Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of 5150!
To all my fellow Van Halen fans…
The first album by the band’s second incarnation was released on March 24, 1986.
This is an image of the cover art for the album 5150 by Van Halen. Copyright Warner Bros. Records.
Edward Van Halen (1955 - 2020)
5150 (pronounced "fifty-one-fifty") is the seventh studio album by Van Halen. It was the first of four studio albums to be recorded with lead singer Sammy Hagar. The album was named after the late Eddie Van Halen’s home studio, 5150, in turn named after a California law enforcement term for a mentally disturbed person (a reference to Section 5150 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code). The album hit #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Van Halen had considerable difficulty finding a replacement for the popular David Lee Roth, until July 1985, when Eddie was referred to Sammy Hagar by a mechanic working on Eddie's Lamborghini (the late Claudio Zampolli). The pair hit it off, and the new singer and band immediately began work on new songs. Van Halen went to work on the album in November 1985; it would be finished in February 1986, just one month before its release. 5150 is the first Van Halen album not to feature any instrumental tracks. A live video created during the tour for this album was released as Live Without a Net.
Source: Wikipedia.org
“In a few short years, my life had changed. I changed. The soundtrack of my life, like a movie soundtrack, became a reflection of the times. Even my favorite band, Van Halen, had experienced a major change with the introduction of a new lead singer, Sammy Hagar. Songs like “Best of Both Worlds”, “Dreams”, and “Why Can’t This Be Love” from their 5150 album were now indelibly tied to my time on the field. With movies like “Top Gun” and “Iron Eagle”, along with the unforgettable music video for the song Dreams, which featured footage of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, 1986 also became the year of the fighter pilot (or naval aviator) for countless teenagers across America, myself included.”
- Woodard, Anthony. “Lost and found… (Repost)”. Feb. 9, 2023
“We'll get higher and higher. Straight up we'll climb…”
Source: U.S. Navy Blue Angels.
The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
“Dreams” by Van Halen
This iconic video would help commemorate the Blue Angel’s 40th anniversary.
Video Source: YouTube Nikeen Magariño
The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Jul. 3, 2018: U.S. Navy Blue Angels at Naval Air Station Pensacola.
Photo and Video Credit: Anthony Woodard
Songs from the second incarnation of my all-time favorite band take me right back to my high school days and early college years. I continue to be amazed by how music can defy the constraints of space and time. My senior class chose Van Halen as our All-Time Favorite Group and 5150 as our All-Time Favorite Album.
Remember, rockstars play keyboards too…
Photo Credit: Anthony Woodard
Eddie’s epic guitar work from Live Without a Net reminds us how a performance, those mostly visual aspects, transforms a musician into a star. His performances and musicianship inspired me to learn guitar and step on a stage…
My Inspiration
Photo Credit: Anthony Woodard
Rockin’ live in 2022!
Photo Credit: Josh Stolberg (filtered by Anthony Woodard)
VH Forever!