Van Halen

Not my vibe. They’re talented but I’m not really into the 80s rock scene

Another one from the meant for entertainment self- indulgent machismo rock list. Nonetheless, the musical content is surprisingly cool, performance and execution are convincing. The rating is more about it's cultural context and "meaning.

I should like van halen - a talented front man, some amazing guitar work but it just feels like the single influence on 80’s hair metal and the US bands that made the genre a joke. Some decent songs but not enough for me to listen again.

Classic, short, a little repetitive but definitely an album with perspective

Classic rock.

Classic.

Great shredding, but the muted screaming vocals found in a lot of 70's rock has never been for me.

Tyckte inte om albumet så mycket. Inte jobbigt men inte heller njutbart att lyssna till gitarrsolona. Kände bara igen ”You Really Got Me”. Tyckte om energin i vissa av låtarna. Ett flertal upprepningar av samma text vilket inte är så kul. 3/5.

Honestly better than I was expecting. The guitar solo on Eruption is CRAZY. This kind of rock isn’t usually my vibe but it’s solid.

Ok

not for me

Pretty decent rock record. Really starts off strong the first half and slowly tapers as a lot of these kind of rock records can for me. Definitely crazy this was a late 70's record as I really associate this band with the 80's. The guitar playing was definitely ahead of it's time to usher in that hair metal sound. Great playing obviously from eddie but from the whole group. Some bits of Queen inspiration with the harmonies, great technical playing. David Lee Roth is an unforgettable frontman as well vocally.

These glam metal albums aren't really the type of thing I'm into but I can appreciate and enjoy them, which I did this one. I probably won't ever listen to it again, but I liked the whole thing.

El sonido de este primer disco de Van Halen, lanzado en 1978, iba a marcar la línea que seguiría el rock & roll en la siguiente década y parte de los 90. Sin artificios, en él destaca la forma de atacar la guitarra de Eddie Van Halen. Son 11 temas enérgicos diseñados para levantar al público, de ahí la inclusión de una versión sobresaliente del "You Really Got Me" de los Kinks. El disco abre con "Runnin' with the Devil" y un riff de guitarra fantástico en el que Van Halen describe la emoción por vivir al límite la vida sin pensar en las consecuencias ("corriendo con el diablo"). También me gusta la visión amarga del amor contenida en "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", el ritmo desenfrenado de "I'm the One" o todo un himno rockero, "Jamie's Cryin'", sobre la angustia emocional del protagonista abatido por le desamor y el rechazo. Mención aparte en mi opinión merece la empoderante "Atomic Punk", un temazo que nos habla de libertad y rebeldía.

surprisingly liked this. didn’t love it. but i was very pleasantly surprised.

It was alright I suppose, a two would be harsh. Does feel like other bands (Led Zep etc) do this kind of thing much better though. Simpsons: Yes

was ok. I liked the album's first half, especially the cover of You Really Got Me. The second half let it down slightly

Bueno, pero si no me lo sugieren jamás lo oigo.

Van Halen's self-titled debut album is a high-octane showcase of rock prowess, clearly highlighting the band's exceptional talent. With Eddie Van Halen's groundbreaking guitar work at the forefront, the album presents a series of tight, well-executed tracks that capture the essence of late 1970s rock. The chemistry between the band members is palpable, creating a sound that is both energetic and polished. While the album has its moments of brilliance, such as the iconic riffs in Eruption and the infectious energy of "You Really Got Me," it remains very much a product of its time. Some tracks are undeniably impressive and demonstrate sparks of genius, particularly in Eddie's innovative guitar solos. However, not every song reaches these heights; the rest of the album is solid but falls into the category of competent, if somewhat conventional, rock. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 3 STAND OUT TRACK - Ice Cream Man

This was actually much more fun and skillfully made than I was expecting - and aside from “Ice Cream Man,” never really annoying. Fairly or not, though, I’m finding it hard to justify more than a 3.

Brought back the 80’s for sure!

It's so good! It's like a greatest hits album! Very strong 3.

I can see why it’s great, I just personally didn’t enjoy it too much

Too much 80s cock rock on this list. This is better than some of the others though

don't like the singing, this album got me into guitars, specifically Eruption big surprise. Memorable songs that I don't ever choose to listen to

Least favorite song - Im the One Favorite song - Jamies Cryin

Sure !

Yeah yeah, I get it. You’re van halen. 🤘

quintessential dad rock!

Fun, quick and energetic! Now this is easy listening

Van Halen is super fun and I am especially partial to this early era of theirs... never been my fav band but its fun... kinda perfect watching hockey in the garage music

Very enjoyable, but another that didn't blow me away. Favourite track: Ain't Talking 'Bout Love.

