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Audience 8.8 - Quite the find! This is a strong and clear tape, although I sense the taper is quite new at it because for starters he manages only part of the show (although it’s most of the show) and second he says things (he’s clear on the recording, but thankfully not too chatty) that indicate he’s a noob. The audience around him gets into the show but are not overly intrusive in the recording. I found the guitar solo portion of the show to be the most electric as it sounds so close and clear…very cool! I like the I’m So Glad/Somebody Get Me A Doctor combo because it is one of those rare improvisational moments that you don’t know where it will go. Taper loves to stop and start too close to the songs sometimes cutting off endings it’s infuriating (and again indicates he’s a beginner) but thanks go to him for doing this one regardless. Van Halen Riverside Centroplex Baton Rouge, Louisiana November 26, 1982 1. Hang 'Em High 2. Cathedral - Secrets 3. Everybody Wants Some! 4. Dance The Night Away 5. Somebody Get Me a Doctor 6. Ice Cream Man 7. Intruder - Pretty Woman 8. Eruption 9. Ain't Talkin 'Bout Love 10. Bottom's Up 11. You Really Got Me -
Studio Quality 9.3 - Astounding and revelatory, this is indispensable to anyone who remotely appreciated rock and roll music…regardless of the association with band members named Van Halen…I am saying that if you like rock and roll music this stuff is essential listening. Now, if you were a fan of the Van Halen brand rock sound, well, yeah it is kinda obvious how important these demos are and this collection features them in excellent quality. Van Halen 'Before The Eruption' Studio & Rehearsal Recordings Gene Simmons Demos 1976 & Warner Bros. Demos 1977 Disc 1 01 - Intro 02 - On Fire 03 - Woman In Love 04 - House Of Pain 05 - Runnin' With The Devil 06 - She's The Woman 07 - Let's Get Rockin' 08 - Big Trouble 09 - Somebody Get Me A Doctor 10 - Babe, Don't Leave Me Alone 11 - Put Out The Lights 12 - Let's Get Rockin' 13 - We Die Bold 14 - Voodoo Queen 15 - Little Dreamer 16 - House Of Pain 17 - Runnin' With The Devil 18 - On Fire 19 - Babe, Don't Leave Me Alone 20 - Bring On The Girls 21 - Young & Wild 22 - Last Night 23 - Light In The Sky 24 - Get The Show On The Road Disc 2 01 - D.O.A. 02 - Somebody Get Me A Doctor 03 - Show Your Love 04 - She's The Woman 05 - Put Out The Lights 06 - Big Trouble 07 - I Wanna Be Your Lover 08 - Feel Your Love Tonight 09 - In A Simple Rhyme 10 - Piece Of Mind 11 - You Really Got Me 12 - Happy Trails 13 - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love 14 - House Of Pain 15 - Runnin' With The Devil 16 - On Fire Rehearsals From Pasadena Convention Center, October 15, 1977 17 - On Fire 18 - Voodoo Queen 19 - Atomic Queen 20 - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love 21 - On Fire Disc 1 Tracks 12-24 Disc 2 Tracks 1-12 are from the 1977 demo produced by Ted Templeman and Mo Ostin for Warner Bros. in Los Angeles late 1977. Disc 2 Tracks 13-16 are unused sessions and alternate takes. Disc 2 Tracks 17-21 are rehearsals from Pasadena, Ca. USA Convention Center October 15, 1977 -
