Best of Volume I

Infobox Album | Name = Best of Volume I
Type = Compilation album
Artist = Van Halen


Released = October 22 1996
Recorded =
Genre = Hard rock
Length = 67:03
Label = Warner Brothers
Producer = Glen Ballard Bruce Fairbairn Andy Johns Mick Jones Donn Landee Ted Templeman Van Halen
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:1sqag4fntv2z link]
Last album ="Balance" (1995)
This album = "Best of Volume I" (1996) | Next album = "Van Halen III" (1998) |

"Best of Volume I" is the first compilation of studio tracks by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1996.

In addition to material from nine of the band's first ten studio albums (nothing from "Diver Down" was included), "Best of Volume I" also features the band's contribution to the "Twister" soundtrack ("Humans Being") and two newly recorded songs with original vocalist David Lee Roth ("Can't Get This Stuff No More" and "Me Wise Magic").

Initial pressings of the album contained an alternate version of "Runnin' With the Devil" where the verses, chorus and solos were arranged in a different order than that of the original album version. It was reported that this was accidental and subsequent pressing have replaced this version with the one found on "Van Halen".

The album itself, while not controversial, sparked a deal of in-band controversy because of the personnel issues surrounding the band at the time. Sammy Hagar, who by this time had been a member of Van Halen for 10 years, equal to the amount of time as the previous vocalist, David Lee Roth, left the band due to number of unclear circumstances. Some sources reported that Hagar was dissatisfied with the decision to issue a "greatest hits" collection, and was instead more inclined to do an entirely new album. In either case, the band announced that Hagar had left the band and the band was instead working with David Lee Roth on new material for inclusion on the disc. This was not to last, as Roth and Edward clashed publicly and the band once again was without a lead singer. [http://www.vanhalenfaq.com/biography.php]

Track listing

# "Eruption" – 1:42 (Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen)
#* (from "Van Halen", 1978)
# "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" – 3:47 (Anthony, Roth, Van Halen, Van Halen)
#* (from "Van Halen", 1978)
# "Runnin' With the Devil" – 3:32 (Anthony, Roth, Van Halen, Van Halen)
#* (from "Van Halen", 1978)
# "Dance the Night Away" – 3:04 (Anthony, Roth, Van Halen, Van Halen)
#* (from "Van Halen II", 1979)
# "And the Cradle Will Rock..." – 3:31 (Anthony, Roth, Van Halen, Van Halen)
#* (from "Women and Children First", 1980)
# "Unchained" – 3:27 (Anthony, Roth, Van Halen, Van Halen)
#* (from "Fair Warning", 1981)
# "Jump" – 4:04 (Anthony, Roth, Van Halen, Van Halen)
#* (from "1984", 1984)
# "Panama" – 3:31 (Anthony, Roth, Van Halen, Van Halen)
#* (from "1984", 1984)
# "Why Can't This Be Love" – 3:45 (Anthony, Sammy Hagar, Van Halen, Van Halen)
#* (from "5150", 1986)
# "Dreams" – 4:54 (Anthony, Hagar, Van Halen, Van Halen)
#* (from "5150", 1986)
# "When It's Love" – 5:36 (Anthony, Hagar, Van Halen, Van Halen)
#* (from "OU812", 1988)
# "Poundcake" – 5:22 (Anthony, Hagar, Van Halen, Van Halen)
#* (from "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", 1991)
# "Right Now" – 5:21 (Anthony, Hagar, Van Halen, Van Halen)
#* (from "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", 1991)
# "Can't Stop Lovin' You" – 4:08 (Anthony, Hagar, Van Halen, Van Halen)
#* (from "Balance", 1995)
# "Humans Being" – 5:10 (Anthony, Hagar, Van Halen, Van Halen)†
#* (from "Twister" movie soundtrack, 1996)
# "Can't Get This Stuff No More" – 5:14 (Anthony, Roth, Van Halen, Van Halen)†
#* (new song, 1996)
# "Me Wise Magic" – 6:05†
#* (new song, 1996)

† denotes a single

Charts

Album

ingles

Billboard (North America)

Personnel

*David Lee Roth - lead vocals (1-8,16-17)
*Sammy Hagar - lead vocals, rhythm guitar (9-15)
*Eddie Van Halen - lead guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Michael Anthony - bass, backing vocals
*Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion