Van Halen Expands 'Balance' With Unreleased Live Tracks and Rarities

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This topic has 10 voices, contains 29 replies, and was last updated by  Vince G. 36 days ago.

June 25, 2025 at 10:22 am Quote #69336

ron
(12149)

Van Halen Expands ‘Balance’ With Unreleased Live Tracks and Rarities
Matthew Wilkening
Published: June 25, 2025

Van Halen will release an expanded edition of their 1995 album Balance on Aug. 15.

In addition to the B-side “Crossing Over” and the two songs the group and its members included on the Twister soundtrack, the set includes nine previously unreleased live tracks from the Balance tour.

You can see the complete track list and hear a new live version of “The Seventh Seal” below.

Eight of the live tracks are audio-only, taken from a June 24, 1995 show in London which featured the band in the unusual position of opening for Bon Jovi. The ninth appears on the Blu-ray included with the expanded edition, and features a one-time only live performance of “The Seventh Seal” with the Monks of Gyuto Tantric University, who provide the song’s opening chants.

Two shows from Van Halen’s 1995 were professionally filmed, broadcast and heavily bootlegged. The March 11th tour opening stop in Pensacola, Florida aired on MTV, and two August shows from Toronto were combined for a Pay-Per View broadcast. Neither is included or represented in this collection.

Balance was the final album to feature Sammy Hagar as the group’s lead singer, and earned them a fourth straight trip to the top of Billboard’s album charts. It featured the hit singles “Don’t Tell Me (What Love Can Do)” and “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You.”

In addition to coping with the sudden ascendancy of grunge music, the Balance recording sessions found Van Halen struggling with personal and interpersonal issues which would lead to Hagar’s 1996 departure from the band.

“That was the record where if I said black, Eddie said white, and I’d say, ‘Okay, white,’ he’d say, ‘No, I want black,’” Hagar later told Rolling Stone. “I’d say, ‘Okay, well, I wanted black to begin with.’ Then Eddie would go, ‘Well, I don’t know what I want, I’ll let you know when I do.’ He just wanted the opposite of what I wanted.”

Hear Van Halen Perform ‘The Seventh Seal’ Live in 1995

Van Halen ‘Balance’ Expanded Edition 2LP/2CD/Blu-ray Track List:

LP One: Original Album: 2023 Remaster
Side One
1. “The Seventh Seal”
2. “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You”
3. “Don’t Tell Me (What Love Can Do)”
4. “Amsterdam”

Side Two
5. “Big Fat Money”
6. “Strung Out”
7. “Not Enough”
8. “Aftershock”
9. “Doin’ Time”

LP Two
Side One
10. “Baluchitherium”
11. “Take Me Back (Déjà Vu)”
12. “Feelin’”

Side Two
Etching

CD One: 2023 Remaster
1. “The Seventh Seal”
2. “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You”
3. “Don’t Tell Me (What Love Can Do)”
4. “Amsterdam”
5. “Big Fat Money”
6. “Strung Out”
7. “Not Enough”
8. “Aftershock”
9. “Doin’ Time”
10. “Baluchitherium”
11. “Take Me Back (Déjà Vu)”
12/ “Feelin’”

CD Two
1. “Crossing Over”
2. “Humans Being”
3. “Respect The Wind”

Live At Wembley Stadium, London, England (June 24, 1995)
4. “The Seventh Seal” *
5. “Feelin’” *
6. “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” *
7. Guitar Solo *
8. “You Really Got Me” *
9. “When It’s Love” *
10. “Jump” *
11. “Right Now” *

Blu-ray
1. “Don’t Tell Me (What Love Can Do)” — Promo Video
2. “Can’t Stop Loving You” — Promo Video
3. “Amsterdam” — Promo Video
4. “Not Enough” — Promo Video
5. “The Seventh Seal” — Live at Target Center, Minneapolis, MN (July 30, 1995) *
6. “Humans Being” — Promo Video

* Previously Unreleased


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June 25, 2025 at 11:39 am Quote #69337

Bram5150
(37)

Missed opportunity. The Toronto gig should’ve been released on blu ray, as it was perfectly recorded and (sound) engineered by Erwin Musper.


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June 25, 2025 at 11:45 am Quote #69338

ron
(12149)



In addition to the box set, the LPs will be available separately in black or orange vinyl, and the CDs will be available separately too.

PS: This was my 12,000th post here at VHT!


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June 25, 2025 at 11:52 am Quote #69341

ron
(12149)



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June 25, 2025 at 12:03 pm Quote #69342

JasonA
(1139)

“Two shows from Van Halen’s 1995 were professionally filmed, broadcast and heavily bootlegged. The March 11th tour opening stop in Pensacola, Florida aired on MTV, and two August shows from Toronto were combined for a Pay-Per View broadcast. Neither is included or represented in this collection.”
WHY WOULD THEY EVEN INCLUDE THIS IN THE PRESS RELEASE IF THEY’RE NOT INCLUDED??? :-x


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June 25, 2025 at 12:23 pm Quote #69344

JasonA
(1139)

Seventh Seal (Live at Target Center, Minneapolis, MN, 7/30/1995)


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June 25, 2025 at 3:16 pm Quote #69345

ron
(12149)

JasonA: WHY WOULD THEY EVEN INCLUDE THIS IN THE PRESS RELEASE IF THEY’RE NOT INCLUDED??? :-x

I think ultimateclassicrock.com added that comment themselves.

This is the actual press release:
https://www.rhino.com/article/van-halen-celebrates-balances-30th-anniversary-with-expanded-edition-rarities-unreleased


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June 25, 2025 at 3:23 pm Quote #69347

ron
(12149)

Retail prices:

Balance box: $89.98
Balance Black LP: $34.98
Balance Orange LP: $34.98
Balance CD: $24.98


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June 25, 2025 at 4:34 pm Quote #69348

steecoe
(1988)

No wonder they took down my Amsterdam video from YouTube after 11 years and 1.5 million views…


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June 25, 2025 at 11:12 pm Quote #69349

Vince G.
(2277)

The Wembley ’95 shows have been available via these shows:

https://www.vhboots.com/blastin.html

https://www.vhboots.com/liveinukwembley.html

The 2 “bonus” tracks on the new disc that weren’t included in the above 2 discs are Ed’s solo and “Feelin’.”


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June 26, 2025 at 9:51 am Quote #69350

rockphantom
(219)

Disappointing…

I recall Sammy mentioning that the Balance Super Deluxe Edition was in the works last year, and that he recommended including the Toronto show.
Why does Van Halen have an aversion to releasing complete pro-shot gigs from any era?

The Dallas ’91 release was nothing special.
A complete, single, uncirculating, show from the the 1991-1993 tour would have been preferable…


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June 26, 2025 at 12:12 pm Quote #69352

dand363
(215)

Regarding them not including the Toronto show, it makes we wonder who might own the rights for it and how much it would cost VH or Warner to use it. In this day and age of limited physical media sales, it might not be worth it to include certain shows. Just a guess.


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June 26, 2025 at 1:24 pm Quote #69353

ron
(12149)



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June 26, 2025 at 2:37 pm Quote #69354

vhrob
(1772)

Do we get the whole version of Seventh Seal on video in the package or does it just stop after they open with it? Is it just the interview w the monks and the chanting then thats it?

I sure hope not,

Rob


vhtrading member since 2000


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June 26, 2025 at 5:05 pm Quote #69358

ron
(12149)


Van Halen: The Seventh Seal | Live at Wembley Stadium from June 24, 1995


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