Balance (Van Halen album)
Encyclopedia
Balance is the 10th studio album
by American
hard rock
band Van Halen
. It was released in 1995 and, to date, is the fourth and final Van Halen album of all-new material featuring lead singer Sammy Hagar
. It was also a more complete divergence from their earlier, more heavy metal sound. It has the hard rock elements of For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
, mixed with the dark and somber themes from OU812
. Although the album was mostly made at 5150 Studios
, Hagar and producer Fairbairn recorded vocals at Little Mountain Sound Studios
in Vancouver [Hagar claims in his autobiography that this was because Eddie Van Halen was overbearing with his criticism and attempted direction of his vocal takes]. Originally, the title of the album was to be named Seventh Seal and, at some other point, The Club (nickname of their former manager Ed Leffler, who died in October 1993).
Behind the scenes, Van Halen was falling apart. Eddie Van Halen was in need of a hip replacement, and Alex Van Halen was suffering from neck pain. Van Halen's new manager was Ray Danniels, who happened to be Alex Van Halen's brother in-law.
-like guitar wall that propelled through the darkest terrain the band ever tackled.
" pays homage to Ray Charles
, who had his own hit song entitled "I Can't Stop Loving You
". The Van Halen song references this with the lyric: "Hey, Ray, what you said is true, I can't stop lovin' you".
The song was Sammy Hagar's attempt to assume his ex-wife's point of view that she was still madly in love with him.
" was originally, "What Love Can Do". The song was written about the power of universal love, with references to the suicide
of Kurt Cobain
.
in the beginning.
. The actual recording is Eddie "playing" the strings of a Grand Piano with various objects including ping pong balls, D-cell batteries, knives and forks.
It was this 1983 session that Eddie had rented a house that belonged to Marvin Hamlisch
. There was a piano in the house that Eddie destroyed while recording himself using the aforementioned objects on the piano's strings. The piece actually comes from 6 hours of recorded noise. Eddie was forced to pay around $15,000 for the damage and Balance producer, Bruce Fairbairn
said that a recording that expensive shouldn't go to waste.
and Michael Anthony playing a fretless bass. The song was questioning if love is enough or not.
.
. The song originally had lyrics; the vocal melody which Sammy later developed for guitar.
The track also features Eddie Van Halen's dog howling.
I era.
The song was originally written and recorded by Eddie in 1983, shortly after one of his friends had committed suicide
. The song was given a chance at rebirth after the untimely death of their manager, Ed Leffler, ten years after the track was originally recorded. On the left channel, played Eddie's music from 1983 on electronic drums; on the right channel, played the reworked song with guitar, bass, drums, and vocals.
The album was also released on vinyl with "Baluchitherium" omitted due to time constraints and a slightly altered track order.
The Japanese bonus track "Crossing Over" was also the B-Side to the US CD Single for "Can't Stop Lovin' You
".
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
. It was released in 1995 and, to date, is the fourth and final Van Halen album of all-new material featuring lead singer Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar
Sam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
. It was also a more complete divergence from their earlier, more heavy metal sound. It has the hard rock elements of For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge is the ninth studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1991 through Warner Bros. Records. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart and maintained the position for three weeks...
, mixed with the dark and somber themes from OU812
OU812
OU812 is the 8th studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1988. The album title is allegedly a joke on Van Halen's previous lead singer David Lee Roth's 1986 album Eat 'Em and Smile . However, "OU812" was also seen in the 70s sitcom Taxi written on a wall...
. Although the album was mostly made at 5150 Studios
5150 Studios
5150 Studios is Eddie Van Halen's home studio in the Studio City neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The studio was built so that Eddie Van Halen could have more control over the recording process than he had in the past. Every Van Halen album from 1984 onwards was recorded at 5150...
, Hagar and producer Fairbairn recorded vocals at Little Mountain Sound Studios
Little Mountain Sound Studios
Little Mountain Sound Studios was a music recording facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia. In its day, it was the most successful recording studio in Western Canada and was the home for many years to producers Bruce Fairbairn and Bob Rock...
in Vancouver [Hagar claims in his autobiography that this was because Eddie Van Halen was overbearing with his criticism and attempted direction of his vocal takes]. Originally, the title of the album was to be named Seventh Seal and, at some other point, The Club (nickname of their former manager Ed Leffler, who died in October 1993).
Behind the scenes, Van Halen was falling apart. Eddie Van Halen was in need of a hip replacement, and Alex Van Halen was suffering from neck pain. Van Halen's new manager was Ray Danniels, who happened to be Alex Van Halen's brother in-law.
The Seventh Seal
"The Seventh Seal" kicks off the album. Complete with chanting monks and dangling metal bells, the song unveiled a vast, open, U2U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
-like guitar wall that propelled through the darkest terrain the band ever tackled.
