Reviews (page 13 of 15)
Straight forward 1980s soft rock, then out of nowhere you're hit by these weird incongruous guitar solos. I know EVH was a hero to many, but I don't get it.
shit
8/10 enjoyment
El álbum no está mal, pero tampoco es genial, simplemente esta bien. Entiendo porque en su momento fue bueno, pero no me engancho del todo. Siento como si todas las canciones son iguales. Canciones favoritas: jump, panamá 7/10
When I tell people I don’t like heavy metal their retort is always - “have you listened to any?” In the past, I did listen to it but never enjoyed it and I would almost always say it’s the vocals that I found very difficult. They are usually rasping and raucous and grating and unpleasant to my ears. I was watching a TV programme called the Dog House the other day. There was an adorable heavy metal drummer on there who adopted a husky and his argument was the same. He said people who claimed not to like heavy metal, never listen to any. I promise I have, but my reactions are pretty much the same every time. I don’t like listening to it. The guitars and drums are fine and I appreciate the talent. But I don’t enjoy it, in toto. This Van Halen album veers towards the pop so is less undesirable than other albums. Also, I’ve never really got on with the patriarchal, sexist vibe. Not as bad as some.
Well, color me surprised. I was sure this was not my favorite VH album (again, I wouldn't list the band among my faves, in general), but I was duly impressed with this album on this listen. "Jump," and the keyboard sounds as a rule, kind of irk me — though I have to admit the song is catchy, despite my annoyed indifference. The thing that really caused me to reflect and reevaluate, though, is Alex Van Halen's drumming. Somehow, he doesn't seem to get enough credit for being an innovator, but damn, he's a hard act to mimic. There's not a single song on here that doesn't include a drum prat that most drummers wouldn't ever think to do and couldn't pull off if they wanted to — there's a subtle approach to transitions and emphasis on strange beats that is drum artistry. And then there's "Hot For Teacher," which ranks among the wildest, most difficult, and creative drum parts ever. Nothing subtle about that. Then you combine all the other elements, including over-the-top Dave, out-of-this-world Eddie, and the stellar VH harmonies, and wow. Why not a 5? I dunno. But this is a great rock album.
"Hot For Teacher" is one the most trilling songs I've ever heard. The band sounds like they're tumbling off the rails the whole time, and every time I hear it I swear that this time they're going to crash and burn. Astounding. As for the rest of the album: Panama is still pretty fun. Jump is all right. It's catchy, there's no denying that. I'll Wait is cool. The rest of it, though? Meh. I do like that it clocks in at 33 minutes, though. I wish more albums were in that sub-40-minute range.
Listened to most of this with the kids. So I'm going to share a (paraphrased) family review: Adler: It's just so basic. American rock drumming has got to be some of the most standard and boring drumming out there. Sylvia: I've heard some of these songs. Nothing I would want to listen to. Marianne: It's a caricature of 80s rock bands. I guess I can see how guitarists like Eddie Van Halen. But David Lee Roth was always a hard stop for me. I'd rather go back to 1983 with Cyndi.
yes
Decent with a lot of their biggest hits. Rating: 4.2
Jump -3.5 Panama - 3.75 Top Jimmy - 3.5 Drop dead legs - 3.75 Hot for teacher - 4.25 I'll wait - 3.25 Girl gone bad - 4 • basse & outro ❤️ House of pain - 3.5
Good album
This album marks the end of classic era Van Halen as this was the last one with David Lee Roth...atleast until They Made a Different Kind of Truth almost 30 years later. Not my favorite VH record, but it ranks high among their discography. Its a lot of fun and has classic tunes on it like Jump, Panama and Hot for Teacher. Then you've got underated cuts like I'll Wait, Girl Gone Bad and House of Pain.
ok banco 7/10
Какое же говно я послушал. Музыка никакая (за исключением Jump), певец просто ужасен. Я кое-как это дослушал. Ставлю 2 звезды только за мелодию Jump (песню испортил своим голосом певец). Этот альбом должен заряжать энергией, как AC/DC, но вместо этого вызывает отвращение.
I’ve known about this album for the longest time and I am so happy I finally took the time to listen to it.
Good album, classic rock tunes Not fully my style but I could get into it. 6.5/10
More like 1969. 1984 and Jump are dumb. Next 4 tracks are alfa. Next are average 80’s songs.
good length weak 4 top jimmy instrumentals
Disappointing compared to their debut
Really good album
What a hilariously cheesy band and album. Fun to hit some hits in there. Just super glad this was so short.
This dude is horny lol. Felt like every other song was about chicks. Great album though, fun to listen to and easy to digest... just throw it on and enjoy
Includes some of my favourite rock songs, but also a few filler tracks that drop the rating from 5 to 4
Fantastic album.
De hits zijn cool, het jaartal fantastisch, maar als geheel toch niet geweldig.
Poor songwriting and a soulless frontman performance make this iconic ‘80s rock album just simply “rock music” to the barest of bones. The main selling point of Van Halen, being Eddie as the guitarist, displays him showing pure musicianship with little artistic merit, leaving me with a “nothing” taste in my mouth after this album ended.
In the top 5 best 80s Heavy Metal albums ever.
Solid
1984 // Jump // Panama // 2/5
A pretty standard 80s sound, but a fun listen
Holy shit
I think it would be prudent to lead off my review by mentioning that I love this album. It's one of my favorite albums of the eighties, and one of my favorite classic rock albums as well. I've actually been listening to it pretty frequently the last few weeks, and I was delighted that it came up for me today. I've loved Van Halen for good portion of my life. As a kid, their songs would play frequently on local classic rock stations, and in my latter teenage years and twenties, I would listen to their Best of Both Worlds compilation pretty frequently. I'd never listened to all of 1984 or any Van Halen album for that matter, until I got a copy of this on vinyl for Christmas one year. To me, this album is the perfect example of what it took for rock music to survive and reach a wide audience in the eighties. Having established themselves as a premiere hard rock act, Van Halen relied on synthesizers to evolve their sound, which probably led to their separation with David Lee Roth, ushering in the "Van Hagar" era, which picked up where 1984's sound left off. Frankly, I think this transition to more synth heavy music worked heavily in the band's favor. Their earlier catalog is still fantastic, but 1984 is just a different kind of fun, and reflective of what rock bands were doing in the eighties to stay relevant (like ZZ Top on Eliminator, which oddly enough, I was assigned just prior to 1984). The singles on this album are fantastic. They’re full of Eddie’s great guitar playing and synth lines, Alex’s fun drum fills, and Diamond Dave’s over the top vocals. I've loved "Jump" since I was a kid. I had a tough childhood, but music was something that could always make me happy. There's just something about the synthesizers in "Jump" that always made me extremely happy. It was always one of those songs that made me want to dance around. As an adult, I still love it. It's one of those songs never fails to get my blood pumping, and I always included it on my workout mixes. If it comes up when I'm driving, I'll always sing along to the words and the synthesizer notes too, all while doing my best to keep up with those fun drum fills on my steering wheel. “Panama” is fantastic too, and the actual sounds of engine revving during the bridge work really well. The synth parts on “I’ll Wait” go a bit darker than the ones on Jump, but they provide a nice contrast and show that the band was willing to committed to their changing sound. The drumming on “Hot for Teacher” is some of my favorite in all of classic rock, and the guitar licks are a perfect compliment. Granted, the songs about drooling over women haven’t aged particularly well, but they’re unfortunately pretty tame compared to what was coming as hair metal started to take off shortly after this album’s release (I’m looking at you, Warrant). I love this album, and I think it’s a perfect snapshot of eighties rock. It’s fun and it’s got great synthesizer and guitar parts. The only criticism I can level against 1984 is that only one of the nine tracks is “Jump.”
