Adrenaline Mob-The Code Of Non Silence

Anytime a major band looses a member, it can become a diving line for the fans. It can be exciting, or it can be weird. Exciting because it’s quite possible that fantastic new music might come our way. Weird because there is also the equal risk of some dreadful output as well. Sometimes it’s clear who brings what to the table, and if the newly solo artist was the weak link…the results can be…weak. Logical, right? In this particular case I don’t think I can use the word “weak”. It feels more like a departure, and I think it’s a bit of a reboot for him as well. “Weak” just does not come to mind.

Mike Portnoy is best known as the drumming powerhouse behind Dream Theater, the progressive rock/metal champions. That is where I first discovered him all those years ago. When I first heard IMAGES AND WORDS I was taken right away. Dream Theater was everything I was looking for in a new band…progressive, heavy, and all the guys were master players. The prog trifecta! Fast forward 20 years…my tastes had changed…the band had changed. In a lot of ways though they didn’t change enough. That wasn’t good thing. What once appeared fresh and new began to feel repetitive and uninspired. One thing that I thought would never happen however did in fact come to pass in 2010. Portnoy left/quit/was fired from Dream Theater. Depends on who you listen to as to what really happened, but there was a divide. He was the last one I thought would be out of that band. Shows what I know.

Since his departure Portnoy has been quite the musical gypsy. From filling in on drums with Avenged Sevenfold to recording new music with the mighty Neal Morse…he has not slowed down. If anything his productivity has been on the rise. With all this new stuff it’s a bit hard to tell what his true main focus has been. Almost all of the other “projects” he has been involved in have been as a sideman or hired gun. However with his new “band”…he seems like he’s getting back into being the bandleader and the driving force he was while heading up the DT helm. Enter one Adrenaline Mob…hard rock contenders for 2012.

My “in” with this band is Mike Portnoy. I openly admit that without him in the drum riser, I most likely would not even be listening to this new disc. It does ease things a bit when I read that Portnoy is comfortable with the fact that he will forever be tied to Dream Theater. I clearly know that what I am in for now is something that is far removed from what DT was. It doesn’t take long to know this is not prog land anymore. As much as I love the work he has produced with DT, Transatlantic, and Neal Morse…this is not that. Five seconds in…there is no mistaking the raw power of this new adventure.

When you first hear a “debut” it seems like a requirement for the opening track to be an all out assault. Van Halen had “Runnin’ With The Devil”. Black Sabbath had “Black Sabbath”, and Metallica had “Hit The Lights”. If you put all of these bands in a blender, add a dash of something 2012, you would have the Adrenaline Mob. It is hard rock without being metal, but it has a crushing urgency about much of it that is quite surprising.

From the get go the opening track “Undaunted” screams future rock anthem. Give this one time and it is quite possible that you are going to see this used in ESPN highlight reels, as backing music in a montage of people overcoming adversity, or as a rallying cry for people that feel pushed down. In a lot of ways it makes sense for Portnoy to be leading this charge. His departure from Dream Theater was awkward and clunky to say the least. It just feels like the band is trying to prove themselves as macho heavyweights without wasting a second of our time.

Moving through tracks like “Hit The Wall” and “Down To The Floor” the part of the band that is not to my personal liking is easy to hear. The massive growl of vocalist Russell Allen overtakes things by adding a sense of being a bit too much at times. Allen is known for his work with Symphony X…a band that I admit to knowing little about. It took me a few times through a centerpiece track (“Psychosane”) to get beyond the rasp and chug of his voice. I have never been a fan of what a friend of mine refers to as “Cookie Monster” vocals. The guttural rattle that becomes less about power and melody and more about being full of testosterone. It suits the style and music here, but at times it goes off the rails into an almost unneeded push. In spots it is a clear distraction. He swings back and forth between Tony Martin (Sabbath), Rob Zombie, a dab of Chris Cornell on the ballad “All On The Line”, and his own blend of tough and gruff.

Songs like “Feelin’ Me” (which strays into “a bit too much” in terms of machismo and the awkward use of profanity) and the closing “Freight Train” are both filled with raw power and enough guitar acrobatics to make one take notice. The steady pulse of the double bass is primed for the fists to be pumped and the swaying tempo has all the makings of classic power rock. I stop short of calling this metal because even though the elements are there, it just has a different flavor.

