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Van Halen
Van Halen
1978
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!N'ayant pas trouvé d'angle à donner à ma critique du jour, je me suis rendu sur la page Wikipedia du groupe qui nous intéresse. Et quelle ne fut pas ma surprise de constater que ladite page ne contenait pas la moindre rubrique dédiée à d'hypothétiques polémiques. Rien du tout. Pinuts. Une lueur d'espoir fit scintiller mon œil lorsque je vis que le mot "scandal" apparaissait une fois. À ma grande déception, il s'agissait en réalité du nom d'un autre groupe duquel faisait partie une certaine Patty Smyth qui, dixit, ne devait pas être confondue avec [la punkàch] Patti Smith (?!) Non mais on se fout de ma gueule en plus ! Évidemment qu'on va les confondre c'est exactement le même nom t'as juste mis des Y pour pas que ça s'écrive pareil !! Ils se prononcent comme des i les Y !! Pour en revenir à Van Halen, c'est donc du rock lisse, sans scandale, sans polémique. C'est du Kids United en fait. Sauf que non, erreur, les Kids United ils en ont des polémiques ! Eux ont osé crier "tout le monde debout" à un public exclusivement composé d'handicapés en fauteuils, ça c'est Rock'n'Roll.
I don't know why I expected a much harder rock/metal sound, but this was fantastic! One of the best albums I've listened to from this. I went back and listened through a lot more Van Halen after this.
“I am a victim of the science age.” What a line! This is another one that feels kind of silly to rate. I don’t generally envy people older than me, but I do wish I had been 13 or so when this album came out in order to have that pure experience of hearing Eddie at a time when no one else on the entire planet sounded like him. I can’t really fathom what that must have been like for young guitar nerds. Anywho, it’s astounding how many singles are on this record. Just astounding. Shout out to the Running with the Dweezil podcast, which I’ve only heard snippets of but is pretty fascinating.
Van Halen let everybody know what they were about from the get-go, and this album is a tight 35 minute roller coaster. The sounds from this record took everything rock and roll was about in the 70’s and turned it up to 11. It’s just flat out an album with personality. Eddie’s Frankenstrat guitar creates a wicked, heavy sound that has become iconic in rock. David Lee Roth’s power and swagger as a frontman can be FELT in these songs. Alex’s drumming is legendary, technical and has it’s own unique “closed” sound. Michael Anthony’s background singing is so “chimey” and in-line, and his bass just drives an already high energy tone. We got one of the greatest guitar solos of all time in Eruption, and a slew of hits that have stood the test of time in musicianship. While it may feel a little dated in terms of lyrics and taste, there’s no denying this absolutely an essential album in music history. Songs I Already Knew: All of them Favorite Song: Feel Your Love Tonight Least Favorite: Ice Cream Man (it’s fun, but can be a little cringe and just doesn’t have the power of the other songs)
Très belle performance de Van Halen by Van Halen, mais sachez que le combat face a rob se fait de plus en plus pressant. En effet, hier soir, j'eu la surprise de recevoir un message de mon petit frère, me demandant si je connaissais un certain robbelvedere. Je lui repondais que oh oui, je connais un certain robbelvedere, je le connais même très bien, lui et ses opinions musicales de merde. Il se trouve que rob a fait irruption dans la troupe de théâtre de mon petit frère, et a commencé, en pleine représentation, à substituer au cd diffusant la bande son de la pièce un album de Frank Zappa, sous le regard médusé de mon petit frère, en pleine représentation d'un morceau de bravoure. Cet acte terroriste ne restera pas impuni, rob ne vas pas s'en sortir comme ça. Je vous tiendrai au courant de l'avancée de cette affaire
La verdad nunca me llamó la atención Van Halen y le entré a este disco con muchas reservas. No pensé que me fuera a gustar tanto y sí quiero escuchar lo demás que han hecho. Grata, grata sorpresa. Songs: Ain't Talking' Bout Love, Little Dreamer
What a classic album. Their first, legendary. Eruption is a true form guitar solo turned song.
Just legendary. This album will make me go back and adjust other albums downward as they do not rise to the same level as this 5-star record.
Probably one of the best rock albums ever created, I don't think i need to say much else.
J'adore cette album de Van Halen, vraiment un classique. C'est l'album que j'ai le plus écouté d'eux a part 1984, plus pop. Mérite quand même pas plus bas qu'un 4.9, donc 5 ;)
A capital work in the evolution of rock. A milestone in hard rock history. A pleasure to listen every fkn time
Había escuchado todas las canciones del álbum, pero no sabía que todas esas buenísima canciones eran del mismo álbum. El que más me a gustado hasta ahora.
Had no idea I liked Van Halen. This album slays. A I didn't realize this was their first album. This is a hell of a break out album. - LukeDogg
An amazing debut from one of the best bands that basically created the whole genre of hair metal and thusly hundreds of rip offs. Every solo here shreds and all the songs can stand tall on their own.
Here's what I wrote for the previous VH album that came up on this list: Dang, I love these guys. One of the most fun, energetic, innovative pop/rock/metal-esque (kind of sort of, at times) bands I've heard. It's hard to pen any praise of EVH because anything I have to say feels too, I don't know, pedestrian and trite. I'm a bumbling beginner guitarist who high-fives himself when I remember how to play a major scale properly or plays through a medium-tempo 4-chord song with only a few slips, then I put on any song with EVH on guitar and I feel like I've been transported to another semi-comprehensible dimension inhabited by some form of demigods and demigoddesses whose very beings are entangled completely with the Music of the Spheres. And, honestly, sure, there are countless amazing guitarists in all eras, but it's Eddie's genuine joy he shares when playing that is the most infectious aspect of his musicianship to me. Play on, Eddie -- I know you always will! This album was the second Van Halen record I owned. I was introduced to them via VH II. Such an unforgettable band.