Can't deny the guitar. I'm sure the sounds were crazy back then. Not my thing.

Classique

Some great tracks here (aint talking about love, you really got me) but I was overall pretty meh about this album

Sure - classic 1970s rock can't be wrong. I especially liked "Jamie's Cryin'," which I hadn't heard before.

If the song "Ice Cream Man" didn't exist this album may have gotten another star

Eruption

Not a huge Van Halen fan but this album has a lot of classic hits.

Surprisingly enjoyed this album. Impressive for their debut, how they developed a distinct sound for themselves. I think the Ice Cream Man would be my favorite track, but I also enjoyed the opener and “Jamie’s Cryin.’”

A decent heavy rock record, and a Kinks cover is always a good touch

goofier and more fun than i anticipated. not keen on the kinks cover, however. ⚡🎸👩🏻🎸🔌 highlights: i'm the one. see also: chicago, freaks and geeks (1999).

rip eddie

is ok

I’m not a big Van Halen fan

I was never a huge Van Halen fan, but I appreciate some of the hits on this release.

under-hated album

Not really my type of music but it was cool 🤘

Great guitar as expected!! Bassist killing it too. Easy background music and awesome to focus on too.

Another impressive debut album on this list. The guitars are absolutely shredding and redefined the sound of rock and roll. The vocals are certainly charismatic. The album is concise and maintains a satisfyingly steady pace without major lulls. There's really nothing bad to say about 'Van Halen'. It's a staple of any hard rock collection. Personally though, I'd have to be in the mood. I really respect their accomplishments here but it's hard not to hear them as a parody of themselves at times. But that's unfair because I recognize that they're great.

It's fine. I understand the appeal and the innovation, but I've never really enjoyed Van Halen, and this time was no different. I think part of it is that I really don't like Dave as a singer. EVH is amazing technically, but it seems kind of lifeless to me. No soul. No emotion. Just really fast playing.

Clasique

It's rock and it's okay

Kitaraahan tässä soitetaan jossain kai.

Great guitars. But no emotion and the songs sounds the same.

Can't seem to decide if it wants to be Glam Rock or Hard Rock (Screamy parts and guitar aerobics).

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

64/100

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.

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”

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

Not bad but not great, my favorites were “Runnin’ with the Devil” and “Jamie’s Cryin’.”

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

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.

It's good, but I'm sure it was better when it was new. Favorite song: ain't talkin' 'bout love

Good album

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.

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

cool

#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.

this goes so hard

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

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".

Some classics but mostly not for me.

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👍👍

Few decent tracks to bang my head too

Un peu violent pour moi mais clairement intéressant à écouter et envrai pas mal

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.

Eddie må vara en grym gitarrist.. Aldrig varit ett superfan av Van Halen och denna gitarrtunga pop/glam rock.

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.

Cock rock

should probably listen to again

Super fun and impressive for it being their first album. Like drinking coffee but not needing the actually coffee. Van Halen 1978.

Fun! The type of album I like to see on this list. Classic.

5/10

whatever. good but not notable. well that's van halen.

Well it’s fine. Not my cup of tea ig

best song: running with the devil

I’ve never been crazy about Van Halen but I enjoyed this a little more than I expected.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

I'm sure it's nice, but could not bring myself to listen.

That guitar tone though!

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.

Better than I thought!

Brings back memories!

I'm in the middle on this. At times I like it, and other times I want to turn it off.

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.

Corny and fake, but fun.

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

Liked it. You really got me from the kinks is still better imo. Good enjoayable Album

its fine

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.

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

How do you make a guitar do that?

This thing keeps picking bands I like but not my favorite album. Maybe they will come back around.

A solid rock album.

Vibrante, mejor de lo que esperaba. 3/5.

Awesome sexy guitar damn

pretty good

Met veel plezier geluisterd, net geen 4.

Ok, a little heavy for me

I remember some of these for sure. First song brings me right into Little Nicky.

Best Songs: Running With the Devil, Eruption Listen Again: Yes

Best Song: Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love. Even though Eddie Van Halen's virtuoso guitar playing obviously contributes a huge amount to the band's success, and Eruption is an iconic track, I've always felt like David Lee Roth brought the heart necessary to make the band actually interesting. And on this track, his voice really soars. Worst Song: Little Dreamer. David Lee Roth is far too subdued on this one. Overall: Sexy in a dumb way. Music for and by big, dumb, beautiful, technically-proficient beefcakes.

