OU812
CD 1988 Van Halen

Liner Notes

OU812 is the eighth album by Van Halen and the second one with Sammy as the lead singer. Album was a Billboard 200 number-one album June 25 - July 22, 1988.

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 13 Redhead Comments

Wilson_Alexandre's picture

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!

ateonetoo's picture

you know ou812 needs a remastering and the japanese remasters aren't balsy enough for $35 a piece. so, last night i finally decided to fix it on my own. found a sound editing software, equalized-filtered-etc and burned the 10 songs on a cd. ou812 sounds amaziing, now !!!! until warner brothers does the same for all sammy era cds, i will listen to my versions at home.

Glenn A. Kinch's picture

Love this album. But it really needs to be remixed and remastered. I love the music on this and wore out my copies when I first got it. But the CD version just sounds TOO quiet on my DVD/CD system--and I have to have it pretty loud just to hear the Van Halen feel.

Connor the Red's picture

Still one of my favorite albums. Eddie Van Halen and Sammy had a great writing team.

redrockerichard's picture

The Essentail greatest hits album of van halen if you ask me. All song were good. This had a greeat potiental for a greates hits album. Source of a Infection great steady fast paced song. Finsh what you started dam good rock song. Then my favorite on the album Mine all Mine

Stonebaldhead's picture

My wife and I danced to When It's Love at our wedding. I love this album from start to finish--I never skip a song. This album solidified the Sam and Ed song writing duo in the annals of rock.

jcarlin69's picture

How can you forget Cabo Wabo? The whole album/disc is great even A Apolitical Blues.

johnnybeane's picture

This album came out when i was 14 and i saw them on this tour for the very first time.

Nov 5, 1988 in Lincoln, NE.

Amazing!

SharkByte's picture

From what I've read, this is not the VH album that many fans consider one of the better from the Hagar era but I love it. I think Mine All Mine should have been included on more setlists, it is GREAT live. When It's Love is probably VH's best ballad, it's absolutely perfect. Aside from When It's Love and Finish What Ya Started (amazing video, BTW), not many tracks on this album got played on the radio when it was popular but there are a lot of great tracks on this one, like Source of Infection, Sucker In A 3-piece, Feels So Good and Black and Blue.

Judging from the next album, F.U.C.K., it seems that perhaps they weren't totally happy with this one because they came out with guns (and drills) blazing!

W900's picture

SAMMY ,I"M AN RED HEAD NO QUESTION AT ALL,HAVE BEEN A COLLECTOR OF ALL YOUR MUSIC AND SOME WHAT A BIG FAN.YOUR MUSIC AS ALLWAYS LIFTED ME TO A BETTER PLACE AS WELL AS YOUR LYRICS.JUST WANTED TO CHIME IN AND SAY HELLO SAM I AM .SEE YA IN CABO WABO AMIGO.. YOUR ALLWAYS IN MY PRAYERS SAMMY AND DO ME SOLID WILL YA ?KEEP ON TRUCK"N BROTHER/ALLWAYS YOUR FRIEND LENNY MISHAK 4571 N.RD CIRCLE PINES ,MN 55014

benisme_123's picture

The "Forever Young" Japan version of this album sounds unbelievable!!!!

rachel bevins's picture

I have the cd and cassette. I listen to this album everyday, it is the greatest.

David Mccain's picture

Love this album. But it really needs to be remixed and remastered. I love the music on this and wore out my copies when I first got it. But the CD version just sounds TOO quiet on my DVD/CD system--and I have to have it pretty loud just to hear the Van Halen feel.