Reviews (page 2 of 15)
Best guitar album ever. It should be a criminal offense not to know this back to front and front to back.
Great
Very good, especially the tracks that I wasn't familiar with. I really enjoyed 'Ice Cream Man' in particular. Such a miracle that this is their debut album!!! My rock obsession is back.
Pretty short, but very good
This album fuckin rocks. The jump from “Eruption” into “You Really Got Me” is god tier. The syncopated drum fills, the weird little doo-wop breakdown in “I’m the One,” the underrated bass grooves—everybody’s doing something ridiculous, and somehow David Lee Roth is the most ridiculous thing here. Side B can’t quite keep up with Side A, but it still fucking rules. Why is this on the list? Because it rocks harder than you or anyone you know. 5/5. 9.1/10
Don't get me wrong, I really like this record. I just wish I could hear it with fresh ears. And I mean that in two very different ways. First, I wish I could listen to it without having heard half these songs approximately 10,000 times over the course of my life. "Runnin' with the Devil," "Eruption," "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love," "Jamie's Cryin'," "You Really Got Me." These songs are so deeply embedded in the DNA of classic rock radio that it's almost impossible for me to hear them objectively anymore. They're great songs, obviously, but familiarity breeds something resembling contempt, or at least indifference. It's hard to be blown away by something you've been hearing since you were a kid. But more importantly, I wish I could travel back to 1978 and hear this album for the very first time, completely unaware of what was coming. Imagine putting this record on, having never heard Eddie Van Halen play guitar, and then getting to "Eruption." Holy shit. It must have sounded like something from another planet. By the time I discovered Van Halen, Eddie was already Eddie Van Halen. I'd heard his playing, his imitators, and the countless guitarists who spent the next several decades trying to out-Eddie Eddie. But in 1978? This must have been an absolute revelation. One of those rare moments in rock history where you can almost hear the dividing line between what came before and what came after. That being said, Eddie has never been my favorite kind of guitarist. I can absolutely appreciate his technical brilliance, and I love his tone. That thick, saturated, harmonically rich brown sound is just phenomenal. But as a guitarist myself, it's not really how I approach the instrument. I'm much more of an improvisational blues and riff-rock guy. Give me a great groove, a dirty riff, and a guitarist who can make three notes say something interesting. I'm not particularly interested in two-handed tapping, insane dive bombs, pinch harmonics, or a million notes played at the speed of light. The whole lineage of virtuoso guitarists who followed in Eddie's footsteps, guys like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and John Petrucci, has always left me relatively cold. I can watch them play and appreciate that they're doing something technically extraordinary, but that doesn't necessarily mean I want to listen to it. Guitar playing isn't an Olympic sport. And yet, there's something about Eddie's playing on this record that transcends the technical fireworks. He's not just showing off. He's got incredible rhythm, fantastic riffs, and a sense of swagger that makes the whole band sound enormous. The guitar is practically another lead vocalist. And the songs themselves are really fucking good. In fact, the best evidence that I genuinely love this album is how much I enjoyed the songs I haven't been beaten over the head with for the past 40 years. "Atomic Punk," "On Fire," "Feel Your Love Tonight," "I'm the One." These tracks were an absolute blast to revisit. Without the baggage of decades of overexposure, I could actually hear how exciting, energetic, and ridiculously fun this band was. There's a looseness and a rawness to the whole thing that sometimes gets lost when we talk about Van Halen as this polished, larger-than-life arena rock institution. On their debut, they sound hungry, dangerous, and like they're having the time of their lives. And then there's David Lee Roth. In a lot of ways, Diamond Dave is still the prototype for the modern rock frontman. The jumping, the high kicks, the leather pants, the shirtless swagger, the ridiculous sexual bravado, the larger-than-life personality. He helped define what a rock and roll singer who doesn't play an instrument is supposed to look and act like. The guy was practically a cartoon character, but in 1978, it worked magnificently. His voice, his attitude, his manic energy, and his refusal to take any of it too seriously were the perfect counterbalance to Eddie's almost supernatural guitar playing. The problem is that it's increasingly difficult to separate the David Lee Roth of 1978 from the David Lee Roth of 2026. The guy is now in his seventies, still doing variations of the same shirtless, leather-pants, high-kicking routine, except the voice and physical abilities aren't what they once were. There's something a little sad about watching someone cling so desperately to a persona that was absolutely electrifying nearly fifty years ago. And then there's his reputation for being a difficult, egotistical asshole, not to mention the decades of feuding with Eddie Van Halen. None of that does him any favors. It's unfortunate, because the original Diamond Dave really was one of the great rock frontmen, and I wish it were easier to appreciate that version of him without the baggage of everything that followed. But none of that changes what this album accomplished. *Van Halen* is an astonishing debut, a record that simultaneously captured the raw energy of a great rock band and fundamentally changed what electric guitar playing could sound like. It's loud, obnoxious, technically dazzling, gloriously sleazy, and packed with fantastic songs. There's a reason it became such a foundational record for the next generation of hard rock. I just wish I could hear it without knowing any of that. Without the radio saturation, without the guitar hero mythology, without the decades of imitators, and without knowing what eventually became of the personalities involved. Just me, a turntable, and a brand-new record in 1978. I suspect that version of me would have absolutely lost his mind. 8.0/10. Four stars.
Lots of hits, great sound. But when they’re not hits they’re not really my style. 8/10
Guitar panned left is annoying
I'm really digging the recording on this album. The drums and guitar tones are very warm and smooth without sounding congested. Some impressive guitar solos on songs like Eruption. Very catchy hooks and melodies throughout the album, You Really Got Me and Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love being the standouts.
Saatanan hyvää musiikkia
One of the first bands I was obsessed with.
I'm not really into this kind of macho spandex rock anymore but it's not really that bad. somewhere between 2 or 3 stars. If you give me a beer I'll make it three.
Taattua laatua ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Olipa taas hyvä levy!
