Van Halen

Not objectionable, but I don't love the showy guitar glam rock they do so well.

Better than Van Halen's 1984, with fewer singles, but ultimately just didn't hold my attention as I was listening. I don't think I'll find much occasion to come back to Van Halen in general since I don't have the nostalgia for it.

I'm listening to the first album from Van Halen released in February of 1978. First off, I'm not sure Eddie's guitar genius fits in with a tired morning sitting in a fluorescent cube. Beyond that, it makes me start thinking about being young and driving around with my brother and his friends. I was too young to enjoy this at the time. But Van Halen was always mixed in with the music we listened to on cassette. The alchemy here is pretty stunning and fully formed on their debut. I know Eddie died in 2020, so it's bittersweet to hear his work so early in his career. I remember a former manager for the group said Eddie was dumb as a rock and they always purposely tried to keep Eddie from talking too much in interviews. I think it was understood though that Eddie and his guitar did all the talking, and changed popular music and what hard rock sounded like. I'm not sure how this album might fit into my current life. Perhaps when we need to some upbeat music to clean the house, or some other chore. It's like a freight train. And the best part of listening to these albums is hearing their hits within the context of their original album. The back half, or side 2 of the album, is full of the sort of rocking songs I would expect. With these songs literally pulled out of the air, and never had existed before, I get why this album was so big for guitar rock. I can't imagine listening to this on a regular basis, but I'm enjoy it today.

Did not dislike as much as I thought I would. Now I'm not sure if Van Halen or The Kinks version of "You Really Got Me" is the one I've heard over the years. Can't deny the legacy and technical prowess of the guitar playing, but beyond a fun novelty every once and awhile doesn't do much for me.

Probably the best Van Halen album. The first side of it, for glam metal, is probably as good as it gets but that’s not saying much. I think the guitar playing is obviously stellar but the singing isn’t really my thing. Favorite song: You Really Got Me Least favorite song: Ice Cream Man

3.5

More like David Lee rocks, amiright?

A fun album with some fantastic guitar work. That said, there are a few too many fillers to warrant anything about a 3.

More fun than I expected

I didn't know Van Halen sang all these other songs... rip Eddie :( what a great rock dude

Too much screaming.

Répétitif un peu mais quelques bangers

Not for me.

Meh

I've never really bothered listening to Van Halen, though I did grow up with this sort of rock music in the 1983-1992 era. It's cool that Van Halen were doing this first in the 1970s, and Eddie Van Halen is extremely talented, but It's just not music I enjoy any more.

Ovo je teški treš realno, ali nakon 10 uzastopnih neslušljivih albuma, ovo mi je u usporedbi bilo probavljivo barem. Teško mi je uopće ocijeniti ovako bez da uspoređujem, ali realistično bilo bi 2/5, 4/10

"A bunch of dudes, on stage, jerking each other off, in Spandex, isn't music..."

not as bad I as I thought, but still not my fave...

Hard rock, heavy metal.

Was alright, kinda boring tho

This just makes me think of bill and Ted

I enjoyed the listen but didn’t love it. I liked the guitars but a lot of the riffs kind of blended into one and I didn’t really feel a connection to any specific song. Would happily listen again passively but wouldn’t actively play this and I didn’t save any of the songs to my playlist

Album geluisterd, plicht gedaan. Gelukkig maar 35 minuten. Vorige week Jimi Hendrix, nu een andere gitaarheld. De coverart was al niet veelbelovend, maar past wel bij de muziek. Veel gegil, zowel vocaal als instrumentaal. Erg overdreven en vermoeiend. 2 sterren.

favs: runnin’ with the devil you really got me jamie’s cryin’ little dreamer rating 1.7/5

Heard some songs from it before. Ain't Talking Bout Love is an absolute banger, obviously. But most of the other tracks, while fun, lacked something for me? Didn't have a bad time but also eh? 2/5

Van Halen is the perfect example of a mid heavy metal band.

Not a mediocre album but pretty unremarkable, sorry Van Halen

This was difficult to get through. I remembered quite a few songs from being a kid and my dad blaring it through the stereo, but I’m glad I never have to listen to it again. I respect Van Halen as a band in the 70s but it’s just not my thing.

5/10 I am not a fan of heavy metal, and this album is no exception. There's nothing actually wrong with the album, but it just doesn't work for me. (it's also notable that my favorite song from the album is a cover...)

not best but +1 for eruption

Doesn't speak to me at all. Sounds like Led Zeppelin with zero soul.

I’ve never really been a fan of Van Halen. I feel like a lot of the songs are dumb and boring. But one bonus point for You Really Got Me because I loved that song when I was 11.

wanky guitar solo central

It’s exactly what I would think it is. This variety of rock absolutely has a time and place. But unfortunately I haven’t been a twelve year old discovering air guitar in a long time

Very Epic. Obviously Van Halen is a God amongst men on the guitar. Because I play guitar this album was a little redeeming in that sense. Besides the cool guitar techniques, I honestly didn’t care for this album that much.

Eddie is very clearly the goat and eruption is obviously an impressive song but this whole album feels like a 10 year olds idea of good music

Wauw sorry maar hier is gewoon niets intrigerend bij. Er is niks echt memorabel bij en alles smelt gewoon een beetje samen in een soep van gitaarengeweld.

shred my ears

Never really clicked with hair metal, but I was able to appreciate the musicianship here -- it's not just fast and screechy and decadent. My favorite track is the first 90 second of "Ice Cream Man," wch is the least typical of the album, so...

Glam-Metal, it's a genre I have historically never really gotten on with. I can appreciate the Eddy Van Halen guitar, I think, I guess? But the overall presentation of this album I couldn't get in to. I have tried listening to the guitar in many different ways, standing upside down, with and without air guitar. But it just didn't quite hit as hard as the Iron Maiden album that we listened to previously. 1 star for Eddy being Dutch.

Didn't listen!

Review: There is a lot to say about this album. There were some highs but some other worldly lows. It felt like the guitar was so good at some points and other times it felt like they were blindfolded just clawing at the guitar. I do not understand how people think Eruption is good. Its just a crock pot of random guitar solos with no purpose. The biggest downfall of this album was the lack of emotion and purpose. It felt like things were being done just for things to be done. There were however some amazing songs. Feel Your Love Tonight being the best by far. It just amazes me how someone can make such good songs and also just straight up noise pollution and then throw them on the same album.

