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Diver Down Review
07/13/2005 4:02 AM, AMG
Although it went platinum, Fair Warning didn't match the multi-platinum standards of Van Halen's first three records, so the group revamped their sound slightly for the follow-up, Diver Down. Adding the slightest hints of synthesizers and streamlining both the guitar indulgences of Eddie Van Halen and the vocal excesses of David Lee Roth, the album contained some of the group's most pop-oriented performances -- and they were all in the guise of covers. "(Oh) Pretty Woman" and "Dancing in the Street" had the traditional mechanical Van Halen rhythmic pulse, as well as concise solos from Eddie and restrained vocals from Diamond Dave, which helped them become the hits they were designed to be. If they were offset by more original material like "Hang 'Em High," the concessions would have been acceptable, but the rest of Diver Down is filled with covers, including "Big Bad Bill," "Where Have All the Good Times Gone?," and a closing "Happy Trails." All of the songs are professionally performed, and the music features more ideas than most previous Van Halen albums, but the lack of strong original material makes Diver Down less of an accomplishment than it appears. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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