Van Halen

Live: Right Here, Right Now

This album is JUMPING!

Review Score:

(10/10)
Let's Face it. If a band wants to prove its greatness, the live stage is where they will have to prove it. After all few great bands have not released a great live album. Enter Van Halen.

Right Here Right Now documents the first six years of the Van Hagar years. There are high octane, mind blowing, solo passages from Alex Van Halen (will put you into a seizure), Michael Anthony (That's right. a BASS Solo), and of course the all mighty guitar GOD Eddie Van Halen. Sammy Hagar proves his worth as a party man and eternal teenager, and his stage presence makes for pure electricity. Many songs, most notably the ballads, sound far less dated than their studio counterparts (Dreams, Give to Live, Best of Both Worlds, Why Can't This Be Love). It isn't very surprising that only four songs from the DLR era (If that were the case Hagar would come off as just Van Halen's new mouthpiece) are included in the set, but they are some of the very best, and are some of the album's best performances. (Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, You Really Got Me, and of course Jump) And then there are some magnificent rockers; Judgement Day, Runaround, Top of the World, a mind blowing rendition of the Who's Won't Get Fooled Again, and what is by far Sammy's greatest solo career song One Way to Rock.

In conclusion this a magnificent representation of what a carefree stage presence that Van Halen had. Sure it would be nice if they released some live DLR material (they could have done one disc for Sam, and one disc for Dave), but this album will still be able to make your heart beat just a little faster. This is one of the most exhilirating albums you'll ever own, and certainly the best of the Van Hagar era. Don't be discouraged by any negative reviews you'll see. Just get it RIGHT NOW!

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