Reviews (page 11 of 15)
Van Halen's got some solid replayability and this album shows it. Nothing mindblowing, but some solid tracks I'll come back to. And this album cover goes ballistic. So simple yet extremely effective
They’re the best bits of AC/DC + Aerosmith. The ultimate Dudes Rock arena album. Surprisingly good, energetic from front to back. Surprisingly thorough
There's just a bit too much guitar wank here to take it all the way to the top for me, but there is no doubt that it's very cool.
64/100
I’ve never listened to a Van Halen album by choice prior to this challenge, so I only know what I’ve heard on the radio. I was surprised with this one, because I didn’t realize how many of these songs I knew — probably about two thirds of the album. It’s definitely filled with hits. That said, I wish Van Halen’s lyrics were even a fraction as good as their music. I’m not interested in a vapid rock star bloviating about being a womanizer (and a sex pest, as on “Feel Your Love Tonight”). It’s boring. A few notes: “Eruption” — iconic guitar solo “You Really Got Me” — Why does he sound like Steven Tyler? This cover doesn’t add a whole lot beyond some showy guitar fills and solos. His yelps in the background are annoying. I'll take the original. I’d rather listen to Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Rush, but it’s not terrible. Highlight: “Atomic Punk” I guess I’ll give this a 4/5 since I gave the other one a 4 (kind of regretting that now), and I like this album better.
Skilled musicians who make annoying music to listen to. The guitar playing is virtuosic, everyone sounds good individually. The singing is impressive but doesn't reach me in any way. The songwriting is very average. While Van Halen is better than a lot of hair metal bands, it commits the same sins. Superficial, macho but without the real guts to back it up. ACDC is also somewhat superficial and macho but it has some real backbone at least.
Huge in its day, and still holds up very well indeed. The blueprint for the next decade of rock.
Still a great album.
Most impressive part of this is David Lee Roth. At this point the charisma and the voice are yet to be matched.
First of 1001! I wouldn't turn it off if it was in the background, but I found it difficult to just listen to. Except Eruption and \"I'm the one\" - they made me put my phone down.
I wanted this album to be a 5 sooooo bad especially after the first three songs which are just brilliant. Unfortunately I don't feel like the album is able to progress with the same quality. Other standouts are Jamie's crying which gives me you're so vain vibes ... don't hate me for that but also Feel Your Love Tonight. Such a fun listen overall!
3.5
Classic cute very nice
Some of the songs in the second half are a bit ropey but it’s a good album
I feel like the one thing this album is lacking is some song diversity. The opening three tracks are incredible, and then the rest of the album doesn't really go anywhere else or explore any other musical ideas. Every song being the same length and same tempo unfortunately makes them all start to blend together; when everything tries to punch, nothing really does. Top tracks: Runnin' With the Devil, Eruption, You Really Got Me
The definition of “not for me”
Loved this album then and love it now!!
running with the devil rieeese gitarre intro. tone isch huere geil. song cool. sehr roooock aber au wegwiisend glaub. eruption isch de tap stuff, cool i guess. you really got me hani nöd gwüsst dass das ufgnoh hend aber macht sinn. sehr en früene reelativ herte song. sint talkin bout love isch cool i guess. im the one isch huere schnell mega hogh energy i like jamies crying ischmer no recht nogloffe atomic punk isch echt zimli punk mit heeertem eddie solo. feel ypur love tonight chli rapey text? nöd sooo cool. little dreamer no cool mit de bgvs und s solo slappt. on fire isch wieder afoch roooock aber de bass im refrain isch huere nice. guets album, sehr sehr guete rock und glaubega wegwiisend aber cha jetz nöd hebaupte dases mir soo fest gfalle hetti zum es vieri geh
HAHAHAHA S ALBUMCOVER GAHT JA DUMMMMMMMM runnin with the devil kenni?? finds es guets lied aber jz nöd meh, find d soli no en coole gegesatz zum restliche ener langsame rhythmus WAS ER CHAN GITI NÖD GWÜSST you really got me no funny cover ain't talkin' 'bout love het so vill apostroph s isch nüt revolutionärs aber finds en huere guete song, vor allem de ruhiger part ide mitti UHH I'M THE ONE riese rhythmus liebd pace hahahah was und denn no de acappella (wie schribtmer de scheiss) jamie's crying erinnered mich schochli ah älters van halen atomic punk riese banger, erinnered mich ah irgendes anders lied find sini stimm het scho gnueg hall hahahaha schwanke zwüsche 3 und 4, finds easy solid und natürlich nochli nostalgie aber es isch jz nöd s speziellste album oder so ahh ice cream man hallou fuck it 4
Not a huge Van Halen fan although I get the appeal. Really did enjoy this though
I've always liked Van Halen, but not loved outside of some singles here and there. This album is a lot of fun, but doesn't change my mind on the like, not love part. Still worth listening to by rock fans.
Stadium rock, which I don't particularly love, but some of the best of it. Lots of shredding as expected but pleasantly surprised with some of the bluesier stuff. Particularly enjoyed I'm the One, and Little Dreamer, and Ice Cream Man (after it picks up at least).
In a nutshell: glam metal sleaze So I learned that Gene Simmons produced and financed the demos for this album. No wonder many tracks sound so much like KISS without the braggadocio. Eruption is a jaw dropper in guitar skills. Signs of Van Halen's unique sound are there. It won't be fully fledged until the 1980's. Overall: 3/10
Not bad but not great, my favorites were “Runnin’ with the Devil” and “Jamie’s Cryin’.”
I don’t care for this style but Dave could definitely scream and Eddie could definitely play. I recognize many of these songs, they used to play the shit out of them back in the day. Not a terrible version of the Kinks song.
