The Best of Both Worlds (Van Halen album)

Last updated

The Best of Both Worlds
Van Halen - The Best of Both Worlds.jpg
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedJuly 20, 2004
Recorded1977–1994, 2004
Genre
Length156:57
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Van Halen
Van Halen chronology
Van Halen III
(1998)
The Best of Both Worlds
(2004)
A Different Kind of Truth
(2012)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Entertainment Weekly B [2]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [3]

The Best of Both Worlds is the second greatest hits album by American rock band Van Halen, released on July 20, 2004, on Warner Bros. The compilation features material recorded with lead vocalists David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, but omits Gary Cherone's three-year tenure with the band. Prior to The Best of Both Worlds's release, Hagar reunited with Van Halen, and the band recorded three new tracks to include on the release.

Contents

Debuting at #3 in the US, [4] the album coincided with a reunion tour, and certified Platinum. It is the last Van Halen album to feature contributions from Michael Anthony and Hagar.

Background

The compilation features 16 tracks taken from the six David Lee Roth era albums (1978–1984), and 14 from the four Sammy Hagar era albums (1986–1995), plus three live songs with Hagar from Live: Right Here, Right Now (1993), and three new songs with Hagar made for the compilation. The album was released in promotion of the new reunion tour featuring Hagar returning as lead singer. The three new songs were also performed live at various times.

Michael Anthony did not play bass guitar for the three new songs, although he did provide backing vocals for them. Anthony was not an official band member at that point and the songs were recorded before he rejoined. The bass guitar on the new songs was played by Eddie Van Halen. [5]

According to Anthony, the original plans involved one disc of songs recorded with Roth and another of songs recorded with Hagar, with the three new songs appearing on the Roth disc. [5]

Track listing

Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Eruption" Van Halen , 19781:43
2."It's About Time"
New song, 20044:15
3."Up for Breakfast"
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
New song4:57
4."Learning to See"
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
New song5:15
5."Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love"
  • Anthony
  • Roth
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
Van Halen3:48
6."Finish What Ya Started"
  • Anthony
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
OU812 , 19884:24
7."You Really Got Me" Ray Davies Van Halen2:38
8."Dreams"
  • Anthony
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
5150 , 19864:53
9."Hot for Teacher"
  • Anthony
  • Roth
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
1984 , 19844:43
10."Poundcake"
  • Anthony
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge , 19915:20
11."And the Cradle Will Rock..."
  • Anthony
  • Roth
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
Women and Children First , 19803:34
12."Black and Blue"
  • Anthony
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
OU8125:27
13."Jump"
  • Anthony
  • Roth
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
19844:04
14."Top of the World"
  • Anthony
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge3:54
15."(Oh) Pretty Woman" Diver Down , 19822:53
16."Love Walks In"
  • Anthony
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
51505:11
17."Beautiful Girls"
  • Anthony
  • Roth
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
Van Halen II , 19793:57
18."Can't Stop Lovin' You"
  • Anthony
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
Balance , 19954:08
19."Unchained"
  • Anthony
  • Roth
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
Fair Warning , 19813:29
Total length:78:33
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Panama"
  • Anthony
  • Roth
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
19843:32
2."Best of Both Worlds"
  • Anthony
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
51504:49
3."Jamie's Cryin'"
  • Anthony
  • Roth
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
Van Halen3:30
4."Runaround"
  • Anthony
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge4:20
5."I'll Wait"
19844:42
6."Why Can't This Be Love"
  • Anthony
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
51503:48
7."Runnin' with the Devil"
  • Anthony
  • Roth
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
Van Halen3:36
8."When It's Love"
  • Anthony
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
OU8125:38
9."Dancing in the Street"
Diver Down3:45
10."Strung Out"/"Not Enough"
  • Anthony
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
Balance6:48
11."Feels So Good"
  • Anthony
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
OU8124:32
12."Right Now"
  • Anthony
  • Hagar
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge5:22
13."Everybody Wants Some!!"
  • Anthony
  • Roth
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
Women and Children First5:10
14."Dance the Night Away"
  • Anthony
  • Roth
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
Van Halen II3:10
15."Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love" (live)
  • Anthony
  • Roth
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
Live: Right Here, Right Now , 19934:43
16."Panama" (live)
  • Anthony
  • Roth
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
Live: Right Here, Right Now6:39
17."Jump" (live)
  • Anthony
  • Roth
  • A. Van Halen
  • E. Van Halen
Live: Right Here, Right Now4:20
Total length:78:24

Notes

Personnel

Van Halen

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Singles

YearSingleChartPosition
2004"It's About Time"Mainstream Rock Tracks6[ citation needed ]
"Up for Breakfast"Mainstream Rock Tracks33[ citation needed ]

Certification

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [24] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [25] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

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  2. Entertainment Weekly review
  3. Rolling Stone Review
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  6. Roth was not a member at the time of this release therefore belongs in additional personnel.
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