David Lee Roth self-diagnoses his own genius on Eat ‘Em And Smile

Spontaneous, raw and a bloody good laugh into the bargain, David Lee Roth’s Eat ’Em & Smile was a massive ‘fuck you’ to those who viewed Diamond Dave’s exit from Van Halen as a rock’n’roll suicide by any other name.

The album teamed the Sunset Strip’s biggest ego with the best rock musicians on the planet: guitarist Steve Vai, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Gregg Bissonette, who unleashed a brash, loud and colourful collection of Halen-esque party-influenced hard rock.

It holds its own against any Van Halen record – Yankee Rose features a jaw-dropping ‘talking guitar’ intro from Vai – and a charisma-bomb performance from Roth, while Shyboy (a cover of a song by Sheehan’s previous band, Talas) and Goin’ Crazy aren’t far behind, but the ever-unpredictable singer wasn’t entirely happy.

“It ran into the dead end that is rock-fusion jazz-blues something or other, aka ‘widdley widdley’,” Roth told Classic Rock. “When the guitarist starts going ‘widdley widdley’ it’s a symptom. When I made those records with Steve it was an effort to get him to go under the bar; consolidate; give your guitar solo a beginning, middle and end.

“What is the development of the character here? Is this guitar solo the same guy we met in the last three songs? Perhaps one is never so much oneself as when wearing the mask. And Steve’s mask is that there is something greater than writing songs and simple emotional content.”

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Other albums released in July 1986

Knocked Out Loaded – Bob DylanOrgasmatron – MotörheadLanding On Water – Neil YoungThe Bridge – Billy JoelLightning Strikes – LoudnessLife’s Rich Pageant – R.E.M.QR III – Quiet RiotEast of Midnight – Gordon LightfootNo Guru, No Method, No Teacher – Van MorrisonShould The World Fail To Fall Apart – Peter MurphySound Of Confusion – Spacemen 3

What they said…

“In the strictest metal tradition, many tracks are just frenzied riffs with Roth rapping on top. And surprisingly enough, there’s nothing here as slick as the two singles on Van Halen’s post-Roth LP. Luckily, Vai’s guitar work provides a rough enough roller-coaster ride to counter the lack of more melodic hooks.” (Rolling Stone)

“With everybody from Patti to Belinda to Peter to Eldra kissing pop’s ass, Roth gives it a pinch and keeps on trucking. Maybe because he lived out his wimpier fantasies on last year’s EP, here he’s free to mastermind his own piece of multiplatinum potential. Sure he covers That’s Life, but he also assembles a metal band that’ll cut old buddies: Maynard Ferguson drummer, cult heaven bassist, and on guitar former Zappa and Lydon sideman Steve Vai, who splits the difference between parody and virtuosity.” (Robert Christgau)

“The “diamond” one set out to out-Van Halen Van Halen with his band’s first effort, Eat ‘Em and Smile, a more than adequate substitute for the overtly commercial tendencies of the “new and improved” original. Why mess with a winning recipe, indeed. Guitarist Steve Vai, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Gregg Bissonette sound perfectly at home aping their boss’s old cronies on such sizzling party anthems as Shyboy and Elephant Gun.” (AllMusic)

What you said…

Nick Tedds: I remember thinking at the time of release that Eat ‘Em And Smile was an excellent album in parts. Lead single Yankee Rose is innovative/gimmicky enough to stand out from the crowd, Shyboy an opportunity for the Vai/Sheehan combo to showcase their twiddly histrionics, and Ladies Nite in Buffalo has a huge funky groove that is different but works well alongside the aforementioned opening tracks. Goin’ Crazy is also catchy enough.

After that though… I’m not a fan of the lounge-swing approach of I’m Easy, and That’s Life. The cover of Tobacco Road is fairly pointless, and Bump And Grind offers nothing new at all. It’s not often that I think an album of just over half an hour in length may have been better if it had been trimmed a little! But then again, that’s exactly what I thought about Roth’s last effort with Van Halen, 1984, although, as with that album, the musicianship is undeniably of the highest quality and Ted Templeman’s production is top-notch.

Adam Ranger: Controversial opinion: Diamond Dave is not as good as he thinks he is. The first three Van Halen albums were great, a sum of their parts rather than just one individual.

