On this day July 7, 1986, David Lee Roth released his debut solo album Eat 'Em and Smile, marking his first full length project after parting ways with Van Halen. Backed by a powerhouse band featuring Steve Vai on guitar, Billy Sheehan on bass, and Gregg Bissonette on drums, Roth delivered an album packed with high energy performances, wild personality, and plenty of guitar firepower.
Eat 'Em and Smile mixed hard rock, showmanship, and even lounge styled humor across tracks like Yankee Rose, Goin Crazy, and Ladies Nite in Buffalo. It stood apart from the more polished sound Van Halen was leaning into at the time and embraced a rawer, more theatrical approach that played to Roth’s strengths as a frontman and performer.
The album peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
Revisit the album in our Eat 'Em and Smile album thread.
80s insight: Eat 'Em and Smile proved that David Lee Roth could hold his own as a solo artist while staying true to the over the top style fans loved.
Eat 'Em and Smile mixed hard rock, showmanship, and even lounge styled humor across tracks like Yankee Rose, Goin Crazy, and Ladies Nite in Buffalo. It stood apart from the more polished sound Van Halen was leaning into at the time and embraced a rawer, more theatrical approach that played to Roth’s strengths as a frontman and performer.
The album peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
Revisit the album in our Eat 'Em and Smile album thread.
80s insight: Eat 'Em and Smile proved that David Lee Roth could hold his own as a solo artist while staying true to the over the top style fans loved.