Just look at some of the SONGS on this. Runnin' with the Devil, Eruption, Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Jamie's Cryin'...come on. Easy, easy 5.
What an effort, the conversation between rock music old and new on this is so good. They also balance technicality and fun like no other band
-It is literally Van Halen by Van Halen -"Runnin' with the Devil," "Eruption," "You Really Got Me," "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love," "Jamie's Cryin'," "Atomic Punk," and "Ice Cream Man" are all bangers
Like KISS, but fun-filled, more raw, and with less schmutz. Everything is done right here.
Estuve cerca cerca cerca de ponerle nada más 4 estrellas a este disco, pero no veo la razón. Creo que es un parteaguas en la historia del Rock. No es que Eddie Van Halen sea el primer guitarrista en hacer solos, ni el más rápido o el más estridente, pero sin duda a partir de que él empezó a tocar así en 1978 se sentó el precedente de lo que la guitarra líder sería en el Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Glam, etc. usando técnicas como los armónicos, el tapping y encadenado de efectos que más de 40 años después siguen siendo sinónimo de Rock. Pienso también que el disco tiene un gran balance de estilos entre las distintas canciones: desde un cover a los Kinks y el de Ice Cream Man hasta el momento solista de Eruption, todo empaquetado en 35 minutos que se van como agua.
Top to bottom amazing album. Underrated sleepers are "I'm the One" and "Ice Cream Man."
Running With The Devil!!!!! This album is a masterpiece of hair and guitar shredding. Atomic Punk I think is the sleeper hit on this album. deep, moody, shreddy and paints a clear story.
Way more complex than the straight up shred fest I was expecting. Still plenty of shred obviously but also some deeper cuts like little dreamer, what a voice (and love the bell smash). The doo wop harmonies into shred in I'm the one is hilariously good as well.
I feel a little strange reviewing this, as it comes off the back of listening to Led Zeppelin III and the Rolling Stones' Athermath, both of which I gave four stars. Now, the star system is not fit for purpose, and I guess for that reason I have to add a qualifier (I loathe needing to clarify what's cock-obvious). Anyway, I found this superior to the two albums I just mentioned: lean, fierce, dumb in the right way, organic, and above all rocking. But I've given 5 stars to 3 out of eight so far (this, along with The Sonics' Here Are The Sonics and Leonard Cohen's Songs from Leonard Cohen) , so am I diminishing the ratings system, or did I just have a fortunate streak? I supppose the albums in this exercise have the reputations of classics.
Pretty much every track on this album is strong, no standouts that made me question their presence. Loved the energy in every performance and I feel the remaster does justice to the original by upping the quality.
Whenever I listen to the album I find myself thinking, are they all in a race to see who can finish the song first? Eddy and Alex always neck on neck, fast, furious and powerful, with David jumping in here and there just to let them know they are not alone, with his unforgettable high pitch. Recorded in 3 weeks mostly as a live set. 5 world hits and the most recognizable instrumental intro...... what a debut for a band.
Knew a lot of Van Halen singles, but never knew this album specifically all the way through. Helluva debut! A lot of the tunes I was less familiar with actually were favorites. The guitar and drumwork on 'I'm the one' in particular was awesome. Noticed more great bass throughout than I expected! I'm not a huge fan of all of Van Halen's stuff and where they ended up in cheesy Stadium rock, but this is huge for the development of metal, and Eddie is an INCREDIBLE guitarist. Album feels fun and definitely worthy of a 5.
Fun to break this out of the closet. Used to be in heavy rotation, but I stopped listening to most VH due to radio overplay. This album really changed rock music when it was released, and I liked hearing it again. Great songs, guitars (of course) and vocals. Easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bang, out of the gate comes Van Halen with this cocksure and confident album that changed the sound of hard rock/heavy metal forever. Pyrotechnic, rockin', and above all fun, this album does not take itself too seriously, which is a major blessing compared to most heavy rock bands, who are generally po-faced in the extreme. Eddie's guitar style completely rewrote the book of heavy guitar playing, using the technological innovations of guitar and amplification to reinvent what technique could be. The sound of his guitar was so influential, we really didn't over it until grunge started knocking the edge off mainstream playing over a decade later. Some fo the songs are relatively weaker, especially in the back half of the album, byut a record with Runnin' with the Devil, Eruption, and Ain't Talking about Love (not to mention their cover of You really Got Me) as the first four tracks is always going to seem soft int he home straight. David Lee Roth is not the world's best singer, but his confidence, chutzpah and sense of fun leads the band in its party-hard strut. You just know you're going to have a great time with this band. A dead-set classic.
Still holds up really well. Even the non-classics are super good, and of course the instruments and vocals are top notch. If there's any complaint, I get a little fatigued by DLR's doo-wop stylings but Eddie makes up for all of it and more. I mean, it has Eruption.
Feel Your Love Tonight sounds a lot like Social Disease from Bon Jovi. I can hear how this album inspired hair bands.
