Reviews (page 11 of 14)
Rockin' 80s
Didn’t like it as much as their first
I was optimistic about this album, because my partner seemed to really like it, but this is kinda generic at best, save for one or two instrumentation parts. A couple of the last songs certainly picked it up, and Hot for Teacher has an awesome intro plus I quote "I brought my pencil! Give me something to write on," all the time, so I'll give it a really light three, but disappointing for sure.
Short but sweet
Solid album!! Cannot go wrong with this one! Jump, Panama and Hot for Teacher on one album, can’t beat it! After a full listen this album still kicks so much ass!
The two Val Halen tracks I already knew (Jump & Hot For Teacher) are on here, and they’re both good fun. The rest is a mixed bag; I found a lot of it quite forgettable, but at just 33 minutes I can't say I ever got bored.
I love jump
The biggest surprise of this whole 1001 albums journey so far is that I like hair metal, I like 80s rock anthem pop. I like this. It scratches an itch for me. I think that Def Leppard is what did it for me... it was so ridiculous, so over the top, so cheesy that it had this kind of flip for me, where I started just having fun with what I was hearing. This album is PARTLY that. The first few songs are addicting. Sticky. "Jump" feels like we're in a whole new world, it feels like the synth is finally here to stay. It's triumphant. "Panama" too. It's a great sound they've got going. I was so ready to give this album a 4, but then... the back half was kind of boring. Kind of what everyone assumes these guys do when they get in a room and jam. Less meticulous, fewer really compelling compositions. So close to hitting the mark for me. Could have been a moment for a tone shift! But even at 35 minutes it got a little old by the last 15. Had a good time regardless. 3/5
6/10
Eddie carries this for me, but I don't like it enough for anything higher than a 3.
Well, it doesn't get much more 1984 than this (I mean actual 1984, not George Orwell's 1984). This is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me I guess, although I try not to use that phrase anymore! Definitely the best of the testosterone fueled "Hair Metal" of the 80s. Since I got this the day after getting Pump by Aerosmith, it started me thinking about this 80s hair rock scene in general. It was a very strange time compared to 70s glam wasn't it? As I see it 70s glam's "gender bending" and cross dressing was somewhat more inclusive and boundary pushing, whereas these 80s bands were hypermasculine to the point that their cross dressing seems to have been more of a shock value thing exclusively. It's a bit off-putting really, considering the modern backlash against Trans rights. I can't help but wonder if this scene contributed somehow to that. Anyway that's the end of my Ted talk for today. 3 great singles on the album, the rest I can take or leave.
Some great hits. Very enjoyeable
With an album and title track called, 1984, predictably the album opens with a cheezy "futuristic" instrumental which is an indication the synths have invaded the Van Halen sound. Jump was a song the Winnipeg Jets used back in the 80's when the team took the ice. To bring back the nostalgia of the "old days", they have started to play the song again to remind fans how shitty the team was. Panama and Hot For Teacher rocks out like the "old days", but the rest of the record brings out the worst of the supposed "hair metal" genre which in reality is a watered down version of synth/glam rock gone wrong and mugging to the camera on MTV. The last VH record that mattered if you're a fan and for the rest of us, please go away!
Niet mijn ding, maar erken wel de culturele waarde van dit album. Priem
Jump lekker klassiekertje
Wat herkenbare nummers, maar vind hun synthesiser achtige shit niet heel hard. Al is jump wel echt een iconische plaat
So many hits.
Started out really strong.
Hitting their potential/destiny with this pop crossover 6 years post-debut. It can’t touch Aerosmith’s 20 year post-debut smash sellout ‘Get a Grip’.
'Jump' is quite good. Synth-metal, less so.
An energizing album with some great riffs.
gítarónanismi. blessunarlega stutt.
1984 cool intro track fav songs: hot for teacher, I’ll wait notes: I liked Panama more than I remember liking it. Hearing it in context of the album is a lot different from hearing it in the background as a helicopter of marines flies over the rice paddies and rainforests of vietnam
Yes & No
Some good tracks, American stadium rock.
It's generally OK - run of the mill pop metal. Jump and Panama are standout tracks, the rest is just filler. Not my sort of guitar style. EVH's tapping technique was revolutionary and almost invented the 'shredding' movement - but I hate shredding. It might be technically brilliant, but it's musically dead in my view. I want to hear soul and feeling and a melodic quality - I'll take Angus Young over EVH every time.
albumi tehty 80 luvulla ja nimessä vuosiluku joka kuuluu 80 lukuun... aika huonolla aloituspaikalla mennään... biiseistä olen suurimman osan kuullut ennenkin...kivaa rallatusta... muutama hyvä muutama huono joo selevä saundi, van haileni tekee siitä kuuntelemanvan...löysin juuri termin.. hair metal hot for teacher paras.. vaikka lyriikat on mitä on... miellekästä musiikkia kuitenkin
After a couple of British electronic/dance albums, this was a bit of a palette cleanser, even if I've never been the biggest VH fan. And yeah, this album is ok but it's certainly not the best example of rock in the early/mid 80s whether or not you think Van Halen are rock gods.
Hot for teacher drum solo carries this bad boy
Wasn’t a fan back in the day, still not a fan now:
3/5. Some classics but overall too short and even the other songs somehow still feel like filler.
