Live: Right Here, Right Now (1993)

Disc One
1. Poundcake
2. Judgement Day
3. When It's Love
4. Spanked
5. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
6. In 'n' Out
7. Dreams
8. Man on a Mission
9. Ultra Bass
10.Pleasure Dome/Drum Solo
11.Panama
12.Love Walks In
13. Runaround
Disc Two
1. Right Now
2. One Way to Rock
3. Why Can't This Be Love?
4. Give to Live
5. Finish What Ya Started
6. Best of Both Worlds
7. 316
8. You Really Got Me/Cabo Wabo
9. Won't Get Fooled Again
10.Jump
11.Top of the World
 
The timing couldn’t have been better for Van Halen’s first official live album. By this point, the Hagar-fronted line-up had proven they could match the sales clout of the old guard, racking up three hugely successful albums. The public appetite was still ravenous, and the tours drew the kind of enthusiasm that made a live release feel inevitable.
This double CD captures a full show — or at least convincingly simulates one — reportedly recorded over two consecutive nights. With only three “Van Hagar” albums to draw from, the setlist leans heavily on 1991’s For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, performed almost in its entirety. The curious omission? The Dream Is Over — one of the album’s standout tracks. Why it’s missing remains anyone’s guess. The rest is a calculated blend: a small taste of the Roth-era classics, a Sammy solo cut, a cover of The Who, and, of course, the obligatory solos. Lots of solos. Live records often sag under the weight of indulgent instrumental detours, but here they’re well-paced, concise enough, and placed where they actually make sense.
The one consistent stumble comes whenever Hagar feels the need to chat. He’s a natural frontman and an engaging communicator, but the between-song banter drifts into brainless territory more often than not. Worst offender: his rambling in the latter half of Panama about partying today and not worrying about tomorrow — a speech so clumsy it manages to undercut the song’s impact entirely.
Still, the performances are razor-tight, the energy palpable, and the band locked in with both each other and the crowd. The audience’s enthusiasm bleeds through every track, and in the end, that’s the real reason the record works as well as it does.
Go back to the main page
Go To Next Review