Greatest debut album of all time. Can you imagine seeing this shit in small a small venue
Ok der jig ist up ich hab leider kein besonders großes musik hirn und dass van halen mitten im song anfängt zu scatten hat mich mit am meisten von allem bisher abgeholt. Das ist halt alles auf eine weise käsig die mich enorm abholt. Das kinks cover hat mich auch sehr abgeholt und ich sags wie es ist da hatte ich mehr spass mit als eminem oder cypress hill hab mich bisschen in eine ecke geratet aber so ist das halt
A fantastic debut by the best glam metal band of all time. I've raved about the polished opus magnum of 1984, and I'll do it again with the mind blowing bluesy experimentalism of Fair Warning, but here we have the same consistent strengths they would continue to have during the Roth era. Roth is an energizing and dynamic vocalist, with simple unforgettable lyrics you couldn't resist singing along. Eddie Van Halen establishes himself as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, sometimes just showing off as in "Eruption." The man can shred like no other. These guitar plays are damn impressive, so lively especially combined with the excited vocals and rapid drumming that there's no way you could block them off. Although I may prefer 1984 for its high production value and Fair Warning for best songwriting and consistency, this album has the strongest raw energy and genuine fun songwriting. First half is full of hits, but the second half could easily match them. I love the heavy metal riffs of "Atomic Punk," Roth's fun singing in "Feel Your Love Tonight," the mellow speed and angelic back vocals of "Little Dreamer," and that soft-to-hard blues transition and mind blowing Eddie solo in "Ice Cream Man." Weak tracks my ass. As my saying goes, if I love the tracks except at most one or two (in this case "On Fire") it has to be a 5.
Always loved but never sat down and listened to an entire album. Wonderful and absolutely set the mood for the day.
Absolutely classic, just not the biggest Van Halen fan. The bass is too simple and David Lee Roth is too screechy of a singer for me.
The length should have tipped me off, but I was expecting more filler. It's a solid rock album, with hooks on both sides that have survived decades. The whole band seems to be moving toward the same goal, which makes it a bit hard to understand why Van Halen was so important for guitars. Guitar music, sure, but no playing strikes me as superlative.
Great album filled with hard-hitting rock songs with some classics thrown in, this album is also not too short so you should give it a listen one day
Decent, little disappointing though because if it wasn't for the guitar play, this would be a 3 star album
Ein sehr bekannter Name und hält was er verspricht. Coole Riffs und gute Melodien! Werde ich noch einmal hören und ich bin gespannt, was die anderen Platten hergeben. Gleichzeitig hat mich schon lange kein Album so enttäuscht. „Eruption“ schürt so große Erwartungen. „Ain‘t Talkin 'Bout Love“ macht in der ersten halben Minute richtig Stimmung, nur um im Rest des Liedes nicht weiter drauf einzugehen und es lediglich mit daran erinnernden Schnipseln vor den Ohren baumeln zu lassen. In dann diese ewigen Strophen, die mit Gesang dominiert werden. Wer will denn das hören? Ein deutliches Gefühl von ungenutztem Potential. Ich hoffe in späteren Alben ist Van Halen etwas dominanter im Auftritt. Die Reaktion der Fans hat ihn doch sicherlich darin bestätigt. Dabei ist der Rest der Band keinesfalls schlecht. Bisschen mehr Altruismus, bitte.
This is just a solid fucking rock album. So much energy, lots of raw power in the songs. 4/5
One of the best hard rock a-side openings? Excellent music for cleaning and not too long either
I enjoyed the album. Not too long and all the songs had really happy undertones... changed my perception of Van Halen
Started really strong and ended just fine. 3 heavy hitters at the beginning were a slight shock as I didn't expect they were from Van Halen's debut album.
I don't usually go for this sort of thing but I think it works really well. It's fun rock n roll. And Eddie Van Halen's guitar playing is ridiculous. Ice Cream Man is dumb though. I listened to it a bunch of times and it ended up growing on me. I kept wanting to hear it again. Surprised even myself.
His voice is annoying as fuck and the guitar can be a bit masturbatory but you can’t deny this was a huge album. Full of hits and influence.
Bängeri Jag vet inte egentligen varför alla bara lyssnar på Panama eller Jump, här fanns så många rockbängerin som jag aldrig har hört
If you take away Eddie, the songs quickly become average. But as it is, it’s still one of the great rock albums.
Short and sweet. Good vocal harmonies, interesting style change ups and of course that Van Halen Guitar
Pretty enjoyable, with a couple of songs with some good nostalgia. And of course I can't be too critical of my namesake
I'm not sure I liked it as much as some other 4s, but as far as hard rock goes it was great. Would definitely relisten in certain contexts
Face melters and screaming spandex. BT: Running With The Devil, Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Jamie's Cryin'
While the band had yet to peak, their debut perfectly captures everything Val Halen are about. It’s not contrived or pretentious it’s just a lot of fun. Van Halen really sounded unlike anything that came before it, and while it might be a bit more hit and miss than say 1984 is still an incredible rock album. Runnin with the Devil and Ain’t talkin bout Love are as good as anything the band produced and there probably wasnt an aspiring young guitarist alive that wouldn’t have sold their soul to be able to play Eruption.
Among revolutionary rock albums, Van Halen's debut often gets short shrift. But make no mistake, Van Halen is as monumental, as seismic as those records, but part of the reason it's never given the same due is that there's no pretension, nothing self-conscious about it. In the best sense, it is an artless record, in the sense that it doesn't seem contrived, but it's also a great work of art because it's an effortless, guileless expression of what the band is all about, and what it would continue to be over the years.
AMAZING cover art, i need that energy in the music. its their debut and its 35 min long, sweet. yup i'm going to like this. okay im not crazy about his voice but it could work. well its done, a bit of an abrupt ending?? i did like it though overall. lyrics are very basic stuff but its okay, only song i didnt care about is ice cream man.
Classic. This record was so great to me as a teenager. Nobody played guitar like Eddie Van Halen. It holds up pretty well, I haven’t listened in a while, but I still love it, even though I hardly listen to VH anymore.
While I am not the biggest classic rock n' roll guy there is no denying the absolute powerhouse that this album is. Still widely considered one of the greatest rock debut albums ever, and well, for good reason. There is a reason why half the album gets played on classic rock radio. The guitar tones and techniques have inspired and continue to inspire generations after. And when it comes down to it, the pure energy of the songs coupled with the talent on display make for nothing short of a classic you gotta respect. Might not be what I ever search out to listen to, but there is no denying its impact and the pure enjoyment most of these songs bring.
