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Rating: Balance is the tenth studio album by Van Halen. Released in 1995, it had moderate success, selling more than 3 million copies worldwide to date. It follows the successful and beautiful F.U.C.K. (although it must be said that apart from Diver Down, Van Halen has never missed a beat), which also brought a Grammy Award to the group. Balance is also the last album featuring Sammy Hagar on vocals, as he would be expelled from the group shortly after. Definitely the darkest, gloomiest, and most mature album the group has ever written.
The album opens with "The Seventh Seal" featuring a chant by monks. A beautiful track, accompanied by a powerful riff masterfully executed by Eddie, in top form as always. Great start. It is followed by the semi-ballad, very catchy and commercial "Can't Stop Lovin' You." However, the result is pleasing, and the track is one of the best of the lot. Right after, though, we find the masterpiece of the album. "Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)" is a stunning track. A menacing, almost hypnotic riff accompanies the piece, and the lyrics are beautiful. The solo is one of the most beautiful our good old Eddie has ever written. "Amsterdam" flows by without leaving a mark. "Big Fat Money" raises the bar again. A fast and well-paced track, to be cranked up on the stereo. "Not Enough" is introduced to us by the instrumental "Strung Out." The piano opens the ballad of the album, "Not Enough," indeed. Beautiful, to be listened to over and over again. "Aftershock" is another great track that you listen to with pleasure. The second instrumental of the album is a drum solo naturally by Alex Van Halen, which serves to open the last instrumental track of the album "Baluchiterium." The piece appears only in the CD version; in fact, it is not present on the vinyl. "Take Me Back (Deja Vù)" is a very beautiful track with lyrics that anyone could resonate with. Going back, perhaps to the best period of our lives, would be everyone's dream. The album closes with what is my all-time favorite song by the group, "Feelin'." The arpeggio that opens (and closes the track) is beautiful, the chorus is lovely, and the solo that Eddie gives us is amazing. In my opinion, this track would have become a live show highlight if Hagar had remained with the group.
Balance is the worthy successor to F.U.C.K. and another great album by the group, to be listened to over and over again in the car, at home, on the iPod, anywhere. A round of applause also to the great Michael Anthony, extraordinary as always, unmatched in the harmonies.
Tracklist and Lyrics
02 Can't Stop Lovin' You (04:07)
Hah!
There's a time and place for everything, for everyone
We can push with all our might, but nothin's gonna come
Oh no, nothin's gonna change
And if I asked you not to try
Oh, could you let be?
I wanna hold you and say
We can't throw this all away
Tell me you won't go, you won't go
Do you have to hear me say?
I can't stop lovin' you
And no matter what I say or do
You know my heart is true, ohh
I can't stop loving you
You change your friends, your place in life, you can change your mind
We can change the way we say and do anytime
Oh no, but I think you'll find
That when you look inside your heart
Oh baby, I'll be there, yeah!
Hold on
I'm holding on
Baby, just come on, come on, come on
I just wanna hear you say
I can't stop lovin' you
And no matter what you say or do
You know my heart is true, ohh
I can't stop lovin' you
Oh, I'm so twisted and tied
And all I remember
Was how hard we tried
Only to surrender
And when it's over
I know how it's gonna be
And true love will never die
Ohh, not fade away
And I can't stop lovin' you
No matter what I say or do
You know my heart is true, ohh
I can't stop lovin' you
And I know what I got to do
Hey Ray, what you said is true, ohh
I can't stop lovin' you, ohh
Ohh, I can't stop lovin' you
04 Amsterdam (04:45)
Light 'em up!
Ooh!
Oh Yeah!
Yaaah!
Lookin' good through the window
Shinin' red and blue light, yeah
A little thick in the bottom
But still lookin' alright, yeah
Got a pocket full of money
Got me a long night ahead
Quick stop by the Bulldog
Score me some Panama Red, yeah
Oh, wham bam, oh Amsterdam (Yeah yeah yeah)
Stone you like nothin' else can (Yeah yeah yeah)
Woo! Hot damn, roll an Amsterdam (Yeah yeah yeah)
She can't then nothin' else can
Uh! Caught a plane outta Moscow
Spent one cold night in Berlin, yeah
It's a long hard way but I'm a-comin'
Back again, yeah
Oh, wham bam, oh Amsterdam (Yeah yeah yeah)
Stone you like nothin' else can (Yeah yeah yeah)
Yeah, come on up, roll an Amsterdam (Yeah yeah yeah)
If she can't then no one else can
Yeah!
Yeow!
''Guitar Solo''
Ohhh!
(Yeah yeah yeah) Woo-hoo
(Yeah yeah yeah) Ooo-hoo
(Yeah yeah yeah) Ooo-hoo
Yeow!
