Reviews (page 12 of 14)
Not my cup of tea. Maybe I just like certain songs in Hair Rock. A full album such as this leaves me a little cold. Pleasant enough but doesn’t butter my parsnips. 2/5.
I mean yeah it's fine. Kinda whatever
It's alright
so american and so 80s
Fun fun fun Welcome to the fungle
Hair metal is a pretty crap genre of music in general. This album isn't as bad as say, Aerosmith, but it's still not good. At least it was short.
Yes Eddie can play guitar but the the mix is atrocious. Drums sound like microwave popcorn, singing and general vibe is cringe. Should be left behind in the 80s where it belongs
A hair band classic? I knew a few songs. This was probably good on its day.
Kort og ikke veldig givende
Egentlig tullemusikk, dette, kun laget for å vise at de kan spille. Jump er ikonisk, men også veldig cheesy.
Egentlig tullemusikk, dette, kun laget for å vise at de kan spille. Jump er ikonisk, men også veldig cheesy.
Bortsett fra noen heftig bra gitarriff er det lite å hente her.
It's okay in a kind of corny, don't take it too seriously kind of way. Like, I can imagine them thinking they're really heavy and cool, when they're dressed like moms and playing soft pop music with guitars. It's like the kind of thing kids would listen to at a pizza party in the 80s. Like the Transformers movie soundtrack. It's undeniably lame. Naff. Corny. They'd unironically call someone a hot mama or a cool cat. But I love that for them. Very well performed mid music. Not bad, not great. But they seem to be having fun and it's harmless. Something in my brain just can't compute people actively choosing to listen to this or thinking it's cool.
eh. mislio sam da će biti lošije, ovako je samo srednja žalost. smiješno mi je da je ovo opisano kao »metal« i »hard rock« kad je riječ o izrazito komercijalnom roku s generičnim sintićima iz osamdesetih... sve u svemu bezveze, barem je kratko, ne treba trošiti previše riječi na ovo
I fckn hate this shit so much, yet I don’t have the bottle to give it a one star. What have I become?
4/10 = i didn't totally hate it but i really don't think i'd listen to it again, it was so extremely 80s so i imagine i'll hear it in a soundtrack at some point and be like wow, some nice guitar riffs
I anticipated this being slighter than their debut. And it is. Shorter. Poppier. More gimmicky. More gimmicky that the clownish extravaganza of their debut? Yes, there are synths. Although the synths only dominate the silly opening of the record. And back in on I'll Wait. Beyond that, VH traverse the range of rock that inspired them and that they inspired. There are only nine songs. It's a narrow range. Still, if they sound like ACDC on Drop Dead Legs, they sound better than ACDC - more charismatic, more of a band. Dave may be a clown, but that's better than a boor. Eddie may be all over the show, but at least there is a show, rather than Angus Young's plod. Hot For Teacher is better - more nuanced?! more fun? - than anything by Motley Crue. It's frantic and desperate, but oddly charming. I don't know if it means much to be the best at something that is fundamentally unsavoury, but I wouldn't take it away from them. 2.5 We had Tortoise a few days ago, an act I suggested were in obvious need of a singer. Their defenders would declare that Tortoise are ‘Post-Rock’ but I reject this explanation. ‘Pre-Singer’ is what Tortoise are. Anyway here’s Van Halen, by contrast a band who are in desperate need of getting rid of their singer. Eddie Van Halen is very, very good at guitar. He may even be underrated. I think there is a general tendency to reduce him to the mere originator of party-trick guitar shredding - highly influential in this dubious genre, arguably even supreme, but essentially the Chief of a tribe of witless, artless, perpetually adolescent, musical onanists. The musical equivalent of Ralph in Lord of the Flies. In fact, as his playing on 1984 shows, Van Halen is a deeply creative player, capable of restraint, of light and shade. His riffs are terrific and his solos more thoughtful and more beautiful - more musical - than the common association of Van Halen with mere speed and scooping recognises. When he retreats to picking chords or just playing rhythm there is still a relaxed elegance in his playing that is deserving of close attention. Which is why it is so irksome to find David Lee Roth panting like a dog at every turn. I am not putting down DLR as a frontman or even as a vocalist - he has character, energy and strength enough as a singer. But where Eddie’s lines are elegant, thoughtful and original - DLR’s melodies are leaden, square and cliche all the way. His lyrics, entirely wince inducing, are just further baggage that EVH, a genius however it looked in the end, has to carry. I would like to hear a mix of 1984 without the singer. ‘…in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy. The officer, surrounded by these noises, was moved and a little embarrassed. He turned away to give them time to pull themselves together; and waited, allowing his eyes to rest on the trim cruiser in the distance.’ 2/5
I’m not trying to be contrary or controversial in my markings with this. The musicianship is good. The vocals are OK. If I heard a band playing this in a bar I would tap my feet and nod my head. I might even enjoy bits.I might even nod if it was on the radio or jukebox. It isn’t offensive to my ears. It is just that I would NEVER reach for this if it was on my shelf. It does nothing for me emotionally and I can’t ever imagine playing this by choice. There isn’t a single track I’d put in a compilation or playlist.
