Van Halen
Van Halen
1978
Album Summary
Van Halen is the debut studio album by American rock band Van Halen. Released on February 10, 1978, Van Halen was a major commercial success. The album peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard 200 and has sold more than 10 million copies in the United States. Van Halen received diamond certification by the RIAA and was received well by the general public making it one the best-selling albums in the United States.The album contains some of the band's most well-known songs, including "Runnin' with the Devil", "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love", "Jamie's Cryin'", their cover version of the Kinks "You Really Got Me", and the 1 minute and 42 second instrumental "Eruption", played and written by guitarist Eddie Van Halen, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar solos of all time, having popularized two-handed tapping.
WikipediaI 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)
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.
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
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
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.
It's been a long time since I've listened to van halen, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Hair metal is all about energy, and extremely few bands could pack an album with so much nonstop energy without it getting extremely old. Eddie and David Lee Roth are insane as always, and eddies brother and whoever plays bass have done pretty solid performances too.
Muuuuuito booom! Clássicos do Van Halen! Melhores músicas: Running with the devil, Eruption e You really got me.
My pussy moistened as soon as that first bassline started, and was fully wet by the time DLR began screaming. I squirted in sync with the last ringing note of eruption and had a shaking orgasm as the innuendo in ice cream man hit home. I'm a straight guy. 5/5.
It's so fitting I got this on a Saturday in June. This is such a classic, windows rolled down in the summer kind of album, long a favorite. On the short list for best debut album ever to be sure. Out of the box, these guys were just perfect and so distinctive sounding. Nobody sounded like them, and for a good decade, countless bands chased that sound, unsuccessfully. Roasting hot licks and insane, virtuosic solos from Eddie. Perfect, hard driving rhythm section in Michael and Alex. One of the most mesmerizing and enjoyable front men ever in Dave. Slammin', roaring, swaggering fun. Turn it up and ROCK. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love, Eruption/You Really Got Me, Jamie's Cryin', Runnin' with the Devil, Atomic Punk, On Fire, Little Dreamer, Feel Your Love Tonight, I'm the One, Ice Cream Man
It’s Van Halen. You know it’s good. It’s a fun listen with fast riffs and unique solos.
Amazing dominant and original. Van Halen lands its debut with an incredibly energy and seems to be the quintessential definition of hedonistic rock. One of the most important rock records of all time.
Stands up there with Appetite for Destruction and Boston in terms of strength of album and quality for first releases. Eruption truly lives up to it's name. Turn it up roll the windows down when you're cruising the town in your 5.0.
Van Halen is a classic. The music isn’t ground breaking, and I’m sure it’s probably problematic now, but it was enjoyable to listen to.
Van Halen smartly strikes the perfect balance of previously unknown guitar virtuosity with a murderer's row of incessant party jams all deeply indebted to Southern Boogie. Before EVH throws himself off the deep end into Shred City, he is always reeled in by the band's more sensible aspects, like plenty of swing rhythms, hearty riff-alongs in Eb tuning (à la KISS), and one of the most excitable frontmen in Rock's history. A truly game changing album, an album and band that would still be a total blast even if it never innovated a thing. Lucky for us, it did.
7 years old, 1978 and thinking this was the devils music. Heavy Metal rock and roll. Oh, how I love the devil’s music! Lol! Running…with the devil, actually!
Earns its stars on Eruption alone, but I have loved each and every one of these tracks for over 2/3 of my life. Van Halen have some other good tracks, but they never again had a wholly good album. Let alone an album where every single track is a classic.
First listen. I let out an audible “ugh” when I saw this one. Just not my kind of tunes. That being said, I knew every song on the album and it really is impressive for a debut. You can see why so many are such big fans.
Great first album. They rock hard. I remember when this came out. Appreciate it more as an old man than when I was a teen
This sounds like something that came out in the mid 80s, such a great sound! Love me some Van Halen - RIP Eddie! <3
Great hard rock album, just makes me want to grow my hair, shoot up coke and bang 3 chicks, but say it was actually 12 chicks banged
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