I’ll be honest: I wasn’t expecting to like Van Halen that much. Hard rock isn’t really my favourite genre, and I was pretty reluctant to give this album a proper chance at first. But sometimes an album just catches you off guard, and that’s exactly what happened here. What immediately stands out is how much energy this record has. It’s loud, confident and incredibly fun without feeling like it’s trying too hard. Eddie Van Halen’s guitar playing is obviously a huge part of that. Even if you’re not particularly into guitar-heavy music, it’s hard not to appreciate how creative and exciting his playing sounds, especially on tracks like “Eruption” and “I’m the One.” There’s a real sense that the band is having a great time playing these songs. David Lee Roth’s vocals and personality also give the album a lot of character. His style can be a bit much depending on your taste, but here it fits the music perfectly. The whole album has this carefree, almost reckless feeling that makes it surprisingly easy to get into. I think what impressed me most is that the album managed to win me over despite not being my usual kind of music. It doesn’t feel like a record you have to study or force yourself to appreciate. You just put it on and, before you know it, you’re nodding along. For a debut album from 1978, Van Halen still feels remarkably alive. It’s energetic, catchy, technically impressive and, most importantly, a lot of fun. I went into it with low expectations and quite a bit of hesitation, and ended up understanding why this album has such a strong reputation. Definitely not the genre I usually reach for, but this one was a very pleasant surprise.
Wish there were more Van Halen songs in this playlist that I knew but still pretty good
Van Halen started at the top of their game and rose from there. It's incredible.
Van Halen is my dad's favorite group by a mile and honestly, I get it, they are awesome. One of the GOAT guitarists? Check. Hooks on hooks on hooks? Check. Unbelievably charismatic and recognizable singer? Check. This album is excellent across the board. And it's incredibly self indulgent, like with Eruption, but it's completely earned and they just do hard glam rock better than everyone else. Eddie is such a talent, I could listen to his shredding all day, Everytime I feel I hear something new in his solos. My favorites are Runnin' with the Devil, Jamie's Cryin', and You Really Got Me (it's just the perfect pop rock song).
Eif schlächter als 1984
Hans fast nöd uusghalte. Han gmeints erste album isch scho schlimm gsi aber das isch ja wück eifach slop
I’m really not a fan of Van Halen. Overrated imo. This is just average. 3/5 Guitar is good but vocals always annoyed me
The first half of this album is absolute fire. 3 of their huge hits in Runnin With the Devil, You Really Got Me, and Ain't Talking About Love. Not to mention one of the most famous guitar instrumentals in history, Eruption. They're firing on all cylinders here. For me it's just slightly let down by a couple of weaker tracks later on but still a solid album.
I don't even have to hit play on this today to know how I feel about it, but I'm absolutely going to do it anyway. I could write a bunch of shitty prose about Eddie's smokey searing guitar tone, how polarizing DLR is/was/always will be, or how this is probably the best album KISS ever made (and all they had to do was discover a new band to make it)... but nobody's going to read a novel length review buried halfway down the page. My fault for showing up 5 years after this site went live and people started upvoting reviews. Van Halen (Van Hagar) was the first concert I ever went to (July 22, 1995 at Riverport Amphitheater in St. Louis. I was ten). My dad was a big VH fan so, as far as I was concerned, they were the greatest band to ever exist. I've moderated that opinion a bit in the last 30 years, but this record will always be in the pantheon of all time greatest debut albums. It's the absolute pinnacle of late-stage glam rock before the genre yielded to (created?) hair metal. "Ice Cream Man" is a clear outlier here, but who cares? I love that VH stuck one weird blues song at the back of all their early albums.
Really fun guitar playing. A little flashy but it works. Great energy.
I didn’t give this enough time to go above a 3 but the bits I listened to were very well done and I think I will come back to this
Very much not my thing. I don’t like that style of singing, and guitar solo stuff does nothing for me.
This album was fucking great!
Hell yeah
Not bad at all, didn’t really liked it tho 1.5/5
Halen sounds. Definable and hard wearing.
The buttiest of butt rock. No thanks.
Enjoyed. This is the album that has been most in my wheelhouse so far.
Ovi rock bendovi kraj 70-ih/početak 80-ih su kod mene do ove liste bili nepravedno ocijenjeni, svi su sasvim ok i jedina im je greška što su prevaziđeni vremenom a nisu uopšte loši kao što su meni djelovali.
Great debut including re-invention of electric guitar
not typically a genre i would choose to listen to outside of this challenge but i liked this a lot more than i thought i would. i'm the one is particularly great. love the weird chorus of squealing in you really got me. love little dreamer and ice cream man as well. elevated butt rock
꽤 신나는 느낌이었지만 엄청 좋다는 느낌은 없었다. 전체적으로 평범했다. It felt quite exciting, but it didn't strike me as amazing. Overall, it was just average.
Quite a few bangers in this one and the rest of the album is good enough.
Van Halen is today’s listen, and I must admit I was really surprised by this album. I went into it expecting fairly generic late 70s dad rock, but what I actually got was loads of variety, great songs and some absolutely superb musicianship. Obviously, Eddie Van Halen’s guitar playing is the star of the show. It’s aggressive, inventive and ridiculously good throughout, but the album isn’t just an excuse for endless guitar solos. There are proper songs underneath it all, with great riffs, catchy melodies and David Lee Roth’s powerful, slightly dirty vocals giving the band loads of personality. I was also surprised by how much variation there is. “Ice Cream Man”, for example, starts off sounding nothing like the Van Halen I was expecting before exploding into something completely different. Their cover of “You Really Got Me” was another great surprise. It takes an already brilliant Kinks song and completely makes it their own. Then you have tracks like “Runnin’ with the Devil”, “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love” and “Jamie’s Cryin’”. There are so many recognisable songs here that it almost feels like a greatest hits album rather than a debut. I expected this to be exactly the sort of rock album I normally struggle with, but I was completely wrong. It’s loud and full of swagger, but there’s also melody, variety and some fantastic songwriting. A superb album and a very welcome surprise. Favourite tracks: “I’m the One” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love”. Honourable mention to their brilliant cover of “You Really Got Me”. I really wasn’t expecting that! Least favourite tracks: Nothing. Everything on the album was superb and worth a listen. Album artwork: Great album cover. Simple, energetic and perfectly captures the band.Van Halen is today’s listen, and I must admit I was really surprised by this album. I went into it expecting fairly generic late 70s dad rock, but what I actually got was loads of variety, great songs and some absolutely superb musicianship.
Hard rock isn't usually my thing, but I actually really dug this album. The guitar riffs are absolute gold and keep the whole thing super fun from start to finish. "You Really Got Me" and "Jamie's Crying" were easily my favorite tracks.
#250/1001 🇺🇸 FFS... Mercifully only 35 mins long. Absolutely cringeworthy version of you really got me. Feel Your Love is lyrically horrible. Ice Cream Man is just completely dreadful. I can't remember the name of the song with Doo-Wops in but thats crap too. Yeah he can play guitar and Aint Talkin' 'Bout Love is a good song but thats about it. Best Tracks: Aint Talkin' 'Bout Love.