Not my vibe but a few tracks I enjoyed!

hmm not really my usual vibe but not bad to havw playing in the background during work

I recognize why so many people have fun with this album but I just have exceedingly little patience for this kind of cock rock at this stage in my life. Maybe I'm just a grump I don't know. So much pointless shredding, so many annoying 'vocal stylings' (why do they sound like they're getting burned by hot pokers every other verse? why in God's name do they start doing doo-wop singing in the middle of I'm the One? why did they ruin You Really Got Me with those stupid orgasm vocals?) but I do admit I was nodding along to some of the songs in the first half. Not really heavy enough for me to get really into it though. I realize this is kind of an album that you have to turn your brain off for but it's just too stupid for me and not fun enough to make up for that. There are hard rock bands out there who just do this shtick way better and are also not responsible for the plague of hair metal bands in the 80s. Ultimately it sounds like the favorite album of guys whose sex life peaked during the Reagan administration.

This felt like a spoof for what I would think hard rock would sounds like. Actually quite enjoyed it and didn’t know they wrote you really got me.

Crazy cool guitar and very much what i think of when i think of trad rock, not rlly my cup of tea atm, maybe if it caught me at a diff time, really liked ice cream man it felt the least like the other songs rlly caught me

Runnin with the devil definitely my fav.

Meh. Never been a David Lee Roth fan. First song is good, the rest was tedious.

kinda fun i guess but a bit soulless? too American and too Man

Everyone’s got a guy who will say something like, “Ya know, the thing about Eddie was…” I don’t have any specific attachment to Van Halen, though I am a Guitar Guy enough that I should be primed to look past the stuff I don’t like here, and just Enjoy Eddie. But for whatever reason, I am just not big on Eddie! I recognize him as being very skilled and what he’s doing as being very difficult, but I never actually enjoy listening to him. It is what it is.

Pretty alright

i didn't want to listen to this. but in the spirit of "the project".... more bid, dumb, fun rock. i don't hate it. childhood memories, etc.

Was this the birth of hair metal?

I never really liked Van Halen, because in the 80's they were overplayed

Teenage thrashing

pompous hair pop

Fun

some tracks were cool, they probably (most likely) are soundtracks in a movie. otherwise it was fine

Just feels very meh. The guitar work is very busy but the music doesn’t really hit me.

Entertaining

Embarrassing stuff to be found everywhere. Top of the list is that fucking awful ‘You Really Got Me’ cover. Trash. 2/5

Van Halen I enjoyed this a little more than 1984, but some of the same things hold true as on that album - namely I don’t find Dave Lee Roth at all interesting as a singer, frontman or lyricist, and despite its technical proficiency Eddie Van Halen’s guitar playing leaves me pretty cold. To be fair his playing does feel slightly more restrained than on 1984, and the album is better for it, but it still has a tendency towards empty grandstanding - e.g. the oft-lauded Eruption, which in actuality is a load of old wank. Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love is a great riff and good song, I like Running With the Devil and Jamie’s Cryin, Feel Your Lovin’ and On Fire are all fun enough. The rest is pretty forgettable but I must say I really dislike their version of All of the Day - in their hands the rawness of the original is replaced by a rather dull roominess that strips all the greatness out of it. And Ice Cream is truly woeful and not a little embarrassing. So even though I did like it more than 1984 there’s not really enough here to make me want to listen again so I’ll go with a 2 🇳🇱🇳🇱 Playlist submission: Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love

a classic i can't complain

Technical proficiency with no emotion, unless narcissism is an emotion.

ou, é ruim. hard rock que consiste em um mano esbagaçando a guitarra e o resto da banda balançando o cabelo. infelizmente tenho mais de 12 anos, não gosto mto de solos de guitarra desse tipo nao. não me entendam errado, eles tem talento. só usam pro mal.

Kinda feel like I heard it before, it reminded me a lot of Elvis.

Aika perusbluesrokkia

2/5

Deeply irritating

I feel like every Van Halen song I've heard follows a similar pattern: I start out thinking "oh this is gonna be cool" but then we get to the meat of the song and I'm just like, meh. Nothing really wowed me here and I had to stop myself from skipping some of them once I was about halfway through because I would rather just move on with my life to something more fun/interesting. Ice Cream Man wasn't bad, but by that point in the album I was already too burned out to care.

some nice riffs once in while, nothing mind blowing other than that

This kind of sucks. Ain't Talking Bout Love is sick becuase the Minutemen covered it and demolished it! Obviously his band starts writing better songs but yeah, this is kind of a snooze. Jamie's Cryin bops.

No me gusto mucho

Not my flavor

Sans plus 2.5+/5

What I have learned from this is there are so many unique ways to make bad music.

Not really my music style but i kinda liked the instrumentals

extended fart noise

jamies crying gefällt mir gut, rest is irgendwie so 0815 rock wie man ihn sich vorstellt.. weiß nicht, nicht schlecht aber auch irgendwie nicht wirklich spannend??!

Rock statement de la época

Surprisingly dull. More virtuosity than tunes, leaving the whole thing feeling oddly hollow and empty. Much less than the sum of it's parts.

Can’t listen at work. Too “intense”

Nothing way too gripping but very listenable, I can see why these albums sold so easily. Highlights: "Eruption", "Little Dreamer", "Ice Cream Man"

Bit mid, right?

its alright

This sounds so 80s and made in great year 1978. Total forerunners ! Regardless of that achievement this album doesn't resonate much with me.

Never one of my favourites, it's too flamboyant and seems like every musician and their technician are trying to be the best new hot shit on this record. It's too much. The songs are okay, few of them better that the rest, shit like eruption do not belong on a record but a live stage. Most of the songs could use trimming and remove the fringes and extra flounces. Sometimes more is indeed more and way too much.

I put Van Halen alongside Motley Crue in the hairspray metal camp. Undeniably good guitar playing - but it’s too polished for my tastes. 2/5

Top 3: 1. "You Really Got Me" 2. "On Fire" 3. "Runnin' with the Devil"

This is probably pretty cool if you know anything about playing a guitar which I don’t so the brilliance (if any) was kind of lost on me. Just a lot of screeching from both guitars and people.

Meh at best.

Dit was bij vlagen echt een hate-listen voor mij. Die stomme gitaarsolo('s), die stomme Kinks cover, dat stomme shoebedoowap stukje, die stomme teksten, die stomme blues cover. Ik ben niet het doelpubliek van dit genre. Having said all of that, af en toe rockt het wel

not my thing. liked the first part of the ice cream song

At this time, this likely sounded like a fresh take on hard rock. In retrospect, it's hard not to hear it as a precursor to hair metal and all of its excesses. The musicianship is certainly impressive, and when it's paired with good songwriting and interesting ideas like the doo-wop interlude on the "Hot For Teacher" dry run "I'm the One," it's a lot of fun. But "Eruption" is a guitar solo yearning for a song to go with it, and other songs also lack good choruses or riffs to bring things home. "Running with the Devil" and "Janie's Crying" predict the slow, sing-along choruses of 80s metal. "Ain't Talkin Bout Love" is the one song where all of the pieces really come together for me. There are some good moments here, but I'm left wishing it had a little more edge.

haven't we had this one before..?? atomic punk low point

Yeah whatever. Got nothing out of this that I couldn’t get out of the transition music in the horrid Henry animated series

Important to know about historically. Over-the-top rock that is leaning towards metal. My parents’ music. For me, though - good but nothing terribly special. I’d listen to it on the radio.