96/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
One of the greatest debut albums from a band that quickly moved them to legendary status. One of the best rock guitarists of all time with one of the best front men of all time. While Eddie is the Wizard Dave is the Showman. Dave brought a sort of Vaudville mentality to the rock world and really added a sense of fun and joviality to the standard flamboyance and overt sexuality of the rock and roll front man.
This is a LOT of Van Halen. It felt a little fatiguing... until I realized that each song is a hit. Talk about hitting the ground running. I can't believe this album dropped in '78. It sounds fresh, even in 2024.
I grew up on these songs, so that probably influences me a bit, but all the parts just fit together so well! The swagger of the lead vocals, the virtuoso guitar, everything about this is confident and powerful and works together to make a superb hard rock album.
Enjoyed this so much more than I expected! A bit cheesy but in the best way.
Some good old sexy hard rock, this album doesn’t hold back the punches in a great 35 mins, clearly kicked off the whole hair metal scene, though I’m not sure that’s a good thing…
Amazing! This is my kind of music exactly.
This might have the best opening combo punch of any album, "Running With The Devil" followed by "Eruption" followed by a cover of "You Really Got Me" on a debut album to, what a way to make a mark.
Obviously talented musicians, but feels like music with no inspiration. Absolutely not my thing
Not sure why I was expecting hard metal. But this was pretty approachable rock. Surprisingly enjoyed. Wouldn't have guessed there would be some doo wop too. Favourites: Ain't talkin bout love, Feel your love tonight
Brilliant musicians but just never ending solos which go on forever. Best thing about this album was hearing "You really got me" and I remembered how good The Kinks were and listened to them instead
"When I first came here, I thought every day was gonna be a Van Halen video... hot chicks wearing bikinis riding around on roller skates drinking cocktails by the pool. Damn you, Van Halen." - Ashton Kutcher in Spread. I havent seen that movie nor do I want to, but anytime I hear Van Halen I think of that quote from the trailer. This album is fun! VH has some sick riffs and really usher in 80's rock with this album before it gets too synthy. Cant help but enjoy it. For some reason Feel Your Love Tonight stood out to me most and thats fine!
I really enjoyed this album! Way more than I was expecting. I loved how fun and corny Van Halen were at times (Ice Cream Man, I’m the One) and how damn good their harmonies were. Does it deserve a 5 stars? Probably not but fuck it I’m feeling trill this morning
I want to like this more than I actually do. The guys are clearly immensely talented, but the end product ends up a bit over the top, and mostly just playing all of the notes all of the time.
4.5. Great album
I liked this album by Van Halen a lot better than the one I reviewed previously (1984), which came later. Listens: 2 Fave Track: I’m The One Rating: 4
I was introduced to VH by my dad with the 1984 album when I was fairly young. That was a regular “pump” album for hockey and road trips. I didn’t really follow the band until I got to college, when it was time to explore my OWN musical tastes. This album is quite amazing! Love the guitars (obviously). The harmonization is always fun. This would’ve been considered pretty heavy (at least in my household) in 1983. Discovering it when I did was the perfect time. Not my favourite VH album, but so many bangers!!! Low 5!
A really good album, especially for a band's first album!
certainly packed full of hits that we have all heard. Many of the songs do tend to blend together and the high pitch "yee-ah!" wears thin.
Classic obviously, beautiful Instantly added it to my Alt II playlist, aka Dad Rock
Among the best of its kind
Can’t believe I had never listened to this entire album before. Really loved it.
It's good, but I'm sure it was better when it was new. Favorite song: ain't talkin' 'bout love
Good album
This album gets a 4 almost single-handedly because of Eddie Van Halen's incredible guitar work, especially on Eruption but also just throughout the album. There are also several banger tracks like "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", though there are also a bunch of "filler" tracks.
This style of rock just always feels like a bunch of dudes who are super obsessed with sex in the least sexy way possible. Still, catchy at times.
A ballsy, swaggering mix of arena rock anthems with an almost Vegas show tune silliness that - with insane guitar playing - made for a surprisingly fun album. While I'm not sure I'd regularly go back to listen to this again, can appreciate having fun while also being insanely talented.
Not the biggest fan of hard rock but this was good
I needed a bit of rock today. Apart from a rotten Kinks cover, not a bad attitude.
5/10
This record is undeniably rockin'
Rating: 9.5/10 One of the best debut albums of all time. Amazing riffs, solos, and energy from Van Halen and the rest of the band. Favorite songs: pretty much all of them. Worst song: On Fire.
cool
Very epic album. Enjoyed the kinks cover
This is the most 80s rock album ever and I love it. Evhs guitar playing is peak and the album is just really really fun
Gain, gain, and more gain! Eddie Van Halen is a guitar deity, and will be respected as such. To be honest, this record was more bluesy than I expected, but the insane tapping and shredding still carried the experience. My father-in-law would kill me if I gave this anything less than a perfect score.
Ein Heavy Metal Album, das durch seinen dynamischen Sound hervorsticht. Klare Gitarrensolos wie in „Eruption” (genial), powervolle Songs wie “Ain’t Talkin Bout Love” und Hits wie “Tou Really Got Me” machen das Album zu einem guten Gesamtkunstwerk, dass im ersten Drittel sensationell ist. Diesen harten klaren Sound will ich wiederhören. 😊
#209. Eddie Van Halen is a fantastic guitarist but Van Halen as a band is annoying, and D̶r̶. R̶o̶c̶k̶z̶o̶, t̶h̶e̶ r̶o̶c̶k̶ a̶n̶d̶ r̶o̶l̶l̶ c̶l̶o̶w̶n̶ David Lee Roth is just terrible. I've always had a dislike for this band, and a disdain for their popularity, and listening to it one more time didn't really sway me. I'm going to give this a three instead of a two for at least not being the album that Jump and Hot for Teacher are on. 3/5: really, Eruption saves this otherwise intolerable album. Song added to playlist: Running With The Devil I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Technical flourishes aside, this is not what I expected. A boring rock album.
this goes so hard
Revolutionary. RIP, Eddie.
