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Skyscraper by: David Lee Roth

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Rating: - Slammin stuff!

Just got this album because I'm a huge Vai fan and was curious to see how he would sound in a "real" band setting, and I must say he sounds amazing. These songs are just great, all of them I think, beautiful rhythm playing and lead playing and DLR does his thing very well too. If you're a fan of great guitar playing in general or Vai in particular you must get this!

Rating: - Thanks to VH for DLR and Thanks to DLR for Steve Vai & Billy Sheehan

It was then that MTV and Heavy Metal got me. Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, Scorpions, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison, WASP, Cinderella etc. all great. Few years after the release, I came across Van Halen's album '1984' and became a big fan of Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth.

Then I listened to 5150 and OU812 and found that it's not the same voice but his replacement Sammy Hagar's. I was already his big fan with 'Three Lock Box' and 'I Never Said Goodbye' albums. I also found out that David Lee Roth had already done solo albums. I couldn't wait to listen to and at first grabbed this second album 'Skyscraper'. And there I go.

I was swept away by 'Just Like Paradise', 'Knucklebones', 'The Bottom Line', 'Hot Dog And A Shake', 'Damn Good', in fact the whole album. The guitar playing style similar to Eddie Van Halen's made me question about the guitarist and there I discovered Steve Vai along with Billy Sheehan.

I agree when they say DLR made the best 2 albums 'Skyscraper' and 'Eat 'Em And Smile' when he was with Steve and Billy. Still this one 'Skyscraper' comes first. After that comes 'Eat 'Em And Smile'. Only then comes other albums. It's been 2 decades that 'Skyscraper' still comes under my top 10 albums. I'd say it's DLR's number one and the best album. David Lee Rocks !

Rating: - Vocal overdrive from Diamond Dave

I was disapointed when I first heard this album, so much so that I gave it a wide berth until I heard Damn Good recently. This song really stood out from other stuff I had cycling around the ipod. So much so that I bought a copy from Amazon to see if my memory of the album was accurate. I have gone through it about 8 times end to end in the last two weeks and cannot figure out why I initially disliked it. It has not aged quite as well as Eat 'Em and Smile, but then again......

It has the core team from Eat 'Em and Smile and they are still playing out of their skins, cutting the rug like only Vai, Sheehan and Roth can. It has an interesting production with some most unusual vocal treatments. DLR was pushing the boat out here, call and response from opposite speakers, layered backing vocals all care of himself, vocals from way off-center in the stereo mix and pitch shifting judiciously applied on occasion. Possibly too adventurous for some which is why this one did not take off like the first. I much prefer it too anything he has done since.

Worth getting a hold of.

Rating: - Not (quite) as good as Eat 'Em and Smile

My old school mate had both this and Eat 'Em and Smile back when they were released and we played them to death. I got Skyscraper just last week and it's a really good album of its generation. There are two criticisms of this album (and Dave Lee Roth in general): the addition of California Girls/Gigalo is a real traversty, they weren't on the original and the original is heaps better because of it. Secondly (related) DLR and "golden oldie"/big band music just isn't me. I know there must be some (certainly back in the 80s) who thought cool DLR is playing big band stuff... er no... they're crap and show a real weakness to the band.

That aside, their home grown tracks are very good: Just Like Paradise and Skyscraper are very good indeed. Personally none of the tracks are as good quite as Eat 'Em and Smile. But for fun summer rock music this is pretty good.

Rating: - Damn good times

I bought this album on tape when it came out in 1988 and loved it.

Now with the benefit of old(-er) age I started listening to it again. And I have to say it's still damn good. True there are some cheesey tracks on it (Just a gigolo), some plain bad tracks (Skyscraper) but what's left is a good selection of tracks which makes the album worth buying (Damn good times, Knucklebones, Just like paradise, Hina, Stand up ...).

I'm still not decided whether Diamond Dave or Steve Vai is the real talent but I have to admit they laid down some good tracks during their time together.

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