A Different Kind Of Truth By Guest Blogger Kiko Jones
Post Urban Culture
Today’s guest blog is a wonderful review of the new Van Halen LP by Kiko Jones. Enjoy!
As someone recently stated, much has happened in the world of music since the days when the David Lee Roth-fronted Van Halen ruled the Earth: hip-hop was in its infancy, Kurt Cobain was in high school and we knew Lady GaGa as Madonna. (And current bassist Wolfgang Van Halen hadn’t even been born yet!) In the 28 years since Diamond Dave and Eddie Van Halen made an album together, we saw DLR’s solo star skyrocket and plummet back to terra firma, while the brothers VH and bassist Michael Anthony added Sammy Hagar to the band, watering down their trademark sound, becoming Van Hagar or Van Jovi—depending on how much derision was cast their way—and enjoying much commercial success before imploding when a Gary Cherone-led version of the band recorded the abomination that is ‘Van Halen III’ [Warner Bros-1997] and, for the most part, closed up shop for the next decade and a half.
But no matter how much acrimony there’s been between wounded parties, unless you are Creedence Clearwater Revival or crucial members have passed away—and even if they have—bands eventually reunite. Roth literally reunited with the VH brothers in 2007—Michael Anthony had been given the boot and was replaced by Eddie’s son Wolfgang—and the band toured to widespread acclaim and the biggest amount of loot they’ve ever amassed on the road. But would they record a new album? In hindsight, it seems as if the tour was a test to see how long they could remain together before the old wounds reopened. Long enough, as it turns out.
But the question remained, could they pull off a non-embarrassing new record, a true comeback? The long awaited album, ‘A Different Kind of Truth’, Van Halen’s first with DLR since the mega-selling ‘1984 ‘[Warner Bros] almost three decades ago, answered that one in spades, making its triumphant arrival this past February 7th with early indications that this platter was a winner. Both the All Music Guide and The Guardian gave it 4 out of 5 stars, respectively; the Chicago Tribune 2.5 of 4; while the Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, NY Daily News, USA Today and the Vancouver Sun, among many others, also gave it a warm reception.
I was trying to formulate my own take on the album, but felt the AV Club’s review clearly echoes not only my feelings on the record, but most of the press and fans who’ve made their own opinions known:
“[It] might not be an all-time Van Halen album…[b]ut after so many years of fumbling dysfunction that reduced the once-proud Van Halen name to a laughingstock, [this album] matters because it’s a reminder of why this band mattered…For whatever reason, when Roth is in the band, Eddie Van Halen plays guitar like the world wants him to play guitar…Together, Eddie and Diamond Dave have achieved a simple yet hard-to-pull-off goal with ‘A Different Kind Of Truth’: Sounding like the Van Halen we (want to) remember.”
Those of us who love this band—especially and almost exclusively their first six albums, all with DLR—have much to be thankful for: one of our faves have not only returned but have done so in fine form.
Highlights: “She’s the Woman”, “You and Your Blues”, “Chinatown”, the shoulda-been-leadoff-single “Blood and Fire”, “Bullethead”, “As Is”, “The Trouble With Never”, “Big River”.
Ads
Denizens of the Zola System
- A Visual Identity
- Ashley Morris
- Clip It Baby
- CNN
- Dennis Machinegun Thompson
- Detroit Free Press
- Detroit News
- e3 Your LIfe
- Fox News
- Henry Mena
- Hollywood Gem
- Jewish World Review
- Jimmy Fallon
- Mick Farren
- New York Daily News
- New York Post
- New York Times
- Open Salon
- Sacred Fools Theatre
- Scoop Momma
- Skip Williamson
- SPIN Magazine
- The Blacklisted Journalist
- The Choke
- The Financially Troubled Arizona Republic
- The Los Angeles Times
- The Nearly Famous Barry Young Show
- The Purple Gang
- The Wall Street Journal
- The Washington Post
- The Washington Times
Categories
- Alpha Female/Beta Male
- Assholes Anonymous
- Character Sundays
- Detroit Stories
- G-d's Guide To Home Appliance Repair and Sports Betting
- How Drunk Do You Have To Be To Get The Joke?
- Jimmy Fallon
- Overheard in a Los Angeles Bar
- Overheard in a New York Bar
- Overheard on the Subway
- Post Urban Culture
- Quotes from How To Fix a Horserace
- Rachel Kramer Bussel
- Skip Williamson
- Sleaze Culture
- The Best of the Zola System
- The Con
- The Core Belief
- The First Essential Scary Truth
- The Magic Bullet Theory
- The Martini Chronicles
- The Second Essential Scary Truth
- The Street Hustle
- The Summer Of 1992
- The Zola System In Action
- The Zola System On The Road
- Uncategorized
- What's in Your Fridge?
Archives
- February 2017
- May 2016
- May 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- March 2014
- January 2014
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008