Categories:
Cart 0

Your cart is empty

Van Halen|Diver Down  (Remastered)

Diver Down (Remastered)

Van Halen

Available in
24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo

Unlimited Streaming

Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps

Start my trial period and start listening to this album

Enjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription

Subscribe

Enjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription

Digital Download

Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.

Fair Warning was such a dark, intense record that Van Halen almost had no choice but to lighten up on their next album, and 1982's Diver Down is indeed much lighter than its predecessor. In many ways, it's a return to the early albums, heavy on covers and party anthems, but where those records were rough and exuberant -- they felt like the work of the world's best bar band just made good, which is, of course, kind of what they were -- this is undoubtedly the work of a finely honed band who has only grown tighter and heavier since their debut. As a band, they might be tight, but Diver Down is anything but tight. It's a downright mess, barely clocking in at 31 minutes, cobbled together out of five covers, two minute-long instrumentals, and five new songs. By most measures, this should be the kind of slop that's difficult to muddle through, but it's not: it's one of Van Halen's best records, one that's just pure joy to hear. Like the debut, it's a great showcase for all the group's strengths, from Eddie Van Halen's always thrilling guitar to the bedrock foundation of Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony's throbbing pulse to, of course, David Lee Roth's strut. Each member gets places to shine and, in a way, covers showcase their skills in a way none of the originals does, since they get to twist "Oh, Pretty Woman," "Dancing in the Street," and "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" inside out, all the better to make them their own. But this isn't complacent; Van Halen is stretching out in different ways, funneling the menace of Fair Warning into the ominous instrumental "Intruder," playing with the whiplash fury of a punk band on "Hang 'Em High," and honing their pop skills on the bright, new wavey rock of "Little Guitars" and the sweet "Secrets," which displays the lightest touch they've ever had on record. Combine that with the full-throttle attack on the covers, along with Dave's vaudevillian song and dance on "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)" -- a shtick that's electrified on the equally fun "The Full Bug" -- and the result is a record that's nothing but fun, the polar opposite of its predecessor.

© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

More info

Diver Down (Remastered)

Van Halen

launch qobuz app I already downloaded Qobuz for Windows / MacOS Open

download qobuz app I have not downloaded Qobuz for Windows / MacOS yet Download the Qobuz app

You are currently listening to samples.

Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.

Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.

From £10.83/month

1
Where Have All the Good Times Gone! (2015 Remaster)
00:03:05

Alex Van Halen, Drums - David Lee Roth, Lead Vocals - Eddie Van Halen, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Background Vocals - Donn Landee, Engineer - Ted Templeman, Producer - Ray Davies, Writer - Chris Bellman, Remastering Engineer - Van Halen, MainArtist - MICHAEL ANTHONY, Bass Guitar, Background Vocals - Jo Motta, Coordinator - Ken Deane, Engineer

© 1982 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1982 Warner Records Inc.

2
Hang'em High (2015 Remaster)
00:03:27

Alex Van Halen, Drums, Writer - David Lee Roth, Lead Vocals, Writer - Eddie Van Halen, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Writer, Background Vocals - Donn Landee, Engineer - Ted Templeman, Producer - Chris Bellman, Remastering Engineer - Van Halen, MainArtist - MICHAEL ANTHONY, Bass Guitar, Writer, Background Vocals - Jo Motta, Coordinator - Ken Deane, Engineer

© 1982 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1982 Warner Records Inc.

3
Cathedral (2015 Remaster)
00:01:22

Alex Van Halen, Drums, Writer - David Lee Roth, Lead Vocals, Writer - Eddie Van Halen, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Writer, Background Vocals - Donn Landee, Engineer - Ted Templeman, Producer - Chris Bellman, Remastering Engineer - Van Halen, MainArtist - MICHAEL ANTHONY, Bass Guitar, Writer, Background Vocals - Jo Motta, Coordinator - Ken Deane, Engineer

© 1982 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1982 Warner Records Inc.

4
Secrets (2015 Remaster)
00:03:25

Alex Van Halen, Drums, Writer - David Lee Roth, Lead Vocals, Writer - Eddie Van Halen, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Writer, Background Vocals - Donn Landee, Engineer - Ted Templeman, Producer - Chris Bellman, Remastering Engineer - Van Halen, MainArtist - MICHAEL ANTHONY, Bass Guitar, Writer, Background Vocals - Jo Motta, Coordinator - Ken Deane, Engineer

© 1982 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1982 Warner Records Inc.

5
Intruder (2015 Remaster)
00:01:39

Alex Van Halen, Drums, Writer - David Lee Roth, Lead Vocals, Writer, Synthesizer - Eddie Van Halen, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Writer, Background Vocals - Donn Landee, Engineer - Ted Templeman, Producer - Chris Bellman, Remastering Engineer - Van Halen, MainArtist - MICHAEL ANTHONY, Bass Guitar, Writer, Background Vocals - Jo Motta, Coordinator - Ken Deane, Engineer

© 1982 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1982 Warner Records Inc.

6
(Oh) Pretty Woman (2015 Remaster)
00:02:53

Alex Van Halen, Drums - David Lee Roth, Lead Vocals - Eddie Van Halen, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Background Vocals - Donn Landee, Engineer - Ted Templeman, Producer - ROY ORBISON, Writer - Chris Bellman, Remastering Engineer - Van Halen, MainArtist - MICHAEL ANTHONY, Bass Guitar, Background Vocals - Jo Motta, Coordinator - Ken Deane, Engineer - Bill Dees, Writer

© 1982 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1982 Warner Records Inc.

