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Rating: After the enormous success of '1984' and the departure of the band's historic vocalist, it seems difficult for Van Halen to emulate their recent glories. However, Eddie's band reacts excellently, announcing Sammy Hagar as the replacement for crazy David and releasing a good album that dispelled any doubts.
What makes this work by the American band a very enjoyable album is primarily the novelty of the music offered; Sammy Hagar is first and foremost a different singer from Roth, but not inferior, in fact, on a strictly vocal level, even superior, despite not being able to boast the irresistible charisma of his predecessor's style and figure. A great novelty is also the introduction of Sammy himself as the second guitar of the group, which makes the band's sound deeper but simultaneously slightly hides Michael Antony's bass, as well as the notable power provided by the drums, previously always somewhat in the background, except in happy episodes like Hot For Teacher. Finally, the album offers a greater interest in keyboards and slow pieces, as already introduced in '1984', which becomes new lifeblood for the group.
But let's get to the album. The record starts very well with a not too fast-paced but compelling track, Good Enough, featuring a Sammy in great shape, then moves on to the hit single Why Can't This Be Love, which revisits the sounds already explored with Jump and features an excellent integration of synthesizers and guitars, leading to the thrilling rhythms of Get Up and the melody of Dreams, one of the most interesting tracks of the collection due to Hagar's powerful vocals marrying Eddie's keyboards. It continues with two excellent tracks, Summer Nights and Best Of Both Worlds, which fully summarize the new ambition of VH, a powerful rock yet very melodic, followed by Love Walks In, the calmest track of the album, which nonetheless harmonizes with the rest. The closure relies on the good riff of 5150, from which the album takes its title, and unfortunately on Inside, where one notices a certain desire to experiment, which however does not succeed and manages only to bore and, in my case, annoy quite a lot. Without it, the album would have certainly been better, although the vocalist's performance is still commendable.
Overall, therefore, an excellent album, a worthy successor to '1984' that sees the new lineup integrating truly perfectly, and it will not surprisingly be a commercial success.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Why Can't This Be Love (03:47)
Whoa, here it comes
That funny feeling again
Winding me up inside
Every time we touch
Hey, I don't know
Oh, tell me where to begin
'Cause I never ever
Felt so much
And I can't recall
Any love at all
Ah baby, this blows 'em all away
It's got what it takes
So tell me why can't this be love?
Straight from my heart
Oh, tell me why can't this be love?
I tell myself
Hey, only fools rush in
And only time will tell
If we stand the test of time
All I know
You've got to run to win
And I'll be damned if I'll get
Hung up on the line
Hey!
No, I can't recall
Anything at all
Oh, baby this blows them all away
Woo!
It's got what it takes
So tell me why can't this be love?
You want it straight from the heart
Oh, tell me why can't this be love?
Woo!
It's got what it takes
So tell me why can't this be love?
Straight from my heart
Oh, tell me why can't this be love?
Baby why can't this be love
Got to know why can't this be love?
I wanna know why can't this be love?
04 Dreams (04:54)
World turns black and white
Pictures in an empty room
Your love starts fallin' down
Better change your tune
Yeah, you reach for the golden ring
Reach for the sky
Baby, just spread your wings
We'll get higher and higher
Straight up we'll climb
We'll get higher and higher
Leave it all behind
Run, run, run away
Like a train runnin' off the track
Got the truth bein' left behind
Falls between the cracks
Standin' on broken dreams
Never losin' sight, ah
Well, just spread your wings
We'll get higher and higher
Straight up we'll climb
We'll get higher and higher
Leave it all behind
So baby dry your eyes
Save all the tears you've cried
Oh, that's what dreams are made of
'Cause we belong in a world that must be strong
Oh, that's what dreams are made of
Yeah, we'll get higher and higher
Straight up we'll climb
Higher and higher
Leave it all behind
Oh, we'll get higher and higher
Who knows what we'll find?
So baby dry your eyes
Save all the tears you've cried
Oh, that's what dreams are made of
Oh baby, we belong in a world that must be strong
Oh, that's what dreams are made of
And in the end, on dreams we will depend
'Cause that's what love is made of
06 Best of Both Worlds (04:49)
Hahhhhh
Well I'm, feelin' better, now that we're through
Feelin' better baby, I'm over you
(Ah) I've learned my lesson baby, and it left a scar
(Ah) But now I see how ya really are
You're no good! no good, no good
Baby, you're no good. Oooh yeah
No good, no good, no good (Ah-hah!)
Baby, you're no good
I broke a heart, simple n' true
Broke a heart for someone like you
(Ah) We'll be comin' back, don't come running to me
(Ah) I wanna love you, maybe set you free
You're no good, no good, no good
Baby, you're no good. Whoa oh-ooh
You're no good, no good, no good (Ah-no!)
Baby, you're no good
Hah
(Guitar Solo)
Used to be I couldn't sleep at night, baby
Now you go on an' do what you want to
Ow!
(Ah-ow!)
No good, no good, (Ow-ow!) no good
Baby, you're no good (Ow!)
(Ow-ow!)
Ah! Uh! Uh!
08 "5150" (05:44)
The love line is never straight and narrow
Unless your love is tried and true
We take a chance with new beginnings
Still we try (Oooh)
Win or lose (Oooh)
Take the highs (Oooh)
With the blues (Oooh)
Always one more
You're never satisfied
It's never one for all with you
It's only one for me
Oh, why draw the line
And meet you half the way?
And you don't know what that means
Oh, yeah
I feel like a running politician
Oh! Just tryin' to please you all the time
I'm givin' you my self with no conditions
Goin' wide (Oooh)
Runnin' long (Oooh)
Feelin' lost (Oooh)
But not for long (Oooh)
Always one more
You're never satisfied
It's never one for all with you
It's only one for me
So, why draw the line
And meet you half the way
When you don't know what that means?
Whoa, yeah
(Guitar Solo)
Always one more
You're never satisfied
It's never one for all with you
It's only one for me
So, why draw the line
And meet you half the way
When you don't know what that means?
I'll meet you half the way
Whoa yeah!
I'll meet you half the way
Whoa!
I'll meet you half the way
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