Reviews (page 10 of 14)
Fun album, but carried too much by just a few songs.
One good song, the rest is serviceable at best. Low 3.
Classic stuff, weirdly depressing in a stupid naive ‘84 world view way.
Dad rock: 80s synth edition. Actually, the synth-heavy tracks like 'Jump', '1984' and 'I'll wait' were some of the more interesting ones. The rest of it was the same rinse, repeat we got from other hair metal bands from that decade—not necessarily bad, but unoriginal and boring, in my opinion. 3.5 stars (+0.5 stars for Jump, it's still great to this day)
It's good not great rock. I enjoyed it but it was a chiller version of some of the anthems and well known albums.
A couple good songs
This is #day16 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... let's rock! Or, shall we? Although I'm listening to this one for the first time, I was immediately sold on the synth-led songs ("Jump" and "I'll Wait," especially "Jump"), and the drumming on "Hot For Teacher." Well, the drumming in general. However, guitar solos are too much in-your-face. Other than that, typical mid-80s hairy, hard, and heavy glam rock that I wouldn't listen to regularly. Let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day17.
80s tabular, some hits, some misses.
I enjoyed listening to this album while working. Of course "Jump", "Panama", and "Hot For Teacher" are staples from my childhood watching MTV, and I like them, but I hadn't listened to the rest of the album before.
Great guitar, but had trouble getting into it as much as I wanted to.
Rinse and repeat rock. Without Panama or Jump, this album gets kicked under the carpet
Hot for Teacher always a fun listen. Girl Gone Bad is a jam that I haven't heard before. This album as a whole feels significantly flatter than "Van Halen". Maybe I wasn't listening to it loud enough. High 3
Can’t escape the male gaze!!! Great music , lyrics are trash
I love Hot for Teacher
I liked it!
Maybe iconic, but not that complex
Not as full of bangers as some of their other albums and I don’t love the synth era as much, but still solid.
6.5 This wasn’t what I expected, started off brilliantly as synth rock for the first couple of tracks, then became a more straight hard rock and metal album - went harder than I would have guessed Reminded me of AC/DC in places, good production, excellent quality of sound, really good band. The vocals did not use the metal voice, which really worked for me. I did prefer the handful of tracks that used the synth, so it is difficult to look past the elephant in the room as best track Best: Jump
It’s very OK, first two tracks draw you in and then the deep cuts from the remaining tracks are lack luster
OW! Pretty awesome.
Fun album!
Great guitar work but Van Halen kinda sucks. Hot for Teacher, Jump and Panama are classics though
I have heard jump too many god damn times man for real the sound of that synth makes me feel like I’m at the Somme. Panama was used as psychological warfare for a reason. Another song I would enjoy much more if I hadn’t heard it eighty billion times. This album is the sex offenders anthem. Hot for teacher is the best song on this album if you just don’t pay any attention to the lyrics. Never heard I’ll wait but it was a refreshing intermission before a return to sex offender anthems. Guitar work is pretty good but if you’re listening to this album 40 years after it’s come out it’s hardly gonna be revolutionary compared to things you’ve been listening to all your life. Probably goes way harder in 1984 when the sickest riff you’ve ever heard is something those hacks from kiss put out and the idea of consent was a lot more loosely defined.
A foundational album in the genre of Sex Offender Metal
This is not really my type of music, so it's a bit hard to give it justice... It wasn't terrible, but not really that good either. 'Jump' is such a cheesy song as well, doesn't fit in at all with the rest of Van Halens rock repertoire. Weak 3.
The last "Van Halen" album we had was their self titled album. In that review I noted that I liked more their metal songs and less their more poppy songs. This album further goes in to the pop area and as such I'm not really a bit fan. I mean "Jump" and "Panama" are instantly recognisable but I'm not really a fan. The only song I really like is "Hot for teacher" with its iconic drum intro. And again, that song is more heavy metal than pop. Weak 3.
Not the type of music I usually listen to, but I liked I'll Wait and You Give Love A Bad Name.
2.5/5
Fun album, no real complaints ^_^
En mi opinión, el mejor álbum de Van Halen. Fusionando tendencias pop con hard rock, la banda se luce con algunas de sus composiciones más intricadas y pegajosas. Además, he de felicitar a este LP por no tener nada de relleno, con bellos 33 minutos de "puro rock". Si alguna tienes que escuchar algún disco para entender por qué Van Halen es tan un nombre tan grande en la industria musical, escucha este.
Generally I feel VH aren’t for me. That said, this was better than I anticipated. I know the hits obviously and they’re fine, if you overlook how overplayed they are. And it’s blessedly short.
It is what it is. No big surprises.
-now this is classic 80s dad rock. i very much enjoy the guitar shredding and high energy, though a lot of the lyrics and vocals could get pretty corny -Favorites are Jump, Panama, and I’ll Wait
Notorious 80s album that you cannot “jump”! I didn’t enjoy it personally in a big way
pretty good
...