Wild how Eddie Van Halen seems fully in control of powers already on this album. Some cool stuff. David Lee Roth seems not quite as magnetic here. Compared to later stuff where you appreciate what he's doing this seems a little sedate from him. Guitar solos lined the music of my youth, and i appreciate how much points to this. EVH
Easy, fun listen! Faves "You Really Got Me", "Runnin with the Devil" and "Jamie's Cryin" 5/5
4 stars for the music +1 for importance
hair metal in general was a disappointing movement, focusing more on the visual experience and aesthetic than the actual music is the album good? yea, but it's like finding a gold nugget in a pile of shit it still reeks favourites: running with the devil, i'm the one, atomic punk least favourite: jamie's cryin, ice cream man maybe 7-8/10
The first four tracks alone are just simply legendary, but the rest of the tracklist is not too shabby either. Even if it does come off as dad rock, this is a consistently fun and engaging hard rock listen with the ever electric guitar playing of Eddie Van Halen. Admittedly the back half of the tracklist is a bit weaker, in large part due to the rather cheesy lyrics found on songs like "Feel Your Love Tonight" and especially "Ice Cream Man", but even those moments don't severely detract from the great musicianship displayed here.
Completely rad album! David Lee Roth is obnoxious as hell, but he's young and dumb so it still comes off endearing. No one could play guitar like Eddie. Absolute legend. Wish I could give 4.5 stars because that's where I think it lands.
To be honest, I've always thought Van Halen is the only one who did glam metal interesting with his atmospheric, virtuous, powerful guitars. But listening to this made me realize that they took themselves a bit too seriously, and this is a big move against glam metal's just-have-fun aesthetics. Of course it's not their fault I labeled them glam metal. Genres are funny. But I guess we can all agree that it is definitely a powerful guitar-driven album, despite being a bit uninteresting and "glammy".
Short but sweet, perfect intro and synopsis of Van Halen's quintessential sound and numerous hits in their debut album that remain VH standards to this day. 7/10
really really not for me. butt rock at its finest
Some classics but mostly not for me.
Nope
A cheeky hard rock masterpiece.
MY BOY VAN HALEN WOO. insane guitar and timeless pieces.
It's OK but gets old quick. Weirdly the song I enjoyed the most was ice cream man.
I forgot how many amazing songs are on this album! Definitely a fun listen after hearing these songs less and less over the years.
Crazy vocals and guitar riffs! Liked songs: You Really Got Me, Jamie's Cryin'
this is my parents type of rock. i respect it. solid album. felt like i was in my moms car on the way to school listening to this.
In all it's cheese and sleaze, I've always really liked this album and honestly have a hard time finding any real fault with it. I don't consider myself a big fan but this is a solid album from start to finish. I really like the lack of overdubs and the raw feel of this. Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but Michael Anthony is my favorite member of this group. He gets overshadowed, but his bass playing is very tight and tasteful. And his backing vocals add so much flavor.
Firat heard this in the mid 80's as a teenager. Running with the devill and eruption really resonated with me then and still do today. Apart from a couple of songs this could be a greatest hits album👍👍
Can only listen to 1 or 2 Van Halen songs and then I’m done.
Another classic. Great songs, great musicianship. Even they never topped it.
Guitar goes crazy
I get the appeal especially when it’s nostalgic and the talent associated with it but it doesn’t quite hit for me. There are elements that I could like but all together it sounds cheesy to me and uninteresting. Little Dreamer was the only one with potential for me to like if it was edited back and Ice Cream Man I liked a bit but it was a throwback sound for them not written by them. The album does not hold the test of time for me like many other albums still do.
Few decent tracks to bang my head too
Un peu violent pour moi mais clairement intéressant à écouter et envrai pas mal
Strong opening song in Runnin’ With The Devil. Excellent instrumentals with a nice chorus. Followed by an absolutely mint solo. You Really Got Me is just an amazing track. Ain’t Talking Bout Love is also really strong. I'm the One is a bit weaker in the vocals. Sounds slightly messy. Slightly slower song in Jamie's Cryin'. Still quite good. Atomic Punk still has amazing instrumentals. Feel Your Love Tonight has the same problem as some of these songs on the second half. Somewhat weaker vocally. Little Dreamer is slower again and features a very good guitar riff. Good track. Real pallet cleanser with Ice Cream Man. Unexpectedly fun song! On Fire is on fire! 4/5
This album is iconic for a reason. It’s not my personal favorite Van Halen album, but it’s still really good and is probably one of the best debut albums from any band from that era. My favorite songs are “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘bout Love,” “Jamie’s Cryin’,” and “Atomic Punk.” Plus “Eruption” is pretty much perfection.
Interesting... this is quite a niche album for sure. Only heard some of mr. Van Halen's guitar solos before, and I guess this is pretty much what I should have expected an album of that to be. I am not a big fan of this frankly. It feels very over the top in a sense that I don't like. 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love' is a cool song, and it's cool what he does with the guitar, but it just doesn't speak to me. Still, I think this could definitely be in some peoples' taste, especially if you like power guitars and glam rock. I'll give it a weak 3 for 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love' and for recognizing his influence on guitar playing.
