Reviews (page 9 of 15)
4.2
Once again Van Halen woos me with awesome guitar licks despite awful lyrical content.
Pretty rocking album from Van Halen. I have only ever really listened to their radio hits, but I was pleasantly surprised with this whole album.
surprisingly good, my favourite track was 'Ice Cream Man"
Gave this a listen to on my morning run and will definitely be saving it for future runs. Being really only familiar with their hit song "Jump", it was cool to listen to their early works. The cover of the Kinks "You Really Got Me" was a surprise and also incredible guitar solo riff with the instrumental "Eruption".
First thought is, seriously? You're going to make me listen to Van Halen after spending yesterday with Sonic Youth? I guess it is the first album--their best--so I will go for it. Always respect a classic, trendsetter when you are able. I know these songs well, grew up with them. Eddie Van Halen is a master and genius. Love the guitar on the whole album. I think I could appreciate it more as an instrumental-only album. It's not just David Lee Roth, though I'm not really into him, and really never have been. It's the lyrics don't do it for me. Sounds funny to say for such iconic rock songs, but turn off the lyrics, and I could listen to this all day.
It's like being at a high-energy 80s party where everyone is sweaty and on uppers and the sexual tension is off the charts. This peaks at You Really Got Me and Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love. The sound becomes more playful than intense later in the tracklist; see Jamie's Cryin', Feel Your Love Tonight, and the rock n roll treat that is Ice Cream Man. Does this album make me want to headbang or groove? Yes.
Genre: Hard Rock 4/5 Van Halen's rip-snortin', ball-grabbin', guitar-squealin' self-titled debut album is a damn good rock album. One of the best-selling albums of all time, and featuring some of the genre's most popular singles, Van Halen started off their career with a mighty bang. From David Lee Roth's screams and shouts to Eddie Van Halen's shreds and guitar squeaks, which single-handedly birthed an entire generation of shred guitarists, Van Halen had a little of everything to offer in their debut offering, and it still sits as an icon of the times. The entire A Side is an absolute torrent of rock. From their tremendous hit single Runnin' with the Devil, to the shred-tastic introduction to Eddie Van Halen on Eruption, to their well-known and well-arranged cover of the Kinks' You Really Got Me, and all the way down. With boy band-style 3-part harmonies, love-themed lyrics, and big, beautiful, singalong choruses, the hard pop rock crossover sound was very succesful. The B Side isn't as much of a firebrand, but tracks like Jamie's Cryin' and Little Dreamer are there to keep it movin' and groovin'. Really great rock record, and one that will continue to stand the test of time. Love these guys.
Just a great rock album, with the standout hit being the cover of The Kink's 'You Really Got Me.' I don't think there was enough amazing material to push this to a five, but it was still consistently, extremely good. A great show put on by Van Halen as to what you could expect from them.
"Pitkän" tauon jälkeen levy josta on aidosti helppo tykätä. Soi hienosti edelleen ja varmasti edistyksellistä settiä omaan aikaansa.
Tiukka ja vaikka lyhyt, niin iso
Pretty fun album to listen to I’d say it still holds up pretty well
Great debut from Van Halen, I'm The One rocks! Catchy and groundbreaking guitar-playing.
This must have been unbelievable when it came out. No one was playing like Eddie, mixing hard rock, classical and jazz tones into one sound. And they wisely start the album off with something easy to comprehend like “Runnin’ with the Devil” before loading it with the crazy stuff. To fault it, the latter half has some filler, but at least it ends strong with “Ice Cream Man” and “On Fire”, even if this should have been a 10 track LP instead of 11. A-
Pretty good glam metal album. Some of the songs are definitely filler (Feel Your Love Tonight, On Fire, Little Dreamer, etc.) but it's hard to deny how cool Ain't Talking 'Bout Love, Eruption, or I'm The One are. Jamie's Cryin' is a bad and overrated song, and Running With the Devil is pretty lame in hindsight too. VH would go on to have much better albums, but this is a great debut.
this album fucking rules
Great guitar and bass. 1st half is great 2nd half is ok. Definitely an album to listen to but not a top one on my list.
Good stuff
Didn't really want to like it but it's pretty good.