Very few albums mix clear virtuosic playing and fun silly jams as well as Van Halen does on their debut.
I really wanted to give this album 5 stars; it's that good. However, it's just a tiny-bit too campy to get a full 5 stars. The guitar riffs are amazing, and Eruption is my favorite guitar solo of all time. This is a solid debut album. 4.5/5.
I never really liked Van Halen, I never saw them live and I never bought any of their records... except this one. Which is terrific. I soon tired of Eddie Van Halen's "new" fingering technique that earned him guitar god status, but I have never tired of the fine songs on this record. This is a secret I have kept from all of my friends for over 40 years, but there it is. Jamie's Cryin, Running With the Devil, Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love and Little Dreamer are all first class melodies. The guitar playing does sound dated in 2021, and David Lee Roth has always been a first class assaholic, but the songs still stand up.
I’m way past the point in my life where I’m all of a sudden going to get into Van Halen. I also feel like I’ve heard their songs so much just by being alive that I can’t really form an objective opinion on them. Of course Eddie Van Halen is an incredible guitar player. Of course David Lee Roth is ridiculous. Of course these songs are a lot of fun.
Classic album. I can't say I enjoyed every single song, overall it was a great listen. The guitar riffs in my opinion really make this album great, they blew me away. Especially the guitar solo on Eruption.... that was insane in the best way. 4/5 stars.
Wasn't overly impressed but gave it a second listen and a couple of songs like "Little Dreamer" bumped it up from 3 to 4 stars.
I didn’t think I would like this having listened to 5150 and OU812 in the past, however I was really impressed with it. Bluesy in places with just the right amount of EVH on the guitar it was one that I listened to a few times before deciding that early VH material is kinder on my ears that the latter.
Stone cold classic. Only giving 4 instead of 5 as I need time in between listens to give it a sonic punch each time. Greatest electric guitar guru, 2nd only to Hendrix (sorry Stevie Ray, but Eddie added so much to the guitar vocabulary).
Really a good debut album for the band. The songs are good but there is no flow for the album as a whole.
Simply fantastic. No wonder no one wanted to rival them. (8/10) FT: I'm the One, Ice Cream Man, Eruption
- Great start. Running with the devil is iconic. - Amazing they could follow it up with a guitar solo for track 2 - You really got me sounds a bit pop - Ain't talking 'bout love is good. - Atomic punk reminds me of Rage Against The Machine - Really like the vibe of Little dreamer
This is so much more interesting than other popular rock bands from the time like Deep Purple or Black Sabbath, but sometimes enters the boring parts of a KISS album when the whole band is screaming in unison but without the glamour. Eddie Van Helens guitar is legendary for a reason though. It's crazy. A concrete 4. Pretty strong. "I'm The One" and "Ice Cream Man" slaps hard
Not a single bad song on the record. I don't think I can give this a 5 yet, but I was really digging the sound here. Much better than my initial dive into Van Halen (1984).
I can recognize the quality of music, but it’s not really my jam. I wouldn’t be against having it on, but it’s not something I’d seek out actively
There aren't many bands who have ever announced their presence on a debut album the way Van Halen does on side A of this one.
The best of this album IMO: - Runnin' with the Devil - I'm the One - Jamie's Cryin' - Little Dreamer - On Fire Talk about a fun album to listen to. I love the voices, the harmonies, the energy. 3.8/5
Þetta var góð skemmtun. Eiginlega stórskrýtið að maður hafi aldrei hlustað almennilega á þetta skemmtilega rokk.
This is great fun. The precise point at which you can hear metal pivoting from the Sabbath era to the eighties. Of course down the line it would beget the horrific hair metal bands, but this is sharp, tight and both heavy and pop at the same time. Terrific. Can't forgive them for Jump though.
Multiple classic rock songs with Runnin with the Devil and Ain’t Talking Bout Love, an impressive display of guitar on Eruption, and a nice change of pace with the potential favorite of the album in Little Dreamer. It was packed with energy and fun to listen to.
Listened to on 2/28/22 4.5 Favorite song: little dreamer, ice cream man Classic with the most amazing guitar rifs
The summer of 1979 was my first full summer of going to arena-sized rock concerts seeing bands like, Cheap Trick, Supertramp and Van Halen. This was an eye-opening and ear splitting experience that forever secured my love for live concerts. The sheer energy and captive stage presence of Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth was mind-melting, at the time and it set my standards pretty high of what a great rock concert should be. Though I can't say I'm still a band of Van Halen, I must admit their first album was very influential on so many levels and it is must be considered one of the great debut records of the 70's. The instrumental, Eruption introduced the world to the guitar wizardry of Eddie Van Halen and if you love guitar, this is essential. Listening to it now (loud), brings back a lot of happy memories, but I'm glad I expanded my music tastes after the first couple Van Halen albums because they became a shell of their former self and self-parody later in their long career. Still, this a must-hear!
This is my first time listening to Van Halen. Sure I've heard songs of theirs over the years, but I've never actively sought them out to listen to. My expectations were far exceeded since this didn't really sound like the Van Halen I've heard before, which I guess is the 80s version of the band. I loved the sound of Eddie's solos here and it didn't sound like the wankery that it would eventually become (which while technically impressive sounds very stale to me). This is an absolutely great album and one I will be revisiting. 4.5/5
not entirely my style but it still has some great songs on it. it's very energetic and fast and i really appreciate that. solid 4
This is really, really good. Wouldn't have been able to name any of the songs ahead of time, but definitely a couple that seemed familiar. Runnin' with the Devil, followed by the guitar solo in Eruption (which is enough to show that these guys are great with their guitars and love pushing them to the limit but not so long that it gets nauseatingly self-indulgent and overstays its welcome), and a rocky cover of the Kinks is an amazing way to start, and the quality stays high right the way through. Also seems pretty well put together, tracks flow nicely and it's nice and snappy, doesn't overstay its welcome. 4/5, will listen again, loved this.