Gitar jiro

te rocky

Achei horrivelmente chato e sem lógica. Solo de guitarra sem rumo e me parece sem identidade alguma.

It’s fine, ok, bland to be honest… but I don’t feel anything.

Я дуже не люблю ван халєн, але тут пісня номер 2 мені сподобалась, тому поставлю 2.

A lot of technical skill that doesn't detract from the fact that this record is rather milquetoast.

Not really my thing. Pretty tacky.

Inte så jättebra men najs gitarr såklart

Pretty ass

Cool guitar riffs don’t outweigh the sloppy misogynistic lyrics

Man, I remember listening to this cassette in our Ford Econoline van for years after it came out as a big part of the soundtrack to my youth. EVH is easily in the conversation of greatest rock guitarists of all time, his brother was clearly in the conversation for most mastrubatory fast drumming of all time, and DLR remains one of the most narcissistic front men ever, with terrible misogynist lyrics second only to AC/DC in their offensiveness (for front line bands). What was once shall never be again for me. Goodbye to frail masculinity, hello to being an adult

Reminds me of driving around listening to am rock. Great guitar, MOR lyrics and vocals. Definitely dated and as I have no emotional connection to this, it’s objectively a two from me.

dr rockso

와 앨범커버 정말 틀기 싫게 생김 노래는 무난무난하네 2

Groupe de hard rock, je n’ai pas reussi a ecouter l’album a cause des guitares electriques et pas forcement a mon gout. Nouveau courant de guitar heros grace a la technique du tapping. Van Halen est classé dans le Livre Guinness des records comme le groupe ayant le plus grand nombre de tubes dans la Billboard Mainstream Rock List.

En lidt genreforvirret omgang. Men der er god energi, og de har helt sikkert haft det sjovt med at indspille det.

It didn't age very well.

I don't get the point of this at all. Very dull.

Don't get the appeal. Its like fake blues.

⭐⭐ Detta är ett väldigt hyllat album, men jag fattar inte grejen. Måste ha hamnat rätt i tiden. Det är extremt framtungt, börjar bra med de fyra första spåren. Även om detta inte riktigt är min grej så kan jag inte ducka för att de spåren är klassiker och svåra att inte gå igång på. Därefter är det inte alls min grej. Det går inte att komma undan att Van Halen och Lee Roth är skickliga. Men det blir mest gitarr/röst show off till ointressanta låtar helt utan personlighet.

Obvious musicianship and insane guitar skills, but i'm afraid besides the known songs, none of the rest really HAD something besides the solos

Putting this in context, it was released in 1978, therefore a time when heavy metal was being perceived in some quarters as old and stale relative to punk and new wave. So I’m going to guess that the super-high energy style and fast beats on a number of these tracks was fairly notable for a HM album of that time? But it’s still got plenty of the heavy metal tropes that don’t do anything for me. There are some good riffs to start songs but then it always morphs into ‘the usual’. Ironically the best track for me - possibly just because I know the original so well - is the cover of the Kinks’ You Really Got Me, a very structured song.

j’ai écouté les 3 premières mais j’étais pas seule et ça faisait nuisance donc j’ai cessé l’écoute je pense pas la reprendre

Runnin with the devil: catchy pero normal eruption: un embole You really got me: ahi va, es x aca aint talking bout love: buena guitarra im the one: ???? cualquiera jamies crying: ok, pegadizo atomic punk: es x aca feel your love tonight: ok little dreamer: no ice cream man: un tema de swing rock? no on fire: no 5/10

okay tbh i’m not a metal rock type of person so this album didn’t do that much for me.. but there are so classics here and there and this record kinda reminds me of my dad so props to that favs: you really got me - little dreamer!

I used to be in love with a girl that looked just like Eddie Van Halen, but hotter.

It sort of sounds like the same song on repeat, but it’s a decent song

not my kind of music

Yeah it wasn’t bad

Loud

it’s classic rock, not really my thing but generally pretty good. one song added to playlist. 2.5 cause i can’t give half stars

This was crazy

I was a little bit disappointed really. There were no standout tracks, and it started to feel very repetitive after a few tracks. As a Brit I can say that Van Halen probably never reached the heights over here that they attained in the US, and this album goes a way to explaining why that is/was (imo). I did make it all the way through without feeling the need to kill myself, but it's not close to 3 stars for me.

fand den anfang sehr vielversprechen habs aber nich ganz zuende geschafft

Not generally my cup of tea but with it being from the 70’s I had higher hopes than usual. I enjoyed the first 20 minutes then I felt it got a bit tedious and repetitive.

Surprisingly very listenable for how much this isn't my type of music (rock/metal) Nobody rules these streets at night like me👹 Fav: feel your love tonight Lowkey all sounds the same

nice! reconozco canciones como you really got me o feel your love tonight, muy bueno pero no se si volveria a escucharlo por mi cuenta. canciones fav: jamie's cryin'; ice cream man

I don't really like classic American rock! The best part of this was The Kinks cover

Not really my jam, I know it was an important work at the time, and I do like rock acts, but this was just not my speed.

Not Bad but I expected something with more lyrics. I liked the guitar in the background but it’s not really my style

Before Listening: I'm not entirely looking forward to this. From what I've heard of them before it's not really my vibe. My mom loves this band, or at the very least really likes the song Jump. When I told her I didn't like it a few years ago she was flabbergasted. Listen Notes I like the original "You Really Got Me Better". This version feels more bland, surprisingly. I actually really like production of "Ain't Talking About Love" but I hate the vocal performance and lyrics. "Ice Cream Man" makes me want to rate this as 1. If there's a hell, this song plays on loop there alongside dance monkey. "Jamie's Crying", "Atomic Punk", and "Little Dreamer" actually aren't bad Overall, I don't hate the production, even tho it can get a little bland at times. Lyrically, this album sucks for the most part, sorry mom. I don't see myself coming back to this at all, even the songs I didn't mind. Very much not my vibe.

Respect it. Good fun. Not necessarily my vibe but some of the guitar rifts are like nothing else.

Bon album mais pas vraiment mon délire

Definitely not interested in this.

