Why it’s underrated: “It’s got too many covers and too many fillers.” That was the complaint when Van Halen released Diver Down in 1982
But actually listen to this record, and what you find is an album that gets closer to the philosophy and spirit of the band than any of their others except for the debut and 1984.
It has energy, humour, attitude, and an in-your-face live feel that really does bring the band into your boudoir. And the cover of (Oh) Pretty Woman is one of the great covers. If you don’t understand Diver Down, then you don’t ‘get’ the essence of the David Lee Roth-era Van Halen.