According to Blabbermouth.net, the final artwork for Van Halen's first album with original singer David Lee Roth in 28 years, "A Different Kind Of Truth", can be seen below. The cover, which is based on pretty much exactly the same train image the band has been using in recent promotional activities for the record, is uncannily similar to the concept utilized on "Movin' On", the 1975 album by the American funk/soul band Commodores, which came out through Motown Records.
Van Halen released "
Tattoo", the first single and video from its upcoming CD, on Tuesday (January 10). The track is taken from "A Different Kind Of Truth", due out on February 7. The song itself said to be is a rewrite of a very old Van Halen track "
Down In Flames", which the band used to play in its late Seventies club days but never recorded for any of its albums. The new version has a slightly different arrangement and fresh lyrics from Roth.
According to The Pulse Of Radio, at least two other songs on the new record, "She's The Woman" and "Bullethead", date back to the band's early days as well. "She's The Woman" appeared on a 1976 Van Halen demo produced by KISS bassist Gene Simmons, and was performed by the group last week during its show at the tiny Cafe Wha? in New York City.
Guitarist Eddie Van Halen has said in numerous interviews over the years that he has "10 albums" worth of unreleased material in his archives from throughout the band's career.
Ironically, it was former singer Sammy Hagar who hinted that Van Halen might be digging into the vaults on the new album. Hagar recently told Rolling Stone, "I heard this record is old outtakes from the old days. I mean, stuff from before I even joined the band... Because from what I heard, they aren't working with new material. Ed and Dave didn't actually write new songs."
Van Halen will kick off a North American tour on February 18th in Louisville, Kentucky. Tickets for the tour will begin going on sale January 14. Kool And The Gang will open for Van Halen on selected tour stops.
