Van Halen Releases Balance – January 24^th, 1995

Conversation Starters

• Van Halen released their 10^th studio album “Balance” today in ’95. What’s your favorite song from the record?
• Back in 1995, Van Halen released their final album with Sammy Hagar, “Balance”. It’s the ultimate question: Sammy or Dave?
• Today marks the 18^th anniversary of Van Halen’s album “Balance”. Where does it rank among your favorite Van Halen LPs?

Fast Facts

• U.S. Release Date: January 24, 1995 via Warner Bros. Records
• LP Producer: Bruce Fairbairn
• Balance is Van Halen’s 10^th studio album
• The album was recorded from May – September, 1994 at Little Mountain Studios in Vancouver and at Eddie Van Halen’s home studio, 5150 in Hollywood
• It is the last of four Van Halen albums to feature Sammy Hagar as the band’s lead singer
• In the midst of its release, Eddie Van Halen was recovering from alcoholism and tensions between Eddie and Sammy, who had just divorced his wife of 23 years, were at an all-time high
• The band then pushed Eddie to invite David Lee Roth back to the band to record two new songs in 1996 without Hagar’s knowing, making things worse
• During the band’s subsequent “Ambulance Tour,” the second incarnation of Van Halen broke up; reports conflict on whether Hagar was fired or if he quit
• Eddie Van Halen told Guitar World Magazine in 1997 that things were so bad in the group prior to Hagar’s departure that he “actually started drinking again”
• The album's cover was described by Alex Van Halen to artist Glen Wexler, who create it; it was censored in Japan
• The single “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You” pays tribute to Ray Charles’ song “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
• Balance features three completely instrumental songs: “Strung Out,” “Doin’ Time,” and “Baluchitherium”

Track Listing:

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

Singles (w/ Billboard Hot 100 rankings):

1. “Don’t Tell Me( What Love Can Do)”
2. “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You” – peaked at #30
3. “Amsterdam”
4. “Not Enough” – peaked at #97

Billboard Top 200

• Balance peaked at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums on Feb. 11^th, 1995

RIAA

• Certified 3X Platinum – May 12^th, 2004

Links to Videos:

• Don’t Tell Me (What Love Can Do)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5SuiywnBuo
• Can’t Stop Lovin’ You- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFNdhm3mli0
• Amsterdam- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IRJoaZwsnM   

Sources

• MTV- http://www.mtv.com/artists/van-halen/   
• All Music- http://www.allmusic.com/album/balance-mw0000123316  
•                     http://www.allmusic.com/artist/van-halen-mn0000260206
• RIAA- http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database
• Van Halen Links- http://www.vhlinks.com/pages/interviews/evh/gw1296.php
• Van Halen News Desk - http://www.vhnd.com/balance/