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Artist: Van Halen

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Van Halen Homepage

CD Title: Balance

 

Category: Heavy Metal

Year: 1995

Label: Warner Brothers

Catalog Number: 9 45760-4

Personnel

Sammy Hagar lead and background vocals
Eddie Van Halen guitars, keyboards, background vocals
Michael Anthony bass, background vocals
Alex Van Halen drums, percussion

Tracks

1.	The Seventh Seal
2.	Can't Stop Loving You
3.	Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)
4.	Amsterdam
5.	Big Money
6.	Aftershock
7.	Strung Out
8.	Not Enough
9.	Doin' Time
10.	Baluchitherium
11.	Take Me Back (Deja Vu)
12.	Feelin'

If you see any errors or omissions in the CD information shown above, either in the musician credits or song listings (cover song credits, live tracks, etc.), please post them in the corrections section of the Heavy Harmonies forum/message board.

The music discographies on this site are works in progress. If you notice that a particular Van Halen CD release or compilation is missing from the list above, please submit that CD using the CD submission page. The ultimate goal is to make the discographies here at Heavy Harmonies as complete as possible. Even if it is an obscure greatest-hits or live compilation CD, we want to add it to the site. Please only submit official CD releases; no bootlegs or cassette-only or LP-only releases.

EPs and CD-singles from Van Halen are also welcome to be added, as long as they are at least 4 songs in length.

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Existing comments about this CD

From:	Date: April 29, 2001 at 16:20
Alright, but not up to VH standards. The 7th Seal is the best song on here.

From: Mike G.	Date: July 25, 2001 at 14:24
Another efficient Van Halen album!! all of the songs are great and this album rocks, but by this time we really miss the Dave era!!!!

From: Motley	Date: February 4, 2002 at 14:54
Sold the cd. its ok but I dont miss it......sound like they ran out of energy

From: Scandinavia	Date: June 28, 2003 at 11:48
I actually think this album is pretty good...Not as 'confusing' as mid-80s VH albums. 'Don't tell me', 'Amsterdam', 'Money', Seventh Seal' & 'Can't stop..' being the highlights...

From: Dusty	Date: November 11, 2003 at 7:48
This is a great album, second best by Sammy Hagar (FUCK is the best)'Amsterdam' is great, but I think it is too cliché to sing about amsterdam as drugs city. I live near Amsterdam, and this city has much more to offer then drugs and whores.

From: bundy	Date: March 14, 2004 at 3:17
I felt this was their best effort with Sammy. They showed much more diverse selection of songs than any other album. From moody atmospheric stuff like 'Seventh Seal, a ballad like 'Not Enough' and a jazzy jam like 'Big Fat Money'. I got my moneys worth alone on 'Take Me Back(Deja Vu)'. It's a Fucking Jam!!!

From: Joe	Date: March 30, 2004 at 2:35
i really dig this album, the song Don't Tell Me still smokes to this very day.

From: Big Papa K	Date: June 30, 2004 at 16:41
What to make of this album? Sometimes they show they can rock, such as 'The Seventh Seal' and 'Amsterdam', but the lyrics ruin those songs. Their more AOR type tracks are their best here, in 'Don't Tell Me' and 'Can't Stop Loving You', even though the later sounds like it should be performed by some other band. 5/10

From: Steve Nightrain	Date: August 23, 2004 at 13:48
5 first tracks are awesome and 'Strung Out' came to ruin the album. 'Not Enough' is a touching piano ballad that add a point to this album, but the rest tracks are not special at all. 8/10

From: Warhead

Date: August 24, 2004 at 16:07

This is a mixed bag. The first two songs are a tad more edgy than previous Halen material. The rest of the tunes are on track with Halen. Aftershock is classic Halen riffs, Big Fat Money reminds me of a faster Ice Cream Man meets Hot for Teacher...don't ask me, I still am trying to figure that out. 1984 is still their best to date, but this one isn't too bad. If your a new Halen fan, I would check out 1984 (w/Roth on vocals) or Best of Both Worlds.

From: Wotty	Date: August 24, 2004 at 16:37
Hey Warhead.Have Van Halen made a consistant album since the mighty 5150,I dont think so,and with the talent they have,its criminal....

From: Carmine Rose	Date: September 4, 2004 at 19:00
In my opinion, the best album of the Van Hagar era. The Seventh Seal and Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do) are excellent!

From: Wotty	Date: September 4, 2004 at 19:20
Oh please,you know its 5150....

