Van Halen's best-sounding albums

**VH1986** · 11.01.24, 09:07 PM

Al did a nice job explaining what the brown sound meant to he and Ed. As a concept, the brown sound is somewhat nebulous and allows the listener to define what the brown sound means to them. Did the brown sound evolve or did Ed and Al just move away from the brown sound? Maybe the answer to that is yes. For me, the brown sound was the tone Ed was always chasing and he caught it on Balance.

**VHrox12** · 11.02.24, 04:29 AM

1984 and Balance.

**sinners__swing** · 11.02.24, 05:41 PM

Production? 1984 (although I like the sound on VHII as well) and Balance, but, I dislike Balance in terms of tunes. As for my favorite albums from each era those are VHII (I'm in the minority and I don't care) and FUCK.

**I Coulda Hada VH** · 11.02.24, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by sinners__swing

Production? 1984 (although I like the sound on VHII as well) and Balance, but, I dislike Balance in terms of tunes. As for my favorite albums from each era those are VHII (I'm in the minority and I don't care) and FUCK.

I love me some VHII.

**right-here-i-say** · 11.02.24, 07:24 PM

vh1 and 4UCK

**BREW CREW** · 11.02.24, 08:24 PM

VH1 and F.U.C.K.

**Little Intruder** · 11.02.24, 11:58 PM

Did someone say FUCK?!

**naturallywired** · 11.03.24, 07:13 AM

Fair Warning and Balance for me.

**Ed'** · 11.05.24, 09:36 AM

Balance without a doubt.
It's the only album that I don't want to see remix.
Fair Warning sound great, but i don't like the guitar on one side. Same for the other five with DLR that sound good but need guitars on the two side and more bass.
The four Hagar remasters sound like shit. Zero punch. Zero bass on 5150 and OU 812. These two albums are unlistenable these days.
Except Balance, all the catalogue should be remixed with a modern sound.
Some groups with less money than VH did it !And it sound great.

**CatchAsCatch** · 11.05.24, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by Ed'

Balance without a doubt.
It's the only album that I don't want to see remix.
Fair Warning sound great, but i don't like the guitar on one side. Same for the other five with DLR that sound good but need guitars on the two side and more bass.
The four Hagar remasters sound like shit. Zero punch. Zero bass on 5150 and OU 812. These two albums are unlistenable these days.
Except Balance, all the catalogue should be remixed with a modern sound.
Some groups with less money than VH did it !And it sound great.

I agree that Balance has the best overall sound for Sam-era but I like the raw sound of OU812. It’s the last record that sounded like a mic capturing a cranked Marshall amp in a room (imho). I don’t understand why they didn’t fix the low end if they were going to go through the trouble of remastering it.

**Brett** · 11.05.24, 09:44 AM

I 100% disagree that the albums should be remixed to sound modern. Frankly, I think it’s sacrilege. And the modern sounds are not good anyway. Overprocessed digital crap.

The recordings are products of their time and they are what they are.

Trying to remix OU812 to sound modern is a fucking horrible idea. Sorry man.

The idea that the albums are unlistenable is just pure nonsense. That’s just ridiculous.

And I can promise you that Al would never remix the albums without Ed being here. He would never dare mess with his guitar sounds.

**Brett** · 11.05.24, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by CatchAsCatch

I agree that Balance has the best overall sound for Sam-era but I like the raw sound of OU812. It’s the last record that sounded like a mic capturing a cranked Marshall amp in a room (imho). I don’t understand why they didn’t fix the low end if they were going to go through the trouble of remastering it.

There’s only so much you can do with remastering.

**EJC** · 11.05.24, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by CaboChris

I don't get not liking the production of the first album. What exactly is the production? Mixing? Don't they go back and listen to this stuff before it's mixed? Or they don't have any say?

I think I remember Ed saying he didn't like all the plate reverb and sorta overuse of the Phase90...

Unpopular opinion, But Diver Down is the sound of my pre-junior high childhood.... There's a few albums that just have a "blue" sound to me... Diver Down, and Iron Maiden "Killers" come to mind.. "Blizzard of Ozz" in a way too... All sound like they were recorded in my friends' basement.

It's the sound of eating hordes of PB&J sandwiches, Oreo cookies, and washing it down with a 2 liter of Coca-Cola... Then going to the arcade and throwing down on Pac-Man and Asteroids..

**Simon Ribeiro** · 11.05.24, 12:10 PM

I'd go with:

VH II -> Diver Down -> 1984

F.U.C.K. -> Balance

**Little Dreamer** · 11.05.24, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by EJC

I think I remember Ed saying he didn't like all the plate reverb and sorta overuse of the Phase90...

Unpopular opinion, But Diver Down is the sound of my pre-junior high childhood.... There's a few albums that just have a "blue" sound to me... Diver Down, and Iron Maiden "Killers" come to mind.. "Blizzard of Ozz" in a way too... All sound like they were recorded in my friends' basement.

It's the sound of eating hordes of PB&J sandwiches, Oreo cookies, and washing it down with a 2 liter of Coca-Cola... Then going to the arcade and throwing down on Pac-Man and Asteroids..

Galaxian was pretty cool too.