acho que eh o ponto alto da carreira desses mano aí né glamzinho medíocre, mas pelo menos foi um pouco mais divertido que o outro deles que passou por aqui. sou suspeito porque INFELIZMENTE jump vem nos meus pensamentos mais vezes do que eu gostaria. mas eh, kid abelha estava certo, os solinhos de guitarra NÃO me conquistaram.
The first track was great: understated, brief, devoid of David Lee Roth. It’s everything I want in a Van Halen song. Then “Jump” started. And, here’s the thing about “Jump.” I didn’t quite realize how “Jump”-less my life had been for so long. I’m middle-aged now. I don’t frequent the worst kinds of bars. I don’t attend sporting events where the PA announcer is imploring us to “get loud.” My friends’ wedding-DJ budgets now exceed “pure hack” level. So, it’s probably been years since I’ve heard “Jump.” But when that synth riff kicked in, the Jumplessness of my life came into full view, as my ears were assaulted by noise they wrongly believed they’d left behind at some college dive bar. You don’t realize how good you’ve had it, all these Jump-less years, until you’re forced, once again, to listen to Jump. It was like Proust’s madeleines but if those madeleines were made of shit. Panama: guitar great, rest meh, skip I’m trying to give the remainder a chance because I’m positive I’ve only heard three songs off this album before today. And, hey, I feel like Drop Dead Legs rewarded that patience. I like that one. Hot for teacher is another “great guitar, rest meh” song. Of the three big singles off this album, I’d have to say it’s my favorite. Oh, I’ll Wait sounds familiar too? Don’t hate this one either. Look at you, Van Halen! You might just earn a 2 here! Girl Gone Bad sounds like they needed another song for the album and they were told to improvise for four minutes without discussing what they were going to do ahead of time. House of Pain sounds like that but this time they were allowed to discuss their plans. Okay so my three favorite songs on this are the knockoff AC/DC song (drop dead legs), the lyrically indefensible song (hot for teacher), and the one that sounds the least like the others (I’ll wait — I guess it technically sounds a lot like 1984, but I’m not counting 1984). I think finding three songs I kinda like, though, is enough to save this from a 1.
S Best isch s Cover und s zweit Best d Riffs.
I've never been the biggest fan of Van Halen, and my listen of this album confirms why. The poppy and glammy feel of the songs is not my style, and while the guitar work is impressive, it feels stale and outdated just like blues guitar. I can imagine it hitting harder upon its release in the 80s, but outside of the context of the 80s, it feels bland.
Van Halen really doesn’t do much for me despite having a few catchy songs. Way too much guitar.
Peak 80s rock, cheesy and fun, but also terribly dated. Apart from the main hits (and a couple of nice guitar solos), I find it really hard to listen today. I semi-enjoyed playing the full record, but I will certainly never listen again. 3/10
Still great musicians, especially Eddie, but the party-rock vibe doesn’t do much for me. There are some killer moments, yet it never reaches the impact of the debut, which had better songs and felt fresher from start to finish. So much better than Def Leppard though.
Weird that this band cranking out these ridiculous songs would also have one of the greatest guitar players.
I didn’t Jump with joy at this one
Rock music is a sheep in wolf's clothing. Fuck too much with it and it gives in pretty quickly leaving, well, not very much at all. And m'lud, I give you 1984 as Exhibit A. It leaves me utterly unmoved and only Jump saves it from a worse fate. 2*
Very basic and uninspired rock album. Weak vocals. Uninteresting guitar riffs and melodies. The only track that stood out was "I'll Wait". The synth worked surprisingly well on that track.
I've always thought these glam/stadium rock band are just playing fancy guitar riffs in order to shag women. At least these aren't taking themselves too seriously. Jump is a class pop song, and Hot For Teacher is a lot of fun. But this band just isn't my thing.
Despite some hot riffs, this album can stay in 1984 for all I care.
PANAMA! Got some big hitters - Jump, Panama and Hot for Teacher, but I can listen to these in one offs in a playlist, not a full album. Too cheesy.
