Liner Notes
5150 is the seventh album by American hard rock band Van Halen and the first album recorded with Sammy as the new lead singer. It was named after Eddie Van Halen's home studio, 5150, which is a California police term for a mentally disturbed person (a reference to Section 5150 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code). The 5150 name has been used several times by Van Halen. It is the name of Eddie Van Halen's private studio, the name of a custom Frankenstein striped Kramer Pacer Special used by Eddie Van Halen throughout the 80s, and the model name of a signature guitar amplifier endorsed by Eddie for his own EVH brand.
Related Videos
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Sammy Hagar & Michael Anthony Talk about Writing/Recording Van Halen's "5150" -
Dreams - Van Halen 1993 @ The Whisky a Go-Go -
"5150" - Van Halen Live in Tokyo Feb 1989 -
Album Anniversaries: Van Halen 5150
Other Albums
16 Redhead Comments
In 1983 when Van Halen was in Brazil with David Lee Roth, I went to see them at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo. I painted a red T-shirt where I designed the back cover of Sammy Hagar's Loud'n'Clear album by lifting a guitar, painted the Sammy Hagar logo on the left side of my chest, put on the shirt and went to the Van Halen concert.
I was in the front row of the audience and Eddie Van Halen was pointing his finger at my Sammy Hagar t-shirt, but I didn't understand what he meant by gesturing to me. I think he wanted my gift shirt for him. (I dont know). Coincidentally, two years later Sammy Hagar joined Van Halen.
Sammy Hagar is said to have been known in Brazil from Van Halen - THAT NEWS IS COMPLETELY MISTAKED. I'm sure more than 50,000 fans (at least) already knew about Sammy Hagar's songs playing at our rock dances from 1971 to 1998, long before he joined Van Halen. Take the test when you arrive in Brazil Sammy!
Play Love or Money, This Planet's on Fire, Reckless, Red and other songs like: I can't drive 55, Growing Pains and you'll see.
My team and I did a job that the Brazilian media never did. Today Sammy Hagar is a phenomenon in Brazil, long before he joined Van Halen. And Sammy Hagar made a difference with Eddie's band. Van Halen's music got heavier, more robust and modern with Sammy Hagar leading the vocals. This is no demerit to David Lee Roth who has always been the great musician too, but Sammy Hagar has left his trademark Red Rocker on Van Halen as well. 5150, OU812, FOR UNLAWFUL..., BALANCE, are pure Sammy Hagar songs!
People say Axel Rose is is one of the best front men in rock and roll! well they forgot about one (if not the greatest vocalist) front man of all time! Sammy! He did it with Ronnie Montrose!(RIP the best) solo.Saved Van Halen and went solo again then went on and to kick butt with Joe Satriani,Michael Anthony and Chad Smith to make a power band Chickenfoot! Sammy should be place along Gene Simmons as the Lord of Rock!
Keep Rocking Sammy!
Here's a video from happier times...
http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/sammy-hagar/video/spanish-fly-best-of-both...
GREAT performance of "BOBW" from 1993
This is possibly the greatest Van Halen album of all time. I was 15 when this album debuted and I still listen to it regularly. Any fears I had about the direction of the band after 1984 were quelled when I heard WCTBL. After a listening to the "cassette" in full, for the first time, I became a Van Hagar freak.
Hellloooooooooo baaaaaabbyyyyyy!!!! Yeah red rocker rules!!!!
I had been a Van Halen fan prior to 5150 but when Sammy decided to join the band I gained a completely new level of appreciation for their music. VH's creativity peaked during the Sammy years and it hasn't been the same since.
I'm a big fan/historical junkie of the NASA Apollo program (even though it all occured before I could appreciate or remember any of it) and am always disappointed hat Apollo's 18 through 20 were cancelled. Similarly, I wish Eddie and Alex hadn't wigged out so that we could have enjoyed AT LEAST a couple more quality albums with Sammy. Whatever personal disagreements there were these guys had chemistry when it came to making music.
Back to 5150, I wish to someday shake Sammy's hand and personally thank him for his part in it and in particular for 'Dreams'. Listening to that song gave me a shot of perseverence at some very important times.
sammy hagar is one the best singers and performers of all time!
This was the very first VH & or Sammy album i ever bought in 1986.
Changed my life!
Sammy has got to be one of the best front man of all times!!!! Take that Roth!!
"Dreams" was the song playing in my truck when I pulled into the driveway of my new house - I thought it was the perfect song for that moment!
The album that got me into Van Halen and Sammy Solo back in 87', I got into it a year after its release. IT, still today is my all time favorite heavy rock album. Unbeatable. The greatest chemistry ever. The title song still puts shivers up my spine, and my all time fave VH tune. "Summer nights", "Love walks in" and "Dreams" are up there too.
It was right before Sammy joined Van Halen that I started listening to their stuff. I already loved Sammy because my dad had most of his stuff. I used to listen to Standing Hampton all the time, I loved "Can't Get Loose" and "I'll Fall In Love Again". I had '1984' on vinyl and thought it was cool but then the first single from 5150 came out and I was blown away to hear Sammy singing with Van Halen. When I first got 5150 I wasn't nearly as much into music as I am now so I picked through the songs and really only listened to a few, but over the years it grew and grew on me. My favorite from that album is probably "Why Can't This Be Love", mainly because I think it was the perfect song to introduce Sammy as the new singer and Eddie used the synthesizers a lot better on this album than on 1984. I think "Summer Nights" is a classic top down kind of driving song. Over the years, I started liking other tracks more and more, like BOBW and "5150". I think "Love Walks In" is among VH's best ballads and "Dreams" is the perfect analogy for VH's career once Sammy joined the band..."higher and higher, straight up we'll climb" (until he left).
This was the first time I saw Van Halen and Sammy in Oklahoma City in 1986. Wow! Wow! Wow! I was hooked from then on!! Sammy is the best!!!
The one that inspired it all for me! I will never forget the first time I heard " Why Can't This Be Love " when it hit the radio. At that time, my parents were divorced, my mom was facing cancer, I was a freshman in high school ( and getting beat up ) and pretty much had no friends. But that disc saved my life! I remember racing to the local tape/record shop in Roseville ( it was Dimple Records which is STILL there and thriving ) and snagging that tape. The whole album changed me. It inspired me to pick up the guitar and get my teenage life in order. To this day, it remains my number one CD of all time. There will never be another experienece like it for me. I owe an enormous gratitude to Sam and VH for getting me out of my slump with this album. It changed me forever.
One day I hope to meet up with Sam and Mike and thank them for helping to create this disc. It really saved my life.
the one and only time i saw vh live was when they toured this record. summer nights under rated song on this lp/cd.
This album and of course Sammy Hagar is what brought me to Van Halen. Sammy was the perfect addition to that band! It's to bad the ride cam to an end, but the RED ROCKER is still ROCKING after all these years!
How many decent albums has Van Halen put out since Sammy left?
ZERO!!!