I have never been a Van Halen fan. Their songs always sound messy and imperfectly put together - which is maybe the point. The guitar is obviously monumental and was a role model for guitar to come, but I find it overshadowed by the erratic drumming.

it defo rocks

A couple good songs. Not every song was my favorite but I enjoyed a good number.

Who knew that Van Halen was into Doo Wop?!

This isn't my usual stuff but I didn't find it offensive. Some fun stuff and a surprising amount of variety. But I'm never going to go back to it.

To be honest I had initially thought that Eddie’s guitar playing was a lot worse than this, but there is still a lot of soulless shredding - don’t understand why everyone gets wet over this. Will never forgive them for popularising hair metal

This was fun to listen to, after so many years. I was never a big fan of Van Halen but there’s no denying that Eddie was a heck of a good guitarist. The thing that struck me as I listened this time was the good vocal harmonies in most of the songs’ choruses. I enjoyed listening to the album, but I’m not likely to seek it out to listen again.

Ok, alles goed scheurende gitaren? Van Halen is echt de ultieme hair metal band voor mij, Runnin with the devil vind ik meteen een lekkere opener, je weet meteen wat er de rest van het album gaat gebeuren. Eruption pakt mij wat minder, das gewoon alleen maar scheurende gitaar.. Het album is super kort met maar 35 minuten en daardoor blijft het nog net interessant genoeg ook dat ik me er niet aan irriteer. Metallica let je op? Hier zitten ook continue gitaarsolos in, maar dan in nmmers van 3 minuten ipv 8, dat maakt dit zoveel prettiger om te luisteren. Im the one heeft opeens een stukje scat in het nummer? Hilarisch, dit is dus gewoon fun, de band neemt zichzelf ook gewoon niet te serieus, denk dat dat mijn grootste punt is waarom ik dit beter vind dan eerdere metal albums. Wel vind ik het nog steeds niet geweldig ofzo, ik vind dit gewoon prima. Het is allemaal zo lekker over de top, dit is echt prime 80s metal/rock, je ruikt de haarlak bijna. FAVO: Runnin with the devil, Im the one

Pretty decent! Guitar solos are not for me though. 3⭐️

Great

Un cambio en la manera de hacer hard rock alternativo aunque la producción es bastante floja con un sonido marquetero

This was a new experience for me. Vaguely familiar with Van Halen but can't say I've listened to them before. Can definitely play guitar. Can understand the lyrics which I always appreciate. Not exactly in my wheelhouse but not too bad.

Call him one of the best front man in rock and roll, I still think David Lee Roth is intolerable. His vocal choices are, to this day, still some of the cringiest and awful choices ever. Just listen to vocal isolations from Runnin' With The Devil. He continues to do this throughout his career and he has some nuances in later songs like Hot For Teacher: "I got my pencil.... Give me soemthing to write on." That being said.... He can hit some high notes that are without a doubt difficult. It's too bad he isn't even a fraction of what he used to be now. This record doesn't get hindered by DLR. If it wasn't for EVH this album would be sub par at best in my eyes. EVH's guitar work is iconic in this record. He single handedly (should I say two handedly?) put two hand tapping into the mainstream. Eruption is one do the best guitar solo songs ever written. The effects he uses on his guitar makes his guitar sound nothing like a guitar... Now a days this isn't as impressive as digital recording and production has given a lot of tools to work with.. But EVH was doing things on a guitar people couldn't even think or dream of. He truly is the saving grace to band and I honestly think Van Halen wouldn't have been given a second look at if it wasn't for Eddie Van Halen's explosive guitar work. For a debut album, this record rips. It isn't perfect. Songs like Ice Cream Man could have been left out and put on a singles 7-inch as a bonus song. It's not awful but it ruins the flow of the record. Atomic Punk is slept on. Perhaps I've heard the other songs far more and I've got ear fatigue... The singles are classics of course. Solid album. Van Halen still isn't my type of band. Eddie Van Halen is a legend. David Lee Roth is awful. That's all I gotta say.

3.5

Pretty good! Better than I thought for some reason. 3.4

Hair metal! Kan tellen als debuutplaat, ik zou 't als album niet zo snel opzetten, maar er staan wel een aantal heel goeie tracks op. Eddie speelt crazy. Positief, fun, energie, eruption!

Few great songs (or rather great riffs and guitar solos), few duds, and nothing else. I really wanted to give a good note for this album mostly because of Eddie Van Halen's talent, but I actually have such a hard time listening to their songs, it's unthinkable to give anything more than 3/5. Vocal and compositions on this album are atrocious. Biggest discrepancy between talent of the guitarist and the rest of the band. Three stars, all going to Eddie.