This was another seminal 80s teenager album (at my school at least) but I never understood the whole ‘hair metal’ movement!! Three stars from me. One for the album cover and 2 for Eddie van Halen’s awesome guitar tone!!
Classic over-the-top 80s metal rock. It's great. Most of the songs on the record became hits, and I had no idea this was their 6th album. Overall, it's fun and still enjoyable even though I've heard "Jump" a million times. Short and sweet. 3.9
Jump, Panama, Hot for Teacher. A triumph for MTv timing.
Not bad, very much like i remember it
A couple of good songs. They are the songs that made it on the radio
Some all timers on here. Rest is meh
Too loud for me.
Preferred this to their eponymous album. Love the driving beat of Girl Gone Bad, and House of Pain is great. Not so bothered about the slower tracks.
rip eddie (for the second time this week)
Loud, dumb and flashy, with some incredible instrumental prowess. David Lee Roth still can’t sing for shit, though.
80s hair metal is all so similar, but I have a soft spot for this specific generic album in particular. It's good fun.
1.) 1984 - 100% thought this was just going to open into the City Escape music from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, points for making me think of the Chao Garden 2.) Jump - it's...it's Jump, I don't know what to say about it that a million others haven't said; classic dad rock with fun synths, probably shouldn't have listened to it at work though, definitely looked longingly at a nearby window 3.) Panama - it's...it's Panama; again classic dad rock, I like this more than Jump tbh, feels more fun to bop to; wouldn't turn the radio away from the previous song or this one 4.) Top Jimmy - honestly this one just kinda became white noise due to needing to focus on work, but it was a fun passive listen I suppose? 5.) Drop Dead Legs - can't believe this man predicted Lady Dimitrescu; the guitar toward the end of the track was nice, but overall kinda plain 6.) Hot For Teacher - title already hasn't aged well; the instrumentation I vibe with, but the lyrics have me a bit squicked (consequence of the times a-changin') - unfortunately I'm more lyrically-driven than just instruments 7.) I'll Wait - really starting to lose me here, lyrics are stalkery and it feels less like a love song and more like a dude mumbling to himself about a Playboy model, dick in hand; again, sure it's due to changing times, but the wobbly guitar doesn't make up for the sleaze I'm feeling 8.) Girl Gone Bad - this is just straight up four couplets about a prostitute, which kinda sucks because I actually really like the instrumental components across the board; if I turn my brain off regarding the content this song is pretty solid but it loses points for just being "hey a lady of the night, oh she likes someone, BaAaAaAd WOO" 9.) House Of Pain - alright you're winning me back with at least an attempt at some nuance and really nice guitars, along with a fun outro (is that a cowbell?) Overall I'm sure if I didn't pay attention to the lyrics this would get a 4/5, but it really loses me on the back half.
this was alright- super duper 80s. it really reminded me of ready player one wich was nice :)! added 2 few song to my playlists but might delet them later icl
This was a good album. I had higher hopes because of the hype this band gets but this album earned a solid 3. With classics like Jump, Panama, I'll Wait, and Girl Gone Bad but some of the others left more to crave.
Not really my style but the songwriting is really great throughout
neben dem Überhit "Jump" ganz ok
3.5
Call me basic but I like the two big hits from this (Jump and Panama). Then everything else is pretty generic hair metal. Completely fine. 3/5
A few classics on there
No es mi estilo. Gran hit con Jump y poco más.
Ugh, Jump is iconic and Dave Lee Roth is such a great showman but the rest just trundles along. Hair metal is not my genre
Does what it's trying to do with a lot of gusto, but what it's trying to do isn't something I'm keen on. Has one track that sounds a lot like Doogie White era Rainbow, or a hint of Rush.
I like some of the songs on this album but I still don’t really like Van Halen.
great guitar wankery but not a fan of this cheesey 'rock of ages' era
Not my thing but decent enough for what it was
Good listen overall and not too long! But only a couple of the songs I would revisit
I enjoyed it, I liked the synth and “jump” is a certified banger. But it tapered off a bit in the end. Also it was a bit short. Short but sweet perhaps.
If you like Van Halen, you'll love this album. I think their self titled album is better. 1984 is little hokier and 80's...of course.
Big Hair, Big Ego, Big Guitar, oh the polyester and vinyl. I think I will leave this collection of memories in my 3 star bucket. Of a time and place, but not my time or place.
Hearing this so recently after their self-titled, I’m struck by how more “of its era” this album felt. The first was a swaggering proclamation. Except for the songs Jump, Panama, and I’ll Wait, I don’t feel like they jump to those same height.
The vocals and lyrics really are the weakest part, it was nice not everything was guitar masturbation. But in the end it all sounded the same. 3 stars for the hits
JUMP IN PANAMA 3/5
2.5 rounding up to 3. It's fine. Not really my genre, so my rating might not be fair. If I was at a dive bar with a good buzz and playing pool, sure, it's alright.
guapo guapo ojo con top jimmy y girl gone bad, locura
I would not debate that Eddie Van Halen belongs in the upper echelon of great rock guitarists. But overall, these songs didn’t age well.
