In Rock History: 7th of March

Van Halen reached the top of Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks with “Without You” from album Van Halen III on March 7, 1998

Man, it’s insane to think that albums came out 15 years ago….

http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2013/03/20_worst_albums_90s.php

The 20 Worst Albums of the ’90s: The Complete List

13. Van Halen
Van Halen III (1998)
Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone was recruited to fill in for Sammy Hagar, who’d vacated David Lee Roth’s spot, and his overwhelming lack of vocal charisma here nearly killed the band’s career. But he doesn’t deserve all the blame, considering that Eddie Van Halen’s playing is uninspired and the material is abysmal. Van Halen III is so riddled with limp blues-rock, so devoid of fire or energy, that even Roth, much less Hagar, couldn’t have saved it. -Jason Roche

Man, I was out of it 15 years ago because I can’t even sing that song in my head right now. I guess I’ve deleted the Cherone and late Hagar years from my cranium.

I like “Without You”. Never cared for the video.

I like the album. Indeed, I was listening to it today.

mcs5150:
I like the album. Indeed, I was listening to it today.

Well, limp blues-rock, devoid of fire or energy is a niche market…

Without You holds up well to most anything else in the VH catalog, of any singer. Just one mans’s opinion.

Ok…get ready to throw shit at me….

Minus “HMSI”, I thought it was a great album. I liked it better than all the Hagar/VH stuff.

If I had to choose between the Hagar and Cherone “eras” then I’d choose Cherone. I have only one video boot from their tour w/Cherone but it’s great, and they did dip more into the DLR catalogue.

I just don’t know the names of any of the Cherone songs for some strange reason. I’ve probably only played the CD about 20 times and then it hit the rack for good.

I liked the album… but I listen to it thinking it’s an Edward Van Halen solo record.

I would like it a lot more if the production wasn’t so shitty. Sonically, it just sounds bad to me.

I would have also liked it better if Gary sang like he did with Extreme. I think Ed pushed him to sing out of his comfortable range.

jroundy:
I liked the album… but I listen to it thinking it’s an Edward Van Halen solo record.

I would like it a lot more if the production wasn’t so shitty.Sonically, it just sounds bad to me.

I would have also liked it better if Gary sang like he did with Extreme.I think Ed pushed him to sing out of his comfortable range.

Have to agree with all these points. Sums up my feelings about the album.