Reviews (page 7 of 15)
Sometimes what you really need is to listen to delicate, intricate and nuanced music which speaks to your soul and challenges your perception of what music is; how, why and to what end. To feel, experience and connect on an intellectual and spiritual level with the notes, chords, lyrics and atmosphere. And sometimes you just need to listen to Eddie Van Halen shredding his way through the 1-2-3 punch of Running With The Devil, Eruption and You Really Got Me.
2/5 - I'm sorry but I just cannot tolerate glam rock :/
If you don't like this album, you don't like fun. As for the rest, what's known need not be said.
Le début par en bombe mais la fin est pas mauvaise mais pas aussi excellente que les 4 premières tounes disons
Ça bang et c’est bon
Générique mais j'imagine que ca a eu beaucoup d'influence. La guitare est pas pire aussi.
So many hits! Was really surprised that I already knew just about every track on the album!
8/10
Not their best, not their worst, somewhere in between. Definitely didn’t have the top-to-bottom bangers that either of their first couple albums had, but good and entertaining all the way through. Definitely starting to get into more synth than i like, and DLR was kind of wearing thin at this point, but still a nice effort.
Some nice tracks, would be a great soundtrack to an action movie. Can be a bit much at times.
Damn that's actually some classic af rock.
I don’t know if this is the first glam “cock rock” record to exist, but if someone told me it was, I’d believe it. I don’t really need to explain how iconic this album became. You want to know why Eddie Van Halen was one of the best guitar players of all time? Just play this record. Fucking Eruption man, what the fuck else proof do I need? Ok, all that out of the way, I don’t find this album perfect. My biggest gripe is that it’s front loaded. All the best songs are on Side 1. Side 2, outside of Jamie’s Crying, feels mostly like b-side material. And not in a “unknown gem” kind of way, but in a “not as good as the hits” kind of way. And on a personal note, i kinda sorta sometimes find David Lee Roth a little annoying. Listen, I get it. David’s charisma is insane and when he’s good, it’s amazing. But sometimes, he’s goes a little over-the-top for me and it gets under my skin a bit. That Ice Cream Man song in particular was a bit rough. But yeah, it’s fucking Van Halen’s debut. You’ll be hard pressed to find an album with a hot streak like Side 1. Favorite track: Eruption/You Really Got Me (these songs NEED to be together. Otherwise, it’s like getting Oreos, but only the cookie parts and no cream) Other hits: Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love, Jamie’s Crying, Runnin’ With the Devil, I’m the One, Feel Your Love Tonight
Another fantastic start to my day. The best VH album. 5/5 no notes Best Song: Ain’t Talking Bout Love
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
Each song has short bits that I like and could see myself enjoying but then everything else happens and I'm disappointed all over again. HOWEVER this album somehow infected my brain and I returned to it all day. 3.5
A great record with some amazing guitar work, a great start for a very influential band. Some songs don't fully deliver but still extremely memorable.
I was expecting exactly this. A cool fun metal/hard rock album with amazing guitar riffs and talented vocals. I’ve never really have ever been into this sort of music but it isn’t bad but just not my type of stuff. I don’t think I’ll ever return to this album let alone this genre after this challenge but I’m glad to hear it. Favourite songs were eruption and ice cream man both bringing insane guitar performances. Overall I enjoyed this short fun metal album so I’m feeling a 7.6/10 3.8/5
Every song is a hit. Guitars are in your face and the drums and bass keep it moving.
I'm blown away. This RULES.
This is another one of those albums where I find it hard to talk about why I think it's so great, because... Well, it just **is**, isn't it? Why should I hafta explain? It's Van Halen's debut album. You don't need to listen to it for too long to get it and why it's often considered, if not just **the** greatest hard rock album of all time. Certainly the most influential hard rock albums of all time, if nothing else. It really all comes down to Eddie Van Halen's playing. No matter how much his influence has spread, and no matter how many people have stolen his moves, no one can play like he can. Seriously, I don't legit consider "Eruption" to be maybe the most famous Van Halen song of all time for nothing. Sure, there's "Jump" over on 1984, but there's no other song in their entire discography that boils down and distills Van Halen's appeal and influence like that song. But let us absolutely not forget the other members of the band. Sure, the band name is Eddie's (and his brother's) last name, and Eddie's playing would always be incredible, but the band itself just wouldn't be the same without these other guys. I mean, for one David Lee Roth ain't one of the most iconic singers in hard rock for nothing. He's nothing but personality, with his "funtimes/goodtimes" delivery and, jus', like, the random vocal inflections he does — the whole "AAAA-AAAH-HAAAA-YEEAAAA-YEEAAAAAAAH" bit. That kinda shit. It's great. Then of course hafta give credit to the rhythm section: Alex Van Halen on drums, and of course, **of course**, Michael Anthony on bass and backing vocals. Seriously, tight as hell combo to keep up with the shit Ed and Dave are doing. And, y'know, as much as I can glaze and gas up Eddie's guitar and David's lead vocals, we really need to acknowledge what an absolute secret sauce Michael's backing vocals are. They are just as important to the sound as anything else, and they are what for sure make my favorite moment on the album: that part in "Jamie's Cryin'" where there's this big harmony on "than one night STAAAAAA-AAAAAAND." Incredible, amazing, just so good. And these four come together to make some of the greatest Southern-fried boogie-type kinda party rock the 70's would ever hear. And in all different styles! Where it's the slow-ish kinda jam of "Runnin' With The Devil", the 60's pop kinda feel of "Feel Your Love Tonight" and "Jamie's Cryin'", the 50's style swing of"I"m The One", the acoustic-start boogie of "Ice Cream Man", the crash n' bashers like "On Fire" and "Atomic Punk", and the straight-up hardrockers like "You Really Got Me" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love". It's a nonstop 35-and-a-half-minute ride of guitar tricks and vocalizations and, gawd, it's just all so awesome and it kicks so much ass. Like, this shit just rocks and is fun as hell. There's really no better way to summarize it than that. And unless you think this shit sounds meatheaded, or you just really hate these kinds of guitar theatrics, I can't imagine how anyone could hate it. It's just that good and iconic. I mean, dang, why have you spent even this long readin' me babble about it? Go listen to it — or listen to it again! If it ain't worth a thousand words and then some by itself, goodness...