3,5
Not a huge fan of this type of rock. Weird songs that do not sound good. Eddie Van Halen wastes his talents on shitty rock songs.
First time venturing into VH, much fun! No idea David Lee Roth was with them on their debut. A little goofy but still iconic 80's first and keys.
Surprisingly good backing vocals-decent harmonizing. I don’t particularly care for David Lee Roth’s singing, but there is no denying that he was one of the best frontmen in Rock history. I never heard this album in its entirety before, and I have been missing out. It’s all killer no filler: no skips, just great music from beginning to end. Having said that, it’s not at the top of my personal list. Maybe if it was 30 years ago it might have been. Today it will have to settle for a mere 4.5 stars. Might barely get by as a 5…
Top
Eruption solo transition into ain’t talkin’ bout love.
The origin of one of the best guitarists ever. Eddie, with the support of Alex and Michael, form an amazing band that excels in spite of Diamond Dave’s spotty singing on this album. Another album I had never listened to in its entirety yet knew almost every song.
3.5. Great riffs and choruses.
3.5 There were some songs i loved but in total? Somewhat underwhelming
9/10 pretty well guitar sounds
Good
Didn't think I'd like this this much, but I finished them immediately restarted it and listened through again. These dudes are amazing musicians. Every song was good, even the change of pace blues-y one (I forget which, toward the end). I'll give them their flowers, I can now see what the hype is about.
this is on fire....
still one of the most legendary rock albums to this day. eruption is still crazy
A fine shredder.
Van Halen can obviously 'play,' & I'm sure he can 'play' better than a good handful of other pluckers out there, but it's also a truism that 'impressive' music often doesn't impress much of anything. Like, I know that V. Halen changed how people approach rock guitar, but guess what, Van Morrison changed how I approach my life, & that's more important to me. For what it's worth, I like the energy of this record, & I like that the songs are short, but there's a vapidity here that has me tuning out as soon as I tune in, as well as a formulaic, generic quality that simply doesn't do much for me. I said 'vapidity,' which is different from superficiality: I'll take empty calories, not negative calories. Better than I expected, but ZZ Top is my bar band.
eruption is INSANE!!
Essential arena rock. Not really my thing, but a lot of these tracks are great, and Eddie just shreds. 3.5.
Eddie est ben doué mais la présence constante de la guitare me rappelle pourquoi j'apprécie une moustiquaire dans le bois. Les gens qui pensent que c'est la meilleure version de You Really Got Me préfèrent aussi Bopépine de Éric Lapointe.
David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen are over the top, which sometimes is great, but sometimes annoying. Still: ginormous riffs, manic energy, monster fun, and huge hook hard rock that reeks of SoCal 70s. When it's good it's good.
Surprised by how fresh and punchy this sounds. The talent on display is undeniable, and they sure knew how to craft a pop song out of hard rock with touches of metal, blues, and even doo wop.
Absolutely insane. Hitting a shooby-doop-wa harmony on I’m the One seems a bit insane but I respect it, it’s the 70s after all. 35 minute runtime with very clean production, so well structured.
It seems silly to even rate this. It's obviously one of the easiest 5/5s on this list. The first 4 songs of the album, right out of the gate, are legendary, iconic bangers, with the absolute electricity of Eruption at the forefront.
Pre Listen: Yeah, I know Van Halen, they're the guys who did "Jump". I like the song well enough, it alright. Mid expectations, however. Notable Tracks: Eruption/You Really Got Me - I had no idea this was Van Halen, I always thought this was by some punk/alt rock band from the 90's. The guitar solo as part of 'Eruption' is my favorite part of this whole album, it's electric. That said, I must've only heard the Radio edits of 'You Really Got Me' cause the rather "Passionate" noises towards the end of the song ruin it all for me. Atomic Punk - Least favorite track. I didn't know you could make a guitar sound like it's brushing its teeth. The lyrics and vocals are really what sucks here though. I'm staying off bro's streets if it means I don't have to hear him yap. Post Listen: They just about met my expectations, if a little bit more mid than expected. I get the same feelings listening to back-to-back Van Halen songs as I did from listening to Boston (1976). Its rock done with professionalism and gusto, but it just lacks that special something that would make it memorable to me. That said, the guitarist was making his instrument wail in ways I've never really heard before, which was incredibly impressive at times, and is certainly noteworthy. The lyrics are middling throughout, and all the songs don't really stick out from one another, sound wise. I've never met a big Van Halen fan in my life, despite their popularity. 3/5
Lots of classic guitar riffs. I can hear the big hair!
🇳🇱
I like this way more than 1984. Guitar absolutely shreds. The vocal performances are super memorable and the songs are catchy. Everything you would want from a hard rock album.
Solid
solid
All flash and no music.
Grande album che sintetizza cosa sono i van halen
Rokkenrollia. Hyvää rokkenrollia.
van halen
Perfect hard rock guitar, insane lead vocals, and solid harmonies make this album. I kept thinking of a poppy rolling stones,or Aerosmith with more charisma. Could Roth let 2 seconds of dead air go by? He's constantly yelling and screaming over the whole album, but damn he's good at it.
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
The first from Van Halen. Absolute banger for its time. 5/5. Eruption is just something else in terms of guitar solos.
Seminal cock rock masterpiece
A true classic of the genre
I wanted to be able to give this a better score than their other album in the 1001. I think this is better than 1984, and in its time it was certainly more innovative. But it hasn’t dated that well and while I am perfect capable of enjoying it as what it is, largely fun, crass, stoopid, r&r cliché, I can’t take it too seriously. It may have invented many of those clichés, but that was almost 50 years ago and I’m reviewing it now. 3.5 but I’m not feeling I can justify a 4.
I've never really been a big Van Halen fan aside from Jump, but I have always respected them as musicians because of stuff like Eruption, which is still insane to me. But this really worked for me, I liked it a lot. I really liked the cover of You Really Got Me, and I didn't really realize that Runnin' with the Devil was them, but I like that song a lot too. It was just really good, I get it now. Favorites: Runnin' with the Devil, You Really Got Me, Jamie's Cryin'
Awful, although I do have a soft spot for Ain't Talking About Love thanks to the Apollo 440 remix that came out when I was a kid
Wow, I was actually quite surprised by just how bad this was
A record that I actively wanted to finish from about 90 seconds in, despite being only 36 minutes long. Awful.
New to me and really very very bad indeed, with the worst cover version of all time thrown in for good measure. Actively unlistenable. One star, and a very low one. Tom.
