Van Halen | 5 Songs That Popularized The Album “Diver Down”
Diver Down album cover - Van Halen - Topic / Youtube
With Van Halen burned out from their touring commitment, Diver Down was born. The fifth album of the hard rock act was commenced after the success of their cover of Roy Orbison’s “(Oh) Pretty Woman”, where Warner Bros. decided to capitalize on its momentum and had the band make an album from scratch. This “rushed” effort was secured in a span of three months, from writing to release.
“Where Have All The Good Times Gone”
The album opens with a cover of The Kinks’ “Where Have All the Good Times Gone”, which is inherently grittier than the original version. David Lee Roth said the band learned their chops by doing a ton of Kinks covers back in the day.
“Secrets”
Eddie Van Halen goes ham on his first solo instrumental on the record with “Cathedral”, acting as a prelude for the fantastic track, “Secrets”. The church organ-like “Cathedral” is a fitting intro to “Secrets”, which is rather laid-back than most of the band’s material. Treble-loaded and melodic, “Secrets” carries a positive mood with its arrangement.
“(Oh) Pretty Woman”
Their biting cover of the Orbison classic gained them the attention of the masses – and their label. It worked pretty well if you ask us. (Valium)
“Dancing In The Street”
Another cover from the band, “Dancing In The Street” sports modernized synths on the mix for that contemporary disco feel. EVH and Michael Anthony pitch in backing vocals for the track as well.
“Little Guitars”
Its interesting intro, thanks to the acoustic flamenco run by EVH, soon rides on a consistent cadence with a trial and error riff attack before solidifying into a set riff approach. Classic tasteful phrasing and improvisations make the track worth the while.
