Reviews (page 8 of 15)
Was good, familiar songs to listen too.
OK - but not really a stand-out album for me.
Je ne suis vraiment pas un fan de glam rock, mais cet album a son son et contient quand même 3 des plus grands hits du band. J’aime le mix de drum de Drop Dead Legs qui rappelle Led Zeppelin. Je ne sais pas s’il y a eu un litige avec Queen pour la chanson House Of Pain, mais le riff est pratiquement pareil à Stone Cold Crazy. Donc album à écouter certainement et peut-être le meilleur du groupe?
Half of these songs are massive radios hits years down the line, leaning hard in the overplayed direction. Objectively, it's a very good album.
Good but it aged a bit. The lyrics did I mean.
I GET UP 4
An iconic album and one that was part of the soundtrack to the 80's. Even if I dismissed Hot For Teacher, Jump, and Panama, I'll Wait is still amazing and 3 stars on its own.
3.5/5. Good. I liked this album. It was fun and fast. Panama, what a great song.
Brill to hear some of these classics
26/04 That was banging, the drumming in Hot For Teacher was insane. It was amazing
Great album that I never fully appreciated until I got old.
I’ve never given Van Halen a chance until this album. Sure I’ve heard the hits, but I never so much as listened to an album of theirs. Admittedly, it was on purpose. There was a guy in first year of uni that loved VH, staunchly in the DLR camp…hard core. One weekend I went home and when I came back something had happened and our friend group had shunned him. Like ignored his existence moving forward. I don’t remember exactly what happened, but I followed along, which I’m not proud of. I was never close to him, but I feel bad for how it all went down. I love that VH took a turn toward the synth sound on this album. Now I realize that the synths are why I’ve always loved Jump so much. It’s also no surprise that I like I’ll Wait. On second listen, Top Jimmy is a nice song with some well executed triplets in the lead guitar part that feel playfully offbeat. However, the 30 second appearance of the whammy bar (1:45 mark) is deflating. I fucking hate the whammy bar. I’ll dissect this more in a year or two when we get to Metallica’s Master of Puppets. For now I have to say that I enjoyed this album, whammy bar excluded, and will be listening again soon. Now I have to figure out if I’m in the DLR or Haggar camp…or both if that’s even allowed.
Classic 80's Rock. Not my favorite, but I respect the sound of the time.
What a great rock and roll record. Almost a guilty pleasure, but damn, brilliant guitar, and nobody sings like David Lee Roth. VH’s best? Maybe not, but it still wants to be turned up LOUD and a accompanied by a shot and a beer. At LEAST one of each. And I never noticed that the drum into to Hot for Teacher kind of sounds kind of like a big muscle car engine idling.
Catchy 80s album great licks and solos, classic Van Halen.Fav songs jump and kissed the teacher
PANAMA
Great pop rock album. The only thing I would say is that listening to this again years on, I would hardly call this heavy or metal. That is not to say it is not a great album with Diamond Dave shining like... well... A diamond. The Van Halen brothers are on fire, pushing their music beyond the simple hard rock that was by then expected of them.
Van Halen's album is a standard for albums of the time.
Start to finish, this album is fantastic. Van Halen's earlier stuff was more rock/edgier, while this definitely shows their progression into the 80s sound, as evidenced with the synth in "Jump". Every song on this album is a winner (as long as you like Van Halen!)
some memorable and huge hits on this album! i mean, "hot for teacher" is cemented in rock history for a good reason. the drums in that song! but hey, all instruments are working so well on every song: the drums, the guitar, the synthesizer. musically, this album is so beautiful and solid. the womanizing and misogyny i can do without, but i cannot do without those guitar solos. "1984," the opening, title, and lead off track, is a such an interesting choice. it's futuristic-sounding, yet the title is the year it was released. was it irony, perhaps optimism? once the instrumental is complete, the jump right into "jump" hits such a high! this was very much a fun, fun listen, and i rocked out hard today.
Having not heard this album front to back before, I didn't realize that the iconic song Jump essentially had an intro, thanks to the title track, 1984. This is a great synthy lead-in to Jump, and to the album as a whole. In addition, the title track made me pick up on just now synthy this album really is. I was already very familiar with Jump, Panama, and Hot for Teacher, and upon listening to the album, I feel like everything else pales a little bit in comparison to these three powerhouse classics. Still, there is some really rocking instrumentation and guitar work on this album.
Ohan tää nyt klassikko. Useampikin päräyttävä ralli.
Listening to this I can hear how much it is influenced by bands like Led Zeppelin but also how much it has influenced everything related to rock and hair that came after.
Great album. Van Halen was a force to be reckoned with. Loaded with hits, and the lesser known tracks still rocked. Only thing that bugs me are Roth's vocals. Never been a huge fan.
Boy...this brings back memories. I was never a Van Halen fan but my brother and cousins were always playing one of their albums. This came out the year I turned 16. All over the radio, MTV..and Eddie was so cute back then.
12/24/2021 Today's Album: "1984" by Van Halen - This album opens up with what will be the theme of this entire album - S Y N T H S. This ambient opener kicks off perfectly to the biggest hit on the record - Jump. This song still sounds so good today and I think it just shows exactly what Van Halen were good at - blending late 70s rock with new 80s trends like synths and metal to literally birth the hair rock genre out of their Vandussys. Panama is a great track to follow up Jump and is emblematic of the sound Van Halen were pioneering at the time. I think Top Jimmy is a little boring lyrically, but the guitar work is insane in this track and it is fairly short, with pretty much a third of it being expert guitar riffing. Drop Dead Legs ends up sounding pretty generic to me, at least in the beginning. Again, expert guitar work is enough to make this track at least listenable, but I think outside of that it doesn't have a ton going for it. It's just very horny. Hot For Teacher is the 3rd most popular song on the track list and it is pretty kick ass. The guitar riff and crazy fast kick drum beat just makes the energy of this song through the roof and I think the chorus of this song is actually pretty good despite how, again, horny it is. The parts where the instruments cut out for some adlibbing is pretty charming and the ending of this track is just absolutely nuts. I'll Wait starts with these really cool synth effects and the slow pounding beat kicks off a really cool mood for the song as it transitions into a steady groove and a pretty traditional execution. This might be my favorite song from this album that I haven't heard before today. Girl Gone Bad starts off at a fucking 10. Lyrics are dumb but the performances and chilling atmosphere are absolutely killer. House Of Pain kinda fumbles the ending. Sounds like if Tool sucked. Overall, a decent album with great performances. Score: 8/10 Great at moments Highlights: Jump, Panama, Top Jimmy, I'll Wait, Girl Gone Bad
Energetic and fun.
Synth is 👌🏾
Essencial, referência do hard rock americano.
Considered there best album but not even close to debut album. Really like this album but wished Eddie lost his synth.