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I mean I know this album is already a banger just haven’t listened to it front to back so overall final rating 10/10
Roths vocals are not always my favour. But it rocks from start to finish and containing the three hits "Runnin' with the Devil", "You Really Got Me" and especially "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love" it is a pretty fun listen. 3,5
The highs are high but it was mostly just fine. Some of it was much bluesier than expected, especially Ice Cream Man. Best song: Runnin’ with the Devil. Worst song: Jamie’s Crying.
Jams
они молодцы и милые но это не моя музыка
O sea entiendo por qué van halen es van halen pero no es mi paladar
Eh plutôt bien. Exceptionnnel Guitare, le reste j'accroche moins
Certainly a product of its time but, it is indeed a classic and the talent at hand is undeniable. Yes it’s basic but it’s purposeful and accomplishes what it seeks to do.
Too much screaming.
Nice hard rock and roll.
Nice album
Great guitar skills but the music is quite slow and boring. 3/5
Such a great debut album. Hyped up track after the next. So fun. Eddie’s playing is like a roller coaster.
‘Yeah baby’
Perfect riff forward classic rock, big vocals, if you don't take it too seriously it's brilliant. Could crush a bunch of beers and listen to this all day long.
It was good stuff but it felt too messy
Van Halen – Van Halen (1978) On Day 242, after surviving the car horn jump-scare on the road, I genuinely felt envy for kids growing up in the 70s getting hit with banger after banger. This album is an instant classic far superior to 1984, being intensely heavy and raw throughout. Eddie Van Halen could heal somebody with "Eruption" alone; his guitar playing on that track felt like he was actively fighting off the devil. Ultimately though, I liked "Atomic Punk" way more. That song served as the true technical cornerstone of the LP, from the palm-scratching technique to the relentless riffs. "Jamie's Crying" and "Ice Cream Man" were also exceptional highlights, though that incredible riffage honestly applies to every single track on the record. Raw, concise, and never losing its weight or vibe. An undisputed 5/5.
3/5 Good album.
Fairly OK one.
Live commentary from an elder millennial lady who mostly knows Van Halen for "Jump": - Oh, Runnin with the Devil? I know this one! - Damn, how is "Eruption" physically possible? - They covered "You Really Got Me?" - I really don't want to like dude rock hair metal, but is this going on my album of the summer list? - I should call my dad today. Anyway, I had a great time.
Répétitif un peu mais quelques bangers
Crazy to think Van Halen came out the gate with this
This being a debut is absolutely mind-blowing to me. Just constant high energy and technical skill the whole way through. Literally every song here sounded like it could be a single. The only reason it's not a 5/5 for me is because of Ice Cream Man. I just do not like that track at all. 4.5/5
Actually pretty fun. Honestly I thought I was too good for Van Halen. Guess not.
Pues muy bien
Kevin: eh Jamie: liked the first half more, childhood memories of Jamie's Cryin soured me on that one
1978!
I hadn't listened to this album for forty years and I worried about how it would sound after all that time had passed. Would it sound stale and cliched? Would I still love it for all its manic ego-driven energy that hit me the first time around? I put it on and oh fuck yes. There it was. The same thrill of screaming guitars, pulsating drums, and Diamond Dave's high-pitched nuclear wailing. All it took to totally destroy the era of slow reflective AM rock of the mid-70s was the 1 minute 42 seconds of Eruption. This is rock 'n roll at its dumbest and at its best. There is a place for this kind of rock 'n roll. It's the kind of stuff that makes parents worried and 14 year old kids put up posters on their bedroom walls. Van Halen's first foray came out bombastic and vain with a swagger that was arguably earned by the time the final notes of "Running' With the Devil" faded out. This is not thinking music. It is the music youth - of doing and wanting, bare knuckles dragging on the pavement and throat red raw from yowling at the sky. In the words of a wise man, it is what it is and this album makes no apologies for itself. It is a good time in a smoke-filled carpeted van. No more. No less. Listening to this album, you can hear all the same creative impulses that led to the origins of the band towards its inevitable implosion years later. The good times wouldn't last but hey, they never do.
I was NOT prepared to have my brain melt from these guitar solos. Good god. I feel like Eddie just impregnated me through his guitar and I am a man. Aside from the amazing guitar work the music is fine. Obviously inspired a lot of other artists, but it is so foundational it just sounds "generic". I can't fault the music for it, but I won't be listening to this again probably.
Van Halen are amazing rock artists, and Eddie van Halen is insane on the guitar. It is particularly cool to hear how they clearly must've been quite the inspiration on people like Iron Maiden.
I remember one time, nearly 20 years ago, I listened to the entire Van Halen discography in chronological order. Good times.
Not for me.
Some songs I recognized but there were some I didn't know but they were still good
This album is exciting in 2026, never mind how it must have felt in 1978! Favourite tracks: Runnin' With The Devil, Ain't Talking Bout Love, Ice Cream Man
Never listened to Van Halen before. Genuinely not a single miss on the album, very tempted to get on vinyl ngl. All added straight to the playlist.
I've probably listened to VH1 a thousand times since 1978.
Hell yeah
Never cared for Van Halen in the past. Still don't care for Van Halen.
xxx
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
Absolute rock classic, but slightly too high energy for me. Every aspect of the band is flawless, the cohesive sound is iconic. Legendary.
Okayyy,
I didn't realize how much I liked Van Halen or how great this album was! Really just a fun, absolute rocker from start to finish. What a phenomenal debut album.
Epic.
Has this aged well? No - probably not. But without it, we wouldn't have so much...
Fun and a classic album
Bien.
This makes me realise I should lock in and actually listen to Van Halen
I think I just need to admit to myself I'm a VH fan (DLR only). Again, there's about a million reasons for me to hate this band, but I am endlessly charmed.
Public Service Announcement: The fact that you loved an album when you were fourteen does not automatically make it good. Actually, it is a proven scientific fact that most of fourteen-year-olds are dumb. Additionally: Eruption is pathetic. There is a difference between masturbating a guitar and playing a solo.
Classic and timeless. Eddie Van Halen is a guitar God.
This is the sort stuff I dread on this list. Just isn't great. I just never understand how people listen to this sort of stuff let alone enjoy it. Van Halen don't sound real to me
This just wasn't good, didn't enjoy it at all. Like proper cringeworthy stuff.
