Alright, folks. Lemme get in here. The answer is the 1981 album Fair Warning. Everything from the cover art, to Eddie's dark tones, to their outfits on that tour, to the infamous Oakland Pro-shot show, Fair Warning was THE era of Roth-era Van Halen for me. Although it didn't have as many "hits" as say VH1 or 1984, I think that's what gives it its charm. "Here About It Later", "Sinner's Swing!", "So This is Love?", "Dirty Movies"!? C'MAHN game over, kids. It's an underdog record along with Diver Down (I will defend this record til the day I die). As a collective whole, I feel it's their best effort and one that really conveys a certain feeling and mood that the others don't quite get to for me anyway. There's a certain mystery to the record that still draws me in after all these years. I've been obsessed with this band for years and appreciate every record (yes, even VHIII) for each reason, but if we're talking Roth-era VH, Fair Warning is my choice.