I didn't liked this when I was living through it. I know the content is so misogynistic but I like a few songs much more than I did then.
I don’t want to hear Van Halen play synth any more than I want to watch Picasso do pottery. Eddie does a great job here of writing good songs around his cool guitar tricks. Panama and Hot For Teacher are classics. Jump and I’ll Wait always felt like the beginning of the end to me. Drop Dead Legs is the ghost of VanHagar future.
legendary songs on this one, quite enjoyable but not my favourite
7/10
the synth heavy songs are kinda awful but Panama fucking slaps, hmm
Rock and roll, man
Jump is rock? Oh okay if you say so... Its more iconic than rolling stones though
Feels like very safe rock music which never gets that exciting. Not offputting at all but not particularly interesting either.
The guitar is good. There’s too much synth for my liking. Songs are very 80s vibe I’ll give it solid 3***, it’s a solid listen and wouldn’t mind it on car journeys
Hair metal is as dumb as the day is long but this is some of the best of it. I can't say it's a masterpiece but it brings the energy and playing and fun and style it's trying to. I could 100% see people learning to play a guitar after hearing this. That's easily the standout instrument.
7/10
Gran disco pero no estoy en el mood de este rollo de música
An iconic album. And yet it felt a little dated. Which I suppose it is. I don’t know, I expected to enjoy this album more. There were good songs, but overall it was just aight
As rad as a pair of sick troop hightops paired with a dayglo-accent shellsuit. In other words then, not very. It was fun at the time but dated quickly, athough it certainly has its moments 😎
Rock zoals ik het kan waarderen, wel met harde gitaar, maar ook met melodie en niet overheerserd. En natuurlijk met Jump.
Alright
Plenty of good songs here, just not quite my kind of good songs.
Not a Van Halen fan, but this was ok.
It's OK.
When Van Halen are good, they are good and when they are bad, they are bad but not terrible. You definitely have to be into a certain sound to really dig these guy or this album. I’m not a huge Van Halen fan but I have respect for the work, regardless of who is singing for them. This album isn’t disappointing, it has some lesser known bangers. Choice Cut: Panama
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Eddie Van Halen is truly blistering on guitar and David Lee Roth's powerful voice compliments that. The 80s casual sexism hasn't aged well but it is of its time. I would love to play 'Hot For Teacher' at our next Prom disco.
This album has some good songs on it so I guess it was OK even though Van Halen or other bands of this era/ilk aren't really my thing. Everyone seems to revere Eddie's guitar playing but all that shredding and tapping crap is more showing off than it is playing and it does nothing for me. Diamond Dave and the massive ego which made him such an attention-drawing showman was probably the most interesting part of this group and I don't think they would have become what they did without him. This is closer to a 2 than it is a 4 for me. 3/5
I got Van Halen’s debut recently, so it was interesting to listen to this and see their sound progression. There is a much higher use of synths on this album. The guitar playing was on-point as always. I just can’t get past the juvenile lyrics. Cringe at times.
No album with Jump on it can be truly bad, but it peaks there, and doesn't throw anything that thrilling from that point...
Not bad, actually. The synths add a lot to make it palatable and less "look at me play guitar." The songs are short enough to not feel self-indulgent. The subject matter is pretty meh.
So not 1001albums, but I listened to British Steel by Judas Priest a few weeks ago and it sounded really flat? and I remember thinking "okay this is why people in the '80s loved concerts so much, because their recordings sounded like poop." Spotify SAYS this is 1984 Remastered but really?? it has no depth, it feels like. I like the synths
Simple and fun. Lots of guitar noises.
Definitely a piece of rock history. Not completely my type of music, but I doubt anyone in America hasn't heard at least one of these songs, Jump being the main one.
Not bad, but apart from "Jump", not great either.
En general el álbum está bien. No creo que sea un álbum que haya qué escuchar antes de morir, puedes pasar un rato corto escuchando un álbum considerado de los mejores de un grupo top en su momento , y cierto es que en ese entonces tuvo mucho éxito. Ahora una vez terminas de escucharlo me cuesta clasificarlo como hard rock y mucho menos como heavy. En mi opinión la canción de Panamá, Hot for teacher, y Girl gone bad son las que más me han gustado. Y con la canción Top Jimmy, aunque me ha gustado también, me deja la sensación de que parece que va a reventar en un temazo en cualquier momento y al final se queda pues en un tema decente. Le doy un 6 sobre 10.
Some great songs. Some not so great. But was very surprised that the album ends so anti-climatically with a slow, dull fade. Some great guitar work and David Lee Roth will always be Van Halen’s singer in my mind though.
The hits are good, but, I see why people hate on hair metal
Fun, very rock & roll. Love the smoking baby cover art
Fun but kind of silly. David Lee Roth can certainly sing.
