FAIR WARNING

[Rocket]

In most polls regarding fans favorite VH album "Fair Warning" always appears to be #1.

My question is what is so unique about this record that makes it stand out?

I'll give my opinion, but am curious what you all think.

The famous statement about this record being the "best 28 minutes of Rock music" may be a joke, but really does hold true. It is a very brief album, but extremely cohesive (i.e.) the tracks flow from one to another seemlessly. The modest production and minimal overdubs makes the record almost seem like a live recording.

I feel like lyricaly this is Eddie's best playing as each song and solo can take you on a different journey. "Hear About It Later" more than confirms this for me. The intricate phrasings between verse, bridge and chorus are stunning. Eddie truly had an inimitateable voice here.

Say what you want about Dave and childish lyrics, but no one else on the planet would have been able to write such complimentary melodies, harmonies and lyrics around Ed's complicated rythem vocabulary. Dave's creativity and uniqueness made the difference here.

This album had some real stretches as well. What the hell is "Push Comes To Shove"? This song is not definable. Rock, calypso, ragae(sp?). Ed's rythem is unique and complex and then out of nowhere, burns a beautiful screaming and fluid solo, while Dave chants, "push, Shove" over it. Somehow this crazy sh*t works. Only those 4 guys could make that happen.

Alex and Mike leave so much space (not easy to do) on the record that this one breathes like no other.

I have heard others mention that this is a dark album, and that the dysfunction of the band really shines through, and I do believe some of that to be true. I also think that this may be their most confident and comfortable performance. At this point they really knew (for better or worse) each other well, and allowed each other to do what they do best. This familiarity that took place during Sammy's last few years seemed to lead more towards predicatability, but no one could have ever predicted the musical direction and styles of this (their 5th) record. 1984 follows up with a more successful, polished and popular (with regards to chrt position) outing, but still when polled it is Fair Warning that the fans select as their favorite.

Why do you all like it?

[Top Timmy]

Great topic for the Albums/Songs forums. [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]
Gonna move it there now.

[Raldo]

I won't go into too much detail but the reason why a lot of folks dig 'Fair Warning'....

Eddie Van Halen on guitar!

Plain, clean and simple. Balls to the wall, rock and roll.

[Elwood P.]

Rating VH albums is tough, like trying to rate your kids. As far as FW goes, well Eddie's tone was never better and it may be Dave's best work lyric-wise. Awesome riffs (Unchained), guitar solos (So This is Love), subject content (Dirty Movies), left turns, as Dave would say (Push Comes to Shove), the album had it all. Even that synthesizer tune "Sunday Afternoon . . ." (Didn't really care for that) And I don't agree that the album is "dark". Not with songs like "So This is Love", "Hear About it Later", "Sinner's Swing" etc. etc. Although the title cut was material not really put out by the band before (maybe DOA?). And "Push come to Shove" was probably more bluesy than anything else, definitely not reggae.

If forced to choose, I would pick VHI as my fave. I would not waste time argueing, however, with anyone picking Fair Warning.

[edwardocatflappo]

FUCKIN' MASTERPIECE.. !

ed on 'Push comes to shove'- sax like classic..

mean streets -' surely the best opener ever ?

so this is love-/ hear about it later... 2 x trax that surely epitomises & exemplyfies why vh are the best usa rock band of ALL time...

rest of album..coooks too...

dave at his FINEST... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Frank N.Strat]

Why is Fair Warning best???
1 reason: UNCHAINED!
Best rock song EVER written and the best representation of classic VH. It's heavy, but not metal. It grooves, but has that great odd time bridge before the chorus. Eddie's riff is sheer musical genius puttng his playing in the ranks of Mozart, Bach, and (Dave)Beethoven. And Dave's lyrics are fun, pissed off, childish and yet so thought provoking.
Simply put, the song KICKS FUCKING ASS! [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

It's also the best show opener IMO.

[Dirtymovie]

To coin one of DLR's endless sea of quotes, it's just "Big Rock" at its finest, pure and simple. One thing that I consider to be a Van Halen signature from VHI to Diver Down was the premise that there was so much space left on alot of the songs on each record that it didn't quite seem completed. It's just raw, rarely overdubbed, straight ahead rock 'n' roll. And when this is done by the most charasmatic American rock band ever, that simply can't be beat.
The paradox about this record is that it was recorded during a really low point in VH's history. Alot of Dave stuff going on, lots of drink and drugs. Eddie wanting to quit the band, etc. Maybe it was all that tension in the band at that time that caused them to really dig deep and make such an incredible record.

[edwardocatflappo]

they say that 'adversity is the mother of invention'..

as vh were going through a VERY rough spell at that time and an even rougher one now that seems a good omen for now !

maybe when vh do reform the labum will be EVEN better than FW !!??

then again maybe the excess of $$$ etc has taken the edge off their hunger too much.. oh well we can all but hope..