It’s okay, you can still love it

2.4 I went in with raised expectations. I knew I'd Running With the Devil and didn't mind it. At least I know now why I'd never heard of anything else. I'm not entirely sure why they're focusing on Eddie's guitar work so much, obviously I know I'm shit at guitar, but I had this impression he was this absolute maestro, yet his solo's seem kind of... Sloppy? Unless I'm missing something there must be at least 100 guitarists out there better than him. Maybe in his time he was great, he can play fast for sure, but I feel like he isn't always hitting the right notes. Other than Eddie's playing it was pretty mid, bland songs, trying too hard to genre hop at times, other members didn't really seem to be blowing me away.

too many hair bands on this list i fear

album was okay? What i would imagine is like a generic late 70s dad rock album. Guitar from Eddie is fuckin sick tho! Fav track: Feel Your Love Tonight

First time ever actively listening to Van Halen! I always heard of them but didn't know what songs they were famous for. Now I do! Overall it's not really my sound, but can definitely appreciate it for what it is.

classic rock from 70s. boring

Talented musicians making boring music

Cock rock for shlock jocks Little dreamer is alright

more sizzle than steak for my ears

If I played instruments I wouldn't have done that

BAD MUSIC. NOT AWFUL BUT STILL VERY BAD

The double-tracked backup singers on this album is so cute. It's not rock n roll though, imo. Listening to Eruption, I was reminded of when Michael J Fox rips off a shred in Back to the Future and says "oh i guess you won't be ready for that for another 20 years". Well I'm still not ready for it 40 years later, unimpressed. 2.5/5 rounded down to 2. Somehow 35 min was too long. I did like On Fire, which funny enough is the lowest listened to song on the album on spotify

It's fine as far as these things go. I prefer Tom Petty if I'm going to listen to this branch of rock.

Not my scene

eddie's best work ruined by david's worst

meh, i like the songs i know and was annoyed to have to listen to this much van halen consecutively

I cant believe this is considered must hear material. Its got good hooks and the guitar trix were """revolutionary""" (stuff that has been done better millions of times in metal albums that would never be put on this website cuz theyre too scary for redditors) but the lyrical content is all boring boomer jokes and cliches. I need a little more than that from my cock rock to get me hard. Like Hot For Teacher I like because its actually controversial and rocks you while it makes you question if its okay lol. This has ice cream man which is also weird and gross but has nothing else going for it. Again, HOW is this must-hear??

Not my thing. "Runnin' With The Devil" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" are alright.

Bit too glam rock

Well it's technically impressive but I don't really connect with the songs.

Why are the ratings on this so high? Tells you a lot about the kind of person who signs up to this website... This went nice and quick. Probably as good as Van Halen get's but they just aren't a very good band - sorry. The barbershop part was laugh out loud funny.

The inspiration for Wyld Stallyns make their debut. It's a weird thing - a bit like the Slayer album, the guitar solo stuff is often just plonked on top of whatever the rest of the song is doing. He's undoubtedly doing difficult things, but you don't need it slathered all over everything. Eruption is particularly egregious. It's just that annoying bit on stage at the end of a song when the guitarist wants to show off - but they put it on the album as a real song. Janie's Cryin' has him scale it back a bit, and it's better for it. But then there's nothing very interesting going on. I'll see what I think when I get the album where he discovered the synth. I did not enjoy this.

Meh. Not for me

The mixing of the album doesn't sit with me. The drums sound like they're coming through a screen, the kick sounds like someone hitting a speaker cone, the bass is only hinted, and the guitar is heavily reverbed and overly panned (I understand it's the idea is to bring VH's playing to the front, but it's a bit heavy handed, especially in a continuous listen to the whole album on heaphones). The songs themselves don't feel anything special to me, just generic hard rock with more shredding than usual, with the exception of Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love which is a song I'll want to relisten to, and Runnin' with the Devil a distant second (it has a great starting riff but that's about it). IMO this album sounds exactly like what it is: A debut album of a band that's better at playing than writing, and packaged in unfortunate mixing. I think VH got better later in their career in songwriting. This one leaves me wanting.

This kinda sucked ass, I really hate cock rock and this was a slightly better execution of it so it's spared of a 1, but still didn't like it. Unfortunately, I'm also really behind on this list, and I can tell this won't be my last Van Halen album. I'm not mad listening to this, but I'd probably leave a bar if this was playing on the Touch Tunes.

The problem with selling out is that future generations cannot enjoy your creations as art. When I hear any song from this album, I do not hear music. I hear car commercials. I hear movie trailers. I hear needle drops used to the point of cliche. Corporations have used these tracks to invoke feelings in consumers for so long and so often that there is nothing left in the well. I've never intentionally listened to this album. I have never put on a single van halen song willingly. Yet I listened to this album today, and with disdain I knew every single track. Which is a shame, because i can faintly hear how this could be an exciting album; It would blow my socks off in 1978. But today it's nothing but banal backing tracks, with each measure printed on a hundred dollar bill.

Kind of cool. Nice stuff here. For me it jumps around just a little too much. 'you really got me' feels like a novelty cover which takes the mood away from hard rock into 60s dance pop. Then the mood jumps around a little more between anthemic stadium type rock, hard rick/metal feel, poppy stuff, blues boogie.. It just never seems to settle somewhere and fill out that mood? I thought the guitar style would bug me but it's kind of awesome. In the past I would have criticised it for serving the guitarists ego above serving the soul of the music.. But I found myself getting behind it - kind of like listening to a technical rapper. Hope there's more van Halen as I expect I will might like a later record more.

missing the smell of cigarettes in my dads car

eh just not for me, don't even really enjoy the songs I know.

How did i get so many albums behind.

I got my.....pencil.... "Running with the Devil" is the first track on my 666th album of this project, which seems fitting. But upon further inspection, Van Halen is about as demonic as the guy who used to hang out by the smokers' area in high school with his acoustic guitar trying to get us to join his youth group. It's faux rebellion for the future cops of the world (and I know a lot of cops that LOVE Van Halen). Still, David Lee Roth is an entertaining vocal monkey, I liked the bass player that looks like a pro wrestler and the drumming is top notch. I know Eddie is a guitar legend, but I really fucking hate guitar noodling, and his tone sucks. A mixed bag overall.

Hard rocking maybe but hard work generally. No idea why they felt the need to cover You Really Got Me.

2/5

Eddie Van Halen can play the guitar really well. That's about it from an album substance point of view. Maybe because this is a retrospective listen and I'm influenced by all 80s metal that came after, but it all sounds formulaic and lacking any tune, just some chorus wailing harmony and heavy guitars. All a bit boring.

I don't really like Van Halen, but their debut is still better than what they did later in the 80s - commercialised hair metal with all the posing. This is still a 70s album but I can already hear what was to come later in the 80s. Sure, they are technically good but at the same time it's not the kind of pure heavy metal I enjoy.