Soundboard 8.7 - The only flaw with this tape is that it features a typical video compression type sound but the mastering job mitigated a lot of that so that the sound does breathe a bit more. It’s still very good, a little rough maybe but I take it and I am happy with it especially if nothing else because all instruments are present, the bass work is surprisingly defined in this mix…I can actually hear individual notes being played and my goodness Michael Anthony was a boss! Van Halen Poliedro de Caracas Caracas, Venezuela 1983-01-16 01. Romeo Delight 02. Unchained - Drum Solo 03. The Full Bug 04. Runnin' With The Devil 05. Jamie's Cryin' 06. Little Guitars 07. Dance The Night Away 08. Somebody Get Me A Doctor (Incl. I'm So Glad) 09. Little Dreamer 10. Mean Street 11. Secrets 12. Everybody Wants Some!! 13. Ice Cream Man 14. Intruder 15. (Oh) Pretty Woman 16. Eruption 17. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love 18. Bottoms Up! 19. You Really Got Me David Lee Roth: Vocals Edward Van Halen: Guitars, Backing Vocals Michael Anthony: Bass, Backing Vocals Alex Van Halen: Drums -
Audience 8.7 - One of those tapes that you have to force yourself past the first song which gets mauled as the taper seemingly works to find his spot and get all his shit together…but then it just opens up to a much better experience. It kind of feels like going from the mud puddle to a waterfall, but in reality the tape is still only a little above average – but muddy it is not and that is great news to Van Halen collectors who seek every DLR recording in existence. Van Halen Rosemont Horizon Chicago, IL. 1984-03-13 Disc 1 01. -Unchained 02. -Hot For Teacher 03. -Drum Solo 04. -On Fire 05. -Running With The Devil 06. -Little Guitars 07. -Cathedral 08. -House Of Pain 09. -Bass Solo 10. -Jamie's Crying 11. -I'll Wait 12. -Keyboard Solo Disc 2 13. -Everybody Wants Some 14. -Girl Gone Bad 15. -1984 16. -Jump 17. -Guitar Solo 18. -Oh, Pretty Woman 19. -Panama 20. -You Really Got Me 21. -Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love -
Audience 8.7 - This recording is one of those that initially has you thinking “ok, good but not great” but seriously, let it play. It is a LOUD tape, yes, sometimes bordering on distortion in the upper mid frequencies, yes – but when you get to Unchained there are moments where you completely get on board with this one. Trust me. It has a magic element to it despite being a little overloaded. I got sucked into it big time and my ears adjusted after only one song, after that it was tons of fun and the tape is close up and bristling with unbelievable electric energy. In other words – this was a total blast! Van Halen Brendan Byrne Arena Meadowlands East Rutherford, New Jersey November 15, 1982 Disc 1 1. -Romeo Delight 2. -Unchained 3. -Drum Solo 4. -The Full Bug 5. -Runnin' With the Devil 6. -Jamie's Cryin' 7. -Little Guitars 8. -Where Have All the Good Times Gone 9. -Bass Solo 10. -Hang 'Em High 11. -Cathedral Disc 2 12. -Secrets - Everybody Wants Some!! 13. -Dance the Night Away 14. -Somebody Get Me a Doctor 15. -Ice Cream Man 16. -Intruder 17. -Oh, Pretty Woman 18. -Guitar Solo 19. -Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love 20. -Bottoms Up! 21. -You Really Got Me -