The addition of “Come Undone” is a bit confusing. In many ways it is one of my more favorite moments of the album however. A rough and tumble band like this covering Duran Duran? Yes…you read that right. I make no bones about being diverse in my own listening habits. I also admit to being a fan of well made pop. Duran Duran although in many ways a chick band had some solid songs. Beyond the obvious 1980’s sheen there was a quality songwriting team at work. Although bands like Adrenaline Mob will always be more to my liking in the long run…pop has its place. Here the band adds guts and grit to this overlooked track. Complete with female backing vocals…here it is a standout cut. It removes you from the onslaught for a moment, but only long enough to make you wonder why this track made the grade at all.

There is nothing here that is game changing. There is also nothing here that makes me forget what Portnoy is capable of. However…in smaller doses this can be quite fun. It is not necessarily too deep and demanding. It is a perfect disc to have on with the top down on the car stereo on a long summer drive. There is an urgency and power here that cannot be denied. There is emotion and passion by the truckload. The energy level is quite high, and in many ways for me…it is breath of fresh air from Portnoy. His last few outings with Dream Theater have been very paint by numbers. This is ragged, but it has a lot of heart. It is not the most essential set of tunes, but in the right setting this disc can be quite…fun.

I wish I was able to speak on a more educated level about the guitar work here, but I am not familiar enough with other works from Mike Orlando to do so. The production is much more sleek than what appeared on the previously released EP however. Several of the songs are repeats from that release, but they have either been remixed or rerecorded to bring a whole new sheen to the table. The production is modern rock with no fancy studio trickery, and as a result it comes across as a very jagged piece of work. The soloing is nothing amazing, but it doesn’t let up. It is full on go the whole time.

I look at this record for what it is…a chance for Portnoy to get back to creating something in a new freer environment in a whole new style. This is not Dream Theater. This is not Transatlantic. This is not even close to his next project (which I am more excited about honestly) Flying Colors. There he will be playing with the mighty Neal Morse, Steve Morse from Deep Purple, and Dave LaRue from Dixie Dregs fame. Prog heaven…at least on paper. OMERTA isn’t a record that is going to get heavy rotation from me. I have some issues with the vocals, but the pure energy is hard to downplay. I have no idea if this band will evolve into something more permanent or more creative, but this is a decent step. The underlying excitement offsets any shortcoming enough to make this a worthy debut.

The last thing I want to do is pigeonhole Portnoy as a musician. I am a fan…have been since way back. As I have learned over those many years by hearing interviews and reading things from the mind of Mike Portnoy…I know that he has a wide spectrum of tastes in the music world…not unlike yours truly. So while this particular outing might not be my ideal choice…I admire the force you feel when you listen to this. I would always tweak little things here and there. I am annoying that way I guess. Monday morning quarterbacks always know best right? I like the fact that it is a step outside the comfort zone. That is what rock and roll is all about.

But anyway…can I hear that new Flying Colors disc now? Let the party begin!

Omerta - Adrenaline Mob

The SkipFish Playlist (Song 12)

It is high time I revived this playlist thing, don’t you think? It’s been a few months now, and I think maybe the time is right. Late winter/early spring has traditionally never been a hotbed of musical releases or events anyway so it seems like as good a time as any. There is actually something out at the moment that I am thinking about posting, but I want to give it a bit of time so I can compose more solid opinions. Plus I know it was clever of me to attach the whole Spinal Tap reference (“This one goes to 11”) on the last song entry, but there is something about a nice even dozen that makes a good fit. On with the show…

At heart I am always a rock guy. Given. However as I have discussed here many a time…”rock” covers a lot of ground. As I have gotten older I have branched out into all sorts of music. I’ve cast much larger nets in hopes of finding something new and exciting. I eventually circle back to the tried and true though. In some cases…I circle back to things that as time goes along…I am not even 100% sure whether or not I’m even a fan. There are a few bands that fall into that love/hate category for me. There are moments that I really enjoy…and some that leave me cold. Probably at the forefront of that list would be one Jethro Tull.

Classic rock radio still trod out “Aqualung”, “Locomotive Breath”, and “Teacher” every once in a while, but none of those songs were my favorites to begin with. Jethro Tull grabbed my attention instead with the quirky vocals but more so because of the wide net it felt like it was casting all on its own. Under that “rock” umbrella was a lot more than the standard fare. Folk met classical met rock met world music. It encompassed a lot. For a few years they (well, Ian Anderson mostly) even fell into electronic music. Tull was at its best though when it was organic. UNDER WRAPS will always be a dud. Synths do not suit the Tulls.