Some great tracks... some filler too
Van halen er based
Wow, when did I start enjoying glam metal so much? I enjoyed this one a lot. Some stone-cold classics here, from the uplifting and motivational energy of Jump to the fast and aggressive heavy metal of Hot for Teacher. Plus at 33 minutes it doesn't overstay its welcome, and frankly I wouldn't have minded a longer album. Very very good. Favourite: Jump
Great album, I mean 'Jump' is a great song
Eddie bumps it from a 3 to a 4
Ha ha.. essential 80’s hair metal… Always Jump at parties back then. But now… very dated
This record feels so much more coherent to me than most of the contemporary hard rock albums. Maybe it's the gorgeous synths. Maybe it's the proggy vocals of David Lee Roth. Or maybe it's that even with a generational talent, Eddie Van Halen is constantly flashy but never boring and uninviting. The lyrics are of course atrocious.
There’s a reason my friends don’t call me Hard Rock Andy. Mainly because my name isn’t Andy, but also because I’m not really a fan of hard rock. With Van Halen it’s something else completely. The songwriting is brilliant, Lee Roth is a complete singer, Anthony plays extremely well - and then there’s the brothers. Their playing is sublime and especially Eddie is flashy without ever letting it overrule the underlying song. This is simply the perfect hard rock line-up. Also - who really cares about lyrics? Well I do. But I can easily let it slide for half an hour.
4/5
5/5 this is a great album. Jump is by far my favorite track on the album but obviously hot for teacher is no slouch either. Top Jimmy is the weakest track on the album. I will be listening to this again. I've definitely slept on Van Halen up till now.
It’s Van Halen. Classic guitar riffs and synth. I want to love them and this album but it’s enjoyable but not essential. 7/10
It was good. I already knew some of the songs, I guess they were hits at the time. I liked it.
These guitar solos are awesome. The one on “Top Jimmy” stood out to me. It’s kind of rough and sloppy and wild but you can hear that Eddie Van Halen is also a brilliant musician. Some of these solos sound like free jazz but played on top of hair metal. That’s so badass! First time listening to a Van Halen album straight through and I’m impressed. I think I always dismissed them as a goofy band but they’re pretty awesome. I know the big hits off this one from classic rock radio but it’s been long enough since I’ve listened to them that I was able to hear how great they are again. I’m glad this was a Friday album because I had a chance to play it a few times — while working out, driving, in the background at home — and it gets better and better. I’m more and more convinced this is a classic and I’m looking forward to spending more time with it.
I think every rock guitarist loves Eddie Van Halen and yet still I think he is underrated. In the lineage of greatest guitarists ever, EVH has a clear and definite spot on the list following Jimi Hendrix and he held that spot for atleast a decade (who came after him and who came before Jimi is up for debate). He had everything that a great rock guitarist would have- tasteful phrasing, tight rhythmic ability, attention-grabbing solos, etc. But he also had this other layer of virtuosity in him- immensely proficient technical playing, incredible amounts of creativity, tone for days and days and days, and a unique voice on the instrument that still has yet to be replicated. I was really really sad when he passed in 2020 as he influenced me so much when I was a young musician. I will always regret being an 18 or so year old and playing a Charvel EVH guitar at a small guitar shop in Teaneck New Jersey and not somehow finding the money to buy it. It was the best guitar I had ever played. I don't really play that many guitars besides my own and I've probably played objectively better ones since then but I still think about that one that got away. My brother always reminds me too as he was there as well :P The rest of the band was just a perfect mesh around him too. David Lee Roth was probably the EVH equivalent but on vocals, and the drums and bass were also incredible musicians (although not up to the level of EVH or David Lee Roth). This album is a great stack of compositions from the fellas. I think Van Halen self-titled is probably my favorite record of there's but this is probably firmly in second place. "Jump", "Panama", and "Hot For Teacher" are continuations of their amazing energy, technical abilities, composition chops, and simple ability to slap together some catchy tunes that ANYONE could listen to and enjoy. "Hot For Teacher" is my second favorite VH song I think. That intro guitar solo is so impressive. 3 Michelin star guitarring on that track. Plus the motorcycle kick drum beat? Come on. I would have loved to be alive for this record to come out and be a teenager and man I would eat this up. SO GOOD. Even the more in-between tracks are tight and have moment on top of moment of hidden amazing guitar parts or vocal sections. Like the guitar parts on "Top Jimmy" and the incredibly fluid playing at the end of "Drop Dead Legs".
Pretty good. I loved Jump since I was young, and the rest is simple 80s hair band rock. Nothing special, but still enjoyable.
Punchy and shredding
This album is pretty hard to rate, because I'm not a fan of Van Halen, or anything similar to glam rock, but I'm a big fan of Eddie Van Halen and his amazing virtuosity on guitar. And maybe unsurprisingly, I actually dislike every single from this album, as I think those didn't age well, being very dull and boring, but other songs on this album, with less prominent vocal work by Roth are actually pretty good. An example of that is an amazing "Girl Gone Bad". Basically, anytime Van Halen is not trying to put out a top 20 hit on MTV, the song is very good. With those ambivalent feelings about "1984" I causally give 3/5 as total. 1 for singles, 5 for Eddie Van Halen and his craftsmanship.
Maybe it was great in the 80s. But it hasn’t aged very well in my opinion. But it had some great line ts in the second half of the album
DLR and Eddie Van Halen are icons. Fun album but the 80s synthesizer and hype for excessive grandiose blasting make it cheap.
Three very well known popular songs out of the eight and a half on the album is impressive. It's not reinventing the wheel, because this is the sound of 80's rock. Not the most musically impressive thing I've ever listened to, but it's full of drive and energy. To be appreciated for its influence for sure
I forgot how many hits were on this album. I was too young to know it when it was released, but it contains anthems of my youth. It reads like a Van Halen (DLR) greatest hits and that might be its downside for me. It's a better grouping of singles to my ears than it is a fully cohesive album in the way I look to listen to albums.
Yes mega!!!
