Van Halen 'A Different Kind of Truth'

Every once in a while I do a music post on this humble blog 'o mine. It's usually when a band recreates some magic from it's past. This one is mostly to due with Van Halen's new album 'A Different Kind of Truth'. I'm always amazed that a band can come back sometimes 25-30 years after they release their first album and release an album worthy of their prime. I last did a post in '09 about this but their have been quite a few CD's that have been release since then that also qualify. Last time the catalyst was ' Death Magnetic' by Metallica. This time it's Van Halen...by the way....the latter two bands are in my top 5 of all time easily. By contrast we have a band like the Rolling Stones...who defy the odds again and again...but their CD's don't quite cut the mustard. The last good album from the 'stones was 'Tattoo You'....in '81! That was only 17 years after the first official record. If there was ever a longevity award that would certainly go to the 'stones...but I'm sorry....they haven't done anything worthy of their prime since '81. Since I last did a post like this there have been no less than 4 bands that qualify with 'Comeback of the year' efforts. Here is the wikipedia entry for the album...it includes all the stats and info.

I have to admit being biased here but releasing an album like A.D.K.O.T. an amazing 34 years after their debut album....just blow me away. I've been listening to the whole CD while going to the gym and it doesn't disappoint. I think the track I like least is their first single...'Tattoo'. I was expecting something like 'Hot for Teacher' or some high charged heavy boogie-woogie (you VH fans know what I mean) for their comeback single with D.L.R. I was also skeptical about their ability to handle the old harmony vocals which would be noticeable on their new CD...Right? I bought the whole thing on iTunes and took a few listens all the way through before declaring it a huge winner. I'm as impressed....probably even more so than Metallica's comeback album 'Death Magnetic'. I'll be able to get a feel for the band when I see them live at the Boston Garden on March 11th. First time I will see them with D.L.R. He does sound a lot older on the CD but what does anybody expect. I have to say they did a great job doing the background vocals and harmonies...we'll see what happens live. So since my last post there have been other big albums by some of my favorites...(by the way if this all sounds juvenile...well...it is...this is a blog a misc stuff and my dumping ground for poker and misc. stuff...so be it). I swear I'm not just kissing Van Halen ass here....but Eddie is playing like a man possessed. His leads almost sound like 'Dimebag' Darrell and Jimi Hendrix filtered through Van Halen fingers. The riffs....sure they re-recorded old songs.....that's what all bands do...it's called 'going back to basics' for a reason. They still give the fans what they want and they still sound like they are evolving their overall sound. Does Dave still sound like hokey-VegasLounge-Dave? Yes! I do expect that...that would be like Steven Tyler not sounding like a strangled cat in front of Aerosmith. There are just some things that need to be finished....and D.L.R. recording and touring with Van Halen is one of them. Another is my finally being able to see them live. I missed out in '85 when they broke up for the first time...I was 15 and just at the age when you can get to a concert by friends or neighbors. Although I saw Kiss in '81 when my neighbors brought me with their kids. The second time was there '08-'09 reunion tour....my daughter was born the day after the show that my wife bought tickets for...I had to give those away. The other night I just bit the bullet and bought them the old fashioned way......through a ticket broker. Fuck it...I always said when I was a kid I would buy tickets for any show I wanted because I would have the money. I'm not exactly rolling in dough but this is an opportunity that I won't pass on this time.

 MegaDeth has released no less than two albums ('Endgame' in '09 and 'Thirteen' in '11) that are very close to some of their best..their debut was in '85 and that wasn't exactly stellar. I almost made a separate post for Anthrax...who released 'Worship Music' in 2011...a full 27 years after 'A fistful of Metal' in '84. Joey Belladonna came back and they really blew me away with that. They have had a hugely similar career path to Van Halen with 3 different lead singers and fans who are fervent supporters of vocalist 1 Joey and vocalist 2 John Bush. I like 'em both but this last recording from them is certainly up there in their top 3 of their career. Motley Crue has a great recording worthy of talking about "Saints of Los Angelas' was a great throwback to their earlier and harder rocking years. That made quite a few fans take notice and now they are headed back to the studio again and have an ongoing gig in Las Vegas. The only thing slowing them down again is band health (Mick Mars is basically walking and playing with a debilitating disease and I'm sure one or two have hep-C or something). I would be hugely remiss in not mentioning Slayer. The CD 'Psychopathy in Red' was just a killer. When I was down in the dumps in '09....I listened to that CD all the time and believe it or not...it got me excited to get to work and have a good attitude. I am not sure that's what they wanted as a band but I was very impressed with that CD. I am sad to hear about Black Sabbath's latest comeback effort being hampered by cancer (Tony Iommi) and Bill Ward's lawyer/contract issues. Reunions should be a glorious return to form but they more often than not are hampered by megalomaniac egos and health problems. Those two reasons alone make it amazing for a band like Van Halen and some of the others in this post to be able to come out with such great music so long after they started their illustrious careers. Believe it or not I am huge fan of not only heavy guitar music but jam-band type music and bluesy music as well. I will be chomping at the bit for new albums from Phish, The Black Crowes, Widespread Panic, The Allman Brothers, Neil Young, Joe Walsh,,,,,the list contains to many to mention. I know after I post this I will think of a shitload more...but that's what comments are for. I wanna hear about it now.....'I don't wanna hear about it later'!!!! anybody get that reference????