The Best of Both Worlds (Van Halen album)

Updated on Jan 11, 2024

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Released July 20, 2004 Length 156:38 Artist Van Halen Label Warner Bros. Records		Recorded 1977–1994, 2004 Producer Van Halen Release date 20 July 2004 Genres Hard rock, Heavy metal

The Best of Both Worlds (2004) A Different Kind of Truth (2012) Similar Van Halen albums, Hard rock albums

The Best of Both Worlds is the second greatest hits album by American hard 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; omitting Gary Cherone's three-year tenure with the band. Prior to The Best of Both Worlds' release, Hagar reunited with Van Halen, and the band subsequently recorded three new tracks to include on the release.

Debuting at #3 in the US, the album was subsequently followed by a reunion tour, and certified Platinum. It is the last Van Halen album overall 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 already recorded before he rejoined. The bass guitar on the new songs was played by Eddie Van Halen.

According to Anthony, the original plans involved one disc dedicated to Roth and another to Hagar which would feature the three new songs, but problems while negotiating with Roth led to the track listing on the released album.

Track listing

Notes

Track 10 on disc two combines the instrumental "Strung Out" with "Not Enough", although it is shown on the album track list as simply "Not Enough". Both songs were listed as individual tracks on the Balance album.

Personnel

Van Halen

Eddie Van Halen – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, bass on new tracks

Alex Van Halen – drums, percussion

Michael Anthony – bass, backing vocals

Sammy Hagar – lead vocals on tracks 2–4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 on disc 1; 2, 4, 6, 8, 10–12, on disc 2, rhythm guitar, backing vocals

David Lee Roth – lead and backing vocals on tracks 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 on disc 1; 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 13, 14 on disc 2

Additional musicians

Steve Lukather – backing vocals on tracks 2–4 on disc 1

Production

Compilation producer: Van Halen

Engineer: Bill Malina (on new songs)

Product manager: Kenny Nemes

Project assistants: Hugh Brown, Tom Consolo, Malia Doss, Jimmy Edwards, Alan Fletcher, Kevin Gore, Bill Inglot, Joanne Jaworowski, Anna Loynes, Mark McKenna, David McLees, Scott Pascucci

Mastering supervisor: Glen Ballard

Remastering: Stephen Marcussen

Editorial supervision: Cory Frye

Art direction: Sara Cumings, Jeri Heiden

Design: Sara Cumings, Jeri Heiden

Photography: Kevin Westenberg

Liner notes: David Wild

Discographical annotation: Steve Woolard

Charts

Album

Singles

Songs

1Eruption1:43
2It's About Time4:15
3Up for Breakfast4:57

References

The Best of Both Worlds (Van Halen album) Wikipedia

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