The more you listen to this cheesy brand of '80s metal, the less impressive it becomes. Save for a few signature moves by each of the bands, they're all pretty indistinguishable. A guitar solo, a bright, happy (and horny) rock and roll vibe, soaring vocals. It's a good album, let's not get that wrong - but it's less notable simply by virtue of this style being so prevalent during the '80s.
didn't like the teacher song but i feel like it'll probably grow on me. i already knew a few so i expected the album to be good, which it was. did actually surprise me how much i enjoyed it. 4/5
One of my all time favourites! I always get hyped up when a song by Van Halen gets on. This band had so many talent, especially in this line-up. And the addition of synths to some songs is a great one but they did not take away from their core sound! Amazing work by an amazing band! 9,5 out of 10
This is quite possible the worst album art I've ever seen. It kinda reminds me of angelic 2 the core
Love the way they can rip a guitar solo. And the drums on hot for teacher is wild. High tier 80s rock
Amazing guitar work, amazing vocal performances, innovative synth usage, great songwriting. This doesn't quite make it to a 5 for me but it was close.
Was prepared to hate this, but man was I wrong. It's party all the way to Panama, the musicianship - even though I usually am not a fan of shredding - is awesome, and the songs, for what they are, are pretty good. Maybe the dash of creepy schoolboy misogyny is a fault, but I guess it's an interesting cultural artefact to learn from now that music world has generally moved away from it and it also doesn't sound that it had an intention to be destructive at the time.
ok
Les synthétiseurs les distinguent des autres groupes rock de l'époque que j'ai écoutés récemment. Les guitares déjantées sont plus ludiques que lourdes. Un plaisir à ne pas bouder.
I read somewhere that this album was so big that it made Diamond Dave think he could leave and make it as a solo artist, thereby destroying one of the best rock bands of the era. If that's true, it's the one bad thing about this record. Yeah, even the synths are great - get over it. Probably Van Halen's best set of original songs.
ChatGPT prompt: "Generate a hard rock album that sounds like the early Reagan Years." Production: 5/5 (2015 Remaster) Performances: 5/5 Songs: 1/5 The songs are so corny. I was hoping maybe the deep cuts would have been interesting but they're just like the single without good hooks. Album art: 10/5
Pretty great but not as great as their first album
Mark Knofler, wie was dat ook weer? Gitaarhelden, maak plaats voor 's Neerlands trots, Eddie van Halen met zijn broer Alex op de drums. Heerlijk deze stevig aangezette virtuositeit, zonder de donkere zoniet satanische ondertoon die vaak aan dit soort muziek moet hangen. Niks dood en verderf, leve het leven en gaan met die banaan. 33 minuten vlammen.
Dit album zwenkt van stereotype pop-metal (Hot for Teacher) naar stereotype '80s (I'll Wait). Ze hebben de juiste dosering te pakken om beide leuk te houden. Het overkomt me niet vaak. Maar dit album had wat mij betreft iets langer gemogen. En dat heb ik graag. Ze hebben ons de opvullers en B-platen bespaart. Ik zet het gewoon nog eens op.
Mainstream heavy metal met scheurende gitaren en vibrerende synths. De enige Nederlandse inbreng in deze 1001-lijst? Of zie ik wat NL roots over het hoofd? Het is bombastisch, Eddie van Halen is een absolute virtuoos. Ik heb hem gewoon nog een keer opgezet en er weer van genoten. Ik zit er zelfs aan te denken om voor de 3e keer op rij de maximale score te geven. Hop, gewoon doen!
3/5 Best: Top Jimmy Worst: Jump
As expected 80s cock synth rock
Big haired shite.
Dreadful on so many levels.
Just the kind of enjoyable nonsense I was in the mood for today. Like a trashy film. I'll hate it tomorrow, but I enjoyed it in this ice tea swigging summer's day.
I must have skipped a few chapters of Orwell's 1984, don't recall Winston being 'Hot For Teacher' in Room 101.
Pretty rubbish. Couldn't finish it. Pretty empty and not even really fun with it. Oh dear.
Van Halen is great but also terrible at the same time
Some all-time bangers with a bit of trash thrown in for flavor.
that baby is lighting tf up
Miserable Didn't listen
Super fun listening to this one again. EVH is playing is in a league of its own. He can fit so much expression into these short guitar solos. I love the drums on this album too. Probably the best hard rock band of 80’s. Cool 80’s synths on Jump and I’ll Wait. Hot For Teacher is probably my favorite- I love the virtuosity of the playing paired with the sillyness of David Lee Roth. 5
Man this just rips. Panama is so sick, I love those little guitar squeals. EVH’s rhythm playing is so nasty too. I learned on wiki that Michael McDonald co-wrote one of the songs?? Lol
Hot for Teacher is obviously the best. Very cool record
85 Buenísimo psra escuchar increible guitarra y solos
I enjoy clicking on my 1001 Albums link only to see a picture of an angelic baby smoking a heater on the cover of Van Halen's album 1984. A quick check of the track listing: Jump... Panama... Hot For Teacher... and I knew I was in for a good time. The album is short, only 33 minutes. "There are few men you recognize from the sound of their guitars, but Eddie Van Halen is one of them." -me. The first track, 1984, is almost like an electronic dream sequence firing up and it goes straight into Jump, which, strangely, was the band's only #1 single. The thump and pacing of Panama rules, and the engine sound on Hot For Teacher is amazing. I like the ZZ Top vibes, too. Great listen... A solid four stars.
Wow! Great album! Took me back to jumping and kicking!
I am of the opinion this is where Van Halen fell from the grace of the rock gods... I can appreciate the new form of expression and the use of new technology, but it is not for me. Next.
Classics all the way. Always loved the piano use in Van Halen.
This is the second Van Halen album that I've gotten in this exercise. The first one I reviewed was their self titled debut. This album is their sixth, and was released, as the album title suggests, in 1984 (6 years after their debut album). This is the band's last record with singer David Lee Roth, and it is the first to heavily feature synthesizers. It may be a product of the 80's, or their attempt to appeal to a wider audience, but this album felt softer than their debut. A similarity to their debut album is their cheesy lyrics that are about mysogeny, alcohol, partying, and teenage angst. As corny as it is, it still slaps! The drum solo at the beginning of Hot for Teacher is absolutely flawless, coming in at 256bpm. Alex Van Halen was on fire!! He is a super underrated drummer! Overall, a great album today. Definately front loaded with Jump and Panama back to back, but not as strong a record as their debut album. That won't stop me from listening again, however. Favourite songs: Hot for Teacher, Panama, Jump, I'll Wait Least favourite song: Top Jimmy 4/5
Yeah, this is a good jam.
Thought the opener was classic 80's pop not "hard rock" rest is a bit "harder" but still super fun!
Morsomt med litt ironisk distanse
Corny as chuff but fun at a pinch
Not much more to say other than eddies tone makes you feel like he’s in the room there playing through a small amp.