Can't Stop Lovin' You
"Can't Stop Lovin' YouCan't Stop Lovin' You
"Can't Stop Lovin' You" is a song by American hard rock band Van Halen. It was released in 1995 as the third single from Balance.The song was written by all members of Van Halen and is about everlasting love and friendship...
" pays homage to Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, who had his own hit song entitled "I Can't Stop Loving You
I Can't Stop Loving You
"I Can't Stop Loving You" is a popular song written and composed by country singer, songwriter and musician Don Gibson, who first recorded it on December 30, 1957, for RCA Victor Records...
". The Van Halen song references this with the lyric: "Hey, Ray, what you said is true, I can't stop lovin' you".
The song was Sammy Hagar's attempt to assume his ex-wife's point of view that she was still madly in love with him.
Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)
"Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)
"Don't Tell Me " is a rock song written by the group Van Halen for their 1995 album Balance. It is one of five singles issued for the album, and was the only one to reach #1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, where it stayed for three weeks...
" was originally, "What Love Can Do". The song was written about the power of universal love, with references to the suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
of Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
.
Amsterdam
"Amsterdam" was written about Eddie and Alex's place of birth, before they moved out to Nijmegen. The lyrics, however, represented Sammy's tourist impression of the freedom the city has.Big Fat Money
"Big Fat Money" was a honky tonk rocker complete with a click trackClick track
A click track is a series of audio cues used to synchronize sound recordings, sometimes for synchronization to a moving image. The click track originated in early sound movies, where marks were made on the film itself to indicate exact timings for musicians to accompany the film...
in the beginning.
Strung Out
"Strung Out" was actually recorded in 1983, prior to the recording of 19841984 (Van Halen album)
1984 is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen. One of the band's more popular albums , 1984 is to date the final album featuring singer David Lee Roth before he left the band in the spring of the following year.-Background and recording:Eddie Van Halen,...
. The actual recording is Eddie "playing" the strings of a Grand Piano with various objects including ping pong balls, D-cell batteries, knives and forks.
It was this 1983 session that Eddie had rented a house that belonged to Marvin Hamlisch
Marvin Hamlisch
Marvin Frederick Hamlisch is an American composer. He is one of only thirteen people to have been awarded Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and a Tony . He is also one of only two people to EGOT and also win a Pulitzer Prize...
. There was a piano in the house that Eddie destroyed while recording himself using the aforementioned objects on the piano's strings. The piece actually comes from 6 hours of recorded noise. Eddie was forced to pay around $15,000 for the damage and Balance producer, Bruce Fairbairn
Bruce Fairbairn
Bruce Earl Fairbairn was a Canadian musician and international record producer from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was active as a producer from 1976 to 1999 and is considered one of the best of his era...
said that a recording that expensive shouldn't go to waste.
Not Enough
"Not Enough" reflected a lot of sorrow with stringsString instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
and Michael Anthony playing a fretless bass. The song was questioning if love is enough or not.
Aftershock
"Aftershock" is an emotionally straining fist-shaker, complete with a borrowed lick from MetallicaMetallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
.
Doin' Time
"Doin' Time" is an instrumental, showcasing Alex Van Halen on the drums and percussion.Baluchitherium
"Baluchitherium" was named after a large extinct land mammal by Eddie's wife, Valerie BertinelliValerie Bertinelli
Valerie Anne Bertinelli is an American actress, best known for her roles as Barbara Cooper Royer on the television series One Day at a Time , Gloria on the television series Touched by an Angel and Melanie Moretti on the sitcom Hot in Cleveland .- Early years :Bertinelli was born in Wilmington,...
. The song originally had lyrics; the vocal melody which Sammy later developed for guitar.
The track also features Eddie Van Halen's dog howling.
Take Me Back (Déjà Vu)
During the Balance tour show in Pensacola, Florida, Sammy stated that "Take Me Back (Déjà Vu)" was "a true story". The song itself features a then almost 20 year old riff Eddie had previously used on a song entitled "No More Waiting" which the band played on occasion in the pre-Van HalenVan Halen (album)
Van Halen is the debut studio album by American rock band Van Halen, released in February 1978.- History :Recorded in 1977, Van Halen sold over 10 million copies in the US alone, becoming one of the most successful debuts by a rock band. Along with 1984, it gives Van Halen two original albums with...
I era.
Feelin'
"Feelin'" finishes the album. It was a minor-key rock epic with a string section and a heartrending vocal performance, unlike anything Sammy had previously brought to the band.Crossing Over
The Japanese pressing includes a bonus track "Crossing Over", which was the B-side to "Can't Stop Lovin' You".The song was originally written and recorded by Eddie in 1983, shortly after one of his friends had committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. The song was given a chance at rebirth after the untimely death of their manager, Ed Leffler, ten years after the track was originally recorded. On the left channel, played Eddie's music from 1983 on electronic drums; on the right channel, played the reworked song with guitar, bass, drums, and vocals.