But I find this a bit one-dimensional and uninspiring. Great musicians on it, no question. But Dave having “fun” does not mean a good record. No song on this album stands out, and I would be quite happy not to hear it again.

Mark Herrington: Mixed feelings about this one. There are some good tracks and great guitar pyrotechnics throughout. However, the sheer amount of covers at the expense of original material, and the weaker second half, drains some of that initial enthusiasm.

I love the punchy party rock on Yankee Rose, a great track and a great start, the standout track by miles here. Shyboy is a good display of guitar pyrotechnics, although not as catchy as Yankee Rose.

The bluesy cover I’m Easy is a bit Dad Rock, but the guitar is great. Ladies Night lacks oomph, with good guitar. Goin’ Crazy is a return to energetic party rock, with a weakish chorus rescued by great guitar.

Tobacco Road – another cover – ushers in the weaker second half, and it’s better than anything that follows. The tracks are just average from here, and finish with another cover in That’s Life.

Some good stuff, some great guitar, but the album is short on ideas and consistency. If anything, it just gets me reaching for my copy of Van Halen I, to hear it done properly.

Chris Elliott: In simple terms, it sounds like Van Halen. So that pretty much tells you if you’ll like it. It’s harmless FM rock that passes by without annoying or engaging. At my age, I don’t think I’m about to be converted

Chris Downie: Given the endlessly-publicised fallout over the split in the Van Halen camp in 1985, it was inevitable that both David Lee Roth’s full-length debut and the first ‘Van Hagar’ effort 5150 would be intertwined with one another, far too often compared directly, as opposed to being viewed as distinct entities in their own right and enjoyed (or otherwise) on their own merits.

While the revamped Van Halen decided, at first, to continue the musical path taken on the mega-selling 1984 album (before paring back the keyboards on the provocatively titled follow-up OU812 a few years later, and even more so on the heavier remaining ‘Van Hagar’ outings), Roth decided to go all-in with his cabaret clown show, albeit to mildly entertaining effect.

Where his solo career fell short, however, was in his failure to evolve beyond his first three solo efforts, culminating in the impressive A Little Ain’t Enough, which was underpinned by the incredible talent of the young Jason Becker.

While the debut EP, replete with Beach Boys tribute, gave hints of what was to come, this full-length hits the spot when on point (Yankee Rose needs no introduction, but Shyboy is also impressive) but tails off in the second half. Moreover, its sparse running time of 31 minutes – two tracks of which are cover versions – treads the same path that held back the otherwise brilliant innovation of early Van Halen. Love it or hate it, the Van Hagar lineup evolved impressively and remained on top, while Roth’s career stagnated and ultimately faded into a novelty act by the mid-90s.

Decades further down the line and taking a fresh perspective, if Eat ‘Em And Smile does one thing in 2026, it tells us the original Van Halen line up were a product of their time, an exciting breath of fresh air that ushered in the American 80’s metal scene two years before that decade even began, but which also burned out just as the second wave they heavily influenced, such as Dokken, Ratt, Twisted Sister et al, were hitting their peak. Despite their individual brilliance, they were somehow greater than the sum of their parts, but when divided, it was Roth who ultimately fell by the wayside, into self-parody. 7/10.

Gary Claydon: Flawed but fun offering from the King of good-time metal. Neverthess, Eat ‘Em and Smile is more hit than miss, thanks in large part to a genuinely killer band (ably aided and abetted by Ted Templeman’s spot-on production), with Vai’s guitar the real star of the show.

Raucous album opener, the classic Yankee Rose is a perfect illustration of Diamond Dave’s technicolour, larger-than-life approach to rock’n’roll and the obvious stand-out track. The easy strut and groove of Ladies’ Night In Buffalo runs it close, while Big Trouble has a lesser-spotted semi-serious DLR lyric. Elsewhere, there is plenty of energy, but a heavy whiff of filler lingers, and the covers are a waste of the talent on show.

Brian Carr: A lot of memories for me on this one. I saw some great shows in my first three years of concert-going, and DLR on this tour was one of my favourites – his band were white hot! Steve Vai is in my top ten favourite guitar players; Billy Sheehan is almost certainly in my top five favourite bass players. The videos were loads of fun. Ladies Night In Buffalo was the second or third song I learned on bass. And, of course, I absolutely loved the Eat ‘Em And Smile record.

