For the Record: Van Halen
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Van Halen 'A Different Kind of Truth'
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Van Halen 'A Different Kind of Truth' (Interscope)
Van Halen diehards had to be pinching themselves -- with their fingers firmly crossed -- in anticipation of this one.
Twenty-eight years and as many mini-dramas later, the iconic pop-metal band has picked up (almost) where it left off on "1984," with Diamond Dave back in the saddle. Bassist Michael Anthony, of course, got the pink slip in favor of Eddie Van Halen's son, Wolfgang, but it doesn't have the impact of the revolving door of singers.
Needless to say, a few trends have come and gone since the heyday of Dave and Eddie -- an era when rap was young, Kurt Cobain was in high school and Lady Gaga was still Madonna.
None of that matters a lick to Van Halen, which stays stuck in time and built on the sound of a fretboard that launched a million guitar-store heroes. We can happily report that Eddie is positively ferocious from the word go on "Truth," driving the rhythm with hard, head-spinning runs and firing off solos like Zambelli fireworks.
Dave, well, he doesn't have the same liftoff, but he has to do it with his now 56-year-old voice. You can hear it in the difference between the 1976 demo of "She's the Woman" and the version here. He hangs more in the lower register and while the acrobatic yelps are few, plenty of the ol' swagger is there.
The first single and leadoff track, "Tattoo," was the worst possible advertisement for the band's 17th album, as it's far from the standout track. That nod would go to the insanely driven "As Is," or maybe "Big River" (not the Johnny Cash song), powered by one of Eddie's signature grinding leads and a devilish solo worthy of Jimi. The ensemble playing (let's not forget Alex Van Halen) on "Outta Space" is outta sight.
Some of the clumsier or less-inspired entries -- like the double-time "China Town," the super heavy "Honeybabysweetiedoll," or "Stay Frosty," from the same freezer as "Ice Cream Man" -- are saved by Eddie's raging riffs and the inevitable killer solo that surges in around the two-minute mark.
On "Blood and Fire," Diamond Dave stops to declare, "Told you I was coming back/say you missed me/say it like you mean it."
We missed you, Dave, and we're glad you're back, especially if you can get the Van Halen boys to play like this.
-- Scott Mervis, Post-Gazette
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Other notable releases: Air, "Le Voyage Dans La Lune"; Dr. Dog, "Be the Void"; The Fray, "Scars & Stories"; Mark Lanegan Band, "Blues Funeral"; Paul McCartney, "Kisses on the Bottom."
First Published February 9, 2012 12:00 am
