Could this turn tragic? You know that magic often does. This is one of the first Van Halen songs ever written, and arguably still one of the best. The music is incredible, and the lyrics are too good to just quote a sampling of them.

Even after a thousand listens, this rollicking upbeat boogie is so infectious that it somehow makes you feel the excitement of a brand new love. This cool, breezy little slice of heaven from Diver Down is both a musical and lyrical masterpiece, conjuring up surreal imagery about a girl that Roth once knew — or did she only exist in his imagination? She comes like the secret wind Shes as strong as the mountains,walks tall as a tree. This song is about starting to fall for someone.

From that point forward, we would always know who was Laverne and who was Shirley. The bass is unusually high in the mix, which is either a housewarming present for Wolfgang or a veiled shot at Anthony. Either way, the song gets very boring very fast, much like every conversation with any person who wants to talk about their tattoos.

This is the worst of the three originals. There are 18 seconds of guitar during the extended intro that sound a little like Alice in Chains. Those are by far the strongest 18 seconds of the song, so you better really like Jerry Cantrell if you decide to check this one out.

Dave awkwardly chats over the breakdown, a questionable habit that usually entertains but not this time. And you know what? But it kind of seems like nothing to me. It was co-produced by Mike Post, who wrote at least one instrumental the TV theme to The Rockford Files approximately five times superior to this one.

I do think it could have been salvaged if a a few of the lyrical passages were rewritten and b it had been sung by Enya. That probably seems like a joke. The answer is this song, apparently, which rivals the sixth or seventh-best track on Pornograffitti. What in the hell was going on with these guys? Were they already distracted by the looming Y2K crisis? Cherone writing lyrics like Hagar but singing like himself.

Or maybe they all want the same thing? What would you say if I took those words away? Nice chorus, though prime Michael Anthony. This song is on a par with the grammar of the title. So there were other options here. That said, I find myself mildly awed by how well these boozehounds can play their instruments shit-faced. This is not one of those scenarios.

Edward unleashes a mind-numbing torrent of screech-notes and dive-bombs, though a little less musically than the year-old version of himself. Fairbairn who died the year after Van Halen III showed up in stores was widely respected for his ability to make heavy music bright, hooky, and accessible.

This is a guy whose surprisingly excellent autobiography includes a couple of pages about how he got rich investing in sprinkler systems. I appreciate his honesty. This track could have qualified as a B-side on that album, and I would have liked to hear Ronnie Montrose take a stab at it.

Are these compliments? Do sprinkler systems save lives? The message is one of conscious political disengagement, so it would really get dragged on Twitter if attempted today.

It would be fine on a mid-period Yes album. It does not, however, capture or express the strongest qualities of this particular quartet. Too much banter on this one. Seems like an outtake. My desire to like this song is supernaturally high, but something always goes wrong. The opening has expansive promise before devolving into what would happen if Eric Johnson were diagnosed with clinical depression.

Seems more like a song about a Megatherium. That sentence is not a music review, but it tells you almost everything you need to know. The innovative solo at the end is almost an afterthought, which might be the most striking thing about it.

Can he make it sound like a helicopter? Sure, why not. Not quite. There are some thick grooves here. Not a lot, but some. Soundtrack music for a movie that does not exist, the scope is uncharacteristically wide. This one gets lumped into the towering silo of VH tracks saved by the gang vocals on the chorus. The drumming is creative and justifies its placement at the top of the track list.

Everything else is aggressively forgettable. I realize some would say that that has been the case with this band from the get-go, but only if they exclusively focus on the solos and project that perception onto everything else. Most of the best VH tracks are musically austere through the verses, almost always absent the extraneous downstrokes that create an illusion of fullness.

Your opinion on the merits of that sentiment is directly proportional to your opinion on the merits of the song. They recorded this in one take, assisted by country singer Nicolette Larson. A power ballad from central casting, the solo is a textbook modernization of the blues and the chorus does not really answer its own question. The guitar playing is out of character, but not compromised or disappointing. Among Van Halen fans, there tend to be three distinct perceptions of who Sammy Hagar is.

The first comes from people who worship Dave and can only see Sam as the guy who wrecked their favorite band. EVH is the opposite.

Even though most of his work is naturally vivid and effervescent, he is compelled to periodically prove that he can always out-rock all possible rivals. There are momentary examples of this on almost every album. The labyrinth of male insecurity will never stop being interesting. This is what an artist does, though. Van Halen spent 13 months making this record. Another option would have been shelving this music for three years, forging a friendship with KRS-One, and creating an obvious lead single for the Judgment Night soundtrack.

Actually, not quite. Ironically, the sweet sentiment of "When It's Love" came at a time when Hagar's own love life was starting to unravel: His first wife Betsy, whom Hagar married in , had started battling anxiety and mental health issues, at one point requiring hour in-home care.

The couple divorced in The popularity of "When It's Love" was also bolstered by a music video, shot between tour dates and featuring Van Halen performing in a bar — bassist Michael Anthony plants a kiss on Eddie Van Halen's cheek at one point — while a couple slow dances to the song.

Hagar wrote that he "blew out my voice" during the hour shoot, but he also "really connected" with the actress from the dancing couple, though he "never got the chance all day to take her to the back room. It was also one of the vintage songs Gary Cherone performed during his short tenure with the group following Hagar's departure, and Hagar has included it in solo concerts over the years.

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