Van Halen

Van Halen III

An attempt to win over the critics...

Review Score:

(6/10)
The first six albums with Diamond Dave were the next best thing to Led Zeppelin. The next four, with Sammy were good but couldn't touch Diamond Dave in terms of greatness. This was like a nail scratching a chalkboard. Gary Cherone was trying to sound like Sammy and came off really weak. The only good song was "Fire In the Hole." Even that one was weak because it would have sounded better with Sammy singing it.

I remember hearing the material on Westwood One's world premire and being a little put off by most of it. But I was getting so into Van Halen that I just had to have it. Now, I never listen to it. I sometimes take it out to play Fire in the Hole, but even the end part of that sons sucks.

While Eddie is a good guitarist, he has no good sense, nor does he have any artistic integrity, at least not since Dave left the band. I have heard Gary on Extreme albums and he is a competent singer, but on this album, he was trying to be something he was not. While the album suffered from Cherone's singing, it suffered from Eddie's ego the most. I would say avoid it like the plague, but buy at your own risk.

THough Sammy Hagar might now be back in the fold with VH, and while I prefer Diamond Dave, it should be pretty good and interesting.

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