DIVER DOWN Review

[Mean_Street]

at allmusic.com- i didn't get this one yet so i'll post it

AMG EXPERT REVIEW: Although it went platinum, Fair Warning didn't match the multi-platinum standards of Van Halen's first three records, so the group revamped their sound slightly for the follow-up, Diver Down. Adding the slightest hints of synthesizers and streamlining both the guitar indulgences of Eddie Van Halen and the vocal excesses of David Lee Roth, the album contained some of the group's most pop-oriented performances — and they were all in the guise of covers. "(Oh) Pretty Woman" and "Dancing in the Street" had the traditional mechanical Van Halen rhythmic pulse, as well as concise solos from Eddie and restrained vocals from Diamond Dave, which helped them become the hits they were designed to be. If they were off-set by more original material like "Hang 'Em High," the concessions would have been acceptable, but the rest of Diver Down is filled with covers, including "Big Bad Bill," "Where Have All the Good Times Gone," and a closing "Happy Trails." All of the songs are professionally performed, and the music features more ideas than most previous Van Halen albums, but the lack of strong original material makes Diver Down less of an accomplishment than it appears. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

[Rikk]

I agree with that review, MeanStreet. They could have cut BIG BAD BILL, HAPPY TRAILS and DANCING IN THE STREETS to make for a much better album. I'm sorry, but I love WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD TIMES GONE (I am a huge Kinks fan) and PRETTY WOMAN is good too. But if they'd added BIG TROUBLE (an old original that they apparently recorded for both this album and 1984) and a couple more originals, this would have been one of their very strongest albums. As it stands, I would still call it one of my very favorite VH albums simply because it has HANG 'EM HIGH, SECRETS, LITTLE GUITARS and THE FULL BUG...these songs are all personal favorites. Great originals on this one!

[ED-A-HOLIC]

Hey Rikk you forgot CATHEDRAL, Eddie Just kicked everyone's butt one more time with that incredible music.
I love Happy Trails, live they used to play it on the middle of You Really got Me, that was amazing!

WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD TIMES GONE????????

[Rikk]

I agree. CATHEDRAL is good. But I never liked it as much as SPANISH FLY or ERUPTION or the intro to LITTLE GUITARS.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD TIMES GONE has that classic early VH sound and I think it's a great album opener.

[Mean_Street]

do you like "Intruder"?

[ED-A-HOLIC]

I love Intruder, the whole album has a =VH= feeling that makes you want to party, don't you think.
By the way I loved the idea of Jan VH playing on that album.
What a great way to honor their dad.

[Mean_Street]

Does anyone know if Mrs. Van Halen (there mom) died?

[ED-A-HOLIC]

No she's alive.
Eugenia VH had cancer a couple of years ago, don't know if she has recovered yet though.