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David Lee Roth: Crazy From The Heat CD Track Listing

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David Lee Roth Crazy From The Heat (1985)
Originally Released 1985\nCD Edition Released June 16, 1992\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: For his first solo effort, David Lee Roth strips away the gonzo guitars that are Van Halen's trademark and accentuates his lounge-lizard-as-rock-star persona, resulting in an EP that succeeds because of that persona, not because the music is anything special. Certainly, he doesn't add anything to "California Girls" and "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" other than his joking, over-the-top vocals. Then again, that's all he needs to do. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine \n \nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA sign of great things to come, June 4, 2005\nReviewer: Reuben K. "R.K." (Honolulu, HI USA)\nWhen you listen to every Van Halen record from 1979 - 1984, you hear traces of David Lee Roth's happy-go-lucky, lounge singer-type style throughout every song, and that's highlighted in this "Crazy From The Heat" 4-song EP. One gets the sense, when you listen to it, that Roth is trying to say "YES!! I'M FREE!!" in every song. And who can blame him? By the time VH's album "1984" came out, Roth had begun to notice that everybody else in the band was steering away from the fun musicical style that he liked so much & going into a more serious direction, causing him to leave the band and launch his solo career. This EP was the result of that effort. And what a good first effort it was!! \n\nAfter the last song, "Coconut Grove," you were left asking "Is that all?" Fans would have to wait another year to get that answer, and they wouldn't be disappointed. It would only get better.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nWith apologies, May 17, 2005\nReviewer: Andrew\nI bought this when it first came out, on vinyl. So I apologize to my fellow Van Halen fans for helping to show Dave the door. Because let's face it, if this thing doesn't sell, Dave doesn't leave the Mighty VH! \n\nOn to the music. This is great fun, and a sampling of what Dave could have done during the downtimes when Eddie and Alex wanted to go quiet. \n\nI'm not going to say much about the two big hits here. Instead I'll focus on the lesser known tracks. \n\nEasy Street is a great example of how good a singer Dave used to be. I still love the guy, but he'd just massacre this song if he'd tried to sing it these days. \n\nCoconut Grove is the gem of this package, and one of my favorite DLR tunes. Dave just shines on slow, quieter songs like this; see Black Sand, Tell the Truth, and Nightlife for further evidence of this. \n\nYou can't go wrong with this!\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nI ain't got noboooooooooooooody!, February 6, 2004\nReviewer: Daniel J. Hamlow (Farmington, NM USA)\nLooking at the cover of David Lee Roth waist deep in the waters off the Seychelles, one might come up with an image of something more relaxing compared to the heavy metal theatrics of Van Halen. And it shows that rather than dipping his toe in the water to test for a viable solo career, Roth confidently knew what he was doing, even though he returned to the same Van Halen-type rock in Eat'em And Smile.\nDan Hartman's bluesy "Easy Street" is definitely a change from "Panama" or "Jamie's Cryin'", with Edgar Winter's sax helping out. In fact Roth thanks the Frankenstein man in the liner notes for inspiration.\n\nThe jump swing and jiving swagger of 1940's-50's artists like Louis Jordan or Louis Prima fits Diamond Dave's persona well on the medley "Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody." And Roth's rapid-fire scat vocals following Edgar Winter's sax before he launches into the final reprise of the number adds to the retro-40's sound. Figures, as he grew up listening to Frank Sinatra and Louis Prima, the latter whom I know covered this, but whether he was the original artist, I know not. Despite the difference in instrumentation, jazz instruments versus rock instruments, the engaging swinging sound is well-preserved.\n\nThe standout cut here is the Beach Boys classic "California Girls," in which he enlists the aid of Carl Wilson and Christopher Cross for backing vocals. This retread is boosted by a harder-edged guitar compared to the original as well as Edgar Winter's synthesizers, but loses none of that laid back beach music flavour due to Mr. Wilson's contribution. Both this video and the one for "Just A Gigolo" comprise early MTV memories for me.\n\nFinally, a cover of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Coconut Grove," which is a laid back affair compared to the previous three numbers.\n\nSo, we have a 70's instrumentalist who worked with the Winter Brothers, a prime example of swaggering jump swing, and two songs from the 60's, the laid back California sound and a group known for its good-natured "electric good time music." It shows the various influences and appreciations that the Van Halen frontman had for music.\n\nProducer Ted Templeman, who produced all the Van Halen albums up through 1984, clearly followed Diamond Dave on this album and his first full-length solo album, Eat'em And Smile. Crazy From The Heat isn't a bad EP and launching ground for solo stardom. Unfortunately, it led to a schism in Van Halen fans, Roth loyalists who derogatorily referred to the reformed Van Halen as Van Hagar, and those who sided with the Van Halen brothers, snidely thinking "David Lee Who?" Chances are though, there were those who accepted the split and both, such as your humble reviewer here.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nGet "The Best" instead, you'll get 3 of these 4 songs, October 2, 2003\nReviewer: birddogger5150 (Roseville, MN USA)\nI have no problem with the material here, especially since it contains two of Dave's biggest solo hits - "California Girls" (one of the few remakes where the imitator blows away the originator) and "Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody". The other two are fun but inessential songs. No matter what though, this is a pretty steep price for what is essentially a four-song CD single. Three out of these four cuts are available on "The Best of David Lee Roth", along with 17 other songs, for only a few bucks more than this one. I would recommend that instead.