“Jump” has pretty much caused me to stayaway from this album for the past 35 years. That’s too bad, because there are some pretty good songs: Hot for Teacher, Drop Dead Legs, House of Pain (which I think borrowed very heavily from Sabbath’s “Symptom of the Universe” - check out the ‘cha cha cha cha cha chaaaa’ riffs from each of those songs). In addition to “Jump” the song “I’ll Wait”is another stain on the legacy of VH. Wasn’t surprised at all to see that Michael MacDonald contributed to the writing on this drivel. Despite the flaws, gotta love most of this disc, and excellent choice on the cover art.
Eddie Van Halen's incredible guitar work saves this album from being just another 80's glam rock release. Some real good hits, and some what I would normally call 'filler' that is lifted up by amazing Guitar solos and marching drum beats. 4.5.
Hot for teacher is great if you ignore the lyrics
Rockin, naturally. Still can't figure how Eddie made some of those sounds. The songs are really solid, the riffs pop big style. Still a really solid pop rock album.
80s majesty
For this listener, this is the music of childhood. Van Halen's "Jump" is the quintessential example of where keyboards and solid rock & roll can coexist. Having been a 70s band, you can hear the sound change for this album where the clarity of bass gave way to the cavernous sounding thump of the 80s, as though it were recorded in a concert hall vs. a studio. In other words, one would feel this in their chest more as well as in their ears. 1984 by Van Halen, kept the 80s hard while still making use of the complementary sounds that could be produced by keys. While "Jump" is easily the most recognized, it is certainly that way for a reason in that we do not hear it very much anywhere else. The reverb on that creates a bass/baseline hum that quite literally carries the song on a basic, yet profound auditory level. The rest of the album, while not as dynamic as "Jump" turned out to be, is certainly taking advantage of the synth partnership with hard rock, and we are here for it. In fairness, this coexistence may very well have to do with Eddie Van Halen being the player he was, and for that we are grateful. Advances in technology and sound production are welcome, but sound reproduction will always lack that human element that makes it great and meaningful. Van Halen's 1984 makes that case in a decade where changes in the world of music made that significant shift into electronic reproductions being more prominent. RIP Eddie Van Halen (dec. 10/6/2020)
Dosta okej!
7/10, solid glamrock album
80’s rock, electric guitar & drums, eccentric lead singer
Great Van Halen album with some great hits.
it is a great album, dont personally enjoy the style anymore
rock n roll baby
Not their best work, but still gets played.
PANAMA!
A great, if sometimes cheesy album.
Pretty similar to how I feel about their first album except there are synths in this one. I should've probably given yesterday's album a 4 but what can men do
Damn solid album. Van Halen never fails to make me dance like a child.
Pretty much packed with bangers. A lot of classics on this one. The intro to Hot For Teacher is always incredible, and I love the syncopation in the prechorus too. Just all around fun album. Favourite Tracks: Hot For Teacher, Jump, Girl Gone Bad
Nice album, not a rock fan, but I'd say the music it's awesome. I marked as favorite a couple of these songs :)
I’ve heard this album probably 100 times but it’s still great (thanks dad)
Over the top 80's rock. I knew a surprising number of songs off this record.
A fun album. Pure 80s in album form. Some huge singles that everyone knows, and the other songs aren't bad either. I wish this rating system was on a 10 star scale. This would be an easy 4.5. Can't give it a 5, becuase I'm saving them for the truly transformative albums, but it's more than the 4 it's getting.
This is an album that I loved. Mike touched base on the drums and I agree. It is just pure fun from start to finish and everyone in the band is on board. Maybe best one two punch ever to open an album with jump and panama. Just loved it.
Obviously Jump is a stone cold classic, but the rest of the album is surprisingly strong and not as synth-heavy as the opening track suggests. A really enjoyable glimpse back to the good-ole-days
4/5
The drums on this are out of this fucking world holey moley. I don't know what's happening on Hot For Teacher but it is some wild shit man. Not as good as their self titled and Jump is a radio friendly mess
Enjoyable indeed! Might as well buy! (BUY!)
Excessive, stupid and fucking great. Songs about fucking, fucking teachers, and, uh, Benny "The Jet" Urquidez. A perfect encapsulation of big-hair metal that's still caned at pubs at 2AM everywhere.
Best album by Van Halen
Le doy un 4, pero por Jump.
Classic album by a legend, however it's is overrated. Best song: Hot for Teacher
Супер-драйвовый альбом в год, когда я только родился
Serious rock but fun…. Socks? 🤘😎
Monday morning pick-me-up! Great running music;except maybe for the last three songs, in the heavy side and arythmical). Amazing guitar play!!
A brilliant album in it's own way. The intro track and Jump makes you think Van Halen might've gone full synth! Where's the hard rock guitars I'm so used to? But then Panama kicks in and you know they're business-as-usual, and business is really really good. So side 1 is going really well, a nice ambient intro with back-to-back hit singles and then it kinda dips down for two non-singles that aren't bad, but don't have the same lasting power. Still keeps the shredding in tow though; we all love a bit of Eddie shredding. Flip over to side 2, and it's all Alex just killin' it on drums. Oh man! Eddie comes in with pure shred. Guitar and drums are on fire. It's fucked. It's kind of jazzy with it's fun swing and little clean guitar interludes when David Lee Roth asks "What do you think the teacher's gonna look like this year?". Great song. Strong way to open side 2. The rest doesn't quite reach the same level as Hot For Teacher, but at no point are the songs bad or even boring, they're just sort of not quite at the same level. Closest song that could hang would be Girl Gone Bad
Van Halen's albums pretty much range from good to great. (Yes, even the one with Gary Cherone.) 1984 is a good album with some great songs. The problem is that the first few songs are GREAT, and the last three songs are just... okay. There's no consistency. When I mentioned to my wife about the last three songs, she could not name them. Heck, if "Hot For Teacher" was switched up and was the last song on the album, I would say it's a 5-star album. But as it is, it's...
EVH is called a guitar god for a reason. This album is a showcase for his amazing guitar playing. Listening closely I also have a new appreciation for AVH's drumming. The only thing that keeps me from calling this a 5 are the cheesy lyrics...I realize that's part of Van Halen's thing (mainly thanks to David Lee Roth). But lyrics like "dig that steam, giant butt"? Insert eye roll emoji. Then again, lyrics that could be just as cheesy work in Hot for Teacher: "I brought my pencil...gimme something to write on"..."I don't feel tardy." Now that's just funny. I'll give it a 4 for amazing musicianship and fun songwriting, but the cheesy lyrics on songs like Top Jimmy and Drop Dead Legs keep it from being a 5.