SONGS FROM THE WOOD has always been one of my favorite Tull records. By the time the band got around to releasing this one in 1977, they already had a history. They had already evolved from a blues band to this Renaissance rock hybrid. It is hard to deny some of those early albums (AQUALUNG included), but this one felt more cohesive and full. It was a mini comeback after a few missteps (A PASSION PLAY and WAR CHILD). I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the album stands out for me in a special way. That is no small task in such a varied discography.

The Whistler

“The Whistler” seems like a great pick to add to the playlist because of it being a different vibe altogether. Being that it was 1977…the track is quite the production feat as well. The dueling vocals from Ian Anderson...the call and repeat, the juxtaposition of raw electric guitar with pennywhistle fife and non-traditional drums. The opening riff sounding dark and ominous that slides effortlessly into a jig with world music flare. Weird but really, really cool. It’s hard to believe this is the same band that gave us THICK AS A BRICK.

It is exactly because of tracks like this that I love Jethro Tull, and at the same time I am frustrated with Jethro Tull. It is amazing to me that within a few years of this album we would lose all of that organic purity this song contains. The next few albums sound like uninspired outtakes or exercises in electronic keyboard hell. The urgency of “The Whistler” would be lost in a matter of just a couple years. Strange really.

The back cover of this album shows a tree stump that has a tone arm sitting on it. The grooves are cut into the wood. A clever twist on the album title. It is almost as if the band knows somehow that it is best when they are organic and less cluttered. “Cluttered” is a subjective term however. In the Jethro Tull world that includes a bit of this and a bit of that mixed together for something quite unique. In a lot of ways I suppose you could equate Tull to a jar of nuts…the cocktail mix. Inside are bits that you really like…and some that are kind of gross. It all turns out to be a gamble if the one jar you picked has the right mixture for your taste. In the end…most of the time there are plenty of things left behind. It leaves you wanting more. Yeah…that is Jethro Tull.

Jethro Tull certainly has a place not only on my playlist, but also in my musical collection however. They are a perfect example of the push and pull. They can be a dividing line for fans. They are not convenient or easy to understand like so many other classic rock bands. Honestly it doesn’t make a lot of sense how they became as famous as they did. All I know is that Ian brought a fife, and he’s come to play…

Songs from the Wood (2003 Digital Remaster) - Jethro Tull

Good Night, Davy Jones

Davy Jones meant something to me. As part of The Monkees…I recall countless hours singing along to those silly pop songs as a kid. Who can forget their beloved TV show that was filled with Marx Brothers style humor and song montages that in many ways were early music videos? Yes…I can say that with the loss of Mr. Jones I am a bit sad. I am a Monkees fan.

A couple of years ago (on the previous version of this site) I in fact wrote a rather lengthy entry about how I was outraged that Madonna managed to get into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but the Monkees remained overlooked. In that post I basically stated the fact that they not only predated her, but also initially had a much stronger impact on the music world. They dominated marketing of The Monkees image and logo long before Kiss did it. They also were television stars…basically breaking into a medium that was not yet explored for a musical act. Then again…I doubt I will ever be a Madonna fan. I digress.

It is weird that when we as a collective lose an entertainer…we grieve. While I cannot deny the power and talent of Whitney Houston, she never connected with me the way others did. I do however understand the grieving process for her millions of fans. It is a strange thing when you think about it. For someone we don’t personally know to connect with us on such a personal level. Makes you stop and think. More so…it makes you appreciate the power of music and their special talent that made you smile and maybe even dance a little.

The problem with The Monkees is the fact that 90% of the people that hear that name overlook so much of who and what they were. Yes it was group of young kids auditioning to be packed together as a product. Yes it was preprogrammed and prepackaged to a degree. People often overlook the fact that the reason they fell apart wasn’t solely because musical dynamics and tastes were changing…it was because they themselves wanted to break out of that stigma. They had more to prove then just being a pretty face. What is more rock and roll than that?

I went through a period of learning about and discovering all sorts of bubblegum pop and one hit wonders from the 1960’s and 1970’s. Underneath that stigma of disposable music sometimes lies a bit of an interesting story. In no short order The Monkees led that charge…although one could hardly refer to them as a one hit wonder. Far from it.

