3 Highlights From Van Halen’s Last Album With Sammy Hagar

Sammy Hagar’s time in Van Halen ended with Balance in 1995. Well, almost. There was a reunion tour, but this record marked the singer’s fourth and final studio album with the iconic band. His relationship with the Van Halen brothers had deteriorated, and when the group hit the road in support of Balance, Eddie’s busted hip and Alex’s ruptured vertebrae only added to the internal chaos and fractured relationships.

Videos by American Songwriter

Regardless of how it ended, let’s revisit three highlights from Van Halen’s last album with Sammy Hagar.

“Can’t Stop Lovin’ You”

When Hagar joined Van Halen, he steered the band in a more pop-oriented direction. “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You” continues that move in a nod to Ray Charles’ “I Can’t Stop Loving You”. (Charles covered Don Gibson’s country song on Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music.) The Van Halen original also features Eddie’s jangly guitar chords, which became a staple of the Van Hagar years.

“Amsterdam”

The pop songs may have sent Balance to the top of the charts, but most Van Halen listeners tune in to hear Eddie shred. “Amsterdam” is Eddie and his brother Alex generating the kind of groove only siblings can conjure. Go back and listen to “Hot For Teacher” and hear how they stretch time, as an example of this. Eddie and Alex are probably the only two humans on earth who could ever play something like that. Meanwhile, the instrumental section in “Amsterdam” demonstrates how Eddie continued to experiment two decades into his career.  

“Don’t Tell Me”

Since Van Halen debuted in 1978, Eddie never seemed to run out of ideas. He begins “Don’t Tell Me” with a dark and heavy riff to support Hagar’s attempt at something serious. Though the lyrics merely fill space between Eddie’s licks, Hagar’s melodic instincts, and Michael Anthony’s backing vocals more than make up for what’s lacking in the words. Some Van Halen grooves feel sluggish against the slick production of the Hagar records. However, the languid tempo on “Don’t Tell Me” gives the track a rawness as Eddie burns two solos.

Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images