From: Dave	Date: September 4, 2004 at 20:11
This is as much their best album as 'This Left Feels Right' is Bon Jovi's best album ????????? Some good stuff on this but you would only have this around mid field in the Van Halen pecking order.

From: FM	Date: October 30, 2004 at 8:24
Brilliant album. Much variety, and a great sound. I remember when it came out, I immediately fell in love with it. How come nobody mentions 'Feelin''? That one is BY FAR the best song on the record, IMO! How can you not get excited by that crazy solo in the middle?

From: Propane	Date: December 3, 2004 at 16:31
Worse pile I've heard in years. Sounds like they don't like their jobs anymore. Don't waste your hard earned cash for this.

From: hlukhlku	Date: December 19, 2004 at 8:19
Do waste your hard earned cash on this dudes, it's totally worth it

From: howe	Date: January 25, 2005 at 7:20
Superb! This is one of the albums with the best guitar work I've ever heard. The songwriting, the vibe, the production, everything is so unique. And this is 1995!!! 'Don't Tell Me' is one of the most powerful songs they ever wrote! 9/10

From: gugahardrock	Date: May 31, 2006 at 11:38
Big Papa K must be crazy How can this guy gives a 6/10 to Nitro and gives a 5 to this album? I think this album fantastic, but even the worst Van Halen stuff (VH3) is too far better than any Nitro stuff.

From: Rycheage	Date: September 14, 2007 at 22:50
Very hit and miss but enjoyable anyway. 'The Seventh Seal', 'Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)' and 'Can't Stop Loving You' are all awesome rock but when they miss, they really miss. There are quite a number of fillers here.

From: Figge

Date: September 15, 2007 at 5:04

I totally agree, Rycheage. What if they would've come up with more songs like Sventh Seal, Can't Stop Loving You and the awesome Don't Tell Me.....jesus, what an album this would've been. Those three songs are all killers and Feelin' is OK too. Too bad the whole album isn't of the same quality songwise. Amsterdam and Big Fat Money (both on the verge of embarrassing) and three annoying instrumentals makes this album a pretty weak one overall.

From: Wachen	Date: May 7, 2008 at 4:50
The only fillers here are 5,9 and 10. The rest rocks and shows a more mature VH with the incomparable Sammy Hagar on lead vocals. Best songs are "The Seventh Seal", "Can't Stop Loving You", "Amsterdam", "Not Enough" and "Feelin'"! I love it, 9/10

From: aorluver	Date: May 20, 2008 at 10:48
I prefer it MUCH MORE to the overrated F.U.C.K.album!!! Great Van Halen with great melodies and attitude!!!

From: pie75	Date: August 22, 2010 at 4:50
ok not as good as the last but still has some very good songs on here seventh seal,can't stop lovin' you,(don't tell me) what love can do,amsterdam,aftershock,not enough,feelin' and take me back(dejavu) are all good songs shame this was the last sammy album though

From: Wardy

Date: January 30, 2011 at 5:43

This one still rates much better than most gave it credit for in its day. As already mentioned the highlights being Seventh Seal, Don't Tell Me and Can't Stop Lovin but there's more... The already mentioned Feelin is kinda wonderful and the lovely ballad Not Enough works just fine too but personal highlight is the badass Aftershock which most seem to pass over. Tremendous Ed intro and those guitars keep working right through the whole track, absolute classic that tune. Probably too full of instrumentals too but that's purely based on the fact none of them were that memorable, compared to the classy 316 from FUCK for example, and never really did understand why Crossing Over wasn't included here... one of the finest Ed pieces ever offered IMO... Based on this one and the followup of Humans Being I thought these guys were still going super strong and was surprised that was no the case. It's About Time and Learning were good enough comebacks but alas it was not to be Rate this 80+

From: Doghouse Reilly

Date: January 30, 2011 at 13:44

I found this disappointing, like most folks seem to. "Can't Ttop Lovin' You" was a bona fide hit for them, their last big radio song, and is prime Van Hagar. "Seventh Seal" is okay, and "Amsterdam" has a carefree vibe. "Big Money" is horrible, though, and "Don't Tell Me What Love Can Do" is way too long,and Sammy sounds like shit on it, basically just yelling the lyrics. What I remember about side two (yeah, I still had cassettes in '95) one decent rocker at the beginning, two decent ballads at the end, and a lot of forgettable songs and useless instrumentald in between. I listen to this only rarely.

