VAN HALEN – Live In New Haven 1986 (2026) HQ *Exclusive*

320_1 /// 320_2 /// HQ 1 /// HQ 2

VAN HALEN fans are getting another shot at ”Live in New Haven 1986” – this time as a widely available standalone release. A crystal-clear vinyl edition of the album was released as part of Record Store Day and quickly sold out. Now, a black vinyl version is being released, along with the first-ever CD edition.
“VAN HALEN – Live In New Haven 1986″ captures the band’s newly retooled, powerhouse lineup of Sammy Hagar, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, and Michael Anthony at peak intensity during their triumphant 5150 tour. Recorded at the New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum on August 27, 1986, this performance features the band tearing through an exhilarating mix of hits, album cuts, covers, and soon-to-be-classics.
This show was filmed and released on VHS only back in the Eighties. Now you can get the audio plus 2 extra songs originally not present in the video: ”Good Enough” and “Wild Thing.”
Thirteen tracks of pure, unfiltered Van Halen—live and unleashed!

The recording is a proof that VAN HALEN may have used tons of synths into the studio, but they still were a rocking live beast…
You can certainly feel the energy and excitement from that concert on ”Live In New Haven 1986”. I was surprised to see that the track list on this new CD / 2-LP differed from the Live Without A Net one. Omitted from Live In New Haven 1986 were the bass and drum solos (I am grateful for that!) and the song “Get Up”. Instead, the tracks “Good Enough” and “Wild Thing” (Chip Taylor cover) were included.

It’s a fun release, very raw and truly live – the audience is really loud on the entire record. Some songs are almost not recognizable at times such as the start of the Hagar track “I Can’t Drive 55”. While the sound overall could have been a bit better, I always expect some sort of hiccups and miscues, and I am generally up for a standard far less than perfection on any live release.
Although Hagar‘s fantastic song “There’s Only One Way To Rock” was not the opening track for the New Haven show, it works like the opening track on Live In New Haven 1986. Perhaps that’s why Van Halen elected not to include the actual opening track “You Really Got Me”. In any case, “There’s Only One Way To Rock” is a scorching rocker and sounds amazing live with the Eddie Van Halen “brown” guitar sound. I really like the guitar harmonies between Hagar and Eddie towards the end of the guitar solos on that track.

There’s a reason why Hagar and Anthony have been touring almost 40 years later with guitarist Joe Satriani and first, Jason Bonham on drums, and then later with Kenny Aronoff, while mainly playing the Hagar era Van Halen tracks. The reason is simply that many of those songs have stood the test of the time and still rock 40 years later.
Songs like “Summer Nights”, “5150”, “Best of Both Worlds” and “Good Enough” have a feel good component to them which resonated back in New Haven in 1986 and still to this day. A track like like “Love Walks In” carried a whirlwind of emotions when played live in 1986 and still to this day as well.

It does feel odd that Van Halen played so few Roth era tracks in their setlist in New Haven with only one album under their belt with Hagar. Perhaps the saddest part is that Van Halen elected to play three cover songs rather than perform more of their Roth era tracks.
Anyway, Van Halen‘s version of Led Zeppelin‘s “Rock & Roll” sounds amazing on Live In New Haven 1986.

”Live In New Haven 1986” is a very fun but, sometimes a little rough around the edges, live record. It takes you back to when life seemed all rosy and peachy within the Van Halen camp and when Eddie Van Halen seemed rejuvenated musically and passion wise.
It’s a great snapshot of a band arguably at its peak in terms of band camaraderie and perhaps even in a live setting. Live In New Haven 1986 is definitely better than 1993’s Live: Right Here, Right Now and 2015’s Tokyo Dome Live In Concert (can we really consider that a true Van Halen live album without Anthony on bass?), and to me, the best Van Halen live release currently available from the band.
Highly Recommended

01 – There’s Only One Way To Rock (Live In New Haven 1986)
02 – Summer Nights (Live In New Haven 1986)
03 – 5150 (Live In New Haven 1986)
04 – Panama (Live In New Haven 1986)
05 – Best of Both Worlds (Live In New Haven 1986)
06 – Love Walks In (Live In New Haven 1986)
07 – Good Enough (Live In New Haven 1986)
08 – Guitar Solo (Live In New Haven 1986)
09 – I Can’t Drive 55 (Live In New Haven 1986)
10 – Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love (Live In New Haven 1986)
11 – Wild Thing (Live In New Haven 1986)
12 – Why Can’t This Be Love (Live In New Haven 1986)
13 – Rock and Roll (Live In New Haven 1986)

Sammy Hagar – vocals, guitar
Edward Van Halen – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Michael Anthony – bass, backing vocals
Alex Van Halen – drums, percussion

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www.amazon.com/Live-New-Haven-CT-1986/dp/B0GXBVXZQY