Not the best van Halen album
I don’t like Van Halen, but goddamnit I respect them … actually I’m not sure I do. A lot of songs on 1984 are cringeworthy but it’s extremely impressive that Van Halen has written so many hits of their genre. Without them there would be no jock jams, no music between face offs at hockey games. Are they a plague on society… likely 6.0/10
VIOLEMMENT années 80
De bons classiques, ça passe vite, mais les autres sont moins hypes. Bonne guitare.
Van Halen gets a little hokie on this album but still stocked with some classics (I'll wait is my personal fave by the band). Even though I'm not on board with their approach of less guitar and more keyboard, the songs are fun. Def some skips in between the hits. Not a bad final send off for the complete original band.
3/5 Like Van Halen, and this album is good. Nothing compares to the OG tho.
Hop in the Chevy, break out a pack of smokes, crack a cold one, pop open the cassette deck and fire up this bad boy. Alright alright alright it's 1984, man.
Jump is a classic, but the rest of the album doesn't hold up as well.
1 star quality, but 2 bonus stars for nostalgic icon status
3 stars. I like the synths.
Classic
I really enjoyed listening to “1984” and “Jump” together, but the rest of the album was meh for me.
Ultimate 80s rock pop
Das Album war okey. Aber nicht so mein Ding.
Jump is clearly the best piece Hot for Teacher very blues-influenced I'll Wait sounds like a faint echo of Jump only 33 min
- Jump is the most 80s song to ever 80s - Some fun jams on it with great guitar - I appreciate its shortness
I know you're not too fond of rock but man did I miss it. Don't want to go to the blues and blues accessories aisle ever again
3/5. They are undoubtedly skilled musicians, but this entire album screams 80s bro in the worst way. Hot for Teacher was my highlight.
Jump has a really iconic riff, but I found the rest of the album rather forgettable. Not a huge fan of the vocals.
Ik ben niet zo van de glam/hair metal en dit zit qua sound vol in die hoek, maar de gitaar en drums zijn wel beter dan wat je normaal hoort bij bij die genres. Het nadeel is dat het regelmatig even fout klinkt als de hoes eruit ziet en dat is voor mij een smetje. Ik kan me daar niet goed overheen zetten. "Jump" is een klassieker en daarna vond ik "Top Jimmy" het beste nummer. Ik hoef hier eigenlijk geen heel album van. Met een totaal van 33 minuten is het ongelofelijk compact. Er wordt geen minuut van m'n tijd verspild en dat vind ik een dik pluspunt, maar alsnog heb ik dit liever af en toe in een playlist-roulatie dan als album. Qua cijfer kan ik zowel een 3, een 4 als een 5 naar mezelf verantwoorden. Een 3 omdat het fout is, een 4 omdat het leuk is, een 5 omdat het goed is.
This just made me think of an Adam Sandler film. I enjoyed Jump but didn’t really get much out of the listen.
En del bra låtar men inte riktigt min favoritgenre
Corny
Great riffs. I can imagine the hair
Oh that song. Yeah I enjoy that song. Very 80s. The rest is just meh. At least it's short.
Epic shredding by EVH but dated
A little face melty but also somewhat generic. I appreciate the energy behind this. That little riff where all the background instruments cut out and the guitar wales for a bit sounds very cliched. But it is also nice to hear some very good old rock. I'd give it a smidge over 3. Not something I'd buy or actively seek out, but there's a couple of songs perfect for a beach or volleyball mix.
I bought all VH albums up too this one. Not my fav
I've never been a Van Halen person, maybe because I never gave their music more than a cursory listen when their songs came on classic rock radio. I will say that hearing "Jump" with headphones instead of my dad's 2001 Ford F150 speakers gives it some shine. (Although, Van Halen definitely makes music for car rides.) It's still a bit too meathead rock for me to really love it, but I appreciate the musical proficiency and the fun this album exudes. I can understand why someone would love Van Halen, and why this album is on this list. Highlights: Jump, Panama, I'll Wait
Good but not great. Favorite song: hot for teacher
Jump and Panama are great and pull the weight for the album. Hot for Teacher I guess has a legacy of sorts. If youve heard the debut album though idk that this is needed to hear before you die, EVH's innovative guitar technique doesn't go through a distinct further evolution or anything as far as I can tell. Solid 3
Loved listening to Van Halen as a kid with my dad. The shredding is ridiculous on some of these songs but the songs themselves aren’t super special. Was torn between a 3 and 4
Not nearly as good as the debut album but still fun. The first half is way stronger. “Panama” has a great guitar part and “hot for teacher” is gross. Would do a 3.5 if possible.
Pretty good overall. The riffs are so great!
The guitar/music was impressive, song content less so. Listens: 2 Fave Track: Jump Rating: 3
I enjoyed the album but have never been over the moon for Van Halen. Obviously, Eddie is revered as a guitarist so I'm likely missing the boat on that portion. Van Halen, for me personally, may also suffer from the fact that they were the standard for their particular sound and therefore almost feels generic to me because I didn't experience it in real time.
A bit of fun! A few stand out songs, and the rest was a bit meh bit still fun.
