OU812 Appreciation Thread (and other Van Halen worship allowed)

[KevShmev]

We can praise all things Van Halen if we want, but I wanted to start an appreciation thread specifically for OU812.  Seems like it is always the red-headed step child of the Van Hagar era, but while it wasn't a favorite of mine for a long time, I love it now, and listen to it nowadays as much as any VH album (of any era).

[TAC]

As much as I like the general heaviness of For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, OU812 has always been my favorite Van Hagar album. To me it's the one Van Hagar album that feels like a DLR Era album.

[Cool Chris]

Was never a big VH fan, but remember owning this cassette (other than the debut which I eventually got on CD - it is the only VH album I've ever owned) and played it quite a bit. Loved all the MTV play When It's Love got.

[SystematicThought]

Second favorite Sammy album. This one is a lot of fun. It feels like they are just letting loose, Sammy and Eddie were at the peak of their friendship, writing on Sammy’s patio at night, making some great music. I love Black and Blue and AFU, and Feels So Good. Actually, I kinda like the darkness of Mine All Mine. The only weak link on the album for me is Sucker in a Three Piece, and even that one isn’t bad.

[Volante99]

I love 5150/OU812/F.U.C.K.

I would agree OU812 sounds like it would have fit in during the Roth era. Fun album!!

Also Van Hagar is great workout music for me.

[SoundscapeMN]

fun album!

Feels So Good 

[bl5150]

Good album and IMHO the last one where Ed conisistently had the real fire (and variety) in his lead work that carried over from the Roth era.  I was obsessed with VH at the time this came out and gravitated towards the heavier tracks such as AFU , Mine All Mine and Sucker..........a few fillers but a nice , varied album really.    I understand why people might consider Sucker a throwaway but I loved the fun vibe and the solo is absolute classic Ed , extracting every last squeal out of his guitar.  On subsequent albums Ed was often just recycling a bunch of pretty basic blues licks in many of his solos , with some obvious exceptions (Pleasure Dome , Feelin etc..).

I do wish the intro to Mine All Mine had a bit bigger sound , I thought that was pretty awesome but just lacking some balls.

I actually much prefer it to F.U.C.K. and it's probably the last album of theirs I would listen to without skipping tracks , although Source of Infection might tempt me 

[SystematicThought]

You mention Pleasure Dome and to me, that is one Van Halen song I wish more people knew about. So awesome. The solo is one of my favorites of the Hagar era. No clue what the hell the song is about, but I love it

Isn’t OU812 also the last Hagar album where the band liked each other? I seem to remember reading in Red that after the OU812 tour, that’s where they started to not get along because Sammy wanted a break after that album.

[Kwyjibo]

Good record that would be even better if you could hear Michael Anthony.

I especially like Mine All Mine, AFU and Feels So Good. Some variety on that record but (as always) some filler with mainly Source Of Infection and to a degree Sucker In A 3 Piece.

Good album and IMHO the last one where Ed conisistently had the real fire (and variety) in his lead work that carried over from the Roth era.

To each his own but I respectfully disagree, in my opinion on F.U.C.K. EVH knocks it out of the park with his guitar work and is showing why he is one of the most influential guitar player.

[Mladen]

I'll contribute by saying Finish what ya started is one of my favorite Hagar era songs. 

[Max Kuehnau]

I loved the album right away when I listened to it for the first time as a child and I actually love all their albums, because the key to a good VH album (to me) is Eddie and Alex, not so much the singers. (although Sammy had a different vocal style from DLR and Gary Cherone, almost similar to Robert Plant in some ways)

[Max Kuehnau]

Good record that would be even better if you could hear Michael Anthony.

I especially like Mine All Mine, AFU and Feels So Good. Some variety on that record but (as always) some filler with mainly Source Of Infection and to a degree Sucker In A 3 Piece.

Good album and IMHO the last one where Ed conisistently had the real fire (and variety) in his lead work that carried over from the Roth era.

To each his own but I respectfully disagree, in my opinion on F.U.C.K. EVH knocks it out of the park with his guitar work and is showing why he is one of the most influential guitar player.

you can hear him well (given that you use a good set of headphones) and yes, Eddie hits a home run on Fuck (everyone does actually IMHO), but IMHO Eddie had always been great on every VH album.

