Skyscraper (album)

Skyscraper
Studio album by David Lee Roth
Released January 26, 1988
Recorded Spring - Autumn 1987
Genre Hard rock, glam metal
Length 41:17
Label Warner Bros.
Producer David Lee Roth, Steve Vai
David Lee Roth chronology

Eat 'Em and Smile
(1986)		 Skyscraper
(1988)		 A Little Ain't Enough
(1991)

Skyscraper is the second full-length album by David Lee Roth, the original and current lead vocalist of Van Halen. It was released in 1988 on Warner Bros. Records.

Background

Skyscraper was issued shortly after the commercially and critically successful Eat 'em and Smile World Tour of 1986-1987. Skyscraper hit #6 on the Billboard Top 200 U.S. album chart during February 1988, en route to selling two million copies in the U.S. alone. The album features one of Roth's most popular, international hit singles, "Just Like Paradise", which reached #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Additionally, it features the acoustic ballad "Damn Good", which reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Rock chart.

At the time of its release, the eclectic, quasi-psychedelic Skyscraper divided public and critical opinion.[1] Retrospective reviews tend to evaluate the album more favorably.[2]

Although Roth's 1988-1989 Skyscraper World Tour was successful, many fans and critics who had felt disappointed by Van Halen's post-Roth, keyboard-heavy sound expressed similar dissatisfaction with Skyscraper. Guitarist Steve Vai (who co-produced Skyscraper, and wrote a majority of its songs,) and bassist Billy Sheehan, who formed the core of David Lee Roth's solo band, left the group over various controversies regarding Skyscraper.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [2]
The Daily Vault C− [1]
Los Angeles Times [3]
Robert Christgau C+ [4]
Rolling Stone [5]

Track listing

All songs written by Roth/Vai unless otherwise noted.

  1. "Knucklebones" (Bissonette, Bissonette, Roth) – 3:18
  2. "Just Like Paradise" (Roth, Tuggle) – 4:03
  3. "The Bottom Line" – 3:38
  4. "Skyscraper" – 3:40
  5. "Damn Good" – 5:49
  6. "Hot Dog and a Shake" – 3:19
  7. "Stand Up" (Roth, Tuggle) – 4:39
  8. "Hina" – 4:41
  9. "Perfect Timing" (Roth, Tuggle) – 3:41
  10. "Two Fools a Minute" – 4:29

CD reissue

All songs written by Roth/Vai unless otherwise noted.

  1. "California Girls" (Brian Wilson, Mike Love) – 2:50
  2. "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" (Casucci, Caesar, Williams, Graham) – 4:41
  3. "Knucklebones" (Bissonette, Roth) – 3:18
  4. "Just Like Paradise" (Roth, Tuggle) – 4:03
  5. "The Bottom Line" – 3:38
  6. "Skyscraper" – 3:40
  7. "Damn Good" – 5:49
  8. "Hot Dog and a Shake" – 3:19
  9. "Stand Up" (Roth, Tuggle) – 4:39
  10. "Hina" – 4:41
  11. "Perfect Timing" (Roth, Tuggle) – 3:41
  12. "Two Fools a Minute" – 4:29

Notes

Personnel

The Band
Guest musicians
Production

Charts

Album
Year Chart Position
1988 Billboard 200 6
Singles
Year Single Chart Position
1988 "Damn Good" Mainstream Rock 2
"Just Like Paradise" 1
Billboard Hot 100 6
"Stand Up" Mainstream Rock 5
Billboard Hot 100 64

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[6] Platinum 1,000,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[7] Silver 60,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Daily Vault review
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Allmusic review
  3. ↑ Los Angeles Times review
  4. ↑ Robert Christgau Consumer Guide
  5. ↑ Rolling Stone review
  6. ↑ "American album certifications – David Lee Roth – Skyscraper". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  7. ↑ "British album certifications – David Lee Roth – Skyscraper". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Skyscraper in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search