Van Halen - Diver Down

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Free Music Notes for Diver Down

Free Music Review: A misunderstood classic!
Hit: 5 Stars

The thing about Van Halen doing cover versions is that their choices are alternately predictable (the Kinks' "Where Have All The Good Times Gone") and very quirky and offbeat (Martha & the Vandells' "Dancing In The Street", Roy Rogers & Dale Evans' "Happy Trails", Roy Orbison's "(Oh!) Pretty Woman", the obscure ragtime number "Big Bad Bill"), but always very well done. By opening the album with another Kinks cover, the band definitely set themselves up for a major attack by critics, but the fact is this song is a great party tune and sets the tone for a killer album. "Hang `Em High" is the album's hardest rocker, a noisy punkish tune that nicely offsets the more melodic WHATGTG.

"Cathedral", a subdued and spooky Eddie instrumental that continues the roller coaster of mood shifts. I always assumed this tune sounded so weird because it was recorded backwards, but then I saw him play it in concert and was proven wrong (you can hear parts of it on "316" from "Live: Right Here Right Now"). "Secrets" is an unusually mellow pop rocker which also fits nicely in the tapestry of the record. The medley of "Intruder/(Oh) Pretty Woman" is definitely a fan favorite whether the band likes it or not (despite being a Top 20 hit, the band refused to put it or anything else from this record on their greatest hits album), and I don't care what anyone sez, their remake of "Dancing In The Street" is one of the greatest things they've ever done. The bubbling guitar work (or is it a synthesizer?!?) on that song is incredible, it's a classic song that they only improved on by giving it a whole new funky vibe. "Little Guitars (intro)/Little Guitars" is another minor classic in the band's canon, a great melody with great singalong verses.

"Big Bad Bill" is just bizarre, but at the same time, look how well they pulled off that jazz/ragtime sound! You could play this song for an old-timer along with the Beatles' "When I'm Sixty-Four" and give them a newfound respect for rock musicians. Dave's 1940's whiskey-soaked barroom blues vocal delivery, Eddie's taut and simple guitar chords, and Alex's brushwork all contribute to the song's vibe, as does Jan Van Halen's clarinet. It's obviously meant to be very tongue-in-cheek, but just try playing it without singing along after a few listens.

"The Full Bug" is the least distinct of the album's four originals, but it's still a cool blues workout that starts out soft (works great coming immediately after the equally soft "Big Bad Bill") then really kicks into a full-on jam. The closing a capella version of "Happy Trails" is just plain silly, but to me this song along with "Big Bad Bill" is classic David Lee Roth and demonstrates one of his main contributions to the band - his wonderful sense of humor (which unforunately never matured with age and is now annoying as hell). It was an attitude that was sorely missing during the Hagar years, good as they were.

This was an oft-listened-to album for many people in the early 80's. Friends of mine often regard this as VH's third best, right behind their debut and "1984". In many ways it's their most "fun" album since it obviously doesn't take itself too seriously. So never mind all the critcial backlash against it here, pick it up, this album is classic Van Halen!

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