Van Halen knew how to fuckin' rock from the get-go. Solid 5 Stars.
It’s a 5. Arguably a 10. I knew Van Halen had to be good, but before listening to this, the extent of my Van Halen experience is the cover of “You Really Got Me” that’s on this album, and “Jump” from their other album on the list, “1984”. Eddie Van Halen’s talents have been apparent to my ears for a long time, given that he absolutely fucking rips it on the guitar solo on “Beat It”, and I knew David Lee Roth’s vocals have always been praised, even if I really only knew them from the far more poppier tone of “Jump”. Needless to say, there were decently strong expectations here. This knocked it out of the fucking park from Track 1 and never once looked back; I don’t even have to say that much about the album itself, because this fucking rips. If you have ears, you will enjoy this, and if your ears don’t enjoy this, you need to calibrate your brain. Eddie Van Halen’s guitar feels like a weapon used to maximum efficiency, especially on the absolute madness that is “Eruption”, and David Lee Roth’s vocals are incredibly strong throughout the album, with a mix of grit you can’t teach & an energy that feels sort of like an American Ozzy Osbourne. Past that though, I’m beyond stunned that I never hear more about the percussion & bass from these guys. All the credit in the world to Alex Van Halen & Michael Anthony, who just as easily kill it in their roles; this album would feel incomplete without them, and I think they deserve some billing. I don’t want to go track by track or anything; I think the music speaks for itself. It’s a super tight 35 minutes that never lets off the gas pedal, and I love the variety it still explores while existing in a hard rock / heavy metal space; “I’m The One” & “Feel Your Love Tonight” are the two most surprising tracks here, just in terms of the swingier 50s/60s vibe they evoke while still being so distinct to this era of rock. For 1978, this does feel a little ahead of schedule, and I have to imagine a lot of the heavier glam rock of the 80s can trace some inspiration back to this album. I wish I had more to say, but I’ve just found myself in one of those in-sync grooves where the music washed over me like a magical sound shower; my ears are drying off, and the only thing I can tell you is that I feel musically cleansed. It’s a super easy 5, and arguably a 10.
Is it big? Yes? Bombastic? Absolutely? Style over substance? Sure. Is it also a ton of fun? A ripping album for a road trip? A reminder of what rock is? Yes to all of that too. It's a blast.
Till skillnad från Metallica har de lärt sig att man kan kombinera gitarrippande med faktiskt vibe musik i övrigt (sjukt)
Background flow. Muy repetitivo y sin canciones realmente buenas
Album Cover Art Review - 8-10 - the guys in classic rocker poses, well lit, different colors, great logo in the middle. Nothing else needed for debut album. Van Halen - burst onto the scene, rock never the same, insane album, can't even imagine how it landed in real time. No one could prepare for what was unleashed on them. Magic in a bottle for sure
This was fun. Some of the songs were a bit boring but overall I enjoyed listening to this. There's something so nostalgic but timeless about these songs and I can see why they've stood the test of time. It's better than a 3 but not quite a 4 for me, but I'll give it a 4 because it's better than neutral.
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).
Weirdly I'd never heard this album before, only heard about it. Whilst it wouldn't be an album I'd normally put on, I can see why it's considered a banger.
Giga cool, jestem fanką
We had no idea what was about to hit us then Van Halen entered our lives. Eddie is a revolution. DLR is a freak of nature. The songs are simply great. People will be listening to this even after humans colonize Alpha Centauri.
Just not my thing
Really fun high energy album of solid and dependable rock with some unexpected musical surprises. Some serious guitar shredding that reminds me I need to practice. Great for kitchen dancing and a brilliant cooking album. Super enjoyed my first full Van Halen album experience.
Decent
Not bad. Better than the other Van Halen album on the list simply because it isn't so childish.
Best Van Halen. Really changed rock back in. 1978
I enjoyed this more than 1984. It had more swing/swagger in the music and didn’t feel like it was diving too far into a polished, produced sound.
All around a pretty great album. It feels like 70s concert energy as an album, crazy guitar solos and everything. The radio hits are pretty good, the deeper cuts are really good, and it was just really fun. Also the guitar solos are violently 70s in the most fun way possible, I know I mentioned them twice.
Didn’t really like it, too rocky
First song great, erruption milestone 4/5 star
Geil. Zu Recht ein Klassiker
Ван Хален. Лучшая песня - You Really Got Me.
Harsh 2. Nostalgia scale must be off the chart for some but it's just an ok from me.
A solid hard rock album propped by the one two combo of Eruption and Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love and Eddie Van Halen's incredible guitar playing. 3 Stars.
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.
Probably closer to 3.5
Sounds very formulaic but worth remembering Van Helen were one of the bands that created the formula. Enjoyable enough bit of Heavy Metal fluff
I liked how there was genre diversity in the latter half of the record. Overall, it's a good hard rock record with some hits, but nothing that stuck for me. Favourite Track(s): You Really Got Me, Little Dreamer Least Favourite Track(s): Atomic Punk, Feel Your Love Tonight
too old for that
I love the guitar and the instruments overall, but I don’t really like the songs themselves, mainly due to the lyrics. They just seem to simple and a little hokey at times. Without the great instrument performance, this would probably be a 2 star for me. Solo in Eruption is insane.
Not my style
Fuckin killer album. Top to bottom.
Not My pice of cacke
Insane debut album.. created an iconic frontman and a new guitar hero right out of the gate. Van Halen is the best party rock band ever
Oh god thank you there is no "Jump" on this album.
Divorced dad rock - still a fun easy listen
"Running With the Devil" is worth the price of admission, and there are several other iconic standouts here. The volcanic combination of EVH and Diamond Dave is nothing to be scoffed at, and this album undeniably left a big, greasy mark on rock history. Do I like all of it? Or even most of it? Can't say that I really do, anymore. It's a good object lesson in the difference between cheese and corn: this thing is deeply cheesy, but too genuinely sexy to be corny, even if the sexiness reads a little bit nastier with each passing year.