Ja, probleemloos kunnen luisteren. 1x is wel voldoende
De 'Nederlandse' Van Halen Marshall-sound klotst hier nog tegen de muren uren nadat het laatste nummer heeft geklonken. Nooit eerder een hele plaat van Eddy uitgezeten, maar dit beviel best!
I get why I've never heard the non singles from the album. Kinda weak, well and Panama has never been my favorite. Nothing to write home about honestly
Really torn between 3 and 4 stars. Love the album, but is it really a 4-star?? solid 3.5, 3.75 even.
Jump is brilliant, the rest of the album was just alright. 3*
Not as good as I was hoping it was going to be. But passable.
This album is good. It's kinda generic rock, but in a good way that makes it pretty easy to listen to. I wouldn't say it's the best rock album ever, but it's definitely a fun listen. Favorite song: Panama Worst song: Hot for teacher
This was.. fine? Don't really get the excitement about this one. Jump is nice.
Good solid 80's rock. The singles are great, but the rest doesn't thrill me.
Oof. The 80s vibes are off the charts here and those synths need to chill TF out. There are some real duds here if we're being honest. The hits are fun, though. Hard to argue with "Jump" and "Panama" being hits for a reason. But, man... "Top Jimmy" and "Girl Gone Bad" are every bit as bad as the hits are good. It all evens out in the stonewash, I guess.
Some of Van Halen's greatest tracks are in this album, absolute relistenable bangers. But the other tracks are just kinda there. Fun listen the whole way through, but ypu really only perk up when the bangers are on.
mediocre
Iconic song, great guitar.
A few good singles and a fair bit of disposable guff - but the singles are really fun.
Kuinka monta Van Halen-levyä tällä listalla oikein on :D onhan tääkin hittikimara. 3/5.
Another album that brought me back to the pop-up video mornings. If I ignore the eyeroll-inducing lyrics on a lot of these songs, the music is quite fun. Jump and Hot for Teacher are classics, and Drop Dead Legs was cool.
This is one of my favourite album covers ever. The VH tunes aren't really up to that standard
Some pretty generic mid-80s hair rock. Apart from Jump it's largely pretty listless.
The debut of the synthesizer for VH. Last David album. Good stuff mostly
“Jump” makes me feel like I’m in Stranger Things on my way to school trying to hype myself up for the day. I guess it makes sense since the album is from the 80s. “I’ll wait” was a good one. I enjoyed the cadence of the song and how the singing I’m not a big rock fan but it’s pretty good.
Mad guitar skillz. Lyrics felt trite on first impression
Alright. Like some of the songs.
The synth instrumentals are so 80s. Album is very American and it’s great, very different than what I am used to listening to.
Undeniably talented, but it feels like many of these songs were written simply as vehicles for shredding guitar lines and not much more.
Found this a little cheesy, I always think of Van Halen as proper heavy rock but this felt a bit of cheese
Not my thing, but hard to hate when they're having so much fun.
Eddie’s pyrotechnics are awesome. But they’re paired with lyrics like, “Throw my rope, loop de loop / Nice white teeth Betty Boop”.
Sin más. Tenía Jump en mis me gusta.
The epitomy of 80's rock I kind of like it for nostalgia and because it's so safe. It reminds me of corny 80s 'coming-of-age' movies. Musically very accomplished, well produced and slick you can't fault it other than it's cliched and not your thing. Looking at the list of albums released at the same time it's sad to say they are ALL cheese......so sit back and clench.
Not me speed but some bangers
3.4⭐️
Introen på Top Jimmy va jævlig feit. Og bra med masse synth
synths! (and guitar solos) Loved Jump
"Van Halen, not Van Hagar" - Joe Dirt Eddie is a great guitarist, and Van Halen is a decent 80s rock band. This is probably their best album and they definitely have a distinct sounds - so, therefore, worthy of the list. But - still - it kinda sounds like the opening scene from Back to the Future where Marty cranks up all those amps and, upon striking the first chord, blows them all up in a blaze of feedback and smoke - except it lasts for 30 minutes.
Jump sounded kind of insane with headphones on. Needed more keyboard
Definitely one from my childhood and though it did bring back happy memories it's not really a classic. Good fun but no depth.
Good fun, with enjoyable guitar acrobatics and not as 1 dimensional as I was expecting.
It ain't the worst that I've seen.
a WORMHOLE to the FUTURE
Solid
Chose to listen to this as a tribute the weekend that Eddie died in Oct 2020 and enjoyed it. This time I'm being critical. The hits are very good (Jump, Panama, Hot for teacher) the others are not particularly memorable. So just a medium album. I think their first album is probably stronger.
Pinnacle of 80's dad rock. If youre into that probably one of the best albums of all time. I'm not so 3/10
The singles are great
Saw Van Halen twice live in the late seventies. They were awesome live. Never really considered them a hair metal band in the same vein as Rat or Nazareth or Poison. When this album came out I felt like it was a commercial sell out. On re-listen I think that was a bit harsh. A nice party rock album. Good but not great.
yeah good music but didnt really catch my attention
Another solid Van Halen album. This one isn’t as good but still entertaining and impressive. Jump and Panama are pretty classic rock party songs. Hot for teacher is a solid rock song. There’s a couple lulls but overall this is a good album. 7.5/10
Ocjena više jer sam davno slušo na repeatu hot for teacher i jump
I have mixed feelings about Van Halen. First of all, their music is very dated and firmly rooted in the 80s synth and hair metal aesthetic. Second, their lyrics are at worst crude, and at best, unimaginative. However, their musicianship is tight, acrobatic, and expressive although it doesn’t show much variation. As a guitarist, I understand why they are important, but I find their melodies lacking. EVH is incredibly technically gifted, but his style doesn’t resonant with me as much as the style of other less technical more melodic guitarists. To me, Van Halen is less about solid song writing and more about showmanship.