I have a love/hate relationship to Van Halen. I really like old school metal and this is pretty close to that. However it also feels like the fratboy version of it. Where it was watered down and made more commercial and poppy. Not in a hipster gatekeeping way, more that i prefer my metal to be nerdy with devils and dragons and less about sexy women?! I dunno. Anyway this was closer to what i prefer as this is clearly inspired by heavy/rock metal. Running with the devil is a good track. But for every good heavy rock/ judas priest-esque (is that a word) track like "I'm the one", "Running with the devil", there is a more poppy track i do not like as much ("Feel Your Love Tonight", the "You really got me" cover etc.) Going to settle for a 3, it just made me want to listen to some Rainbow, Dio and Judas Priest.
What can I say, it's Van Halen. Although it's a lot more accessible than I thought it would be, fundamentally it's a half hour of technical guitar solos. I think in this case, function follows form, and some of the songs themselves are a bit... emotionless? The Kinks cover in particular seemed weak compared to the original. Fun to listen to on the whole though, and Ain't Talking 'Bout Love is a masterpiece.
VAN HALEN!!! 5 STARS!!! NO DOUBT!!!!
Nja sån där gitarrunkar-rock har aldrig varit min grej. Fattar att det är skickliga med gitarren men är det bra musik? Man måste inte slakta The Kinks bara för att man kan. Jamies Cryin låter som de mobbar stackars Jamie. Bröligt och trist rakt igenom. En 2a.
Eddie må vara en grym gitarrist.. Aldrig varit ett superfan av Van Halen och denna gitarrtunga pop/glam rock.
Man kan ju inte annat än älska det här.
Probably responsible for a lot of terrible hair bands to come but still cool and innovative. Ice cream man is the best song off the album.
Favorite track: you really got me
Cock rock
Cracking first half and the second half ain’t no slouch.
should probably listen to again
Very fun
Great album.
Great debut album
This album is just kinda dumb. The over-the-top singing is kinda dumb, the unnecessarily show-offy guitar playing is kinda dumb, the lyrics are kinda dumb and most of all the Kinks cover is kinda dumb. But oh boy if this isn't some fun dumb music.
Super fun and impressive for it being their first album. Like drinking coffee but not needing the actually coffee. Van Halen 1978.
I know an embarrassingly little about Van Halen other than Jump (and even that I was shocked to learn that song was by them later on in life). I didn’t know “eruption” until I was an adult and all because of the Minions movie or maybe despicable me 3. Idk. One of those. I’m sure plenty has been said about eruption but Jesus Christ, the harmonics and chord structure is literally if Bach or Chopin was a rocker. God tier writing. This album is everything I want out of a classic rock album. Great guitar riffs and memorable choruses. (Another hand up, I didn’t know “you really got me” was VH…..🤦🏻 love that song tho
Fun! The type of album I like to see on this list. Classic.
So we start this album with one of Van Halen’s biggest hits in Runnin’ with the Devil, go into Eruption, one of the top five most well-known/best guitar solos ever, and then probably the best cover of You Really Got Me Now. No wonder Van Halen blew up and became huge in the 80s. It’s short, but it’s a fun ride and it’s clear that this album helped to propel glam rock fully into hair metal and into what many would argue is the genre most associated with 1980s American culture. A strong four.
A 35 minute album will 5 radio hits! Talk about getting in, fucking shit up, and getting out. This album doesn't linger around. Every song is around 3 minutes long with awesome guitar riffs and great vocals. This is half of Van Halen's greatest hits, and the other songs are no slouch themselves.
Eddie Van Halen is one of those guitarists who inspired me to play but humbled me in everyday. He and Brian May were such a seminal influence on my love of rock and roll. Eddie's virtuosity right of the gate speaks volumes. I had never heard anyone play guitar like him, so expressive with impeccable phrasing. He and Brian May are masters of the phrased solo, and while he can clearly riff and lick like the rest of them, his playful interaction with David Lee Roth on this album is incomparable. I always thought of his playing as fundamentally joyful. When you hear this debut album against the Guns and Roses one from a few days ago, I think this one shines with so much more identity and personal expression. The GnR album seems manufactured, but this one seems PRODUCED. It sounds great, most of the songs are terrific and it's more than just a vehicle for a rock and roll image. Van Halen was trying to do something different with the genre, and they nailed it so completely that the album still seems new 45 years later.
I don't understand this. These people are obviously very skilled at their instruments. And I have no doubt that they are sincere in what they are doing. But. I don't know what they are actually doing. For me the question being asked here is "What makes music "music"? Is it in the experience of the listener? Is it in the intentions of the player(s)? In the conversation space created between the two? If music is in this in-between space, this is a record in which I cannot enter. And I may actually not want to. Sounds are created here, they are put together, and I remain utterly unmoved. If anything, I get irritated. My attention has nowhere to hang on, everything shifts so fast. I cannot see one idea I can get interested and curious about. It feels like being talked at, and I have nothing to say or contribute. It makes me want to be somewhere else, doing something else. The final straw is their cover of the Kinks. It makes me sad that they somehow had to get roped into that mess.
Solid addition but it’s so short.
An excellent debut album, with a harder edged rock sound than many of the hair metal bands that came after them. The innovation and virtuosity of Eddie Van Halen is fabulous to listen to, back up by the strong vocal presence of Dave Lee Roth. Some great riffing numbers particularly Running with the Devil and Ain't talking bout Love, but they also had an ear for a melody and could complement the hard rock with a lighter pop sound too
Classic Rock!
💖 ain’t talkin bout love 🗣️ 🔟
If it wasn't for EVH this would be complete garbage. Horrible hair metal cock rock. Mostly bog standard blues turned up to 11. Great guitar work, but horrible bass tone and juvenile lyrics.
Groundbreaking record that grabs you the first time you hear it. And it stands the test of time.
This is some fun great high energy rock that screams the 70s and 80s.
Wow, Van Halen's first album had Eruption. TIL.