A great, undeniably fun album, probably Van Halen's last truly excellent work. Several of the band's best known hits reside on this album, as well as some solid deep tracks. This is of course the one where Eddie really leans into keyboards, which made for a much slicker sound than on VH's earlier works. It's also Dave's last album with the band, but what a way to go out, right? Just an album full of big, strutting, joyful rockers. At the time, the band splitting was the last thing on anyone's minds, but in retrospect you can always see it. The band in this form had nowhere else to go creatively after 1984, but this album stands as a testament to how brilliant they were while it lasted. Fave Songs: Jump, Hot for Teacher, I'll Wait, Panama, Drop Dead Legs
uuuuu
Hair metal, hard rock, Jump (!)
Not really my thing, feels a bit like a novelty act
some of the best riffs in history. if any glam metal/hard rock album from this era kicks ass its this
Boring repetitive glam hair metal, nothing extra. If you enjoy this genre, it's time to get your prostate examined my friend, Solid one star at best.
Another oldie - but Van Halen not really my cup of tea!
-this sort of rock is definitely more my thing than steely dan -i have definitely heard jump before, which makes sense because its from the 80’s and is. literally van halen -guitar solos are SICK AS FUCK -favorites probably panama, drop dead legs, and i’ll wait -(note that guitar solo at the end of drop dead legs is awesome) -sucker for some guitar man. guitar solos are making or breaking my favorites on this one -overall this album is actually REALLY good. i enjoyed it a lot and am glad this was my first introduction to van halen
Jag tycker inte det här är särskilt spännande.
One of the most fun bands of all time delivers one of the most fun albums of all time. Favorite track: Panama
3.5/5
jump is obviously an all time banger and the rest of the album is pretty much as good
It was fine. It's Van Halen hair rock.
Solid offering but rarely strays from just being ‘alright’
ugh
Two formulas, a few good tunes but it was wearing thin at this point.
3.75/5 I really enjoyed this. I mean, I love cheese, so of course I liked this. I'm not a huge fan of American Cheese usually, but this had some class, maybe because it's been aged? 😅 More seriously, there were parts that the guitar was so widdly that it verged on sounding jazzy, and that is not my taste. But I felt like it was fast paced and energetic and fun. I'm probably going to listen to it again. 😬
Cliché shaped hair metal cheese but I did enjoy it. Brief enough that when I ended up accidentally playing it twice I didn't mind. Not something I'll charge back to but definitely made me smile while I was listening. Nice end to an average week of music.
Not for me but I get it.
Meni helposti kolmesti läpi. Viihdyttävä teos ja pari megalekaa. 3,5 on lähempänä totuutta, mutta perjantain kunniaksi laitetaan 4.
Helppo ja varma 3/5
HELL YES VAN HALEN 10"1 STARS
It’s decent, definitely not bad, a bit worse than the other van halen album because this has the insanely cringey hot for teacher, but the rest of the album is okay, the main bangers are the main hits jump and panama but with time the rest might stand out more. But for now 3/5
Hot for teacher is one of the worst songs I've heard but the rest it's fine. Probably won't listen to it again though.
Jump is obviously overplayed and Hot for Teacher is a fun but dumb single that has long lost its charm on me, at least there's still Panama. Rest of the album is juste fillers, I just don't care about that album.
Boomer's anthem. "Look how fast he plays, it must be good!". Yeah, it's alright, but will probably fade with time.
I dont get along with people that are overhyping van halen...Boomer alert.
Some of it aged very bad, some of it are obvious powerful hits, some of it is nice, some of it is cringe. Van Halen are a monument of the 80s for sure.
Van Halen? Come on. This album kicks ass and Panama is legendary
Wake up with a hangover. What's today's album. Ah, Van Halen, check your brain in at the door. For the best part of my life the only song I thought I knew was Jump so thought of them as a synth pop band, confusing hearing Van Halen in the list of greatest guitarists. Then Apollo 440 happened and I realised they had another song. I probably also heard Panama in some American college films or something as I know that. It's alright, it's dumb, it does what it does. So, the rest. Drop Dead Legs is actually musically very good, enjoyed that. Hot For Teacher. Oh! Daft Punk! Yes! I am absolutely here for this. Oh Jesus what are you saying lads, this had such a promising beginning. Googles Aerodynamic, realise it's not actually Van Halen. Plays Aerodynamic. Ah, that's better. Goes back to Hot For Teacher 0:30. How is this not credited to Van Halen? It's really close. And fantastic, they should have built the song around it instead of rambling off in no direction. Oh well. Moving on. I'll Wait was arse. Girl Gone Bad was ok, if not particularly anything. House of Pain similar. A vehicle for some solos where they forgot to write an actual song first. Ok I'm bored now, good job this is the last song. Obviously I'll never return to this intentionally but it was more enjoyable than I thought it would be, plus the paracetamol have kicked in.
Honestly it’s alright very old light rock vibes had the fnaf song from security breach. Groovy drop dead is pretty good actually the songs grew on me most of them pretty cool.
Rockin' 80s
Classic. So many hits
Buen disco de rock, con canciones muy reconocibles e icónicas. Virtuosismo de guitarras, ritmos en ocasiones sureños y una excelente voz
Good album feels a little weird now because it is so 80s. It is hard to call this metal but I guess it is close enough.
What more can you say? Classic Van Halen with Eddie-riffs all over. Several amazing hits.
Wow, fantastic album. Non stop bangerz. I have never listened to this whole album, but pretty knew every song. Easy 5. TBz 1. I’ll Wait 2. Hot for Teacher 3. Panama 4. Drop Dead Legs 5. Jump
Great album. Hard Rock royalty, here.
Yuck Fav track: Jump
It's Top Jimmy, HE'S the king You know, when Jump kicked this thing off I was like hey, maybe Eddie and the gang are just a bit of fun. We've all enjoyed some synth power-chords. A classic cheeseburger record! What followed was some of the most stupendously annoying cock-rock I have ever had the displeasure of hearing. I thought Drop Dead Legs was handily the worst song I had heard doing this project, but then Hot For Teacher comes along and wins it by a country mile! What I wouldn't have given to tear out this man's larynx after the fifteenth 'neeyyoww', a vocalisation that reminded me in spirit of a baby being sick onto its bib. Favourite track and only redeeming feature of the album is Jump.
Let out an audible groan when I heard the opening chords of ‘Jump’ and things really only went downhill from there. This to me just seems like the weaker end of 80s rock - corny songwriting and the cheekiness on the album struggled to win me over. I don’t really enjoy Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solos - they just always seem random and without much backbone to them. The couple songs with a solid rhythm section and riffs (Hot For Teacher & Gone Girl Bad) for me are just overshadowed by all the lyrics they happened to put in the songs. Not for me this record - one and a half stars here Fave track (by default): Jump
Didn’t like it as much as their first
‘Jump’ is a decent song… but the Glee version is superior. Other than that, this album was trash, 33 minutes that felt like an eternity in hellfire.
