Van Halen - Fair Warning vs. Ozzy - Diary of a Madman?

[Texas King]

Which classic album and song from 1981 do you prefer?

 

 

[BastillePark]

There's not many better albums than those early Van Halen records imo, and this is no exception. VH for the win.

[treeduck]

This is a tough task, I could pick either one. Obviously if you're a bigger fan of VH over Ozzy or vice versa then that's different. I'm a big fan of both though and I would say that these albums are the best albums from both Ozzy and Van Halen. I think if you compare song for song it's neck and neck all the way through but in the end I give the edge to Diary of a Madman because it's absolutely killer from start to finish while Fair Warning just drops off a little with the last couple of tracks, Sunday Afternoon in the Park and One Foot Out the Door which are really just extra bits which would never get mentioned as favourites by anyone.

 

With the songs Flying High Again and Unchained, both great songs, I personally favour Unchained in this one vs one comparison, today anyway. The guitar solos are both insane too, Randy might edge that one but it's probably a guitar solo tie. 

[goose]

Fair Warning takes the album matchup, by I gotta give Flying High the song vs song win.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

I dig Ozzy’s solo stuff but VH just electrifies on FW. Absolute tops. Gotta hand it to Unchained too over FHA. 

[zepphead]

Ozzy and Randy all the way.

[TheAccountant]

1 hour ago, zepphead said:

Ozzy and Randy all the way.

Exactly how I voted as well.

[custom55]

Van Halen

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

3 hours ago, goose said:

Fair Warning takes the album matchup, by I gotta give Flying High the song vs song win.

 

I can see the value of picking Flying High -- there are plenty of Van Halen songs that don't measure up to it -- but Unchained is a quintessential VH song. Eddie's guitar tone on that song (and on Fair Warning front to back) is flawless -- it's the best heavy guitar sound ever put to tape IMO.

[goose]

51 minutes ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

I can see the value of picking Flying High -- there are plenty of Van Halen songs that don't measure up to it -- but Unchained is a quintessential VH song. Eddie's guitar tone on that song (and on Fair Warning front to back) is flawless -- it's the best heavy guitar sound ever put to tape IMO.

Agreed.  Fair Warning is monumental in that respect.

[malm_51]

VAN HALEN!!!!!

 

However I love Flying High Again!!!

[JohnRogers]

On 5/10/2024 at 12:47 PM, BastillePark said:

There's not many better albums than those early Van Halen records imo, and this is no exception. VH for the win.

Exactly, other than maybe 5150 and OU812.

[invisible airwave]

One break coming up!

[ReRushed]

Van Halen, hands down on both options.

[ozzy85]

Ozz. Love Randy's guitar sound,

[GeddyLeeRoth]

Definitely Unchained above Flying High, but when it comes to both these albums head to head this was freaking hard. I'm gonna go with Fair Warning only because I'm an even bigger fan of Van Halen than I am Ozzy (but both are still all-time faves).

[condemned2bfree]

Just prefer VH's exciting sound over the Brummy boy, with these 2 albums.

[Rushman14]

Diary is great but Fair Warning all day. It's my favorite VH album for sure.

[treeduck]

On 5/20/2024 at 3:17 PM, condemned2bfree said:

Just prefer VH's exciting sound over the Brummy boy, with these 2 albums.

[condemned2bfree]

On 5/24/2024 at 9:30 PM, treeduck said:

He's getting in touch with his family back in Pleiades. Is that around the Level 42 time?

Edited May 27 by condemned2bfree

[treeduck]

7 hours ago, condemned2bfree said:

He's getting in touch with his family back in Pleiades. Is that around the Level 42 time?

I think it's around 1989 during the recording of Secrets.