I’m jumping!
Has some classic songs, but not my fav Van Halen album. Still incredible playing, of course.
Great album with Panama, Jump, Hot For Teacher, but the rest are not as good.
A peppy, positive form of boomer rock
Classic rock
Fun fact: I always thought it was 'Animal' not 'Panama'.
fun songs I recognize and enjoy but I would probably never put on
Angel fumeta
Ti ti ti ti ti ti ti. De pequeño siempre confundía Van Halen con Bon Jovi. La más famosa es Jump y es la mejor, claro está, pero el resto están bien. Música típica de la época y que te clavan en Rock FM entre una de Queen y American Idiot.
Eddie discovered keyboards, filling space and time Goodbye David. Bye.
I'm not sure the first track is needed. They should have just started with jump. The instrumental at the end of drop dead legs is far too long. Was a little disappointed by the album, but its still a good listen
not as bad as i was expecting
Mixed feelings. Tons of talent here but content can be jarring.
Classic 80s sound with some notable hits. Years ago I likely wouldn’t ever listen to this, but this is a fun and engaging record.
Somewhat familiar with VH so this was a fun listen. ‘Jump’ is probably the biggest song they have, but ‘Panama’ is big too. To have these back to back speaks to the albums quality. The song ‘I’ll Wait’ was charting the week I was born (#18). Love the drums on ‘Hot for Teacher’. Guitar solos throughout are incredible.
Knew "Jump" obviously, thats quite a banger. Panama is okay too, the rest is medium.
Muy blanco pero reconocido x mua
1984 was a phenomenal album back in the day. I lost interest in their histrionics and drunken concerts where they could barely play. Amazing talent wasted in self congratulation.
Definitely solid music, but it didn't really connect with me. It also all kind of flowed together -- most of the songs sounded very similar to the other ones.
Alright album
Strong opening with Jump. Otherwise kinda meh. Good guitar work though
1984 was my favourite
Classic as usual, not for me. bobbed my head a bit but nothing i would miss if i'd never hear it again
Couple good songs but meeeeh
Rockiges 80er Werk, dass von den Gitarren Solos der van Halen Brüder lebt. „Jump“ wird einfach unvergesslich bleiben die restlichen Songs auf dem Album leider nicht.
Total dad music
Es bueno tiene canciones muy buenas, pero no es el estilo de música que más me gusta aunque la batería y los solos de guitarra son buenos, no me gusta tanto como cantan, las mejores canciones hot for teacher y Panamá por sus solos y batería
ok
M'agrada molt el principi de l'àlbum. A part d'això, no m'ha semblat res especial. És un altre àlbum que penso que està aquí per una cançó i prou
Did not listen!
Really thought I'd like it more. the hits are good.
It's quite good. There's some good riffs and plenty of energy. Nice and short. Maybe a bit superficial? I don't know if that's a massive criticism as it is what it is, and it's not trying to be anything more than that. Just a bit of good fun that you can nod your head to.
It’s 33 minutes what? Princeesque intro Damn those synths though Jumps kinda a bop though Is it me or does this sound exactly the same as the last one? Was that one about sex?
I find the hair metal era a bit comical, not going to lie. Some good songs on here, particularly the Zeppelin-like ones (Girl Gone Bad for example). Others were pretty naff. Overall a mixed bag, not one I'll be rushing back to. 2.5*
Classic album with good memories
Incredible technical musicianship throughout. I mean, Hot for Teacher, say no more. Jump and Panama are catchy 80's hits. But the rest is pretty cheesy and I don't really care to listen to.
Ridiculous but fun
It's another album that reminds me of high school. There are some good songs but nothing that stands out for me.
Known as a classic 80s rock album but I never understood why. The 80s synth rock sound is perfect, however there is only one truly catchy song (Jump) - the other tracks are at the 2*-3* level.
Excellent guitar work and a few great tracks (Jump of course) but I don't get very excited about this.
Has some classics but can't really ger behind the lyricism
I overrated the first van Halen I got, in retrospect I'd downgrade is from 5 to 4 stars. This one sits close to that - 7/10
just rock
Hot for teacher is an epic ham
Tough album to rate because the singles are pure unfuckwithable gold and the album tracks range from meh to terrible. Like really bad.
Old guys love it
Not my favorite of the rock icons. I’d give it a 3.5 if I could.
Synths?
Not as punchy or memorable as I thought it would be, sure it has a bunch of known songs but are they as memorable as Queen or Zeppilin...hell no.
How is this considered Hard Rock/Metal? I certainly wouldn't classify it as either of those but overall an ok album. I've heard Jump and Panama many times before but the rest of the album is new to me. Overall pretty decent music. I wouldn't immediately try to change the radio station if I heard this but I also wouldn't be seeking it out. Hair metal is certainly was an interesting thing. It was such a huge part of people's identities at the time. I don't think this music would make me grow out my hair and wear rock band shirts but it also isn't something that makes me want to rip my ears off like Slipknot did. 3.5 out of 5 rounded down.
