Track Listing

1. Yankee Rose
2. Shy Boy
3. I'm Easy
4. Ladies Nite In Buffalo
5. Goin' Crazy
6. Tobacco Road
7. Elephant Gun
8. Big Trouble
9. Bump And Grind
10. That's Life

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27296 in Music
• Released on: 1986-09-08
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

CD Description
After David Lee Roth's shocking split from Van Halen at theheight of the group's popularity, all parties involved resorted to a media-fueled circus of mudslinging. Roth's first post-V.H. project was to be a motion picture (CRAZY FROM THE HEAT) which never got off the ground. But Roth had already assembled a killer solo band, including ex-Frank Zappa guitarist Steve Vai, ex-Talas bassist Billy Sheehan, and ex-Maynard Ferguson drummer Gregg Bissonette, to record songs for themovie's soundtrack. Instead of scrapping the tracks, he incorporated them into his first solo album, 1986's EAT 'EM ANDSMILE.
SMILE remains Roth's best solo work. His hard-rocking band sounds as if it's out for blood throughout. Highlights abound, such as the popular singles/videos "Yankee Rose" and "Goin' Crazy", and shredders like "Shy Boy", "ElephantGun", "Bump and Grind", "Big Trouble", and a cover of "Tobacco Road". To make things even more interesting, Van Halen issued its first post-Roth album, 5150 (with Sammy Hagar taking Roth's vocal spot), just as Roth was releasing EAT 'EM AND SMILE. The two camps' press squabbles spilled over into the charts. Roth and Van Halen slugged it out, and both albumsproved to be big sellers.

Customer Reviews

Eddie who?
With Eat 'em and Smile, David Lee Roth's first full-length solo album, Van Halen's former front man proved he didn't need Eddie and the guys behind him to rock the house. Of course, his new band members deserve a lot of credit for making this album sound as good as it does: guitarist extraordinaire Steve Vai, talented bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Gregg Bissonette. There are more than a few echoes of vintage Van Halen in these ten tracks, but in the end this is really and truly David Lee Roth at his best. While the comic and campy aspects of the persona he built around his earlier EP release Crazy From the Heat also showed up here to party, David Lee Roth and his band basically came to the studio to rock hard and heavy and have fun doing it.

Yankee Rose, featuring some killer riffs from guitarist Steve Vai, gets the album off to a driving, heart-pumping start. This track, which I consider the best of Roth's career, is followed by Shyboy, another metal classic that some fans may be unfamiliar with. Roth takes the show down a notch or two with the catchy but pop-oriented track I'm Easy. Then there is Ladies' Night in Buffalo?, a track which some critics have pronounced Roth's most artistic song; I find it rather boring, myself. Roth perhaps feels the same, for he quickly shifts back into overdrive and pumps out three hard-driving rockers in Goin' Crazy, Tobacco Road, and Elephant Gun. After reaching this mid-album crescendo, though, Roth coasts some of the way to the finish line. Big Trouble is relatively unimpressive except for its noteworthy bridge, and Bump and Grind is rather forgettable altogether. Roth really closes the album out in style, though, belting out his cover of That's Life. The song may be a little over the top and it is certainly flamboyant, but the same can be said of David Lee Roth, and that is why That's Life is the perfect way to close out Roth's first major solo project. The album is too short, coming in at barely thirty one minutes in length, but there is a lot of good rock and roll crammed into these ten tracks.

David Lee Roth's finest hour
Eat Em and Smile is sadly DLR's pinnacle in his solo career. Great summery tunes to listen too. Yankee Rose is the outstanding track of DLR's career great lyrics accompained by fantastic guitar and bass by Steve Vai and Billy Sheehan.

DLR has been criticised as lacking musical direction (true!).
Poor songwriting(jury's out on this one!) and not having a great voice(Not brill but DLR is a showman) and being propped up by his fantastic videos (true!) and live performances (DLR at his best!),Vai and Sheehan's superb instrumental skills. (Very true!)

Some of the criticism is fully deserved especially after Skyscraper things went downhill rapidly sadly!
Can DLR make a comeback? Who knows? Let's hope so.If your a fan of DLR like me or new to him stick to this album or his live shows.It's the best he's done since going solo.
Stick to Eat Em and Smile and you won't be disappointed

Rock at it's best
Steve Vai's outrageous riffing , Billy Sheehan's equally prodigal talents on the bass and Roth's awesomely agile voice make this album a must buy.
Highlights are: Ladie's Night in Buffalo, Big Trouble, Yankee Rose and Shy Boy (The Guitar/Bass run is just unbelievable).
Easily Roth's best solo album, everything about it is just pure class. Highly Recommended for anyone studying electric guitar or people who just want first class rock and roll.