Times and musical tastes change over the decades, though. I found and bought a used vinyl copy in recent years, but haven’t listened to it often. The album is still fun, and the performances are still electric. I still love Vai and Sheehan, and Bissonette is a fantastic drummer and perfect fit for the band. But listening 40 years later(!!!), it’s really hard to forget how poorly Dave’s schtick aged.

I’m Easy and That’s Life may be fun, but on a record barely longer than 30 minutes, it screams padding and shows that Dave’s idea of entertainment is simultaneously inside and outside the norm. It’s also hard to ignore that Eat ‘Em And Smile was, in my opinion, the apex – it all went downhill from here. Five years later, I saw Roth again in what I will always remember as one of the worst concerts I’ve ever seen.

All of that said, it’s still great to hear Roth in his ADHD prime, together with one of the greatest rock lineups.

Philip Qvist: It is a fun album, with great guitar pyrotechnics from Steve Vai backed by a solid rhythm section of Billy Sheehan and Gregg Bissonette, while Diamond Dave does what he does best, i.e. being Diamond Dave. None of the songs should be taken seriously, which was probably the real purpose of Eat ‘Em And Smile, hence the cover versions.

There is nothing here that surprises me, and the songs are exactly what you expect from David Lee Roth, with song titles such as Bump And Grind, Elephant Gun and Ladies Night in Buffalo, with lyrics to match. The standout track is the opener, Yankee Rose (which I believe is a tribute to the Statue of Liberty).

So this is a fun and enjoyable album, but it’s also a disposable one. The fact is that David Lee Roth needed Van Halen as much as Van Halen needed him (and this is not a slight against Sammy Hagar). No more than a 7 from me this week, but at least this album title inspired “Van Hagar” to name their next album OU812.

Mike Canoe: I love it, I love it, and no one can change my mind.

Eat ‘Em And Smile finds David Lee Roth trying to out Van Halen Van Halen by building his own perfect beast and I, for one, think, on this one album, that he succeeded, especially compared to the recently released 5150 and its emphasis on ballads and, gasp, pop songcraft.

Steve Vai made the lead guitar ridiculously Hot For Teacher fun again on songs like the giddy opener Yankee Rose and sex positive Bump And Grind. Fellow recruit Billy Sheehan was referred to in the music press at the time as the “Eddie Van Halen of bass.” And while drummer Gregg Bissonette didn’t have the name recognition of the rest of the band, he certainly knew what he was doing, whether on ravers like Shyboy or Elephant Gun or lounge lizards like I’m Easy or That’s Life.

The band brings out the best in Roth. Roth was Van Halen’s hype man (and he knew it), and he brings that same manic energy and showmanship here while still showing a (relative) maturity on Ladies’ Nite in Buffalo? and Big Trouble. Interestingly, I used to hate Goin’ Crazy because of those %$#@ing keyboards, but now it’s one of my favourites.

Roth knew from the success of Diver Down that the majority of fans don’t care if a song’s a cover if it’s “Van Halen’d” enough, and that’s what he and his new band do with Tobacco Road. I don’t think Roth ever got enough credit for his sense of humour or eclectic taste in cover choices. It’s not like a hard rock band covering Frank Sinatra was a shoo-in for commercial success until Roth already proved it could be done with Ain’t Got Nobody/Just a Gigolo.

Roth has been slagged since Van Halen’s inception as a terrible singer, and I absolutely do not give a shit. He made rock’n’roll more fun than just about anybody before or since.

His prevailing fatal flaw has always been that he thinks he is the sole genius in the room instead of a vital part of a team. The ridiculously steep decline of his solo career indicates his need for talented collaborators. Roth had the ability to make already good things great. He thought he was coffee, but he was just the cream. (No, you’re making it gross.)

Still, I would argue that Eat ‘Em and Smile was the last great Van Halen album until 2012’s A Different Kind of Truth. Roth, like the rest of Van Halen, was closely identified with the big, bright 1980s. It’s unlikely that a mid-’90s VH album with Roth would have fared much better than Balance or VHIII. Still, Roth may have been the fourth most musically talented member of any Van Halen lineup he was in, but he was always the most fun.

