Skyscraper (studio album) by David Lee Roth

From rockinsteve 10/10/2018 22:27

This one is a pleasant surprise! The wonderful guitar work of Steve Vai highlights this album. Dave's vocals are also quite good. The song "Damn Good" IS damn good and is probably the best song I've heard by Dave. If you're a fan of early Van Halen or Dave's solo work, pick this one up.

David just had to get out of Van Halen. Just Like Paradise is amazing! Wow!

Not quite as coherent and consistent as, eat em and smile, skyscraper, is still a very enjoyable album. Just like paradise, the bottom line, and, damn good, are the standouts on a record where David Lee Roth was at the peak of his career. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from here.

Creative. The only '80s hit, hard rock album I've heard get trippy. WTF is going on during "Skyscraper," "Hina" and The Bottom Line?!" Whatever it is, it's unexpected. I love it!

Songs like "Just Like Paradise," "Perfect Timing," "Hot Dog and a Shake" sound like homages to "Sunflower"-era Beach Boys. I also love that.

An overlooked gem.

“Skyscraper,” (1988, US #6) David Lee Roth’s 2nd post-Van Halen solo LP, features impressionistic, sonic tapestries that sound utterly dissimilar to the aggressive “Eat ‘em and Smile,” (1986, US #4) despite being recorded with the same eclectic, all-star band. Featuring avant-garde guitar virtuoso Steve Vai, (who also demoed, produced, and co-wrote most of “Skyscraper;”) bass innovator Billy Sheehan; and big-band jazz drummer Gregg Bisonnette, original Van Halen vocalist David Lee Roth expressly created the multi-tracked studio-craft of “Skyscraper” to challenge his audience. Songs like “Hina,” “The Bottom Line,” “Skyscraper,” and “Damn Good” are all among Roth’s most creative and ambitious.

On its release, many fans were disappointed by “Skyscraper,” wishing that it sounded more like the gonzo “Eat ‘em And Smile” and ’78-‘82 Van Halen. While “Skyscraper” features arguably David Lee Roth’s most expertly-crafted batch of songs, the album’s clean, multi-tracked production removes much of its hard rock bite (it sounds more like jazz fusion) and dates it to the period around 1990.

The critical estimation of “Skyscraper” – likewise, its perception by musicians – has risen since its release. Despite debuting in the thick of the "hair metal" era, “Skyscraper” has little in common with the genre - and sounds refreshingly creative and experimental in retrospect.

Although imperfect – “Skyscraper” features arguably the worst song Roth ever released (“Stand Up,”) and the sugary-sweet pop hit, “Just Like Paradise,” (#6 US,) fans of Steve Vai and of jazz fusion will likely enjoy “Skyscraper” - more so than, e.g. fans of Poison, (the band that opened for David Lee Roth during the '88-'89 "Skyscraper Tour.")

From covecove 10/24/2012 21:14

I wanted something trashly like Posion or the Crüe and this turned out to be a bot more ecclectic and missed the hole point. It has 3 or 4 songs that are fun bit in general it wasn´t what I was expecting...