Easy 4 for me. Probably not a 5 but somewhere in between. So much groundbreaking stuff that holds up today.
Альбом очень бодрый и веселый (неподходящее слово, но тем не менее, легко было слушать). Хард-рок по душе, звучало хорошо.
What a run of opening songs. A great album that kinda sags in the middle. Best track: Runnin' with the Devil
It's a classic, innit? Not all the tracks hold up but the guitars are still blindingly good.
Enjoyed this way way more than I thought I would, especially on second listen At first the You Really Got Me cover shook me to my core and not in a good way, but now I think it's fun Little Dreamer and Atomic Punk are *chefs kiss* my faves Ice Cream Man is absolutely not what I was expecting from this album but I kind of love it lol its jokes
Listened for the first time earlier this year and it was a 3. With that added familiarity, this time was a 4.
Although I'm not a fan of them, one thing I can always admire about Van Halen is their musical talent. Eddie is a great guitar player with solos and hard catchy riffs. The guitar tone throughout is electric. Alex is a neat drummer who provides enough to make interesting yet simple patterns. Mike Anthony is a good support vechicle for the band and plays when needed, and David Roth oozes charisma throughout. The songs themselves mostly great, but there is some notable filler. Would say my favourites were Ain't Talkin 'bout Love and Jamie's Cryin.
The first Van Halen album, containing classics like Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Runnin' with the Devil, and, of course, Eruption, which cemented Eddie Van Halen's status as hard rock's most virtuoso guitar shredder. While the rhythm section is no slouch either, Eddie and David Lee Roth are clearly the stars of the show, delivering what was to become Van Halen's trademark of extroverted hard rock with fratboy lyrics. The album keeps to this style throughout, which is very entertaining, yet maybe lacks a bit of variation. Still, this is one of the albums that really deserves to be on this list. 4/5
I didn't know Van Halen sang all these other songs... rip Eddie :( what a great rock dude
A fun album with some fantastic guitar work. That said, there are a few too many fillers to warrant anything about a 3.
Probably the best Van Halen album. The first side of it, for glam metal, is probably as good as it gets but that’s not saying much. I think the guitar playing is obviously stellar but the singing isn’t really my thing. Favorite song: You Really Got Me Least favorite song: Ice Cream Man
Did not dislike as much as I thought I would. Now I'm not sure if Van Halen or The Kinks version of "You Really Got Me" is the one I've heard over the years. Can't deny the legacy and technical prowess of the guitar playing, but beyond a fun novelty every once and awhile doesn't do much for me.
I'm listening to the first album from Van Halen released in February of 1978. First off, I'm not sure Eddie's guitar genius fits in with a tired morning sitting in a fluorescent cube. Beyond that, it makes me start thinking about being young and driving around with my brother and his friends. I was too young to enjoy this at the time. But Van Halen was always mixed in with the music we listened to on cassette. The alchemy here is pretty stunning and fully formed on their debut. I know Eddie died in 2020, so it's bittersweet to hear his work so early in his career. I remember a former manager for the group said Eddie was dumb as a rock and they always purposely tried to keep Eddie from talking too much in interviews. I think it was understood though that Eddie and his guitar did all the talking, and changed popular music and what hard rock sounded like. I'm not sure how this album might fit into my current life. Perhaps when we need to some upbeat music to clean the house, or some other chore. It's like a freight train. And the best part of listening to these albums is hearing their hits within the context of their original album. The back half, or side 2 of the album, is full of the sort of rocking songs I would expect. With these songs literally pulled out of the air, and never had existed before, I get why this album was so big for guitar rock. I can't imagine listening to this on a regular basis, but I'm enjoy it today.
Better than Van Halen's 1984, with fewer singles, but ultimately just didn't hold my attention as I was listening. I don't think I'll find much occasion to come back to Van Halen in general since I don't have the nostalgia for it.
I'm not a fan of live music, but I guess this is the kind of music where you have to be there to properly enjoy it. Or maybe even out on the road? On Wikipedia it says the guitar solo in the beginning is praised for being the best solo of all time, which I really disliked. So I guess I just wasn't feeling it. The singing was solid at times, but at some parts he just sounded like Elvis. Only three stars from me.
Gestopt met luisteren na een paar nummers, dus precies lang genoeg gedraaid om het tof te blijven vinden!
Vreemd hoe je soms een groep denkt te kennen, maar het album u dan toch volledig verrast
1978 sounds like 1984 in terms of "hair rock". A better album than I remembered with much of the first half being bonafide classics. 3.5 out of 5
Surprisingly enjoyable. Was expecting Bon Jovi in spandex and got Iron Maiden on ecstasy. Some great melodies, especially on the second half of the album when the finger tapping isn't as prominent.
Great rock, fantastic guitar work. Would have enjoyed it a lot more without the vocals. “On Fire” was fine, but everything else was just David Lee Roth being thirsty and DTF
I enjoyed this, but not a huge fan of the guitar solos, which I’m sure true Van Halen fans do.
Ok, Eddie settle down there fella. There's just so many little guitar noodles all over the place it gets a little distracting.
Cultura general ya que es un disco bastante vendido a nivel mundial.. Esta entretenido. No me atrapo del todo.
"I am a victim of the science age A child of the storm, whoa yes I can't remember when I was your age For me, it says no more, no more Nobody rules these streets at night like me The atomic punk" (Atomic punk) Nunca pienso en escuchar Van Halen de forma activa, pero cuando me cuadra oírlos por lo que sea siempre paso un buen rato. Es música entretenida.