Fun
For an album so influential that pretty much changed the way people approach guitar playing, it's very light a fun. The guitar is obviously the standout here, but the song stay consistently good, in their silly ultra-macho way. Key tracks: Runnin' With the Devil Eruption Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
The first half of this album is great, the second half is average. What there is no denying is that Eddie Van Halen knows how to play a guitar and Diamond Dave knows how to high kick and jump. Now obviously I couldn’t see him do that but I know what he’s up to….
Van Halen’s 1978 debut is a guitar revolution wrapped in pure rock and roll fun. Eddie’s groundbreaking technique on “Eruption” redefined what was possible on six strings, while David Lee Roth’s showman vocals and the band’s party hard energy made tracks like “Runnin’ with the Devil” instant classics. Technical innovation meets irresistible hooks.. a perfect storm that changed hard rock forever.
3.5 I like this one a lot more than their other one. More kind of guitar energy. I like Atomic Punk. Still don't love the voice, but it was an interesting time period of really promoting straight men's sexuality and desirability.
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.
Another "pretty much what I expected and I enjoyed it"
It's just so silly
Really close to a perfect album start to finish, one of the greats in my opinion
Van Halen: Van Halen: This shit rocks. Its a LITTLE samey, but the song quality is so high I really don't care, and the first half actually has some pretty good variety. The songs are just so much fun and have so much energy its basically impossible to dislike them. 9.5/10
Can appreciate it for what it is and represents, but Van Halen just isn't my cup of tea.
There’s a reason why these guys hit it big - These are real songs, not just bravado and raw energy for its own sake. And oh my God can Eddie wield that axe.
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.
This record opens with a pretty sweet Doppler effect horn sound that evokes a sort of crash landing of a car or spaceship. As a creative production choice, it's a real statement that something is about to happen. It's clear that this band is mostly a vehicle to feature the insane virtuosity of Eddie's face-melting guitar shreddage. This band has such a funny blend of influences. Diamond Dave Roth's vocals are often delivered like he's singing a show tune with a top hat and a cane and jazz hands. It's almost like cabaret hard rock. They are really out to give you the old RAZZLE DAZZLE, aren't they? The backup vocals and melodies all hearken back to their 50s and 60s rock and roll precursors, but definitely updated for the time. This album showcases a wide range of influences. It's at once swinging, doo-woppy, jump bluesy, hard rockin', soulful, folksy, garagey, and groovy. It has both razzle and dazzle. There's a real classical aesthetic to Eddie's guitar licks, with occasional hard chords. He uses a lot of little interstitial melodic licks here and there that are ornamental and almost act as a backup singer. The rhythm section is what tends to deliver any sense of heaviness. Otherwise, the compositions are often playful and basically just good time party music that doesn't take itself too seriously. They're basically a Muppet Show version of a hard rock band. Highlight tracks include "Running With The Devil" (a freakin penny whistle? are you kidding?); "Atomic Punk" - just a fun no frills rocker; "Ain't Talkin About Love" - probably the most serious song on the record, and the most horny and in need of a pee test; "Ice Cream Man" - a perfect example of the aforementioned cabaret show tune style pushed through a late 70s hard rock frame; and the 40s-50s inspired sing songy closer "Jamie's Cryin'". The more filler sounding tracks are still pretty unskippable. Simply put: despite its excesses and occasional wankery this record rules. The album art is great. The multi-color gel lit photos of the band convey an energy and vibe that matches the contents, and although predates it by many years, suggests that they are kinda like Voltron: more powerful together than on their own. (This was pretty much proven in later years during the Great Band Schism that gave us Van Hagar). The iconic logomark really takes center stage here, however, with a design that suggests a hot rod hood ornament or a medal given to fighter pilots. It's like they knew we're gonna be seeing that on everyone's Pee-Chee folder for the next 25 years. Would give it 4.5 if this dang contraption would let me.
Incredible 5/5
First album on this list that has made me so apathetic that I couldn't even finish the thing unfortunately.
Hell yeah
Top 80s Rock Wusste bei manchen Riffs gar nicht dass die von Van Halen sind
There are a number of songs that, having plugged in an electric guitar at a guitar store, you just don't play. If you do, the employees will automatically brand you a douche. One of those songs is "Eruption," the second track on this, one of the greatest debut albums in hard rock history. Have I tried to learn how to play Eruption? Certainly. I'd be willing to bet most guitarists have. But -- only in the privacy of my own home.
I don't trust anyone who prefers this version of "You Really Got Me" over the original by the Kinks.. Favorite track: Runnin' with the Devil
The second half of this album isn't anywhere near as good as the first half. And the first half, while being good, isn't as consistent as I'd like it to be. "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" is a stand out track to me, and while the others are food, they aren't excellent. I also really enjoyed "Little Dreamer." I could probably make this a 2 star review, but for now it sits at 3. Not bad by any means, but it has enough to be unhappy about that as a complete project, it cant compete with others. But at no point is it outright bad, despite a few unfortunate moments.
Partial listen only. Songs were familiar.
My brother got me into this guys !
Masturbatory guitar excess. My ears bleed.
Some good bits.
This is absolutely phenomenal. I really enjoyed "Eruoption" the most. I also enjoyed "Runnin' with the Devil" and "You Really Got Me" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" and "Jamie's Crying." Really wonderful album. I see why it is so highly acclaimed.
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.
Excellent and energetic hard rock played by very talented musicians. The whole album is very strong and one of the best debut albums, the band’s sound was already defined very well. Eddie Van Halen’s playing is spectacular as it always is and the energy is infectious. 4/5
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.
i guess i just can't believe i didn't know that this is what Van Halen sounded like. And that I'd like it.
Morsomt rockealbum skapt for fest.
Meh men gøy med gitarsoli
Nunca tinha parado para ouvir Van Halen, além das famosas, gostei bastante. Muito divertido.
Can't be objective here. Van Halen was there for me when I was growing up, and I feel like I turned out okay. Thanks, guys.
