It's About Time

Album: Best Of Both Worlds (2004)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was the first of three new Van Halen songs included on their second Greatest Hits collection, Best Of Both Worlds. Sammy Hagar is their frontman on this one, singing about making up for lost time in a cliché-laden lyric ("it's high time we lay it out there on the line").
  • For the first time in Van Halen history, the song was recorded entirely with Pro Tools and not in a traditional studio.
  • Mike Anthony did not play bass on this - Eddie Van Halen did. Anthony didn't get any writing credits for the song. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Aaron - Chicago, IL, for all above
  • Along with the other new songs on The Best Of Both Worlds - "Up for Breakfast" and "Learning to See" - "It's About Time" is a great example of Eddie Van Halen's talents on rhythm guitar. "I think he was taking his rhythm to new heights later on in his career," says Brad Tolinski, author of the book Eruption. "And what's really interesting about it – and it may be why those songs were never big hits or popular – is how the rhythm guitar part is constantly evolving throughout these songs. It's not repetitive in any way – it keeps on creating variations on itself. It's fascinating just to listen to the rhythm playing on those tracks, and on Van Halen III. He really evolved as a rhythm player."

Comments: 1

  • Annabelle from Chicago, Ilit's sad that Anthony was outed on this song,his bass playing is amazing & underrated!He's very important to the Van Halen sound!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Angelo Moore of Fishbone

Angelo Moore of FishboneSongwriter Interviews

Fishbone has always enjoyed much more acclaim than popularity - Angelo might know why.

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

Rob Thomas on his Social Distance Sessions, co-starring with a camel, and his friendship with Carlos Santana.

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus WainwrightSongwriter Interviews

Rufus Wainwright on "Hallelujah," his album Unfollow The Rules, and getting into his "lyric trance" on 12-hour walks.

Classic Metal

Classic MetalFact or Fiction

Ozzy, Guns N' Roses, Judas Priest and even Michael Bolton show up in this Classic Metal quiz.

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."