Eh, not really my thing, but fine I guess. I enjoyed hearing the origin of the guitar line of Apollo 440's "Ain't Talkin' About Dub". Fave track - probably the Kinks cover "You Really Got Me". I quite liked "I'm The One" too, as it started out sounding like a Motorhead song and then went off in an unexpected very un-Motorhead direction... 😆
Some positives and negatives for this one. The two main negatives: 1) This album was heavy metal being released at a time when I hated heavy metal, and 2) David Lee Roth is a dough head. On the positive side, Eddie sure can play guitar. I'm almost certain that I just recently said in another review that a guitar solo (literal speaking) is as lame as a drum solo. Eruption is an exception. It's really fucking good. I also really like the two cover versions. The Kinks' cover is made by Eddie's guitar work and Ice Cream Man is just plain old fun. So how do we rate a band that has a phenomenal guitar player that would have been nothing without said guitar player? I am remembering my Led Zep ratings (incl a 5) since my view is that Led Zep would be nothing without Page. Led Zeppers will cling to the view that Plant, Bonham and JPJ are good enough but this is delusional. For Van H, I doubt anyone can even name all the other members and nobody, other than David Lee Roth perhaps, is delusional enough to think they could have made it without Eddie. One thing that is clear is that Led Zep's band members other than Page run circles around their equivalents in Van H. Not sure why I felt the need to justify my not giving a 5 Regardless of how good Eddie is, 4 isn't even on the table.
I used to think Eruption was the greatest two minutes of music ever. I was not correct. But it is pretty cool. Overall album is fine, I'm sure it was very impressive and progressive at the time for rock music but hard to differentiate that in your mind in 2021.
Interesting album, surprising in places and pretty good. I don’t think I’ll listen to it again often, but I enjoyed it.
I've not listened to Van Halen much. Growing up mostly in the post-Grunge period these guys were never cool to me and I generally lumped them in with all the (bad) 80's hair bands. Listening to this now... it's not terrible. First off, can't deny that Eruption isn't great... but I mostly came to appreciate that after hearing Mike McCready play it live. The guitars are pretty front and center so that's nice. I'm surprised by how much they sound like Aerosmith to me. David Lee Roth sounds a lot like Steven Tyler. The music isn't as funky as Aerosmith can be but it's basically the same idea. Overall, a surprisingly fun listen considering my general dislike of this big pop-rock style. Aside from some of the guitar playing, it's really not that original. I can understand why lots of people love this and it's on the list - but it doesn't really seem like that much of a landmark album to me and stylistically I'm not really into it.
3.5 | Jump, Running with the Devil, Panama, Hot For Teacher... Todas grandes y excelentes canciones de Van Halen... Absolutamente ninguna de las cuales vienen en este disco. Realmente la única canción reconocible de ellos es su cover de los Kinks que, sí es quizá el mejor cover de esa canción, pero sigue siendo un cover. Este fetichismo por los debuts sigo sin entenderlo. Me recordó mucho a escuchar ese disco de Bluesbreakers con Clapton; sí Eddie Van Halen es uno de los más virtuosos guitarristas del rock, quizá el mejor de sus contemporáneos y de su estilo musical y eso se nota y se aprecia y se disfruta mucho... Sin embargo eso es algo que se podía apreciar y disfrutar mucho en cualquier otro disco más relevante de ellos, no por ser el primero tiene mágicamente que ser considerado grande. Me agradó mucho el disco pero para poner aquí Van Halen creo que hay cosas mucho más importantes que "escuchar antes de morir" antes de este. Me sobresalen un par de momentos... Ice Cream Man con su rocanrol muy simpático... I'm The One que si no fuera por la voz jurarías que es Mötorhead... Ese cover tan bien hecho... Siempre se aprecia mucho escuchar a un miembro de esa "familia real" de guitarristas virtuosos pero creo que hay mejores muestras que poner tanto de él como del grupo en conjunto.
Some insane guitar aerobics aside, this is a classic of hair rock, full of energy and virtuoso playing. Great great fun and a template for others to follow
Great guitar work. Poppier than I was expecting. Great vocal performances. Not earth-shattering, but maybe worth revisiting.
mycket bättre än baby albumet! gillar hur släpig gitarren o många helt bra sånger men kinda långtråkigt och jag orkar int höra på shreddande man....
I know most of these songs from Guitar Hero, but never heard them in good audio quality. I don't mind it actually. Ice Cream Man is creepy as hell. Plus other songs feel condescending as fuck, which I can't stand to listen to personally.
I always consider Van Halen an 80s hair-rock band, rather than anything that would be producing an album in the late seventies. This opens with the melodic Running with the Devil which eases in smoothly with harmonies and soft riffs. The long guitar solo in the next track Eruption is far closer to what I consider Van Halen but in the most positive way. Jaymie's Cryin' is an interesting departure from the rest of the album so far - a bit more like an experimental version of the opening track - I'm not convinced that it works though. Ice Cream Man is almost a novelty hit, reducing back to a much more 50s rock and roll sound but performed well and sliced open with a very hair metal guitar solo. Also, the album art is great. Very KISS. Good - You Really Got Me, Ice Cream Man
A classic! Might be a bit too "power rock"y for me (might be the voice - kinda like ACDC) but it was super fun. Listened with my mom and she loved it.
This is the album that changed... well, something. Eddie Van Halen was pretty amazing and popularized a style that really did revolutionize the way electric guitars are played. With that said, I was never a huge fan of the band while DLR sang, with the exception of the Jump album. 3 stars.
Solides Gitarrengewichse, aber nicht ganz mein Ding. Eine Mood, um bei Nacht durch eine Stadt rumzulaufen, tho.