I just don't like this kind of hair metal shit, sorry

82/1089 not bad but also not particularly inspiring or groundbreaking for me either. i enjoyed my time with it enough but don’t need to go back to it 47/100

I thought I was going to like this album as I love a bit of 80s rock but, maybe I just wasn't in the right mood as I just didn't gel with it. Sorry! Hate to say it, the only bit I like (I didn't make it all the way through) was the opening riff of Ain't Talkin' Bout Love and that's because it's samples on Apollo 440's Ain't Talkin' Bout Dub, which is a cracking piece of music.

Van Halen or Van Hagar…the eternal debate Don’t really care for either of them. The sleazy cock rock of the 80s just sounds dated and lame…even with the amazing guitar work Still better than KISS. Not my thing, but I did like ain’t talking bout love. High point of the album for me

I have already heard an album by Van Halen, 1984. A second album from them on this list is redundtant. This might be slightly better than 1984. Certainly it was less outdated. 1984 came out the same year as This is Spinal Tap, which was, or should have been, the death knell for so many of these bands.

Not my thing… I can appreciate Eddie Van Halen’s virtuosity and innovation with the guitar, Eruption is definitely my favorite track off this, but this album was the prototype for all hair/bro metal to come afterwards and I can’t forgive it for that. They do it better than most, but hair metal is a genre that takes everything I love about rock music and does the opposite. Most of this just comes off corny to me. 3/10 Favorite tracks- “Runninv with the Devil” “Eruption”

Should be better than it is. Drummer and guitarist are clearly skilled but are held back by lacklustre vocal melodies

This reminds me of my friend's little brother. He was always wide-eyed and ready to get into some mischief. But not in a bad way...a fun exploring kinda way.

Dad rock with a hint of Black Sabbath on some of the songs. Not for me but impressive guitar work. 5/10

How does a band make a banger like Running with the Devil & then just fumble every other song. Not a fan of the sound of VH guitar but I recognize the talent.

No better or worse than my (low) expectations

Tää on yks niistä isoista legendaarisista bändeistä, mitä en oo ikinä kuunnellut. Toki Jumpin tietää kaikki. Ja ei kyllä iskenyt yhtään. Ei todellakaan huonoa ja nään miksi niin iso bändi. Mutta ei ole yhtään sellaista tyyliä, mitä jaksaisin kahta kappaletta enempää kuunnella. Hyvää kitarointia, mutta aika tylsää laulua. You Really Got Me sai jalan vispaamaan ja sekin oli coveri. Ice Cream Man oli kivan erillainen kappale ja vähän herätteli albumia eloon, mutta oli harmiksi ihan lopussa jo.

Ei vain iske, ei biisit, ei lauluääni/tyyli. Eruption on aikanaan ollut jotain ennenkuulumatonta ja jättänyt syystäkin jälkensä historiaan, mutta ei sekään omaan korvaan puhtaasti musiikin kuuntelun ilosta HYVÄLTÄ kuulosta. Kuitenkin ihan ammattitasoisesti tuotettu albumi eikä kuuntelu sattunut, joten pyöristetään omassa päässä 1,5/5 -> 2/5

A handful of catchy licks but not much going on here

I didn't realize it finished

It is what it is

Top cock rock. There used to be a club in Manchester that was wicked, it was underground and just behind arndale (annoying that I can’t remember the name of it) that was an old rock strip club which absolutely had to have sounded like this. Van Halen doing what they do.

2/5 - I'm sorry but I just cannot tolerate glam rock :/

Impossibly hard to listen to, the most irritating vocalist of all time, woo-ing and yeah-ing, and huh-ing through some quite irritating guitar flourishes. Some of the solos are fun i suppose. I guess this album is good in a way because it doesn't include Hot for Teacher or Jump. The shoobadoowah's in I'm the one are a particular low point. Ice Cream Man might be one of the worse songs we have had to listen to so far. It sounds like worse Aerosmith with better guitar. I didn't mind Atomic Punk at all though. Tom's Review - 0.75/5 Eva's Review - "I can see why a young boy would like this." Little dreamer is good, but Ice Cream Man knocked a few points off. 3/5

Background flow. Muy repetitivo y sin canciones realmente buenas

In retrospect, the energy and execution of Eddie Van Halen redeem the entire album and the band from certain impressions I had regarding the shallow lyrics and themes (focused on partying and excess), which left much to be desired. From the very beginning the songs stand out because of his distinctive guitar style and after several listens, I feel that’s the one thing that would make me return to the album. I don’t consider there to be a truly significant hit. I especially highlight Eruption as one of the most important solos in history thanks to its technical originality and complexity. Without a doubt, Eddie is a prodigy I will always respect. My favorite track was a cover (Ice Cream Man).

Didn’t really like it, too rocky

Harsh 2. Nostalgia scale must be off the chart for some but it's just an ok from me.

Tedious. There are a few glimpses of interest throughout (Ain't Talking About Love, for instance) which saves this from a complete bottom-ranking, but overall this isn't great. If you are looking for accessible fun party rock, AC/DC is right there.

I was into hair metal in the 80s, but I just never found VH that catchy. Second star is for Ain't Talking Bout Love, though, which is awesome.

Can appreciate it for what it is and represents, but Van Halen just isn't my cup of tea.

This is the type of music that was always already playing on the jute box at my local arcade pizza place and I COULD NOT wait for it to be over.

First album on this list that has made me so apathetic that I couldn't even finish the thing unfortunately.

Masturbatory guitar excess. My ears bleed.

The second song was enough for me to turn this one off. I'm all for a guitar solo, but an improvised solo on the second track was just not doing it for me.