Pop music will always have groups that come and go. The shelf life for the average teenage heartthrob tends to be relatively short. As time goes along they start playing county fairs or touring an autograph circuit by appearing at mall openings or car shows. It has to be difficult to go from being in front of millions to tens of people. The music business can be very fickle. In the end…who can blame them really? Showing up for the loyal fans at some event or playing a tiny venue shouldn’t have shame attached to it. They need to make money too, and the fans enjoy the chance to get close to someone that did bring those smiles and laughs. What’s wrong with that?

I didn’t get the sense that Davy was ever really unhappy. I think he was frustrated at times that things did not go as planned. He lashed out a few times about The Monkees. It has to be hard to be in something as massive as that and stay focused all the time and make sure things go just so. They were never a serious group of guys to begin with. They took a couple of pop songs, a good time, the innocence of a different era, and stretched it out over decades. All the while whatever the internal fighting was about, whatever the disagreements were along the way…the fans (the loyal ones) stayed there.

Davy was never my favorite of the four guys. Primarily because I have always admired the musicians more. Davy was a singer/dancer. So playing a tambourine was not quite enough for me to latch onto him. Plus his singing voice and style had a Broadway/campy feel to it that never appealed to me too much. Having said all that…I cannot deny the fact that I really dig “Valleri” or “She Hangs Out”. He was a stage actor that entered into this whole project with a sense that it would be a hit, but nobody could have expected it to skyrocket like it did. Even if you are not a fan of the music or the show…you have to admit that for the legacy to last as long as it has with so many fans around the world…that says something.

It is easy to dismiss something that might not be cool or hip at the moment. I’ve said before that I consider myself a rock guy first with a heavy progressive/jazz slant. There has even been a time or two when I think I would have labeled myself a “metal” guy. I have phases in and out that I go through. Music tends to cycle for me, but I always come back to good songs. The Monkees had a lot of those. Many of them got overlooked because of the teen idol, oldies, prepackaged, manufactured sides that people think about. There were those aspects to the success Davy had for sure, but if you bothered to flip the record over…you might have just discovered something a bit more than a TV theme song. I would never want a steady diet of any one thing, but Davy and the gang certainly holds a spot in my musical heart somewhere. And that is probably the furthest thing from “metal” you could ever say, but I don’t care.

Here recently Mick Jones of Foreigner underwent heart surgery, and Jerry Gaskill the drummer from King’s X also suffered a heart attack. Both are on the mend thankfully…but it makes you think. Mortality. Rock stars are not superhuman. Nobody is immune to time. I wrote about that a while back. Getting older happens to one and all. Time does not discriminate. I hope nothing but the best for the aging rockers. They have brought me such joy. While they may not all be the most brilliant upstanding citizens…for them to have spread smiles and happiness or created a bond with fans and listeners around the world…that is a wonderful gift.

I don’t tend to “look back” on someone once they may have passed away. If they matter to me on some level, I do my humble best to keep up with the goings on of whoever it might be. If I am not on that particular musical cycle at the moment something happens…it might cause me to look that direction. So even as an older guy now myself…inside there is still a part of me that remained a Monkees fan from the days of when I was an innocent child. They made me laugh, smile, and sing. That really is a wonderful gift. What more could you want?

Good night Davy, and thanks for everything!

(The above photo was taken on the evening of June 24, 2011. I was lucky enough to catch the band on what was to be their last tour. I was a few rows back, but it was so much fun. Captured with my phone so forgive any suspect quality.)


Recommended listening:
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. - The Monkees

What The Ears Hear

I was chatting the other night (as you do) with some friends (and other acquaintances) about certain albums or films that I liked (or didn’t) as the case may be. Someone pointed out the fact that aside from maybe one or two posts…most of my “reviews” are not very glowing. I stopped and thought about that for a moment. It certainly got me to thinking about things. So in the cold light of day…while I agree to a degree…it is far from completely true.

The previous version of SkipFish Music evolved into something other than musings about music or cinematic related material. Since the whole point of a “blog” for me in the beginning was writing and sharing my personal thoughts, I allowed myself to veer from the main focus of music. I did allow politics, the human condition, and a few random rants to slip through the cracks. As a result…I took the site down. It started to feel a bit scattered. When I gave it some consideration, I decided to reboot with a more focused and music centric theme. Cohesiveness was my main goal the second time around.

I first dipped my toe into the realm of writing about music back in high school. I was asked to join the school newspaper as the “entertainment” editor. Basically this simply involved filling one page in a newsprint copy…a copy that was normally about 10 to 15 pages on average. This was back in the day of doing manual layouts. The old school cut and paste method. I am sure it was to teach all of us budding journalists the real method of how a newspaper was composed, but it was before the integration of some computer program that today does all the work for you.

