With the release of 5150 in 1986, what began was the great polarization of the Van Halen fan base. To this day, there seems to be a never ending debate, an unanswerable question...who is the better singer and presence in and for Van Halen? Are you a Roth guy? Or a Hagar guy? Van Halen? Or Van Hagar? Personally, I subscribe to the "Van Hagar" camp, however, since this band is one of my favorite bands in history, I love 'em both. In the end, Hagar is a better singer as he has a better vocal range and ability. He is also a more accomplished and professional songwriter with experience dating back to 1973 with Montrose. However, to his own merit, Roth was a terrific frontman!

     So, let's talk about the album, shall we? Well, first things first, you are greeted with an explosive "Hellooo baaaby!" by Hagar, and the action begins. It's a grand entrance, fitting for such a crowd pleasing band. You'll notice the electronic drums right away, but it's just a different touch for the album - and also, Alex Van Halen is really playing them; no pre-recorded drum machines.

     I felt that Hagar and the rest of the Van Halen wanted to establish early and often a certain sense of attitude with the opening track "Good Enough." It's a testerone-adrenaline powerhouse with plenty of muscle to get the point across that Hagar is no joke. The in-your-face rocking is also seen in the super fast "Get Up" and reaches its climax with the satirical and rather interesting, yet undeniable catchy wordy closing song "Inside." One could argue that the band wanted to maintain its fan base, and win over some descenters. It seems possible considering the huge change at the front. In my eyes, Hagar impressed me from the start.

     While Roth was never quite as sophisticated as Hagar in terms of song composition, Roth certainly did have his fair share of brilliantly written songs - take "I'll Wait" and "Little Dreamer" as perfect examples. Hagar was more consistent in his work and it shows here with such catchy classics as "Why Can't This Be Love", "Love Walks In", "Dreams" and "5150." Hagar and his infusion of a pop element never left the band after this point, but they never abanonded their rock roots because Hagar too had already etched himself into rock history with Montrose and a successful solo act, hot off the heels of the single "I Can't Drive 55."

     It's interesting to note that David Lee Roth was booted from the band because he was in the midst of launching of his own solo career on his own terms outside the bands parameters. Yet when Sammy Hagar was hired to replace him, Hagar was still under contractual obligations with Geffen Records to release future albums as a solo act! Hagar subsequently released solo material while devoting most of his time to Van Halen. Seems paradoxical, does it not? For Hagar's 1987 release, I Never Said Goodbye, Eddie Van Halen appears as a bass player on some songs!

     With all that said, 5150 was a great way to kick off the so-called "Van Hagar" era for the band. They would continue to maintain their profound success for at least another decade with Hagar at the helm. And why not? 5150 is a great record.

TRACK HIGHLIGHTS:

"Good Enough"

"Dreams"

"Love Walks In"

"5150"

"Why Can't This Be Love"

"Get Up"

"Summer Nights"

-Kurt L.

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