7
Dancing in the Street (2015 Remaster)
00:03:44

William Stevenson, Writer - Alex Van Halen, Drums - David Lee Roth, Lead Vocals - Eddie Van Halen, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Background Vocals - Donn Landee, Engineer - Ted Templeman, Producer - Marvin Gaye, Writer - Chris Bellman, Remastering Engineer - Ivy Jo Hunter, Writer - Van Halen, MainArtist - MICHAEL ANTHONY, Bass Guitar, Background Vocals - Jo Motta, Coordinator - Ken Deane, Engineer

© 1982 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1982 Warner Records Inc.

8
Little Guitars (Intro) (2015 Remaster)
00:00:42

Alex Van Halen, Writer - David Lee Roth, Writer - Eddie Van Halen, Acoustic Guitar, Writer - Donn Landee, Engineer - Ted Templeman, Producer - Chris Bellman, Remastering Engineer - Van Halen, MainArtist - MICHAEL ANTHONY, Writer - Jo Motta, Coordinator - Ken Deane, Engineer

© 1982 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1982 Warner Records Inc.

9
Little Guitars (2015 Remaster)
00:03:48

Alex Van Halen, Drums, Writer - David Lee Roth, Lead Vocals, Writer - Eddie Van Halen, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Writer, Background Vocals - Donn Landee, Engineer - Ted Templeman, Producer - Chris Bellman, Remastering Engineer - Van Halen, MainArtist - MICHAEL ANTHONY, Bass Guitar, Writer, Background Vocals - Jo Motta, Coordinator - Ken Deane, Engineer

© 1982 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1982 Warner Records Inc.

10
Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) (2015 Remaster)
00:02:45

Alex Van Halen, Drums - David Lee Roth, Lead Vocals - Eddie Van Halen, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Background Vocals - Donn Landee, Engineer - Ted Templeman, Producer - Chris Bellman, Remastering Engineer - Milton Ager, Writer - Van Halen, MainArtist - MICHAEL ANTHONY, Bass Guitar, Background Vocals - Jack Yellen, Writer - Jo Motta, Coordinator - Ken Deane, Engineer

© 1982 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1982 Warner Records Inc.

11
The Full Bug (2015 Remaster)
00:03:20

Alex Van Halen, Drums, Writer - David Lee Roth, Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals, Writer, Harmonica - Eddie Van Halen, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Writer, Background Vocals - Donn Landee, Engineer - Ted Templeman, Producer - Chris Bellman, Remastering Engineer - Van Halen, MainArtist - MICHAEL ANTHONY, Bass Guitar, Writer, Background Vocals - Jo Motta, Coordinator - Ken Deane, Engineer

© 1982 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1982 Warner Records Inc.

12
Happy Trails (2015 Remaster)
00:01:06

Alex Van Halen, Drums - David Lee Roth, Lead Vocals - Eddie Van Halen, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Background Vocals - Donn Landee, Engineer - Ted Templeman, Producer - Chris Bellman, Remastering Engineer - Van Halen, MainArtist - MICHAEL ANTHONY, Bass Guitar, Background Vocals - Jo Motta, Coordinator - Ken Deane, Engineer - Dale Evans, Writer

© 1982 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1982 Warner Records Inc.

Album review

Fair Warning was such a dark, intense record that Van Halen almost had no choice but to lighten up on their next album, and 1982's Diver Down is indeed much lighter than its predecessor. In many ways, it's a return to the early albums, heavy on covers and party anthems, but where those records were rough and exuberant -- they felt like the work of the world's best bar band just made good, which is, of course, kind of what they were -- this is undoubtedly the work of a finely honed band who has only grown tighter and heavier since their debut. As a band, they might be tight, but Diver Down is anything but tight. It's a downright mess, barely clocking in at 31 minutes, cobbled together out of five covers, two minute-long instrumentals, and five new songs. By most measures, this should be the kind of slop that's difficult to muddle through, but it's not: it's one of Van Halen's best records, one that's just pure joy to hear. Like the debut, it's a great showcase for all the group's strengths, from Eddie Van Halen's always thrilling guitar to the bedrock foundation of Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony's throbbing pulse to, of course, David Lee Roth's strut. Each member gets places to shine and, in a way, covers showcase their skills in a way none of the originals does, since they get to twist "Oh, Pretty Woman," "Dancing in the Street," and "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" inside out, all the better to make them their own. But this isn't complacent; Van Halen is stretching out in different ways, funneling the menace of Fair Warning into the ominous instrumental "Intruder," playing with the whiplash fury of a punk band on "Hang 'Em High," and honing their pop skills on the bright, new wavey rock of "Little Guitars" and the sweet "Secrets," which displays the lightest touch they've ever had on record. Combine that with the full-throttle attack on the covers, along with Dave's vaudevillian song and dance on "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)" -- a shtick that's electrified on the equally fun "The Full Bug" -- and the result is a record that's nothing but fun, the polar opposite of its predecessor.

© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

About the album

Improve album information

Qobuz logo Why buy on Qobuz...

On sale now...

Keep Your Courage

Natalie Merchant

Keep Your Courage Natalie Merchant

The Köln Concert (Live at the Opera, Köln, 1975)

Keith Jarrett

You're the One

Rhiannon Giddens

You're the One Rhiannon Giddens

Owl Song

Ambrose Akinmusire

Owl Song Ambrose Akinmusire
More on Qobuz
By Van Halen

1984

Van Halen

1984 Van Halen

The Collection II

Van Halen

The Collection II Van Halen

1984

Van Halen

1984 Van Halen

Van Halen (Hi-Res Version)

Van Halen

Van Halen

Van Halen

Van Halen Van Halen

Playlists

You may also like...

Highway To Hell

AC/DC

Bleed Out

Within Temptation

Bleed Out Within Temptation

Appetite For Destruction (Super Deluxe) - 192 kHz

Guns N' Roses

4 (Version Studio Masters)

Foreigner

Billion Dollar Babies (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

Alice Cooper