A classic for anyone interested in 80s rock or guitar riffs that make you want to move
Template for 80's corny pop metal.
Good listen, but only felt like one song was particularly compelling. Not sure why, but they're just not quite my cup of tea.
oh no I really don't want to listen to this... but well I am already here why not listen to it. Turn out to be good. Lot of guitar playing would remind me of Bad Brains which I was once extremely obsessed with. The overtone. Growing up in an era where you skipped the albums but only listened to those singles everyday, that is how I firstly listened to Van Halen. Now listening to the whole album all at once would bring different feelings. Metal rendition of blues song is quite funny. Like that.
Loud
nice guitar solos, but the singing is not my kind of tea
I was shocked to like this album as much as I did. There's not that much guitar wankery as I first thought and there are even some solid tracks here. Ice Cream Man is the only real misstep and it's not even that bad.
I've always enjoyed Van Halen's wankering, but I've also always hated David Lee Roth's endless whining. It's still quite the album nonetheless.
Unbeatable hard rock classic! Catchy as hell, energetic and perfect for having a great and carefree time!
again, this isn't exactly new to me
A classic. Impressive, innovative debut.
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
6/10 - approachable rock, not too hard but some good riffs, didnt realise "you really got me" is from Van Halen
Legendary
скока можно мне подсовывать этих мужиков.... плиз стоп. это вроде не ужасно плохо, но мне как-то не очень.
Crazy
Classic
I of course know a lot of Van Halen, but I don’t believe I’ve ever listened through an entire album of theirs. We all know EVH is a guitar god. Listening through proves that. The guitar is part of the entire narrative of the music. It all makes sense when you listen. That guitar has its own life. lol This was quite enjoyable.
Album No. 0003 on my list. I had known some of the songs before, but had not ever listened to the full album. I had some expectations regarding the music, and they were pretty much met. Short, energizing rock songs with innovative guitar work. I also had no expectations regarding the lyrics. And my expectations were pretty much met. They are pretty bad. But as I said - did not expect a 2nd Dylan here. All in all, I enjoyed listening to Van Halen’s debut album and I can certainly see why this album has been so influential. It basically preceded most of 80s rock music and was really something innovative in 1978. 4/5!
Let’s go
Really enjoyed - not my usual listen, but appreciated the musicianship.
5/5
I am not a fan of Van Halen, really. I can't get into David Lee Roth's whole squealing party boy shtick and I've never been a fan of Guitar God-style playing with all the crazy million-notes-per-minute shredding. That said, I completely understand how this album made this list and why a lot of people really love it. Eddie blends that Guitar God stuff seamlessly with some really tight, catchy pop songs with great choruses and all that. This album had like 7 songs that are still in the cultural consciousness today. That's one of the greatest debuts in the history of 'em. I didn't hate it at all, and I can appreciate the prowess, even though I'm not enticed to return.
It’s ok
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
Really great front to back.
5/10
Some all time classic jams here. Eruption and Ain't Talking About Love are my favorites.
It would have been a thrill to see Van Halen tour this album, with Diamond Dave's showmanship and Eddie V's virtuosic licks. I enjoyed this album a lot. Standout track: Ain't Talkin' Bout Love
now here's something I'm familiar with
Love it.
I have no clue why I always mix up Van Halen with Led Zeppelin, but this was a fun album anyway. There are a lot of songs I knew that I didn’t realize were Van Halen. The electric guitar on this album felt so crispy and pure rock n’ roll. Favorite tracks: - Runnin’ with the Devil - You Really Got Me - Jamie’s Cryin’
01) Runnin' with the Devil - 7,0 02) Eruption - 6,0 03) You Really Got Me - 7,0 04) Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love - 7,5 05) I'm the One - 6,0 06) Jamie's Cryin' - 7,0 07) Atomic Punk - 6,0 08) Feel Your Love Tonight - 6,5 09) Little Dreamer - 7,0 10) Ice Cream Man - 6,0 11) On Fire - 6,0 TOTAL: 6,55 (66/100) Current ranking: 439/628 Meh... Dad rock. And I mean oooold dad, because I'm as old as this album and this is really not my cup of tea...
no
Bueno
Honestly felt very classic in sound. A lot of timeless songs that still sound good today. I knew about eruption and knew that it was very famous, but honestly didn't like it that much on this album. I'm sure that if you're a musician/guitar player that it's very impressive and cool, but as a more casual listener it's a bit too much
Van Halen's debut album gets straight to the point. Eddie's guitar work is sublime, and David Lee Roth's energetic vocals compliment it well. The first four tracks are all very strong, although one is a Kinks cover. The album shreds, and on the right day, I could give it 4 stars. But in my opinion, the majority of the songs don't hold up to the first few. Fun album though. Fav Track: "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love"
Runnin' with the Devil Eruption You Really Got Me Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love Jamie's Cryin'
Det er fanme dumt men det er fanme også gennemført. Det her album skulle ikke være et sekund længere
Hørte den her virkelig meget som teenager, og har et nostalgisk forhold til den selvom den bliver dummere og dummere for hver gang jeg hører den. Hørte ret meget musik af folk med åndssvage stemmer da jeg var teenager.
Lots of bangers! Pretty much how I define the 70's (rock) sound
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.
I didn’t ever think I would be saying this, but this album is amazing front to back. I like Van Halen but hearing this album came out, every single track is amazing. almost half classic singles and the non singles are amazing too. Sad I’ve slept on this album for so long
Really great guitar and the singer is good. But this band will never escape the adolescent aroma of "Hot for Teacher."
I’d give it three stars. Nothing special to say about this one. It was a solid album. My favourites were You Really Got Me, Jamie’s Cryin’ and Little Dreamer
Not for me at all, I really don't get hair metal and all the guitar solos. Just does nothing for me.
Another debut album, this time from Van Halen. There are a few Van Halen songs that I like, but those sings are not on their debut album. When this album was released there was no music like this - rock with slightly more of an edge. Because of that and Eddie Van Halen’s guitar playing, I need to rate this album higher than average.