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
Decade-defining rock contrasted with completely unserious lyrics? Great
Hair metal bangers
Great catchy album blend of showmanship and technicality
Great album!!! I can’t complain about an album that has both “Jump” and “Panama” on it. Absolute classics.
I did not listen to Jump as like the entire population of earth I have heard it a billion times. The rest of the album is somehow worse..Jump has at least a pop sensibility. The rest is hair metal with a touch of synth. An album with no redeeming features at all. As you listen you can hear how it was written for the videos.
I really like this album especially the song jump
Solid. How can you deny this?
1980's rock standard. Not much more to say.
This hit in high school, got a ton of play from me and my friends. Has a special spot in my heart.
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!
Loving the sound of this whole album, some classic rock sounds all throughout with the iconic track ‘Jump’. No filler to this album at all, straight to the point with some incredible instrumentals and overall quality set of songs, loving it
Nja, arenarock som känns lite förlegad
Another classic album.
I fell asleep during a Van Halen concert in 1994 or 1995. Got my 1st bj in the parking lot after the show though. So that was nice.
Much respect to Eddie, he’s a virtuoso. The rest of the band? Not so much.
surprisingly good. Hot for teacher is obviously dumb. 4
Not anything that appeals to me. The songs are trite and with little depth. I know the hits, Jump is OK but (one should hear the Aztec Camera version) the rest of the hits are decidedly meh. The deep album cuts hold no pleasant surprises. The only song that I liked was the one that my streaming service played after the album was over - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love. The guitar histrionics are impressive, if you like that kind of thing, for me it adds little to the song. 2 stars
Not familiar with Van Halen, but had an impression of them in my head... Jump came on... oh shit, I got Van Halen wrong. Rest of the album... I got Van Halen right. One good song, the rest was woeful, shit lyrics, boring. I am feeling shame listening to it. 1* despite Jump
Gallons of ink have been spilled on this band and all of it's members. And though I am not a huge fan, this album has something special. It's HEAVY. But not in a way that would turn off non metal fans. It's a relentless party and it's tongue in cheek all the way. But it's not ironic. It's just happy to be what it is. Other than "Jump", this record is very cohesive and a really fun listen. Jump is just out of place and the synth drives instead of the guitars.
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.
Best driving song ever: Panama Best song of the 80s: Panama Best snare drum sound of the 80s: I’ll Wait Most iconic keyboard intro of the 80s: Jump Most iconic drum intro of the 80s: Hot for Teacher Most juvenile song of the 80s: Hot for Teacher Best drum fill of the 80s: Drop Dead Legs (at 1:30) Happiest guitarist of the 80s: Smilin’ Eddie Van Halen Best album of the 80s: 1984 This is not thoughtful, melancholy, brooding or complex in any way. It’s just fun. Perfect 80s soundtrack.
I love jump
I don’t know what it is about “Jump,” I’ve always loved this song, ever since I first heard it. It’s like the best of ear worms and guilty pleasures. Those synths just wriggle up inside my brain and pull some sort of dopamine release lever. Something too about the likes of Van Halen—a band named for their guitar player—venturing so boldly into the pop synth sound. It makes the guitar solo that much better when it hits. It’s silly, fun, and I love it. Reminds me to of the guitar work Eddie provided for MJ’s “Beat It,” another great melding of 80s pop and rock sensibilities. Sadly, the rest of the album does not maintain that sensibility…or make much sense. Is 1984 some reference to an Orwellian future? Unlikely. Is “Panama” anything more than inane nonsense and lukewarm metaphors about hard-partying, hot chicks, and fast cars? Unlikely. And while I much appreciate the fun of such songs when The Beach Boys were doing it jovially in the 1960s, by 1984 I find it pretty gross. Grosser still that these bands do nothing but take pop hedonistic chants to such absurdist extremes as “PANAMA-HA” and toss it together with distasteful locker room lines like “I brought my pencil / Give me something to write on!” in “Hot for Teacher.” Though, “Teacher” is a song I actually like musically. The blues riff is tasty, fast, and the opening drum solo is memorably heavy. And, aside from that aforementioned line, I find the crude adolescence mostly works in “Teacher.” Not much else grabs me here. I’m reminded of Def Leppard’s Hysteria and wonder why I came around so sharply on that record when I can’t here. I think it’s because of the maximalist pop-rock inclinations of that record. When VH follows suit—“Jump”—it works tremendously. But the rest of the album, with a few impressive instrumental exceptions, just feels like so much stale rock of the 1980s.
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
Jump is obviously a classic The rest was not up to much. Impressive guitar playing but forgettable songs
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.
I liked it, solid album
Some great hits. Very enjoyeable
Good and enjoyable listen, didn't blow me away
Fantastic album
Just iconic
I know this album and have been listening to it for years but I can't remember the last time I listened to it all the way through. Love all of these songs.
This album punches through every song for a rapid driving classic full of excellent guitar and drum solos. Short and sweet but will never disappoint!
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
Ik kan hier niet naar luisteren man. Toch een 2 want zijn Nederlandse boys
So many hits.
Started out really strong.
I was surprised with how fun this was.
İlk izlenim: 1984- Yine mi synth imdat. Elektronik müziğikte remaster yapılacak kadar şey yok alo? Bir şey anlayıp bir şey hissetmem mi lazım ben bu Bs'e katlanamam LAN JUMP 😀 Önceki şarkıya söverken bunun başlaması. Alev aldım. Buna bayılıyorum ama tek sebebi arkadaki o üçlü synth'in mükemmel olması. Catchy ve klasikleşmiş zaten. Bu şarkı (7/10) Genel olarak ortalamanın altı bir albüm. Çünkü saran şarkıların yanında çok fazla saçmasalak rezalet şarkı var. (Literally her açıdan) Onun dışında gitar işi güzel, ama sözler meh. Jump olmasa vereceğim puan daha da düşük olurdu (2/10)
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’.
This album was goofy but fun. Panama is a dive bar anthem and I liked the album a lot more than I remember I did when I first tried listening to Van Halen.
Definitely one of the all time greats.
Fun. I've owned the album for years. Some recognizable hits.
'Jump' is quite good. Synth-metal, less so.
1984 (the year) is one of the best years for Rock N' Roll music. 1984 (the album) was the threshold to the quintessential 80s rock sound and opened the door for the later hair / metal / grunge successors that worship at the feet of Eddie Van Halen's mastery. 4/5.
4.75
ugh, sorry not my thing at all. can't listen to this whole thing.
1 for Jump being such a big hit. I’m being very generous here.
My first concert ever was Van Halen (the Gary Cherone edition), so I have a soft spot for this band. What gets lost in some of the presentation and reputation is that VH was a killer pop band with great hooks and they could write killer tunes. And this is their intentional blockbuster. The 1-2 punch of Jump and Panama is undeniable and if you're not rocking by the engine roars you need to check your pulse. I'll Wait is a favorite deeper cut of mine, Hot For Teacher is so stupid it brings a smile to my face and the remaining songs all have their moments. I love this album.