I never quite had the knack of following the strict journalistic guidelines. The use of short paragraphs and the strict “economy of words” was not my strong point. Instead I just tried to write my thoughts as they came to me. I didn’t (and still don’t) plot out my beginning and ending points. I think sometimes I write a bit too much because I am trying to cover all of my bases with the reader. Getting all of my thoughts out there so they understand my stance on any given topic. That and making them understand why I chose to write something about the specific topic at hand…and how educated I was/am about it.

“Reviews” can be funny things. Although it’s a valid point that some of my posts are just that, I never feel like I am writing “reviews”. When I read other perspectives online or hear them in those conversations with friends…I don’t place too much stock in their opinion. I’m interested sure, but it is just their opinion. Just like my opinion. No different. While I certainly respect where people are coming from, I do my humble best not to allow their words to color my own thoughts. Just because something is or is not popular means squat to me. I openly admit that I like a great deal of obscure or lesser tracks and albums. Sure…in many cases I am in total agreement with the masses, but not always.

I suppose there is something to be said too for the fact that it tends to be easier to write about what did not move me. What it was about whatever medium I am referring to that just did not connect with me. I also know that in many ways I am a bit of a slow burn. By that I mean that most things (unless 100% brilliant) don’t always get thumbs up from me. Some albums or artists take a while to sink into my psyche before I really like them. But who wants to read a “review” of something 30 years old? Sure…fun to discuss…but how relevant is it at that point? It’s not current, and in the world of music (a fickle business to be sure) you are only as good as your last performance, album, or bit of work. Good or bad that tends to be the way it is. So in that way…I try to make the site a bit “current”.

With the relaunch of this site I thought every once in a while I would post something about a particular track that tickled my fancy. Make a playlist of tunes that I liked for whatever reason. There was no set criteria for what a song had to be other than simply being a good tune. I dropped the idea a while back…but I think it will return soon. There are plenty of songs that at any given moment can make me happy. Even if they are sad in tone…a great song has a way of being moving. That is the feeling that I want to share.

From those high school days right through to the very moments I am typing this all out…I still feel like I am just pulling random things together to make sense of the music world. What I might not enjoy right now…in the future…may be some gem that I got wrong. I always try to reserve the right to amend my opinion or admit that I was wrong on any given “review”. So when I post things…my only criteria is that I am trying to be current/relevant, insightful, but not making any snap judgments. Time my change my ultimate opinion to the better or worse, but in the end…what I write and post is how I am feeling at that moment. In so doing…I suppose I am trying to add to the mix of people sharing thoughts, but I always want people to make up their own minds. I am far from an expert. I am no different than anyone else. Just a set of ears, years of listening experience to draw from, and personal tastes. That’s it. Nothing special.

So while I admit that I have not written any huge glowing “reviews”…other than one or two…even the less than amazing albums have me adding a dash of positive in there somewhere. The fact that I am looking at some of these bands at all…means that they speak to me on some level. I doubt you are going to see too many Nicki Minaj reviews here just so I can stay “current”. It has to resonate somehow.

So…in looking back over the past couple years to things that I have mentioned or touched on on this site (and the discarded previous version)…

The first Chickenfoot album was okay, but felt like a random bunch of jams. However the second outing is more focused and filled with quite a few solid tunes. CAN’T SLOW DOWN by Foreigner felt forced and a bit bland, but their reworked acoustic CD was a fun take on some classic tunes. Yes avoided making an epic fail with FLY FROM HERE, but they still feel like overheated songs that could have been so much more. Van Halen made A DIFFERENT KIND OF TRUTH shine in spots, but for making us fans wait all these years…there are too many clunker moments to be considered a great return. Almost solid, but not quite. Journey tried way, way, way too hard to prove they are more than Steve Perry’s former backing band. Every second of ECLIPSE feels calculated, pushed, and quite frankly not very genuine. There are a couple songs that do have good hooks, but not enough to carry a big thumbs up. The Queensryche CD is a mess. I don’t think that the distance of time will make this pile of musical debris stink any less. An epic fail by a once epic band.