Fun rocker, didn’t grab me a ton admittedly.

some good tracks eruption you really got me ain't talkin bout love jamie's cryin little dreamer

Way ahead of it's time. Brings me back but I doubt I would listen to it much.

I’ve listened to 61 albums since I was given 1984, with 38 albums labeled rock and 7 labeled hard rock. As a result I am wondering how much my opinion was shaped by the circumstances I was in then versus now and by how much more rock I’ve experienced; overall this album sounds more serious but more partyable. Per usual I was drawn more to the rhythm created by the drumming rather than the riffing of the guitar, yet they complemented one another well and created a cool vibe. I liked side A more than side B, maybe because my ear isn’t refined enough to pick out the fine differences and the songs started feeling repetitive in certain ways. 6/10

A classic debut album

bubu

It's funny this is rated as Hard Rock and Metal. Maybe it was back in the day. I've heard many of these songs before and it's alright. Maybe it was big for its time because of the guitar skills? Anyway decent album. 3 out of 5.

Really cool guitar but weak vocals and by the numbers songs

the melodic stuff is a bit repetitive it seems, cool guitar stuff obviously, Eruption is a classic for a reason, but I think I enjoy that kinda stuff more with a full band behind it, cool bass tone on Ain't talkin' 'bout Love, even though the bass line is pretty boring, nice vocals and harmonies too, cool bluesy tune with Ice Cream Man

Enjoyable album that has stood the test of time remarkably well considering its a hair-metal album.

Great start, makes me want to chug a budweiser and crush the can on my forehead. Never listened to that entire album but I liked it.

Not my favorite type of hard rock/metal/hair but hard to deny Eddie Van Halen’s guitar. Dude is a master on it. Solid 3

David's vocals hurts my rating on this album. The music is ok to good, depending on the song but his voice is horrible. I've never liked him or his vocals. There are some really good songs on here and then there's Ice Cream Man. I'm ok that I listened to this album but I'm not in a hurry to do it again, anytime soon

Un clásico.

Fun

What a wild pop phase. It’s not terrible, but multiple listens are not for me. It’s fun and lively, but also silly.

Every single Hair Metal album has at least one song who's just is "Sorry I committed sexual assault, but I'm down to fuck again." 3/5

Never was a huge fan of Van Halen, and still am not. Not as bad as some classic rock but probably low/middle of the pack in my opinion. I can appreciate the technical skill of the guitar which is cool, and probably liked the instrumentals the best. I started getting a little tired of Van Halen by the end of the album and was glad it was finally over. I feel like this is a “had to have been there” band - for someone to be a real fan, you had to be living through this in the late 70’s to 80’s. Three stars

Favorites were: Runnin' with the Devil You Really Got Me Jamie's Cryin' Ice Cream Man Overall decent, I can appreciate it for what it is. Does not stand out to me as something I would go back to a lot but since it is their first album I think I would listen to their later songs.

Van Halen, great guitar, crap music.

Like rock, but this is just too flashy for my liking.

I think I’m supposed to love this. Just too much for me.

Some great songs but unfortunately overplayed now in my eyes

# 107 : Good album, some nice tunes on here, a real rocker … but that guitar playing…. Favourite track : Jamie's Cryin' Listened : 10/11/2023

do i care about van halen? as a guitarist myself? yes. do i care about the music he created though? not really.

Enjoyed that, some nice surprises.

It is a fun listen. I like their style. 3-4 stars. ish.

Listened to this while playing Bullet Star solo. Lost one game, won the second. This is the first Van Halen album I've listened to, though I recognized a couple of the songs. This album brings me back to a very specific childhood memory...even though it might not have been Van Halen. When I was a little kid, I'd often go on ski trips with my parents. This is usually the kind of music they'd have blasting from a mid-mountain chalet at the base of some race course. I didn't like it much as a child...this was more my older half-brothers type of music. I appreciate it more now that I'm in my 40s. The musical technicianship was pretty excellent, but it kind of was all at the same level for me. This isn't an album with peaks and valleys...it is just cranked up to 10 the whole time. I must say, I enjoyed the range of skill much more in the Yes album I listened to the other day. While also technically excellent, there was so much more variety. Also...the "sorry I got kinda date-rapey" (definitely a paraphrase) song isn't one that stood the test of time all that well.

Good, a true classic

Está bueno, la viola es tremenda, pero. O es tanto el rock que más me gusta.

bardzo spoko

The guitar obviously rips but I've never really vibed with late 70s-80s arena rock. Just not my thing

Ah, nothing like some Van Halen in the morning. This is nice, it reminds me of riding around in my dad’s truck as a kid listening to his favorite radio station.

