UAWIL #107: Van Halen - Diver Down
The predecessor to 1984 almost didn't happen but the band scored a hit with Oh, Pretty Woman and the record company wanted more
In early 1982, Van Halen was finishing up a tour of the US that included opening for The Rolling Stones for some stadium shows. After 5 straight years of touring and 4 consecutive platinum records, the members of Van Halen were looking forward to a much deserved vacation. But to make sure folks didn't forget about them, they released a cover of the Roy Orbison classic Oh, Pretty Woman. The song raced up the charts and then Warner Brothers demanded an album to go with the hit single. So Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth and Alex Van Halen took 12 days to record the rest of what would be Diver Down.
Though the album is maligned by critics and fans as being short (31 minutes) and chock full of covers (5) it was a huge success for the band selling over 4 million copies in the US and setting them up for their megahit 1984. You still get some guitar heroics on songs like Hang Em High, Cathedral and The Full Bug but they also throw in some funny ones like Big Bad Bill and Happy Trails. It may not be anyone's favorite Van Halen record but it's an important piece of their catalog that is 40 years old and we had fun revisiting it.
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