2.5/5
It was fine for what it was. Just not the type of music I like to listen to.
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
All the goodwill from Jump instantly destroyed by Hot For Teacher.
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.
Van Halen klinkt als een Weird Al-parodie op goede jaren-80 rockmuziek. Jump is irritant en veel van deze tracks zijn niet veel beter. Refreintjes zijn cheesy, vocals zijn niet om aan te horen. De tweede helft redt dit treinwrak van de 1 ster, omdat daar wat flarden van goede nummers voorbij komen.
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
Some great guitar skills (holy harmonics), but it kinda struck me as immature, like Hot for Teacher sounds like its designed to be listened to by middle/high schoolers
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
Solid rock and roll. No complaints, but nothing noteworthy. Best song: Panama
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.
Here we are. First Van Halen album. I'm confident I've never listened to a song from these guys before, though stranger things have happened. I think I've been around music enough to know that these guys are a hard rock band, but that year of release is throwing me. Surely people weren't hard rocking in the mid-80s, right? In any case, I'm locking in hard rock for my prediction. Yup. Hard rock, though I'm ashamed I didn't predict the synth aspect of this music. I liked some of the guitar performances and appreciated the short duration, though aside from that this music is, once again, not for me. I could get into one or two of the songs here, though the rest of the album kind of blends together. Ahhh, fuaaaaark. I've listened to "Jump" before. Good song. Very of-the-time, though those synths manage to hold up in retrospect. They still sound pretty futuristic thanks to the polished sound. The chorus is very good, obviously, though the bridges which lead into the chorus are my favourite parts of the song. Those vocals and rough guitars are pretty great. Book time. "revolutionary in its sound". Metal and electronic was a novel combination at the time. Sold very well. I know Van Halen are an iconic band and I can understand how this album was ahead of the curb, so I can let this one through. I cosign this inclusion.
The duality of man. 2/5
2,5
Waaayy too much testosterone. But hey, the spirit lives on since the teacher was way waaaayyy too hot. Right Eddie...?!?
Album 1 Top 3 faves off the album: Hot For Teacher, Top Jimmy, I'll Wait I'm going to try reviewing albums in a way I don't usually do; that is, by yapping about them to the best of my ability. Maybe by the end of this, I'll have something to say! Van Halen has always been a household name for me, but I haven't gotten around to listening to them in-depth until now. The pacing of this album was well done, stepping off the gas pedal between some of the most driving tunes without losing the energy at the heart of it all. I wish I had something insightful to say about the drumming and guitar, but everything has been said already. They're phenomenal. Lyrically, I think this one falls on the lower end of middle ground. As far as this project goes, I currently have nothing to compare it to. As an avid music listener in general, though, I've heard far worse, *and* far better. Time will really tell where this one falls in the total ranking, but I doubt it's going to be above the midpoint. Overall, this was a solid start to the journey, and an enjoyable listening experience!
I looked up to see if there was a known connection between this album and the book by George Orwell. There is not. Jump is a banger tho.
4/10 Best songs: Panama, I'll Wait Exactly what I expected from an '80s rock album: lots of sex, huge numbers of guitar riffs, and overly long tracks. Not my type of music. How would I fix it? Shorten each song, drop a guitar riff or two, and be more interesting.
Impressed by the energy on display but does every song need a guitar solo? Yes, because it the 80’s. Jump is forever a party song classic, Hot for Teacher is horrendous and the rest is middling.
Sigh, no thank you
62
I don't know I didn't like it
Iconic opening, but rest didn’t really stand out for me unfortunately
Far too samey for my taste. A couple of good tracks, but not an album I would come back to.
some good tracks but not exciting as a whole
Juvenile hair metal. "Hot for teacher"? Really? C'mon.
girl gone bad is tea
Track 1: Great - he's found the synthesiser! This is going to be fun. Track 2: Jump - driven by the synth. Awesome. The guitar solo actually fits the music even. Track 3 - 6: Where's the synth gone? Did they hide it from him and force him to play those stupid solos with too many notes? Track 7: It's baack. I'll Wait. This is a good tune. Tracks 8-9. Boooo. Is a good album gone bad.
Better than its contemporaries as it seems a lot less sleazy and a bit more fun. Still not my bag and not exactly complex, but better than others.
