The album opens with the comeback single "Tattoo". The song received a lot of mixed reviews from the rock press, but I happen to like the very fun and classically goofy song. Roth sounds quite good, a little haggard from years of rock and roll, but certainly vibrant and as charismatic as one could expect from a man closing in on sixty. Eddie sounds back alive, after the Van Halen III debacle (see my review of said album, check the 2012 reviews). A great comeback song, despite the detractors. "She's the Woman" is classic Van Halen, literally, as the song was demoed long before Roth's departure in 1984. I love the song, a great riff and pretty solid bass playing from Eddie's son, Wolfgang Van Halen. The songs is a little short, and the lyrics are pretty silly, but this is Van Halen, lyrical depth is often few and far between.
"You And Your Blues" is one of the weaker songs on the album in my opinion. The song would have honestly worked better for Sammy Hagar, more suited to the more poppy and ballsy grit of Sammy's moan. Roth reaches for the high notes, but just barely hits them, vocally straining himself. Not bad, but not a stand-out track. "China Town" aims to replicate the lightning-fast insanity of early VH. I like the funny, tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Alex Van Halen sounds great on the drums, still a very fast drummer, holding up a very solid beat. Eddie's solos are quite good as usual, the guitar equivalent of gymnastics. I really like the tune, one of the best on the album.
"Blood And Fire" slows down the album, a quasi-ballad. I like the classic Eddie verse riff, very classical/jazzy, with hints of blues, always a nice-fit for Roth. Pretty mellow, but heavy enough during the chorus to satisfy, a nice chill-down after the very heavy previous songs. The song is lyrically sparse, with many gaps in places where lyrics should seemingly be. In any case, I like the solos and Roth does sound quite good at times, but lacking some depth for me, especially in the lyrical department. "Bullethead" is the most "metal" song on the album, very heavy and pretty fast. A little reaching for the aging Van Halen, they can still hold up a fast beat, but it sounds a little "out of character" for this version of the band, a little too heavy for Van Halen. But not a bad song, a little short and too modern-sounding for the band, but an interesting direction. The metal attack continues with "As Is", another very fast song. At moments within the song, you can hear the "magic" that the band created in the 1970s and 80s, if a little faded over time. The magic truly comes in with the solo, a blistering hot piece of molten metal from Eddie, very tasty. Also, Wolfgang is quite a highlight on the track, proving that he certainly has the talent to live up to his father's name. Pretty good, and I would like to see other aging bands rock this fast, very quick on their feet.
The albums continues on with "Honeybabysweetiedoll". After some guitar trickery and radio sampling, an odd "Primus-like" riff comes in. Very different for the band, and the most modern song on the album. Not very poppy at all, it reminds of some of the darker material from Fair Warning, VH's deepest and darkest album in this author's opinion. Roth's lyrics/spoken word interjections are pretty creepy, and sufficiently cryptic. Roth lets out a scream near the end that certainly reminds of the glory days, easily one of the greatest moments on this album. Wolfgang sounds very comfortable here, really exploring the intricacies of the bass, and developing confidence from years of touring. A good song, but not very accessible for casual fans. "The Trouble With Never" has a very Sammy-style riff, reminiscent of "Poundcake" in many ways. But the chorus is classic Roth-era, and he is backed by the classic "barber-shop" style harmonies that VH are so famous for. Bassist Michael Anthony is certainly missed however, as his harmonies were a true highlight of the VH listening experience, a true shame, despite the obvious skills of Wolfgang. I quite like the spoken-word section of the song, very cool poetry from Roth, one of his coolest and self-referential lyrics in my opinion. A good song, certainly close enough to the classic VH sound for me.
"Outta Space" is based on another demo that the band had lying around a studio, and it certainly sounds vintage. The purest facsimile of 1970s VH, it could have easily fit into the track-listing of Diver Down or even Women and Children First. My favorite track on the album, it just works right. Of course Michael Anthony is missed, but all of the other elements are in place. Roth sounds great, the riff cooks, and Alex pounds the crap out of the skins. Wolfgang certainly earns his weight too, a very nice bass-line. If the song had been recorded in the 1970s, this would easily be one of their most remembered songs. In 2012, it still kicks ass, classic. "Stay Frosty" is this album's equivalent to "Ice Cream Man". A short, folky/bluesy jab at blind fundamentalism and misguided faith, I love the song's fire and bite. Electrics come in and bolster the song, but I honestly wish they had left the song mostly acoustic, maybe keeping the solo. The song retains the classic "surfer-dude" philosophizing of Roth, deep, as if almost without even trying, very nonchalant. Eddie delivers not just one, but two killer solos. A great song, and really leaving the album without much filler at all.
"Big River" is a great song. A "Running With The Devil-lite" riff dominates the song, and is very infectious. The soulful and playful lyrics, reflect the "everyman" appeal of the band, very accessible and perfect music for taking a load off. The chorus is a little repetitive, but I like the verses where Roth sings ode to famous rivers, an interesting muse to say the least. The solos are amazing, and I love the guitar tapping here, the master of tapping has certainly perfected his art. A great rhythm section rounds out one of the best songs on the album, excellent. "Beats Workin'' closes this fairly long album. Eddie delivers a slow and crunchy metal riff, but the album is certainly rolling to a close. Not a bad song, but quite plodding, a bit too sludgy and sloppy. One of the weaker songs on the album, but certainly not awful.
"A Different Kind of Truth" is as good a comeback album as anyone could have expected. Yes, Michael Anthony is not here, but Wolfgang does a great job, and is coming along nicely. Despite all the turmoil, Eddie still sounds great as well. David Lee Roth's vocals may be somewhat diminished, but he still sounds good, and at times, amazing. Alex is still the madman of the group, and hits those sticks like there is not tomorrow. If you like VH, and you have not heard this album, do yourself a favour, and give this a listen, Beats Workin indeed.
Rating-9/10
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