Balance (Van Halen album)
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| Van Halen's studio album | ||||
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Publication |
January 24, 1995 |
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admission |
May 25 - September 2, 1994 |
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| Label (s) | Warner Music Group | |||
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Format (s) |
CD, LP |
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Title (number) |
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running time |
53:18 |
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| occupation | ||||
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Studio (s) |
5150, Hollywood , California ; Little Mountain Studio, Vancouver , Canada |
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Balance is the title of published in 1995 tenth studio album by the American hard rock - band Van Halen of and the last of four albums the band, the one after the top spot US album charts reached. It is also the last studio album the group recorded with Sammy Hagar as the singer.
background
Van Halen had reached number one on the Billboard 200US album charts for the third time in a row with the album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge . In addition, the album had been awarded gold and platinum records just a month after its release , was awarded double platinum in November 1991, and was most recently awarded a triple platinum record in August 1994. In addition, at the presentation of the Grammy Awards on February 26, 1992 in the category " Best Hard Rock Performance " was awarded. The music video Right Now won the title "Video of the Year" at the MTV Video Music Awards 1992 and was also recognized for best director and best editing.
In 1993 the release of the live album Right Here, Right Now, the last concert of FUCK - tour in Fresno had been taken. Since the double album was offered at a higher price than the band's regular albums, the band went on another tour in the summer of 1993 to boost sales. During this tour, Hagar and the van Halen brothers fell out, which among other things led to Hagar flying alone to the next venue or home or staying in other hotels after the concerts. The band's manager, Ed Leffler, developed cancer during the tour and passed away in October 1993.
Balance was produced by Bruce Fairbairn , the first recordings took place in Eddie van Halen's Studio 5150 . When problems arose during the recording because Eddie van Halen suddenly interfered in the recording of the vocal tracks, which he had never done before, Hagar flew to Vancouver with Fairbairn and recorded the vocals in his studio.
“I wrote the song Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do) about Kurt Cobain. I wanted it to say "I want to show you what love can do." Ed and Al fought me on that. They wanted mor of a grungy, bad-attitude song. "Don't tell me what love can do." That's not what I had in mind. I was talking about somebody who could have saved Kurt Cobains life. "
“I wrote this song, Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do), about Kurt Cobain. I wanted it to say, "I want to show you what love can do. Ed and Al were against it. They wanted a grungy song with a bad attitude." Don't tell me what love can do. That was not what I wanted. Me talked about someone who could have saved Kurt Cobain's life. "
When writing songs for Amsterdam , Sammy Hagar originally had in mind “what goes on in this city at four in the morning. The first thing you realize are those many beautiful women in the windows. You're window shopping for a pussy! And it's strange for an American. ”After the Dutch-born Alex and Eddie van Halen were of the opinion that Amsterdam would be put in the wrong light by this text, so that Hagar had to revise his lyrics to put the song on the album to get. Michael Anthony added that the title was not only about the city, but also about the nickname for a huge joint . After all, Amsterdam is not only known for its red light district .
Balance is the first Van Halen album to feature a prominent guest musician: Steve Lukather sang backing vocal on Not Enough .
The marketing for the album was operated among others with an electronic press kit (Electronic Press Kit, EPK) containing a nearly ten-minute video with an interview to the album (see also balance EPK on YouTube included).
Five singles were released from the album : The Seventh Seal, Don't Tell Me (What Love can Do), I Can't Stop Lovin 'You, Amsterdam and Not Enough . The Seventh Seal, the only single from this album that was not accompanied by a music video , was released in 1994, Don't Tell Me (What Love can Do) was released on January 9, 1995, two weeks before the album was released.
On June 16, 1996, the collaboration between Hagar and the band ended with a phone call between Eddie van Halen and Sammy Hagar.