Avant que le générateur d'albums me conseille d'écouter le premier album de Van Halen, on m'avait déjà bien bassiné avec celui-ci. "Une pierre angulaire du rock." "Un avant et un après." "Eddie Van Halen a réinventé la guitare." J'ai entendu ça des centaines de fois. Alors, aujourd'hui, j'en ai profité pour juger par moi même. Je me suis posé, j'ai mis le vinyle, ou plutôt le fichier FLAC, faut vivre avec son temps. J'ai enfilé mes écouteurs Bose et j'ai écouté. Attentivement. Du début à la fin. Mon verdict ? 2 sur 5. Et je suis généreux. Attention, ne me faites pas dire ce que je n'ai pas dit. Ce n'est pas un mauvais album. Ce n'est pas une purge auditive. C'est... un album de rock. Voilà. Un album de rock à écouter une fois dans sa vie, pour la culture. Pour pouvoir dire "oui, je l'ai écouté." Mais y revenir ? Très peu pour moi. Mais laissez-moi vous expliquer pourquoi ce soi-disant chef-d'œuvre me passe complètement au-dessus de la tête. Le premier problème, et c'est le plus gros : c'est trop heavy. Pas heavy dans le sens noble du terme, comme un Black Sabbath lourd et angoissant. Non. C'est un heavy "tape-à-l'œil". Un mur du son permanent. Une démonstration de force constante qui finit par fatiguer. Dès "Runnin' with the Devil", le ton est donné. Le riff est bon, ok. Mais ça hurle, ça castagne, ça ne respire jamais. On a l'impression que les mecs ont tout à prouver sur chaque putain de seconde de chaque morceau. "Regardez comme on joue fort !" "Regardez comme on est des rockstars !" C'est bon, les gars, on a compris. Pas la peine de me le marteler dans le crâne pendant 40 minutes. Cette énergie brute, qui a dû être incroyable à l'époque, sonne aujourd'hui pour moi comme une surenchère un peu vaine. Ensuite, le deuxième point. Le point qui me hérisse le poil. Le truc qui me fait grincer des dents à chaque fois. Les solos de guitare. Mon Dieu, ces solos... Je sais, je sais, blasphème. Eddie Van Halen est un génie, un virtuose, un innovateur. Oui, techniquement, c'est hallucinant. Le "tapping", la vitesse, la propreté... Je ne suis pas sourd. Le mec a un talent monstrueux. Mais qu'est-ce que ça me gonfle ! C'est l'incarnation même de l'exhibitionnisme guitaristique. Chaque solo est un prétexte pour en mettre plein la vue. Ça ne chante pas, ça ne raconte rien. Ça exécute. Ça se masturbe avec le manche. C'est une démonstration technique froide et sans âme. Prenons "Eruption". Le morceau-signature du guitar hero. Pour moi, ce n'est pas de la musique. C'est un catalogue de figures. Une compétition de vitesse. "Regardez ce que je peux faire avec mes doigts !" C'est impressionnant, de la même manière qu'un athlète qui court le 100 mètres en moins de 10 secondes est impressionnant. Mais est-ce que ça m'émeut ? Est-ce que ça me transporte ? Absolument pas. Et le pire, c'est que ces solos interminables viennent couper des morceaux qui, parfois, avaient un certain potentiel. On a un bon riff, une bonne dynamique, et paf ! Le voilà qui déboule avec sa guitare en fusion pour nous balancer trois minutes de gammes à la vitesse de la lumière. Ça casse le rythme, ça détruit la chanson. C'est de l'ego pur et simple. Et enfin, le troisième clou dans le cercueil. La cerise sur le gâteau de mon agacement. Les chœurs. Mais putain, ces chœurs... Ces "houuuu houuuu houuuu"... On dirait des chœurs de gonzesses en arrière-plan. Les mecs, vous êtes Van Halen ! Vous vous la jouez durs, virils, des dieux du stade qui enchaînent les conquêtes. Vous avez des couilles, non ? Alors merde, arrêtez vos chœurs de boys band ! Ça décrédibilise tout. Ça donne un côté tellement... pop, tellement fabriqué. Ce contraste entre le son saturé, la voix criarde de David Lee Roth et ces petites harmonies vocales mielleuses est insupportable. "Jamie's Cryin'", par exemple. Le morceau pourrait être sympa, mais ces chœurs viennent tout gâcher. C'est kitsch et daté. On se croirait dans une mauvaise comédie musicale. Alors, que reste-t-il ? Il reste une poignée de riffs légendaires. "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", "You Really Got Me" (qui est une reprise, rappelons-le)... Il reste l'énergie d'un groupe qui avait faim et qui a tout balancé sur un premier album. Il reste une section rythmique carrée, un batteur qui cogne et un bassiste qui suit. Il reste le charisme d'un chanteur qui était plus un showman qu'un vocaliste, mais qui incarnait son rôle à la perfection. C'est pour ça que je mets 2 sur 5. Parce que je reconnais l'impact historique. Je reconnais le talent brut. Je comprends pourquoi cet album a marqué son époque. Il a apporté une nouvelle énergie, une nouvelle façon de jouer de la guitare, un nouveau style de hard rock plus "fun" et décomplexé que ce qui se faisait avant. Mais avec mes oreilles d'aujourd'hui, je n'y trouve pas mon compte. Je vois un album qui a vieilli sur certains aspects. Un album qui mise tout sur la performance et l'esbroufe, au détriment de l'émotion et de la subtilité. C'est une claque, certes. Mais une claque qui assomme plus qu'elle ne réveille. En conclusion : "Van Halen" est un monument. Et comme beaucoup de monuments, il est impressionnant à voir de loin. On peut admirer son architecture, sa taille, son importance historique. Mais y vivre ? Non merci. C'est un album à visiter, pas à habiter. Un disque à écouter une fois dans sa vie pour comprendre un pan de l'histoire du rock. Et ensuite, on peut passer à autre chose. Sans regrets.

Meh men gøy med gitarsoli

Template for 80's corny pop metal.

Not terrible familiar with Van Halen. Not a good first impression. Hard to get past the banality of the lyrics. There is a guitar solo as a track which is interesting. 2.5 rounded down Heard before? No Owned: No. 4/1001, 4/17 (23%) Will I get? No Recommend: No

Very close to a 3. I did enjoy it somewhat but doubt I’d put it on again.

2/5 Interesting mixture of styles Didn’t hate it

Dystopian? Very rock and roll. Electric. Energetic. I feel crazy. Manic. “I’m the one”. It’s a typical youth-music festival and everyone is shaking their heads. Made me feel comfortably angry.

Not really my preferred style of rock, but i do have a soft spot for Van Halen, albeit i actually prefer the Sammy Hagar fronted version incarnation. Obviously the guitarmanship is insane and listening to eruption i cant help but hear the influence EVH had on those who came after him like Nuno Bettencourt. Whilst there are a few great tracks on this album i think it would be generous to describe the quality as variable. Atomic Punk in particular is s low point. It is very old school rock and some of the lyrical content reflects this. I dont like DLR’s vocals and obviously that presents another stumbling block in terms of enjoying this. Full marks for the musicianship but not so much for the thing as a whole.