The original. Gems and some crazy forgotten songs

Fun album. Full of anthems. Not my favorite, but not bad

This album starts out really strong. Love the energy and the guitar-foreward style. I'm not much of a heavy rock person but there's some aspects that I like. The 2nd of the album starts to feel a bit predictable in song structure and like something a dad would listen to?

Tsja Van Halen, prima. Wist niet dat you really got me van hun was. Prima

I thought the album sounded good, again not really my style. I grew up listening to classic rock so I heard a lot of these songs.

The best part of this album, besides the entirety of the song, 'Running With the Devil' is the moment when they take a scat break. When David Lee Roth said 'I am not a musician, I am a circus performer' he validated all of the non-sense sang and intended in these lyrics. Side note; so many jump references too.

Eruption and You Really Got me are ones that I was quite familiar with, but Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love and Jamie's Cryin' are getting added to my regular list.

Un disco de hard rock común y corriente, salvo con la excepción de que el talento de Van Halen (guitarrista) explota en todas las pistas. Si bien, su estilo puede ser polarizante, con canciones como Eruption que mas que claro que el lider de la banda tiene gran carisma y precisión al momento de tocar la guitarra (quizás no así al momento de componer).

Eddie's guitar is insane. I just thought the songs were a little too similar.

3.5

This was really an awesome album when it came out. After the fantastic music of the '70s there was a huge lull and then this come out and we had something to listen to again. It seemed like there was hope. That's it I don't really appreciate it that much anymore but no one can deny that Eddie Van Halen pushed the guitar world forward in regards to technique

Better than expected and starts off very strong but despite the album only being 35 mins it still felt way to long come the end. Most songs sound pretty much the same

Eddie is great, but I really do not like David Lee Roth on vocals. The hits are good, but the album cuts and covers I do not like at all

I liked this more than I thought. The Kinks cover was terrible though. And guitar solos of any sort leave me cold. Wish I could mark these out of 10, as the disparity between all the albums I’m marking as 3 or 4 stars is huge

Overall: - 70-80s sound is there for sure, if you like it then you'll like this album, if not I doubt it'll change your mind. - A bit repetitive. Build up to choruses kinda meh. - Guitar solos were probably more impressive before but not interesting compared to modern guitarists. Overall solos are way less melodic and more just playing a ton of notes fast. Favorite song: Little dreamer

Strong first half of album weak back half

Great blues band, kinda wafty when they do 80s hair metal. Good riffs, silly solos. Fun, camp.

Dont like david lee roths voice

felt like I was in a 90s comedy intro

funny but conventional

Good album, although never had listened to Van Halen before. Will definitely listen again.

a fun lil album, but not my cup of tea

Bom.

You Really Got Me is fun, the rest is whatever.

faktiskt inte så dåligt, alla låtar var ok

3.5

good, not my taste

I think it's an okay album, but still I thought it lacked a bit.

3/11, 27%

I was thinking that I would mention in my review that you can always tell a Van Halen song, because they have a very distinct sound. But when I got to the song ‘Jamie‘s Crying’ I had to pause and wonder why an Aerosmith song was on this album. And then I realized that I was mixing it up with ‘Janie‘s got a Gun’. This is a very solid album

I can dig why people love this album. I didn’t realize all the hits are on this. I appreciate Eddie’s guitar chops. But it ain’t my bag.

Really solid, hard to fault. Comparing like to like, though, AC/DC's Powerage from the same year shows it LEVELS. Bon Scott decided to take things in his OWN HANDS. Great cover of You Really Got Me

Couple of bangers

i wish i had a dad

Points for shredding

Good songs: Ain’t talking bout love You really got me Atomic pink The rest is pretty meh

Going into this I had only negative feelings towards Van Halen and the type of hard rock they represent. But this was pretty fun. You can really hear eighties hard rock in formation here. It’s plastic and over the top but the guitar shredding also has some lasting power. Highlight was “Ain’t talkin bout love”

Classic rock album, second half gets a bit slow. Aint talkin bout love is a CLASSINC

hairy, glittery

the guy on the guitar were putting their entire pussies into it

-my second van halen album!!!! -guitar is just as good as i remember -eruption is CRAZY -i HAVE heard you really got me before -they definitely are more traditional rock in this album than the other one i listened to -i’m the one is very cool -UH???? THE SHOO BE DOOP????? -was fully not expecting that at ALL -i really really like jamie’s crying, probably my favorite

One of those "it was probably better at the time" albums.