De sange jeg kendte var gode, resten var ok. Kan godt høre igen I ny og næ
Pretty cool
A: It's giving Rock of ages... liksom varenda en låt... men sen igen. Respekterar dom för att hålla albumet kort. Jee. Tror mig ha känt igen några av låtarna men detta är oklart. Nej men helt ärligt så det var ju ett helt FIRE album... Mot alla odds. Liksom yay gitarr, yay stämmor, yay låtar (men alla lät helt likadant). Men liksom ja satt me två låtar i mina gillade???? Honestly 4-5/5 (Lowk S-tier) D: Typ enda rockalbumet som borde ha haft tillstånd att bli producerat. Alla andra flyger som myggor kring det. jfdalfjlae ifjdja aaj f jkja fj jalf j fjalfjldjfjelaiejf l. jklajf ejl jkae . ejflaf elajejflaeijej fjdlfjelajfealfjea. Jag jflajf eejlafj sajfekalfjleejladje jldjlaejljjjl. Påriktit bra och cool musik, och många bekanta låtar. Gillade det mucket. jkfdldjfzf jfaldjf jfladjf djalejfisajelf a. djfkelsj jleiajdlkjfeiljjewj. jaejfalej wejalf ejejfdlejaljs sjewefaekj. jkeajekjewojafaljflje ejkw aejkeljafekjes ejkslaejl ejwoejalejwjflae ewjalfejafae jklewjl fjekalfjl jekwjflajelwje. jfejl fejla ejaljw. wjelaje eaj ewjlaffje ejalf. ejwejealjwe. Blev helt ärligt ganska positivt överraskad, trodde det skulle vara ett mycket mer rockslop album. fkdffj djfajejw jlfajf fjaejjfa. 4-5/5.
Мочилово дрочилово
Haven't listened to that in a long time. Brought back some good memories.
I, of course, know who Van Halen is. And I already have 7 songs liked on this album and 33 songs liked by them over all. Songs already "liked" on Spotify are: "Running With the Devil", "Eruption", "You Really Got Me", "Ain't Talking About Love", "Jamie's Cryin'", "Feel Your Love Tonight", "Ice Cream Man". Maybe some of the others will grab me after repeated listens. I always thought it was cool that one of their first hit singles was a cover of the Kinks song "You Really Got Me". They did a good job of adding a Van Halen spin while still remaining true to the spirit of the original. Twas also cool that the awesome instrumental "Eruption", basically served as the intro to that song on this album. I liked the Kinks at the time and so it definitely helped me appreciate Van Halen. They later did another Kinks cover of "Where Have All The Good times Gone" on the Diver Down album. This album came out as a fun hard rock album at a time when the radio was full of disco type music. In that way, I kind of think of this album as similar to Guns and Roses Appetite for Destruction. That one came out at a time when the radio was full of bland synth pop kind of stuff. One downside of the success of this album is I believe it can be pointed to as the source of inspiration for lots of shitty hair metal bands in the 80s. Groups with less talent and all flash. For a long time I let the endless shitty hair metal bands cloud my perception of Van Halen - but I do recognize these guys and this album as much better than all the rest of it. Ok - I also like "I'm The One", "Atomic Punk" and "Little Dreamer". Still don't dig "On Fire". It's funny on "I'm the One" you can hear David Lee Roth doing his doo wop type of singing at the end - which was a precursor to some of his solo stuff to come. Liked songs on Spotify: 10/11 Rating: 4/5
The album has a whole is pretty good, but just not it. And that is very much personal taste.
I’m not a huge fan of Van Halen’s lyrics or (I’m)moral vision, but I’m compelled to give this album a 5/5 due to this simple mental exercise: Picture the last 10 albums you’ve received on this 1001 List. Then, imagine listening to this album as if you’d never heard Van Halen before: as if you just stumbled upon this album for the first time through this list. Or, if you heard this upon release in 1978, how would you NOT be at first stunned, and then completely enraptured by Eddie Van Halen’s guitar work? The riffs, the lead work, and the fills… Meanwhile Brother Alex and Michael Anthony are providing their own tour de force. Think what you will of David Lee Roth, he’s a showman, he’s a frontman, he’s annoying, and he's tremendous. But this music takes you so high you cannot BUT end up in 5/5 territory. Two additional thoughts: 1. What a debut album! Among the most impressive for sure. I haven’t dug into VH’s backstory but I admit, I’m really curious. Talk about a band emerging on the scene fully formed! (And I don’t think they ever topped this album IMO.) 2. “You Really Got Me” is a cover of a Kinks’ classic, and so is “Where Have All The Good Times Gone?” from their fifth album Diver Down. Again, among the most impressive cover versions in rock history. VH actually did quite a number of covers… as for the Kinks, not sure if they should be delighted or mortified. You really got me... 5/5
Heavy Metal and/or Hard Rock are not my genres, but this album is really good. Somehow, this bad manages to be both a rocker and commercial at the same time. Despite their breakup, I am not sure Eddie Van Halen or David Lee Roth would have made it without each other. Neither artist held much for me after their breakup.
excelente, me encantó lo variado que es y la energía que transmite, cada integrante tiene una función tangente que se hace notar desde el segundo uno, muy buen álbum
The start of rock and roll’s downfall. Worse than I remembered.
Classic rock radio loves to see a good Van Halen album coming. And while i think I’ve only listened to this album twice before in my life I felt as if I knew every song. Which leaves me confused about Van Halen it’s good but it’s not good, it’s so extra but can also be fun. Eddie and Dave were special talents but they also seemed to get carried away. For some songs I think that got in the way. For others I think it made them come alive. So I’m a little torn but all in all I do think this album is essential for someone, somewhere…
High energy, a bit arrogant, but overall a nice listen. Solo count: 20+?
Classic. Gotta love it, but I'm personally not super into metal so I can't give this more than a 4. Masterpiece nonetheless.
It's a fun album, but I didn't love any song in particular
fun
Favorite songs: Runnin’ with the Devil, Eruption, You Really Got Me, Ain’t Talkin’ ‘bout Love, Jamie’s Cryin’, Ice Cream Man
Warner Bros. Records BSK 3075 (US) vinyl rip: This is what I think of when I hear the term "hard" rock. Not "classic" rock either. Start to finish, a killer album.
Favorite track(s): Runnin' With the Devil, Eruption, You Really Got Me, Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Jamie's Cryin' Heard before Previous rating: 8/10
We all love Eruption. Ain't Talkin Bout Love is cool. Then there's the rest of the album. It's just meh. It's not the cheese fest that the band would become and inspire, but the songs lack any emotive or melodic spark.