The hits outweigh the misses. A defining album for VH for sure. 4/5
This era of hard rock music does nothing for me, there wasn't anything inherently bad about it, I just didn't enjoy it. Maybe a 2.5/5.
After I'll Wait, the album drops off, but before that this is Van Halen at its most poppy catchy and infectious. Eddie is in great form throughout and Dave is having a lot of fun. The end of an era and they go out in style.
SYNTHSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! This is kinda the perfect pop song, isn't it? Cheese, cheese, cheesy, cheese. Love it! It would be foolish to say that EVH was anything but a brilliant guitarist. Hahaha, fucking amazing!!! Another stone-cold classic right here!! Clocking in at just over 30 minutes, 0% fat, bonkers guitar playing and some interesting synth sounds too, great album and one I have overlooked for too long. 4 / 5 stars.
Eddie's a great player, and "Jump" was perfectly fine. But this band usually just bores me to tears.
An energizing album with some great riffs.
This is one of the greatest fucking albums of all time
Despite the obvious cheesiness, excess and appeal to the LCD, I have to give Van Halen credit here for at least adding SOME musical variety and attempting to have a semblance of self-aware humor, something sorely lacking from their contemporaries. By no means does that make the music enjoyable, and make no mistake, it does not hold up almost 40 years later, and I would never consider including it in a time capsule of 1984's music, so consider my rating of 2 stacks of textbooks as extremely generous, and an acknowledgement that hey, maybe they did earn that D- in high school chemistry after all, without sleeping with the teacher. 📚📚
A quick anecdote to illustrate the nature of Van Halen. At their height, Van Halen made perhaps the most notorious request ever included on a rider: they insisted that the venue provide a bowl of M&Ms. That doesn’t sound so decadent, except that in a different section of the rider, they also stipulated that the brown M&Ms be removed from the bowl. This demand became an exemplar of the spoilt, immature behaviour indulged by the archetypal rockstar, but on this occasion Van Halen were the genuine wise guys. Riders not only contain the band’s demands for Hennessey and beef sandwiches, but also include the technical information for the band’s equipment, and thus contain important details pertaining to safety and performance. After one of their roadies was electrocuted and nearly died due to a particular venue’s lackadaisical adherence to the rider, Van Halen concocted the M&M proviso in order to give them a swift means of checking that the venue had fulfilled their requirements. If they saw no brown M&Ms, they could proceed with assurance that the technical aspects were fit to their needs. If they spied a brown M&M, they would demand that the venue double-check the equipment, and the band could also have recourse to cancel the gig for breach of contract if the situation became untenable. Along with this, Dave Lee Roth knew the value of such an extravagant legend, and happily let the press run with the story they wanted. The impression I get from that story is of a rather canny band who knew when to be dumb, because this is rock after all, not serialist opera. Along with this, we all know that they were a highly temperamental band, who somehow managed two of the most acrimonious break-ups in rock history: firstly, Dave Lee Roth quit after this album, ostensibly aggrieved at the direction the guitarist Eddie Van Halen wished to take the group, and secondly Diamond Dave’s replacement Sammy Hagar walked out/was fired (delete according to your sympathies) in 1996. Focusing on the first line-up (1984 is the last album from those particular dudes, after all), it’s pretty impossible to designate especial blame onto either Eddie or Diamond Dave, not least because neither man proved the world’s easiest collaborator (though they did prove they both had egos the size of Neptune). This break-up would prove a real tragedy though, because the classic incarnation of Van Halen FUCKING ROCKED. Explaining the greatness of Van Halen amounts to no effort: they were a fantastic hard rock band who, with Diamond Dave’s messianic showmanship, embraced all those wonderfully ridiculous elements of rock and, with Eddie’s virtuosic axehandling, showed they were no novelty, but a genuinely fierce band underneath that spandex. Yes, the music from their golden period is firmly anchored to the period from whence it came, the early 80s of Reagan, MTV and the death of John Lennon. But I say Van Halen avoid the standard pillorying thrown against other 80s rock of their era (who can recall a single song by Ratt? Who would want to?), by knowing how to balance the pomp of rock with the skills, thus falling into neither empty theatrics nor empty shredding. So onto 1984’s 1984, Van Halen’s sixth album. The opening reveals the tensions stewing in the band, as it starts with an Eddie instrumental (not unusual), but on keyboard (a bit unusual). Eddie, being musically ambitious, wanted to explore synths on 1984. Diamond Dave (yes, I’m calling him that throughout), concentrating on how he could sell it to the crowds, was apprehensive over Eddie’s new enthusiasms. The two egos compromised, allowing Eddie his precious keyboards within the context of a Van Halen hard rock album. Commercially, Diamond Dave’s fears proved unwarranted, as 1984 and the lead single Jump became the biggest hits of Van Halen’s career to that date. However, the synths on this album are basically restricted to the first two tracks and I’ll Wait. As a child, I was rather sniffy about Jump; it seemed to me the emblem of all that was tasteless and gauche about the 80s. I have softened towards it, but mainly because I softened towards Van Halen when I hit the age of 35. I suppose the curious conclusion is that I needed enough maturity to appreciate the immaturity of Van Halen. Anyway, Jump still remains as much an oddity as a song. One can see exactly what the song is trying to achieve, and it feels hard to say that it doesn’t succeed in its attempt. But is what it does worthwhile? I suppose so, even if it’ll never be anything close to my toppermost Van Halen Track. The other synthy song, I’ll Wait, is much more to my taste. With ever so slightly proggy keyboards, I’ll Wait gives us some John Carpenter vibes, and we all love us some early 80s John Carpenter vibes. But to be blunt, who buys a Van Halen album for the synths? They don’t spoil the album, but when you listen to Van Halen, you want Eddie playing all the notes in existence whilst Diamond Dave does the splits whilst hollering about singeing the minge of a 17-year-old blonde who only ever wears bikinis. And thankfully 1984 doesn’t scrimp on the Van Halen meat. Maybe 1984 isn’t Van Halen’s best album, but the hit-rate of the Diamond Dave era was shockingly high, and being third-or-fourth-best album among a crop of 5-star albums ain’t that mockworthy. Like everything from Van Halen’s golden period, 1984 has remained a treat. Panama and Hot for Teacher are two of Van Halen’s most raucous and therefore best singles, and the rest of the album delivers that trademark Van Halen hard sleaze. Hey, at least Diamond Dave, unlike a thousand 80s hard rock chancers, has actually seen a lady naked (and it was probably your mum). Rest in peace, Eddie. NoRadio, signing off.
Hair Rock has an age cap that expired decades ago. 1.0
Too glam for me to become daily listening but I enjoyed listening in full.
gítarónanismi. blessunarlega stutt.
