Van Halen

Okay, first things first. Before you do anything else with OU812, flip it over and cue up
"Source of Infection," the opening salvo on side two (you CD fiends can just program track
5), and let 'er rip. While Eddie Van Halen sprays you with a machine-gun succession of
speed-metal-guitar arpeggios, Sammy Hagar sends out the party invitations with his usual
savoir-faire – "Hey! All right! Whoo!" Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony, of co... More >

Not that they give a sh*t, but trading Dave for Sammy sure wrecked their shot at Led Zep of the '80s--master guitarist, signature vocalist, underrated rhythm section. They wouldn't have made it anyway, of course. Eddie's obsessed with technique, Roth's contemptuous of technique, rhythm section's got enough technique and no klutz genius. But Sammy . . . like wow. If I can't claim the new boy owns them (property rights they protect), you can't deny he defines them. Not that they give a sh*t. (Grade: C)