Some non-single “deep cuts” not usually mentioned that I think are are rock masterpieces…mostly I’m surprised at how few duds they have, really high-quality albums with very little filler.
Fools
Drop Dead Legs
Atomic Punk
Sinner’s Swing
Girl Gone Bad
I also love their little whimsical acoustic numbers…
Big Bad Bill
Could This Be Love
Little Guitars
Little Guitars or Jump.
Assuming you aren’t joking, the line is ‘I seen a lot of people lookin for a moonbeam’.
Of course I only know that because I used to drink a lot.
Slee
I still have a hard time believing their first album dates from 1978, it sounds so mid-80s to me.
I think “Beautiful Girls” is their best, killer riff, and all the DLR mannerisms.
I once thought Roth was really obnoxious and thought Sammy Hagar “saved” Van Halen by making them a more serious band. I no longer think that…
It’s obviously one of the statements to be carefully examined by the preeminent philosophers of future generations.
I was joking- but even though I’ve seen the lyrics written out, it STILL sounds like Dave is singing “A dada beebee bobba wooky for a moopee.” Which makes about as much sense as the real lyric.
Dave is famous for forgetting lyrics, and either screaming, mumbling, making up new words, or skipping lines entirely when he does. And not just in concert- he’s often done so in the studio.
In “Pretty Woman,” he shortens Roy Orbison’s four-line bridge (“Cause I need you, I’ll treat you right. Come with me baby, be mine tonight”) down to just “Cause I need you, need you tonight.”
In “You’re No Good,” he changes “I’ll beg his forgiveness on bended knee; I wouldn’t blame him if he said to me…” into “Don’t come back, don’t come running to me. I wouldn’t blame them if they set you free.”
“Everybody Wants Some” and “Unchained”. I hear them and I’m back on the beach in Florida.
I thought about including that one. It’s not a great song, obviously, but I love it and always sing along when I hear it.
It’s one of the songs that ONLY Dave could have done right.
I’ve always been partial to House of Pain from 1984. It’s dark and sinister, and it’s also the last song on the last album from the David Lee Roth era. To me it signifies the end of that era.
I was gonna say Jump, but obviously, it’s Hot For Teacher.
Jump or Little Guitars.
Deep in my heart I know that there are a lot “better” DLR VH songs, but dagnabbit, this one is just my favorite.
Nailed it. Either this or Panama.
If it appeared on DAVE-TV, it was good.
More seriously, my favorites are Jump and Runnin’ With the Devil.
Everybody Wants Some was parodied many years ago by a local radio station (or maybe not, but it was parodied) into Everybody Wants Gum, and that’s all I hear when the original plays.
I’m gonna go with Panama.
Little Guitars or Take Your Whiskey Home.
Intruder/Pretty Woman.
Great post. Great song. Along with that I gotta throw another vote for HFT. But really there a so many great ones. I really thought they were hitting their stride with Mean Streets. Would have loved to see the follow up…
Also I heard Dave say in an interview this was an inspiration: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8b8isnhYMjg