Good stuff, keeping in my back pocket for my next road trip
Classic
Even I know Eruption is a big deal. Defining a guitar sound that would be used for the next decade. Ooh! And then a fun cover of You Really Got Me, Ain't Talkin Bout Love is an absolute classic! Ha, a bit of doo-wop in I'm the One. 12BB on Ice Cream Man. On Fire has some decent metal riffs Best track - Eruption, You Really Got Me, Aint Talkin Bout Love, Feel Your Love Tonight, On Fire 3.5 stars - it's hard to rate! Amazing technique, some legendary songs, but also some 'filler' in terms of style. Call it a 4.
Didn’t listen
Hit after hit.
if this was an EP consisting of the first 5 songs it could've been an easy 5 star, but unfortunately the rest of the album just isn't as good
I think a lot of people don't really understand what an incredible phenomenon Van Halen was: Of course, Eddie's guitar playing was technically excellent - but his timing was so soulful that even his warm-up made it onto the album (Eruption)! Everyone talks about his two-handed tapping, but what’s truly brilliant is his legendary “Brown Sound,” which back then defined how a guitar was supposed to sound for the next 15 years. His brother Alex is probably one of the most musically gifted drummers in rock history - his mini-breaks and accents often get overlooked. Michael Anthony is often reduced to his backing vocals, and indeed, in many other bands he would have been the lead singer. But have you noticed how his bass playing carries the songs? That, too, is less a matter of technique and more a matter of (micro-)timing, musicality, and sound. With “Diamond Dave,” it’s even more obvious - his lyrics, full of (self-)irony and slapstick, are hard to miss - and his stage show is legendary anyway. All of this made Van Halen not just a very successful hair metal band, but one of the most musical bands in rock history, on par with Queen and Led Zeppelin. What a debut!
Pretty good hair metal. 7/10
Eh
I've never really listened to VH, but man this was a blast. EVH's guitar work is just spectacular. For a debut, this is an incredible album. I look forward to others.
not a big fan
I mean it’s good rock, it just didn’t stand out to me from all the other good rock.
Pretty good, great guitar solos obviously but overall just a pretty enjoyable album.
Man I don’t know if I really like the album four stars worth, I listened to it once today and moved along, but this is a pretty fantastic debut and introduction to EVH. I don’t love his style all the time but he’s so original and proficient that it’s hard not to get swept up by him. Diamond Dave is perfect as a lascivious buffoon. The rhythm section.
"A bunch of dudes, on stage, jerking each other off, in Spandex, isn't music..."
Eddie’s guitar and michael anthony’s backing vocals are so good that they turn what would otherwise be absolute dogshit into something that’s pretty good
It's been almost two years since I revisited Van Halen's 1984 for my album journey. While I am still firm in how much I enjoyed that record, I will concede that their self-titled debut is the one album that defined this band. It's hard to deny how good of a first impression they made, despite the slap-dash recording and production process. Bassist Michael Anthony would later argue that this was a deliberate approach to capture the band's live energy at the time. But a part of me does feel that producer Ted Templeman knew what he had going with this band, and just let them do their thing. It was probably for the best, because their performance spoke for itself. Michael and Alex Van Halen's tight, uptempo rhythms, David Lee Roth's crass bravado as a frontman, and Eddie Van Halen's otherworldly guitar shredding came together for an undeniably fun and approachable metal record that still kicks ass. From front to back, this album is stacked with bona fide bangers, including deep cuts like the brooding "Little Dreamer", the furious closer "On Fire", and elevated covers of The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" and John Brim's "Ice Cream Man". Even the instrumental wank of "Eruption" became one of the most revered guitar solos of all time. Not a single moment felt wasted on this record. Van Halen's self-titled debut is an absolute must-hear from this band, proving that heavy metal can be fun and light-hearted while still delivering the goods.
guitarras chocantes eddie van halen você sempre será gigante
This was fun.
not as bad I as I thought, but still not my fave...
Not the hugest Van Halen fan, but this album is consistently good.
4/5 även om David Lee Roths röst ibland kommer i vägen för en rolig lyssning. Eddie är så jävla grym på den här plattan. Speciellt dom fem första låtarna rockar!
In the end it is a pre cursor of the mid 80's pop metal. Yes, great soloing, but not hard or heavy at all.
Mangler revidering
So many things about VH annoy me: his voice, the gratuitous guitar solos, the aggressiveness toward the ladies....
I love Van Halen. This album is fantastic and one of my favorite debuts of all time.
Good album.
Overall: 9/10 Honestly kind of shocked how much I liked this one. I knew all of the hits, but the deeper cuts are also so much fun and show off how great every member of the band was as musicians. Eddie is obviously the MVP here, but his brother Alex is an awesome drummer, David had so much charisma and Michael had the bass chops to keep it all together. Glad I listened to this and I have a few new Van Halen songs to enjoy now. Fav Song: Jamie's Cryin'
Loved it.
This album fucking ruled.
Eruptioooon
Hard rock, heavy metal.
I remember when I first listened to this - I had heard so much hype about Van Halen, how Eddie was the greatest ever. His guitar playing defied expectations. This is one of those albums that you have to listen to loud. It's frankly an odd record for two reasons: first, no hard rock or metal band really sounded like this when it came out (no, not even Zeppelin or Deep Purple). Second, though it influenced tons of speed/thrash metal and 80s hard rock bands, it's not nearly as fast as the bands they would go on to influence. Van Halen took everything they liked - blues, 70s hard rock, 60s pop music, and classical symphonies, and repurposed it all for their own style. Amazing that nobody wanted to finance them at first, in spite of glowing endorsements from Kiss's Gene Simmons, among others. Perhaps because today they sound so familiar, but their approach to rock was quite alien at the time. David Lee Roth already displays charm and power in his singing style, Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen on the bass/drums are already choogling away with a metallic, tough sound (like a freight train going at top speed). As for Eddie? What he did to get his signature sound demands to be read about. He did everything you're NOT supposed to do to a guitar to make his very own. Almost died of an electrical shock when he modified and built his own guitar and amp setup. Totally nuts. I wouldn't describe his style as "fast" - it's animalistic, but also very precise and focused. As a guitarist, it's always a revelation to revist his guitar work. We owe so much to him. Imagine hearing this for the first time in 1978. What a fresh breath of air that must have been for a genre that was decaying out of boredom. It's not my favorite Van Halen album (that would be Fair Warning, not on the list for unknown reasons), but seeing as I prefer 1984 over this one, this still gets a 4 to 4.5 on the site.
enjoyable enough!