Audience 8.7 - A raucous affair this one, the music is recorded very well, on excellent gear, but the stage mix is not ideal, but I am going to be critical mainly because I don’t like where the guitars are in the sound mix. The music is hot, not only performance wise but also on the tape itself, it’s pushing the meters to the breaking point…but it doesn’t break…much. There’s some “noise” somewhere in it, it’s not bad, it’s not a deal breaker, but I can tell it is there and I think it’s just some minor breakup in one band somewhere in the mid range. All in all, this is a pretty good one to get. Van Halen Selland Arena Fresno, CA September 5, 1982 Disc 1 Total Time: 59:08 1. -Romeo Delight 4:15 2. -Unchained 4:00 3. -Drum Solo 3:00 4. -The Full Bug 3:40 5. -Runnin' With The Devil 3:20 6. -Dave Raps 4:07 7. -Jamie's Cryin' 3:30 8. -Little Guitars 4:30 9. -Where Have All The Good Times Gone 3:31 10. -Bass Solo 4:04 11. -Hang 'em High 3:20 12. -Cathedral 1:54 13. -Secrets 3:15 14. -Everybody Wants Some 12:36 Disc 2 Total Time: 56:44 1. -Dance The Night Away 3:14 2. -Somebody Get Me A Doctor - I'm So Glad 6:00 3. -Ice Cream Man 9:41 4. -Intruder 1:54 5. -(Oh) Pretty Woman 3:06 6. -Guitar Solo (Pt. I) 7:03 7. -Guitar Solo (Pt. II) 2:23 8. -D.O.A. 3:51 9. -Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love 7:00 9. -Bottoms Up 4:20 10. -You Really Got Me - Happy Trails 8:06 -
Audience 8.2 - Not the best tape by any stretch but it’s also a scarcity…very few World Invasion Tour tapes survive and this one does have a couple of things going for it –first, it is NOT muddy! It’s not distinctive, but that is not the same as muddiness. It’s a “clear” tape that is just not from close up, and is not done on professional gear. I started listening to this thinking “oh man” but believe it or not you will find a reason to continue on through the whole show, especially when Dave rants about his little problem in Cincinnati the night before. Van Halen Lee County Arena Fort Myers, FL August 8, 1980 World Invasion Tour 1. -Romeo Delight 2. -Bottoms Up - Alex Van Halen Drum Solo 3. -Runnin' With The Devil 4. -Loss of Control 5. -Take Your Whiskey Home 6. -Dance The Night Away 7. -Women In Love 8. -Jamie's Crying 9. -Bright Lights, Big City 10. -Everybody Wants Some!! 11. -And The Cradle Will Rock... 12. -Edward Van Halen Guitar Solo 13. -Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love 14. -Ice Cream Man 15. -You Really Got Me -
Audience 8.7 A real surprise here because when I first came across this one I assumed it would be crap. Why had I not heard of it before if it was good? Well, sometimes stuff just slips through the cracks I guess. Anyway what I am saying is that this is quite good, I began listening and made it through to the end and was thinking “this is a real find”. Van Halen Market Square Arena Indianapolis, IN. July 6th, 1984 Disc 1 - 62:37 1. Unchained 4:35 2. Hot For Teacher 8:03 3. On Fire 3:09 4. Running With The Devil 6:19 5. Little Guitars 4:48 6. Cathedral - House Of Pain 12:03 7. Jamie's Cryin' 3:24 8. I'll Wait 4:44 9. Everybody Wants Some 15:32 Disc 2 - 51:37 1. Girl Gone Bad 6:15 2. 1984 0:53 3. Jump 4:33 4. Guitar Solo 16:12 5. Pretty Woman 3:02 6. Panama 5:25 7. You Really Got Me 9:16 8. Ain't Talkin''Bout Love 6:01 -
Montreal Audience 8.9 - One of the very best audience recordings from this tour, and ad to that the fact that this is sourced directly from a new 24/96 transfer and has been remastered (16/44) and has never sounded better. Toronto Soundboard 9.4 - another recently discovered (and rare as hen's teeth) board tape from a tour that did not see many board tapes. So, it's not just that it has taken decades for this to be discovered, but that it is an outstanding board tape...it's just too unbelievable to fathom how suddenly there now appears three 1982 soundboards from out of nowhere.
