Fair Warning [Remaster]

Performer: Van Halen
Engineer: Donn Landee
Producer: Ted Templeman
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Van Halen: David Lee Roth (vocals); Eddie Van Halen (guitar, background vocals); Michael Anthony (bass, background vocals); Alex Van Halen (drums). Recorded in 1981. Digitally remastered by Chris Bellman. Also available with "Women And Children First" on 1 cassette. Van Halen: David Lee Roth (vocals); Edward Van Halen (guitar); Michael Anthony (electric bass); Alex Van Halen (drums). Of all the early Van Halen records, Fair Warning often gets overlooked -- partially because it's a dark, strange beast, partially because it lacks any song as purely fun as the hits from the first three records. Because of that, there were no hits from Fair Warning that turned into radio anthems; only "Unchained" and, to a lesser extent, the grinding opener, "Mean Street," rank among the group's best-known songs, and they're not as monumental as "And the Cradle Will Rock," from the preceding album, Women and Children First. There's a reason for that: this album ain't a whole lotta fun. Fair Warning is the first Van Halen album that doesn't feel like a party. This may be a reflection of the band's relentless work schedule, it may be a reflection of the increasing tension between Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth -- the cause isn't important, because whatever the reason, Fair Warning winds up as a dark, dirty, nasty piece of work. Gloomy it may be, but dull it is not and Fair Warning contains some of the fiercest, hardest music that Van Halen ever made. There's little question that Eddie Van Halen won whatever internal skirmishes they had, since his guitar dominates this record, even with the lack of a single dedicated instrumental showcase (the first time he lacked one on a VH album). Eddie sounds restless here, pushing and pulling the group toward different rhythms and textures, from the disco beat that pulsates on "Push Comes to Shove" to the swinging rhythms on "So This Is Love?" and, especially, the murky synths that comprise the instrumental "Sunday Afternoon in the Park" and the grimy, gunky closing rocker, "One Foot Out the Door." Either inspired or spurred on by the gloomy rock Eddie cranked out, David Lee Roth casts his net far wider than his usual litany of girls and good times. He spits and swears, swaggering without his usual joie de vivre, with even his sex songs feeling weary and nasty. Whatever spawned it, that nastiness is the defining characteristic of Fair Warning, which certainly doesn't make it bunches of fun, but it showcases the coiled power of Van Halen better than any other album, which makes it worth visiting on occasion. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine A classic and gritty riff opens "Mean Street," and Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth are off and running. "Sinner's Swing" is a hard-rock take on the big-band sound, with Mr. Roth successfully capturing the vibe of the swing era. "Unchained" contains Eddie's hyperactive riffs and majestic soloing, while "When Push Comes To Shove" features a funky bassline by Michael Anthony, and a slinky rap from Roth. "So This Is Love" contains a sing-along chorus and a fluid, blues-based solo. Capping off the album is a synthesizer solo that foreshadows the 1984 album. If it's not broke, don't fix it--Van Halen relied for quite a while on the same infectious hard-rock formula that makes FAIR WARNING a winner. The album is questionably their finest moment and is a perfect place to start exploring one of hard rock's premier outfits.

Q (1/01, p.131) - 4 out of 5 stars - "...[This album] remains their best variation on the theme since their first record, housing both Eddie's most dynamic riffs and Roth's best gibberish lyrics..."

Van Halen rode the crest of 1970s riff-rock into 1980s abandon. Always able to produce a smile and a killer hook, their songs captured a West Coast attitude that combined Eddie Van Halen's guitar gymnastics and the high-energy antics of vocalist David Lee Roth with solid backing by bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Alex Van Halen. Following Roth's less-than-amicable departure, the band signed up reckless driver Sammy Hagar, and their success continued into the '90s. When Hagar left after several albums, the band's fate seemed uncertain, but they soon found a temporary replacement in ex-Extreme frontman Gary Cherone.

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