Good but not my favourite music

"Van Halen - not Van HAGAR" - Joe Dirt While I agree with Mr. Dirt, I'm not a huge fan of either. They were definitely better with David Lee, and Eddie shreds. They at least helped invent a sound that a lot of others copied and never quite achieved. This is an impressive debut album with a few classics. Respect (event from a fair-weather fan).

Je m'attendais à un peu plus. Pas un mauvais album mais considérant que mes pièces préférées de Van Halen sont sur cet album, je pensais que le reste allait être aussi excitant. 7/10

Iconic sound but not one i'll come back to a lot

Got pretty much what I expected from this album - banging riff rock with eccentric guitar solos. It was a lot more fun and upbeat than I'd reckoned too

It’s funny that this music was at one point considered hard and “dangerous.” It almost seems quaint today; a cross between rock and pop. I’ve never been into straightforward rock of the late 70s thru 80s. The bass is usually mixed so it sounds thin, and high cymbals replace low bass drums. When I’m in the mood for hard rock, I prefer heavy rhythm sections and sludgy guitar riffs. Having said all that, it’s Van Halen. The guitar is killer. I know I’ve never listened to this album before but I still knew almost every single song, even the guitar instrumental. It’s a really fun album. It’s an undeniable classic of the genre, It’s just not my favorite genre. I’ll split the difference with my rating.

To my ears, 80s Metal is the worst of all genres. I realize this is not quite the 80s, but its very, very close. Regardless, I involuntarily rolled my eyes when I saw Van Halen pop up. I couldn't bring myself to listen to this at work, so instead, popped it on while I was sitting on my back deck, sipping a beer - with a perfect blue sky and a pleasant warm breeze. And I kind of liked it! For the first 4 or 5 songs, it was pretty good, before it all started waning. But for a brief moment in time, I heard it.

It's fun but samey.

Technically impressive, but the song writing is mediocre at best

I've only ever heard the hits of Van Halen in my 66 years. This is the 1st time that I've listened to a full album. There were songs I liked and didn't like. All in all it was pretty good.

Fun but ultimately empty

Its aite

This is ok. Eddie Van Halen is for sure a great guitarist, but I don’t really love the *sound* of his guitar playing. It just sounds very inorganic - so much reverb and flash just for the sake of flash. Some of the songs are very catchy, others are pretty generic. Not a big fan of David Lee Roth’s singing either. 3 stars.

Easily my favorite Van Halen record. Any rock fan should enjoy this to some degree. I'm not the biggest Van Halen fan, but I do think their debut is an essential rock album. Listen to it loud!

"Eruption" is absolutely disgusting. Top 3 guitar solos of all time, no contest. I love the sound of the guitar. It's a very crunchy, ghastly (in a good way) sound. Van Halen should have gone the Buckethead route and made a fully instrumental album, because the weakest part of this are the kitschy lyrics and vocals. I want to hear that awesome guitar but there's this guy who keeps screaming about all the women he's fucked. So in conclusion: If this didn't have any lyrics it could be one of the best instrumental albums of all time. With lyrics, it's just a pretty good "dad rock" album.

It's not the kind of music I would normally choose to listen to. I get the sense with rock musicians though that often louder = better, as in a foreign country where a non-native speaker tries to make himself understood by speaking louder. I thought of few of these songs were just a little over the top in that way. There were some very good tunes on here though, and I could recognize the quality of the musicianship. The guitar work was pretty impressive and even dazzling sometimes. I had mixed feelings on this one. Overall, I'd say that I liked the album, but I think it could have been a lot better.

Wow. More Van Halen, huh? Off to a good start with "Runnin' with the Devil.” Much fun and probably a better song than anything on 1984 not called “Jump.” The sound here is still decidedly guitar-focused hard rock, but there’s much more in common with early 70s bands like Thin Lizzy, Dire Straits, T. Rex, even Led Zeppelin to a degree. There’s more nuance and focus on songwriting compared to the maximalism of 1984. And just more fun! Like the little mid-song, barbershop number they break into in the midst of the otherwise hard-rocking “I’m the One.” Not to mention that joyously fun little blues number, “Ice Cream Man.” So good. I was dismayed when I saw this record populate after T. Rex last night, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a good time with it. Even if the guitar tones are a bit polished for my tastes and the hoo-rah-YEAH! moments are bit stomach-churning. Still more highs than lows, so 3 stars…by the skin of its teeth.

What you’d expect from a rock album really. Not got much more to add

Not really my style, but it's EVH. That guy could play!

Was this entire album made into singles? Feel like I would give this a 7 but with only 5 stars it’s a 3.

