Fair Warning

This album (Warner Bros. 3540 [30:48]) took a mere 12 days to record at a cost of approximately $40,000. It was released on 04/29/81 and reached #6 on the U.S. charts (entering the charts on 05/30/81) and #49 on the U.K. charts (entering on 05/31/81). 3.4 million copies of this album have been sold in the U.S. It was certified gold on 07/07/81, platinum on 11/18/81, and double platinum on 08/04/94. The album was remastered and rereleased on 09/19/00.

The cover art was Alex's idea after he saw a painting in a book called The Brain from the Time-Life series (published in 1964). The cover was taken from a piece by self-taught artist William Kurelek (1927-1972), a mentally unstable painter whose family immigrated to Canada from the Ukraine. Initially, Alex planned to use only the scene featuring a man ramming his head into a brick wall, but later expanded the idea to include several different images from the scene. The original painting hangs in the hospital where The Elephant Man (Brooksfilms, 1980) was filmed.

Most of Kurelek's work (a lifelong Christian) revolved around a single theme - Jewish immigrants carving a life for themselves on the prairie. This painting was no exception; bathed in symbolism, it is made up of more than a dozen scenes depicting violence, death, war, and religion. In addition to scores of paintings, Kurelek also created lithographs and tapestries and illustrated children's books. In 1991 four of his pieces were depicted on Canadian postage stamps.

Much of this album was written in the early morning hours when Eddie and Donn Landee would retreat to the studio after the rest of the band had gone home. This practice signaled a turning point in Van Halen's career, Edward was becoming increasingly frustrated about not being able to express himself the way he wanted to; he felt he was growing musically but was being suppressed by Ted Templeman and Roth. Tensions between the guitarist and the vocalist increased, and Edward briefly considered quitting the band. Alex convinced him to stick it out, and Fair Warning was the result. However, the anger and unhappiness comes through in the music, giving the album its dark undertones. The Fair Warning sessions were also the seed for Eddie's desire to have his own studio, and in fewer than three years, 5150 Studio became a reality in his own backyard.

Live videos for Unchained, So This Is Love? and Hear about It Later were filmed at the Oakland Coliseum during a three-night stint in Oakland, CA (06/11/81-06/13/81). The videos later debuted on an episode of the Don Kirshner Rock Concert Series television program. A fourth, non-concert video was filmed, but no known copies of it exist outside the band's vaults. Photos from the shooting of this unknown video appeared in the first issue of The Inside magazine.

Tracks:

• Mean Street
• "Dirty Movies"
• Sinner's Swing!
• Hear about It Later
• Unchained
• Push Comes to Shove
• So This Is Love?
• Sunday Afternoon in the Park
• One Foot Out the Door

Singles/Promos:

Serial #: WBS49751
Label: WB
Tracks: A: Hear about It Later, B: So This Is Love?
Country: USA
Release Date: 1981
Format: 7" vinyl

Serial #: HS 3540
Label: WB
Tracks: A: So This Is Love, B: Hear about It Later
Country: USA
Release Date: 1981
Format: 7" vinyl

Fair Warning was also the name of a Van Halen tribute band that performed at the 1996 First Annual VHML Convention held in Chicago, IL.