Was alright, kinda boring tho
Didn't like it much. The 1 famous song was nice.
I honestly thought this would be crass, moronic, LA poodle rock garbage…….and it is.
10 - incredible
Good, sassy, a little crazy. Epic
This just makes me think of bill and Ted
Sorry to break it to you guys but these songs have disjointed musical parts that are not very interesting.
Fyfan vad man vaknade till! Har underskattat Van Halen.
solid
Definitely not something I'm too drawn to, and not sure how I feel about some of the things this has influenced. Was entertaining, though!
The birth of cock rock. So much shit music sprang from this, but the ur text is solid lizard brain music and you can't deny Eddie's playing. I won't say I ever particularly WANT to listen to this, but throw a coors banquet in my hand and I won't hate if any of these tunes came on the jukebox.
A classic of hair metal, the massive influence is obvious, though not all of it has aged well.
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
This a really high 4 but I can’t put my finger on why not a 5
Een andere Van Halen. Stiekem vind ik hun sound best nice, misschien wat repetitief. Maar ach je kan niet alles hebben. Sommige nummers op deze plaat voelde wel echt anders dan de rest.
Ik vind dat een gitaarsolo iets toe moet voegen aan een nummer. Van Halen gebruikt zijn gitaar om de aandacht weg te trekken van hoe slecht de nummers zijn. Bij de gitaarsolo’s gaat het ook niet om de muziek, maar het uitsloven van zijn technische kunsten. Het voelt daardoor misplaatst. Ik zou niet zeggen dat dit goede solo’s zijn.
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.
While I was not into Van Halen at the time, I certainly get the appeal now. What a great debut. The group arrives fully formed, with a confidence and swagger well beyond their years. Eddie’s guitar playing delivers on the promise, and David Lee Roth‘s vocals are so much better than a 24-year-old should be able to deliver (and he had yet to be discovered as the insufferable a-hole that he truly is). Kudos to Michael Anthony for the excellent high harmony backing vocals on many of the tunes as well. The songwriting is quite good too, with a number of tunes that became standards in VH catalog, and their cover of “You Really Got Me“ does the song proud. It does run out of steam a little bit toward the end, which keeps it out of five star territory for me. Still, this is a very enjoyable album, and I am halfway tempted to give it a bonus star just for having the balls to put out a guitar hero album in the midst of the punk/new wave revolution. Well done.
I hadn't been a glam metal fan, but this album slaps
buen rockcito
Lots of fun to listen to, though it's not usually my style. I can see how this would have blown some minds when it came out, and I respect my brother-in-law's love for this music.
favs: runnin’ with the devil you really got me jamie’s cryin’ little dreamer rating 1.7/5
I’m kind of surprised but I think I’m a Van Halen fan… this album is great
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.
The only good song was You Really Got Me but only because The Kinks made that one.
Very listenable even if you don't like the genre
Hard rocking from beginning to end
This was a fun van Halen album by Van Halen. It had soaring locks and vocals. I was doing dishes. I cleaned half of my house. Not too shabby.
4/8
I was ready for this to suck. Maybe I was just on the right mood for it but man, these guys let it rip.
Not a mediocre album but pretty unremarkable, sorry Van Halen
Many classics on this album. Easy listen
Cool pero para un poco con el grito
Very good
Guitar solos were overkill sometimes.
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.
After years of only really knowing Van Halen through their 80s, mega hit Jump and the recurring joke of how much Bill and Ted love them, finally hearing what they were like in their prime was quite a shock. I get it now, I really do. *doodles the Van Halen logo on his school notebook*
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...)
Dope
Many childhood listens of this album. I still love Eddie’s playing and tone. I’m less high on David’s vocals. As I’ve grown I’ve avoided what we now call butt rock, and this Van Halen album was a precursor to that.
Solid. Have to rate it high as it changes rock guitar. One of the great guitarists.
Great riffs. Quite the back-to-back with this and Metallica Black Album.
É aquilo, é interessante para quem não é o maior fã do gênero? talvez sim talvez não. Curti médio
Big dumb loud rock
Alright Eddie, settle down. We know you can play guitar well, it doesn't make the songs that interesting.
Just a fun album. Great vocals and noodling. Too similar to Spinal Tap and too many covers to warrant a higher rating
Imagine breaking onto the scene with an absolute guitar thrasher like eruption / you really got me. For decades after chuds would spend hours in their basements trying to shred like Eddie. He changed the game. 5 stars for the chuds who couldn't vote today
Heaps of fun, the production on this album sounded amazing. The drums and guitar just kill. I don’t love the singers voice but the songwriting was catchy and iconic for this era. Solid
utterly dire, probably the worst one on this list yet imo. just lacking any sort of soul or human touch. arrogant in a way that i would normally find funny on another metal record, ended up just falling so flat here. first time i'd really listened to eruption since i was like 11 (which i'd assume is the target audience for this album) and its just so.. nothing. just a waste of time
just so so great; best of its genre
I hate I like Van Halen 😆😆😆😆
I very classic sounding rock album that i really enjoyed! some lyrics made me chuckle as they feel rather cliche but I think that was a staple of the time. Fun listen but not something I would add to my playlist.
not best but +1 for eruption
One of the best debut albums of all time.
Rock.
Hørte på hjemmekontor 17.07
For something that is not really my thing it's better than I thought
Genuinely surprise by how much I enjoyed this, what fucking bangers
ok
Great first album. Doo-wop meets metal.
recuerdos de freaks and geeks. buen álbum. sienta bien el hard rock de buena mañana
Great debut for Van Halen, maybe that's why Van Halen is what it is. Some songs didn't stick out to me enough, but definitely it's the perfect album to play infront of your friends and be like "yeah I listen to Val Halen", even though I listen to taylor swift when I'm alone.
This is a good album with awesome guitar work, but it isn't quite my style. Worth listening to nonetheless. Favourites: Feel Your Love Tonight On Fire
It’s a fine rock album, but there’s not much I can say that I liked in particular about it.
Doesn't speak to me at all. Sounds like Led Zeppelin with zero soul.
You can tell it's Van Halen because of the way it is.
Oh, that tickled my brain in the best way. No wonder the band is named after the guitarist. You know what, 5 stars. One of the greatest rock albums of all time.