Van Halen Montreal Forum Montreal, Quebec, Canada 27. October 1982 Disc 1 01. Intro 02. Romeo Delight 03. Unchained 04. Drum Solo 05. The Full Bug 06. Runnin' With The Devil 07. Jamie's Cryin' 09. Where Have All The Good Times Gone! 10. Bass Solo 11. Hang 'Em High 12. Cathedral 13. Secrets 14. Drum Solo II 15. Everybody Wants Some!! 16. Dave's Talking 17. Everybody Wants Some!! (Reprise) Disc 2 18. Dance The Night Away 19. Somebody Get Me A Doctor (incl. I'm So Glad) 20. Ice Cream Man 21. Intruder 22. Oh, Pretty Woman 23. Guitar Solo 24. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love 25. Bottoms Up! 26. You Really Got Me 27. Happy Trails 28. You Really Got Me (Reprise) 29. CHOM FM Radio Advert Disc 3 Van Halen Maple Leaf Gardens Toronto, Ontario 26 October 1982 01 Intro 02 Romeo Delight 03 Unchained 04 Drum Solo 05 The Full Bug 06 Runnin' With The Devil 07 Jamie's Cryin' 08 Little Guitars 09 Where Have All The Good Times Gone! 10 Bass Solo 11 Hang 'Em High 12 Cathedral 13 Secrets 14 Drum Solo II 15 Everybody Wants Some!! 16 Everybody Wants Some!! (Reprise) Disc 4 17 Dance The Night Away 18 Somebody Get Me A Doctor - I'm So Glad 19 Dave Acoustic Solo 20 Intruder 21 Pretty Woman 22 Guitar Solo 23 Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love 24 Bottoms Up! 25 You Really Got Me 26 Happy Trails 27 You Really Got Me (Reprise) -
Audience 8.7 - For me, this tape was completely unknown. So, hearing it for the first time I was very excited because it’s a very comfortable sounding tape. The dynamics may be a little bunched up right in the middle but the frequency range here, going from lows to highs, is very comfortable to the ears. It’s also taped somewhat close to the stage, unlike the Fresno tapes which are good but a bit distant. I compare because the dynamics are similar. A good one for sure! VAN HALEN CITY HALL NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND UK JUNE-26-1979 THE BAND EDDIE VAN HALEN GUITAR ALEX VAN HALEN DRUMS MICHAREL ANTHONY BASS VOCALS DAVID LEE ROTH VOCALS CD 1 1 -INTRO - LIGHT UP THE SKY 2 -SOMEBODY GET ME A DOCTOR - DRUM SOLO 3 -RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL 4 -DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY 5 -BEAUTIFUL GIRLS 6 -ON FIRE - BASS SOLO 7 -YOUR NO GOOD 8 -JAMIES CRYIN' 9 -FEEL YOUR LOVE TONIGHT CD 2 1 -OUTTA LOVE AGAIN 2 -ICE CREAM MAN 3 -AIN'T TALKING ABOUT LOVE 4 -GUITAR SOLO - JAM 5 -YOU REALLY GOT ME 6 -BOTTOMS UP 7 -ATOMIC PUNK -
Audience 8.8 - This is NOT the Monsters of Rock show, it’s actually the last DLR (classic era) show and it’s pretty good! It’s not super close up or terribly far from stage, seems to be in a nice spot and everything is clear with decent dynamics. Now, it’s a recording from a rowdy crowd but even with that I felt they did not ruin this or intrude unnecessarily – in fact it seemed they wanted to listen to the band and not hold conversations or stupid hooting and whistling during songs. Fantastic! Van Halen Stadion am Dutzendteich Nurnberg, Germany 1984-09-02 Disc 1 01. -Unchained 02. -Hot For Teacher 03. -Drum Solo 04. -On Fire 05. -Running With The Devil 06. -Little Guitars 07. -House Of Pain 08. -Bass Solo 09. -I'll Wait 10. -Everybody Wants Some Disc 2 11. -Oh, Pretty Woman 12. -1984 13. -Jump 14. -Guitar Solo 15. -Panama 16. -You Really Got Me 17. -Happy Trails - You Really Got Me (reprise) -
Audience 8.8 – This is NOT the Monsters of Rock show, it’s actually the last DLR (classic era) show and it’s pretty good! It’s not super close up or terribly far from stage, seems to be in a nice spot and everything is clear with decent dynamics. Now, it’s a recording from a rowdy crowd but even with that I felt they did not ruin this or intrude unnecessarily – in fact it seemed they wanted to listen to the band and not hold conversations or stupid hooting and whistling during songs. Fantastic! Van Halen Stadion am Dutzendteich Nurnberg, Germany 1984-09-02 Disc 1 01. -Unchained 02. -Hot For Teacher 03. -Drum Solo 04. -On Fire 05. -Running With The Devil 06. -Little Guitars 07. -House Of Pain 08. -Bass Solo 09. -I’ll Wait 10. -Everybody Wants Some Disc 2 11. -Oh, Pretty Woman 12. -1984 13. -Jump 14. -Guitar Solo 15. -Panama 16. -You Really Got Me 17. -Happy Trails – You Really Got Me (reprise) Disc 3 Single cam (on stage) video w/sound. DVD -
