Review:

on 2013-04-12 zombiepreacher@yahoo.com Said:

Without question, this is the most bizarre record in the Van Halen catalogue. A collection of covers and instrumentals, with the odd original thrown in, Diver Down definitely keeps things interesting...but that's not necessarily a good thing.

For starters, Van Halen singing Martha and the Vandella's 1964 hit "Dancing in the Street" just sounds wrong. Let's just say the band doesn't do Motown very well. Covers of Roy Orbison's "(Oh) Pretty Woman" and The Kink's "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" are marginally better, but nothing spectacular. Johnny Cash doing a cover of "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails? Now that's a great cover.

It wasn't the first time or the first Kink's song that Van Halen put to tape. "You Really Got Me" was featured on the band's self-titled debut and really, it sounded better than anything covered on Diver Down, although "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)," a song penned in the 1920s, actually shows some surprising flexibility from the band.

Covers aside, Eddie Van Halen took advantage of three instrumental tracks to strut his stuff and yes, he remains one of the best rock guitars players ever to lay down a lick. However, the guitar showcase "Cathedral" may have translated well in concert, but three tracks into a studio record?

One high point on Diver Down is "Hang 'Em High," the kind of hard-rocking original that really brings out the best in Van Halen. The rest of originals are mediocre at best.

The album appropriately closes with "Happy Trails," the kind of sendoff you can't wait to give the band after a rather uneven listening experience. Even the most hardcore fans had to be scratching their heads after hearing Diver Down, somewhat of a throwaway record that did, however, set the table for what was arguably the band's best album two years later (1984). So maybe Van Halen can be forgiven for a fairly dismal outing. Or not.
Rating: 4/10