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  20. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    So you can do that one, yes? :D ;)
     
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  21. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    That could definitely make for a good one, for sure. But you'd have to pay me money to lead a Van Hagar thread, or buy me any record of my choice. Basically bribe me, but I'll still bash it
     
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  22. npgchris

    npgchris Forum Resident

    Agreed. My appreciation for Alex has gone up since we started this analysis. I mean, I already liked him, but you obviously get more out of this stuff when you really listen and concentrate, as opposed to just having it on in the background. There's some cool interplay between the two brothers that I recognize and appreciate, and Anthony is pretty damn good, too. I've almost gotten to the point where I can forgive him for that god-awful bass solo he subjected me to back on Halloween of '86. :laugh:

    EDIT: Damn, just checked the dates for the 5150 tour. I wasn't aware that San Francisco was the very end of that tour, nor had I realized they did four (4) shows at the Cow Palace! Damn, that's up there with Prince and Springsteen for that era, in terms of consecutive nights in an arena for the Bay Area. I had forgotten they were that huge at the time.
     
  23. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    I will sum up every Van Hagar album, save your money, and your ears:
    5150:
    1. Good Enough: No, no it isn't. From the stupid heeellllllloo baaaaaaby, which is what I struggle not to hear when I listen to Rock the Nation, to the plastic music and production that are both completely toothless, to a singer who sounds like a poor man's David Coverdale or Robert Plant, and who acts with way more swagger than he can actually back up, it's like that jackass in high school who thought he was way cooler than he actually is, and is obnoxiously in your face about his non existent cool factor. We Are off to a fantastic start.
    2. Why Can't This Be Love: Weak, bland, mediocre, flavorless, it really could be any second or third tier AOR band, and really bad one at that.
    3. Get Up: Has some cool stuff from Alex drum wise, the last time he'd sound even remotely like Alex, but this is like a bad imitation of Van Halen, like No No No off Crazy Nights except worse, and No No No is a ****ty song that I only like in comparison with everything off that album.
    4. Dreams: More like nightmares, with the schlocky synths to the annoying ass vocals that sound like someone getting their nuts twisted, this is like car commercial music, it's so bad. Probably the worst song so far.
    5. Summer Nights: The riff is somewhat decent, but the song is mediocre fluff, tries to be a Summertime tune, but has none of the fun or charm to pull it off, so pass.
    6. Best of Both Worlds: This kind of reminds me Hurt So Good by John Mellancamp, and I hate that song, it is so boring and dull, and this is the dump that song took and threw on another turd. It's basically ****ting on s***.
    7. Love Walks In: I...actually don't think this is too bad. The synths are nicely structured, I like the hi hat work on the intro, the vocals are better than what I have heard so far, they are definitely more tolerable. They still feel generic and void of personality or charisma, but it's passable. Ooh, but this is the guy from Montrose, Musicman. Don't care.
    8. 5150: Musically, it's decent enough, Sammy tries and fails to catch up, he drags this tune down.
    9. Inside: Pathetic, just pathetic, so wannabe, so lame, absolutely putrid.
    There is 5150 and what a turd it is, why I ever tried justifying it is beyond me. Actually I know why, because I couldn't comprehend the Mighty Van Halen being this bland, this subpar, this plastic, this soulless, this balless, this bad, and I'd say that is how many people tried justifying it and still do, "it can't be bad, it's Van Halen!" F*** no it isn't. This is Loverboy s***, you only defend it because it says Van Halen on the cover.
     
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2017
  24. I listened a couple of times to VH-III. That was enough. There's some excellent guitar-work and Gary Cherone may have been / was Eddie's choice, but it was not an ultimately cohesive one.

    Dig back to Extreme's "III Sides To Every Story" album to see where Cherone (and Nuno) shines.
     
  25. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Listening to FW I’m still not convinced that we’re hearing Michael Anthony on bass. These sessions were very disjointed with Eddie often recording and re-recording late at night. The bass sounds fuller and different than on past albums. Who’s to say that’s not Eddie laying down the tracks as he hears them? There would be no reason to have Anthony play them if Eddie has already laid them down and they sound good. Eddie has proven over the years that nobody plays better with his brother than he does. That goes for bass and guitar alike. Just food for thought.
     
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