VAN HALEN

Releasing "Tattoo" as the first single introducing the second David Lee Roth era of VAN HALEN was ill advised, as it gives the impression that the entirety of "A Different Kind Of Truth" is a second-rate attempt at a comeback, not to mention a lyrical disaster made worse by Roth's attempt at reinventing his heyday hipness. The good news is that "Tattoo" gets a pinch better after a handful of spins and the great news is that it is the worst track on "A Different Kind of Truth", an only moderately inconsistent album that sends one all the way back to the glory days, as best defined by the first four VAN HALEN albums.

Getting the remaining negatives out of the way first, the main issue of note outside of "Tattoo" is the absence of bassist Michael Anthony, whose pitch-perfect harmonies are missed. However, Wolfgang Van Halen does a fine job with his four strings and locks into a telepathic groove with his uncle Alex and father Eddie. For that matter, few would notice the difference when the youngster clamps it down tight with Alex in that most distinctive of ways during one of Eddie's still awesome, still unmatched guitar solos. Even the tone and vibe of much of the album reminds of the band's vintage DLR work. Secondly, Roth's voice has seen better days; the gritty soul that defined him has been replaced in a few too many places by stress and strain. Fortunately, he does an admirable job with the majority of the material and once you get use to the 2012 version of DLR it becomes a minor problem at worst.

As for the rest of the songs, the bulk of "A Different Kind of Truth" truly does bring back the electrified excitement of VAN HALEN 1977 - 1984, which makes sense considering Roth's admission that at least some of the material goes back to the demo days. "She's the Woman" quickly redeems the album after lackluster opener "Tattoo". It's got an engine that runs like the one heard on "Mean Street" from the underappreciated "Fair Warning" and is not the first place that reminds of that excellent album. The arrangement is strong, the melody solid, and the vocal harmonies more than adequate. "You and Your Blues" follows suit before "China Town" kicks things into high gear with a classic VAN HALEN quick paced, frenetic shuffle that is just plain tough. The hard-rockin' "Bullethead" gets the job done in less than three minutes, but "Outta Space" really brings it old school, fast and heavy, almost like the more aggressive material from "Van Halen II" and not just because the title recalls "Outta Love Again". Opening with a tribal-esque intro that is definitively Alex, "As Is" is then off to the races, ending up an appetizing rocker that causes flashbacks to both "Hot for Teacher" and "Unchained", including a few choice Roth lines like "a little more volume in the headphones, please." There is no fear of anyone mistaking "As Is" for either of those gems, but the vibe is most assuredly present. That patented VH bass/drum rhythm-stomp is a smile producer on "Big River", which also features an upbeat chorus, while "Beats Workin'" wraps things up the more purely rock end of the album in a tight, big balls manner.

"A Different King of Truth" rounds out with a trio of songs that are a little more pop-inflected (in a strict VAN HALEN sense). The best of the bunch and what just may be the catchiest song on the album is "The Trouble with Never", which comes with the kind of chorus that would never be mistaken for any other band and a little funk on the verses. "Stay Frosty" will immediately bring to mind the acoustic licks and high steppin' shuffle of "Ice Cream Man", almost to the point of distraction, but still becomes an enjoyable slice of nostalgia. "Honeybabysweetiedoll" is the album's other dud. The tune does have bite, owing in part to a terrific solo (as usual) over only bass/drum accompaniment, but the chorus is too goofy for its own good and doesn't have a hook big enough to overcome the irksomeness.

It'll be difficult for some fans that have been with VAN HALEN since the beginning (myself included) to keep nostalgia at bay while assessing the merits of this one. Once the breathing is slowed and a little objectivity is allowed to creep in most will realize that "A Different Kind of Truth" is a good VAN HALEN album. It is not an album on par with anything released during the 1977-1984 period, no matter how hard one tries to elevate it to that level. Regardless, it is a release that captures some of the old magic, as well as being a spirited, authentic sounding affair with some pretty darn good tunes and a high level of voltage. In other words, it is a welcome return, warts and all.