The Van Halen III that should've been

**masong** · 05.31.19, 10:05 PM

Let's face it. Most of us here agree that Van Halen III was mostly garbage. I agree. However, the album IMO had a lot of great potential. If more time was taken on the album, it would've been more solid than what we ended up with.
Over the past few weeks, I decided just for the fun of it to 're-release' the album to be better. I did my best to save the songs--remastering them, making Mike audible in the songs he's in, and similarly, try my best to bring out his backing vocals. Unfortunately, I only had the released recordings as well as the promotion disc recordings, so no multitrack to work off of. I threw out the songs that weren't redeemable and replaced them with Respect The Wind and That's Why I Love You. In addition, I shuffled around the track listing to open the album with a more high-energy song.
I renamed the songs under the title "Neworld" and changed the artwork. The artwork isn't much but it's at least IMO better than staring at a blurry photo of Frank Richards for an hour.

Attached is a google drive link. Take it for what it is. This was just me having fun and I thought I'd share it with you guys.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=156...pEzXdXyRnjCRae

**Van Squalen** · 05.31.19, 10:28 PM

Eddie’s lawyers will be contacting you shortly.

Sorry man, but there’s no saving VH3.

**snowdog** · 05.31.19, 10:32 PM

I saw the VH3 tour in Houston and had a blast.

The album is a mess but I have to say I completely respect it. Eddie was into it and promoted it energetically. There's nothing wrong with experimenting and failing.

**rchop84** · 05.31.19, 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by snowdog

I saw the VH3 tour in Houston and had a blast.

The album is a mess but I have to say I completely respect it. Eddie was into it and promoted it energetically. There's nothing wrong with experimenting andg.

Was there too..Eds playing was unreal that night. Gary's stage antics aside, might have been the best VH show I've been too

**PrideofPasadena** · 05.31.19, 11:21 PM

I don't find Without You, One I want or Dirty Water Dog that bad. I jam those once in awhile. With Dave or Sam they probably woulda been really good tunes.

**Raldo** · 06.01.19, 03:21 AM

Setlist was great for the tour. Nice mix of eras.

**mike zack** · 06.01.19, 05:55 AM

Originally Posted by masong

Let's face it. Most of us here agree that Van Halen III was mostly garbage. I agree. However, the album IMO had a lot of great potential. If more time was taken on the album, it would've been more solid than what we ended up with.
Over the past few weeks, I decided just for the fun of it to 're-release' the album to be better. I did my best to save the songs--remastering them, making Mike audible in the songs he's in, and similarly, try my best to bring out his backing vocals. Unfortunately, I only had the released recordings as well as the promotion disc recordings, so no multitrack to work off of. I threw out the songs that weren't redeemable and replaced them with Respect The Wind and That's Why I Love You. In addition, I shuffled around the track listing to open the album with a more high-energy song.
I renamed the songs under the title "Neworld" and changed the artwork. The artwork isn't much but it's at least IMO better than staring at a blurry photo of Frank Richards for an hour.

Attached is a google drive link. Take it for what it is. This was just me having fun and I thought I'd share it with you guys.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=156...pEzXdXyRnjCRae

Good stuff man... Sounds great!

**Hurricane Halen** · 06.01.19, 06:30 AM

I was at the Houston show as well and although I was happy to see EVH on stage again, I had a lot of, “ummmmm?!?!” Moments. But, that could have been the beer talking.

HH<——- god, I’ve seen VH in Houston like 341 times.———

**edwardv** · 06.01.19, 06:32 AM

The tee shirt was good for 3. I saw them in a half empty shed nuff said. That tour and album sales put the VH bros llc into a new reality.

**rchop84** · 06.01.19, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by Hurricane Halen

I was at the Houston show as well and although I was happy to see EVH on stage again, I had a lot of, “ummmmm?!?!” Moments. But, that could have been the beer talking.

HH<——- god, I’ve seen VH in Houston like 341 times.———

Did they not come to Dallas? That seems like a lifetime ago and yesterday at the same time.

**Van Squalen** · 06.01.19, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by edwardv

The tee shirt was good for 3. I saw them in a half empty shed nuff said. That tour and album sales put the VH bros llc into a new reality.

Yes! That was a saving grace of the era...the t shirts were super cool that tour. I still wear the rings long sleeve with flames on its sleeves.

**Railrunner130** · 06.01.19, 10:13 AM

I'd have to agree that it could've been better. I did enjoy a few songs on the album. I suspect some of what (unfortunately) came through was the direct result of Eddie's drinking problem. I think Gary did the best possible job he could have in that situation- folding the two previous generations into his own. I do feel bad for him in that it just didn't work. I don't blame him for a second.

**vhouttaspacejj** · 06.01.19, 12:56 PM

Nice job, I hear a bit more of a punch/thickness to the sound which the album was lacking.

I like VH3, obviously not to the level of the 7 with Dave and 4 with Sammy but it's very good music it's just in a lot of ways a far departure from what we had come to expect from VH.

The last minute or so of Fire in The Hole, I could listen to all day. That riff itself could have been the basis of another song.

**lieu910** · 06.01.19, 04:28 PM

Nice job cleaning those tracks up! No doubt about the production being a real let down. I like VH III, and I did appreciate the different direction the music took. YTTD is still one of my favorite VH songs, and watching the live concert version is amazing. Gary's voice is incredible, and hearing him do the old VH songs was just mind blowing. There's a funk in his style that I thought worked really well with Ed's playing. You could here Ed playing off Gary's vocal arrangements in his rhythm playing.

Truth be told and no disrespect to Dave or Sam, but I'd rather have a Gary or even Mitch in there. At least then you could hear something from every era.

**NDL** · 06.01.19, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by snowdog

I saw the VH3 tour in Houston and had a blast.

The album is a mess but I have to say I completely respect it. Eddie was into it and promoted it energetically. There's nothing wrong with experimenting and failing.

Like you, I agree that Eddie promoted the album energetically, and I respect his efforts.

Originally Posted by masong

Let's face it. Most of us here agree that Van Halen III was mostly garbage. I agree. However, the album IMO had a lot of great potential. If more time was taken on the album, it would've been more solid than what we ended up with.
Over the past few weeks, I decided just for the fun of it to 're-release' the album to be better. I did my best to save the songs--remastering them, making Mike audible in the songs he's in, and similarly, try my best to bring out his backing vocals. Unfortunately, I only had the released recordings as well as the promotion disc recordings, so no multitrack to work off of. I threw out the songs that weren't redeemable and replaced them with Respect The Wind and That's Why I Love You. In addition, I shuffled around the track listing to open the album with a more high-energy song.
I renamed the songs under the title "Neworld" and changed the artwork. The artwork isn't much but it's at least IMO better than staring at a blurry photo of Frank Richards for an hour.

Attached is a google drive link. Take it for what it is. This was just me having fun and I thought I'd share it with you guys.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=156...pEzXdXyRnjCRae

Whoever you are, why oh why couldn't you have been the engineer on III

Thanks for a job well done.

I don't know what kind of equipment you're using, and I know that it's a tall order to ask, but there's no way that you could eliminate the vocals off of Sammy era material, could you?

There are a couple of songs where I would love to hear only the guitar - songs like Summer Nights, and Sucker In A Three Piece.