You know, as much as Aerosmith has aged poorly from my middle school days, I feel like Van Halen has continued to age well. Juvenile lyrics? Sure. But underneath are the incredible musical stylings of the Van Halens, and the powerhouse vocals of DLR. At a time when rock bands were eschewing the synth, Van Halen puts all their chips into the center of the table. The album opens with more synths that you've ever heard in your entire life, and it just goes from there. The first seven tracks are unimpeachable in my eyes. Hit after hit after hit. Girl Gone Bad and House of Pain are much weaker offerings, but do not ruin the album altogether. Those drums on Hot For Teacher? Come on...
Obviously has the major breakthrough hits, weaker 2nd side for me.
There are some really well known songs that carry the album.
Lots of classic songs here. I'm not the biggest VH fan, but it is hard to deny how good some of these songs are and the impact they made on later musicians.
Great guitar work in this one and only a few songs were filler. Deserves another listen.
Solid, slightly dated now, but I still enjoy it
4 liked songs: - Jump - Panama - Hot For Teacher - I'll Wait
Jump and panama
fun to finally listen to a classic
Classic. I think I overlistened this.
Very good album. Eddies guitar never dissapoints.
This album has a ton of great tracks, ranging from synthy to metal to party anthems. Not every track was a winner, but in general the album is extremely fun.
This is the first time I have listened to a van Halen album the whole way through. It was enjoyable, but I will probably stick to the singles from this one in the future.
I regret that all the spandex and incessant radio plays distracted me from this great album for so long.
Man, this is almost as good as their first album. It's just hit after hit for, like, 8 straight songs. I even like 1984 as the opener. But it all comes crashing down on House of Pain. It was like a precursor to the generic rock years with Sammy Hagar. But still, very solid.
The songs still sound fantastic, some brilliant tracks on here and no filler. Some of really creative songwriting and playing and technically amazing too. Also in Jump has one of the all time classic 80s rock songs. Great album.
Solid, nice length, great drumming and guitars, and energetic guitars, although some dated synths and odd subjects
Wasn’t too impressed at first, but then I really enjoyed and appreciated the crossover of metal and synths
The songs still sound fantastic, some brilliant tracks on here and no filler. Some of really creative songwriting and playing and technically amazing too. Also in Jump has one of the all time classic 80s rock songs. Great album.
An absolute blast! 80's energy melting my face.
Good
Hot for Teacher alone gets it 3 stars.
A day in the studio for these guys is like: "Okay I've just written this sick guitar solo...how can we make a song out of it!?". Admittedly, this music is really good, and the guitars sound really good. They've got some really nice rock sound out of their guitars, similar to Guns N Roses and Queen. They write excellent guitar riffs, and some catchy hooks too, but I do lose interest when it's just fast guitar shredding and not much else going on in the album (like the last two songs). Tough one to rate. Not that bothered about listening again so will go for 4.4 stars rounded to 4
Production: 13/20 Songwriting: 11/20 Innovation: 12/20 Presence of pure bangers: 15/20 Emotional response: 15/20 =62 Really enjoyed that lads
All songs from this album are classical. A great album with only one notable drawback: it sounds a little bit dated, probably because it is a reference album for almost every rock band nowadays. However, worth every song!
Very good, and great memories!
Cool classic album. I'm not super into hard rock but as far as that goes, this is really solid. Loads of character.
While the first album was guitar heavy with the focus in EVH, this album has the better songs. However, the debut album is collectively better as the songs on it better relate to one another. Overall, it is the same rating as the first. I don’t think Van Halen got any better or worse as a band with this album. Despite a slight stylistic change. RIP to the goat.
Hair metal done right.
loved it. awesome album
HEY YOU. Who said that??? We’ll never, ever know.
I enjoyed it especially because there were quite a few songs I knew and liked, but never knew they were in this album by this group.
Boo yah Ooooo RAH Solid album Reckon I love old rock now A few non perfect ones but still great
Fun to blast. Great car ride music. Great choice for a hardrock metal album from the 80s
This not at all what i expected. what a blast.
Good ol' rock 'n' roll. It's neither very hard nor very pop-y. Perfectly balanced as all things should be.
Memories
Still hot for teacher
A classic rock/metal album. Van Halen really mastered the art of fusing metal and pop to create anthems that would appeal to a wide audience. And of course, Eddie's guitar playing is incredible - an innovator who spawned millions of copycats, and influenced guitar players everywhere. And despite all the imitators, he remained inimitable. Eddie always sounded like Eddie. Only criticism is that the album is over too quickly. Some might think a few of the lyrics are a bit questionable, but they were never meant to be taken too seriously. Van Halen were ridiculous and over the top, but they knew it and embraced it. It's unfortunate that a lot of the bands that followed in their wake didn't seem to get the joke.
This is the kind of rock I grew up with.. very big on Much Music. And it was just everywhere on the radio. It's good simple power cords music about sex and parties
Much better than expected. Especially enjoyed Jump
The album where they added synthesizers. The rest, as they say, is history. Best track: Panama
80s guitar wankery gets old, but Eddie Van Halen brings a distinctive groove to his playing that makes musically intricate songs danceable.
5/21 Some good ass rock. Standout Tracks: Panama, Top Jimmy, Hot for Teacher, House of Pain
Stepdad music. Unfortunately Hot For Teacher is by far the best song, and the content is SO offside for 2026.
Jump is class, a lot of fluff otherwise
Why two brands of cigarettes?
Det är trallvänligt och bra energi. Jump är en klassiker och jävligt skönt låt. I övrigt är det rätt bra.
Jump - 5/5 Panama - 4/5 Top Jimmy - 3/5 Drop dead legs - 2/5 Hot for teacher - 3/5 I'll wait - 4/5 Girl gone bad - 3/5 House of fire - 4/5
It’s somewhere between fun and loud. The hits are okay but the weaker songs are distinctly weaker than on their self-titled album.
I liked it! David Lee Roth just makes me smile. "Jump" is such a fun song. "Hello, hey you! Who said that?! Baby, how you been?" Adorable tbh.
For as much praise as van Halen gets this album was really mid Maybe it’s because I’ve heard all these songs a million times but I thought it was just okay 2.5 or 3/5 Favorite: hot for teacher
fine
Yes enjoyed this.
7/10
Pales in comparison to their earlier stuff, but I'm still a sucker for Hot for Teacher. Album tracks are decent.
An album that is like a juvenile golden retriever prancing around trying to please people with his antics, and for some songs it kind of works. Whoever it was at the record label that picked out the singles did a good job because those are definitely the standouts, the rest of the album isn't quite as good though. Overall, it's fine, but I would only say that the singles need to be heard before you die.
3-/5
I thought this album would be all synthy BS, but there are some genuine rockers here.
