Some debates will never be settled. Like, is it better to have the edge of a toilet paper roll in front of or behind the rest of the roll? What animal makes a better pet, dogs or cats? Another one of these unanswerable questions: Was Van Halen better with David Lee Roth or on lead vocals?
On Friday, Rhino Records will release a five-LP Van Halen box set called 鈥淭he Collection ll.鈥� It encompasses the four studio albums on which Hagar sang (1986鈥檚 鈥�5150,鈥� 1988鈥檚 鈥淥U812鈥�, 1991鈥檚 鈥淔or Unlawful Carnal Knowledge鈥�, and 1995鈥檚 鈥淏alance.") The fifth is a disc of rarities including instrumentals, B-sides, and song that were once only available as bonus tracks.
It follows 鈥淭he Collection,鈥� released in 2015, a box set of Roth-era Van Halen.
Simply put, the four albums that make up 鈥淭he Collection ll鈥� are some of the best rock 'n' roll made during the 1980s and 鈥�90s (and a hot minute in 2004), chock full of hits and memorable deep tracks created during what certainly sounds like the most motivated period of this legendary band鈥檚 career.
Hagar audaciously announces his presence in an a capella 鈥淗ello, baaaaaaybeee!鈥� greeting at the start of 鈥淕ood Enough,鈥� kicking off the 鈥�5150鈥� album. It was his first with Van Halen and remains one of the band's best 鈥� and best-selling 鈥� albums, with mega-hits including 鈥淲hy Can't This Be Love,鈥� 鈥淒reams,鈥� 鈥淟ove Walks In鈥� and 鈥淏est of Both Worlds,鈥� all of which dominated rock radio for years.
鈥淥U812,鈥� the cleverly titled follow-up, is every bit as good as 鈥�5150,鈥� and finds Hagar and guitarist delving even more deeply into keyboard-heavy hits, like 鈥淲hen It's Love.鈥� It also includes the twangy guitar hit 鈥淔inish What Ya Started,鈥� and the bruising 鈥淏lack and Blue,鈥� along with some of throughout the album.
鈥淔or Unlawful Carnal Knowledge鈥� and 鈥淏alance鈥� complete the studio portion of the box set, including the hits 鈥淧oundcake,鈥� 鈥淩unaround,鈥� 鈥淩ight Now,鈥� and 鈥淭op of the World,鈥� on the former; 鈥淐an't Stop Lovin' You鈥� and 鈥淒on't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)" on the latter.
Rarities include a cover of Little Feat鈥檚 鈥淎 Apolitical Blues鈥� and the instrumental 鈥淏aluchitherium,鈥� which were originally left off the vinyl versions of 鈥淥U812鈥� and 鈥淏alance,鈥� respectively.
鈥淐rossing Over,鈥� a B-side track, is spellbinding. Two tracks from the soundtrack to the 1996 thriller 鈥淭wister,鈥� 鈥淗umans Being鈥� and 鈥淩espect the Wind,鈥� are featured next to 鈥淚t鈥檚 About Time,鈥� 鈥淯p for Breakfast鈥� and 鈥淟earning to See,鈥� which were recorded during the band鈥檚 temporary reunion with Hagar in 2004. They also appeared on Van Halen鈥檚 second greatest hits collection, 鈥淭he Best of Both Worlds" in the same year.
As they say, the hits just keep coming.
___
AP music reviews:
Wayne Parry, The Associated Press