Not bad, wouldn’t listen to any of the songs on their own though.
Classic. A little short but pretty good. Hard to gauge this one. Maybe a 3.75/5.
When I was in middle school I was obsessed with Van Halen. Now that I’m an adult: they’re ok.
Lots of nostalgia with this one.. although I've never properly gave it a listen. I remember the neighborhood kids of my youth blasting the opening track on their driveway in utter amazement. "I got back against the record machine" is a new line to my ears. I've always heard it as "wrecking machine" which sounds much cooler. The synths on Jump always was an interesting choice to me. I've read that Eddie's synth was inspired by Hall & Oates. To me Panama is much more enjoyable. Truth be told... I'm quite fond of the country, but never understood the title of this song. Apparently it was named after a race car Roth seen that was called Panama Express. Hot for Teacher is fun in a silly rock sensibility. I'm sure lots of people are complaining about the subject matter, but a student enamored with a role model is a fairly common occurrence and it seems like Roth was more motivated to study due to it. Oh well... I like the percussion. I'll wait... is an odd song title... I was familiar with the tune, but didn't know it was that song until it started playing. Another heavy synth tune in which Roth fawns over a picture from a magazine. Thinking about the subject matter I realized there are several similar songs, such as... Centerfold by J. Geils Band, Photograph by Def Leppard, and Funny Little Frog by Belle & Sebastian. Despite the hits the album is a bit uneven. Girl Gone Bad is pleasant in its own way, but I can skip on the rest of the album.
Meh, cock rock. Hot for Teacher is decent.
fun! idk if i’d run to delisted but i’ll give it a thumbs up
Some good tunes
Good album
Decent synthy-guitar pop from the 80s. Not really my thing.
First full Van Halen album I've listened to, and it's more poppy than I was expecting (not a bad thing). Never been massively keen on Jump, but Hot for Teacher is a banger. The rest is a bit 'classic rock' for my taste. Favourite tracks: Panama, I'll Wait.
Ändå gött ös
B-side saves the album.
imagine explaining to george orwell that when 1984 does eventually roll around in its essence this is what it will feel like its stupid and fun and unpretentious and ends just when its beginning to overstay its welcome
Can see why it's influential, not my thing
Überraschend gut, dachte ich nicht
3.33 average mainly because Panama and Jump are pretty good. The rest is bad.
Jump is such a classic song of movies/shows/ads never knew it was by Van Halen. Didn't like it much, not my style.
Not great, not terrible. Back to the Future soundtrack vibes, very 80s
Up through Hot for Teacher this is pretty solid, I still marvel at Panama for some stupid reason. Its kinda like every good VH song rolled into one. The later half is just forgettable clunckers that drop without any impact or richness.
enjoyed the more instrumental sections
It’s an alright album. If I hadn’t heard Jump and Panama a million times, I don’t think anything about this album would really stand out.
I don’t really care about Van Halen but this was fine
Never realized they were saying “Panama”. Always thought they said “animal”. Huh 🤔
This album peaked with its first three songs (not counting 1984), then it just kinda dropped off. Jump is an awesome song, but everything else kind of paled in comparison. 6/10 Top 3: 1. Jump 2. Panama 3. Top Jimmy
The worst VH album….
B 1984 (instrumental) 3 Jump 3 Panama 3 Top Jimmy 3 Drop Dead Legs 3 Hot for Teacher 4 I'll Wait 4 Girl Gone Bad 4 House of Pain 3 This was better than I expected. I thought it was going to be an average 80s album, and instead, it was an above average 80s album.
Quiete generic 80s rock, but I liked it 3.5/10
Solid album from a solid band, I still don’t agree that it’s considered “metal” though
Enjoyed this more than I expected I would. Not bad.
Know: Jump, Panama, Hot For Teacher Favorites: Panama, Top Jimmy
Good fun rock/metal album. Nothing really moves me on here but still a fun listen. Last two tracks are pretty epic
Some impressive guitars, interesting drums, and really, really inane vocals. Pretty fun to listen to for a while, and then it starts to wear on you…
It was decent - old school rock which was cool. Love the power slide guitar sounds. Just very classic rock.
- Heard some of the songs before - Some songs I really liked and some I really didn't - Great guitar playing - Fav songs: Panama, Jump, House of Pain
Niets mee mis maar stiekem toch wel behoorlijk gedateerd en zal ik niet snel zelf opnieuw draaien.
Nie wiem m, jakoś może robiło szał kiedyś dla mnie takie sobie ale gitara ladnie
The songs I already knew were good. The rest were ok, but did not really do much for me.