A noun that Todd Trainer attached to Melt-Banana works for Van Halen: fireworks. With little exception (maybe just Ain’t Talkin’ About Love), songs are an afterthought, mostly stitched-together prêt-à-porter hard rock riffs overlaid with multi-tracked “wheeeee-I’m-on-a-rollercoaster” vocals. It’s all about guitar spectacle, and that’s fun. I’m glad it exists, I like Bill and Ted and, unlike Melt-Banana, I probably won’t listen to this again.
Must admit, this got an eye-roll when it showed up yesterday. Silly me - it's really good, fresh, sharp and accomplished. Van Halen's quite the guitarist, eh? On the 3/4 edge - tipped over by reports from various people who saw them when a high school band in Pasadena, apparently they were fantastic.
5/10
Þetta er voða fínn metall og Eddie er rosa flinkur. Lögin eru fjörug og ég sé alveg hvernig þetta getur fólki í gott stuð. Mér bara hundleiðist þessi genre og þetta gítarsound, svo ég ætla að fá að draga meðaleinkunnina svolítið niður. Sorrý. (Seinni hlutinn á Eruption er reyndar ansi góður).
Cutting edge techniques and methods for the time made this a fun experience. The music floating in reverb wore a bit thin. Incredible vocals
2,5
Album 366 of 1001 Van Halen - Van Halen Rating : 5/ 5 Favorite Tracks : All Side 1 & Jamie's Cryin'...& Ice Cream Man Nice offering on the completion of my first calendar year (leap day) doing this. Just a classic. Simple as that. A couple of the tracks that I always felt were weaker didn't leave me feeling the same. A strong album all the way through.
Great album
When this came out, it was the hardest, baddest rock you could get. It literally *could not* be cranked up loud enough - believe me, we all tried. The number of blown car stereo speakers skyrocketed after the introduction of this music. This album specifically is responsible for at least half of the tinnitus for those over the age of 55.
whatever. good but not notable. well that's van halen.
Masterpiece with masterClass from Eddie. My dad owned a vinyl copy of this classic album and did not hesitate to play it really loud :)) Good memories...
Running With The Devil, Ain't Talking About Love, Jamie's Cryin: all 5 star classic songs. Overall: just short of 5 stars. score: 8/10
Classic hard rock album. Catchy songs, charismatic vocal performance, guitar skills. What's not to like?
Lots of excellent stuff on this record, great riffs, favourite track Ain't talking 'bout love.
heck yeah!
Well it’s fine. Not my cup of tea ig
# Playlist track - Running with the Devil # Notes - Running with the Devil is a great opener, but follow that with Eruption instead of "You Really Got Me" is a bit of flow breaker. I enjoy Eddie's solos as much as the next person, but -1 star. - Otherwise, pretty great album. Full of energy and fun.
best song: running with the devil
I’ve never been crazy about Van Halen but I enjoyed this a little more than I expected.
I like the album quite a lot. I was very pleased to hear "You Really Got Me" again. Man, it's been a long time.
Awesome
The first half of the album hits like a cannonball to the chest - four of their 7 most played songs on Spotify are the first four songs of the album - but it's wildly uneven after that. They're almost certainly over-represented in the Rock Canon, but their singles are pretty much all aces.
I said I like big, dumb, fun rock music, and this is certainly that. Loses me slightly near the end but it's also crazy that it opens with an extremely famous guitar solo??
hear me out: VanHalen was to the 80's what nirvana was to the 90s. sorta broke the mold on the musical zeitgeist (disco) at the time, and spawned a bunch of derivative copy cats (hair metal) that watered down the sound. they obviously did it in different ways (and david lee roth and kurt cobain couldn't be more different) but I see them sorta fitting into the same role in popular music when they really got to the scene. eddie was a great guitar player and most of the other hair metal frontmen felt like a pastiche of David Lee Roth. when I was a kid like 8-12ish I thought they were awesome. don't really ever listen to them anymore but damn I remember air guitar battles at sleepovers listening to eruption. I don't really listen to the anymore, and in my head I sorta grouped them in with a lot of the bad hair metal-y 80's hard rock, but relistening to their debut was lots of fun.
kinda fuckin rocks?
Great album with a lot of hits.
Fun! I'm the One was a highlight i hadn't heard
Not really something I would actively seek to listen to again.
It might be hard to listen to this earnestly, since this kind of silly rock has been parodied so much. Like most of these albums, it's... perfectly okay.
Nr. 149/1001 Runnin' with the Devil 4/5 Eruption 2/5 You Really Got Me 4/5 Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love 4/5 I'm the One 3/5 Jamie's Cryin' 4/5 Atomic Punk 2/5 Feel Your Love Tonight 4/5 Little Dreamer 4/5 Ice Cream Man 4/5 On Fire 3/5 Average: 3,45 Hard hitting no punches held debut album.
Now this is rock! This album fucking shreds with Eddie’s A+ guitar work and David Lee Roth’s charismatic energy in his voice. Eruption might STILL be the best guitar solo of all time. Immensely enjoyable if not a short album. 4.5 stars
I am surprised at my impression of this album. It is a terrific rock'n'roll album. Classic songs are "Jamie's Cryin'" and "Running With the Devil". "Ice Cream Man" is a pretty good blues number. Of course the EVH legend could be based entirely on his performance of "Eruption".
крутая штука... Классический хард рок с оооооочень крутыми гитарами, При первом прослушивании этот альбом казался более монументальным что ли. а при повторном уже стало куда скучнее по этому только 3
Good
This was the only Van Halen album I really liked. I thought and still do, that David Lee Roth was a putz. I liked Eddie but David was just too much. There was some great guitar work here.
No music, just noise
Lacks character, but the tunes are strong and never feel too caught in the late 70 hair metal image which I despise.
One of the greatest debut albums. There are so many great songs, it’s almost a best of album on its own.