Upon seeing that Van Halen's 1984 was my listening assignment for today, I came to a sudden realization that the names of a lot of the "classic rock" bands from the '70s & '80s have the same exact cadence... Led Zeppelin, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Van Halen. This might seem like a completely inconsequential thing, but I honestly think it might be one of the reasons I struggled to get into this era of rock for so long – I couldn't keep the artist names straight in my head and therefore couldn't remember which acts were making music I actually liked. Anyway, 1984 was alright. I liked the album a little bit more than Def Leppard's Hysteria and appreciated that it was only about half the length. "Jump" has that iconic keyboard riff, which (despite it not offering up much else) made it a highlight of the album for me. "Hot for Teacher" is unfortunately one of the better cuts on the LP – the lyrics have aged like milk, but it's one of the more technically impressive songs I've heard from this era. I also found myself nodding along to "Girl Gone Bad," which surprisingly seems to have been streamed quite a bit less than most of the other tracks. I feel a little bad giving this album two stars considering some of the company it'll be among, but it's just not quite as interesting/memorable as a lot of the albums I've given threes to and I'd be more annoyed than not if someone subjected me to it from front to back. Again, I just don't think hair metal is my cup of tea – these albums are likely going to continue getting low scores from me until I hear something that truly breaks the mold. Highlights: Jump, Hot for Teacher, Girl Gone Bad
Maybe best saved for memes and movie soundtracks
Jump is fun, Hot for Teacher is horny, but ultimately the entire album was just meh for me.
Classic Rock and I and I dont see eye to eye, and when it is this cheesy big hair "Metal" masquerading as pop our paths diverge even further. I audibly groaned when I saw jump, which worked when I was an impressionable 10 year old but now just sounded cheap. I respect that Eddy Van Halen is an accomplished guitarist, but I just don't like this type of generic rock riff guitar work. The one video that was being played the lyric went.."I know we're running a little hot tonight" and then they pulled out a hair dryer. Fuck me sideways. I knew this was not my thing when I saw a review that said "Hey PJ Harvey, this is how to make music that people want to hear". I want to hear PJ Harvey, not this. 2 stars
2+ Stars (6/15)
Sorry dudes, Eddie and Dave just aren’t for me. I tried. 2 solid listens. Felt nothing.
I didn't realise Van Halen was so poppy LOL. I'd only ever really listened to Hot for Teacher and assumed they were glam rock. I've heard Jump before and it's fine, and so are the rest of the songs. 2/5 stars.
i think this whole era of rock is absolutely horrid. the cover for this album is classic though ill give them that. standout track: hot for teacher
3/10
I think there was always a risk that I got into Val Halen. I never did though, and maybe it was for the best. This has some fun bits but it's not really *good* is it?
Há dois discos do Van Halen na lista, e este é o segundo que pego. O primeiro foi a estréia deles, e eu mencionei na review minha surpresa que a banda tinha sensibilidades para além do Rock Bunda, então eu até tinha algumas expectativas para este disco aqui. Minhas expectativas não foram alcançadas. Eu já conhecia metade das canções do álbum mesmo sem nunca ter o ouvido, então isso prova a influência e alcance das composições, mas ao todo, achei o disco representativo de tudo que desgosto do gênero de Rock Bunda. Por sorte, é um álbum curto, então não chega a ser completamente irritante. Tirando seus grandes hits, não há muita coisa notável aqui. Os hits são bons, mas são cansados, overplayed e bregas. Não vejo muito motivo para retornar a este álbum a não ser que você seja fã do grupo. 2/5
Meh. Maybe I'm too familiar with (read: sick of) the so-called hits from this album, but I really don't care about Van Halen. I don't hate them, but I don't like them. I'm indifferent. In some ways, isn't that worse than hatred? At least if I hate an album I feel something while listening to it. 2/5
Meh
Boring.
Don't think I've actually ever listened to this record in full which is funny. I remember having [Album4577] on CD as a kid, don't really know why. The standout tracks on this record (Jump, Panama, Hot For Teacher) are undeniable classics that I enjoy quite a bit, but I can't really imagine going back to the record in full ever again in my life. Still cool to finally listen to it though.
Ranges from insufferable to occasional fun. Jump and I'll Wait are truly horrendous tracks that deal physical damage to my ear canals. Girl Gone Bad and Hot for Teacher are more creative at the cost of being more explicitly sexist. It never really comes together, but there's some bombastic guitar work as a flashy distraction. 2/5
This album is just fun and gets ya goin...the first 3 songs. And then it gets old and slimy.
The kindest way to describe 1984 is a bit of a shit sandwich. Jump is excellent, Panama follows it well, but then we get an assortment of strange and sleazy songs in the middle that give me the cringe. I'll Wait is a similar but poorer version of Jump, and the 2 songs at the end are passable. After the opening tunes. I expected better.