Sure, this inclusion makes sense. I had exactly 0 Van Halen thoughts and feelings going in, and I have exactly 0 going out. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Highlight: 'You Really Got Me' (probably just because I know it)
Just an amazing album and wild to think this was released in 1978 as it set the direction for music for a decade and more. The whole band are just something else
Good, but too repetitive for me
Pretty good for a debut album! 4.3
Cover 6 Yes! Fun songs though no real substance. So... Just for fun only
Awesome..one of the best
The V in Van Halen means 5
Some classic tracks on this album. A lot of it has been overplayed at this point but listening to the full album was a great reminder of how solid of an album this really was.
Pop metal, great A-side.
3.5.
It was good, but not great. I dislike David lee Roth's voice and EVH is a wicked overplayer
Well, not bad
classic rock record, legendary solo, has some forgettable tracks though
I see why people love them
An amazing debut album for a band that would go on to write so many hot songs. They had a sound that was all their own.
La verdadera pregunta es porque no habia escuchado este album antes.
7/10
Woeful
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.
One of my favourite openings to an album is this. “Runnin’ with the Devil” leads into a run of songs which showcase Van Halen at their very best. “Eruption” highlights the talent of Eddie Van Halen in a little over a minute and a half, and then a rockin’ version of “You Really Got Me” leads to my album highlight of “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love.” A solid debut that I don’t think they topped with their subsequent releases.
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
Great album
Probably their best album. Few weaker songs but so iconic. Like being electricuted.
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.
Probably the best for Van Halen. Which if you’re a fan would be great but as a casual listener was just moderate. Still more listenable than others on the list.
Fantastic rock album that I've head banged to since middle school.
Some great songs on this album. Hair rock when it was reaching its peak.
Surprisingly good.
100% butt rock banger!
Classic
3.5/5
I had this when I was younger. But I didn’t realize until today how much it represented a bridge between the Led Zeppelin era of 60s/70s hard rock and the “stadium rock“ of the 80s. Not sure how I feel about that theory, but for better or for worse, this is a solid album!
The brilliance of this group is their acknowledgment of past genres as they charted a course into new territory. The energy and clever song writing, to go along with a plethora of talent, propelled them to the hof for a reason. Opened for Black Sabbath that year? I would love to have seen that!
Saved this one for Friday. One of the all time great rock albums. Especially for a debut.
7.5 / 10 - Some classics on this album, not quire worthy of 5 stars despit me loving eruption, just needed that lil summin summin extra
some great tracks on here aint talking about love, is classic banger as is eruption and running with the devil. its an enjoyable blues rock album nothing too special
Not a bad song on this record, honestly this is a really impressive debut record. I’m not totally into VH, but there’s no denying this is some good shit.
It's Van Halen!
Good all late 70's Rock. Before they went massive with MTV. A lot of classrooms nuggets [and do not bring up Sammy Haggar)]. Fun and harmless
Full of energy and charisma, Van Halen's debut album contains to rock! Variations on the blues, metal, and rock and roll collide to give birth to glam metal and influence an entire generation of artists. There is a lack of variety on the album but given it's relatively short runtime this isn't necessarily a bad thing. A very enjoyable listen packed with classics
Not a big fan but def had some songs they still play on the radio.
People talk about the monster playing of Eddie Van Halen but I'm here to talk about David Lee Roth. The Plant to Van Halen's Page, minus the Tolkien references. That screeching wail, the drawn out vowels. What a vocalist. Everyone is here for Eddie Van. Not me. I'm here for David Lee. If this record was longer than 35 minutes it might start feeling like a drag. But, it doesn't. It's tight, tight, tight. I always skip "Eruption." I'm not ashamed to admit it.
I've heard this album before and very strongly associate Van Halen with my ex-husband who was a big fan (mostly of Van Hagar). I don't like David Lee Roth or his voice, but the result being this album is classic. it is THE classic rock and is one of the original sounds of the time. it's entertaining to listen to and I usually don't turn it off when it comes on. however, I don't seek out listening to it and so for that reason, I give it a 3. Best track: You Really Got Me Worst track: Jamie's Cryin' and On Fire are tied for last place
Hair Rock
Classic album, can almost taste the cocaine in every song
dismissed this before I heard it, almost a big mistake
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.
I was really pleasantly surprised by this album. I'm sure some of the lyrics are probably questionable but i'm not gonna look too closely and will be listening to this one again.
One of the best guitar albums of all time
Iconic album. Changed the music world.
It's hardly my preferred flavour of rock, and I'm in no rush to listen to it again (that Kinks cover... it's not *bad* as such, it's just... what was the point?), BUT there are some good moments - catchy choruses and (naturally) tasty guitar parts and such. Definitely feels like the blueprint for 80s hair metal, which is a dubious claim to fame, but I'll give this the benefit of the doubt and say instead that it's a decent debut album in isolation.
All great, no filler!
6/10…80‘s hard rock / metal
A little underwhelming for me. Like if it’s gonna be rock it needs to be way more intense
Wasn't brought up with rock and unlocking this new horizon feels great. I feel like this album is so accessible. Maybe cause it sounds like bab rock and amma rock baby.
07/07/2025 I've never actually listened to a Van Halen album and I enjoyed this one. No doubt there will be more to discover.
