Wolfgang Van Halen recently shared his list of "11 Albums That Changed My Life" with Louder which included two classic albums from Van Halen, 1981's "Fair Warning" and 1995's "Balance".
Here is what he had to say about the albums "I wanted to pick a Van Halen album, because obviously that can't be ignored in my upbringing and influence. I've lived and breathed it my whole life. But I've kind of fudged, because I don't think you can fully represent what Van Halen is without looking at both the Roth era and the Hagar era.
"Fair Warning, the Roth era album, is a very special album to me. It was an album where my dad just said, 'F*** it' and did what he wanted. I think that's why it's a cult classic - it was never really a huge album compared to the others. But I think it's a really important because it's where dad just went hard. Again, it's another dark album, but then there's classics like Unchained. And it's so quick - it goes by in 36 minutes or something, but it just makes you want to start it again. It's such a great, dark, fun album that I think it gets overlooked.
"For the Hagar era, Balance was the album that meant a lot to me. Technically I was alive for [1991's] For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, but Balance was the one that I kind of remember being around when it was happening. You could argue that For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge was a better album, but Balance, for me, means more. It's more of a nostalgic thing. Sonically, it's phenomenal-sounding album - it sounds incredible.
"It might be the best-sounding Hagar album, maybe the best sounding Van Halen. The Hagar era shows another side of my father's playing as well. I like how he leaned more into the melodic stuff - some of the most beautiful melodies he's ever written have been in the Hagar era with things like Dreams or the song Not Enough from Balance. But then I love all of the Van Halen albums." See which non Van Halen albums made Wolfgang's list here.
Metallica, Ozzy, Van Halen Make RS 50 Worst Album Covers List
Van Halen's Chart Topping 'For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge' Expanded
Alex Van Halen Invited To Be Part Of Sammy Hagar's Best Of Both Worlds Tour
Rare Eddie Van Halen Guitar Being Auctioned
Stuckey's: A Road Trip Institution - A Chat with CEO Stephanie Stuckey
Road Trip: Eswatini's Swazi Candles: Light from Africa
Quick Flicks: REO Speedwagon - Live at Rockpalast 1979
Caught In The Act: Def Leppard, Journey, Steve Miller Rock Wrigley Field
Sites and Sounds: Art-In-Action Camp Coming to Woodward, PA
Sammy Hagar Share Video From Best Of All Worlds Van Halen Tribute Tour
Queens Of The Stone Age Cancel More Shows Following Josh Homme's Emergency Surgery
Axl Rose Helps Billy Joel Close Out His Madison Square Garden Residency
Ghost Deliver 'Rite Here Rite Now' Soundtrack
The Offspring 'Make It All Right' With New Animated Video
Fit For A King Recruit The Plot In You's Tewers For 'TECHNIUM' Video
Middle Child Syndrome Says 'Listen To Me' With Debut Album
Singled Out: The Sweet's Little Miracle