Oh, wham bam, oh Amsterdam (Yeah yeah yeah)
Will stone you like nothin' else can (Yeah yeah yeah)
Yeah, hot damn, roll an Amsterdam (Yeah yeah yeah)
If she can't then no one else can (Yeah yeah yeah)
Woo! Wham bam, oh Amsterdam (Yeah yeah yeah)
Don't have to worry 'bout the man (Yeah yeah yeah)
Woo! Hot damn, uh, burn an Amsterdam, yeah (Yeah yeah yeah)
Stone me like nothin' else can (Yeah yeah yeah)
07 Not Enough (05:12)
To love somebody naturally
To love somebody faithfully
To love somebody equally
Is not enough, it's not enough
It's not enough
To love somebody secretly (And never touch)
To love somebody honestly (And always trust)
To love somebody tenderly
The tender touch is not enough
It's not enough
Love hurts you sometimes
It's not so easy to find, no
Searchin' everywhere, you turn and swear (Ahh-ahh-ahh)
It's always been there
To love somebody foolishly (Can happen once)
To love somebody hopelessly (It hurts so much)
To love somebody equally
Is not enough, it's not enough
It's not enough
Love takes a little time
It's not so easy to find, no, no
Searchin' everywhere, you turn and swear
It's always been there
(Guitar Solo)
Standin' there....
Oh!
And if it don't come easily
One thing you must believe
You can always have trust in me
'Cause my heart will always be, yours honestly
Yeah! Love hurts you sometimes
Not so easy to find, no-oh
Searchin' everywhere, you turn and swear (Ahh-ahh-ahh)
It's always been there, standin' there
Love hurts you sometimes
It's not yours, it's not mine, no-oh
Love is only to share
You turn and swear (Ahh-ahh-ahh) it's everywhere
Standin' there (Ahh-ahh)
'Cause it's always been there
08 Aftershock (05:28)
i don'd care about the way
that ya treated me
and i ain'tbrying 'bout the love i'm
paying for
no i ain't bitchin' 'bout the things
you puttin' down here in the street
no, i ain't going 'round saying things
about you i can't repeat
hey it ain't gonna change overnight
no
and it ain't goin' away without a
fight, no
now i ain't saying that i'mnever
gonna beg you, oh baby come back
but right now, baby
i don't really wanna see your face
yeah and that's a fact
right now, honey
all i know is what i'm feeling inside
right now, baby
i'm alone and i'm swallowing a lot
of pride
and it ain't gonna change
overnight, no
and it ain't goin' away without
a fight
living with the aftershock
why why why i never thought
she's walk
but now i'm living withthe
aftershock
and it ain't gonna change
it ain't goin' away, no
yeah, she opened up my eyes
seeing what i wanna see
she kinda took me by surprise
showed me what i hadn't seen
yeah, yeah
living with the aftershock
yeah yeah living with the aftershock
my my my i guess that i never
thought she'd walk
living with the aftershock
and it ain't gonna change
it ain't goin' away
i said it ain't gonna change without
a fight
i'm living with the aftershock
i'm living with the aftershock
never gonna change
12 Feelin' (06:37)
Outta touch most of the time
Gotta lotta things on my mind
Kickin' down, where to start
It's the hardest thing
Oh...
Grow it long, shave it off
Life is hard, never soft
I need a change, I need it quick
Before it makes me sick
That's what on my mind
Pay attention, watch your back
Pay your dues, stay on track
Got no room to second-guess
Puts me under stress
Oh...
If I were you, you were me
I wonder who I'd wanna be
With just one wish you can't refuse
I wouldn't know what to choose
Feelin'...no, don't like what I've been told I'm feelin'
Feelin' what no one else will ever know I'm feelin'
Oh...
Now black is white and white is black
Got politicians smokin' crack
And john paul's all bullet-proofed
It puts me through the roof
Yea...
I were you and you were me
I wonder who I'd rather be
If I had one wish I'd take it
Feelin'...oh, I don't like what I've been told I'm feelin'
And I'm seein'
What no one else will ever know I'm seein'
Come on, feelin'
Hey, I don't understand these things I'm feelin'
No...
Outta touch most all the time
Too many things on my mind
Shuttin' down, gotta stop this thing
Feelin'...no, I don't like what I've been told I'm feelin'
I'm bleeding...like no one else will ever know I'm bleeding
Dealin'...i'm dealin' with these things I'm feelin'
I'm dreamin', I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming things that show
Me what I'm seein'
Seein'...i'm seein' things that I don't know I'm feelin'
I've been feelin', I'm feelin', I'm feelin' things that i
Don't know
I don't know, I don't know what I'm feelin'
Hey, I don't understand
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