Marco Edwards: Great album.

John Davidson: We all loved Van Halen, but they never really topped their explosive debut, and while 1984 was a chart-bothering return to form, the writing was on the wall that DLR and the Van Halens were on different trajectories. Dave wanted pop hits, and with a couple of hit solo singles under his belt, he left the band to set out on his own.

It’s ironic then that Eat ‘Em And Smile sounds like a more natural follow-up to 1984 than 5150. Though 5150 scuppered any hope EVH had of avoiding the charts with its AOR sound and the solid punch of Sammy Hagar.

It’s not as if DLR had to downgrade the musicianship on his solo run either, though. Steve Vai brings the guitar chops that are every bit as good as Eddie’s, Sheehan is arguably a better bassist than Michael Anthony, and Gregg Bissonette is no slouch on the drums either.

The two standouts are Yankee Rose and Tobacco Road, but songs like Elephant Gun rip along like the best early Van Halen, mixing guitar wig-outs and bass runs with the staccato drumming of Hot For Teacher.

I didn’t pay this much heed at the time, but it brought a smile today, and at just over 30 minutes long, it doesn’t hang around long enough to get tiresome. 8/10.

Mark Veitch: I loved this album when I was in my teens, but then I also loved Skittles back then too! For such a great band, disappointing they could only come up with six new songs and padded out the album with covers. Yankee Rose and Ladies Night In Buffalo are the stand-out tracks, and live they were a top band, but this album doesn’t get many spins these days, and Dave’s career quickly tailed off in line with his hairline and the 80s.

Adam Halpin: Great music and awful lyrics.

David R. Howard: This is a great record. I still listen to it.

Nigel Mawdsley: I do like, and indeed own, some of Dave Lee Roth’s solo albums but find Eat ‘Em And Smile a little one-dimensional. There’s no denying the superb musicianship and production, but I found the original songs very ‘samey’ and merging into one.

The cover of Tobacco Road seems to get stuck in a similar groove to the rest of the album; it’s a great song, but I always feel there’s something lacking when I play it.

Generally the album’s okay, but Diamond Dave, as a solo artist, went on to produce better material. 6 out of 10.

Erik Schiavo: This Buffoon’s last shining moment. This tour was great.

Greg Schwepe: So, still trying to figure this out. Huge Van Halen fan (of both eras) since day one. Love DLR and his sense of humor, swagger, attitude, and the overall concept of “Dave Being Dave.” But I did not rush out and buy this (or any other DLR solo albums) at the time it was released. It wasn’t until I had access to his entire catalogue via the streaming platforms that I actually listened to Eat ‘Em And Smile in its entirety. But, at the time I liked everything I heard on the radio or saw on MTV. Probably more MTV.

Maybe I wasn’t too excited about him being backed by another group of musicians besides Eddie, Alex, and Mike? Which is silly, because, wow, did he enlist some musician firepower on this album or what? Or maybe I was staying loyal to Brand Van Halen even though one of the main ingredients had been swapped out and the recipe had changed. Or was it just that in some cases I have little interest in a solo album from someone even though they were a member of one of my favourite bands?

The first thing I noticed when listening again was the brevity of the album at 30 minutes. Get in, state your musical case, then get out.

This album runs the gamut from full-on, hard-rocking, guitar-fueled songs (Yankee Rose, Goin’ Crazy, Elephant Gun), a little jump blues (I’m Easy), and the show tune vibe of album closer That’s Life complete with strings and horns. All done DLR style. I tend to think Dave adheres to my own personal motto: “anything worth doing is worth overdoing.” So he’s all over the board here in those 30 minutes, but it’s all just enough and not too much. I must have listened to this 2-3 times today and have come to appreciate it more. Nothing “dark” here, just Dave bringing the fun.

And since this was released about four months after 5150, you’re going to get the inevitable “well, which one was better?” discussions. And I say they’re too hard to compare, as the difference between them was way too far apart.

8 out of 10 on this one for me. “Dave Being Dave” is a good way to spend a half hour.

Mike Sargent: The only DLR solo album that is worth a spin.

Final score: 7.56 (103 votes cast, total score 779)

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