"Look Back" 1986: David Lee Roth "Eat 'Em and Smile"

The year was 1986.....

.....and what an incredible year for music! The year that saw the very first induction ceremony into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, "We Are the World" took home the big Grammy honors, Amnesty International hosted the "Conspiracy of Hope" benefit concert (featuring Bryan Adams, Sting, U2, & more), Queen performed their final concert....chart topping songs like "Take My Breath Away" and "Addicted to Love", "Rock Me Amadeus" and "That's What Friends Are For", "Papa Don't Preach" and "Walk Like an Egyptian" as well as one hit wonders like the incredible "Night Moves" by Marilyn Martin....the year we lost legends like Metallica bassist Cliff Burton and Thin Lizzy bassist Phil Lynott, bluesman Sonny Terry and bandleader Benny Goodman, and future legends were born like Trombone Shorty and Lady Gaga and Drake and Jon Batiste. We saw the birth of bands like Hootie & the Blowfish and Cowboy Junkies and Green Day and N.W.A. and the Pixies, and the death of bands Boomstown Rats and Dead Kennedys and The Police and The Clash....the year Madonna's "True Blue", "Slippery When Wet" by Bon Jovi, Paul Simon's "Graceland", Janet Jackson's "Control" and the soundtrack to the hit movie "Top Gun" dominated the charts.....and so much more!

A host of amazing albums were released in 1986 and I hope to have time to write about many, including "Album" from Public Image Ltd, "Ultimate Sin" by Ozzy Osbourne, Prince's amazing "Parade", Billy Idol's "Whiplash Smile", "So" by Peter Gabriel, Queen's "A Kind of Magic", the live album "Bring on the Night" by Sting, Queensryche's "Rage for Order", "While the City Sleeps" from George Benson.....

Today, however, we'll look back at the classic debut album from David Lee Roth, "Eat 'Em and Smile"!

This was Roth's first band and first full length album after leaving Van Halen (he'd released an EP, "Crazy From the Heat" the year before, but featuring a variety of players, not an actual band).

The band he put together was a cast of the incredible: Gregg Bissonette on drums, Billy Sheehan on bass, and Steve Via on guitar -  all now considered absolute legends.

L-R: Roth, Bissonette, Vai, Sheehan

Bissonette had played with jazz great Maynard Ferguson's band and was in a band that also featured Toto's Steve Lukather. Billy Sheehan had a thousand gigs under his belt with the rock band Talas (who had opened for UFO, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Van Halen a few years before). Steve Vai had already put together a stellar resume', having played for Frank Zappa, P.I.L, and Alcatrazz (recording almost a dozen albums with them as well as a solo album), written for Guitar Player Magazine, and appeared in the movie & on the soundtrack for "Crossroads".

The level of musicianship in the band was simply unlike most of the other popular acts of the day.

As legend has it, the band set up in Roth's basement and spent weeks writing and rehearsing (all original songs on the album were written by Vai & Roth), then went straight into the studio with producer Ted Templemen. Once entering The Power Station recoding studio, the only problem was Vai's guitar tone - they couldn't quite get what they were after. Luckily, across the hall, Steve Stevens was working on Ric Ocasek's "This Side of Paradise" as well as Billy Idol's "Whiplash Smile" (another album we'll look at soon!), and Stevens was happy to lend his Marshall.

Side note: Vai later bought the amp from Stevens and used it on the tour.

Guitar sound set, the boys leaped in and recorded much of the album live, with overdubs for guitar harmonies and backing vocals, as well as additional instrumentation (keyboards for a couple of songs, horns for another, and strings). They also recorded a Spanish language version of the album!

"Eat 'Em and Smile" was released in July of 1986 and took the world (largely via MTV and then on the concert stage) by storm!

Great reviews as well as favorable comparison's to Van Halen's album "5150" (featuring new vocalist Sammy Hagar), named "album of the year" by rock magazine "Kerrang!", and enjoyed heavy MTV & radio rotation for the singles "Yankee Rose", "Goin' Crazy", and "That's Life", it charted in 12 countries and sold well over a million copies in the US alone.

Let's look at each song!

side one:

1) "Yankee Rose"

The song slams a big rock-n-roll chord and then a dialogue between DLR and Vai's guitar begins. Yes, as in they are talking to each other. Vai makes the guitar talk, whistle, and then laugh, all in the first 30 seconds of the song. Then they blast off into a Big Rock Extravaganza that includes classic Roth lyrics with classic Roth delivery, massive drums holding down the fort, and an absolute rollercoaster of dual (or duel) guitar and bass virtuosity.