This was a surprise. I'm not a Van Halen fan at all, but had heard most of these songs. I had thought that all of these were from the mid 80s but knowing that this album was in 1978 shifts my perspective. They were ahead of their time. The "non-single" songs all had a more 70s rock vibe to them.
This song is hits front to back! Felt like I’d heard them all before. Unfortunately as an album it didn’t mesh super well for me
Die sind eigentlich die Migos für Rock insofern dass die ein bestehendes Movement nehmen, ihren eigenen Spin drauf tun der hochglanzpoliert ist aber immer bangt und so einen breiten Zugang für die Musik schaffen. Funktioniert lustigerweise genau wie Migos dadurch aber eher in kleinen Dosen als über ein ganzes Album. Aber ka das hat größtenteils Spaß gemacht. Die Riffs knallen, der Gesang ist recht charakteristisch. Manche Songs sind etwas redundant und wie gesagt viel länger als 35 Minuten würd ich’s mir nicht anhören.
1978!!! asocio esta música y esta imagen a los 80 incluso a finales de los 80, lo mismo fue la inercia y llegada tardía a España de toda la música prohibida durante la dictadura. El disco no está mal, pero para ese año "Ain't talkin' 'bout love" es una obra maestra.
Is what it is I suppose - competent but leaves me cold. However happy to listen to a landmark album a couple of times
Listened Before? P Whoooo doggies! This one is a scorcher from beginning to end. They were on so much coke they squeezed an hour of music into 35 minutes! Gotta love the 80's! Pros: Pretty much front-to-back good songs. Absolutely KILLER guitar sound and skills from EVH. He was one of the great ones. Ice Cream Man is an underrated gem. Cons: Unfortunately, the rating for this album is going to be wrecked by mainstream rock radio again... much like AC/DC's Highway to Hell... There are 4 or 5 songs on this album that got absolutely RAILROADED into the ground over the past four decades. I didn't skip them on this listen, but almost definitely will in the future. At least You Really Got Me is short! Added to Library? P Songs added to Playlist: You Really Got Me, Ice Cream Man
2/28/22 This album didn’t speak to me like some of the others have. Didn’t dislike it but thought it was a bit too shrill and chaotic for me. I hate that the lead single from this album is a cover. For some reason that really annoys me lol. Favorite song: Jamie’s Crying
Huh. I wouldn’t have guessed that I would ultimately start enjoying a Van Halen album. First listen was a bit like nails to a chalkboard with that over the top guitar sound and them lyrics - but digging a bit deeper and some forgiving for hair metal misogyny- there is some honest to god good tracks here. Not going to be my favourite - but would listen next to what I consider fun albums like Iron Maiden.
"Van Halen" is a frenetic debut by a frenetic hard rock band, leaning towards a glam metal that would become the band's signature style. "Runnin' with the Devil" and "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love" are very good songs.
I hadn't realised how many Van Halen moments that I was aware of all came from this album. It packed full of classic rock songs and samples. This was a much more enjoyable listen that I had anticipated.
What would become MTV rock emerging out of British metal influences, this has enough going on to keep you awake. And Eddie of course, introducing the world to rapid guitar solos.
decent but not my favorite. i think the other van halen album on the list has more of their iconic songs. There were some good songs on this, and the guitar play is really impressive, but the lyrics were a bit uninspired and there were some forgettable songs. The first four songs were great, but hte rest of the album doesn't really hold up imo.
Amazing guitar player. Enjoyed the couple of hits. Rest of the album just blurred together. It was ok
La face A est franchement réjouissante et pleine d'énergie. La face B est pleine de remplissage.
Ah sure Jump isn't on this album :( Pretty quintessential example of 80s hard rock. Not exactly my style, the guitar solos are really long and boring. But still it's a fun album. Downrated for the dodgy rapey lyrics: "We're gettin' funny in the back of my car I'm sorry honey, if I took it just you little too far, yes"
2 Van Halen albums in 3 days. Wow. Their first, and in my opinion less like-able. A couple of tracks were not bad but this isn't for me. If you must make this sort of mindless no depth music at least make it catchy, fun and have some hooks. Thats missing here. Sounds like a parody of everything they think a rock band should be. 2/5
Hmja, paar aardige tracks die nog wel een beetje een scherp randje hebben, maar het verzandde toch best snel in wat pathetisch big-hair-loud-guitar-solo geneuzel.
Mja, Van Halen zal voor mij altijd die gast van de Beat It solo zijn. Openingsnummer is bekend, maar verder sprak het me niet zo aan.
it feels so old and tired. or maybe that's me. i genuinely wonder what kind of people still like this music. even the aging-loser-who-peaked-in-the-80s stereotype feels dated.
Mostly what's novel are the guitar solos, much of the vocals import a lot from other older music at the time and the musicality that accompanies those vocals doesn't do much to stand out save for a few tracks.
Such cliched lyrics, such over-the-top guitar playing, and that voice I so despise - actually more the singer than the voice. I really don’t like them but I would have been very surprised if these anthems didn’t make it onto the 1001 list.
Well, it’s dreadful. I thought it might be fun, but it’s not. Obvious, boring poodle rock, hair metal from the 80s. Probably a 1.5*.
Ludicrously overblown, sterile, soulless, awful. Dave Lee Roth's vocals are like Mariah Carey's - fabulously technical and gifted, but emotionally dead.Like a pantomime dame. Van Halen's guitar wizardry also leaves me cold - I hate shredding. Play it slowly but with feeling please.