Full disclosure: this type of thing, in general, just isn't for me. That sort of 70s rock vocal delivery and twiddly 2 minute guitar solos just doesn't float my boat. If it did however, I can see that this is a great example. The Kinks cover was surprisingly faithful to the original, just a lot more waily. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love made me want to listen to Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Dub by Apollo 440. I liked I'm The One for starting off quite punk then suddenly turning into Queen. I also quite liked Jamie's Crying, but throughout the whole album I felt like I should really be watching an episode of Supernatural. Even though it's not my kinda thing, I would say it's an accomplished debut. 2/5

I wasn't looking forward to this one and physically groaned when I refreshed the page this morning. Got it out of the way quick though and can report that this album is exactly what I expected it to be which is largely very bland! It's all very well written, put together and produced, but it feels like a dull cosplay version of much better things. It's magnolia paint, generally inoffensive but there's no oomph or wow and it's exactly what I hate most about music! The bluesier, stompier tracks were the most listenable but most of it was just 😩 and it frustrates me greatly that it’s artists like her that are championed by the industry.

Why is the bass so farty? Some great hooks.

I expected to enjoy this much more than I did, it just didn't really do anything for me. I doubt I'd go out of my way to listen to this again.

A little underwhelming for me. Like if it’s gonna be rock it needs to be way more intense

van halen is van halen, not bad.

I'm tempted to give this a 1 for influencing and spawning the dumbest hair metal bands of the late 1980s. The Eddie VH guitar acrobatics that inspired generations of wannabe soloists are impressive, but maybe don't hold up so well. How to evaluate an Lp that was like crack for the kids on my Jr high school bus that had a boom box and 2 tapes? I Jamie's crying sounds like the dumbest Aerosmith song, but Little Dreamer is actually okay.

Guitar shredding 👎👎

Take Ain't Talking About Love of this and it's pretty poor. What variation there is (doo wap and 12 bar blues) doesn't help. I don't like Eddie's guitar playing much, it's just noise. Never got the point of Eruption. Billie Jean is his best work.

Muito básico e juvenil, um disco mediano. Não gosto dos vocais, especialmente os backing vocals (Jamie´s Cryin', por exemplo). Tanto se fala no virtuosismo de Eddie Van Halen, mas minha falta de conhecimento técnico não consegue ver, exceto em "Atomic Punk".

Catchy but definitely not my thing. Absolutely hated a couple songs. Didn't really love any.

oh oh oh Janie’s cryin’

This is the white van that we should have been warned about in Elementary school 😭🤣 Not for me, but gee golly that cat can scat!

Now I was big glam/hair metal fan, and a load of bands I was into referenced Van Hen and whilst I got.it, I did t get it tbe same way as when they said Kiss or Aerosmith. Not bu a long way

1.5/5

Good enough but not my jam

Old head music Too old for me, I'll let peepaw dance to it.

treća stvar - obrada kinksa! inače okej, valjda je ovo metalcima super, meni nije ništa posebno

Maybe I suck, but I can barely tolerate the guitar solos -- not because they're bad but because it's just something I don't like.

Just not my style of music.

I think that Van Halen forgot the writing good songs part of making a good album

I feel the need to tell my story about this album. See, I bought "Van Halen 1" it was the best damn record I ever owned. I picked it up from a TG&Y in 1978. That two hand tapping guitar technique it really got me off. I mean full Eruption, YEAH!, I ain't talkin' bout love, I'm on fire! Afterwards, I bought "Woman and Children First", "Fair Warning", and "Van Halen II" and danced the night away. "1984" was my favorite record. I listened so much I wore it down, I was so sad that I thought, I might as well jump. Up on that bridge in quiet reflection I thought to myself, "Tomorrow may come, Tomorrow may never come". Then the strangest thing happened, I could hear my long dead sister Jamie crying, and I knew she was running with the devil, I shouted "oh lord!", and left that bridge. Just one short year later and they go and change singers. Is this what you wanted? Sammy Hagar? I mean, SAMMY HAGAR?? Is THIS what we wanted, man? No! I'll never buy their lousy records again. Long story short, Van Halen is over-rated. ~ 2 Stars

Van BORING

Eddie Van Halen is an incredible guitarist, but I don't masturbate to six strings so this album was just okay. If you love cock on the table guitar solos though, this is probably 5 stars.

A band I tried to avoid in my teens. I was correct.

This sort of music has been referenced so many times in popular culture that it has calcified into something that's very difficult to take seriously as a millenial coming to it in 2024. It's the music that needs to be playing when the newly arrived Terminator walks into a bar filled with tough guys, its the motif for the muscle-car driving douchebag that's nailing the protagonist's crush, it's what the washed up deadbeat dad on One Tree Hill (or something, whatever) has on the record player while he's bottoming out with a bottle of Jack Daniels.

All style little substance. An incredibly talented bunch to be sure. Breaking new ground in guitar wizardry and stadium rock production. But this whole album didn’t really resonate for me. I appreciate the lean runtime, but even at that, the high octane energy of those guitars and Lee-Roth’s yelping ‘aww yeyahhhs’ feels totally overwhelming by the end. Two stars ⭐️⭐️

Ok u can play guitar

EVH can certainly play guitar and he never misses an opportunity to demonstrate. A skilled musician but fairly forgettable album I’m afraid

The kings of cock rock are back, and this time that have done the decent thing and only made us listen to half an hour of this averageness! So many better rock bands of that era to choose from.

- nicht so schlecht, wie erwartet, aber nichts, was ich unbedingt wieder hören würde (denke ich) - insgesamt war es aber relativ stimmig (Irgendwo zwischen 2 und 3)

Nice instrumentals 2/5

Not to my tastes

It’s silly and not something I would typically listen to because I don’t often find myself at the Hard Rock Cafe. I can respect the deranged energy and the lively guitar riffs, however. Standout tracks are: “You Really Got Me” and “Jamie’s Cryin”

I found the long guitar solos boring. Outside of that the music is not super interesting. I think I just don't like the 70s.

Lol Van Halen fans REALLY like guitar solos! 😂 did VH invent Guitar Hero? More tolerable than Metallica. Step dad garages.

Ist mit zu cheesy/Klischee Rock n roll (auch wenn das wahrscheinlich die og's vom ganzen genre sind)

Oh you got guitars

Didn't do anything for me.

I have officially decided that I no longer like mainstream 70's rock music. When I state "I like classic rock," I meant Pink Floyd and Queen, none of this cock-and-bull. "Van Halen" is pretentious, passionless and overblown. Even the guitar was annoying.

Some nice songs, but mostly obnoxious

Not great

Not as heavy as I thought it would be, some really nice guitar solos and I think synths in there. Some pieces of country music in there which I liked mixed with the rock and roll.

The guitar playing is virtuosic and the sound makes you feel like you would have had a really fun, albeit short, life if you were part of that scene. It conjures images of smoke filled clubs with a non-zero amount of cocaine nearby. The sound is loud, intense and unrelenting. The themes are boring, shallow and unimpressive.

I'm giving this 2 stars because of the significance. David Lee Roth is completely insufferable though. The barbershop quartet part was pretty lame as well.