Pretty good fun and nice and short. The daft inappropriate widdly guitar solo in each song is quite irritating though.
nice tracks, good groove.....for me a little to american
Innovative guitar playing. Catchy songs. Dumb lyrics. People were genuinely mystified that Eddie Van Halen would play keyboard though. There was this belief at the time that using synthesizers did not fit the rock aesthetic, which is also tied into appearing masculine. But I get it, from Eddie's perspective. He was a creative person, and creative people like to stretch their boundaries. The solos sometimes don't fit the songs, either. They seem shoehorned in because Eddie Van Halen is supposed to have a guitar solo on every song. When you look at the music of the time, it's not entirely out of place. Now I'm wondering how often the spouses of educators sing "hot for teacher" when they want to get sexy.
The year 1984 must have been so special cause this record is so anthemic. I love some good guitar riffs and there are some catchy ones here (that’s why we all know Jump, it carries so hard). I wish there were more synths here though, as that felt the most 1984-coded to me. What’s not is Hot For Teacher. It sounds so corny and I can’t out of good faith bump it to a 4 (3.5).
Rockcito clásico entretenido Jump es un exitaso, en segundo lugar Hot for Teacher Una voz potente acompañada de potencia instrumental en cada momento Disfrutable, con justa razón es de los álbumes más escuchados y populares de la época del 84 Está bien, probablemente volveré a el cuando necesite de buen rock
Jump is great. The rest I take it or leave it.
This album rocks
Might as Well Jump, the shark. Don’t get me wrong. I liked and like this album. I just think Eddie should have stayed with guitars. I also imagine MTV and the videos for Jump and “Hot for Teacher” probably increased David Lee Roths already high opinion of himself that going solo was inevitable. Some great music here, especially if you look past the occasional juvenile bits. Misogyny is a given with the attitudes of the time, so you have to see past that. A good but not great. 3/5
This album was _all over_ the radio when it came out. I suspect some 14-year-olds learned how Roman numerals worked because of the cover. The opening chords of "Jump" are instantly recognizable to me, and they very much evoke that time. Of the singles, I always preferred "I'll Wait."
After a good start it went downhill and was all a bit the same.
dad rock at its finest
this album successfully treads the fine line in hair-metal between good and extremely corny, impressively so. it doesn't feel very plastic, cheesy, or TOO disgustingly sexual, unlike many of the albums their pop metal peers were putting out at the time. the guitar work especially makes this record stand out, for sure. it's not quite a *great* album to me, but it's definitely good.
pretty much feel the same way about this as with Guns N’ Roses and ac/dc; I think it’s good, but it’s not massively for me!
Hard to hate. The songs are so dumb that it's infectious. Panama is a standout because it's one of my son's favorite songs, mainly because it's named after a country.
The one where the influential guitar band turns to synths. I must say, the results here are not disasterous like with so many other 70's bands who saw themselves at a crossroads in the 80's. For Van Halen in fact, it provided the band a huge second wind in terms of popularity, with songs that became some of their most enduring hits. Simple straightforward fun rock music. Key tracks: Jump Panama Hot for Teacher
its van halen
It's hair metal, so it's gonna be sleazy. The playing is fantastic though. Appreciate the talent on display.
Jump is a banger, Panama is catchy and EVH is a guitar legend so it’s got a lot going for it. It’s not my go to stuff but it’s a brief and energetic album so overall Pretty solid stuff 3.4
ah, yes. familiar through film
Jump stands head and shoulders above the other tracks, but I’ll wait and Panama are also strong cuts. The remainder are pretty average.
Pop rock, love Jump, but found the rest a bit average at best.
Not bad at all, classic hard rock of the age, not much to add to that 😎
No conocía la banda, Jump es una canción inconiquisima que nadie sabe cómo se llama. locooo
Many of the hits
Cherubs sucking down 40 darts a day--what a time to be alive. I forgot how good "I'll Wait" is. 5 keepers in 9 (56%). 3 stars.
Van Halen really only has one thing to say. It's unfortunate because the consistently one-note lyrics are paired with consistently many-note synth riffs that are catchier than STDs. 2.5/5
This had some decent hits, but I found the overall experience too monotone to be very excited. Obviously strong talent, but doesn't really do it for me. 3/5
The trifecta of "Jump", "Panama" and "Hot For Teacher" earns this disk at least three stars, it's just a shame that the rest of the material lacks the magic of those tracks.
I don’t even know if the whole thing is good, I just kept listening to Jump and Panama on repeat all day.
50/50 on good songs. Amazing guitar playing, but uneven structure
Not really something I’ll put on again, but at least now I kinda have a better idea about what Van Halen is.
Jump was the only good song in it
It was ok. Some definite rest worms, but I just found it so juvenile. I know that's snobby, and that if I got into this as a teen it 20s then if be right into it, but that time has passed my by.
Isn't this just pretty good fun? Don't think it is anything extraordinary but an entertaining listen. Van Halen can get 3 stars.
Obviously, the guitar work on this is second to none, really delicious stuff. But other than that, this can never be more than 3 stars for me it just doesn't mean that much to me 2.9
An arena rock classic. Eddie can absolutely shred! 3.5
Some fun songs, especially the singles I already knew. Eddie Van Halen’s guitar work is of course impressive.
excellent album cover + points for stylized title. more points for jump. everything else was okay!
Album #245 Van Halen: 1984 It must be pretty jarring for Van Halen fans, who presumably adore the band for their one-of-a-kind rapturous guitar work, to turn on one of their albums and immediately be greeted by a synthesizer. Though I enjoy early Van Halen, I’d hardly consider myself a die-hard fan, and their style of really fast and technical guitar playing has never been what I’m drawn to. I much prefer the slower, more rhythmic riffs that you’d find from Television or Dire Straits. Synthesizers, on the other hand, I love, so really this should be the Van Halen album for me, but for as much as I’d love to love it, it really is just pretty good. Jump is a song which is pretty important to me, as it was one of the first songs that I can remember loving and playing to death, and whenever I listen to it I remember a lot of pivotal childhood memories. Panama is probably the other track in which I would say I have strong feelings for, and it still goes hard to this day. But honestly? The rest of the tracklist is just kind of there. It’s good enough and solid, but nothing that I’d be dying to relisten to. I’m never going to complain about thirty minutes of high-octane fun, but I’d be lying if I said I hold this album in especially high regard. Best Songs: Jump, Panama, I’ll Wait Worst Song: Top Jimmy Score out of 10: 7
I expected to hate this, but thought it wasn’t bad at all.
Baby baby baby
Kelpo rokin räimettä, mutta tuskin tulen tän pariin isommin palaamaan. Jump on musta vähän jotenkin puhkikulunut.
tää oli just täydellistä muuttomusiikkia, mutta en tiedä että mitä muuta se sitten voisi olla
Overall - 68 This type of music is just not really for me unfortunately title track is easily my fav 1. 1984 - 72 2. Jump - 73 3. Panama - 68 4. Top Jimmy - 78 5. Drop Dead Legs - 76 6. Hot for Teacher - 71 7. I'll Wait - 63 8. Girl Gone Bad - 58 9. House of Pain - 73
Pretty fun good pop anthems, quick listen for a quick pissin'
Why hello synth, the album name is incredibly apt. This album just sounds so 80's haahah. I actually knew the first song though which was surprising, definitely in some movie I'd seen. A really short album, 9 songs and only just over half an hour. A fun sound, but not really my thing. Some very cool riffs/lyrics at points.
