Song#: 3476
Date: 04/16/1988
Debut: 94
Peak: 64
Weeks: 8
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: Roth got his second Pop Top 10 with "Just Like Paradise" (#1 Rock), the lead single from his second solo album Skyscraper. For a follow-up, this next track was selected. It would easily make the Rock Top 10 at #5, but it was far less successful over at Pop where it stayed in the bottom half of the chart for a couple of months. Still, the album would get to #6 and go platinum. A third single from the LP, "Damn Good," would reach #2 at Rock, but fail to make the Pop chart. "Stand Up" would be Roth's last Pop chart single as a solo act. His next album, 1991's A Little Ain't Enough, would spawn two Rock Top 10's and go gold. Three more albums would follow over the years, but they would sell far less than his first three efforts.
ReduxReview: As far as tracks with big Pop chart potential, "Just Like Paradise" was really the only one on Roth's eclectic album to truly fit the bill. It definitely did the job in promoting the disc. After that, there was little to push out for pop radio consumption. This song was probably the best choice as it had fairly solid chorus, but it wasn't nearly as hooky or memorable as "Just Like Paradise" or even his previous album's "Yankee Rose." The Zeppelin-ish "Damn Good" was a terrific track and was perfect for rock radio, but it was just too low-key for pop. Still, sometimes all an established rock artist needed at the time was one good mainstream hit along with a couple of other rock radio friendly tracks in order to get albums sold and in Roth's case, that worked with Skyscraper.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: The love/hate relationship between David Lee Roth and his former Van Halen bandmates, in particular Eddie Van Halen, would persist over the years. Roth had been gone from the band since 1985. He kicked of his solo career while VH would continue on with Sammy Hagar taking over for Roth. Hagar would quit or be fired from VH (depending on who you talk to) in 1996. That left the door open for a new lead singer. At the time, the band was assembling a hits compilation. Roth found out and called Eddie to ask about the project. Things went well between them, so Roth went into the studio with the band to record two new tracks for the compilation. Meanwhile, Eddie was still auditioning singers for the lead spot. Mitch Malloy was nearly on board, but after a promo appearance of the "reunited" VH on the MTV Music Video Awards, Malloy balked and walked. At the time, Roth thought he was back in the band, but later found out different. Arguments ensued and Roth took off. VH then hired on Extreme singer Gary Cherone. He stayed for one album and then departed. Hagar returned for a brief period in 2003 recording a couple of track for another hits compilation and going out on tour. Yet once again, disputes resulted in him leaving. By 2007, Roth was once again back in VH and heading out on tour. A new album, A Different Kind of Truth, would be issued out in 2012. It would reach #2 and would spawn VH's final Pop chart single, "Tattoo," which got to #67 (#13 Rock). The LP would be the last studio effort from VH. Eddie Van Halen would die in 2020.
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