Van Halen Taps into a Mean Streak on Fair Warning: The Darkest and Fiercest Album of the Band's Career
Double-Platinum 1981 Record Sounds Unrelenting on Mobile Fidelity's Numbered-Edition Hybrid SACD: Audiophile Reissue Plays with Stunning Dynamics. The song titles on Van Halen's aptly titled Fair Warning don't lie. The likes of "Unchained," "Mean Street," "Push Comes to Shove," "One Foot Out the Door," and more indicate the mood the band channels on its double-platinum 1981 record — the nastiest, darkest, and fiercest album of the group's storied career. For the fourth time in four years, Van Halen throws down the gauntlet to all challengers and emerges victorious.

Women and Children First Is Loaded with 'Works of High-Volume Art' and Eddie Van Halen's Six-String Pyrotechnics: Includes "And the Cradle Will Rock…" and "Everybody Wants Some!!" Mobile Fidelity's Numbered-Edition Hybrid SACD of 1980 Album Plays with Explosive Dynamics, Incredible Detail, and Lively Sound.

Van Halen didn't release a live album until 1993, by which time David Lee Roth had long since left the group. Tokyo Dome in Concert arrived some 22 years later, by which time Diamond Dave had returned to the fold and Michael Anthony had left, replaced by Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang. In other words, this isn't the dream double-live set of the fans' dreams – the original lineup captured in their 1977-1984 peak – but rather a surprisingly muscular reunion. If Roth's voice isn't what it used to be, he still radiates charm – he's always happy to be there, so you're happy to be there with him – and having Van Halen tackle the group's classics underscores what a different band this incarnation actually is. Michael Anthony happily hugged the root note of a chord, anchoring the wild flourishes of Eddie and Alex, but Wolfgang follows his father and uncle into the breach, slapping and bouncing notes with maniacal energy.

Van Halen became a hit due to strong word of mouth, constant touring, and support from AOR radio. Within three months, the album had gone gold, and five months later it went platinum. It would eventually sell over six million copies, thanks to the album rock staples "You Really Got Me," "Jamie's Cryin'," and "Runnin' with the Devil." Van Halen II, released in 1979, continued the band's success, as "Dance the Night Away" became their first Top 20 single. Women and Children First (1980) didn't have any charting singles, but was a success on the album charts, reaching number six. The band supported the album with their first headlining, international arena tour, and were quickly on their way to being superstars. Released in 1981, Fair Warning wasn't quite as popular as their previous records, yet it still peaked at number six. Diver Down, released in 1982, was a huge hit, spawning a number 12 cover of Roy Orbison's "(Oh) Pretty Woman" and reaching number three. While all of their previous albums were successful, Van Halen didn't become superstars until 1984, when their album 1984 became an across-the-board smash. Released on New Year's Day, 1984 rocketed to number two on the strength of the number one single "Jump." Like many songs on the album, "Jump" was driven by Eddie's new synthesizer, and while Roth was initially reluctant to use electronics, the expansion of the group's sound was widely praised.

Van Halen Built at every stage around Eddie Van Halen's prodigious talent and wildly inventive guitar technique, Van Halen rewrote the rules for hard rock. They did this first in the early '80s with a celebratory, party-ready pop metal sound perfected by lead vocalist David Lee Roth's over-the-top performance style, and pivoted slowly to a milder, more accessible (and subsequently more commercially viable) approach, especially when Roth left the band shortly after the release of their era-defining hit album 1984 and was replaced by Sammy Hagar.

First released in 1979. SACD , Print in USA . 2024. Mastered by Rob LoVerde at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, Sebastopol, CA on the Gain HD System.

From 1974 until 1985, Van Halen consisted of Eddie Van Halen; Eddie's brother, drummer Alex Van Halen; vocalist David Lee Roth; and bassist Michael Anthony. Upon its release, the band's self-titled debut album reached No. 19 on the Billboard pop music charts. By the early 1980s, Van Halen was one of the most successful rock acts of the time. The album 1984 was a hit; its lead single, "Jump", is the band's only U.S. number one single to date and was internationally known. For this Hi-Res release (2013) were used transfers from the original EQ production analog tapes.

MASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL ANALOG MASTER TAPES AND PRESSED ON MOFI SUPERVINYL. 1/4" / 30 IPS analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe. Limited Edition of 12,000. Van Halen did more than announce to the world the earthshaking arrival of a revolutionary guitarist. Performed by an enterprising California quartet that took its name from two of its principal members, the 1978 debut ripped headlines away from punk, injected fresh energy into a then-moribund rock 'n' roll scene, reimagined how heavy music and throwback pop could coexist, and invited everyone to experience the top-down pleasures of a beachfront Saturday night every day of the week no matter where they lived. Painstakingly restored by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, and the first of a multi-album series in an exciting partnership between the famous reissue label and Van Halen, Van Halen delivers feel-good thrills and hormonally charged desires like never before.

First released in 1979. SACD , Print in USA . 2024. Mastered by Rob LoVerde at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, Sebastopol, CA on the Gain HD System.

"5150" is Van Halen’s chart-topping classic. This monumental release marked the first Van Halen album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200 and features the arrival of Sammy Hagar. Certified six-time Platinum, the recording includes the Top Ten rock anthems “Dreams”, “Love Walks In” and “Why Can’t This Be Love”.

DEFINITIVELY MASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL ANALOG MASTER TAPES: SACD PLAYS WITH REFERENCE CLARITY, SUPERB DYNAMICS, AND LIVELY IMMEDIACY. Van Halen did more than announce to the world the earthshaking arrival of a revolutionary guitarist. Performed by an enterprising California quartet that took its name from two of its principal members, the 1978 debut ripped headlines away from punk, injected fresh energy into a then-moribund rock 'n' roll scene, reimagined how heavy music and throwback pop could coexist, and invited everyone to experience the top-down pleasures of a beachfront Saturday night every day of the week no matter where they lived. Painstakingly restored by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, and the first of a multi-album series in an exciting partnership between the famous reissue label and Van Halen, Van Halen delivers feel-good thrills and hormonally charged desires like never before.

And again VH's David Lee Roth era… For these 2015 Remastered Releases, Van Halen enlisted the help of mastering enginer Chris Bellman, who remastered the original albums for Bernie Grundman Studios, Hollywood, CA. The remasters have been cut straight from the original quarter-inch tapes.