Ok well Edie Van Halen is a very talented guitarist and David Lee Roth a charismatic front man, but unfortunately stylistically with their guitar wizardry and rock star wailing I am left cold. All style no substance. Not surprisingly the best sing for me by far is Ain"t Talkin' 'Bout Love, where both of these indulgences are reigned in. 2.5 🌟
Still don’t like this band. Their entire catalog could have been cut to two songs from this record and then maybe I’d have thought they were the greatest band in the world but they just had to keep going 🤷🏼♂️
Offensichtlich schlecht gealtert und größtenteils uninteressant. Aber ein 1-3 catchy tracks sind hier schon drauf, zb. You Really Got Me ist obergeil tbh, und Jamie's Cryin geht auch irgendwie klar, weil weniger soli!! Ansonsten naja MEH
Another classic cockrock record. Fav tracks: - Running With The Devil - Eruption - Ice Cream Man Least fav: - Feel Your Love Tonight
Amazing musicians but lacking in memorable lines and choruses. Great guitar playing but too many riffs are the same and at 100 mph and played for the sake of it
Fun in it's own way - nothing ground breaking, but I guess it was 1978. Nothing tagged to be added as a favourite. Don't understand the hype around these guys except for Murica F Yeah
Runnin With the Devil is a great song and Eruption is very impressive, but the rest of the album is just very anticlimactic. Lots of flash but no substance
Bleh, I didn't really get it. I mean it's definitely distinctive, and has its moments (especially the first few songs), but a bit over the top for me.
I've never been a big Van Halen fan, and, now that I've heard a full album by them, I'm still not.
First track (Running With The Devil) was amazing, with some tasteful melodic solos and insistent harmony vocals. Thought I was in for a treat. Sadly that hope quickly evaporated with the second track, one and and a half minutes if guitar wankathon. Yeah it was Ok in places, but mostly just meh.
It seems churlish to give this a rating because it is so 'of its time', but, you know...
Ugh, horrific pedestrian plodding enlivened with what are now rather hackneyed guitar solos. Of its time. Not one to tolerate now.
Three kind of lack luster albums in a row this week. Dated. Not terrible, but this kind of sounds like a parody of a big flashy guitar album at this point. It is impressive how almost every song is familiar... but it is most certainly not timeless like some other 70s albums we've listened to. 1.5
I'm not gonna lie... hairband music triggers me 8 out of 10 times. Its not them its me, people love this band. But I really don't like it. I am not into the theatricality of it, the hair, the makeup, the "glamor", the tight pants, and the moderate tempo with a giant splashy snare. I acknowledge this is a band that changed Rock, and are talented musicians... just not in a way I vibe with. Shout out to eruption's guitar solo, it sure sounds like it was hard to do, and its sure hard not press fast forward. I think most of all its the lack of groove, this music never gets my body moving. glam out of 5
Garbage - band and songs sound like they have just been stuck onto some guitar licks - says it all when the best song is a kinks cover
Not a huge fan of it due to the genre of the album is Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Plus, the beats of each song sound exactly the same to me due to the over usage of a guitar. Overall, I only liked 2 songs from the album but barely at that.
Oh god just more pure classic rock, just too much to handle. I imagine one of these songs on there own I could get on board with, but in one hit is a bit much
I loathe long electric guitar solos. I understand the contribution to rock. It doesn’t get much appreciation from me.
Also es ist irgendwie diese Mischung aus extrem simplem Riffing (vgl. zeitgleiche Entstehung von Punk) und diesen total übertriebenen Solos + der Glam Stimme die das Ding nicht greifbar für mich machen. I'm the one fand ich rythmisch ganz interessant aber dieser Zwang gleichzeitig komplex und zugänglich zu sein wirkt für mich heute einfach peinlich. Das war leider echt nix für mich. Kann mir einfach keine Situation vorstellen wo eine Person abseits von Jugend Nostalgie sagt "jo genau DAS muss ich jetzt hören".
Van Halens "Eruption" and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race. Damit meine ich die Art, Gitarre zu spielen, die von Van Halen pioniert wurde und heute noch einen großen raum in der "Kultur" des Instruments einnimmt. Das ist natürlich eine persönliche Meinung, aber ich finde diese Art von Musik einfach schrecklich. Weder die Songs noch das Gitarrenspiel an sich haben irgendwas besonders. Über den Verlauf des Albums jault die Lead-Gitarre immer im Hintergrund wird, dass man nicht mal die songs an sich wirklich hört. Vielleicht ist das bezweckt, da auch diese keinen Funken Originalität haben. Treffenderweise gibt es hier auch ein Kinks cover, dass außer Tiergeräuschen und dem üblichen Gitarrengedudel keine neuen Ideen hat. Das hier ist das erste Album in der Serie, nachdem ich eine schlechtere Laune als zuvor hatte. Und Musik muss wirklich viel "leisten", damit mir das passiert.
Das war nicht nur heftig langweilig und nervtötend, sondern hat mich an einigen Stellen echt aktiv wütend gemacht. Auf 30 Minuten ist das irgendwann die reinste Qual, will nicht wissen wie das wäre wenn es noch länger wär.
This and ACDC are the kinds of bands that give rock and roll a bad name. Absolutely pointless juvenile crap. Took a great Kinks song and maimed it.
Just because you can play guitar doesn’t mean that you should. Everything about this made me feel miserable. Even the ‘humour’ of calling a minute and a half of guitar w*nk ‘Eruption’ could not lift the mood. I’m just glad that The Kinks are all still alive, otherwise they would be spinning in their graves. Dreadful.
p412. 1978. 1 star. Soulless, spandex-clad, big haired cock rock. Lots of sheen and not a shred of emotion. Yes, you can play the guitar fast, but if you don't put any passion into it then it turns into pomp rock wankage realllll fast. Jeff Beck gets more feeling in 3 minutes than this lot have managed in a career.
Already listened. Classic rock album, not my complete cup of tea but some excellent little jams on this.