[Album Review] David Lee Roth | DLR Band

The late ’90s wasn’t the best time to be a Van Halen fan. When the band broke up with David Lee Roth following the 1984 Tour, it sucked. But, we got two great albums out of it with Roth’s Eat ’em and Smile and Van Hagar’s 5150.

When Sammy Hagar was ousted in… 96ish? (The divorce was messy.) We got the putrid Van Halen III from the band while Hagar’s lame Little White Lies was overplayed on the radio. Meanwhile, David Lee Roth had cooked up the closest thing to a real Van Halen album since 1984, and we would never see it again until A Different Kind of Truth in 2012.

DLR Band was released on June 8th, 1998, and (If sales from Canada count in this stat!) I was one of the 8,000 people who bought it within the first week. It might be the last time I voted on music with my wallet. I was living in Pembroke while working for little pay, but when I heard Slam Dunk! on “Ottwawa’s Best Rock Station” 106.9, The Bear, I just had to have that song. Yes, this is what I want. Fun rock music!

Besides Roth’s, I hadn’t recognized any names in the liner notes. John 5? Terry Kilgore? Who cares? They sound great! They seemed to get what DLR was all about. Not all of the album was gold, but much of it was. So, let’s see what worked for me…

Slam Dunk!, A+
“You wanna big car, and you finally win it; next week, you’re sleeping in it!” Only DLR can rhyme “it” with “it.”

Black Light, B-
I dig the verses, but I’m not a fan of the chorus.

Counter-Blast, A
Solid album track that is driven by John 5’s ability to channel EVH.

Lose the Dress (Keep the Shoes), A-
A Skyscraper-ish track. Cheesy and pleasant.

Little Texas, A
Hot For Teacher called. It is looking for its royalty check.

King of The Hill, A
It’s an STP type of grunge riff, but DLR’s vocal melody remains true to himself.

Going Places…, B+
An acoustic number with an instrumental intro that is a little too long. But Roth’s lyrics are fun, and the song gets better when the electric guitar riffs begin.

Wa Wa Zat !!, A+
Classic riff! Pure Van Halen apery!

Relentless, A-
Is someone in this band an Our Lady Peace fan? That main riff gives me nothing but Starseed vibes, but it works as it blends in with the more Halen-y parts. It’s one of the few tracks where Roth pushes his voice.

Indeedido, B-
What is the most Roth song title ever? This or Wa Wa Zat !!? The debate rages on. An OK song that edges on filler.

Right Tool for the Job, B
Sleazy blues with a groove very similar to ZZ Top’s Jesus Just Left Chicago and lyrics that are not.

Tight, C+
David brags about how tight his current band is in this song. A knock at Van Halen? Well, his journey with this “tight band” didn’t last. Did they even tour to promote this? Not sure. I think Roth became an EMT after this. Anyway, this album is running out of gas.

Weekend with the Babysitter, C
Let’s end this album already.

Black Sand, B-
A decent enough slow number that is held up by Kilgore’s guitar solos.

I understand why DLR Band would not be for every Van Halen fan. For one, Roth’s voice was showing glaring signs of wear. It’s charming how he can talk his way through a tune, but his voice is not great whenever he pushes it. And while the band excelled at getting that Van Halen swing down, no one touched Micheal Anthony’s backup vocals.

Also, the album is on the long side (51 minutes) with about 7-12 minutes of filler. Roth wanted this to come together like a classic Van Halen album, which meant only 10 days in the studio. The thing is, those albums clocked in at around 35 minutes, usually without any fat. I would have preferred to see polish added to the 10 better tracks instead of dragging the album out 14.

Ultimately, your enjoyment of DLR Band will hang on by how much you can tolerate like David Lee Roth. It was a brilliant idea to have two lead guitarists carry the load, as they have different styles. John 5 stuck to EVH, while Kilgore is more like Jimmy Page. The two blended well from song to song, which kept the album interesting for the most part. And, if you are a fan of Van Halen’s first six albums, there isn’t much else to turn to for more content. It isn’t perfect, but it is primarily an underrated gem.

3.5/5