Might as well Jump.
Can’t lie, definitely enjoyed listening to Hot For Teacher.
3.5
Among the seminal texts of the 20th century, "1984" is a rare work that grows more haunting as its futuristic purgatory becomes more real. It offers a nightmarish vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one poor stiff's attempt to find individuality. The brilliance is in the prescience of modern life—the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language—and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell. Required reading for students since it was published, it ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written. Hold on, wrong "1984"... I loved the first Wonder Woman movie. So how did the same people create such unwatchable trash in "1984?" Hold on, that's not right either... 1984 was a year of disappointments. I stopped being an only child. Reagan was overwhelmingly re-elected. The Olympic Games were held without the US getting a chance to beat communists. The Tigers and the Raiders and Italian soccer were world champs. I give the year one star. Wait, I'm gonna get this right... Ah, I'm supposed to be reviewing "Panama." Great country. With a plethora of deserted islands, chilled Caribbean vibes on one side and monster Pacific swells on the other, Panama sits poised to deliver the best of beach life. And a whole other world begins at the water's edge. Seize it by scuba diving with whale sharks in the Pacific, snorkeling the rainbow reefs of Bocas del Toro or setting sail in the indigenous territory of Guna Yala, where virgin isles sport nary a footprint. Meanwhile, surfers will be psyched to have world-class breaks all to themselves. Hello, paradise. And finally... Listening to Van Halen's "1984," I recalled my Bon Jovi review from a while back. "I feel like rock got progressively heavier through the 60s and 70s until it gave birth to heavy metal and thrash metal. Then the 80s took that heavy sound and dialed it back for pop radio and consumerism, and thus came hair bands." Yep, that fits Van Halen, even if they aren't quite in the hair band grouping. There are some classics on here, but I can't help hearing their guitar riffs and thinking about how they took heavy metal riffs and made them a bit too palatable and frankly kind of boring. And as a somewhat attractive educator, I can't get down with the whole vibe of "Hot For Teacher." That song, by the way, starts with one of those aforementioned diluted metal riffs before trying to save it by segueing into a nice little blues bit, but then ruins it with weird horniness. Also, I am not in agreement on the synths. Particularly the weird fake organ stuff on "I'll Wait." I think that song would be so much better if they stuck to guitars. Anyway... tldr... lousy year, great book, middling album.
Lekker onvervalste 80s rock muziek. Klinkt wel lekker, maar ook niet weer super bijzonder. ***
Best Song: Hot for Teacher. Often times, songs are either funny or musically interesting. This is the rare case in which it's both. This song is positively sweaty. Worst Song: I'll Wait. Sometimes, David Lee Roth just sounds like a poor man's Phil Collins. Overall: Van Halen elicits a very specific feeling. You're near a body of water. The sun is setting. Your entire body is slick with lotion. You've lost track of how many beers you've had, but you have the vague notion that you're halfway to wherever it is you're going. A feeling of existential dread begins to push on you from the periphery. Is this it? Is this what life is? You belch and crush your beer can, grabbing a cold one from the bucket. Too Hot For Teacher comes on. As quick as it came on, the feeling of dread is gone, replaced by the need to Air Drum.
Bad boy glam rock packed full of bluesy riffs, furious drumming, and synth fills. I can practically hear the sweat rolling off their chest hair and onto their skin tight vinyl pants! I honestly never fully appreciated just how great a track 'Hot For Teacher' is. Each part played and sung is remarkable on it's own, and they fold and flow together so perfectly. 'Girl Gone Bad' is another impressive showing by the band, showing just how tight the band is with or without David Lee Roth.
Not bad...
I did enjoy hearing this, particularly as it made me feel nostalgic for eighties American movies.
The synth-heavy tracks and pop tracks on this album such as Jump, Panama and I'll Wait are pretty obnoxious and are 2-star songs in my book. The best of the rock tracks are very decent or even pretty good, going up to 3.5-4 stars for me. All in all, too much annoying pop for me.
Exactly as expected
Probably good for its genre but not to my liking, lyrically or musically.
3/5 started well, but didn't make the cut
Young and strong.... You can still feel the energy
Ow, isso me lembra meu ex...
Fun rock album with energy and pop the whole way through
"Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue Model citizen, zero discipline" (Panama) "Dig those moves, vampire Set me loose, get it higher Throw my rope, loop-de-loop Nice white teeth, Betty Boop Set it cool real heavy I ain't fooled, gettin' ready" (Drop dead legs)
Cheesy 80s rock. Has the three singles you've heard a million times (Jump, Panama, Hot for Teacher) as well as some lesser tracks.
I sort of wanted to hate this, preferring the earlier, more spontaneous (and harder rockin') Van Halen albums. But it is really hard to dislike this record. the songs are really catchy, and the playing is incendiary, almost overworked in the production, but not quite. I like the variety of bringing in the synth (a suitably crunchy oberheim). The four singles are stellar, and even the album tracks are pretty song. Top Jimmy and Drop Dead legs are possibly just filler, but they don't suck. a really good, solid (heavy) pop album, with a lot of fun.