It’s not all doom and gloom on the “review” front. I always want my thoughts to reach people in a good way. Hopefully by trying to craft my words around strong consideration and well intended musical knowledge…I come out the other side making my reader (whoever you may be) think a bit. I am still at this all these years later. Music still drives me in some weird way, and I am not going to try to figure it out. I am just going to enjoy the ride…even if it gets a bit bumpy along the way. There is plenty of light in here even in some of the darkest places.

Disagree with me all day. Agree with me if you like too. It’s all good. It’s fun for me, but I enjoy the conversation. You may even change my mind on some things, and vice versa, who knows? Well…maybe not on the Queensryche.

A Mixed Bag Of Truth

To the ears of a 12 year old kid, Van Halen was game changing. Sure I did not have the broader understanding of music as I do today, but the sound was full of life, fun, and power. The first six studio albums with the original version of the band (the Van Halen brothers, David Lee Roth, and Michael Anthony) were so very vital to my musical youth. In many ways I feel that without them…it is quite possible that my ears today as an older guy would be different as well. Maybe it's because my listening scope has broadened so much...I don’t know. I just find that the 2012 version of Van Halen is a different thing. Some of that life and power seems…missing.

The last proper album the band produced was in 1998. VAN HALEN 3 was a letdown. I think there was great potential there, but it felt like rather than letting things flow as they did years before…they tried to force things to happen. It came across like a band that was clearly out of gas and grasping at things to see if they could still do this sort of thing. Some people love the album, and even I think there are a couple tracks that are “okay”. It just never appealed enough to me to make me want to return to it years later and dig a bit deeper.

So with all of that time in between albums one would figure that if you returned with new stuff it would be nothing short of another classic album, right? For my old guy ears…it just isn’t. There is most certainly much here that is actually quite good, but as a whole…I feel a bit let down. Side by side here I find wonderful songs sitting next to something that is almost worthy of being called awful.

It is a bit of double edged sword for the band that they did take so long between recording/returning to the functioning band world. For years the band left the fan base guessing what was coming next. And in the odd event that something did come to pass…who was going to be singing? Who was even going to be in the band? The band also has to realize that with the massive explosion of music that has flooded the market these days…they are no longer the inspirational new kids they once were. Without any help from themselves…the band now sits in the elder statesman file. No longer is the flashy playing of Eddie Van Halen and the squeal of David Lee Roth enough to hold us spellbound. We have heard too much since 1980 to be sucked in like that. All the bands that Halen inspired had more than enough time to develop and grow up. Somebody had to fill that void.

A vast majority of the public though just likes seeing the original band back together. Sort of gives them a reminder of how things were in their own youth. Most people have always preferred the Roth version of the band to the Sammy Hagar years. It’s just…I can’t be so quick to dismiss all the Hagar albums. While they didn’t light me up like the original six albums did…that era did produce some worthy music. Music that...let's face it...now that Roth is back…is pretty much gone forever. Plus…let us also not forget the vital absence of one Michael Anthony. Without him there this is not a true 100% reunion. Without his trademark and essential backing vocals this new version of VH has gotta be a different animal, and it is.

The album opens with “Tattoo”. Almost immediately we are struck by how long it has been since we have heard that Eddie Van Halen guitar squeal. One things for certain as well…within seconds we are reminded just how goofy David Lee Roth can be. As I have read from many other people around the review world…the song is the weak spot on the album. I admit that the song is not an out and out gem, but it does have a catchy hook, decent solo, and driving beat. The only thing to my ears that makes this a lesser track is the silly lyrics, but like I said…you aren’t going to avoid that here. You couldn’t in 1979, so what makes you think you can now?

“She’s The Woman” follows. Boom! We are struck with a classic Halen groove. This song is one of many scattered throughout the album that is a reworking of an old song from the bands early days. It shows. This sound could have easily been released in 1979. It has that early feel and hook that made this band one of the greats. Right down to the repeating chorus, this track is a keeper. It is loose and bouncy. It has all the ingredients a classic Halen track should, but it is also a great example of where we miss the voice and bass of Anthony.

Jump ahead a bit to easily the best song here “Blood And Fire”. It opens with a gritty yet clean Eddie riff before launching into a chugging song filled with cymbal crazy drumming and bass slides. Somehow this does not have the complete old school Van Halen sound, but boy is it catchy and powerful. The song evokes a fist pump or two and has that chanting and repeating chorus that makes for a solid rock ditty. The pieces are all in place. It has that classic feel while still being able to seem like something new.