Timeless classic
One of the greatest rock & roll bands in history was founded by two Dutch guys and a couple of dudes they met in California as kids. That's Van Halen. 80's hair metal was irritating attempts to chase Eddie Van Halen; Van Halen the band was almost irritating but saved because of how good Eddie was. If you got sick of 80's pop-metal ("hair" metal) or the swaggeringly overt misogyny that much of rock became, I get it. But this is the grand stele amid the ancient town square from which that dubious movement proceeded. Somewhere buried in this fountain of joyous noise is the blues, but you'll have to dig for it a little (Ice Cream Man aside). Michael Anthony plays a lovely, melodically and harmonically interesting bass while meshing solidly with his rhythm counterpart. Alex Van Halen is a seriously underrated rock drummer -- pretty restrained on this record, but he'd confound a generation of musicians with his intro to 1984's Hot For Teacher. "Diamond" David Lee Roth is a quintessential, prototypical, hypersexual rock frontman (100% wishes he was Freddie), complete with both a raspy belting timbre and frequent falsetto screams and moans. They all owe immensely to their predecessors (let's just say all of Led Zeppelin, for concision's sake, even if they're all more interesting than that). I spent a paragraph talking about everyone else so that there'd be time for Edward Van Halen alone. Eddie heard everyone else in the 60s and 70s -- Jimmy Page, Brian May, Ritchie Blackmore, Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix -- mastered their techniques, got bored and added Paganini to create something that was wholly novel and iconic. Eddie was famous for his two-hand fretboard tapping (which he may have first heard from Les Paul), but his ability to produce wide bends, huge dive-bombs, sweep picking sections and at-will harmonics were remarkable because of how smoothly and musically he integrated them. Van Halen didn't write groundbreaking songs (or You Really Got Me, at all) in terms of structure or harmonics or content or anything like that. They wrote songs that sounded like the Kinks (or literally were the Kinks) or maybe Delta blues but were simultaneously way, way heavier than Deep Purple. And some short dude with a cigarette behind his guitar's nut was doing musical stunts in the background with a fluidity that would make Carlos Santana blush. You should listen to this album because other bands spent a whole decade trying to be as cool as this and in the end, they got so irritating with their imitations that rock did a full reset with grunge. People (mostly other dudes) tried so, so hard to play guitar solos as good as Eddie's that the grunge kids banned guitar solos altogether for the duration of the 90s. Eddie was so good that it fucked everybody else up. I could go on longer about how this is the other side of the 80s (though this is 1978, still) -- no synths in sight until Eddie writes Jump -- or about how gorgeous their harmonies actually are, but there's little point. This is a solidly B-tier nationwide touring band and a 2- or 3-star album. But the guy who built the band and writes the songs happens to be an all-time great and, somehow, that format worked for Van Halen. Must listen, but 4 stars -- they changed music but they won't change your life (unless you become obsessed with playing guitar). It explains what went wrong with 80s guitar music; but Van Halen (and at least two follow ups) are actually good, by dint of the absolute colossus who carried them into glory, every night of their hard-touring life.
This was a really cool album and I greatly enjoyed it the whole way through. I was familiar with most of the songs but a couple of them were new to me. Overall, one of the best that I've been suggested on this list thus far.
4.0 - Very Good
Van Halen are one of those bands where I'm familiar with their big singles, but I've never dived into their catalogue to any degree of depth, or had much of an urge to. Well, it would seem as though I've been missing out on such a fun time. In your face, arse-shakingly catchy, serotonin-soaked bangers aren't at a premium here, and whilst the second track "Eruption" could have proved to be a pretentious venture mere minutes into the album's running time if it wasn't as good as it actually is - fortunately, the solo-ing is absurdly good. Very much enjoyed this, and will be back again.
Some pretty solid grooves. They’re even a bit doo wop? Didn’t realize what their groove was.
Awesome album, solid all the way through. The combination of Dave at the top of his showmanship with Eddie being at his best is just great
The answer to all world religions is Van Halen.
Has some really fun songs, some less fun. Pretty good overall but very basic and completely unremarkable. The riffs overall are just not that great, and the energy is mostly carried by the vocals. 7/10
my dad (whose favorite band is Van Halen) ’s review: “The best one top to bottom” yeah, it’s pretty good.
To be honest, it's a great album with some classic hits, but as a whole it's not a masterpiece.
Geez. I didn’t even like Van Halen, but I have to admit that this does what it’s setting out to do. It starts “slow” with Running With the Devil and just keeps building. It’s not my thing, but it is peak 80s hair band, so they get points for that. Also, as hair metal should be, it’s pretty fun (and not as overtly problematic as a lot of hair metal).
van halen is van halen, not bad.
Achieving musical immortality is never easy, but one of the surest ways to do it is to write a repertory song - something that does something technically specific enough that anyone who learns to perform at a certain level will inevitably learn it. Lyric sopranos have "I Could Have Danced All Night" from *My Fair Lady*. True coloratura sopranos have "Poor Wandering One" from *The Pirates of Penzance*. Xylophonists have the overture from *Porgy and Bess*. Pianists have the Rach III. Rock drummers have "Tom Sawyer" among other tunes. And electric guitarists have Van Halen's "Eruption." which has been melting faces since 1978 and which, amazingly, might only be the third- or fourth-best actual song here. Like nobody since Hendrix, there is a B.E. (Before Eddie) and an A.E. (After Eddie) in guitar music. And nobody who's come after him has been able to combine Eddie's virtuoso technical ability with his ear for incredible rock tunes. What a titan he was.
I love space rock revival which makes this album more listenable to me but the indie sleaze of this record throwa me off. Courtneys vocals are really annoying but i love songs like "The Creep Out" they just feel so surreal and psychedelic. 6/10 Favourite: The Creep Out Least Favourite: Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth
Fuckin iconic hell yeah love me some eddie
Enjoyable at the most, basic at the worst
You know you’ve made a properly shit album when you really got me is the best written song on it. Jk this albums ok, I like aint talkin bout love
This album rocks
it was nice to listening to it, but it was not my taste
It’s massively self indulgent hair metal. The type that birthed a million shitty spandex clad 80s American rockers. It’s probably quite impressive guitar playing but they’re like an author who needs a good editor. It’s telling that the best song on there is a kinks cover.
I forever lean on the Chuck Klosterman rating system: Van Halen's "And the Cradle Will Rock" (not on this album) is the perfect average rock song. Anything better is good. anything worse is bad. So in that spirit, I give this a 3, even though I think it's a little better than that but not much.
Is there a better album intro than “Running’ With the Devil” in all of rock and roll? I doubt it. This album evokes comparisons with fellow hard rockers AC/DC, whom I recently trashed in a review. I think the difference lay in Van Halen’s dynamism: David Lee Roth is a fantastic, expressive rock vocalist with crazy range, Eddie Van Halen was at the top of his game here (the riff on “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘bout Love” alone is enough to seal any deal), the rhythm section is powerful (Alex Van Halen can drum circles around AC/DC), and Ted Templeman knows the right way to treat this juggernaut is by making them sound huge and spacious. The whole thing feels like a party you’d actually like to attend, a runaway train you can’t not watch to see if it can stay on the tracks. VH never sounded quite this good again.