Buen disco
80s hair metal. It may be that Van Halen were the first, they may have been the most proficient, but to my ears the progenitor of 80s hair metal is not distinguishable from so much of the work they inspired. I appreciate the position in history, I even enjoy the genre they were instrumental in creating - from time to time - but I'll not be listening to this again.
My gym teacher in high school would play "Hot for Teacher" every single damn day when we ran laps (Mind you, this was during the 2000's, not the 80's). Yeah, so that's the one memory I have with this band. Naturally, I grew to despise the song, but it's been long enough for me to let that go. 1984 is full of dad-rock cheese, but there's plenty of badass guitar shredding (and drumming) in here to make up for it. While not something I tend to listen to, it's not that bad. It's just average classic rock to me.
This album didn’t excite me. The songs aren’t bad but a bit samey
Solid rock and obviously 80's, one of the records that fundamentally defines the 80's. Not that it's "dated" and cringey to listen to at ~40 years old, it's a perfect encapsulation of the time along with the time of life - being a scruffy, rowdy teenager. I can't judge whether Van Halen was better with Sammy Hagar, but DLR nailed being a flashy front man for this band.
6/10
Good album, knew a few off here. Would give it a 3.5 if I could
Some great songs but def not their best offering.
Great fun. Close to 4 star.
Has some fun songs that I really liked, but felt nearly half the album was well below average. 3/5
3 pretty big hits are great; the rest just okay (all sounds alike). not great, not terrible.
Loved the beginning but as a whole album itt was too much for me.
The problem with 1984 is that it sounds like 1984: stupid masculine hard rock from the 1980s. It aged like milk. "Jump" and "Hot for Teacher" are great songs, the guitar playing of Eddie is fabulous and David sounds like an on stage must see. Too bad the rest of the songs are subpar and uninteresting.
This brings me back to the 80s with the Chicago Cubs commercials on WGN when they would play Jumps. some great songs on here but a lot of this sounds exactly the same. 3/5
6/10
Classic Rock n' Roll. Not particularly my cup of tea this one but would listen to again. Album art is great would wear it on a shirt.
Didn't hate it.
3.7 - High brow this album ain't! It's the type of music you'll hear at Hooters while devouring a basket of wings. It's got “Panama" and some predictably scorching guitar solos.
Jump is a banger. The rest is 80s hair metal (although apparently it's not technically hair metal). A fun listen, but the quality tails off in the second half. 3/5.
Full of great hooks and riffs. They’re clearly having a good time, and the album is a lot of fun, almost camp even. File under ‘air guitar hall of fame’ as it’s another one of those records where you can revisit and indulge your teenage dream of being a rock demi-god, furiously shredding your invisible guitar from the comfort of your lounge room whilst avoiding the reality you’re probably having a midlife crisis.
Meh
Eipä ole ennen tullut kuunneltua Van Halenia. Levyn alussa oli paljon enemmän syntikoita ja vähemmän kitaroita kuin mitä odotin. Loppupuolta kohden alkoi mennä odotusten mukaiseksi. Hot For Teacher jäi mieleen. Ei erityisesti häirinnyt, mutta ei mene myöskään omille soittolistoille.
Odotukset tätä kohtaan oli korkeahkot. Van Halenilta oikeastaan vain hittibiisit ovat ennestään tuttuja itselleni. Valitettavasti tämä levy osoitti erinomaisesti, että materiaali hittibiisien ulkopuolella on melkoisen yhdentekevää. Toki esim. Panama ja Jump ovat klassikoita jotka ovat kestäneet aikaa erinomaisesti, eivätkä kyseiset kappaleet ole myöskään liian puhkisoitettuja. Hittibiisit nostavat levyn arvosanan peruskolmoseksi.
13th October 2021 Listened on my phone throughout the day while at home. Finished the morning after. Synthy, big, camp, really enjoyed. Jump obviously the stand out, sounds a lot like kiss which is never a bad thing.
Not a big fan of Van Halen, but this album is pretty listenable. I just realized that the synth sounds on this album are pretty much a copy of Abacab by Genesis. Interesting. 3 stars.
No me aporta nada loco, lo he escuchado 5 veces y nada me vuelve loco
Decent 80s metal.
Love the guitar but ugh David Lee Roth.
I thought this album would be a good one to listen to in the shower and while bustling around after and it didn't disappoint. This is another one I'll give a 3.5ish to. Am I being too stingy with 4s or have I just not seen enough albums yet?
This brings back memories of an era. I was not a fan, never a fan but I instantly recognise the era and the voice. Great album, I can understand why they have such true live-long devoted fans.
More than 3 less than 4
Panama rulez. The rest of it also kinda rulez but it’s just not my bag yaknow?
It was ok. Probably wouldn’t listen again by choice.
Sounds kinda cliche now, but I get that it was probably a banger when it released
Svängig hårmetal med grisigt attityd.
Some good tracks but a bit overblown compared to their first 3 albums
Kennt ma ja
First van halen album I've listen to. Great stuff.
Coole gitarrenriffs, jump hebt sich deutlich ab
I couldn't take it anymore, silly, over the top shredding rock. I listened to in the 80's and seemingly has not aged well. Pure cheese.
i mean it’s fine
Pretty good for HM
Well, that was a ride! I appreciate the inclusion of this record on the list because it feels like a distilled representation of Van Halen and the sort of glam/hair metal scene they represent. And it brings the hits. Eddie's guitar work is otherworldly, but I can't stand David Lee Roth's vocals and inane lyrics. 2.5/5 Favourite tracks: "Panama" and "Jump"
Impressive and I understand the historical context. Not my style. Skipped through most songs. I didn’t skip the first, third, and fifth songs. Like a chord...
Never really listened to this guy, Jump is a classic though, heard that before. Sounds a bit ACDC at times, no doubt inspired them. Also sounds a bit Aerosmith, they may have inspired this guy. Easy a 3/5.
até q eh daora
Only listened to a bit. Jump!
Lots of familiar songs, the songs are alright but not sure I'd be in the mood to just sit and listen to the whole album.
Quite enjoyable 80s tunes. But would likely not buy album or put in library so giving it a 3.
Bfjekdnfbrksk JUMP
Classic stadium rock
First song nice
Great tracks and moments here and there, but a bit inconsistent. Love “Jump” and “Panama” since I was a kid. “Hot For Teacher” had a fire ass solo, loved it.
A whole album of Van Halen is.....a lot of Van Halen
Bueno, rock típico ochentero, rozando el spray-rock. Los 80 le cayó muy mal al rock que no pasó por el punk.
I enjoyed it, but it seemed like the recording itself was a little rough. Also, other than the main hits, none of it really hooked me. It was ok. EVH is still insane though. Favorite tracks: “Jump,” “Panama, and “Hot For Teacher”
Yeah, fine - I have no strong feelings about this one way or the other. Fave track - "Jump"
Decent classic rock. Nothing exciting, mostly pleasant. 6/10
Too many nonsensical guitar solos, didn't find much structure
What would now be considered classic rock n roll, this helped define dads of the generation, allowing parents to be mad at kids for yet another thing. Van Halen is a genre-setting band, and no one can deny the amount of radio play they got and still continue to get. Eddie has some great shreds from this album, but its hard to appreciate all of this when it constantly reminds you of riding back home from a camp outing in the back of the truck with your dad mad at you because you didnt tie the knots right. Favorite song, Hot for Teacher. Least favorite, hearing Hot for Teacher get played in ads for Snickers bars.
Has not really aged well, and generally just feels a bit daft. Still, Jump is kind of fun in a kitsch way. Okay but actually I'm enjoying it :(.
Jump has been a hitsong in the Neteherlands. It still like to listen to this song once in a while.
Glam metal, man. Some of the tunes here hold up well, some don’t. This has arguably my favorite Van Halen song on it, but I don’t come back to this album that often really. The guitar tones by Eddie Van Halen are pretty crazy on this album but I prefer Van Halen 1 I think. Favorite song: Panama Least favorite song: I’ll Wait
Jump is a good song, rest inoffensive
Pretty good record. Panama, Jump... hot for teacher.
Decent album however the guitar playing, whil excellent, was less of a focus on this album which didn't help the album
Nice guitar licks
Better than I expected but not really my ‘world’.
eddie :(
This was energetic and bold. I don't know if I liked that, though.
An exuberant pop record, best during certain guitar passages. For the most part, the band keeps up the energy with speed. I think the small attempts at sonic variety (for example in the opener) end up a bit flat without more variation in form.
Brewed a Session IPA during this album. Very hair, very 80s. Not exactly my favorite style, but dig the talent of the group.
jao mnogo mi je laknulo kad sam videla da ovaj album traje 33 min
On a trip rn so I’ll make it brief, it was alright and I think besides the tracks 2 and 3 the album was okay for me. Not a lot to go into but js not my cup of tea ig
Onaj klasik rock album. Campy na nacin na koji samo album koji se zove 1984 moze biti.
80’s bierbuikrock, geen grote fan
fav song was jump because it was on glee. It was good but i wouldn’t listen to it x
I'm nostalgic for two songs on here, but otherwise it just does not keep my attention. The riffs are good, but something about this brand of "too cool for school metal" does not hit for me
This is fine. Jump is a classic, but there's nothing special about it. Not really memorable.
I had no idea Van Halen did Jump Overall this was much weaker and more pop than their other stuff I’ve heard, wasn’t a fan
Jump is a classic. I am happy to not hear the rest of this again
Ah, it’s this album! I can’t hold it against them that I hate the song “Jump.” I honestly didn’t vibe with much else on the album…
never been a fan, but interested to give a full album a go. I mean the hits are recognizable, but the others are underwhelming.
Jump is a banger, but thats really it
Great instrumentals, but everything else is unsufferable.
2.5
Ok, but old sound now
yesyesyes
Bog standard 1980's poodle rock. The authors clearly needed filler to make it to the 1001, this is one of those.
Talented guys producing music that irritates my ears. Two stars
Nope niet voor mij. Als van Halen gitaar speelt klinkt het als een rapper die alleen nog maar let op snelheid en niet op flow. Het nummer jump vind ik ook heel irritant. Het is ook een beetje over de top rock naar mijn mening.
Not really my vibes. 2/5
I dunno man, this just felt way too meatheaded and cheesy. By the time Hagar mentions bringing his "pencil" on Hot For Teacher, I just mentally nope out for the rest of the album. I can't say it doesn't deserve its placement in the book, as this was a juggernaut and probably inspired a lot of music like it, though I wouldn't really consider that a good thing. Highlights-Jump, Panama, Drop Dead Legs, and I'll Wait. Also the title track reminded me of Live and Learn by Crush 40, not a bad thing, just thought I'd point it out.
This is so generic it might as well have been in 1984. Call it Rock Music by The Band and blast it on the speakers during morning announcements or whatever tf they were doing in that book. I waited all album for some semblance of quality and ironically it came with the song titled “I’ll wait”.
This is drivel. Remarkably bad. Songwriting is uninspired, and that is not to mean simple, but completely devoid of personality. Pertness is no substitute for character. Guitars, vocals, synths, all sound utterly atrocious, as a general rule. There’s one-and-a-half good tracks (“Panama”, “House of Pain”), and the rest are dogshit. It escapes a 1 because the drums sound ok. Closer to a 1 than a 3.
It was an alright listen. Nothing stood out besides girl gone bad, which was probably the best out of this album. Not a fan on synths.
Just a bit too overblown for my liking. Aside from Jump it just feels like very dated AOR.
I really like the opening song. I love 80s synths, and I truly think that was a great way to open the album. I like "Jump" for that same reason. Love the synths and the two groovy guitar parts, but it left me wanting more. I liked the song, put not enough to listen to it again. It reminded me of the 1st Naruto opening song so that was nice lol. "Hot for Teacher" is a disgusting song; I could not listen to it in full. The track that stood out to me the most was "Girl Gone Bad". Loved the beginning of the song and part at 3:00 - 4:00 but the song completely lost me when dude started "oooh"ing and moaning on the track. If he didn't do that, the song would have been an 8 out of 10 for me, but unfortunately it is like a 6/10. Which seemed to be a pattern that I was noticing in these songs. Those types of adlibs or artistic flair is just not for me. Other than that, no other songs stood out to me and while listening, I found myself glad that there are only 9 songs on this album. I did not want to listen to anymore.
Overrated and I hate Van Halen 2/5
Some good moments where they rock but too much horrible cheesy 80's sell out Def Leopard moments too.
I get it, I just don't care
Descent album, not very impressive. The instrumentals at the end are pretty intense.
Couple vital hits, obviously, but the rest is… fine
I liked some of the songs back in the day, but now some of them just seem sexist and outdated. Not my cup of tea.
(1 + √9) / (8 / 4) =
If ever a rock band deserved to be one hit wonders. More 80’s than an octogenarian’s funeral.
One hit wonder
Big hair, big rock I guess.
There is a world in which I enjoy these synthesizers and noodly guitar but I think that is a world in which David Lee Roth is a real estate agent.
No es mi tipo de música. Sin más
I think I'm a little too not heterosexual and not a white dude to enjoy this fully.
it's fine. just more fucking boomer drug rock.
There are a couple of fun, decent songs on here, but I wouldn't choose to put them on. The album ends pretty weakly and trails off. 4/10
As a teenager I loved the big standout tracks on 1984, and they still hit. But as an album, it doesn’t age as well for me as others — the synth-heavy sound locks it firmly in its era, and outside the hits it doesn’t resonate the same way anymore.
A bit too sparky for me
No fault of Van Halen, but the music is just not for me. It's very much of the 80s, even though the album came out in the 90s. It's just very cheesy, some of the guitar solos don't match the song, and feel like they are just forced in to show off Eddie Van Halen's obvious talent, but because he's an amazing guitarist, it doesn't mean some of his solos work. I've never been a fan of David Lee Roth singing, so I'm sure the album is a masterpiece to some, but it's just not my musical taste. In saying that, there are good songs, and it is an album I could listen to, but not one I'd listen to again. But hats off to "I'll Wait", it's the song that I should like the least, as it has all the issues I have with the album, but that's a solid song, as is "Girl Gone Bad", the bass for it is genuinely fantastic.
I can see this being groundbreaking but it's a bit too over the top for me.
😵💫
I can get it why many people like this - but it just isn't for me. Too many high tones, and those stupid synths.. Meh. I'd rather go with Motorhead.
It was better than I thought and had some great guitar bits, but it just feels like frat boy music....
Too much gimmicky synth for my liking
Dadrock pur sang. Toch gevaarlijk op deze leeftijd, met al die jonge vaders om ons heen. Zeker, Eddie spuwt erg vuige riffs, dat zijn dan ook de highlights van de plaat. Zoals in Girl Gone Bad of Hot For Teacher. Maar check die titels, hoe plat wil je het verder hebben. Ik werd er gelukkig toch weer niet zo warm van. 5/10
I don’t know why I don’t respect Van Halen much. I grew up with it, sure, and I probably take it for granted, but there are other classic rock bands I respect and take seriously. Van Halen is kind of just standard arena rock, but so are AC/DC or The Scorpions and those guys rule. Their songs are childish and creepy but again, so are 75% of these dudes and I have uneasily accepted that as an unfortunate part of the atmosphere. Even at its best Van Halen is just kind of dumb but I am counting the days until I can rate The Darkness a 5 so like Van Halen’s even good! Sammy Hagar is way better than Diamond Dave but all of this works, the technical proficiency is there, and this is solid classic rock but it does not speak to me the way other bands do. There are some excellent songs on here - I’ll Wait is a fantastic song despite/because of how creepy and pathetic it is, Panama gets me hype every time - and I can even overlook how Hot For Teacher is one of the worst songs ever written. (And not just because of the content! we have already established this! it just cold sucks) but even then it’s just Van Halen I’ve been grappling with this since we got their self titled and I think I am going to grapple with this again when we get to Def Leppard, an arguably worse band who also sits in this kind of classic rock foundation / cheese but who I enjoy way more
125. ok
Cheesy 80's synth rock.
I'm glad I heard it, and I wouldn't mind listening again, but I wouldn't seek it out
it had songs that you could listen too
I GET UP!! like a lot of these albums so far, cool, but not my tastes. lots of western music here, i guess this was all written by americans so, makes sense
274/1001 Van Halen - 1984 Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Fine at best.
Gonna be real, this is not the type of music I listen to. I found my music taste with radio 6 dad esque post brexit punk, stretched into indie, and pissed it all away by almost exclusively listening to house music for half of third and all of third year. I'm a zoomer when it comes to music taste I'm a child with a spinny hat and rainbow lollipop. So while I understand Van Halen's prestige and talent, I did not enjoy this album. Not any active hatred (although Hot For Teacher did feel like seeing blackface in an old Looney Tunes cartoon), but i just felt quite numb and sometimes bored basically the whole time. No standout songs I really remember. I recognise Jump but didn't feel psyched I dont know if it's because I never had anyone growing up show me this music at a young age, or anything similar. I don't know if it's because I don't play an instrument so don't have a deeper appreciation of the musical talent. I don't know if I've just listened to too much modern music to subconsciously prefer modern mixing. All I know is I did not enjoy this album. I'd give it a 2.5 but this is a number that rounds down for me, not up.
It's not really grabbing me. Hot For Teacher and House of Pain are highlights. Otherwise not very interesting or exciting (for me).The synth sections are painfully 80s in not a good way. I can see the appeal but it just wasn’t firing off any excitement If it had eruption on it it would lowkey be a 3
Not a fan of the sound
Jump was alright i guess I have not enjoyed this album so far Album almost finished. House of pain is alright actually
There is some nostalgia with these songs being in movie montages but I cannot actually enjoy listening to this hot garbage
Yikes
The guitar is the only thing worth even mentioning
Jump and Panama are cool. Other than that, it’s probably a one and done listen. But the mesmerizing guitar work and synths make for a catchy album. It just gets old quickly.
Favorite tracks: Jump, Panama This album made me realize the amount of Van Halen I actually want to listen to is a single song in a party playlist. After about 3 songs in a row it gets really old.
Upon hearing the other parts of Jump, I find it strange that I don't remember them at all, but it was never really a song I heard a lot of when I was younger. Intro for Top Jimmy is insane with the harmonics, and the entire song is really good. What an amazing music video for Hot For Teacher. Girl Gone Bad is another highlight for me. Not particularly my favorite style of music, but I do appreciate it's greater context in rock history, Eddie Van Halen's legacy, his skill and all the other musician's skills and chemistry, because of that I can certainly see why this album is heralded by glam metal fans as one of the best of the genre.
God this is all just so SILLY isn't it?
It gets points for having a cherub smoking cigs on the cover, but it’s still Van Halen.
Didn't enjoy this at all.
Generic American 80s rock. Really not my thing
Very 80s guitar/synth
Muy generico
Saai, alleen 1e nummer leuk
Пресный глэм-рок.
Aerosmith yesterday this lot today. Sick and tired of US MOR rock. Please no more tomorrow. 2/5 2/3/26
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst - that's how i approached this album. Actually not as bad as expected, Jump is an obvious highlight, some really shady lyrics here though that reduced the star count significantly.....
I want to like it for the guitar chops and because it's musically ambitious in parts. It's really bad though isn't it. The basic songwriting is just horrible. It's like they had all this energy to create crazy extreme rock and the last thing they did was to say while drunk "okay, and we need some dumb blues tune to hang all this off.. Hot for teacher!"
It's an okay album that would be a really good album if it was fully instrumental. My favorite moments of this record were the ones where David Lee Roth isn't singing. EVH and AVH lean into the prog/proto-metal influences set forth by Rush and King Crimson in the early 1980s and though I respect the re-packaging of those sonic aesthetics with a more pop-friendly delivery, it feels like their musicianship is held back by DLR's singing. AVH's drumming is electric, though, and EVH is of course a monster with the axe. Favorite song: Hot For Teacher
це якісь електронний рок
Many of these songs got lots of radio play (Panama is my favorite) but I was never a big fan. They just seem juvenile to me. The playing on the synthesizers is rudimentary. Eddie Van Halen was innovative but lacks musicality and soul.
- Jump and Panama are still good... - The others? *shrugs* - nothing really interesting about them - forgettable melodies/riffs; dumb lyrics. - The synths (and songs) definitely feel dated. - Guitar work is good, but nothing I really care about listening to without interesting music to support. - 1.5 stars?
Yes ok, but remastered
80's hair metal is mid
Top jimmy… Drop dead legs reminds me just a little of Fat lip House of pain is interesting
What does it say about this album that the first lyric is a voice crack? Some of the instrumental elements were pretty cool, but the overall sound is kinda cheesy and the vocals gave me the ick
Strong 2. SOOOO much musical talent in this group that is ruined by horrible songwriting. They needed to bring someone in to help them. Their lyrics seemed simple and juvenile. David’s voice also just grated on certain songs, like “Panama.” My listening experience went something like this: “Oh! This sounds good, love the guitar. Hopefully this is good.” To “Oh no, this is dumb.”