Press Play
While I’m not a fan of 99% of the bands/music that came because of this album’s influence (hair metal), Van Halen and this album are undeniable. Just an awesome rock album. Eddie Van Halen is one of the greatest to ever do it. A creative and virtuosic player. The songs are there too, it’s fun to listen to and it rocks, what’s not to love.
Yes
Notable tracks Ain’t Talkin’ About Love, You Really Got Me, Runnin’ With The Devil
אחלה אלבום פחות הטעם שלי אבל נהניתי
The intention of cock rock, which is not my thing. But I have to admit, there are a lot of bangers on Van Halen, especially on Side A. Eddie is obviously a guitar god. His guitar riffs are cooler played alone then in the context of the band. Van Halen is the best of the genre most likely 7.1/10
meh, don’t see what people see in it tbh
i mean its alright i guess not driving me crazy or anything 3.2/5
From start to finish this album bangs. Top notch Rock n Roll that brings something different with every track. Plus Eddie Van Halen is great on the guitar.
This is rock and roll
-Eddie the fucking man that you are -I’m the one / ice cream man sounds kinda bluesy -no excessive notes, it’s just that good. -idk how to say this but this makes you feel rock and roll like physically feel it. It just exceeds such raw, unpretentious passion. -I don’t understand how something that fucks this hard just feels so unassuming ?? -It feels so stripped down and modest and somehow layered together it’s incredibly fancy and explosive -there is something extremely special about bands and music with only one guitar -honestly I’m excited that this is my first 5 star
I just can’t get the image of Jack Black from School of Rock out of my head screaming the face of prep school kids that THIS IS REAL ROCK N ROLL while his slobber nails some poor soul in the eye. Just like that movie, there’s a weird sense of naivety to this album. Don’t get me wrong, Eddie Van Halen is a baaaaaad man on the guitar, but other than that it feels a little uninspired. Call it being inundated with decades of rock music just like this, but if this era is defined by sex, drugs and rock n roll, I’d say these guys are in it for the former not the later.
It was a part of my youth. Appreciate its place in rock history but wasnt in my rotation.
More enjoyable than I expected.
"Jump" is a great song of this Band. I like it very much.
Relentless chunggh-chunggh blues with the lyrical sophistication of a broken brick.
Early Van Halen! Great listening Again to his great guitar work and solid vocals from David give it a solid 4/5 for sure.. Eruption! Yikes!!
Super energetic and upbeat throughout. Great for car jams. Not my favorite style of music, but I can respect the quality of this album within the genre.
My teenage years was dominated by Van Halen, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, etc. the guitar work was amazing, David Lee Roths vocals are a win!!
I sat in awe listening to the guitar work in this album. Anything that can make me stop what I am doing and make my face scrunch up in a good way is worth relistening in my book. I rated it only a 3 because even though there were some awesome moments in the beginning, including an awesome Kinks cover, the album as a whole tapered off and got less interesting.
Title Album - Not much more to say, its a classic and one of my all time faves
Ugh.
Great guitar work, fun songs. A little too cock rock for me personally but I can see why this was so influential. I appreciate how short and sweet a lot of the tracks are, none of them overstay their welcome.
Great Rock album. Some crazy riffs on the guitar and some bangers.
80’s rock at it’s finest
Great VH album
I'm sure it's nice, but could not bring myself to listen.
That guitar tone though!
Didn’t listen to the whole album. Definitely not something I would choose to play. The solos seemed to be too much of a focus for my taste
Super dorky
I don't know if this is my genre, but the guitar was legit
Start heel sterk maar valt daarna wel een beetje weg. Ik ga bij deze toch streng zijn een een 3 geven, Van Halen is nooit echt mijn ding geweest. Ik kan de simpele rock en zijn stem niet echt uitstaan.
The ultimate guitar rock album
Better than I thought!
Not as good as I thought it would be
Just a classic
Previously rated: 1984 (5/5) ********************** A near perfect hard rock album. Half the songs still get radio play on my local classic rock station, and it has my all time favorite Van Halen song, Ice Cream Man!
Jase really likes
Tasty bubblegum
Brings back memories!
I'm in the middle on this. At times I like it, and other times I want to turn it off.
Great album, so many classics. Running with the Devil is my favorite track, though You Really Got Me comes close. Eruption really showcases Eddie Van Halen’s absolute skill. Little Dreamer was new to me, first time hearing it. It’s a beautiful song. Ice Cream Man was a lot of fun, and shows both Dave’s range and Eddie’s skill. The album ends with On Fire, another banger. This is a straight 5. It’s a classic well deserving of the title!
If it sounds derivative, it's cos of what copied it. Absolute blueprint
Very 80s sound. Rocks hard. Enjoyed it.
Van Halen by Van Halen is about as Van Halen as I expected
Liking Van Halen more now than back when the album came out, but still only a take it or leave it fan. (I hafta admit they would get the poker stick on occasion.) This album has huge hits that still hold up and no fillers. Enjoyed the listen, this is a really solid freshman effort (3.3*s)
I never knew half of these songs were Van Halen.
Not a big Van Halen fan but this is solid
Corny and fake, but fun.
Van Halen is great
Oh man, Eruption is so good! I remember hearing it first on Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure. And the intro to Aint Talkin 'Bout Love I heard first on a 2 Live Crew song. Lots of bangers on this album! That was entertaining for sure! 5 Stars
Although competently performed and Eddie VH being a guitar playing pioneer, this kind of slow, blues based hard rock does very little for me. However, you can’t deny the hits, which are all found in the first part of the album, and makes the second part kind of a drag to get through, with the exception of Little Dreamer
Fantastic. Impressive number of singles on a debut album and holds up really well. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing and knew nearly every song. Even went back to "Eruption" for a couple more listens, legendary playing. I didn't love "Ice Cream Man" but very solid.