Too much cocaine in the 80’s
Okay album, a little plain imo
Couple recognizable songs here I’ve never really liked. Kinda went for I’ll Wait but otherwise the synth rock just isn’t really my thing
so quintessentially 80s in all the ways i dislike most about the era; glossy synths, macho posturing, and overblown guitar work. no substance, just feels like white american redneck music. 2/5
The 80s wasn’t kind to guitar music
This album will probably transport you to an American High School in the 1980's. So if you want that, great, give it a listen. If not, then don't. Amazing guitar work, but if you don't enjoy twiddly virtuoso runs of musical notes up and down a guitar then you will hate it. I can't really relate to songs about wanting sex with your teacher. My teachers were all 65 with perms and cardigans. Not for me thanks.
Unsure how this made the cut. Fine but hardly ground breaking
Oh, what a marvelous miss. Horrible synth pop with shredder solos? Hard pass. However, if aliens came to earth and asked “what is rock music?”, Van Halen might make the list.
Bland, generic 80s American ‘rock’.
I think the 80s were a weird decade for rock, certainly not my favorite. On the positive side, some real good guitar playing, and Jump is a classic rock song from my childhood.
sfiggy rock
Eh pá, meio canseira….
Couple of well known tunes
A little too instrumental for my taste. Absolutely loved hearing Jump though
Hot for Teacher and House of Pain are cool songs. The rest seems like a generic 80s rock to me.
It was okay. Lots of hits, but not my taste. Have to give Eddie credit for his guitar work though.
Short, but not very enjoyable.
I can see why guitarists like it. But the synth and drums just turn me right off ... Gives it that 80s hair metal vibe that I am just not about.
meh
Fun Halen oder leider doch nöd so fun halen. Ja mir kennt ihn weg em max party lied, aber süsch muss mir ihn au nöd kenne, hani gmerkt :0 Tendiere grad zum ne 2. isch das gemein will de eini song ja scho e ihstieg in elektronischi musik vlt für villi ermöglicht hed und au sehr früeh dropt isch. Aber de rest isch doch gugus? 1, 9, 8, 4 ehe nei 2 sternlis mr van
This album contains some nostalgia. It features their 2 most famous hits, and I basically had never really listened to anything else of theirs. There is some technical wizardry, I guess. But it's very one-dimensional, and there's no depth in the lyrics or tone. 2/5
If you like American style heavy metal, arena rock then this is for you. Not being an enthusiast I thought it was ok. Favourite tracks were Drop Dead Legs and Hot for the Teacher (but I'm not sure if that is PC anymore)
Rating: 2.2 How can an album with Jump, Panama and Hot for Teacher get such a low rating? Well I’m pretty sure I heard all of those songs in every 80’s nostalgia bait movie I’ve ever watched and the rest of the songs will put you to sleep better than a lullaby on cough syrup.
Preferred the other Van Halen we had, but gave that a 2... So another 2.
Got it bad. So bad.
encapsulates early '80's to a T.
Jump is a decent pop song, but otherwise this record was quite mediocre 80's hard rock
Few good tracks and others empty stuff with 80s sounds. Next week I wont remember much about this album.
Van Halen was never in my rotation, I think they edge too close to the technical side of hard rock for my liking. One can't deny Eddie VH's skills as a player, but guitar heroes are just not my thing. Lots of familiar songs. None of the unfamiliar songs grabbed my interest, but few of the hit songs are cool tracks.
Well, this is going to be a tough listen Really not my thing Jump is great.
Maybe this has aged but it wasn’t for me.
Not bad for hair metal. Stupid childish lyrics but the addition of synths makes the music interesting.
favs: - jump - drop dead legs
Ahh fine. Not really for me. I think I’m just getting a bit tired of 80s rock? Like it’s still fun but I’m just kind of over it in general lately. The artwork is creepy too!
There was a really sick guitar solo in the second or third song, but other than that, what a waste of good Saturday morning cleaning music time.
Not quite my style, but some good songs
“jump” is a hit, not really something i’d put on myself but enjoy when i hear it elsewhere. “house of pain” was great, it felt like the only “metal”, hard rock song on here. most of these songs aren’t really my thing lyrically, or sound wise tbh. it’s too much. 2/5
Van Halen was a band I tried to get into in middle school when I was learning guitar because Eddie was supposed to be a guitar god and all pre-teens learning guitar think they can grow up to be guitar gods too. Well, I quickly learned that the gimmicky 80s pop infused hard rock with all its soulless guitar shredding just wasn't for me. If you hadn't guessed, I went into this one with a pretty hard bias against Van Halen, but I tried to put that aside and honestly, I was fairly surprised. This wasn't nearly as gimmicky or soulless as I remembered. It was actually kind of a fun listen! That said, it does feel like music that only someone who is stuck in memories of their prime high school days in the 80s would listen to regularly.
