Van Halen Unveils ‘The Collection II’ Featuring the Sammy Hagar Era
Set for release this autumn is a brand-new boxed set showcasing the legendary band’s stint with Sammy Hagar. This era includes Sammy Hagar on vocals, Eddie Van Halen on guitar, Alex Van Halen behind the drums, and Michael Anthony on bass.
Both the CD and Vinyl Box Sets include Four of their chart-topping albums, newly remastered, plus a special selection of rarities that span between 1989 and 2004.
‘The Collection II’ will be released on October 6th 2023 . There is a 5-LP set and 5-CD Box Set as well. The remastering process has been meticulously overseen by Donn Landee, the band’s trusted engineer, promising a sonic treat directly from the original master tapes.
If you recall Van Halen’s 2015 compilation, ‘The Collection’, which celebrated their original line-up featuring David Lee Roth, then ‘The Collection II’ is its much-anticipated sequel. This new collection brings to light the Hagar era’s success stories like ‘5150’ (1986), ‘OU812’ (1988), ‘For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge’ (1991), and ‘Balance’ (1995).
‘5150’ gave us unforgettable hits like “Dreams”, “Love Walks In”, and the chart-topping “Why Can’t This Be Love”.
‘OU812’ followed shortly after, boasting hits like “Finish What Ya Started” and “When It’s Love”.
The band got their first Grammy with ‘For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge’, with singles like “Poundcake”, “Top Of The World”, and “Right Now”.
They concluded the Hagar era with ‘Balance’, a Grammy nominated work which introduced tracks like “The Seventh Seal”.
The Collection II’ wraps up with ‘Studio Rarities 1989-2004’, an exclusive assortment of eight Sammy Hagar-era tracks, making their debut in this collection. Of special note are tracks like “Crossing Over”, their unique take on Little Feat’s “A Apolitical Blues”, the instrumental “Baluchitherium”, and contributions to the Twister Soundtrack – “Humans Being” and the Grammy nominated “Respect The Wind”.
THE COLLECTION II
5-LP Track Listing
LP One: 5150
Side One
“Good Enough”
“Why Can’t This Be Love”
“Get Up”
“Dreams”
“Summer Nights”
Side Two
“Best Of Both Worlds”
“Love Walks In”
“5150”
“Inside”
LP Two: OU812
Side One
“Mine All Mine”
“When It’s Love”
“A.F.U. (Naturally Wired)”
“Cabo Wabo”
Side Two
“Source Of Infection”
“Feels So Good”
“Finish What Ya Started”
“Black And Blue”
“Sucker In A 3 Piece”
LP Three: For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
Side One
“Poundcake”
“Judgement Day”
“Spanked”
“Runaround”
“Pleasure Dome”
Side Two
“In ‘N’ Out”
“Man On A Mission”
“The Dream Is Over”
“Right Now”
“316”
“Top Of The World”
LP Four: Balance
Side One
“The Seventh Seal”
“Can’t Stop Lovin’ You”
“Don’t Tell Me (What Love Can Do)”
“Amsterdam”
“Big Fat Money”
“Doin’ Time”
Side Two
“Aftershock”
“Strung Out”
“Not Enough”
“Take Me Back (Déjà Vu)”
“Feelin’”
LP Five: Studio Rarities 1989-2004
Side One
“A Apolitical Blues”
“Crossing Over”
“Baluchitherium”
Side Two
“Humans Being”
“Respect The Wind”
“It’s About Time”
“Up For Breakfast”
“Learning To See”
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine