Best of Van Halen, Vol. 1

It took over 20 years for Van Halen to release a Best of album, and even then, the band downplayed the effort. Instead sticking to the original plan of releasing a two-disc set--one of material with original frontman David Lee Roth, and the other with his 11-year replacement Sammy Hagar--the band opted for a single CD chronicling their entire career. For the previously uninitiated, it's a golden introduction to a band that changed the face of '80s hard rock. Guitar-blazing old tracks like "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love," and "Dance the Night Away" segue into more commercial numbers like "Jump" and "Panama" from 1984. These in turn, set the stage for Hagar's slicker, more polished vocals on "Right Now" and "How Do I Know When It's Love." But while newcomers will be thrilled with the delights within, old fans will probably find little of use, since the two highly touted new tracks with Roth are pretty disposable. --Jon Wiederhorn