Rhino will unveil a very special David Lee Roth box set, The Warner Recordings 1985-1994, on February 21st, It includes the first five solo releases recorded by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and original Van Halen lead vocalist in one comprehensive collection for the very first time. Spanning one of the greatest runs in rock ‘n’ roll history, the set offers lifelong fans and newcomers alike the chance to experience Crazy From The Heat (1985),Eat ‘Em And Smile (1986),Skyscraper (1988),A Little Ain’t Enough (1991) and Your Filthy Little Mouth (1994) in succession.
The Warner Recordings 1985-1994 arrives in multiple configurations, including 5CD at retailers nationwide and D2C online, digital on streaming platforms, and as a special 5LP version available only at Rhino.com. Pre-order here.
40 years ago this month, on January 28th, 1985, Roth officially debuted as a solo artist with the Crazy From The Heat EP. It crashed the Top 15 of the Billboard 200 and reached RIAA platinum status. Plus, he logged a pair of Billboard Hot 100 hits — the medley of Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody vaulted to No. 12, while his take on California Girls by The Beach Boys soared to No. 3, replicating the 1965 chart success of the original. Meanwhile, Crazy From The Heat would later serve as the title of his The New York Times best-selling autobiography in 1997.
The EP paved the way for his first full-length solo LP, Eat ‘Em And Smile. Released on July 7th, 1986, it bowed in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200 and eventually went RIAA platinum. Roth hyper-charged his sound, accompanied by an all-star band consisting of Billy Sheehan (bass),Gregg Bissonette (drums) and Steve Vai (guitar). Together, they served up anthems such as Yankee Rose, Tobacco Road, That’s Life and more. Kerrang! notably christened it “Album Of The Year”, and Roth launched the seminal Eat ‘Em And Smile tour in its wake.
1987 saw the platinum Skyscraper return Roth to the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, elevated by Just Like Paradise. Meanwhile, Roth kicked off the ’90s with the gold-selling A Little Ain’t Enough in 1991. It marked his fourth straight Top 20 debut on the Billboard 200 and boasted fretwork from Jason Becker. Finally, he dropped Your Filthy Little Mouth in 1994, this time collaborating with none other than iconic producer Nile Rodgers (Madonna, David Bowie),churning out staples such as She’s My Machine.
Crazy From The Heat track listing:
A1. Easy Street
A2. Just A Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody
B1. California Girls
B2. Coconut Grove
Eat ‘Em And Smile track listing:
A1. Yankee Rose
A2. Shyboy
A3. I’m Easy
A4. Ladies’ Nite In Buffalo?
A5. Goin’ Crazy!
B1. Tobacco Road
B2. Elephant Gun
B3. Big Trouble
B4. Bump And Grind
B5. That’s Life
Skyscraper track listing:
A1. Knucklebones
A2. Just Like Paradise
A3. The Bottom Line
A4. Skyscraper
A5. Damn Good
B1. Hot Dog And A Shake
B2. Stand Up
B3. Hina
B4. Perfect Timing
B5. Two Fools A Minute
A Little Ain’t Enough track listing:
A1. A Lil’ Ain’t Enough
A2. Shoot It
A3. Lady Luck
A4. Hammerhead Shark
A5. Tell The Truth
A6. Baby’s On Fire
B1. 40 Below
B2. Sensible Shoes
B3. Last Call
B4. The Dogtown Shuffle
B5. It’s Showtime!
B6. Drop in the Bucket
Your Filthy Little Mouth track listing:
A1. She’s My Machine
A2. Everybody’s Got The Monkey
A3. Big Train
A4. Experience
A5. A Little Luck
A6. Cheatin’ Heart Café
A7. Hey, You Never Know
B1. No Big ‘Ting
B2. You’re Breathin’ It
B3. Your Filthy Little Mouth
B4. Land’s End
B5. Night Life
B6. Sunburn
B7. You’re Breathin’ It (Urban NYC Mix)
David Lee Roth, a.k.a. “Diamond Dave,” shines as one of the most influential and impactful voices in rock ‘n’ roll history. Between his output as the original lead singer of Van Halen and a platinum solo artist, he has sold over 70 million records worldwide, garnered a Grammy Award nomination, and notably earned a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction with Van Halen in 2007.
6 Responses
What? No bonus tracks? Pretty weak.
I’m sure there has to be some remix/extended versions or b-side songs or demos out there.
Rhino does it again! Reissues with no bonus tracks, live shows and other goodies to tempt the public into buying these. Great work guys!
Eat ‘Em And Smile is better than any of the van hagar releases 🙂
Ray, I 100% agree with your comment.
Ray, Rattle, I 100% disagree! Now I love E’EAS, it’s a great album, but the only Van Hagar album I would say it’s better than would be “Balance,” that’s my least favorite Van Hagar album.
Doug, I agree with you. The sound of the the band is just amazing! Different sound than the first release with Hagar. The band is on fire as well as Eddie’s guitar!! There is a bonus track with that release that is hard to find. It may be on the box set just released.I wonder how the remasters sound on that box set? Balance to me is the last great recording of a full album. I do love the release with the Extreme guy but to me the next release with Dave back in the band sounds terrible. No live concert, bonus tracks, or blue ray show? Boring.