Van Halen: Fair Warning (1981)

Van Halen released "Fair Warning" on April 29, 1981. The album was recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles with Ted Templeman as the producer. Their very best album in my opinion.

By Martin Johannessen

Eddie Van Halen wanted to go in different directions than David Lee Roth. Roth wanted a more commercial approach, while the producer still insisted on a live-in-studio feeling. Meanwhile, Eddie wanted to experiment more and lean towards heavier rather than lighter sounds.

Eddie's desire to have his own studio also began to take shape. And "1984" was recorded at Eddie's own 5150 Studios. But that's another story.

A Dark, Strange Beast
If it wasn't exactly set for conflict, it was at least set for disagreements on how the recording should turn out.

Eddie thus brought along sound engineer Donn Landee after the others had gone home to work on the songs. According to Eddie Van Halen, the rest were so disinterested that they didn't even notice the differences:

"I wasn't very happy with the way things were going or the way people were approaching the whole recording process. I would sneak back into the studio at 4 AM with Donn Landee, the engineer, and completely re-record all the solos and overdubs the way I wanted them. The fucked-up thing was, no one even noticed. That's how uninvolved they were on a musical level."

But it turned out to be a great album even though not everyone was aware of what was happening in the studio after they had gone home. And it became a darker and less commercial album than its predecessors. And much better, at least in my opinion.

"It's a dark, strange beast," someone wrote. I couldn't agree more.

The Singles

Five songs were released as singles in one form or another: "So This Is Love," "Mean Street," "Push Comes to Shove," "Unchained," and "Hear About It Later."

It's hard to pick a favorite on this one, but "Mean Street" usually ranks high on the list. What an insanely tough opening to the album! "Dirty Movies" is also great - the whole album is great!

Watch "Mean Street" recorded for Spanish TV beolow.

"Unchained" was released as a single in various countries, including Germany, Spain, and Japan. A 2011 Rolling Stone reader's poll placed the song at number 1 on a list of the 10 best Van Halen songs.

Read more about the song at Van Halen News Desk.

A Slow Seller

Amidst all of Eddie Van Halen's frantic guitar playing, it's easy to forget about Michael Anthony's cool backing vocals. They're as excellent as usual and elevate the songs many notches. It's easy to forget the contribution he actually makes to the sound if it's been a while since you've played an old Van Halen record.

This is one of those albums that didn't become a "success" even though it sold over two million copies in the US in its first year - eventually creeping up to 5th place - their best ranking to date. It was a slow seller without any megahits.

The critics had various opinions (as usual). The Village Voice wrote that it was "a competent or mildly interesting record." I often wonder if the critics have heard the same album as me.

"Yes, 'Fair Warning' can be funny and 'Unchained' is a great number to get anyone’s ass in gear anytime," wrote NME.

In my ears, "Fair Warning" is at least as good now as it was when it came out. Perhaps even a little better.

Read more: A Track-By-Track Guide