Had high hopes but man was this boring.
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.
It's still hard to believe this came out in 1978. I can't imagine what people thought the first time they heard this. Definitely a band that is greater than the sum of it's parts.
Better than expected, and various
1) Runnin' with the Devil: Maybe the perfect showcase for Van Halen's sound. It just makes sense. 2) Eruption: Fitting title. The solo has an explosive energy and keeps escalating its motif. And every time you listen to it, it feels fresh. 3) You Really Got Me: A cover which arguably lacks the raw and dirty sound of The Kinks' original, but adds a certain playfulness that helps this version to stand on its own. 4) Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love: Almost entirely driven by the guitar riff. But, well, it is one damn legendary riff. 5) I'm the One: Quite interesting, incredible guitar play, and some good comedic spirit - particularly the acapella swingy shoobedooing intermission. 6) Jamie's Cryin': Most straightforward track. Also the softest, most easily agreeable, more pop than rock. 7) Atomic Punk: So over-the-top. Drifting into metal a bit. Why does it make me think of Troma flicks? Either way, it's fun. 8) Feel Your Love Tonight: Good, yet fairly standard rock song about buttering a girl up for sex. 9) Little Dreamer: Lovely song. Uplifting and addressing the "little dreamer" in all of us. It's calmness makes it a nice contrast to the other songs. 10) Ice Cream Man: Another cover. This time of a (frankly mediocre) blues song. Here very much transported into the classic rock genre, which works slightly better, but not well enough to save it from being the weakest song of the album. 11) On Fire: Fun. Great mood setter. I'd argue it would have worked better as an opener, but ending on it is nice as well. This whole album is about establishing a sound. Defining a band's style. And it excels at it. It has a bit of everything: Fast, slow. Loud, calm. Hard rock, soft rock, and anything inbetween. Sometimes blatant sexual innuendo, sometimes earnest heartfelt emotion. All of it keeps the attentive listener entertained. There isn't much you can fault it for. Incredible debut.
Kinda mid songwriting but the guitar is godly
Huge guitars with complicated solos and memorable riff blend together perfectly with great vocals to create a typical glam sound ypu want to listen to with the volume cranked up all the way. Cool kinks cover. Aint talkin about love riff is just iconic. Not in love with the ice cream man. Great, straight forward rock record!
Guitar shredding 👎👎
Lots of hits. Great guitar tome
Definitely have a greater appreciation for Van Halen after listening. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Classic Van Halen… Some great songs on this album but I’m just not a huge fan of a lot of the guitar licks with the two hand tapping
Did not age well
Classic Van Halen some good songs mixed in with long guitar solos and some screeching.
solid album
this is fucking AWESOME! every song is a banger and it’s so hype all the way through. so many creative and cool guitar licks placed throughout this project. lit as fuck.
Drop the needle and the weekend materialises. Several riffs here, like on every VH album, that other guitarists can only dream of writing. Big, dumb, perfect.
7/10
Nice!!
I do like the vibes overall, but it's hard to say any one song stuck with me that well... Except I'm the One, which is deeply amusing to me
It would be disrespectful of me not to rate this as a 5 when for almost every song on the album I found myself going "YOOOOOO" like a giddy teen. Van Halen was my dad's favorite band growing up - so I heard them every day - and it's crazy how many of their hits and bangers come from this specific album.
Gritty 70s cock rock in its prime. Has the massive, anthemic sound of 80s arena rock but still with all the grit of 70s hard rock - the best of both worlds. Plus, obviously Eddie Van Halen was a prodigious talent on guitar. The album is definitely frontloaded, with the weirdly country-inflected "Ice Cream Man" starting off a bit of a lowlight, but this is still an incredibly solid debut record.
The B side doesn’t live up to the ridiculously high bar set by the four consecutive bangers on the A side, but it certainly wasn’t bad. Some all-time great guitar and just fun, high-energy rock tracks that kick ass. I can’t give this any less than 5 stars. One hell of a debut.
Van Halen cooks some absolute guitar riff wizardry here. If Electric Ladyland hadn't come up earlier on the list, this is what I would have imagined Hendrix to sound like. I debated giving this a 5, but I'm not sure how well it's gonna stick with me long-term. I'm 3 listens in, and I can only really recall You Really Got Me. That said, I do know what to put on when I want to hear some sick riffs in the future. Standouts: You Really Got Me • Jamie's Crying • On Fire
It rocks! The first half is an undeniable 5 but it slows down enough in the second half that I had to knock it down to a 4. The run of the first five or so songs is one of the best in rock.
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.
After a slog of albums to catch up, every track on this one slaps. The guitar licks are just gorgeous
I expected to dislike this. I read a lot of guitar literature where everyone just goes on and on about van Halen. I'm quite contrary and that didn't help, but also I feel his guitar tone is over rated and although he may have been the first to play the fast tapping style guitar in metal he was surpassed by later players. Furthermore that guitar solo in jump is pants and totally unnecessary in a keyboard based song. So I've never really taken much notice of them... But actually, this was a lot of fun. It was very enjoyable, the tracks were catchy and they weren't taking themselves too seriously. I liked it much more than I thought I would.
wow ... just wow. Just about every song! This will get ya moving!
One of those where I don’t know if it’s a great album, but it’s culturally significant so its placement is apt. Not for me, but I can’t deny Mr. Halen’s talents.
Some really good energy all the way through and concise. 4 stars
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".
7.5/10. Eddie Van Halen goated musician.
The album that started 80s hard rock.
Catchy but definitely not my thing. Absolutely hated a couple songs. Didn't really love any.
Brilliant!! Loved it. Forgot how good they were. Meaty guitar riffs, amazing solos, classic rock at it's best
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!
It fucking sucks Fav song: You Really Got Me
Fun stuff from Van Halen. Their debut album is one of those places where, culturally, you can hear a transition to an 80s rock sound starting to happen. It got a little samey for my tastes toward the end (although Ice Cream Man was a nice break-up of the usual sound).