Album artwork
The album's cover art was provided by Glen Wexler, which was based on a concept that Alex Van Halen described to him. It was censored in Japan.Track listing
All songs by Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar and Alex Van Halen.- "The Seventh SealThe Seventh Seal (song)"The Seventh Seal" is a rock song written by the group Van Halen for their 1995 album Balance. It is one of five singles issued for the album....
" – 5:18 - "Can't Stop Lovin' YouCan't Stop Lovin' You"Can't Stop Lovin' You" is a song by American hard rock band Van Halen. It was released in 1995 as the third single from Balance.The song was written by all members of Van Halen and is about everlasting love and friendship...
" – 4:08 - "Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)"Don't Tell Me " is a rock song written by the group Van Halen for their 1995 album Balance. It is one of five singles issued for the album, and was the only one to reach #1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, where it stayed for three weeks...
" – 5:56 - "AmsterdamAmsterdam (Van Halen song)"Amsterdam" is a rock song written by the group Van Halen for their 1995 album Balance. It was released as single to mainstream rock radio and peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart during the summer of 1995 ....
" – 4:45 - "Big Fat Money" – 3:57
- "Strung Out" (Instrumental) – 1:29
- "Not Enough" – 5:13
- "Aftershock" – 5:29
- "Doin' Time" (Instrumental) – 1:41
- "Baluchitherium" (Instrumental) – 4:05
- "Take Me Back (Déjà Vu)" – 4:43
- "Feelin'" – 6:36
- "Crossing Over" (Japanese bonus track) – 4:49
The album was also released on vinyl with "Baluchitherium" omitted due to time constraints and a slightly altered track order.
The Japanese bonus track "Crossing Over" was also the B-Side to the US CD Single for "Can't Stop Lovin' You
Can't Stop Lovin' You
"Can't Stop Lovin' You" is a song by American hard rock band Van Halen. It was released in 1995 as the third single from Balance.The song was written by all members of Van Halen and is about everlasting love and friendship...
".
Band
- Sammy HagarSammy HagarSam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
– lead vocals, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Eddie Van HalenEddie Van HalenEdward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, backing vocals - Michael Anthony – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Alex Van HalenAlex Van HalenAlexander Arthur "Alex" Van Halen is a Dutch-born American musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen. Originally, his brother Eddie had taken lessons for drums, while Alex practiced guitar...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Production
- Bruce FairbairnBruce FairbairnBruce Earl Fairbairn was a Canadian musician and international record producer from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was active as a producer from 1976 to 1999 and is considered one of the best of his era...
– production - Erwin Musper, Mike Plotnikoff – engineering
- Mike FraserMike FraserMike Fraser is a Canadian record producer, engineer, and mixer. Mike is best known for his work with AC/DC, Metallica, Aerosmith and Joe Satriani...
– mixing - George Marino – mastering
- Jeri Heiden – art direction
- Randee Saint Nicholas, Glen Wexler (front cover) – photography
Certifications
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Amsterdam Amsterdam (Van Halen song) "Amsterdam" is a rock song written by the group Van Halen for their 1995 album Balance. It was released as single to mainstream rock radio and peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart during the summer of 1995 .... " |
Mainstream Rock Tracks | 9 |
| 1995 | "Can't Stop Lovin' You Can't Stop Lovin' You "Can't Stop Lovin' You" is a song by American hard rock band Van Halen. It was released in 1995 as the third single from Balance.The song was written by all members of Van Halen and is about everlasting love and friendship... " |
Mainstream Rock Tracks | 2 |
| 1995 | "Can't Stop Lovin' You Can't Stop Lovin' You "Can't Stop Lovin' You" is a song by American hard rock band Van Halen. It was released in 1995 as the third single from Balance.The song was written by all members of Van Halen and is about everlasting love and friendship... " |
The Billboard Hot 100 | 30 |
| 1995 | "Can't Stop Lovin' You Can't Stop Lovin' You "Can't Stop Lovin' You" is a song by American hard rock band Van Halen. It was released in 1995 as the third single from Balance.The song was written by all members of Van Halen and is about everlasting love and friendship... " |
Top 40 Mainstream | 11 |
| 1995 | "Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do) Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do) "Don't Tell Me " is a rock song written by the group Van Halen for their 1995 album Balance. It is one of five singles issued for the album, and was the only one to reach #1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, where it stayed for three weeks... " |
Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1995 | "Not Enough" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 27 |
| 1995 | "Not Enough" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 97 |
| 1995 | "Not Enough" | Top 40 Mainstream | 39 |
| 1995 | "The Seventh Seal The Seventh Seal (song) "The Seventh Seal" is a rock song written by the group Van Halen for their 1995 album Balance. It is one of five singles issued for the album.... " |
Mainstream Rock Tracks | 36 |