Soundboard 9.0 - Perhaps you have a Van Halen Osaka 1979 CD in your collection, please, go and check the date on it because this show is from September 11 and NOT the previous night which is an audience tape of average quality. This my friends is a fresh new transfer and re-mastering of a great sounding show! Van Halen Furitsu Taiikukan Osaka Japan September 11th, 1979 Disc 1 01 Intro 02 Light Up The Sky 03 Somebody Get Me A Doctor 04 Drum Solo 05 Runnin' With The Devil 06 Dave Talks To Osaka 07 Dance The Night Away 08 Beautiful Girls 09 On Fire 10 Bass Solo 11 You're No Good 12 Jamie's Cryin' 13 Osaka Gypsy Woman Blues Disc 2 14 Feel Your Love Tonight 15 Outta Love Again 16 Ice Cream Man 17 Ain't Talkin''Bout Love 18 Spanish Fly - Eruption 19 You Really Got Me 20 Bottoms Up! 21 Atomic Punk David Lee Roth Edward Van Halen Michael Anthony Alex Van Halen -
Audience 8.7 - A rip-roaring blast of a tape! First thing you are going to think after maybe 1 minute is how dejected Montrose and Journey must have been after following the ascending Van Halen. Man, I felt bad for them and this show happened decades ago! It’s just the sonic equivalent of a shooting star, Eddie is blistering and hits every note with perfection, the bass is detailed and not just a booming thud, drums are OK and DLR is a little behind the band but who cares? The taper did a fine job, some minor hiccups every now and then but thankfully very few to deal with and they don’t last long. I am liking this show and the tape is just fine for its age. A keeper! Van Halen Tower Theater Upper Darby, Pennsylvania March 24, 1978 1. On Fire 2. I’m The One 3. Bass Solo 4. Runnin’ With The Devil 5. Atomic Punk 6. Drum Solo/Little Dreamer 7. Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love 8. Eruption/Guitar Solo 9. You Really Got Me 10. Ice Cream Man Notes: Van Halen opening for Montrose and Journey as they made their way out of Southern California. The tour opened in Chicago on March 3. This is the first recording from that tour. -
Audience 8.6 - By all accounts, this is a real find! First, you get a rare tape that only recently has surfaced, and then it's from a poorly documented tour AND best of all it sounds pretty decent! It's just a great day to be a DLR era Van Halen collector.
VAN HALEN 1980 World Invasion Tour / Women and Children First San Antonio Convention Center Arena San Antonio, TX August 27, 1980 Disc 1 01. Romeo Delight 02. Bottoms Up! 03. Drum Solo 04. Runnin' With The Devil 05. Dave talks 06. Tora! Tora! - Loss of Control 07. Take Your Whiskey Home 08. Dance The Night Away 09. Women in Love 10. Jamie's Cryin' Disc 2 11. Bright Lights, Big City 12. Everybody Wants Some!! 13. And The Cradle Will Rock... 14. Guitar Solo 15. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love 16. Ice Cream Man (Encore) Van Halen: David Lee Roth - Lead vocals, Acoustic guitar Eddie Van Halen - Guitar, Backing vocals Michael Anthony - Bass, Keyboards, Backing vocals Alex Van Halen - Drums -
Soundboard 8.8 - a rather dusty old tape but oh how glorious it is! So many years later and this unpolished gem finally surfaces! You can tell it's age, sure, but the bones are all here and the band is ferocious. Opening for Black Sabbath, yeah, they had to bring it and history knows the rest. The inclusion of the recently surfaced film footage adds to the excitement of these finds, even if the footage is not the same San Diego show of the same year. Van Halen San Diego Sports Arena San Diego, California December 3rd, 1978 01. I'm On Fire 02. I'm The One 03. Bass Solo 04. Runnin' With The Devil 05. Atomic Punk 06. Drum Solo 07. Jamie's Cryin' 08. Ice Cream Man 09. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love 10. Eruption 11. You Really Got Me Bonus Disc Pro Shot film footage San Diego 07-08-78