Some iconic songs
Decent stuff
OK, first things first: Van Halen are not, and have never been, a Metal band. Even if you compare their music to that of contemporary metal bands - e.g. Maiden, Priest, Sabbath - the difference is striking. So: Hard Rock yes, but Metal no. With that out of the way, this is a good hard rock album. Jump, while especially overplayed, is one of the most iconic tracks ever. I, for one, tend to like Panama better, and Hot For Teacher is nice musically, while cringe inducing lyrically. The rest of the tracks are OK but nothing memorable. 3/5
Classic rock. 3/5
Fun fact: My mother's favorite Van Halen song is "Jump". Album #5. I found it almost a relief to find an unserious album in the queue for the first time--probably part of what contributed to my overall enjoyment of it--but 1984 was also just fun to discover. I went in with low expectations, and while "Panama" may not have been dethroned as my favorite VH song, I found a new level of appreciation for this band experiencing its formula through a new lens. Perfect to drive to early in the morning, even if the back half does fall off, and a surprisingly effective turn into the new wave era that many other bands couldn't manage. Shrieks and punchy drum rounds abound, if that happens to not be your thing. If you aim for unseriousness in daily life like me, however, you just might get something out of it.
funnnn
Meh
Better than I thought.
Such a good start to this album - slightly overindulgent intro, then Jump and Panama are great. Guitar work on Top Jimmy is super (the song itself isn't really, but the man can play guitar). It's a shame that it loses its way after this and goes very much teenage boy masturbatory fantasy, the lyrics to Hot for Teacher and I'll Wait in particular are so cringe-inducing... House of Pain is, however, a decent closer. Front half of the album is a 4, back is a 2, so it's a 3/5 from me.
Bisschen old school amerikanischer Rock? Ganz lustig, aber vielleicht für mich auch nichts für jeden Tag :)
classic 80's rock and roll 3 stars
Didn’t listen all the way through but 3 stars for Eddie by default
3.5
Easy to listen to, I'd call this album pure fluff, like eating marshmallow fluff with the Michelin man on a white cloud, nothing to think about or get deep into. I don't find anything philosophical about "Jump" or "Hot for Teacher", but take it for what it is, easy listening rock music.
Listenable but unspectacular. Feels very polished, and maybe lacks an edge as a result. Production and instrumentation good.
Pretty good actually! I did not think I would enjoy it, but Hot For Teacher and Girl Gone Bad are pretty good. However, I would not typically seek out and listen to VH.
First half is pretty strong. Some real bangers. Second half is meh. Overall liked it a better than I thought I would.
Not for me. Too heavy rock.
Tá bien, trae unos clasicazos pero al chile ya quería que se terminara
Introen på Top Jimmy va jævlig feit. Og bra med masse synth
panamaaaaaa oh ough oh ah ohhhh panamaaaqaaaaa
Ough!!!!😁🎸🎸🎸🎸🤟😋🤟
I want to give it a 4 but there's just something off-putting about Dave's voice to me
3,5
It's ok... It was probably mind-blowing in 1984. It has 3 of their 4 biggest songs on it which is a plus but overall the songwriting on the other tracks is somewhat lacking (IMO). I feel like Aerosmith was doing something similar at the time but better or more intricately (but I also tend to lean toward more bluesy rock so it's probaly just a preference thing). Wasn't bad but outside of Jump, Panama and Hot For Teacher there's not much to blow your hair back.
lol it’s not very good but when it hits it hits.
I might regret it, but when it is fun, it’s so much fun. Once you leave the singles it gets pretty bad. I also lost interest in Roth after I turned 13. It’s also nice to see a song about banging milfs over banging teens from a rock band
Highlights: "Panama," "Girl Gone Bad," "Hot for Teacher," "Top Jimmy" Unfortunately, it's very good. Even on this last album, Eddie never phones it in. What sells each song more than his solos is his sharp and ornate rhythm work, and there are always some surprising changes thrown away in there. The non-singles are just as good. "Girl Gone Bad" was a surprise, building to a chill-inducing frenzy with the jazzier prelude, dissonant touches, relentless bass beat, and the backup vocals slamming the front of the chorus. But the studio magic like the mic'd up car in "Panama" and the bewildering quadruple bass drum of "Hot for Teacher" does take the already high energy of the album somewhere larger than life.
ok
J'ai l'impression qu'ils étaient dans leurs années paillasson
mes rêves ferroviaires teintés de giga solos de guitare électrique
This was far far better than the other van halen album I've gotten so far. It's still the same blandish 80s glam/yacht rock with cringe song subjects (hot for teacher) but jump and Panama are rightfully classics and mostly save the album.
Fun. Can’t say much else.
Very good, much better than I thought it was going to be. Avoided this kind of music from the late 70s onwards
Straight forward 1980s soft rock, then out of nowhere you're hit by these weird incongruous guitar solos. I know EVH was a hero to many, but I don't get it.
El álbum no está mal, pero tampoco es genial, simplemente esta bien. Entiendo porque en su momento fue bueno, pero no me engancho del todo. Siento como si todas las canciones son iguales. Canciones favoritas: jump, panamá 7/10
"Hot For Teacher" is one the most trilling songs I've ever heard. The band sounds like they're tumbling off the rails the whole time, and every time I hear it I swear that this time they're going to crash and burn. Astounding. As for the rest of the album: Panama is still pretty fun. Jump is all right. It's catchy, there's no denying that. I'll Wait is cool. The rest of it, though? Meh. I do like that it clocks in at 33 minutes, though. I wish more albums were in that sub-40-minute range.
