Mammoth WVH, “II.”

Listening to the new record by Mammoth WVH, II, something felt strangely familiar. I went back and found my two-year-old review of his solo debut record. Not much has changed, other than correct a few things that didn’t quite work the first time.

Like the first record, there’s good and bad news: The good news is his still-solo recording career is evolving into sounding a lot like the Foo Fighters, a band a lot of people like. The bad news is that band has made far more mediocre records than great ones.

I’ll cut to the chase: It’s great that Wolfgang Van Halen is capable of playing all the instruments on his records. He’s a proven one-man music machine. But if he really wants greatness, it’s time to find a collaborator; one who sings really well would be even better.

Like his singing, the 10 songs are fine, hovering in the OK to good range. Almost all consist of a hook, new verse, new beginning, new ending, new voice, new something … but it’s a step away from being really good.

An element of why his old band, Van Halen, worked so well was the contrast/hostility/competition between Wolfgang’s father, Edward, and David Lee Roth. They artistically beat the hell out of each other, competing for control of the music. All that pressure produced so many musical diamonds, it’s hard to keep track.

Lennon and McCartney, Page and Plant, Jagger and Richards, and on and on. How good were any of them without the other? Even Elton needed Bernie.

Mammoth WVH already has the name and the talent. And there’s enough on his shoulders. Get into a band, Wolf. You don’t have to do it alone.

The new record doesn’t have the freshness, or the outstanding single (“Distance”), of WVH’s first album. But it starts out well with opener “Right,” a big riffer showing off the range of Van Halen’s talents (his drumming is first rate). There are tempo changes that open up into a solid chorus.

And of course, there’s a fantastic guitar lead that’s fast and clean and right where it needs to be.

I hoped he was just getting warmed up, but it may be the best song on the record.

“Like a Pastime,” is light with a few memorable guitar moments, but nothing out of the ordinary. WVH can sing but just doesn’t have a take-control-of-a-song voice. It would work in a band with other standout songs.

“Another Celebration at the End of the World” is hard rock enough with just enough of a hook, but not much more. The drumming gets relentless just as guitarist Wolf goes off nicely. “Miles Above Me” is more interesting. The production sticks out, the playing is excellent and the hook is almost there. I was frustrated because it’s almost a good piece of guitar rock but just fizzles.

“Take a Bow” is even closer to being a really nice piece of catchy guitar rock. It just doesn’t have that ingredient of a great song that’s sometimes hard to clarify. Four-piece guitar rock (or three, depending on how you count) is, at its best, meant to be played collaboratively. With musicians playing with and off and against each other. By the time “Take a Bow” rolls around, it’s obviously missing either creative blending or friction. Either would work.

“Optimist” and “I’m All Right” are more of the same. They’re competent, professionally played and with a few good moments, but not memorable. There are more scattered moments – a face-melting lead on “I’m Alright,” a solid chorus on “Erase Me,” but by album-ender “Better Than You,” it’s just not clear what he’s trying to do.

Wolfgang Van Hallen has talent and chops. His music could exceed if he would just get a little more help. It can’t be easy finding real success being a third-generation Van Halen musician, and music is an unforgiving family business. Just ask Julian Lennon and Jakob Dylan. Even Van Halen’s groundbreaking maestro of a father couldn’t do it alone.

Follow music critic Tony Hicks at Twitter.com/TonyBaloney1967.