Which was the better post Van Halen split album – David Lee Roth’s Eat ‘Em and Smile or Van Halen’s 5150? That’s our Chuck’s Fight Club battle on Loudwire Nights this week.
It was the breakup heard round the world as there was no bigger drama in the mid-’80s than the divide between guitar rock powerhouse Van Halen and their charismatic vocalist David Lee Roth. After Roth’s Crazy From the Heat solo EP, the two sides went their separate ways with Van Halen pulling in veteran singer-guitarist Sammy Hagar to kick off their next era. Then, in 1986, fans were able to compare side-by-side how each act would move forward.
READ MORE: Why Did David Lee Roth Leave Van Halen?
Van Halen struck first, with their inaugural Hagar-led album 5150 arriving on March 24, 1986. It became the band’s first chart-topping album, led by the single “Why Can’t This Be Love.” The high-energy “Dreams,” the ballad “Love Walks In” and fourth single “Best of Both Worlds” would follow.
On July 7, 1986, Roth, along with his solo band consisting of guitarist Steve Vai, bassist Billy Sheehan and drummer Greg Bissonette, issued his debut solo full length album Eat ‘Em and Smile. It featured the wah-riffic “Yankee Rose,” the tropical-flavored “Goin’ Crazy,” a classic cover of “That’s Life” and the fourth single “Tobacco Road.”
As with all Chuck’s Fight Club battles on the Loudwire Nights radio show, host Chuck Armstrong will introduce the battle at 8PM during Monday’s broadcast. Individual arguments will be made for both records on Tuesday and Wednesday’s shows at 8PM and you’ll be able to vote all week by ranking each record using the voting platform at the bottom of this post. The winning album will then be featured in a rock block on Friday’s Loudwire Nights show in the 8PM hour.
Just this reminder, Loudwire Nights with Chuck Armstrong airs nightly starting at 7PM ET. You can tune in anytime, from anywhere right here or by downloading the Loudwire app.