Better record then I thought. Ain‘t talking bout love is still a huge hit.

Pretty rip-ass dad rock album, though unfortunately non of the singles really stuck for me. Standout of the album today was Eruption, I like the boldness of just making a whole track be a bitching guitar solo. Good album, but falls into a background music space for me.

it's so weird that "hair metal" was a genre. why did all of the bands have long hair and play the same music i don't get it

Fun album but very samey. Later tracks not very interesting but the first half is good. Nice guitar tone

80s hair metal from 1978. A fun listen and exactly what you'd expect - slick production, big choruses and super fast guitar solos. A few familiar tracks up top. Surprising to read that 'Eruption' isn't the space alien bit from Back to the Future (that's an Eddie Van Halen solo effort). Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Runnin' with the Devil Date listened: 04/03/23

What a way to make a first impression. Eddie Van Halen just says screw the way guitar used to be played. This is how you’re all going to do it now. There is some amazing guitar playing on this album. The album itself is just okay though. The songs all do sound very similar in style except the beginning of “Ice Cream Man” which stands out as something different. I enjoyed the “Running with the Devil” to “Ain’t Talkin ‘bout Love” but the after that it got kind of boring. Maybe Van Halen just isn’t my thing

The singles are the singles for a reason lol. Wasn't a huge fan of the deep cuts. The singles are okay.

Not a single bad song, I expected worse

pretty decent for boomer rock, expected worse but was pleasantly surprised 3.5/5

Not a fan of this kind of music. Also, what’s going on with “Ice Cream Man”?

should have just jumped

Too much cheesy filler but the album cover deserves an award for design and hubris it's amazing

No comment.

Pretty good early hair band stuff

Nice band of hard rock.

It started to sound like Van Halen then it didn’t. I like when it did sound like Van Halen

Honestly this was a pretty whatever album. It wasn't bad by any means but it wasn't notable to me in any way really. Maybe I only feel that way because I've heard running with the devil and eruption so many times but by the end I was just like "yup that's van halen, alright"

Great songs in this album. Overall most songs sound very similar to me, though.

kom á óvart. blússkotnara. gítarsólóinn leiðinleg. en þokkalegasti blús frá næpuhvítum honkíum.

An absolute ripper of an LP – convinced Eddie and co. walked into the studio, cranked their amps, and proceeded to ram out all 35 minutes at once. There's not a whole lot in the way of dynamic, rhythmic, or melodic contrast, but that's not the goal here. EVH revolutionized guitar for a reason, and while I suspect many will be turned off by the technical wankery that dominates most of the album, I'm all here for it as a guitar dude. Hearing those two-hand tapping runs all over each track makes me grin ear-to-ear, and the whole LP is worth it just for the gratuitous bombast of 'Eruption.'

I imagine a lot of people around the world going, “Holy shit! What is this?!?” when this album came out. Let’s all bow down to Eddie Van Halen and his guitar mastery. Mad respect. Listening to this album, specifically Eruption, a light bulb went off. This is the sound I associate with 80s metal guitar that turns me off. It’s technically phenomal, but at the same time…gratuitous. This is the source. To be clear, Eddie’s sound here is great. He’s carrying this whole album. It’s the lesser imitators that came later and tried to make their own version of this, for a solid 10-15 years, that I don’t like. The let down on this album are the lyrics. They aren’t particularly stimulating and they are too repetitive.

Calkowite zaskoczenie redempcja Van Helenowa, po ostatnim picku od bandy spodziewalem sie mocnego szrota, a dostalem mocno old skulowe rokowanie z 78, byl to debiutancki material zespolu, ktory od razu otworzyl im droge do zlota i platyn, 11 trakow na 35 minutach daje dosc szybkie ale jednoczesnie harde granie, posrod orginalnych utworow bandy na krazku sa tez dwa covery, bardziej rzucajcym sie w oczy jest you really got me kinksow i drugi ice cream man od pana Johna Brima, sporo jest fragmentow instrumentalnych, gdzie Eddie Helenowy popisuje sie swoimi skillsami gitarowymi czy sitarowymi na aint talkin about love, pomimo tego ze nie wymyslili kola na nowo, to jednak graja z energia potrafiaca porwac sluchacza, wiec swietnie sie bawilem podczas dzisiejszego sluchowiska wczuwajac sie w wyjcowanie rokowane i juz wiem czemu dostali przydomek bandy ktora uratowala muzyke rokowa, a na plejke idzie openingowy running with the devil, atomic punk i little dreamer, czuje boomer czlowiek gdy zadowala sie juz muzyka ktora brzmi jak wszystko co juz slyszal, ale jednak wszystko co sie czlekowi podobalo, w przeciwienstwie do muzyki generowanej praktycznie przez ai jak dzisiaj

Great album, only issue is Eruption grates, 1 min 40 secs of EVHs self indulgence

One or two made it onto my Playlist. Generic 80s sound

Nice classic Rock. Some of the Riffs zave been sampled.