“The Trouble With Never” and the closer “Beats Workin’” are both great tracks. However both of them have a feel like they could have been at home on an early Roth solo record. Mainly because the bass line hints at Billy Sheehan and even Eddie veers a bit off the beaten path by playing with a bit of wah wah guitar before getting all noisy and Steve Vai like. “Big River” is also a track that stands toe to toe with that WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST vibe from yesteryear that I love Van Halen for. Each of these songs certainly has a rock and roll, in your face, rock out hook. There is no steering to safe territory here. In some ways it is almost un-commercial for the Van Halen crowd. That is a good thing. You get the feeling that they are not playing it safe by any means.

Having said all this…there is still plenty spread out through this 50 minutes of music that makes me go…”Huh?”

Tracks like “China Town” start off promising enough, but quickly spiral out into something less than tasty. The awful “Bullethead” complete with is insipid lyrics of “My karma just ran over your dogma” and “Bullethead, bomb the moon until you're crazy dead” just makes this laughable. “Honeybabysweetiedoll” is bad as well. The track is a hook wrapped in a bad idea. The swooping guitar lines can only salvage a song so much before you need a bit more to latch onto. By this point you get the quirky bits of Van Halen, but you want something more.

Two tracks that deserve pointing out separately though are “Stay Frosty” and “As Is”. “Frosty” begins with an acoustic intro that has that “Ice Cream Man” finger snapping lick. However…it falls apart for me when the thick overdubbed multiple David Lee Roths start repeating “Stay Frosty”. It feels tacked on and one of the few things that sounds calculated. The nasal scat Roth vocal of “Uh-uh-uh-uh” or whatever you want to call it wears thin quickly as well. Sure the band kicks in high gear to finish out the track, but I preferred this when it was called “Take Your Whiskey Home” from 1980. This is an old Van Halen trick that feels overwrought and goofy. Of all the tracks that roll like this in the Van Halen archive…this is the weakest by a mile. An old trick gone wrong.

“As Is” kicks off with booming drums and a sludgy sounding riff that makes you wonder if you took Van Halen out of the disc player and put in some death metal. The riff is a thick heavy dirge that pokes along, speeds up, stops, slows down, has a chorus and ends. It feels like anything but a finished song or idea to me. It is almost like the title is a warning. It is “as is”, and it ain’t gonna get any better. Sure it is cool that there is heavy stuff here…but to what cost?

So when all is said and done…I do like the album, but I am also very let down by it. How can I not be after such a long period of nothing from the band? I know that albums are afterthoughts these days, but…these cats are from the old school. They should know better. If they weren’t going to make an absolute masterpiece..then why bother after all this time? As good as a some of these songs are…you can’t honestly think this is the comeback people were hoping for. I think I would have been happier with them releasing a rarites compilation rather than labeling this a “new” album. Scattered throughout are tons of reworked, rearranged, and reused bits of old Halen goodies. Even Roth stoops to referring to the glory days of the band in his still juvenile lyrics.

The production of the disc is also a bit murky for me. The bass is downplayed a lot. The drums sound a little too rumbly, and the guitar tone (while I like the darker more mature Eddie tone a bit more) could have done with a bit more tightening in spots. Loose feel is what this band is about, but it feels half baked in places where it soundn’t. Nit picking maybe, but…this is how I feel. Jaded after waiting years for this to finally see the light of day.

There is plenty here for the Van Halen crowd to rejoice about however. I really like some of this more than I thought I would, but the overall beast is not where I feel it should have or could have been. As a whole and looking at this on a grand scale, this is far from the epic fail this could have been. Other than the dreadful “As Is” there is no mistaking who you are listening to. This is pure Van Halen…warts and all. Roth has lost some of his what was limited in 1978 range vocally, and his goofy act wears thin after a while. The guitar playing of Eddie is as rock solid as it has ever been, but the drumming while booming and thick still lacks emotion. The bass duties taken over by Wolfgang Van Halen (Eddie’s son) are competent, and his backing vocals do help a lot. I just can’t help but think though that Michael Anthony would have done this up right too.

It’s a mixed bag. Am I glad I got it? Sure. Do I think it could have been so much better? Without question. The problem lies in the fact that I should now be back to being a full blown Van Halen addict. This just doesn’t do it. Sure some songs and moments are tempting, but…I’ll remain in the past for this band. It suits them better. I guess I was just hoping for a different kind of awesome…

(Man...I miss the good ole days sometimes.)

A Different Kind of Truth (Deluxe Version) - Van Halen