On which the band tries synths and sounds like every other 80s rock except for the guitar, which is amazing but frequently shoehorned in, and Dave’s characteristic swagger, which is mainly incoherent. Their first record is ten million times better, but Jump and Panama are terrific and the rest? Not so much.
Overplayed not really that great after all these years. I don't think it aged well. Definitely not a go to album for Van Halen. Just Meh
Jump is sort of alright but only just. Rest is somewhere between uninterresting and annoying.
Most people will tell you that David Lee Roth leaving and Sammy Hagar replacing him is when Van Halen "lost it." That's not entirely true, 1984 is a huge drop off from VH's previous work. It's a mishmash of pop and rock with very little of the harder music they had been known for. I was in high school came out so nostalgia wants to score it higher but in actually listening to it again, it's just not that good.
1* extra for the hits. For the rest: lame lame lame
Can’t say I really cared for any of these songs, not memorable at all
Not my cup of tea
Haven’t I heard this already? It’s fine
You likely know two or three songs from this one even if you haven't heard it, but all three of those songs already have major flaws. "Jump" and "Panama" are both catchy but a little too simple, while "Hot For Teacher" is less a song and more a show of the band's instrumental prowess over some hastily written lyrics. I might like "I'll Wait" more than any of those songs, but all of it is pretty standard 80's hard rock fleshed out with some synths. A little more variety or better lyrics might save this a bit. As it is this is the same so-so formula repeated for pretty much every song.
Ciepłe kluchy
'Top Jimmy' made me think this would be a fairly good album, 'Drop Dead Legs' put a swift end to that. 'Panama' is excellent and easily the best song on this album. I'm not actually a big fan of 'Jump', maybe I just think it's too long or overplayed. 'Hot for Teacher' could have been good if it was about something that isn't so damn cringe for 27-30 year olds to write. I don't think I've ever been excited about a guitar solo and they often feel a little unnecessary. This album is primarily guitar solos.
I can only speculate that Eddie embraced synths in order to save his fingers from the constant onslaught of women and requested guitar solos. Roth was adamantly against it and I would have to agree, except that Jump is more famous and recognizable than any of Eddie's riffs. Rich and famous has a price, and the price this time was being cemented into history as just another group known for Redneck anthems. Hope they didn't spend it all. 4/10
Van Halen can fucking play but outside of the hits, I didn't get a lot out of this. 80's hair metal isn't really my thing anyways. 4/10
Generic 80s album, for me personally. Nothing special.
Man, I think this is the first one where I've gone 'just not for me this'. Jump and Panama are listenable but there's not a single tune elsewhere I'd go back to. Best song: Jump
I'm soooo tired of hearing "Jump," especially since it's not a very strong song. Maybe it's 80's hair metal bands that I'm tired of - the attitude, the excess, the indulgence and the misogyny. Whatever the case, this sucks rocks.
So much talent for such little payoff. I guess I had to be there
Hairspray, stale cigarettes, and cocaine. I recognize EVH as one of the greatest guitarists of all time but I just can't stomach David Lee Roth. I'll Wait is my favorite song on the album - figures it's the one where they aren't as bombastic.
it was fine, but i was bored the whole time.
Особенно не впечатлило.
middle aged american republican driving a pickup truck. solid 2 cuz it is enjoyable
Encapsulates that sound synonymous with the 80s. Lots to like here. Some great tracks for road trips.
Brings you directly back to the 80s with the synthesizer and the album cover, classic.
Not a fan, especially of the David Lee Roth era. I can appreciate Eddie’s talent, but that’s about it. I always disliked their drum sound. Way too sexist and way too juvenile. Disliked them back then and still do.
I have mixed feelings with this album because I love the instruments but I can't stand the lyrics or voice! I also hate Jump because my old gym teacher used to play it at the end of every single class. I didn't know Van Halen was behind it.
Both stars are for 'Jump'. If anyone's in doubt that the rest of this album is embarrassingly juvenile parp there's a track speculating about what the new teacher will look like to set your expectation correctly.