Van Halen is the best of the Arena Rock. This album kicks ass and being their debut...def deserves the list. Eddie's guitar style is one of a kind. Lee matches perfectly with his swagger and pitch shifting. Bunch of hits here and some fun thrown in. More please
What an awesome debut album. Van Halen brings such a great sound. Eddie's skill and style is on full display. David Lee Roth's vocals and antics elevate everything. This must have blown people's minds when it dropped. What can be said that hasn't already been said? 4.26 stars
No
Of all the super guitar heavy 70s bands we’ve gotten I rate this among the best
This is literally what rock is. Pure rock. I like it, some banger songs. Not bad for a debut ngl
Very cool album with a nice cover of The Kinks. Running with the Devil and Atomic Punk are straight bangers. Do not care too much about the guitar riffs and solos. A bit too "American" for me. 7/10
Classic Rock ‘n Roll band. Had no idea all these great songs were on 1 album.
The Atomic Punk is one of the worst Van Halen songs ever. The ruler of the nether world? Give me a break David Lee Roth. You're the ice cream man. The rest of the album rocks. Pretty awesome first album for them.
Lots of great songs on this fantastic album. It still sounds fresh and important. This music defines the late 70’s and early 80’s culture that I grew up in. Nobody slays like Eddie Van Halen. His importance in rock music history can never be understated.
This is an impressive debut by the Van Halen crew. The hits keep coming and the guitar keeps shredding. First half is better than the second, but pretty epic album!
So very much guitar.
A classic
How can this not rock your socks??
Great instrumentation and vocals. Normally not my style but I really dug the album as a whole.
Liked it. You really got me from the kinks is still better imo. Good enjoayable Album
its fine
Some great stuff on here even it's showing its age. The B side doesn't quite have the energy of the first 5 or 6 songs but it's easy to see how it could be so big at the time.
Awesome!
Great for yard work!
Super good! every track was very fun and groovy, was way better than i expected! A true classic
Gotta finally admit, I like Van Hagar better than Van Halen. I can admire early VH, but it is not music I seek out and truly enjoy.
The second best rookie album intro chord ever. And the album just gets better from there. 4.5/5
One of the all time great guitarists, I can see how influential/important this album is to Rock music.
Got it bad- got it bad -got it bad
Every single song is a masterpiece, Eddie definitely knew how to play that guitar SOO GOOD! LOVE HIM, i know that the hole group is not just only Eddie, but he definitely gives a hole vibe to this album. The vocals, the rhytms, the solos, EVERYTHING PERFECT!
2/14/24. Happy Van Halen Valentine's Day! You can't deny Eddie's talent and insane guitar playing, but this style of music doesn't do it for me. There's always 2 or 3 tracks I can keep coming back to however. Maybe it's because this is an album that seemed to kick off the 80s hair metal blitz.
Imagino nego pirando qnd esse álbum saiu, mas esse cover de "you really got me" parece que foi mais pra mostrar a diferença de Van Halen pro "rock convencional" o que faz sentido, mas acaba tirando espaço pra mais van halen original
Essential album. It has the virtuosic flare of prog rock with Eddie Van Halen's classically-influenced fretboard finger taps, the distorted drive of heavy metal, and a campy - albeit memorable - crooner in David Lee Roth. Suffice it to say that countless failed novelists known as rock critics hated the album, which makes it sound even better to these ears.
Niet mijn ding... Classic American rock
Surprised. I really liked this. Listened twice
Not terrible for a debut honestly. I’m just not really a fan of the singer’s voice. Some of the songs also have a gross vibe to them idk. Excellent guitar playing though, I know this popularized the tapping style we hear a lot today.
Guitar!!!!!
Wonder how many groupies he had 3.5/5
The dutch know what they are doing The kinks cover was a special touch 3.5 / 5
Very meh. Not my cup of tea
How do you make a guitar do that?
You know, I wasn’t expecting to give this a 5, but it’s really good at what it does. The guitar, the vocals, the rhythm, everything. So I guess this is a 5.
One hell of a debut album. 4.5 stars.
David Lee Roth era of Van Halen will always rock.
I will forever be in camp "Dave" when it comes to Van Halen.
Has to be one of the strongest ever debut albums.
Honestly didn’t know their first album was from 1978. Thought they were an 80’s phenomenon. Anyway. A common theme among a lot of the albums I’ve rated highly so far has been that I’ve been surprised by how much I liked them. They’ve either been by artists I didn’t know much of but assumed I wouldn’t like, in a genre I didn’t have much experience with, or else by artists I had a prejudice against. This album falls into the category of artists I had prejudice against and thus assumed I wouldn’t like. But this was awesome. They honestly must’ve looked at what else was out there and thought “let’s just turn that shit up to the max.” And man did they ever. Eddie Van Halen absolutely owns this album. They knew what they had and he was let loose here to just do his thing. And it’s an absolute spectacle. I feel like the album’s thesis is revealed in the form of “Eruption.” It’s just Eddie tearing it the fuck up and it’s incredible. I can imagine being a teenager at the time of release, being into rock n roll, and hearing that and being absolutely blown away and captivated. Parts of “Atomic Punk” sound like it probably came across as alien in nature in 1978. Even on more the more generic blues rock track like “Ice Cream Man,” Eddie finds a way to leave his signature on it. And all of this isn’t even talking about David Lee Roth. Clearly from the Plant and Gillan school of rock vocals, he finds a way to somehow match Eddie in leaving his unique mark on each song. Some of those screams are straight out of the Ian Gillan playbook. Listen to Deep Purple’s “Made in Japan” and you’ll know what I mean. I can’t say enough about this. There are a few duds, sure. Every album, especially a debut album, is going to have those. But I really enjoyed this and am curious to see where they went from here (and how Roth’s departure affected them). Easy 5 stars. Standout tracks: Runnin’ with the Devil, Eruption, Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love, I’m the One, Atomic Punk, On Fire
Eddie’s a true talent for sure. One of the best ever.
