Van Halen The Collection II Vinyl
Released on October 6, 2023
THE COLLECTION II spotlights Van Halenโs second incarnation, with singer Sammy Hagar, guitarist Eddie Van Halen, drummer Alex Van Halen, and bassist Michael Anthony. The upcoming set includes newly remastered versions of four multi-platinum studio albums, along with a selection of rarities recorded between 1989 and 2004. All the music in the set was mastered directly from the original master tapes, a process overseen by the bandโs longtime engineer, Donn Landee.
THE COLLECTION II is the long-awaited sequel to The Collection, a compilation released in 2015 that focused on the six studio albums recorded by the bandโs original line-up, which featured singer David Lee Roth. THE COLLECTION II picks up where its predecessor left off and covers the four consecutive #1 albums released during the Hagar era: 5150 (1986), OU812 (1988), FOR UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE (1991), and BALANCE (1995).
THE COLLECTION II concludes with STUDIO RARITIES 1989-2004, an exclusive compilation that assembles eight gems from the Hagar era for the first time. Among these rarities is โCrossing Over,โ the B-Side to Balanceโs โCanโt Stop Lovinโ Youโ, and the bandโs only non-album B-side. The compilation boasts other exceptional highlights, including the bandโs cover of Little Featโs โA Apolitical Bluesโ and the instrumental โBaluchitherium,โ which were originally left off the vinyl versions of OU812 and BALANCE, respectively. Additionally, the set features two songs the band contributed to the Twister Soundtrack โ โHumans Beingโ and the Grammy-nominated โRespect The Wind.โ Rounding out the set are โItโs About Time,โ โUp For Breakfast,โ and โLearning To See,โ which were recorded during the bandโs temporary reunion with Hagar in 2004. All three debuted that year on Van Halenโs second greatest hits collection, THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.
VAN HALEN / COLLECTION II