From: Doghouse Reilly

Date: January 31, 2011 at 10:37

All right, I pulled this tape out yesterday after my last comment. Not only are there a lot of mediocre-at-best songs, but the thing suffered from poor choice of singles as well, with both "Don't Tell Me" and "Not Enough" being chosen for airplay. If I were the genius in charge, I would've gont for "Aftershock," "Can't Stop Lovin' You," "Amsterdam," and if there was still some momentum left, "Amsterdam." That's pretty much it. Everything else is either forgettable or downright awful.

From: rick kerch vzla

Date: July 1, 2011 at 9:35

"Debut" album with(at that stage ex Extreme frontman)Gary Cherone on board...voice pretty similar to Sammy Hagar which i think it was what the band was looking for honestly and somehow they did...good songs being my fave ones the hit single "Can't Stop Loving You","Don't Tell Me(What Love Can Do)","Amsterdam"(another hit single i think)& "Not Enough"(nice strong ballad)...not a bad release at all...89/100

From: Doghouse Reilly	Date: July 1, 2011 at 10:38
Rick: It sounds like Hagar because it is. Cherone didn't come on board until the next album, Van Halen III, in '98. Also, I messed up on my last post. If I were choosing the singles, it would've been "Aftershock" first, for a good, strong rocker, then "Can't Stop Lovin' You," then "Take Me Back" for a ballad, and then "Amsterdam."

From: rick kerch vzla	Date: July 1, 2011 at 21:54
jejeje...thanks Doghouse Reilly...i messed the comment ...i switched them...i was really gonna write about their '98 album ...Gary did quite sound like Sammy in that '98 release you are mentioning anyway...talking about the songs in here with the mighty SAMMY HAGAR well i stick to what i wrote then..good songs,not a bad release(with HAGAR) and my faves are the ones i mentioned...peace out!!!

From: Doghouse Reilly

Date: July 2, 2011 at 1:51

Yeah, man, I agree. First time I heard "Without You" from Van Halen III, which was the first single, I thought, 'Dude sounds like Hagar!" Even Sammy himself mentioned it in his book, how it almost seemed like Cherone was trying to sound like him. For Balance, I remember all the uproar surrounding this release in early '95, radio stations hyping it from here to doomsday, and when I finally heard "Don't Tell Me What Love Can Do," I thought "What's thei big deal? This song isn't even that good!" So yeah, I stick with the four songs I named earlier today, and maybe "Feelin'" and "Seventh Seal." The rest os pretty weak, but then, three of them are instrumentals.

From: edwithmj

Date: September 13, 2011 at 18:40

A nice mature effort from Van Halen here. The album contains a mix of hard rockers, ballads and AOR. Seventh Seal I always found forgettable but Can't Stop Lovin' You is a great classic Hagar sung ballad with a great rhtym and catchy lyrics. Don't Tell Me What Love Can Do is quite heavy and a bit progressive, Amsterdam has humourous lyrics and Aftershock is a forgettable experiment involving piano strings. Not Enough is another classic Hagar ballad, Baluchitherium is a wonderful instrumental track and got me into instrumental rock music. Take Me Back (Deja Vu) is the last of the great ballads on this album and has very melodic vocals by Hagar. This is my favourite track. Feelin' is a thoughtful closer on this disc. All in all I recommend this to any fans of melodic hard rock, metal or AOR as it surely appeals to a wide audience.

From: edwithmj	Date: September 13, 2011 at 20:31
Edit: Atershock is actually a decent rocker. Strung Out is the experimental instrumental track.

From: Doghouse Reilly

Date: June 26, 2016 at 20:44

Looking back, it's easy to see why corporate AOR radio was so desperate to promote Balance upon its release: just like their rapidly aging listener base, the radio suits were adrift in a strange new world where no one cared about what '70's dinosaurs still roamed the earth. Van Halen were among the last of the tall trees still standing. They seemed like a safe bet in a world of increasingly faceless alt-rock and ever-heavier metal. I saw this tour, and VH were ckometent but boring--lots of ballads. They opened their set with "Right Now," kinda like how the Eagles opened with "Hotel California" on their reunion tour around the same time--not exactly a jolt of adrenaline. They weren't yet able to charge rich-baby-boomer ticket prices, and the scene on the lawn was a white-trash circus.

From: hair metal again	Date: December 22, 2017 at 7:44
excellent release once again by VAN HALEN as usual!not so energetic maybe as their previous ones ,but still the highest quality in musicianship ,production , sound and very good songwriting!"can t stop lovin you",'amsterdam','don t tell me" and "not enough' are great songs and once again nobody can do it like the mighty VAN HALEN

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