The only thing worse than cheesy butt rock wankery is cheesy butt rock wankery with cheesier synths.
Yawn!! So bland! Okay, "Jump" is a fun song, no doubt about it. But that's the only track I like even a little bit. Songs with titles like "Hot for Teacher" and "Drop Dead Legs" manage to achieve both bland AND misogynistic. I'd give this a 2.5 if I could - there are some fun moments but it's otherwise boring. I'm rounding down because it's just so pedestrian.
Það er ekkert hægt að segja annað en að ég elska þetta. Þó herra Roth hafi verið/mögulega sé ennþá aggressive asshole, þá er restin af þessu eitthvað svo skemmtileg.
I liked it more than I thought I would.
Вау! Этот альбом так быстро пролетел! Я не помню совершенно нихуя, кроме одной песни! Однотипный инструментал и до смерти забитые тематики текстов совершенно не делают этот альбом лучше. Для заднего фона пойдёт, но полноценно слушать здесь совершенно нечего. (5)
Mediocre 80s hair metal, which is not my favourite genre. A few good moments, and a rubbish pop hit ("Jump") does not make an essential album. Not for me, but better than Nico and Morrisey (and quite a few others on the list).
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
Haven't listened to this bad boy in a while. One of the last Van Halen records I really like.
Yes & No
Behind the unbelievable excess and kind-of dumb lyrics is actually a very fun synth infused rock record. At some moments it even gets cringey, but never not-fun.
You know, I went into this expecting to like this less than their self titled album, but I forgot how many hits are on here, and most of the songs that aren't hits are still good. My favourite songs were Hot for Teacher and Drop Dead Legs.
Not as good as OU812, but this is vintage Van Halen.
Junior year of college all over again. Solid album.
Some good tracks, American stadium rock.
Least favorite VH
I'd say this is an album that I'd make sure to put into a bunker.
Man, 9 tracks and 33 minutes. Though 3 songs i might consider filler, they still have the eddie and alex sound that makes those interesting as well (with that dose of a synth sound... but not too overdone to not fit in). The rest are pretty much a greatest hits list. Stellar stellar album.
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
Rocked the house!
total classic. Yeah!
The thing people don't realize about this record is just how revolutionary it was at the time it came out. For all of the knockoffs and wannabes in the later 80s, this album was a significant nexus between pop and hard rock. The history of the production of this album is also fascinating, with Templeman and Roth working in a WB studio, while Eddie the Van et al were working in EVH's home studio, which he built b/c he was so pissed about how many covers they forced him to do on Diver Down. Also, if you listen to that quiet little melodic line at the end of Jump (c-b-c-a c-b-c-g c-b-c-c), you'll hear what would eventually become Top of the World.
Just not good or important enough
80's awesomeness!
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.
hated it when it came out now i love it that’s what happens
Bro is a wizard with the guitar how does he do these things
One listen all the way through and some individual tracks a few times. Still gathering my thoughts on the album as a whole (I like to listen to projects at least 4 times to digest them) but I definitely enjoy it. Some tracks feel dated, especially vocally, but I think overall there’s a lot that works even today. My least favorite moments on the record where these times that I feel played heavily into trends that aren’t as prevalent today. The overindulgent guitar solos and vocals that randomly go into a higher pitch are some examples of this that come to mind. Still, I thought that the energy was infectious and that the album had quite a few surprisingly strong melodies. This was a good first album to kick off this experience. Favorites: Hot For Teacher, Top Jimmy, Girl Gone Bad, Jump
Some great songs here. And this is some of EVH'S most focused guitar playing.
The guitar work was very good, but this is just not really my type of music.
Hot for teacher drum solo carries this bad boy
JUMP!
Pro’s: Eddie Van Halen’s guitar playing A couple massive hits 34 minute run time - in and out, doesnt overstay its welcome. Cons: The synth sounds are very dated and of their time.
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.
Deserves 5 stars for the album art alone. Great guitar rock if a little immature in the lyrics. All fun.
Coming in at 33 minutes, at least it's a short one..
80s rock album but I actually liked this one.
Ah, this was fun! Flashback to high school, and it still is great.
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!
Nope, hier word ik als mens niet blij van. Was ik maar een gnoe, of een alpaca, dan werd ik hier denk ik wel blij van. Maar als mens.... nee.
On the positive side, it's short. Also, I did like Jump. But, how shall I put it diplomatically? I despise the mundane, uninspiring, and bland waste of time that passed for American rock music at the time (and often still does).
Sometimes it sounds so loose, like they were just jamming and happened to come up with this awesome, tight sound. I'm not even a big Van Halen fan ("Jump" docks an automatic point from me), but all of this sounded killer as hell. Can see why they were such a huge deal. Favorite tracks: "Panama", "Drop Dead Legs", "Hot For Teacher"
Amazing
Face melting guitars, wailing synths, the human penis screaming and hollering lyrics at you while all wrapped in spandex. What's not to like? Best Tracks: Jump; Panama; Hot For Teacher
Leuk! harder dan ik had gedacht
Love me some classic dad rock
Classic
Eddie
Decent
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
I hate this.
fav track Jump review 7/10 not really my thing but still good good example of rock plus synth
I mean… it’s Van Halen at the height of their schtick. Glorious hair metal. It is what it is. Sorry, but bring me some thrash and leave the hairspray at home.
I'm not the biggest fan of Van Halen, but its hard to deny the quality of this album. It's got 80's rock radio staples and some quality deep cuts as well. Everything is done so well, everyone involved is just firing on all cylinders. A nice lean, run time just makes it all the sweeter. It's a emphatic 4 from me, but it's a 5 as far as the genre goes.
Solid rock album in a period of pretty terrible rock albums. Not an ounce of fat either.
Really torn between 3 and 4 stars. Love the album, but is it really a 4-star?? solid 3.5, 3.75 even.
it's so cheesy but i can't deny that it bangs. 8/10
8/10. Finally, an album named after a year that's actually the year the album was released in! Taylor Swift, Prince, Rush--take note.