[devieira73]

Very good album and Mine All Mine always was an incredible and a very unique song to me. That solo is so cool - drumwork behind it included 

[Stadler]

I know the song itself is sort of a cliche now, but the "take me down!" part of Cabo Wabo is Van Halen sugar at it's most distilled.  I love that song.  I thing "Carnal Knowledge..." is the better album artistically, but I am more connected to OU812; that's the tour I first saw Van Halen (one of the worst opening acts I've ever seen.    Dead silent crowd until the singer - a woman - sarcastically kissed the... I think it was the keyboard player - also a woman - and the crowd gave a half-assed cheer.  But I digress.)

This was the setlist:

A.F.U. (Naturally Wired)
There's Only One Way to Rock
Summer Nights
Panama
Bass Solo
Runnin' With the Devil
Why Can't This Be Love
Mine All Mine
Drum Solo
You Really Got Me
Finish What Ya Started
5150
When It's Love
Eagles Fly
I Can't Drive 55
Best of Both Worlds
Guitar Solo
Black and Blue
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love

Encore:
Cabo Wabo
Rock and Roll

[KevShmev]

I heartily disagree with anyone calling Source of Infection filler or anything of the sort.  That song is all kinds of fun, and pretty much sums up Van Halen in a nutshell: it rocks, it's about girls (sex), and Eddie's guitar is center stage.

[jingle.boy]

I had just started to come in to my own in '87 as far as transitioning to rock music as my preferred tastes.  It took me sometime to latch on to 5150/Van Hagar, but when I did, this was the first album of VH's where I was a fan on release day.  I could easily put this ahead of F.U.C.K. and Balance as my 2nd favorite Hagar-era album.  No clunkers here at all.

And I'm with Kev... Source of Infection is all kinds of awesome.

[Samsara]

You mention Pleasure Dome and to me, that is one Van Halen song I wish more people knew about. So awesome. The solo is one of my favorites of the Hagar era. No clue what the hell the song is about, but I love it

Fantastic song on my favorite Van Halen record. OU812 is ok. I think the mix and production is of the time, and sorta poor, which mars it to my ears. But some real good tunes on there.

[Grappler]

You mention Pleasure Dome and to me, that is one Van Halen song I wish more people knew about. So awesome. The solo is one of my favorites of the Hagar era. No clue what the hell the song is about, but I love it

Fantastic song on my favorite Van Halen record. OU812 is ok. I think the mix and production is of the time, and sorta poor, which mars it to my ears. But some real good tunes on there.

The drum sound to me is very, very dated.  But I love a lot of the songs on the album. 

My favorite OU812 memory is from 7 years ago.  Cabo San Lucas was a dream vacation for my wife - she was such a huge Sammy fan and always wanted to go to Cabo after falling in love with the song on OU812.  So we booked a 5-day trip to Cabo and went in 2013.  I was laying out by the pool at the resort in Cabo San Lucas, drinking way too many margaritas (all inclusive!) listening to this album.  Hearing Mine All Mine always reminds me of that trip and laying out in the sun in Mexico.

[Stadler]

I'll cop to having listened to Cabo Wabo in Cabo San Lucas as well.  Tourist!    Haha.  Beautiful place, though; I can see why Sam decided to live there (we passed his house at one point; lights were on!).  The best scuba diving I've personally ever done.

[KevShmev]

And I'm with Kev... Source of Infection is all kinds of awesome.

 

[TAC]

Thirded.

[WilliamMunny]

While far from a perfect album, the highs on Balance are so freakin' high. It's a damn shame a 5th Sammy album never materialized.

[SystematicThought]

I was really proud/disappointed in myself that I was able to sing along to all of Source of Infection awhile back while driving, including all of Sammy’s “Whoas” “Whoops” and “Say what?!”

I do like that one. It’s like Get Up for me from 5150. Just good fun on a track

[KevShmev]

While far from a perfect album, the highs on Balance are so freakin' high. It's a damn shame a 5th Sammy album never materialized.