Det er ikkje det at eg får så veldig mykje meir ut av dette, enn at eg blir litt gladare. Men det er nok det i blant. Eddie Van Halen er veldig lett å lika, David Lee Roth ikkje så. Kult at det lett såpass powertrio av dei som det faktisk gjer - tiåret tatt i betraktning.
This is a decade defining rock album. As much as I hate to say it, this encapsulates the 80s better than the Cure, the Replacements, the Smiths, New Order, etc. Definitely a bit over-produced for my liking, but again that was the 80s for ya. Favorite track: Panama
man i really needed this album today. not because it’s incredible or life changing, but because the songs are simple and to the point. “Hot For Teacher” still kinda creeps me out tho
Driving around in my firebird to this
Good hits, the rest is kinda meh
***An ok album
This album is exactly what you'd expect from van Halen. Just good times
Although ”Jump“ and “Panama” have found their rightful place in the annals of rock history, I think this album struggles with the A-Side/B-Side trap
meest amerikaanse album so far
5/10 Van Halen are kind of a weird band in that the focus is so much on Eddie Van Halen's guitar prowess, rather then the vocalist. Obviously everyone contributes, but Eddie's really the star turn. As one of a swathe of hair metal bands that came to prominence in the early 80s, Van Halen very much had Eddie's virtuosity as their ace card. Interestingly, this record is really where Eddie stepped outside of that guitar focus and started to get stuck in to the use of synthesisers. It's not all over the album, of course, but I think there's a strong argument that the best riff on the whole thing is the main synth line from Jump. The record really does kick off in style, with a cool synth intro before slamming straight in to that superb slice of 80s pop rock. It's stuffed full of hooks and great sounds and gets things off to an impressive start. Unfortunately, the standard of the record almost immediately slides when we hit Panama. It's ok, but there's not anything particularly stand-out about it. And that's kind of how the record progresses. It often has the attitude and swagger of heavy 80s party music, but on closer inspection, it often lacks the killer riff or hook that would elevate each track beyond being something fairly average. We do get some great moments of instrumental work, with Eddie giving us some solid riffs and solos in various places, but there's not much in the way of top tier central motifs for the songs to really hang on to. For a record that only clocks in at 33 minutes, it feels like there's way too much filler and not enough killer and, for a cocaine fuelled party rock band, it somehow rarely manages to actually present the fun, if cheesy, heart that hair metal lives and dies on. It's a shame, because I really wanted to like this, and as a background listen it wasn't too bad, but ultimately, I don't really feel the need to listen to this again,outside a couple of standout tracks in Jump and Hot For Teacher. Say it quietly, but is it the case that the new wave of hair metal inspired bands, who came at things with tongues firmly wedged in cheek, actually do it better? I'd definitely stick on The Darkness or Steel Panther over this. 1984 - Eddie's got himself an Oberheim OB-Xa and he's not afraid to use it. This is a cool intro with excellent 80s analog synth programming. It's harmonically rich and tonally interesting, as well as being a perfect lead up to... Jump - An 80s classic. It's kind of funny that one of the most iconic riffs by a band built around the guitar skills of Eddie Van Halen is performed on a synthesiser. It's a great song, and that Oberheim riff is so good. It's cheesy and fun, not compositionally complex, but great regardless. Panama - We're now well and truly in the land of hair metal. It's not the most exciting of songs, if I'm being honest. There are some decent moments, but for me, they didn't manage to find any particularly strong hooks, or even any spectacular guitar moments, so this one just drifts by. Top Jimmy - There's a much better drive and attitude to this one. The guitar harmonic use adds an interesting variety in texture between the sections. Structurally, it's a little meandering in places, mostly the chorus, oddly enough, but it's not bad and gathers things together. Solid guitar solo here too. Drop Dead Legs - This is more like it from a riff point of view. It's got a lazy swagger to it and a cool rhythmic flow. I'm still struggling to find much in the way of a hooky chorus or melody to cling on to. There's some pretty fun guitar work, as you'd expect, but as a song it kind of falls a bit flat. Hot For Teacher - I'm back on board now. Some rapid, enjoyable drum work kicks us off and then we kick in to some red hot riffage. Again, super cheesy, super 80s, but they've conjured up some great hooks, lovely little guitar motifs and this is the best vocal performance on the record since Jump. Thematically, it's probably not aged well, but as an example of the genre, it's pretty damn great. Get out my leopard print leggings, it's time to party. I'll Wait - There's some very 80s production and synth programming here. The pace has dropped off quite a bit, and while it feels fairly coherent and there are some decent melodic motifs, it's not the most exciting piece of songwriting. Not terrible, just a bit bland. Girl Gone Bad - The drums here are excellent. Lots of drive and a great groove. The interplay between guitar and vocal in the verse is pretty damn good too. We get a good slice of Van Halen guitar soloing, but things do kind of grind almost to a halt after that. Unfortunately, there's not a strong chorus to be found here, so despite some of the good work, it feels lacking in centre and a bit aimless. House Of Pain - The musicianship across this record has been very good, but I've found it to be lacking in many really strong hooks or choruses to hang the songs off. This is another example, where the component parts are decent, but the song itself just doesn't deliver in terms of being all that interesting or engaging. It's a bit of a shame really.
sockfire, 10 yrs old, with 3 friends lurking in an alley and dipping rhubarb staks in sugar, gathered around a battery-powered tape player listening to a hot new album: Van Halen - 1984. It was a precious moment, full of life and opportunity. The world was ours for the taking. sockfire, 51-yr-old, sitting in his underpants at the breakfast table reviewing a draft legal brief with Van Halen-1984 crooning in the background compared…unfavourably.
