Van Halen - Live in New Haven, CT 1986 [2LP]

Captured mid-tour and at full volume, Live in New Haven, CT 1986 shows the Hagar-fronted Van Halen in its element, pressed on two 140 gram LPs.

Recorded at the New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum on the 5150 tour, these performances were originally filmed for the Live Without a Net concert video. This set brings most of that show to vinyl and adds two extra songs, giving the night a fuller shape and a proper running order.

Only months into their new era, Eddie, Alex, Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar already sound like a gang that has been playing together for years. The setlist mixes fresh 5150 material with Roth-era staples, and the energy rarely dips below a roar.

Summer Nights arrives with extra muscle, Panama gets a full-throttle reading with Hagar putting his own stamp on it, and I Can't Drive 55, from Hagar's solo catalogue, turns into an arena-wide shout. Eddie also gets a dedicated guitar solo spot, the kind of showcase that sent a generation of players home to practise, while Michael Anthony's harmonies hold the big choruses together.

Raw and gloriously loud, it's a vivid snapshot of a band proving that its reinvention worked just as well on a stage as it did on record, and a welcome addition to any Van Halen shelf.