The transition from one lead singer to another is often a risky one for a well-established and highly revered rock band. AC/DC pulled it off quite successfully with Brian Johnson. Van Halen did so to a lesser extent with Sammy Hagar. Their first recording with Hagar, 5150, proved to be an excellent album, and I'd go so far as to consider it to be one of their best, up with the likes of Van Halen and 1984. It was frantic, energetic, diverse. It was more metal than hard rock, and that's what I like best. It's follow-up, OU812, isn't quite as remarkable. Some even say it was a sign of the progressive decline of the band. I must admit it does feel a bit bland overall, even with a few good tracks to its name. "Mine All Mine", "When It's Love", "Feels So Good" and "Sucker in a 3 Piece" are the best songs here, and I certainly don't mind "Source of Infection." Everything else is a tad dready, lackluster, but not quite awful. And even though I can fully appreciate the out-of-line blues stylings of "A Apolitical Blues", it's still not enough to get me up in the morning. Yeah, it's an OK album, but 5150 will always be the Hagar-era magnum opus. B
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