2nd December 2022 Listened during the late afternoon while making cauliflower curry. Chilled Friday, dump and rugby Saturday and Stowe on Sunday with mum and dad. Don’t think many people shred like Van Halen, classic 80s bro rock and I’m kinda here for it. 3.5 if I could, not sold on the Kinks cover.

Guaranteed to satisfy!

Not particularly my favorite genre of music. Pretty straightforward classic rock music. For the most part it just kinda bores me, but the guitar work is the only noteworthy aspect of it. Eruption is actually awesome, and the solos in some of the other songs keep the record from being complete waste. 5/10

Schlechte drei. Wegen der ersten vier Songs, die zweite Hälfte der Platte finde ich etwas schlechter.

Fun as a 80s album. Kinda hair metal without becoming too stupid.

Solid album, high energy and fun, but nothing particularly stood out to me

Much nicer than I thought, nice mix of pop and hardrock

3 tai 4

Dit album heeft een paar goede popnummers van onze Nederlandse rockers. Het heeft helaas ook wat pingel-pongel nummers waarbij het spelen met de gitaar belangrijker is dan muziek maken. ***

A pleasure to be reminded of Eddie Van Halens brilliant guitar work, but also great pop rock. The ancestors of bands like Limp Bizkit and Korn.

Better than expected

Litt glammy, mye fete riff

I can see why Marty likes them.

Some classic Van Halen, but those tracks are more fun to revisit then the album.

Pleasantly surprised, not as heavy as expecting.

Completely understand why this one got popular and is considered a classic but so much of it just isn’t for me. Too many of the hard rockin songs sound the same. For all of Eddie Van Halen’s talent he has never seemed to understand how to use it to its full extent to make something that sounds different.

Good guitar and alright vocals

OK hard rock, nothing more than that (except for Eruption and their version of You really got me). Sounds very much like the not-best Uriah Heep albums.

Pretty cool

Riffage. Not really ever going to be my thing but it's fun. Classic case this of me having absorbed 40 years of culture influenced by it but never the source material. For instance can't hear Ain't Talkin About Love without wanting it to go the way Apollo 440 took it. I wish the tunes were as good as the guitar work. I can bet this will go down better with me than the 1984 one, but will have to wait and see.

Meio chato, meio metal farofa

Obviously planted one of the big flag in the hard rock scene, particularly on the American side of it. Still fairly meathead, as befits its genre, and despite the accolades I found the music got a little plodding at times. Would happily listen to any of it most of the time, would never seek out the album to listen to again.

It’s Van Halen. It’s exactly what I expected.

A solid classic rock album, that also probably has such a historical impact that I don't know about as always. :P

Several good hits on this album; really enjoyed Eruption

Hillitöntä vasemman nypläämistä ja kahden käden pikkaamista. Noh mitähän tästä nyt sanois. Must tää on siis kyl ihan positiivisen puolelle menevä vaikka samalla luiskahtaa tiukan seisari-kasari-machoilun puolelle. Ain't talkin' bout love on vitu härkänen. Ei tää neljää pongoo saa millään mutta ehkä nyt kolmosen sitten. 3/5

More metal-y than I expected

Fine, not particularly interesting.

I remember hearing this as a kid when my dad played the vinyl. Headbanging then and headbanging today. Insane riffs from Eddie catapults this record into the stratosphere. Van Halen taught a lot of people how to rock. Tap tap TAPAROOO, ERUPTION!!!

i feel like i’m starting to realize that if i listen to these albums enough, in the background, i’ll likely find a song i like and the album will grow on me

The album as a whole sounds exciting at first but starts to get repetitive by the time you reach the b-side. Listening to one of the 'best of' compilations is a much better option when it comes to Van Halen. (My favorite Van Halen songs are: Ain't Talkin' Bout Love, Jump, Panama, Hot for Teacher.) #1 Ain't Talkin' Bout Love It has one of the coolest guitar riffs ever and the chorus is catchy too. Also love the use of the ride cymbal during the chorus. #2 I'm the One I really appreciate how Eddie Van Halen always sounds very expressive despite all the pyrotechnics. It's dynamic, raw, often very impulsive but never mechanical and all in all highly individualistic.