Great album and a debut to boot. Loved it
Might be the nostalgia but love the album. Heard it countless times in the car growing up.
What a stunning waste of a talented guitarist. It's like a science experiment has taken place to remove all the soul, love and nuance from music, and then distilled it through someone who has learned all of the technique of playing the guitar, but doesn't know what it can really do. The best song is a cover of the Kinks that is approximately six million times worse than the Kinks version. Dreadful.
"Van Halen" is the debut album by American rock band Van Halen. Warner Brothers' representatives signed them to a contract after seeing them perform at LA's Whiskey a Go Go. Although, Kiss' Gene Simmons claims to have discovered them. Producer Ted Templemen recorded the majority of the album live with just a few songs getting overdubs. The album is considered one of the best debut albums of all time. It reached #19 in the US and #34 in the UK but continued to sell and has sold over 10 million copies. A collage of car horns, the bass, guitarist Eddie Van Halen's riff, a howl by lead singer David Lee Roth and we're off with "Runnin' With the Devil." I always liked a lot of the groups backing vocals and there's a good one here. Of course, Eddie has a nice solo. I think about having freedom on the road although life is not so simple on the road or at home. Drums start "Eruption" but this is obviously Eddie's showcase. He pretty much made the two-hand tappin' a thing. This song goes right into their cover of the Kinks' "You Really Got Me." They put a lot of energy into this. The tone of Eddie's guitar is fantastic. Speaking of tone, the creeping guitar intro of the fifth single "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" is another highlight. Some more great backing vocals. Some say this song was the blue print for the hair metal assault a decade later. Something to be proud of or not? I'll leave that up to you. "Jamie's Cryin'" is a break-up song. It's one of the songs where overdubs were used and we get layered guitars. A catchy, more poppy song. Can Van Halen gets corny and goofy. Enter "Ice Cream Man." It's a cover of blues guitarist John Grim. And, Van Halen does bring the blues. Roth takes it a little over the top but he's passing and stopping by, she's got all the flavors and he's guaranteed to satisfy. Oh, an outstanding Eddie solo. I song I forget was a single closes the album in "In Fire." Here, the band flexes their heavy metal muscles. A path they probably could have gone down a little more if they wanted to. If all you wanted to do was listen to Eddie Van Halen solos, there pretty much is one to three per song and makes the album worth it alone. The band overall is solid and this album rocks. There's really no dead weight and the band doesn't wear out their stay on any song. They're in and out and onto the next song. I probably would rank this as my favorite VH album; I do like the next one quite a bit too.
Testosterone much? The lyrics for several songs might not have survived the millennium, but you can't debate the EVH power and the DLR charisma.
Who doesn’t like Van Halen? Great album.
This thing keeps picking bands I like but not my favorite album. Maybe they will come back around.
Like
I probably slightly prefer the Van Hagar era but this is the best VH album with Diamond Dave as front man.
VH one of all time faves
oh bessy. A beast. Huge for the time. Still chugs and dominates. Not my music type, but there's no doubt this is a miraculous creation.
A solid rock album.
I can't say enough about how good this album is. What a hell of a debut, all killer no filler. 5/5. Favorite Track: Runnin' with the Devil
Ya lo escuche. Esta bueno
Amazing
An intense album full of guitar solos. Very guitar-centric, but the vocals are not lacking in the slightest. Full rock
Very cool and classic. 4/5 ⭐️
For some reason I thought this album was going to sound dated and cheesy but I really enjoyed it.
The worst of 70’s rock
Vibrante, mejor de lo que esperaba. 3/5.
Yuuusssss!!! Classic Van Halen. So good.
One of the most amazing debut albums ever. Ever.
Boom it's another 5 - there isn't a wasted minute on this album. VH know what they do best and they don't shy away from it. These guys reinvented guitar rock, but they don't spend 90 minutes parading around going "how good is this, corrrr bloody hell aren't we fuckin sick"
I regret rating Metallica 4 because this is better than that but it’s not 5. His screams are crazy
Awesome sexy guitar damn
pretty good
Met veel plezier geluisterd, net geen 4.
It’s not 5*, because after 6 straight bangers on the first half of the album, the second side only has Jamie’s Crying and Ice Cream Man to redeem it. Those two songs are incredible, but the rest on the b-side just doesn’t quite match the a-side. All of that being said, the album is still elite.
Great
Ok, a little heavy for me
Great album, I've heard it a million times and it's still great. Eruption still blows my mind. Obviously I would listen to this again, probably wouldn't own it though.
Van Halen dude!
I remember some of these for sure. First song brings me right into Little Nicky.
I liked it. A few songs I knew but didn't know were by Van Halen.
For a debut album. they don't get much more perfect. There are three talented musicians and a front man who isn't musical, but man does he command your attention. Everything after this never really, in my opinion, rises to the same level. What a ride this one is though. 9.7/10
some bangers could i write poetry to this? y
It's difficult to not use superlatives when describing this record...best debut album, most important guitar solo, best frontman, etc. Appropriate for a band formerly called "Mammoth", everything about this album is huge. Eddie's guitar tone, the soaring choruses, Alex's drum kit, it's all bigger than the sum of its parts. Few albums have had as much influence as this one.
Nothing not to love. Plus it makes Bryce happy
I have to be careful listening to this album because it's gotten me pregnant a couple times
Van Halen with Dave is the best Van Halen. Van Halen By Van Halen is the best Van Halen.
Super cool
Best Songs: Running With the Devil, Eruption Listen Again: Yes