Jump -3.5 Panama - 3.75 Top Jimmy - 3.5 Drop dead legs - 3.75 Hot for teacher - 4.25 I'll wait - 3.25 Girl gone bad - 4 • basse & outro ❤️ House of pain - 3.5
ok banco 7/10
Good album, classic rock tunes Not fully my style but I could get into it. 6.5/10
More like 1969. 1984 and Jump are dumb. Next 4 tracks are alfa. Next are average 80’s songs.
Disappointing compared to their debut
De hits zijn cool, het jaartal fantastisch, maar als geheel toch niet geweldig.
A pretty standard 80s sound, but a fun listen
Some great tracks... some filler too
It’s Van Halen. Classic guitar riffs and synth. I want to love them and this album but it’s enjoyable but not essential. 7/10
It was good. I already knew some of the songs, I guess they were hits at the time. I liked it.
Pretty good. I loved Jump since I was young, and the rest is simple 80s hair band rock. Nothing special, but still enjoyable.
Punchy and shredding
This album is pretty hard to rate, because I'm not a fan of Van Halen, or anything similar to glam rock, but I'm a big fan of Eddie Van Halen and his amazing virtuosity on guitar. And maybe unsurprisingly, I actually dislike every single from this album, as I think those didn't age well, being very dull and boring, but other songs on this album, with less prominent vocal work by Roth are actually pretty good. An example of that is an amazing "Girl Gone Bad". Basically, anytime Van Halen is not trying to put out a top 20 hit on MTV, the song is very good. With those ambivalent feelings about "1984" I causally give 3/5 as total. 1 for singles, 5 for Eddie Van Halen and his craftsmanship.
DLR and Eddie Van Halen are icons. Fun album but the 80s synthesizer and hype for excessive grandiose blasting make it cheap.
The more you listen to this cheesy brand of '80s metal, the less impressive it becomes. Save for a few signature moves by each of the bands, they're all pretty indistinguishable. A guitar solo, a bright, happy (and horny) rock and roll vibe, soaring vocals. It's a good album, let's not get that wrong - but it's less notable simply by virtue of this style being so prevalent during the '80s.
didn't like the teacher song but i feel like it'll probably grow on me. i already knew a few so i expected the album to be good, which it was. did actually surprise me how much i enjoyed it. 4/5
ChatGPT prompt: "Generate a hard rock album that sounds like the early Reagan Years." Production: 5/5 (2015 Remaster) Performances: 5/5 Songs: 1/5 The songs are so corny. I was hoping maybe the deep cuts would have been interesting but they're just like the single without good hooks. Album art: 10/5
3/5 Best: Top Jimmy Worst: Jump
As expected 80s cock synth rock
I must have skipped a few chapters of Orwell's 1984, don't recall Winston being 'Hot For Teacher' in Room 101.
Van Halen is great but also terrible at the same time
Yeah, this is a good jam.
Corny as chuff but fun at a pinch
Hair metal, hard rock, Jump (!)
Not really my thing, feels a bit like a novelty act
3.5/5
Solid offering but rarely strays from just being ‘alright’
Not for me but I get it.
Helppo ja varma 3/5
It’s decent, definitely not bad, a bit worse than the other van halen album because this has the insanely cringey hot for teacher, but the rest of the album is okay, the main bangers are the main hits jump and panama but with time the rest might stand out more. But for now 3/5
Boomer's anthem. "Look how fast he plays, it must be good!". Yeah, it's alright, but will probably fade with time.
Some of it aged very bad, some of it are obvious powerful hits, some of it is nice, some of it is cringe. Van Halen are a monument of the 80s for sure.
Wake up with a hangover. What's today's album. Ah, Van Halen, check your brain in at the door. For the best part of my life the only song I thought I knew was Jump so thought of them as a synth pop band, confusing hearing Van Halen in the list of greatest guitarists. Then Apollo 440 happened and I realised they had another song. I probably also heard Panama in some American college films or something as I know that. It's alright, it's dumb, it does what it does. So, the rest. Drop Dead Legs is actually musically very good, enjoyed that. Hot For Teacher. Oh! Daft Punk! Yes! I am absolutely here for this. Oh Jesus what are you saying lads, this had such a promising beginning. Googles Aerodynamic, realise it's not actually Van Halen. Plays Aerodynamic. Ah, that's better. Goes back to Hot For Teacher 0:30. How is this not credited to Van Halen? It's really close. And fantastic, they should have built the song around it instead of rambling off in no direction. Oh well. Moving on. I'll Wait was arse. Girl Gone Bad was ok, if not particularly anything. House of Pain similar. A vehicle for some solos where they forgot to write an actual song first. Ok I'm bored now, good job this is the last song. Obviously I'll never return to this intentionally but it was more enjoyable than I thought it would be, plus the paracetamol have kicked in.