I don't feel tardy
Album #153: Van Halen – 1984 ⭐⭐⭐ I’d never listened to Van Halen before. Not to be a music snob or anything, but the reason is simply that I never got into them when I was a young kid, and I’ve never really seen why I’d suddenly get into them as a grown man. They just don’t strike me as my sort of band. On top of that, I’ve always hated Jump, and listening to it again today, I still hate it. I think it’s got some of the cringiest lyrics imaginable. I’m all for positive songs, and I probably don’t listen to enough positive music myself, but what the fuck is that song actually about? What is he talking about? So the album gets off to a pretty rough start for me with the cheesy synth intro and Jump. It really picks up in the middle, though. This album is getting its three stars almost entirely because I’d never really sat down and listened properly to Eddie Van Halen’s guitar playing before. And fuck me. It is outrageous. He is so unique. I’ve genuinely never heard anything quite like it. By the time you get to Top Jimmy, the guitar playing is just spectacular. It’s so inventive, so unusual, and so technically ridiculous. I play a bit of guitar myself, but I couldn’t play a solo to save my life, so maybe I’m not the best judge. Still, I genuinely have no idea how he’s making those sounds. With someone like Jimi Hendrix, you can at least follow what he’s doing to some extent. Eddie Van Halen’s playing just feels… unbelievable. One thing I do like is that his playing seems to push the rest of the band into slightly stranger territory. There are little rhythmic changes, odd musical turns, and moments that probably wouldn’t exist if they had a more conventional guitarist. Without Eddie, I think this would just be fairly bog standard stock jock rock. My biggest issue is the tone of the album. The whole thing just feels like one big masturbation session. David Lee Roth spends most of the album obsessing over women. It’s girls’ legs, it’s his teacher, it’s his porn magazines… It gives the whole album an air of wankery that I just don’t find very interesting. It’s juvenile, creepy and gross. It’s a full blown album about wanking. At least it’s not pretentious. Sorry for painting such a vulgar picture, but that’s honestly how the album came across to me. What I’d really love is to hear is Eddie Van Halen in a completely different context. Maybe this is a pretentious thing to say, but I’d love to hear him playing in something more avant-garde, like Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band. Not to take anything away from Zoot Horn Rollo, who was incredible in his own right, but hearing Eddie’s guitar playing in that sort of environment would be fascinating. It’d be potentially a lot more interesting than hearing him in a hard rock band singing almost exclusively about women and sex. Sadly, he is dead, so that’s not going to happen. A light three stars, but I did enjoy it overall.
3.5
Idk whatever
5/10 I liked Panama and Jump, the others were mostly self indulgent over the top solos that all end up melting into one giant monotonous cacophony of noise. Saved by 3 good songs.
pretty nice album and definitely listenable!!
I'm not a big fan of hard rock, so overall this wasn't my favorite, but I distinctly remember Hot for Teacher from Guitar Hero World Tour - that opening guitar solo is cool as hell and the track drives forward like a freight train. Super cathartic. Jump has of course become the biggest hit on the record. It's just OK for me, but I can get with the very 80s synth riff.
Ok
Jump always reminds me of the Glee episode where they film the commercial for the mattress store and sing Jump while jumping from mattress to mattress, which makes me smile. Panama is a song I recognized but never would have known was by Van Halen. 3.5 rounded down.
This album is incredibly stupid, the lyrics are dated, it's a real snap shot of 80s American culture. It is also however fun, so well executed and frankly life's too short to get het up over. Lean in and don't fight it.
170726 21:19 2.5
Wanted more. Some big hits though
Eh, 80s rock never did a ton for me. No denying the talent and the amount of play that some of these tracks got on the radio made them part of the musical lexicon for me. The rest of the tracks on this album are fine but nothing stand out.
Rock music
É divertido, mas fazia mais sentido na minha adolescência...
Had no clue they made jump and panama. The rest besides those 2 are just ok
Other than a couple hit songs, it was just mid
Very alright stuff here the only song that I care for is way too over played.
dad rock
It’s been a long week for anthem rock. Better than Guns n Roses, just.
Guitar playing is the best part the rest is nothing special to my ears, never enjoyed that hair metal sound anyway 3.5*
I wanted to hate this corny ass 80's hair metal album so badly, but I can't deny that parts of it scratched an itch in my lizard brain in a way that made me think less of myself. I still believe David Lee Roth should be chemically castrated as a public safety measure.
Not bad, some good hits.
meh
When this album is at its best, it's some of the most exhilarating mainstream rock of the 80s. What really set Van Halen apart from their contemporaries was just how good they were at playing, and how willing they were to show off their skills. The fact that the band was named after their guitarist was appropriate, because Eddie Van Halen is the true star of the show here, pulling out some of the most ridiculous guitar solos I've ever heard. David Lee Roth as a frontman is mostly great, but the worst parts of this album come about because of his limitations. Hot for Teacher, while featuring some truly incredible guitar work, takes Roth's horndog persona a little too far for my liking, and some of the slower cuts showcase his inability to sell more emotional moments. For the most part though, he's able to match the bombast of the rest of the band.
not usually a fan of 80s rock however, this one definitely hit better than most for me, saved 5/9
Pas forcément un album qui a bien vieilli.
Good album but not really my style or maybe I heard the songs too many times
Quand même cool, s’était vraiment pas si mauvais
Maybe Van Halen was another one of those bands I judged too harshly before actually sitting down with some headphones and listening to an album as opposed to just radio singles. I still think they're pretty cringy (mostly thanks to David Lee Roth), but I was expecting some sort of high art, which isn't what you should expect at all from any hard rock band. It's just a fun album. Was expecting to put this as a one or two star, but I'd probably put it as a high three/low four. I'll round down to factor for the cringe
Last album from first 8 Van Halen run
really good i loved the beginning of every song but eventually towards the middle they kind of started to sound the same.
Good solid album by Van Halen
9 songs EVH is a great guitarist, but hair metal has never been my thing. The overly enthusiastic tone of a lot of the songs just doesn't hit right for me, idk why, but it seems like almost a parody of the genre itself. Can't give it lower than 3 stars though, as the music is not bad, just not my cup of tea.
This album seems like a real litmus test for Van Halen fans vs. casual listeners. The first five tracks, functionally side 1, are more radio-friendly than their prior sound, and putting Eddie Van Halen, one of one in terms of rock guitarists, on a synthesizer seems like an 80s relic. But side 2 is more of Van Halen's classic sound, and DLR sounds more from the 70s era of hard rock instead of the glam metal of the 80s. Thankfully, Van Halen didn't lose their sense of humor, especially the album art.
Jump pulls this up to a three - it's fine but ....
Not a ton of deep thinking substance but the riffs are awesome and it’s a ton of fun to drive to work to on a sunny day
Several bops and several flops. Girl Gone Bad was probably the most interesting song here, but of course there are a few classics. House of Pain wasn't that impressive a closer. 3.4/5 -> 3/5
Van Halen suffers from the same problem as the Stones: The music is pretty good but the singer is a fucking clown, so it's hard to take them seriously. I've heard a lot of people say that this album could come out today and it would be a hit. No way. Have you met the people of today? I mean, maybe if the lyrics were completely rewritten it could be somewhat popular.
I think I got this from Columbia House. Definitely had a cassette. I still like Panama, Hot For Teacher, and to a lesser extent, Jump. I had never noticed that Drop Dead Legs is a rip off of Back in Black.
3/5 - Pretty tiresome, to be honest. Panama is a great riff, and Jump was the first song I ever recorded to cassette off the radio on my boombox. I feel like I’ve outgrown the rest of this.