Balance does have some great tunes, like The Seventh Seal, Take Me Back and Feelin', but it also has a few tunes that, while not bad, are ones I don't care if I ever hear again.  Plus, Sammy's voice sounded blown out on that album, which I always thought was the result of touring non-stop on Carnal Knowledge and then the live album for several years straight.  He sounded pretty weary as well on his first solo album post-VH, Marching to Mars, which I still like quite a bit regardless. 

I was really proud/disappointed in myself that I was able to sing along to all of Source of Infection awhile back while driving, including all of Sammy’s “Whoas” “Whoops” and “Say what?!”

I do like that one. It’s like Get Up for me from 5150. Just good fun on a track

Get Up is a good one as well.  Just a fun little rocker.

[hefdaddy42]

I really love all of the Hagar VH albums.  OU812 in particular is fantastic, and often overlooked.

I have a particular hard spot in my heart for Sucker in a 3 Piece.

[KevShmev]

Ah, Sucker in a 3 Piece...another fun little rocker.  I am sensing a trend. 

[King Postwhore]

Of the 4 albums it's ranks 3rd out of 4 for me.

[KevShmev]

Of the 4 albums it's ranks 3rd out of 4 for me.

I sense a lack of appreciation in the above post. 

[TAC]

Listening to Power Windows during this time period will do that to a person.

[DragonAttack]

VH cancelled a couple of Michigan shows during the OU812 tour, so I ended up taking my future wife late on to Auburn Hills.

So, so, so disappointed during the Carnal Knowledge tour stop that seven tracks from that album were played (and on the 'Right Here' live release), and that they didn't play or include 'Back In Black'.  The amount of times we threw a quarter in the jukebox after a softball game with the team and female friends was infinite.  That tune is my album closer.  Thank goodness I found the Tokyo live version.  Such a fun, frickin' fun album.  'Finish What Ya Started' is such a hidden gem in the 'flow' of things.  'Mine All Mine'.....the lyrics still ring oh so sadly true today. 

It's what I was hoping Queen would have striven for more at that time, when supposedly, 'hard rock' was on its way out.  Yeah, right.

5150, OU812, and 'The Miracle' were my first three CD album purchases.  Damn, they sounded so good without the hint of vinyl crackling throughout

[bl5150]

So, so, so disappointed during the Carnal Knowledge tour stop that seven tracks from that album were played (and on the 'Right Here' live release), and that they didn't play or include 'Back In Black'. 

cos they're Van Halen? 

[TAC]

So, so, so disappointed during the Carnal Knowledge tour stop that seven tracks from that album were played (and on the 'Right Here' live release), and that they didn't play or include 'Back In Black'. 

cos they're Van Halen? 

 

[ronnibran]

I love the Hagar albums of Van Halen.  Not a huge DLR era fan, although I get why so many people are.  Of the Hagar albums, I'd rank them F.U.C.K ~= OU812 > 5150 ~= Balance.  First two listed are great, most songs I love mixed with some songs that are "good".  The other two albums both have some amazing songs and then other songs that I can live without.

Poundcake was my introduction to hard rock (actually that song and Def Leppard "Let's Get Rocked" both were, on the same occasion).  Not that I hadn't heard hard rock before, but that was when the switch was flipped.

[KevShmev]

It's still hard to believe that Black and Blue was a "one tour and done" song, but I get why they played so many Carnal Knowledge songs on the tours for that album and the RHRN live album; that album was hugely popular and had five songs that got heavy airplay on the radio.  Plus, there was so much time dedicated to solo spots (drum solos, guitar solo, bass solo, Sammy playing one or two solo songs) that it meant less regular songs.  Heck, When It's Love was a monster hit in 1988, yet I am pretty sure it wasn't played either time I saw them with Sammy (on the RHRN tour and then the Balance one).

[SystematicThought]

While we are mentioning the Right Here Right Now Tour, can we talk about how awful that live album and VHS/DVD were.

It was filmed over two nights and they used footage from both nights, so Sammy and Mike change clothes a lot of times from shot to shot. The CD has the looped audience cheer as well that is really annoying. Live Without A Net is way better.

Anyways, just went back and watched Black and Blue live in Tokyo in 89. I really like that version. The band really seems to be having a lot of fun as well and Alex had that huge 360 kit. Good times