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSHORT AND SWEET, April 9, 2002\nReviewer: "ejwtfw" (Ocean Springs, MS United States)\nA great singer, he ain't, a great showman he is. And his showmanship comes thru on this cd, and he puls it off with out the help of Eddie Van Halen. All four songs are good, and do not tax his limited vocal ablities. Overall a great start for the former Van Halen lead singer.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA radical departure, December 27, 2001\nReviewer: Scott Scheinhaus (Greenacres, FL United States)\nA radical departure for Dave, yes indeed. Kind of like when the Beatles recored Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart's Club Band. What not everyone realizes, is that Dave was still in Van Halen when he made this record, and he made this record just for something to do while the Van Halen brothers were figuring out what musical direction to take. This record is a fantasy, created and lived out by Dave, and basically something to do for fun. Little did he realize the success it would bring, and the inevitable downfall as he was "released" from Van Halen. I like Coconut Grove, as it is a song about my home town in Miami Fla.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nFun, May 1, 2001\nReviewer: A music fan\nThis is fun summer-time music. When Roth left Van Halen, I thought he would continue to make jazzy fun pop like is on CRAZY FROM THE HEAT. I was, frankly, stunned when I heard his first full solo album EAT `EM AND SMILE, and it was 2nd rate Van-Halen-style stuff. What was the point in leaving Van Halen, then??? \nI truly think if Roth had continued to make music like was on this EP--quite distinctive from what he did with Van Halen--those albums would have sold a ton, and he would have been a huge solo star.\n\nBut why should someone buy a Van Halen album AND 2nd rate Van Halen. Fans were just going to buy Van Halen albums, Sammy Haggar or not, and not buy any David Lee Roth albums.\n\nAnd for the last 10 years, Roth has been on his knees to be allowed back into Van Halen. If he wasn't going to continue his solo career along the lines of CRAZY FROM THE HEAT, then he never should have left the group in the first place.\n\nIt was one of the stupidest show biz moves since Charles Grodin walked off the set of "The Graduate," whereupon Dustin Hoffman was given the part...and became a bigger star then Grodin ever became.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nCrazy Dave, March 28, 2000\nReviewer: Brent Evans (Rockhampton, Australia)\nDavid Lee Roth wanted to do a solo EP's worth of covers in between Van Halen albums.Crack session players transformed a Beach Boys classic (CALIFORNIA GIRLS); a Dan Hartman blues(EASY STREET); a Lovin'Spoonful ballad(COCONUT GROVE) and a lounge lizard standard(JUST A GIGILO /I AIN'T GOT NOBODY).This was Diamond Dave's statement of independence from under the Van Halen banner.Unfortunately,Dave wanted to work on a movie script instead of the follow up to 1984, and he was pushed (or jumped,if you believe Dave's version)from Van Halen.They lost the flash,heart and soul when DLR departed.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nFun, but ...., July 27, 1999\nReviewer: A music fan\nHe hadn't had his fill of covers after "Diver Down," so Dufus Dave (er, Diamond Dave) had to go and release this stuff. It was _completely_ formulaic, without a single new musical thought. "California Girls" was so deeply indebted to the Beach Boys that Roth even got Carl Wilson to sing backup! Why does every rock star think he has to "go solo"? Yet, it's a fun little disk.\n\nHalf.com Details \nProducer: Ted Templeman \n\nAlbum Notes\nPersonnel: David Lee Roth (vocals); Eddie Martinez, Sid McGinnis, Dean Parks (guitar); Edgar Winter (saxophone, keyboards, synthesizer, background vocals); Brian Mann, James Newton Howard (synthesizers); Willie Weeks (bass); John Robinson (drums); Sammy Figueroa (percussion); Carl Wilson, Christopher Cross (background vocals).\n\nRecorded at The Power Station, New York; Lion Share Recording Studio, Los Angeles, California; Amigo Studios, North Hollwood, California.\n\nAfter five hit albums spanning 1978 through 1982, Van Halen issued its biggest album yet with 1984 (released the same year as its title). 1984 spawned several monster hits and is often heralded as the ultimate rock album of the decade. Van Halen was experiencing internal friction despite such success. Depending on whose story you choose to believe, either singer David Lee Roth wanted to put the band on the backburner in favor of a film career or the Van Halen brothers were letting drink and drugs affect their work ethic. Either way, Roth shocked the music world when he announced his departure from the band in 1985.\n\nA few months prior to his resignation, Roth issued his first solo release, the four-track CRAZY FROM THE HEAT EP. It was an all-covers affair, recorded just for the sheer fun of it. Like his previous work with Van Halen, CRAZY was a big hit. Two very popular singles/videos were issued - "California Girls" and a medley of "Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody"-while "Easy Street" and "Coconut Grove" also proved enjoyable. Although some criticized Dave for the EP's lightheartedness (he was of heavy metal renown, after all), CRAZY FROM THE HEAT remains an interesting career detour.\n\nIndustry Reviews\nCalifornia Girls and a medley of Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody-while Easy Street and Coconut Grove also proved enjoyable. Although some criticized Dave for the EP's lightheartedness (he was of heavy metal renown, after all), CRAZY FROM THE HEAT remains an interesting career detour.
This rock cd contains 4 tracks and runs 14min 13sec.
Freedb: 26035304
Buy: from Amazon.com

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