The sets drop in late February
Rhino Records will release David Lee Roth’s The Warner Recordings 1985-1994 on February 21st. The 5 CD and limited edition 5 LP sets feature the first five solo releases recorded by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee and original Van Halen lead vocalist in one comprehensive collection for the first time. The set offers lifelong fans and newcomers alike the chance to experience 1985’s Crazy From the Heat, 1986’s Eat ‘Em and Smile, 1988’s Skyscraper, 1991’s A Little Ain’t Enough, and 1994’s Your Filthy Little Mouth in succession.
Forty years ago this month, on January 28, 1985, Roth officially debuted as a solo artist with the Crazy From the Heat EP. It crashed the Top 15 of the Billboard 200 and reached RIAA platinum status. Plus, he logged a pair of Billboard Hot 100 hits – the medley of “Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody” vaulted to No. 12, while his take on “California Girls” by The Beach Boys soared to No. 3, replicating the 1965 chart success of the original. Meanwhile, the project would later serve as the title of his New York Times best-selling autobiography in 1997.
The EP paved the way for his first full-length solo LP, Eat ‘Em and Smile. Released on July 7, 1986, it bowed in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200 and eventually went RIAA platinum. Roth hyper-charged his sound, accompanied by an all-star band consisting of Billy Sheehan on bass, Gregg Bissonette on drums, and Steve Vai on guitar. Together, they served up anthems such as “Yankee Rose,” “Tobacco Road,” “That’s Life,” and more.
1987 saw the platinum Skyscraper return Roth to the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, elevated by “Just Like Paradise.” Meanwhile, Roth kicked off the nineties with the gold-selling A Little Ain’t Enough in 1991. It marked his fourth straight Top 20 debut on the Billboard 200 and boasted fretwork from Jason Becker. Finally, he dropped Your Filthy Little Mouth in 1994, this time collaborating with none other than iconic producer Nile Rodgers, churning out staples such as “She’s My Machine.”