Pretty mid nothing crazy 2/5
I always loved Jump but never got into Van Halen. This album didn’t help me This is the first album I found a slog to listen to. “I’ll wait” and “Jump” are good. The rest are forgettable except “Top Jimmy” which is just bad. This is the epitome of Dad Rock. Something that they will tell their kids is amazing but really, only white men in their late 50s or 60s like. I’m not sure if I should give it a 1 star or a 2 star for “Jump” alone
Heard jump and Panama and hot for teacher a bunch growing up in the 80s and 90s, hard to hear them with fresh ears. Album is ok but just not connecting with me, not enough depth for my taste. If I was a high schooler in the 80s I am sure this would hit different for me
IT's a bad album but it feels like the best album of all time
This felt surprisingly mediocre to me. I knew the big hits off it (Jump, Panama, Hot for Teacher), but everything else was very unremarkable. I can’t imagine this being an album I’d listen to again.
Good guitar work however I've just never been a fan of the vocals from Van Halen or majority of their hair metal contemporaries. Probably the most annoying genre of seppo music.
Wow... this was a disappointment. I've been surrounded by the music Van Halen for decades now. I know the singles. I know the history. But I never checked out a record. Not for any particular reason, it was just a blindspot in my listening. Teenage me fucked up when digging into classic rock bands I guess. Sooo I was excited when this album came up. I know the singles. I love Eruption. I love Hot For Teacher. I love Jump. I tolerate Panama. I figured they'd have at least one good album in them. But holy shit, I was wrong. Outside of the 3 big songs and that cool synth intro, this album fucking sucks... and it really feels like it's Eddie Van Halen's fault. He is the best and worst part of this album. When the riffs and the synths hit, they are amazing... iconic even. But when they're bad, they're "inspire multiple generations of dickhead guitar wanker-y" bad. "Top Jimmy" is trash. Those harmonics, that ugly, overcomplicated riff. Why Eddie? Why? And why did so many shit guitarists rip this off? It's hideous. "i'll wait" is a boring, cheesy synth ballad that I had never heard before despite it being the second single to this album. I guess it was lost to time and i'm not mad about that. This is the only Van Halen ballad I've ever heard, and it really doesn't work. Maybe this one's Roth's fault... his charm doesn't work here. O, and it has a big cheesy guitar solo, that also sucks... so Eddie is not off the hook on this one. The other 3 tracks just have garburator solos and ugly guitar riffs that would soon become hard rock cliches. I just can't. I didn't know so much bad rock music was Eddie's fault. That rat bastard... RIP. It's only a 30 minute album, but it felt sooo long. Maybe you have to be a 15 year old boy hearing this before the fall of the Berlin wall to understand it? I guess I'll never know. Some positives.... 1984 - this is some nice, tasteful, epic 80s synth Jump - It's a fuckin' hard rock pop banger. Love it. Love the synth. Big fan. Hot For Teacher - The best Van Halen song of all time in my opinion. THE DRUMS... the drums alone are fucking iconic... they have this almost big band, rolling vibe. The guitar riff is incredible... that opening solo is just... chefs kiss. David Lee Roth is just being charismatic and horny as hell and it's great. A horny sex anthem written by a 30 year old for teenagers shouldn't work, but weirdly it does. Panama - i tolerate. It's better than the rest of the album and i get that it's a good song... but I don't like it. It's overrated. I remember vividly when I was a teenager, my uncle asked me if I liked Van Halen... and I said I don't get Panama... it's not good. And he said.... someday, when you're an adult, you'll go to a strip club and you'll see a beautiful lady dance to Panama and take off her clothes... only then will you understand that song. As far as i know, I haven't seen someone strip to Panama yet, so it's still lost on me. I really hope no one is stripping to the deep cuts on this album. I don't even think nudity could save those songs.
Okay - not really my style
It’s really just 2.5 good songs and the rest filled with “girls girls girls” rubbish and some decent guitar playing. 4/10
best thing you can say about this is that it's very short
Represents an era but I don’t love it. Eddie can rip on the guitar but with limited exceptions the lyrics and songs are largely forgettable.
not my thing
interesting that everyone is pretty much giving this a 1 or a 5 i don't really have an opinion it's just okay dad rock
At its core, the album remains American soft-rock, as the Spinal-Tapesque 'Hot for Teacher' demonstrates. Dave Lee Roth is your classic 80s cock rocker, and cringe-inducingly creepy ("Reach down between my leg and ease the seat back"). Never do the lyrics have anything of significance or importance to say. The title track, which opens the album, sounds like when Maggie Philbin used to get some amateur electronics 'scientist' in the Tomorrow's World studio to demonstrate the future sound of music via a home-manufactured computer. VH spends most of his time sweep-picking or tapping his way at the speed of light around the entirety of the fretboard. Yes technically impressive but George Harrison'd be spinning in his grave if he wasn't dead. 'Jump' takes its rightful place as an 80s soft classic. But an album that's all sizzle and no steak.
