Van Halen

It seems like Eddie Van Halen just can’t get along with everyone in his band at the same time. His long-discussed reunion with original singer David Lee Roth took years and a couple of highly publicized false starts to actually come together, but in the meantime, Eddie forced out founding bassist Michael Anthony in favor of his son, Wolfgang. The band’s new record, A Different Kind Of Truth, might feature an abysmal lead single, “Tattoo,” but it’s surprisingly solid. New material or not, though, the return of Diamond Dave is worth flicking your lighter on from the cheap seats, so strap in and prepare to hear “Panama” the way God intended it to be heard, except for the bass and backing vocals.

Updated 02/15/2012