Track list
| balance | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | title | Songwriter | length |
| 1. | The Seventh Seal | Sammy Hagar , Eddie Van Halen , Alex Van Halen , Michael Anthony | 5:18 |
| 2. | Can't Stop Lovin 'You | Hagar, E. Van Halen, A. Van Halen, Anthony | 4:08 |
| 3. | Don't Tell Me (What Love can Do) | Hagar, E. Van Halen, A. Van Halen, Anthony | 5:56 |
| 4th | Amsterdam | Hagar, E. Van Halen, A. Van Halen, Anthony | 4:45 |
| 5. | Big Fat Money | Hagar, E. Van Halen, A. Van Halen, Anthony | 3:57 |
| 6th | Fault out | Hagar, E. Van Halen, A. Van Halen, Anthony | 1:29 |
| 7th | Not enough | Hagar, E. Van Halen, A. Van Halen, Anthony | 5:13 |
| 8th. | Aftershock | Hagar, E. Van Halen, A. Van Halen, Anthony | 5:29 |
| 9. | Doin 'time | Hagar, E. Van Halen, A. Van Halen, Anthony | 1:41 |
| 10. | Baluchitherium | Hagar, E. Van Halen, A. Van Halen, Anthony | 4:05 |
| 11. | Take Me Back (Deja Vu) | Hagar, E. Van Halen, A. Van Halen, Anthony | 4:43 |
| 12. | Feelin ' | Hagar, E. Van Halen, A. Van Halen, Anthony | 6:36 |
| 13. | Crossing Over (exclusively in Japan published Bonus Track ) | Hagar, E. Van Halen, A. Van Halen, Anthony | 4:49 |
| Overall length: | 53:18 | ||
reception
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Chart positions Explanation of the data |
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Jörg Staude wrote for Metal Hammer that Van Halen still seems to find it easy to write “fluid compositions that hit the mark on the last few records”, but still looked “fresh”. On Balance mixes “skillfully maturity with the always young guitar playing of Eddie van Halen and the direct lyrics” by Sammy Hagar. Fairbairn's production is "warm, the songs perfectly arranged". With the exception of the “superfluous” instrumental pieces and the “superfluous” Big Fat Money , “the rest of the music is classic melodic rock that only a band on this planet can master”. Staude awarded six out of seven possible points.
Studio album number ten offers "nothing earth-shattering new," said an unnamed reviewer in Rock Hard . The listener gets "the usual VH quality work, a Goodtime record that is more oriented towards the straight route of its predecessor" FUCK "about the more experimental OU812 work ". It starts with the "mighty grooving opener Seventh Seal, " which is " Poundcake revisited" - and continues "until the final sentimentality Feelin ". In between there is “tried and tested”: Not Enough is “the big teardrop driver ”, Can't Stop Loving You “old school radio food”, aftershock as well as Amsterdam “glorious stadium rock”, Big Fat Money “the quick puller”, Baluchitherium “the superb one Instrumental ”, Take Me Back “ the number that most reminds you of Sammy's solo work. ”So the album“ Van Halen ”offers exactly what you want it to be.
Balance was in the United States three months after the release already double platinum and until today (2020) with three platinum records excellent, last reached the album on May 12, 2004, as well as all the band's albums, topped the previously recorded with Hagar US Album charts . The Seventh Seal in 1996 for a Grammy in the category "Best Hard Rock performance" nominated , but lost Spin The Black Circle by Pearl Jam .
literature
- Red - My Uncensored Life in Rock by Sammy Hagar, HarperCollins 2011, ISBN 978-0-06-200928-9 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ award database of the RIAA , accessed on July 1, 2020
- ↑ Van Halen nominations and awards list on grammy.com , accessed June 21, 2020
- ↑ a b c Sammy Hagar: Red - My Uncensored Life in Rock , HarperCollins, 2011
- ↑ Sammy Hagar in an interview with Metal Hammer, issue 2.1995, page 45
- ↑ a b Metal Hammer, issue 2.1995, page 45
- ^ Van Halen - Balance (1995, Warner Brothers, 45760) . stevelukather.net. Archived from the original on May 4, 2004.
- ↑ Metal Hammer, No. 1.1995, page 6
- ↑ udiscovermusic.com , accessed July 1, 2020
- ↑ Chart sources: UK US DE
- ↑ Metal Hammer, issue 02.1995, page 53
- ↑ Review from issue 93 on rockhard.de , accessed on July 1, 2020
- ↑ award database of the RIAA , accessed on July 1, 2020
- ↑ Van Halen nominations and awards list on grammy.com , accessed June 21, 2020
Web links
- Balance at Discogs
- Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do) on YouTube , accessed July 1, 2020.
- Can't Stop Lovin 'You on YouTube , accessed July 1, 2020.
- Amsterdam on YouTube , accessed July 1, 2020.
- Not Enough on YouTube , accessed July 1, 2020.