I don't know many Van Halen songs, but I consider them the final boss of dad rock. But hey, let's see! First track is a nice rock song! But I have to say, if you're going to mention the Devil, the song better blow my mind, and it doesn't. But it's good. The solo towards the end elevates it. This instrumental second track's good! And You Really Got Me is a banger, best track so far. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love keeps the streak going! I'm The One is so fast it feels like the band's in a hurry. Like the dialogue. And the last-minute barbershop quartet moment is out of left field but fits in nicely. Really like it! Jamie's Cryin' is a bit slower than previous tracks but still rocks on, and damn is it fun. The chorus is great, and by the end of the song you're singing along to it. Atomic Punk is fun but doesn't stand out. The same can be said for the track after that. Third track in a row to be kind of uninspired :( Oh yey a blues-inspired song. I was going to say the rest of the track is pretty similar to the rest of the album, and while that is still true, I actually like it here. While I like the vocals on the closer, I feel like I started getting tired of the sound of the album a couple tracks back. I have to say, this album may have cured my prejudice against 70's dad rock! I really enjoyed this! However, not all is positive. The songs are very similar, as both the instrumentals and the vocals are executed the same throughout most songs. Because of this, the album feels very repetitive. No track here is bad, but they suffer from being included in the same album. Maybe further listens will help separate the tracks and make me appreciate them more individually, but for now that's it. So yeah, this was good, and worth a listen, even if none of the songs are life-changing good. Bye
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
i flit between at least a couple choices for my fave van halen record and while i dont know if this is the Definitive Absolute One, its certainly the one im most likely to just throw on and listen to, and in many ways makes the most sense as a choice. bright and vibrant and just pure exuberance from a band w/ everything to prove and having a great great time proving it. even some of the songs that may appear slighter work their way into ur skin eventually just from how many freakishly memorable little moments eddie can slap out of his guitar. at least thru the david lee roth period (i cant speak for any later), that dude was just so in tune with how his instrument Sounded, the actual moment it makes contact w/ the human ear, beyond some kind of theoretical raw musical information. he could really liven up anything at this point! add to that the fact that the record is packed with classics, like yea man, in some ways this is as good as it gets!
1.5/5
Pretty rocking, some songs a little basic.
Bands were so horny in the 70s. This is more of a 4.5 to me but I’ll give it a 5 cause there’s definitely some bangers on this album, it’s an incredible debut and I love the guitar. Also, it’s funny how they randomly became Elvis Presley in Ice Cream man
Good
Definitely better than 1984, but still only a high 3 as most of it just doesn't quite resonate with me.
I know understand why they were rock gods.
My favorite van Halen album so far, but I don't think it's a 5 for me
Don't Mind if I do. Classic album, always in rotation. an absolute masterpiece that nothing else sounded like. This was a debut album. EVH genius is all over it. Think about how the album starts with that walking Bass line and what is just a great hard rock song to then go to the violence and beauty of Eruption next.. Highlights are Aint' Talkin Bout Love, Eruption, Ice Cream Man - but this whole album is awesome.
Good enough but not my jam
This slapped pretty damn hard. Hugh four. Man Eddie could rip!!!
Where it all started. A flawless debut.
Old head music Too old for me, I'll let peepaw dance to it.
8/10 tipycal album my dad would play on a car ride
Eruption fun
This album rules, obviously, but you gotta try to find DLRs isolated vocals on youtube. Shit's hilarious.
Solid album
As a guitar player this is potentially sacrilege but I've always found the Van Halen radio hits a little offputting and as a result I've never sought them out. This album was mostly more of the same, but there were a couple of moments I really enjoyed. For example, the doo wop breakdown in "I'm the one" was an eclectic little surprise. Overall though I'd say that while there's a lot of talent on display here it feels like it's mostly bluster to me
Nearly every song on here is a banger with a few exceptions just pure happy energy
I believe the term you're looking for is "kickass."
4.7/5
Thought some of the songs were by Aerosmith.
Awesome.
Was pretty good
Van Halen bursts onto the scene with Eddie's inimitable guitar work and Roth's vocal calisthenics for a solid debut
More fun rock n roll
Fun cd with quite a few of their greatest hits!
Absolutely chock full of bops. Fantastic album.
Don’t care for Van Halen that much but still the hits are always fun and catchy
I'm not the biggest EVH fan but this was a fun listen. He had more interesting songs than I would have though on the album. Still not the biggest fan of super shreddy guitar like that, but it was still an easy enough listen. Highlights: I'm The One Jamie's Crying
Golden Rock!
Great album.
There was a period of time in my late-ish teens where I would have loved this.
Awesome classic rock.
Had a couple of good hits.
I’m admittedly not the biggest Van Halen fan but this hit pretty hard this morning. There’s no denying the talent here.
Por mi, es un si. Por más que no sea mi estilo. Me gustó más que sus contemporáneos del heavy. Nota: 3.5
Listened to this in the car on my way to D&D last night to get myself hyped for the fight that was about to go down. I arrived feeling energized and reckless, which is the intended effect of arena rock imo.
There was a very funny cluster of dudes in 9th grade who competed on how many guitar notes they could play per second. For them, the Messiah of Shred was Eddie Van Halen. Listening to him obliterate the fretboard throughout this album, I can understand why. Super fun record. Surprisingly singable! Runnin’ with the Devil, Feel Your Love Tonight, and Ice Cream Man were my highlights.
The album my dad taught me to head bang to. There aren’t many albums were all the songs go hard like this one. Eddie Van Halen was one of the guitar greats and it’s proven here. A quintessential rock and roll album. I have so many fond memories of listening to this on tape as loud as the car speakers could go. I called my dad to see if he remembered everything as wonderfully as I did and he did 💛 and while this can be seen as just stereotypical rock, it started a conversation with us about the influence Van Halen had gotten from others and how their music influenced those after them. We talked Prince, Eric Clapton, the Stones, Styx. If I had to pick one album with the greatest influence on me, my music tastes, and the relationship I have with my dad, it’s this one