It's a very American album, not really the sort of thing I would have listened to in my youth (when it first came out) or since. The only track I knew before listening was Jump, which is an excellent track. I was a bit disappointed by the rest of the album though. Perhaps I need to buy myself a gun and shoot a few schools up to fully appreciate it.
Eh this wasn't for me
Panama and I'll wait are alright The rest is rather meh imo And even though I like masturbatory guitar solos, it doesn't really catch me here
I’m sure this ripped back in the day, and Jump in particular must’ve sounded so fresh and exciting. But wasn’t really for me. Don’t really like his voice. Some of the frantic guitar shredding is cool, but generally came across a bit bland and repetitive (though I’m sure this would improve significantly played LOUD on a proper stereo and not my dinky headphones!) Dad & Dust - Unsure
#ВидатнийАльбомЩодня Van Halen - 1984 (1984) Я обожнюю однойменний дебютний альбом Van Halen. Не дивлячись на те, що він вийшов у 78-у році, він досі є для мене одним із найулюбленіших «гітарних» альбомів. Едді Ван Галлен, безумовно є майстром своєї справи, справжній віртуоз, що виклався на повну на дебютному альбомі, створивши одну з “найдрайвовіших рок-н-рольних” речей за увесь час. Потім були трохи слабші та більш металеві Van Halen II, Women and Children First та Fair Warning, які можливо і не були настільки «вибуховими» як перший альбом, але все ж мали той самий несамовитий драйв. На 1984 це змінилось. Так, альбом як і раніше являє собою бадьорий hard rock, але із великим впливом, популярної на той час, синтезаторної попмузики. Завдяки цьому він і досяг величезної популярності. Проте, чи була така зміна потрібна гурту в той момент? Чисто з погляду просування - безумовно розумний крок, але в довгостроковій перспективі, він не відчувається чимось видатним - типовий клішований хард/попрок, позбавлений майже всього шарму який до цього мав гурт. В ньому вже не відчувається тої енергії та емоцій - все максимально рівно, обережно та «модно». Більшість альбому відчувається пустою та безідейною, а тексти перетворилися з «веселої вечірки»на відвертий крінж. Тож у гонитві за трендом, гурт втратив своє обличчя, сліпо намагаючись слідувати за трендами без творчого переосмислення. У висновку - маємо доволі посередній альбом, що хоч часом і непогано звучить, але натомість дуже погано проходить перевірку часом.
Nothing super memorable or interesting
I can’t be objective about this one either. It’s not really Van Halen’s fault.
My feelings about Van Halen are like those about other 80s hard rock/hair metal bands. I'm sure listening to them live would be exciting, but the music doesn't mean anything to me as someone listening recreationally. You could replace one of the songs on 1984 with a Bon Jovi tune, and I probably wouldn't even notice. The one thing I found interesting on the album was the intro to Top Jimmy, which started out with a great instrumental hook that grabbed my attention. I was excited to finally hear something different, but it just ended up disappointing. The rest of the song didn't live up to it and turned out to be like every other song on the album.
Has jump but I don't really like van Halen
Dated and uninspiring. Most songs go nowhere except a Van Halen guitar solo, which, on paper is enjoyable, I found predictable and dull. The integration of synths are shaky at best - 'Jump' is decent enough, but the songwriting is so lacking - really hanging it's hat on the guitar. Best Tracks: - Drop Dead Legs Worst Tracks: - Top Jimmy - I'll Wait Rating: 3/10
What an awful album cover. The music itself doesn’t redeem it.
40 minutes have passed but...I'm sure I've only listened to Jump.
Big and dumb. Jump is decent, that's about it.
Sounds exactly like something a Trump-voting redneck would put on before going to bed with his wife, only to finish just before getting to "Jump".
Scrappy writing and playing, a couple of classics, but...
Thank you for adding me to this group but when I saw this was the first album I thought to myself, 'fuck,'.
Definitely better than the GNR cock rock, mostly for Eddie Van Halen's guitar wizardry and the group's maximalist style that fused a lot of the burgeouning pop and rock styles of the time - synths, riffs, big hair. But similar to GNR, lack of substance.
This is more pop and less rock than I expected. It was actually better than Guns N Roses. Maybe it's being forced to hear these 80s pop songs on soundtracks, in grocery stores, and in commercials my whole life, but I find the sound of this album so tired. It's not 1/5 bad, it's probably 2.5 rounded down bad.