Van Halen

Live: Right Here, Right Now

For Die-Hard Fans Only

Review Score:

(2/10)
When this album was released in 1993, Van Halen remained one of the few hard-rock acts of the 70's that could still fill a hockey rink with 20,000 fans on a regular basis. The band's knack for crafting catchy, melodic, guitar-powered rock keeps their (mostly male adolescent) fans happy, and makes them a staple of AOR radio. Thus, Van Halen's niche near the top of the hard-rock heap is insured. It's a shame that "Right Here, Right Now" was the first live album in the band's then 16-year history. It would have been interesting to compare the first incarnation of V.H. (with lead vocalist David Lee Roth) with the second (featuring Sammy Hagar on lead pipes). While Hagar is a decent singer, he is also one of the most obnoxious, unoriginal front men in rock. On "Right Here, Right Now," when he's not mumbling his song introductions, his R-rated stage banter sounds as if it were scripted by the screenwriters of "Spinal Tap." Some might argue that Roth wasn't much different, but Roth was a class clown who didn't mind poking fun at his own persona. In comparison, Hagar comes off like a smug jerk. And Roth was a better singer to boot. From the evidence on "Right Here, Right Now," however, it seems like the members of Van Halen are happy to put their early days behind them. Only four of the collection's twenty-four tracks are from the David Lee Roth period. Hagar even blows the lyrics a few times to suggest how little they matter. Musically, Van Halen remains in top form, with premier guitarist Eddie Van Halen leading the way. He remains one of the true originals in hard rock. The word "original" however, describes little else about the package. Anyone who's witnessed more than three rock concerts in his life should be familiar with that oldest of concert cliches - the instrumental solo. On "Right Here, Right Now," each of the three instrument-playing members of Van Halen takes center stage to (yawn) demonstrate his musicianship and wow the audience with his command of his instrument. A drum, guitar, and even bass solo might thrill a few 15-year-olds in concert, but on record such excess will more likely inspire either a nap or a migraine. Sure, Eddie's a great guitarist, but eleven minutes of riffs and runs is tedium ad nauseam. While the overall sound quality of the CD leaves much to be desired, most of the songs come across okay, performed in faithful-to-the-original versions. A weak cover of the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" is the only "new" track, obviously included so that something previously unavailable could be released as a single. If you're a big Van Halen fan, you're better off buying the concert video that accompanies this package. Otherwise, if you already have the studio albums, pass.

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