Not Enough (Van Halen song)

Last updated
"Not Enough"
Not Enough.png
Single by Van Halen
from the album Balance
B-side "Amsterdam"
ReleasedJune 25, 1995 (1995-06-25) [1]
Recorded1994
Genre Soft rock
Length5:13
Label Warner Bros.
Songwriters
Producer Bruce Fairbairn
Van Halen singles chronology
"Amsterdam"
(1995)		"Not Enough"
(1995)		"Humans Being"
(1996)

"Not Enough" is a song by the American rock band Van Halen. It was released as the fourth and final single from the band's tenth studio album, Balance , and was written by Sammy Hagar, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, and Alex Van Halen.

Contents

Unlike most Van Halen songs, which are mostly hard rock and heavy metal, "Not Enough" is a ballad in the genre of soft rock. And like Van Halen's cover of "You Really Got Me", "Not Enough" is preceded by an avant-garde instrumental called "Strung Out", which was considered an experiment. [2]

"Not Enough" peaked at No. 97 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 27 on the Mainstream Rock chart, and No. 6 on the RPM Top Singles chart, eventually becoming No. 39 on the Year-End Chart of RPM.

Background

"Not Enough" is written around a Ben Folds-esque piano part, [3] and it was the first Van Halen song featuring Michael Anthony playing a fretless bass.

Eddie Van Halen reportedly recorded the instrumental "Strung Out" in the early 80s, having rented composer Marvin Hamlisch's beach house for a summer vacation. Eddie explained that he used to mess around with an old piano and experimented with the instrument by placing various objects inside it, including ping-pong balls, D-cell batteries, knives, and forks. He played the instrument by touching and plucking the strings with his fingers. He created harmonics by pressing a key and then lightly muting the string to bring out different tones, a technique similar to that used on a guitar. [4]

The producer Bruce Fairbairn loved "Strung Out" and selected it as the intro for "Not Enough" and for inclusion on Balance from the numerous tapes of these experiments that Eddie owned. [4]

Music video

A music video directed by Jeth Weinrich for the song features the band performing on the roof of a building.

Personnel

Van Halen

Guests

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1995)Peak
position
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [5] 6
US Billboard Hot 100 [6] 97
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [7] 27

Year-end charts

Chart (1995)Peak
position
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [8] 39

References

  1. ↑ ノット・イナフ | ヴァン・ヘイレン [Not Enough | Van Halen]. Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  2. ↑ Brown, Morgan (2023). On Track ... Van Halen: Every Album, Every Song. England: Sonic Bond Publishing. p. 107. ISBN   978-1789522563.
  3. ↑ Klosterman, Chuck (October 6, 2020). "All 131 Van Halen Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best". Vulture. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  4. 1 2 "1995 Guitar World Interview: Eddie Van Halen Regains His 'Balance'". Guitar World. November 11, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2761." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Not Enough – Van Halen (Single)". elpee.jp. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Baby, It's Tonight — Jude Cole". Music VF. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2840." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
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