I was a fan of the first three Van Halen items – although I liked each one a little less than the one before. This is their first album in the MTV era where they focused on hit singles and added heavy keyboards. I never liked the hits – Jump, Panama, Hot for Teacher (ugh - how old were they when they recorded that song?) – but I was thinking I might like the deep tracks that I hadn’t heard before. No such luck, just lots of forgettable lame pop songs. The one song I like was the very last song House of Pain, which would’ve fit in perfectly with the first Van Halen album.
Nja, jump känner jag igen annars mycket så rock
Pretty overrated in my opinion.
jump and last christmas are on the same level
100% dad music
Some pretty talented people making some lizard brain music. The hits are good but the rest are forgettable. Will always have fond memories chugging beers to this in college but that's about it.
Jump was ok, rest of the album sounded like any hair rock album.
Still have a soft spot for Jump, that puts me straight back into my early 20s, DJing and hanging around in bars in Camden days... the rest of this is pretty stupid and not particularly interesting though. Waynes World music at best.
Listening session: january 30th, while commuting to internship Listened to before: heard one song before Thoughts: I grew up with my dad listening to Jump so that was really nostalgic to me but the rest didn’t grab me unfortunately Favourite tracks: Jump
Idk why but my brain always gets Van Halen and Metallica mixed up so imagine my surprise when the synths started
NFL music
Frustrating listen, they get some good riffs in there but the whole tone of this album is so obnoxious to me. Jump is good, brownie points for brevity and a great album cover
Maybe I just find Eddie Van Halen influential for a guitar style I find super annoying lol and I'm holding that against this perfectly passable album. Not my jam but well performed and produced. "Drop Dead Legs" is the one new song I enjoyed hearing.
I like jump
I enjoy dumb guy music as much as the next person but perhaps we've run up against the limits of its appeal with Hot for Teacher. Songs added to my 1001 Bangers playlist: Jump, Panama
didn’t like
Not as good as their first album. A bit of a grind starting mid-album.
Coming to this just two weeks after their debut album, I have to admit I was disappointed. Whereas their first album had a playful, unpolished quality to it, this felt like the same bag of tricks but with a fancier marketing and distribution campaign. But I do, unsarcastically, appreciate that their albums keep to an unpretentious length under 40 minutes.
Listening to this made me feel like an in-the-midst-of-puberty middle schooler, and no that isn't a compliment to Van Halen. Only thing that saves this album from being 1 star is the masterful guitar and drum work of Eddie and Alex van halen
Clown music.
Le chanteur est cool mais le synthetiseur est trop present pas fan mais sympa
Instrumental prowess is outstanding and I don’t want to talk about the rest.
Jump is natuurlijk leuk. Verder niet mijn kopje thee. Recht-toe-recht-aan hardrock...leuk voor een feestje, niet om te luisteren
Not my fave but not the worst / jump was the best track
More like 2.5./2.75. Not my favorite 80s rock and not my favorite Van Halen, but high energy and fun if you’re in the mood for it.
Proper cringe stuff. The first two tracks started alright but after that it was a tough listen. Maybe 'I'll Wait' was alright too but it was thin pickings. Glad it was only half an hour
A few good songs, but overall nothing too special. I think it's just not for me
You can feel about it however you want. I'll even agree Eddie was excellent at guitar and David lee Roth was a charismatic front man. As a modern listening experience however, this stuff doesn't hold up separated from nostalgia. It's dated, wanky goofball rawk only loved by those stuck in time.
I find this music embarrassing, but it does make me smile, in a kind of pitiful way.
No Another Overindulgent Record, which I kept forgetting I was listening to, as it just blended away. Not for me.
One absolute banger. Rest of it is so bad.
Getting two stars only for Jump. The rest is one star boredom.
Hair metal sucks. All of it. The only decent songs here are Jump, Panama, and Hot for Teacher. And they aren't even good. Just OK. You could take all the other songs I haven't mentioned off the album and lose absolutely nothing. Really I think I should rate this 1 star but I'll give it 2. I'm trying to be more positive this year.
mercifully short
65
the corniest shit
I never listened to Van Halen growing up, just wasn’t in the house. I got pretty excited when Jump came on, what a banger. The rest of the album was pretty forgettable though. Song added to the playlist: Jump
Se me hizo aburrido. Flojo. Si esto es la cumbre del hard rock, no es un género que me llegue. Igual supongo hay álbumes mejores del género. 4/10
Sånn jeg forstår gitarene er bra og sånt men sånn det er virkelig ikke noe for meg syngingen er så mid og tekstene er dritkjedelige nesten alle sangene høres helt like ut og eneste som gjør dette albumet en smule interresant er synthene i noen av sangene men selv de er ganske basic 80talls mainstream synth pop så, 2/5
Just not my kind of thing
i had no idea jump was by van halen. i remember that song being in sing. 1984 was a fun track but most of the album isn’t smth id typically listen to.
Ne mano stiliaus, gera muzika, bet be esmes 5/10 visas albumas antra karta neklausyciau
Still not my thing. I kinda like the cheesy synth riff of "Jump" but even that is mostly a nostalgia for 80s movie soundtracks than the actual song itself. The noodley guitar solos just don't do it for me.