VAN HALEN will release a new boxed set this fall spotlighting the iconic band’s 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.
“The Collection II” will be available on October 6 on five LPs for $124.98 and five CDs for $49.98. All the music in the set was mastered directly from the original master tapes, a process overseen by the band’s longtime engineer, Donn Landee. You can pre-order it HERE.
The new set is the long-awaited sequel to “The Collection”, a compilation released in 2015 that focused on the six studio albums recorded by the band’s original lineup, which featured singer David Lee Roth. “The Collection II” picks up where its predecessor left off and covers the four consecutive No. 1 albums released during the Hagar era: “5150” (1986),“OU812” (1988),“For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” (1991) and “Balance” (1995).
The journey begins with “5150”, VAN HALEN‘s seventh studio album and the band’s first to claim the top spot on the Billboard 200. Certified platinum six times in the U.S., the record treated fans to hits like “Dreams”, “Love Walks In” and “Why Can’t This Be Love”, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The group returned two years later with “OU812”, a quadruple-platinum smash that delivered four Billboard Hot 100 hits, including “Finish What Ya Started” and “When It’s Love”.
The accolades continued with “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge”, which earned VAN HALEN its first Grammy Award for “Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Album”. Debuting at No. 1 and staying there for three weeks, the album achieved triple-platinum certification. The record produced an incredible seven singles, including hits like “Poundcake”, “Top Of The World” and “Right Now”.
In 1993, the band released its first live album, “Live: Right Here, Right Now”, before returning in 1995 with “Balance”, its final studio album with Hagar. The album was another commercial triumph, debuting at No. 1, selling more than three million copies, and earning a Grammy nomination for “The Seventh Seal”.
“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 “Crossing Over”, the B-side to “Balance”‘s “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You” and the band’s only non-album B-side.
The compilation boasts other exceptional highlights, including the band’s cover of LITTLE FEAT‘s “A Apolitical Blues” and the instrumental “Baluchitherium”, 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 — “Humans Being” and the Grammy-nominated “Respect The Wind”.
Rounding out the set are “It’s About Time”, “Up For Breakfast” and “Learning To See”, which were recorded during the band’s temporary reunion with Hagar in 2004. All three debuted that year on VAN HALEN‘s second greatest-hits collection, “The Best Of Both Worlds”.
