Throwback Thursday: 5150, by Van Halen

 
In 1985 a big bombshell was dropped on the world of rock n' roll: singer David Lee Roth was quitting Van Halen. Many people were wondering what would happen next for the band considering the fact that the front man was so iconic, charismatic, and unique. Instead of calling it quits, Van Halen decided to hire on a new singer: former Montrose singer and successful solo artist Sammy Hagar. By early 1986 they had recorded and put out a brand new album that ended up becoming a big hit: 5150.

5150 still has many classic Van Halen nuances, but it definitely is more commercial pop rock oriented than their previous ventures. It is chocked full of love songs and ballads that skyrocketed up the charts; making the band the most successful commercially it had been than ever before. Tracks like Why Can't This Be Love, Dreams, Love Walks In, etc. became instant fan favorites and are still played consistently on rock radio stations to this day.

Summer Nights is one of the more classic Van Halen-ish tracks on 5150. It has a pretty steady groove, fun vibe, and some of Eddie Van Halen's signature guitar shredding. It's a track that gives you the feeling of driving a convertible down the highway on a warm breezy night in mid-summer with the wind whipping through your hair and your friends in the back seat. This song is the epitome of fun summer rock.

Why Can't This Be Love is one of the better love songs from Van Hagar. Its blend of guitar, talk box, and keys is seamless and creates a unique sound from all of the different layers stacked in it. The lyrics are a bit cheesy, but that's kind of to be expected from a commercial pop rock song from the 1980's. All that can be overlooked though because it's the powerful melodic delivery of those lyrics from Hagar that really gives the song that super sonic edge.

5150 is one of those albums that is beloved by Van Hagar fans but trashed by the classic Van Roth fans. It's understandable. It is a radical change in sound from what Van Halen fans were used to. The two line-ups really are almost two entirely different bands. However, if you can put all that aside and just enjoy the album for what it is, it is a pretty fun rock record. It gets a bit sappy at certain points, but the guitar shredding and powerful vocal deliveries are more than enough to compensate for all of that. It's worth having.

5150, by Van Halen recieves 4 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Good Enough
2. Why Can't This Be Love
3. Get Up
4. Dreams
5. Summer Nights
6. Best of Both Worlds
7. Love Walks In
8. 5150
9. Inside

Buy the album on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Van-Halen-5150/dp/B000002L99/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438917620&sr=8-1&keywords=5150