Two Van Halen albums in a week. While they're not my favorite band, they have some really great hits and they are definitely good artists with great musical skills. I didn't like this one as much as self-titled, but it was still an enjoyable ride. I listened to II after completing this one and can see why it was left off the 1001 list.
Decent but wasn't blown away
panama >>> but jump is pretty good too. honestly theyre all fun
Hit after hit, still good.
H: the energy had me in the first half and lost me in the second. Not every song needs an excessive guitar solo. 6/10 H fav song: Panama Z: some sick guitar riffs in here, but VH just doesn’t do it for me. I clump them in the same camp as KISS, Def Leppard, etc. Music to hype up 56 year old divorcees with leather skin. Jump has got to be a top 50 song intro of all time though. 6.3/10 Z for fans of: knocking down your divorced dad’s door, cocaine, the 80s Z fav song: Jump
Top notch musicianship wasted by meaningless lyrics and a cheesy singer. The remastered version sounds so much better than the original. Having Eddie's guitar isolated like that...you can really hear his genius.
Fine they’re good at guitar but the music is simultaneously kinda boring and annoying to me.
Weer zo'n prima album
God damn - some real good misogynistic bull shit right there. Eddy is a god. The lyrics to these songs absolutely suck. They sound great
I think it’s time to accept that I’m a bigger fan of Panama and Hot for Teacher than I am of the rest of this album. Pound for pound, self titled is far more enjoyable. Jump sucks and always has. Sorry.
I never understand Jump - a guitar led rock band known for out there solos goes for a synth-pop tune with hardly any rock DNA at all. Bit more business as usual on Panama. Classic 80s rock, made for stadiums. I can imagine the 'band on tour' montage music video just listening to it. Bit bland, except for when the shredding starts, like the start of Hot for Teacher. It's just all a bit samey - dated sound and superseded by a lot of rock and metal that came after (e.g. I can hear similarities between Girl Gone Bad and Trivium) House of Pain has a chugging metal riff borrowed from Metallica and glammed up but then the verses have no focus. The chugging riff is good, but it can't hold a whole song. Ah, then we're back to a kind of melodic metal before the classic EVH solo. Best track - Panama, House of Pain 3 stars - there is some decent variety here from synth pop to stadium rock to a bit of thrash and essentially melodic metal. It's just none of it stands out today
Saw them live on this tour. Jump is now a classic, but nothing else comes up to that standard. Middle of the road poodle rock.
Weirdly more boring than I expected. Jump is really repetitive. Panama is decent for what it is. Hot for Teacher is awesome. The rest is kind of filler. It's not awful, but I kind of expected more for some reason.
Haven't heard this album all the way through for a long time; Early foray into synth sound that they would later embrace; Overall solid album with some monster hits, and so so others.
Ok
It’s pretty inoffensive but also kind of repetitive. Will probably listen again
You know what? I think Van Halen is fair. Heard all the hits and this one has several. But that’s all that’s worth listening to on this. Eddie’s guitar noodling is ok on small doses. Same with David’s vocals.
Joo Van Halen!!! Echt iconisch voor de jaren 80 synthesizer sound, ik ben heel benieuwd naar iets anders dan JUMP. En dan hoor je JUMP en ben ik weer helemaal terug bij het boek en de film Ready Player One. Dat boek is echt een aanrader. Interessant wel dat JUMP ONEINDIG MOTHERFUCKING LANG lijkt te duren, maar dat het stiekem net 3 min lang is… repetition much? Dit album voelt als Peek witte mannen van middelbare leeftijd muziek. Ik kan het gitaarspel waarderen, knap gespeeld. De muziek luistert makkelijk weg, maar enorm vernieuwend of tekstueel sterk vind ik het niet.
Jaren 80 is meestal niet mijn favoriet, niet oud genoeg om de 80 en de nasleep te beleven en mn ouders niet jong genoeg om het door te geven. Over van Halen heb ik niet zo veel te zeggen. Snap dat mensen de gitaar fantastisch vinden. Energie is goed, ik voel hier te weinig passie voor om iets positief of negatiefs te zeggen. Geen liefde geen haat, tis ok als het een keer voorbij komt.
Meer jaren 80 dan dit wordt het haast niet. Ik heb het album in twee delen geluisterd maar merkte dat ik de tweede helft er minder zin in kreeg. Als je kijkt naar de luistercijfers zie je dat het album van hoog naar laag gaat. Het begint met de knaller jump, waarvan ik heb genoten van de oberheim wat zoveel karakter heeft dat t lijkt alsof het een levend organisme is. De rest van het album is wel een stuk saaier, en veel van hetzelfde, ik trek zijn stem niet zo goed. Daarnaast ben ik in mijn hele carrière als gitarist nooit echt aangetrokken geweest op t gitaarspel van van halen, het is te virtuoos, te overweldigend. Tegelijkertijd heb ik ook enorm veel respect voor hoe hij het instrument als ware opnieuw uitvind en de grenzen opzoekt van je er mee kan. Dat is wel pure klasse.
Some classics
Nothing but hits. I would find it to be a bit too much if it were longer, but clocking in at only 33mins, it's sort of perfect. Fun songs, great guitar. Favorite track is "Drop Dead Legs."
Good hut not as amazing as VH 1 More polished and more commercial and more 80s glam rock instead of just hard rock. Still good but doesn’t ring as true
Tiene una q es un temon re conocido
6/10 Buen album, ni muy muy ni tan tan pero bien
Yeah man the 80's I guess man
80s rock at it's rock-stariest. Diamond Dave is the epitome of rock star. The album itself was great, a little too 80s for my particular taste though - hits and all it feels its age.
Solid rock album but only seems to Have one gear.
Трясця)))
Heard this way too much on the radio so there's no novelty, good though
Some fun songs and definitely some good playing, just not something that excited me. I would be happy if any of the songs came on, but I don't think I'll come back to the album. Jump in particular is a lot of fun, if a little cheesy. I did enjoy the guitar playing but I just don't feel drawn to listen to it again. Fav song: Jump Least fav: Girl Gone Bad
There are a million Van Halen tracks which best “Jump” but it is, of course, the track which this album - and the band, generally - are probably best known for. Sure, it’s got a catchy synth hook, but I like my Van Halen to beat me up the head with guitars from Eddie VH; so, for me, “Panama” is the top track on this album, especially when the guitar slows down from the last minute of the song. Very few of the other tracks get close to those heights, except for “Hot For Teacher”. I always enjoyed “I’ll Wait”, which is more synth heavy - but has aged terribly, sounding every bit of its 40+ years when compared to “Jump”. Not as good as their debut.
It's been a long time since I've listened to this album (I own it on vinyl somewhere), and the singles are absolute bangers, so I was pumped to spin this. Listening back, it's... fine? It's really short - eight full songs and one intro, the entire thing barely clocking at over half an hour - and it leaves you wanting more in a negative way. I felt like I was getting invested and then... plop, over, finito. I mean, the playing is great, David Lee Roth is hootin' and hollerin' like only he can, but it feels really incomplete. I dunno, it's good but I left feeling disappointed.
