Van Halen - A Different Kind Of Truth (Interscope)
In the interest of full disclosure, let me explain why I’m the perfect choice to write this review. Consider the following:
1. To say that I was enamored with David Lee Roth as a small child would be a bit of an understatement. I saw him as a living, breathing superhero whose charisma and stage presence were the equivalent of Hulk’s incredible strength or Spidey’s ability to climb walls.
2. 1984 was the first album that I ever owned, and I still consider it to be one of the rock genre’s finest offerings.
3. I can clearly recall my uncle busting his ass in a very big way when we were at the Roll-A-Bout in Collinsville circa 1984. They started playing “Jump” while we skated, and the song inspired me to take flight. I’m nimble as a cat at 33, so at 6 I was capable of quite the leap. My uncle is every bit as nimble as a drunk tortoise and his youthful attempt to obey David Lee Roth’s command was about as pain-free as a good old Shakespearan tragedy. I don’t know if this point is as pertinent, but it’s a very distinct memory and I felt like sharing. Sharing is caring, unless we’re talking herpes, but such observations only succeed in making this less relevant. Let’s move on.
4. My love for the band withered when Sammy Hagar took over. Honestly, I didn’t dislike Sammy’s voice or the band’s approach during his tenure, but it just wasn’t the same. Things didn’t get any better when Gary Cherone stepped in. I was lost in the wilderness without the immaculate pairing of Dave’s superhuman vocals and Eddie’s absolute mastery of the guitar. Okay, that’s pushing it, but I missed the Van Halen I knew and loved, the band responsible for 1984. Have I mentioned that 1984 was an absolute masterpiece?
5. In 1996, that was me celebrating like I had just caught the game-winning pass in the Super Bowl when Roth appeared with the band at the MTV Video Music Awards to announce a reunion. I was overjoyed. I was ecstatic. I was overyjoyed and ecstatic at the same time. Two weeks later, when it became clear that this was little more than a cruel joke, I was lost in the wilderness all over again.
Yes, I’ll take the job. Here’s your review.
So, Van Halen has been on a turbulent ride for a while. Exits to stage left have been frequent, and frequently these exits have been less than amicable. After a few recent attempts at recording and touring with Sammy and Dave that fell through or were cut short (largely attributed to Eddie’s problems with substance abuse), we find ourselves in 2012 heralding the release of a new album. Van Halen, now with Wolfgang Van Halen (Eddie’s son) taking over for Michael Anthony on bass and David Lee Roth back at the helm, are currently on tour, and I have just finished listening to A Different Kind of Truth.
The verdict? Well, I was cautiously optimistic and now I’m all in. Where are my tickets to go see the band on tour? I need to get on that as soon as I finish this review.
Is the new album as good as 1984? Pump your brakes. It isn’t, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Now, if this lineup can send a few more albums our way, maybe one of them will be a new masterpiece. Having said that, A Different Kind of Truth stands up to any album the band has recorded that wasn’t an epic triumph.
There can be no doubt that David Lee Roth still has it. His voice is strong and his charm is still overpowering. Maybe some of the high notes aren’t as piercing as they once were, but there is an authority that wasn’t there before and he varies his approach more frequently. It was awesome to hear my childhood idol take center stage and deliver the goods from start to finish on the new album.
Eddie is a still a wizard with a guitar in his hand. Also, just so we’re clear, when David Lee Roth takes center stage, he will always be sharing that space with Eddie. The band is still Eddie’s personal showcase, and he’s still rocking like the legend that he is. Everything fans of this incredible guitarist hunger for is on full display here, whether we’re talking finger-tapping of the gods, solos to end all solos, or fun with feedback. The blues influence that has been present since the band hit the scene in 1977 with “Runnin’ with the Devil” still permeates the music, balancing Roth’s flamboyance with heart.
Wolfgang performs admirably on bass and Alex Van Halen can still wail on his skins. The line-up possesses the same rock and roll mojo that blew my mind as a child, and if they can keep this thing going, it’s possible that Van Halen’s best album doesn’t exist yet. That statement reeks of insanity, but I’m going to stand by it. A Different Kind of Truth has some serious momentum.
“Tattoo” gets the party started in style, and while it doesn’t really offer up anything groundbreaking, it is catchy, and that’s any good single’s ultimate purpose. “China Town” is another nifty song that may stick in your head, but that could be said about most of the tracks on this album. There are an abundance of good hooks and there aren’t any ballads or slow songs to dampen the mood. To be completely fair, there may not be an instant classic included in the mix, but there isn’t a bad song either, and that should earn the band a merit badge given our current musical landscape.
I think the thing that surprised me the most about the new album was the progress that Van Halen has made. It’s obvious that they didn’t want to relive their glory days. Even though Roth’s presence gives the album a potent dose of nostalgia, this is a heavier album that offers a lot more in the way of tempo than some of Van Halen’s previous releases. Now, this is still a rock act through and through, but there are some riffs on this album that would have been classified as heavy metal back when the band was giving teenage girls hot flashes and blowing a certain 6 year-old boy’s mind. “As Is” and “Honeybabysweetiedoll” are a couple of the songs bolstered by such aggression.
I think “Stay Frosty” was my personal favorite, and while it started out as a cheeky little ditty in the “Ice Cream Man” vein, it soon became a massive rock song that had me throwing up my horns and acting foolish in front of my children. Incidentally, if my lovely little ladies are any indication, Van Halen still has the exuberance to make kids get up and dance, or at least jump around and bang their heads.
All the old thrills are there, but the new album is far from a throwback. Energetic and powerful, this is a fresh start with a familiar face. It’s still Van Halen, and it still works for all the same reasons. Yet even though there’s some recycling of old material involved, it feels new. It doesn’t feel like an immediate follow-up to that legendary album 1984, and it shouldn’t. It’s 2012 and this is the next step for a band that has taken a lot of steps.
If this is the beginning of a new era in the band’s convoluted history, I think we’re in for quite a ride. Even if things fall apart again, I’m thankful that the stars aligned and one of the music industry’s most talented acts found a way to record another album with their most important contributors leading the charge.
If you’re a fan, you have to run out and grab a copy now if you haven’t already done so, and it won’t be long before you’re trying to find tickets to a show. If you’ve never heard the band, this is a great time to get acquainted with a true rock and roll powerhouse. If you somehow despise the band, this probably isn’t going to change your mind, but maybe it’s worth a shot. Your only alternative is to lead a life free of love for Van Halen, and that sounds like a lonely voyage into an eternal winter.
Or maybe this particular fanboy is overselling. Either way, I’m happy as hell, and though it may sound crazy, I’m suddenly feeling a lot better about 2012. David Lee Roth trumps Mayan calendars any day of the week.