Van Halen Release Tattoo As New Single
It has been since 1984 since we heard new music from Van Halen with David Lee Roth and we finally heard the first single today. The first single Tattoo will be on the new record coming out on February 7th entitled A Different Kind of Truth. There have been a lot of mixed reactions from the release of this single. "It will kill your erection," "Highly disappointing," "As a lifelong Van Halen fan I am embarrassed." I think we all need to step away from the ledge here folks.
Before we continue, take a moment to listen to the song and watch the video.
Eddie's guitar tone is better than it has been in years and dare I say vintage Eddie. The rhythm section is tight and solid. The light synth work harks back to 1984 bridging the gap between then and now. It has an excellent Van Halen groove where Wolfie and Alex lock in and let Ed roll over the top with solos or lock in with a rhythm.
The bad, Dave's vocals are bad. I didn't expect him to scream and yell like he did when he was 20/30. I know that voice's go as people age and DLR always used a higher register mixed with low lounge, which helped define VH. We have to come to grips with the fact his voice isn't what it is. While I don't like the tone of it, I can live with it.
The lyrics are nonsensical. Van Halen lyrics have always been full of nonsense, but this song seems to take the cake. There are some funny moments in the lyrics, but "Purple mountains Majesty" is a dumb lyric even in America The Beautiful.
The song is missing a very crucial ingredient, the higher background vocals of Michael Anthony. Wolfie's voice is too low and doesn't provide the necessary blend Anthony brought. It isn't noticeable in a live concert setting, but on an album it is painfully obvious. I don't know if Van Halen (Alex, Wolfie, Eddie, and Dave) miss Anthony, but traditional fans will notice that BIG gap.
I don't hate the song, but will admit it isn't the strongest song to release right away. I question the decision making on WHY this song out of the other 12. Why choose this one? If they feel this one was the strongest of the 12 then Van Halen fans get ready for the trainwreck. We still have She's the Woman a reworking of the original demo from 1976 to look forward to.
As for the fans complaining about the video, I never understood that logic. It looks like a black and white version of Jump to me. People love the video for Jump, so why not enjoy this one. I like seeing the band having a good time and enjoying themselves on stage. It's not a serious video about a woman getting drunk and getting tattooed with a hipster filter on the lens like so many other videos released. Suck it up.
My verdict on the tune: I don't hate it, but I don't really LOVE it like I love Unchained, Feel Your Love, etc.
Before we continue, take a moment to listen to the song and watch the video.
Eddie's guitar tone is better than it has been in years and dare I say vintage Eddie. The rhythm section is tight and solid. The light synth work harks back to 1984 bridging the gap between then and now. It has an excellent Van Halen groove where Wolfie and Alex lock in and let Ed roll over the top with solos or lock in with a rhythm.
The bad, Dave's vocals are bad. I didn't expect him to scream and yell like he did when he was 20/30. I know that voice's go as people age and DLR always used a higher register mixed with low lounge, which helped define VH. We have to come to grips with the fact his voice isn't what it is. While I don't like the tone of it, I can live with it.
The lyrics are nonsensical. Van Halen lyrics have always been full of nonsense, but this song seems to take the cake. There are some funny moments in the lyrics, but "Purple mountains Majesty" is a dumb lyric even in America The Beautiful.
The song is missing a very crucial ingredient, the higher background vocals of Michael Anthony. Wolfie's voice is too low and doesn't provide the necessary blend Anthony brought. It isn't noticeable in a live concert setting, but on an album it is painfully obvious. I don't know if Van Halen (Alex, Wolfie, Eddie, and Dave) miss Anthony, but traditional fans will notice that BIG gap.
I don't hate the song, but will admit it isn't the strongest song to release right away. I question the decision making on WHY this song out of the other 12. Why choose this one? If they feel this one was the strongest of the 12 then Van Halen fans get ready for the trainwreck. We still have She's the Woman a reworking of the original demo from 1976 to look forward to.
As for the fans complaining about the video, I never understood that logic. It looks like a black and white version of Jump to me. People love the video for Jump, so why not enjoy this one. I like seeing the band having a good time and enjoying themselves on stage. It's not a serious video about a woman getting drunk and getting tattooed with a hipster filter on the lens like so many other videos released. Suck it up.
My verdict on the tune: I don't hate it, but I don't really LOVE it like I love Unchained, Feel Your Love, etc.
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