Van Halen III

Untitled

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Entertainment Weekly	B
Robert Christgau
Rolling Stone

Van Halen III is the eleventh studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released on March 17, 1998 on Warner Bros. Produced by Mike Post and Eddie Van Halen, it is the band's only studio album to feature lead vocalist Gary Cherone, and the last to feature bassist Michael Anthony before he left the band in 2006. Work on a follow-up album with Cherone was begun during 1999, but never advanced past a few demos.

Van Halen III was the band's last album for nearly a decade and a half, and their final album of the 20th century. It was also the final album the band released on Warner Bros. When they returned in 2012 with A Different Kind of Truth, it would be with Interscope Records.

History

The album's title refers to the fact that it was Van Halen's third recorded line-up, and the band's first two albums having been titled Van Halen and Van Halen II. None of its material is featured on The Best of Both Worlds, the band's 2004 greatest hits compilation.

The album's only significant radio hit was "Without You", which reached #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart on the March 7, 1998 issue of Billboard, and remained there for six weeks. Other songs receiving airplay on rock radio were "Fire in the Hole" and "One I Want". The album's final song, "How Many Say I", was an unusual acoustic piano ballad featuring Eddie on lead vocals with Cherone on backing vocals.

Another song entitled "That's Why I Love You" was dropped at the last minute in favor of "Josephina". This album also contributed the song "Fire in the Hole" to the Lethal Weapon 4 movie soundtrack.

After Michael Anthony's departure from Van Halen, he was asked whether or not it was true Eddie Van Halen dictated to him how to play bass on this record and Anthony confirmed this was true. He said by the time of making this album, Eddie was playing the bass more as well as some drums. "I don't know if Eddie was basically making a solo record, which is what Van Halen III seemed like to me."

The cover is a still picture from stock footage of Frank "Cannonball" Richards.

Track listing

All songs credited to Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Gary Cherone and Alex Van Halen.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Neworld" (instrumental)	1:45
2.	"Without You"	6:30
3.	"One I Want"	5:30
4.	"From Afar"	5:24
5.	"Dirty Water Dog"	5:27
6.	"Once"	7:42
7.	"Fire in the Hole"	5:31
8.	"Josephina"	5:42
9.	"Year to the Day"	8:34
10.	"Primary" (instrumental)	1:27
11.	"Ballot or the Bullet"	5:42
12.	"How Many Say I"	6:04

Personnel

• Gary Cherone - lead vocals
• Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals on "How Many Say I"
• Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals
• Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Mike Post - piano on "Neworld"

Production

• Producers: Mike Post, Eddie Van Halen
• Engineers: Erwin Musper, Eddie Van Halen
• Mixing: The Edward, Robbes
• Mastering: The Edward, Robbes, Eddy Schreyer
• Programming: Florian Ammon, Ian Dye, Ed Rogers, Paul Wight
• Art direction: Stine Schyberg
• Photography: Dan Chavkin
• Coloring: F. Scott Schafer

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Charts

Album

Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
1998	The Billboard 200	4
1998	Top Canadian Albums	4

Singles

Billboard (North America)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1998	"Fire in the Hole"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	6
1998	"One I Want"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	27
1998	"Without You"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	1