I felt quite let down with this album compared to the first Van Halen album on the list. The feel just wasn’t quite right- I just couldn’t quite put my finger on why. Some good tracks though- ‘jump’ ‘drop dead legs’ and ‘girl gone bad’ the highlights for me. Favourite track ‘jump’ Worst track- ‘Panama’ Average at best 😕 6/10
This is typical Van Halen - rock anthem-y and a fair bit of angst by David Lee Roth on loves lost/won etc You wont be disappointed with this album but you won't find anything super different to what you were used to with Van Halen
Good
I get tired of their schtick FAST. Good job putting Jump first.
Eddie Van Halen is BY FAR my favorite of the classic GUITAR GOD hard rock guys like Slash Et Cetera (even though Slash comes later, I KNOW), and it goes a long way for this album, which I like.
This is a really solid classic rock album and I really enjoyed listening to it. Very easy listen and the songs don't really get old. They transport you back to that time. This album didn't blow me away, but it's solid. Would revisit! Top Songs: Jump, Panama, Hot for Teacher
2/5 or 3/5 great hits but never really got into it. The last track kinda killed it too
This is pretty cool rock, makes me wanna Jump! Very much a front loaded album however
Classic hits, amazing guitar work, iconic drums. This album is a classic for a reason and no wonder it’s on this list. I enjoyed it for what it is, it’s not really my style or preference and I will be unlikely to listen again, but I didn’t hate my time with it
Full of classics that I, as a ragged midwestern kid coming up in the 90’s, would blare in my pickup truck to embody the shape of the mulleted coolness of my ancestors. Little did I know that ten years prior, they’d already moved on. All I had to do was Jump!
Very average album but the known bangers at the start. Eddie Van Halen has a great voice tho that makes it an enjoyable listen.
джамп очень хорош, остальное не запомнила кроме того что коротко; главное что джамп столько до этого слышала (от Эмбер), даже не закралась мысль что у Ван Хейлена что-то знакомое…
cool
peak, but it gets annoying after a while
Jump
it's rocking, i'm having fun, not much else to say
I remember not being as terrible impressed with this album as many of my friends. But later listens have given me a better appreciation of it.
I was pretty cool when it came out. It took a while to get used to VH on synth (still not convinced). But I don't think it has held up well in 2026.
Rock and roll baby. Mul ei oo mitään nostalgista yhteyttä tähän harmiksi.
Sound of an era.
Un heureux mixte de Bon Jovi (pour les synths), de Aerosmith, de KISS. Pas totalement mauvais. Mais le tout me semble de moyen mauvais goût, je suis peut-être influencé négativement par l'affreux cover. Au moins c'est juste 33min
Yuh aber lowkey kein Sound gemerkt
Never thought I was going to enjoy a 80's metal albums with synths
I listened to this album a long time ago. I thought the cover was cool. “Jump” was the track that was played everywhere. I never understood the hype surrounding it. Even though I’m a child of that era, I found the rest of the album uninteresting. That hasn’t changed. I won’t miss a thing if I never listen to this album again. 3/5
Standard 80s rock with some classics in here
I was in high school and bought this on vinyl when it came out. I knew it wasn’t a great album even then! “Jump” and “Panama” are solid, though.
Pretty stock rock n roll; never been a huge Van Halen fan, and this record sounds like the epitome of Van Halen - big riffs, lots of reverb, solos. Just not for me.
For me, this was the beginning of the end for VH. First four albums were phenomenal. Diver Down was good. This one was pretty lame, maybe with the exception of Panama and HFT.
I was so disappointed when this album first came out. It was a terrible transition from a dirty, hard Rock band into shiny synth pop band. It's really no surprise that they fell apart after this since they had no cohesive sound. This album still has a couple of bright spots, but for the most part I can't stand to listen to it.
Has classic VH songs here. But not that into American rock, seems too 1 dimensional and crass. still good though, but I wouldn't crave this music. Sounds like music that they would play in an old American navy bar.
Another 80s album where I like the songs I already knew and don't really care for the ones I didn't.
Had _no idea_ that Jump was by Van Halen.
5.5/10 - it’s a 3 because of an incredibly strong opening (1984, Jump, Panama). The rest of the album is not something I would go back to, but man are the opening 3 tracks elite.
It was fine. I knew Jump, Panama, and Hot for Teacher. Weirdly, I dreamt about the song Panama last night. I barely know that song and it was on my album today. So weird!!
Great album, can see myself listenin to it in a certain setting. Not a everyday album for me
Solid 80s rock album. I was never the biggest fan and that won't change now.
Pure 80s excess, and how could it be anything else? I was born in 1984 and “Jump” was No. 1 on the charts the week of my birthday. (Though Mom preferred Michael Jackson and “The Safety Dance.”) I gave a 2 to another 1984 album, Born in the USA, because I have such a craving for a different kind of Springsteen. But who could expect Van Halen to be anything but this? It’s sparkling jumpsuits and MTV and the way Marty tortures his dad in Back to the Future. It’s what us alt-punk-indie kids rejected in the 90s, but you can’t pretend you didn’t know about it. It will never be a favorite of mine; but listening to it carefully, I found moments to love, especially “I’ll Wait.” Might as well JUMP…
i've only ever heard of van halen as a rock band, was so not expecting this electronic sound highlights: jump (duh), hot for teacher, girl gone bad 3.5/5
I think they do their thing very while, it’s just not my thing
I think 'Jump' is really the highlight here, it definitely does hold up. The rest of the album is fine, some of the songs are very skeezy and dated which does leave a sour taste. I like the guitar throughout, the songs are all really elevated by how good the guitar sections are. However this album is not stand-out in any way, really generic hair metal. Not bad, just doesn't offer much variety. However I appreciate that it doesn't overstay its welcome. At just over 30 mins, it's hard for this album to become too boring, it goes on just long enough and that works to its benefit. I wouldn't turn this off if it were playing, but I'm only going to remember 'Jump' as it really is the only song that really grabbed me. Fav Track: Jump
When rock 'n' roll was cool, man.
Annoying and juvenile at times, this still has enough charisma and attitude to be worth a listen.
Een comeback maken met Van Halen, sounds like a good plan. Maar dat was het eigenlijk wel echt, want het gaf mij in ieder geval wat onverwachte energie op deze trage, tropische dag. Het heeft mij weinig irritatiemomenten opgeleverd, waar soortgelijke bands zich wel altijd schuldig aanmaken. Best een goed rock album, maar laten we het niet groter maken dan het is. De 80s touch is wel aanstekelijk! Vooral op 'I'll Wait' en natuurlijk 'Jump'. 6,5/10 I'll Wait Jump