"Are you ready for the new sensation? Well here's the shot heard round the world...!"

They weren't kidding. Mixed throughout the verses is both 6 and 4 string wizardry, and more guitar insanity as the song fades out. The perfect start!

2) "Shy Boy"

Written by Sheehan and possibly the most famous Talas song (with the possible exception of "Addicted to That Rush" - later recorded by Billy's post-DLR band Mr. Big, or "High Speed on Ice" or the song/bass solo "NV3345"), this is arguably an even more explosive song than the album opener!

This song is possibly the number one vehicle to display the stunning virtuosity of both Sheehan & Vai....and their ability to play such insanity in tandem. 

3) "I'm Easy"

The album's first proper cover song, this swingin' jazzy number features the Roth at his cheesy best. That is, the lounge song, tongue in cheek, schmaltzy side of Roth is on absolute full display in this one.

"....Come get me, baby, Get me while I'm hot
Hurry, hurry, baby, You can have a lot..."

The song also features, however, an air-tight drum groove, horn section (arranged by Vai), and a blistering, bluesy guitar solo. The time Vai spent at Berklee and Bissonette spent in high school jazz band as well as North Texas State University studying definitely shows!

4) "Ladies Nite in Buffalo?"

This track is reminiscent of "Fair Warning" era Van Halen, to my ear. Smooth, uber cool, with an edge of danger. The vocal is DLR at his funky voguish best.

".....You can jazz it up or play it slow, it's still the only song I know
It's 2 a.m. and traffic's slow, another ladies' night in Buffalo....."

Despite the laid back feel, it features an absolutely blistering guitar solo, which beautifully fits the menacing edge of Roth's vocal.

5) "Goin' Crazy!"

If this doesn't sum up the side of Roth that is the rockstar, I don't know what does:

".....Remember dancing on the pier last night?
Got drunk and fell into the water
The big policeman wasn't laughing, didn't blink an eye
He said, 'You're messin' with the mayor's daughter.'....."

Almost enough to make you forget the amazing music - the sly rhythmic play, the raging guitar solo, the compositional nod to EVH, the moments of guitar meets bass brilliance......ALMOST.

side two:

6) "Tobacco Road"

What a rockin' way to kick off side two! This blistering cover (originally by John D. Loudermilk, the song is primarily known due to The Nashville Teens' version, though Roth likely drew inspiration from the Edgar Winter version released in 1970).

I have no idea the first song this band ever played together, but I'd bet a lot on THIS song!! They are on fire from start to finish.

7) "Elephant Gun"

Another incendiary track with absolutely amazing playing (and the only one to feature a full bass guitar solo), this song will melt your speakers.

".....We'll call it love or call it murder, This ain't the crime of the century, no
Don't point that thing at me....."

Bass solo (with no guitar accompaniment) leads into a guitar solo (with no bass accompaniment) leads to a moment of bass/guitar harmonized madness!

8) "Big Trouble"

Stories of Master Joe (with a master plan), Cheery Blue and Mighty Mouse....

"....Looking for trouble, Tte real kind
She was a dime a dozen, and they were two of a kind....."

This track just grooves and grooves and grooves. Roth's vocal is a half sung, half spoken, halfway to making sense mellow tirade with an almost rap-like rhythmic approach and the guitar work is predictably brilliant, complete with harmonized feedback.

9) "Bump and Grind"

Badass track that makes me think, "this is what happens when a car with Van Halen's 'Beautiful Girls' and  another car playing Aerosmith's 'Last Child' crash into each other at high speed". Be careful out there, kids!

".....Lookin' for love in the back of a taxi, got lucky in a cheap hotel
Hot pants, mm.. nasty, don't bother knockin' 'cause you know damn well....."

Roth is at his sexy cheesy best, while Vai sneaks in all manner of "noise" and atonal flourishes, Sheehan sneaks in more bass harmonics, and Gregg again provides the solid earth upon which the craziness stands.

10) "That's Life"

The 1963 Kay/Gordon composition most known by the 1966 Frank Sinatra version is the perfect closer to this amazing recording, featuring horn and string arrangements by the legendary Jimmie Haskell, and a solid and properly restrained rhythm section by Bissonette, Sheehan, and Vai that allows Roth to bask in all his rock star glory.

Amazing album and definitely on my list of "100 albums to hear before you die"!


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