Holy hell… loud, titillating rock and roll. Put this in the air buds and I think my hair grew 12 inches. 4.4 🤘
Extremely enjoyable. Van Halen is a name I’ve always known for a reason. It’s perhaps not a sound I want to put on that often, but I can’t deny how much it rocks. 8/10 Most Excellent
Cool stuff. It’s a bit macho, and still poppy, but it feels way less creepy than 80s hair metal. Less self-absorbed I think. Eddie and Dave both have an almost tangible charisma. I wasn’t as familiar with side 2 of the record but it’s still solid.
Um! I apologize, Van Halen, I was unfamiliar with your game! (Except for Runnin' With The Devil, which I know extremely well because I've watched the video with David Lee Roth's isolated vocals about 5,000 times.) This was FUN. There's obvious virtuosity on display here, but it never feels like they're showing off. They're having a blast and trying new things. This was an unexpected delight that I will for sure be revisiting when I need a pick-me-up.
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.
Part of me feels like this was completely soulless, and part of me was annoyed by the self-indulgent guitar wankery on display... yet somehow a bigger part of me really enjoyed the music here. It's cheesy, and definitely of it's time, but for me it's feel-good rock/metal with some pretty infectious energy. Low 4.
wanky guitar solo central
Original Van Halen, now and forever, was one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time. Eruption was my alarm clock for the entire sophomore year of college. Every morning, full song, then got out of bed.
These guys are THEM. If the first them went for a picnic at the bottom of a lake and the second them tripped stepping out of an airplane lavatory, accidentally caught the emergency release on the exit door, fell through, were caught by the third and fourth them, and they all fell to their deaths like some macabre barrel of monkeys. The album is good. Some real classics.
I’m an admitted Van Halen disrespecter. I have never really liked their music and often sought to avoid it whenever possible. I was at an impasse here - it’s clearly a pivotal album in music history (or at least according to some consortium of folks whose opinions I should value). Eruption is still over-hyped for me, as sacrilegious as that may be to say to some camps. However, the album as a whole contains a lot of Van Halen classics that I’ve been sonically assaulted by over the years, and they all work together here. Hell, I even started to reverse my opinion on the band by the time I made it through this the first time. By the second time, I forgot I even had unfounded beef with them. Mid to high 4
this aged well
Must have been a hell of a thing to hear in 1978.
A pretty decent album. makes a change from hearing Jump on various radio stations so many times. At least I can appreciate a higher variety of riffs and solos from this debut album. I say this band pretty much bridged the gap between classic rock and hair metal
Very cool album! I missed this for 47 years haha so I finally listened to it and in fact is a masterpiece and classic of the times
Party time rock n roll album. If you like guitar solos and and howlin' glam vocals this for you. I can appreciate the talent but I am so torn on how to rate this cause it just doesn't get my juices flowing. I would love to have been there to see them live but it doesn't translate on record for me.
FIRE
I thought I wasn’t that familiar with Van Halen, but of course I’ve already heard half of these tracks countless times on classic rock radio.
The first four tracks are solid gold. Some of the greatest songs of the entire decade, if I'm being honest. How is it that I still get chills from "Eruption" some 15 years after hearing it for the first time and being blown away as a kid? EVH was a mythological figure. The rest of the album? Not so much. Pretty underwhelming and I don't think the experience totally works on the whole. I'll be curious to listen to their other stuff to see how it compares, but the filler is really filler-y and reminds me that this was a debut because of how frontloaded the record is.
Ah, Van Halen. A band whose guitarist is hailed as the greatest guitar player since Hendrix. However, one great player does not a great band make. This is mostly a standard 70s AOR album with numerous legitimately good songs. However, Van Halen have never really been a favorite of mine. I don't particularly care for David Lee Roth's voice, and their songwriting usually isn't as catchy as other cock rock bands like AC/DC(my favorites from the genre). However, compared to a good chunk of the stuff on the list, this is an excellent album, not to mention refreshing. It's a good bit of fun and shredding, and that's all it needs to be. "Runnin' With the Devil" is overrated, though. This album is ranked #4 of 33 albums for 1978 by global rating. Other 1978 albums rated by me: Darkness on the Edge of Town(6/33)-5 Stardust(8/33)-4 Live and Dangerous(11/33)-4 This Year's Model(13/33)-3 All Mod Cons(14/33)-4 Germfree Adolescents(19/33)-4 Duck Stab/Buster & Glen(32/33)-3
dah bi gah
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.
Yep. This is the one. How is this their debut album. Only complaint is it sounds like music from the Minecraft movie. Cannot get jason mamoa and jack black out of my head. I think that’s the vocals but damn can these guys play guitar. Talmbout “one for the ladies” 🤣 I’m dead ts.
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
E torno ai miei 16 anni. PEAK.
Didn't have high hopes and bits of this are dated, but overall it's still a fun album with undoubted influence
The only reason why Jamie should be crying is because of the song atomic punk, Screaaaaaaaaaaaaam screaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam screaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam screaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam Screaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam But great guitar playing. 4.2 out of 5
There were some flashes of brilliance but it was also a little bit obnoxious. Fun when I am in the right mood, but I need to tap into the 'horny teenager' state of mind to fully enjoy this one. Eddie Van Halen was a really good guitarist though.
Classic Rock. Incredible instrumentals. For sure going in the lineup of albums I listen to frequently. Just wish it was a bit longer
Mastzrclass
Sick guitar, great listen
When they started doo-wopping on that one song I lost my dang mind
Indifferent but cannot deny it
Yes, you’re very, very good at playing the guitar. We’re all very impressed.
The only way I can think to describe this is "pretty" rock music. The sweet harmonies in Feel Your Love Tonight and the lead and backup vocals in so many of the songs are just nice on the ears.
this is certainly one way to kick off a Monday morning. Listen, I am not typically a fan of most hair metal bands (I feel like Van Halen counts as a proto-hair metal band because they basically kickstarted the whole genre, or as someone in a reddit comment just said, they 'gave birth to hair metal' lol), but if I *had* to choose one to listen to, it would be Van Halen. This is solidly fine, I feel like I would enjoy it way more on a road trip somewhere versus sitting at my desk staring at a google sheet but alas.
Heard some before; 3.5; This is another really impressive debut album. Along with the Boston and Cars album I just got, this is another album where I didn't realize all the songs I knew were on a single album, let alone a debut. Extremely impressive guitar playing with simple and fun song structures. With that said, not quite as strong as those other albums I mentioned, with some of the songs being not quite as memorable and sounding a little similar. Favorite Track: Runnin' with the Devil
1978. Debut studio album. Contains some of the band's most well-known songs. "Eruption"; written and performed by guitarist Eddie Van Halen, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar solos of all time and helped popularize two-handed tapping technique.