Not gonna pretend that Panama and Hot for Teacher don’t kick ass. 8/10
Two quick stories that underscore why this album is such a goddamn easy 5 for me. Summer of 1984, my second concert ever at the second of back-to-back Van Halen shows in Omaha, NE. Your humble narrator was all of 14 years old and thrown into what could only be described as a bacchanal extravaganza. Between songs, someone threw a bra up on stage because of course they did. Without missing a beat, Diamond David Lee Roth dances right over to the bra, holds it up for the audience's pleasure, then turns to his wunderkind guitarist and says, "Hey Eddie. Valerie left this in my room last night. Would you mind giving it back to her?" Needless to say, the crowd lost their collective shit. Diamond Dave might have sniffed the bra, too. All Eddie could do was flash that famous smile of his that was all over the Jump music video. What was there to be upset about? Van Halen's music was EVERYWHERE that summer. Of course, behind the scenes, Eddie had just about enough of Roth's shit, and soon it was all Hummala bebhuhla zeebuhla boobuhla Hummala bebhuhla zeebuhla bop for Diamond Dave. Maybe "Valerie's" bra was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Which is just a travesty. In the summer of 2004, I had second row seats at a Van Halen concert. At least it was supposed to be a Van Halen concert. It was more like watching a horrible Van Halen cover band. Oh sure, Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony were there, and whatever version of Eddie that could come crawling out of a bottle was there suffering through just an abysmal performance. And the lead singer was someone less charismatic than Diamond Dave. Van Halen had reunited, only with the wrong lead singer. Van Hagar opens up the concert by playing...Jump? Yes! For whatever your opinion is of Sammy Hagar as lead singer of Van Halen, that version had a slew of hits. They couldn't have opened with one of Sammy's tunes? It goes without saying that Sammy just butchered it, even throwing the microphone over to Michael Anthony for a verse. It didn't help that Eddie Van Halen was too busy searching for another bottle of wine instead of shredding his guitar. It's well known that this was a horrible time for Eddie, and I'm sure opening each show with one of your signature songs butchered by the wrong singer wasn't doing him any favors. The point is that Diamond Dave and Eddie Van Halen were magic together, and pretty much lost publicly without each other. Jump doesn't work let alone hold up without both of them. Jump was Van Halen's only song to top the Billboard Hot 100. It's got the insane Roth lyrics inspired by a guy threatening to jump off a building, along with Eddie showing off his guitar and keyboard skills. The rest of this album is loaded with hits, from Panama to Hot For Teacher to I'll Wait. I can't imagine how much bigger Van Halen would have become had they found a way to continue with Roth. All I know is few bands capture blissful magic like Van Halen did on 1984 in 1984.
A classic rock album. Perhaps a little too much Dave Lee Roth and not enough Van Halen, but it still rocks hard enough. Not quite five stars as there is some filler (Top Jimmy, I'll Wait, House of Pain - in my opinion)
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.
They discovered synthesizers. Honestly out of the nine tracks six of them were really solid.
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
Nice classic rock album, some very nice guitar and drum solos (especially Hot for Teacher).
Quite liked the energy on this album. Got slightly repetitive overall but it's quite short so let's commend him for that.
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.
Better than one remembers. The synths on "Jump" and "I'll Wait," which felt selly-outy then are nice leavening to the drive of the usual VH attack, while "Panama" and "Hot for Teacher" prevent it from becoming too full-on a kinder, gentler Van Halen. One finds this more than marginally less clownish than their other records. Mabye not fully mature but at least maturing. Given one's past loathing of this band (and their fans) one is surprised how much one enjoyed.
"Hot for Teacher", "Jump", and "Panama", along with incredible Eddie guitar and David Lee Roth vocals all throughout. What's not to love? 9/10.
This album is what Summer feels like. Everyday. Everywhere.
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.
Pretty good
Listened on vinyl. A stone-cold hair metal classic. Eddie Van Halen's riffs are in top form here, as are David Lee Roth's unmistakable vocals. A little simplistic? Maybe, but that's part of the fun! Favorite track: Jump
"1984" is the sixth studio album by Van Halen and the last one with David Lee Roth and the original line-up until 2012's "A Different Kind of Truth." I can't say I've listened to that one. In the previous few albums, Eddie Van Halen had wanted to use synthesizers but David Lee Roth and producer Ted Templeton would not allow it. But on this album they came to a compromise with a mixture of keyboard-heavy and guitar-heavy songs. Also, it took them roughly a year to record and produce this whereas previously albums were done within days or a few weeks. This album was a huge success and stayed at #2 on the Billboard chart for five weeks behind "Thriller." Being 16 at the time this came out and in the height of the video era, of course, I've liked this album to some extent. After a Rush-like synth instrumental, we come upon the synth-heavy "Jump." A classic synth intro and melody. Both the guitar and synth solos are cool. However, I'll also always think of the Chicago Cubs since it was played as their TV intro for years and being a White Sox fan, welll....I do have mixed feelings. Although it has more of a happy vibe, David Lee Roth said the lyrics were from actually watching a man waffle as to whether to jump or not off a skyscraper. Didn't know that. Then we dive into the guitar-heavy "Panama." OK, this is my favorite VH song. I liked the goofy video. Kick ass guitar. The song was created when a reporter asked Roth why he only wrote songs about women, partying and fast cars. Well, he never had written a fast car song. This is that. On the second side, Alex Van Halen's drums start and shine on "Hot for Teacher." Eddie's guitar comes skammin' in. It goes loud/soft/ loud. Cheesy lyrics. Yeah, I liked the video too. Back to synth-heavy on their second single "I'll Wait." Co-written with the Doobie Brothers' Michale McDonald. Inspired by Roth seeing a women wearing men's underwear. Hmmmm. The last two songs are actually hidden gems. The band just rocks it. "Girls Gone Band" has a Rush-like guitar start and then Eddie just kicks it in with all his guitar gymnastics. "House of Pain" was a song from the mid 70's. It's heavier. A good song to end the album. Yes, this album is of its time and place. I remember seeing them on this tour. Kind of sloppy. Kind of drunk. The sound quality was terrible at the Rosemont Horizon. But, I had fun. And, I kind of had fun listening to this again today.
This might be peak Van Halen - always solid rock and roll with significantly better than average smarts. Jump is one of the absolute best songs of this style of rock: check Aztec Camera’s hilariously downbeat cover to see how finely tuned and resilient its song structure is.
Just vile and kind of offensive.
great!
Such a monster album. Not perfect, but pretty close.
More good Van Halen. Not as good as debut album, but still a lot of fun. 4/5
Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if Roth stayed with Van Halen in the 80’s? Would their next album sound more like 5150 or Eat ‘Em and Smile? Would they be trying to recreate “Jump” with every few songs or would their next hit be closer to “Hot for Teacher”? That first album can’t be topped, but I understand why this is their peak. Eddie needed to show the bands who followed in their wake who the GOAT is, and he embraced new wave in as classy of a manner as a band of their kind could, while still maintaining enough hints of their earlier edge to not alienate long-time fans. But this is seldom my first choice. B+
The best Van Halen album. Jump, Hot For Teacher, and Panama are all classic songs.
Fun in the Cali sun
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.
Cheesy 80’s hair metal, very dated.
Not a van Halen fan. Jump. Panama.
Absolutely fantastic hair metal. Soaring guitars, killer vocals.
Literally 1984. Hair metal is just Gen X's version of nu metal - cool at the time, mostly completely embarrassing today, some people still swear it aged well. Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, KISS.. who the hell cares dude. Eddie was an insanely talented guitarist though, can't deny that. Should have played better songs, sorry.
meh
Great album!
TRop Bon et trop classique, toutes les chansons sont bonnes et bien faite. C'est vraiment un top album ! 5