DOIN' TIME AT ALEX VAN HALEN'S LEISURE

I love some of SAMMY HAGAR's solo hard rock output to bits, he's awesome as the lead singer in CHICKENFOOT, but for whatever reason the musical DNA just never quite gelled between the veteran American 'red rocker' and the VAN HALEN brothers. Hagar's first outing with VH following DAVID LEE ROTH's departure was the solid but formulaic 5150, which was followed up two years later in 1988 with OU812, by far the best album in the Hagar era.

FOR UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE in 1991 was a shockingly over-produced album, even though it won Hagar a Grammy for best hard rock vocal performance. BALANCE in 1995, the last full length album Hagar ever recorded for VH, was not grossly manufactured like F.U.C.K but was just as unconvincing, though I must say it was at least some attempt to genuinely re-capture the loose and carefree rock'n'roll feel of the early Roth albums.