Fun, but overall not my style

This album surprised me. I like the catchy guitar riffs and layered harmonies in the background. Also the fact that there’s an actual tune and melody (as opposed to just loud noise lol). Also appreciate that the songs aren’t too long or repetitive.

Meh

Song:running with the devil I don ´ t like that he is singing about the devil but it has a good beat Song: eruption The guitar was very loud but i kind of like it Song: ain´t talking about love i like this song better way better Song: you really got me i really like this song It's my favorite in this album

Why are they posing like that on the cover? "Running with the Devil" is not my favorite. I don't really like the rock aspect of the music, it's just not the kind of music I like. I felt the same about "Ain't Talking Bout Love" There is nothing wrong with the music it's just not the style of music I like to listen too. I don't enjoy all the guitar parts and loud drums there is to rock and roll. "You really got me" was my favorite but I still didn't like it. Overall I would rate this album 2 start because I just don't enjoy this style of music. However I would reccomend this to anybody who really likes rock and roll music.

i think i liked other van halen we’ve listened to more?

Not a terrible record. I stopped caring about VanHalen not long after this one

Surprisingly low energy and slow paced at times and way too much pop sensibility and major-key-blues-riffiness. David Lee Roth has got his own thing going on there, gotta give him that.

I liked this a bit more than I expected to, but there's a lot I didn't love. A lot of the soloing and general over-the-top instrumentals feel pretty excessive in a way that really doesn't work for me, the vocals are a bit annoying at times but not awful, and there's only a few very memorable songs. Still, an undeniable energy to this, can see why this sound became so huge. I don't generally love the macho-ness of it, and it's a bit too sleazy, but not at too extreme of a level. Sounds like Kiss for adults. The only points where this really fails are the slower, bluesier songs like Ice Cream Man.

Wasn't as bad as I expected...

This is a natural development in the music that Elvis was pioneering. I had a realization about halfway through this album like Mr. Krabs playing golf: "Wait a minute, I hate Van Halen" 2

Incredibly talented guitar work, just have little time for Roth. Didn’t grow up with this sound either, and 47 years later it’s doing nothing to pull me in. Sorry.

I know I'm SUPPOSED to like this album. But still

This certainly is an album.

not so good

It was fine, some songs are a little interesting but mostly not into it.

Credit where credit is due, EvH is one of the most talented guitarists of all time. Favourite Tracks: You Really Got Me Least Fav Track: Feel Your Love Tonight

I'm just not a fan of this style of rock - I get it has its place, but that place is not on my playlists.

There was a moment when this album started where I thought it might be different to what I expected. It was not. Surprising guitar interlude with 'Eruption', I actually quite enjoyed it. The rock instrumentation was pretty good for 'You Really Got me', it gave it a depth of sound, but the singing didn't do much for me. Enjoyable because I like the original. The rest is much for muchness. I think the guitarist is strong, the rest is all inoffensive but doesn't excite me.

Ingen van av Fan Halen. Whoops, fan av Van Halen skulle det ju vara.

I have no use for this early glam metal bullshit. I respect the influence, truly - I only say "bullshit" to describe how I feel listening to it. 2/5

Can someone please draw me a picture of the band on tour about to be picked up from their hotel. I want to see Eddy Van Halen hailin' the Van Halen van (with apologies to Stephen Fry). About 18 minutes into the first album

When we had 1984 I started contemplating my thoughts on Van Halen, which was maybe I’ve never liked Van Halen. After this all I know is i don’t like listening to them. Also wondering if EVH actually is a good guitar player. He can do a lot but to my ears it sounds awful. I think “I’m the One” was where that clicked. They have a decent harmony in the chorus and after each line he plays insane fills that add nothing to the song. Give me some slow yet tasteful JJ Cale (or a hundred other guitarists) over this garble. Jamie’s Cryin is the best version of this band. Adding a star for that song.

I think I overshot my rating on 1984 by a bit, but still think I prefer the songs on that album to this one. Remake of the Kinks is offensive. And if I need my fix of Devil themed music you know I’m going Maiden.

Just not in the mood to be honest. Run of the mill power Rock and the only thing I can think of as a compliemt is that this was made in 1978 and not 1983

It’s alright. Pretty good for hard rock.

One of the most successfull debut album in history.

The first four songs on this album are pretty well known, which I guess is something. Look, I get what Van Halen is doing and I think they do it pretty well. But I still don't like it. The over the top 80s hair metal simply doesn't appeal to me in the slightest. Was very confused by the first minute of Ice Cream Man too. 4.5/10 (2.25/5)

Not really my taste of music. I like the ice cream man song though and sort of liked Jamie's cryin but that may just be because it was familiar.

Pfff. Okay: "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" is carried by a great riff, otherwise this all leaves me extremely cold. It's musicians' music. By the numbers. If you don't care for rock clichés or technical execution, which I don't, there is just nothing here. "Eruption" is nonsense, boogie woogie "Ice Cream Man" horrible. Trite rhythms throughout. I had considerably more fun with the similarly flavoured debut from Boston. And really, this album, even if it's an impressive first appereance, is surrounded by so many rock releases which offer either much more interesting, meaningful music or *that same* thing to a greater effect - this here is bleh.

Rock of ages shite

Not for me

Where to start with a band who inspired a hundred 80s hair metal bands? 1978 when this was released. In the same year The Jam were covering The Mighty Kinks and wishing they could be like David Watts, millions of American teenagers were wishing they could be like Dave Lee Roth 😀 I like that Van Halen covered The Kinks and opened them up to a huge new audience, but I can't stand their version! Listen back to back and to me it's clear that less is more. Lots of the tracks are familiar because Planet Rock love them but I don't really like their sound or style. Some decent riffs but 'shredding' doesn't do much for me. So sorry, not my favourite. I like 'Jump' but that came much later, and even then I prefer the live acoustic Aztec Camera version. Guess I'm not cut out for hair metal 🙃

This is a lot of fun but the shrieking voice and the endless noodling on the guitar (and that terrible cover of the Kinks almost at the start) is *so* not my kind of thing that I will never ever put this on again. The riff from Ain't Talking About Love is great but I'll just play that Apollo 440 single instead...

like one classic on here but not really for me - very samey

I had this down as the sound of 80s rock so I’m a little surprised to see it’s a 70s album. You can feel and hear the talent but it’s just not for me. 4/10

Had a good time with this one. High 2, good switch up from what I’ve had the past few days. Always loved Van Halen but obviously imo not his greatest work. Still a respectable record.

Sounds dated

I like the sound of the guitar, but overall this isn't doing much for me.

There's nothing wrong with this album, but this type of music just does not appeal to me. The singing is grating and the music sounds the same song after song. I don't blame people who get hyped by this, but I just don't get it.