Rock suave casi ochentero, con buenas guitarras y voz. Inconfundibles.
A classic rock album that is a ton of fun. Probably the true turning point in rock from classic rock bands to stadium rock. Their songs are high powered and leave a good impression. The album isn’t too long and provides some solid hits along with fantastic guitar work. 7.7/10
A great classic album. RIP EVH! "Eruption" is top 10 on the list of songs that made teenage boys want to play guitar. The cover of "You Really Got Me" is one of the best covers of that song. "Jamie's Cryin'" was also a great track. Overall I liked the album, but it is not my favorite Van Halen album I look forward to 1984.
Great album, pure rock
The first Van Halen album, containing classics like Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Runnin' with the Devil, and, of course, Eruption, which cemented Eddie Van Halen's status as hard rock's most virtuoso guitar shredder. While the rhythm section is no slouch either, Eddie and David Lee Roth are clearly the stars of the show, delivering what was to become Van Halen's trademark of extroverted hard rock with fratboy lyrics. The album keeps to this style throughout, which is very entertaining, yet maybe lacks a bit of variation. Still, this is one of the albums that really deserves to be on this list. 4/5
Although I'm not a fan of them, one thing I can always admire about Van Halen is their musical talent. Eddie is a great guitar player with solos and hard catchy riffs. The guitar tone throughout is electric. Alex is a neat drummer who provides enough to make interesting yet simple patterns. Mike Anthony is a good support vechicle for the band and plays when needed, and David Roth oozes charisma throughout. The songs themselves mostly great, but there is some notable filler. Would say my favourites were Ain't Talkin 'bout Love and Jamie's Cryin.
As much as I dislike glam rock, you can't deny their legacy
Cock rock at its finest!
Listened for the first time earlier this year and it was a 3. With that added familiarity, this time was a 4.
Enjoyed this way way more than I thought I would, especially on second listen At first the You Really Got Me cover shook me to my core and not in a good way, but now I think it's fun Little Dreamer and Atomic Punk are *chefs kiss* my faves Ice Cream Man is absolutely not what I was expecting from this album but I kind of love it lol its jokes
It's a classic, innit? Not all the tracks hold up but the guitars are still blindingly good.
What a run of opening songs. A great album that kinda sags in the middle. Best track: Runnin' with the Devil
Альбом очень бодрый и веселый (неподходящее слово, но тем не менее, легко было слушать). Хард-рок по душе, звучало хорошо.
Me gusto más de lo que esperaba. Conocía más canciones de lo que pensaba.
ROCK! WHITE GUYS! (I loved it.)
Rock and roll, baybeeee.
I mean, it's Van Halen--just good, solid rock
Easy 4 for me. Probably not a 5 but somewhere in between. So much groundbreaking stuff that holds up today.
This is really, really good. Wouldn't have been able to name any of the songs ahead of time, but definitely a couple that seemed familiar. Runnin' with the Devil, followed by the guitar solo in Eruption (which is enough to show that these guys are great with their guitars and love pushing them to the limit but not so long that it gets nauseatingly self-indulgent and overstays its welcome), and a rocky cover of the Kinks is an amazing way to start, and the quality stays high right the way through. Also seems pretty well put together, tracks flow nicely and it's nice and snappy, doesn't overstay its welcome. 4/5, will listen again, loved this.
Pretty damn fire. Might be peak hair metal (not saying much) 🤷
this album is ICONIC
not entirely my style but it still has some great songs on it. it's very energetic and fast and i really appreciate that. solid 4
This is my first time listening to Van Halen. Sure I've heard songs of theirs over the years, but I've never actively sought them out to listen to. My expectations were far exceeded since this didn't really sound like the Van Halen I've heard before, which I guess is the 80s version of the band. I loved the sound of Eddie's solos here and it didn't sound like the wankery that it would eventually become (which while technically impressive sounds very stale to me). This is an absolutely great album and one I will be revisiting. 4.5/5
The summer of 1979 was my first full summer of going to arena-sized rock concerts seeing bands like, Cheap Trick, Supertramp and Van Halen. This was an eye-opening and ear splitting experience that forever secured my love for live concerts. The sheer energy and captive stage presence of Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth was mind-melting, at the time and it set my standards pretty high of what a great rock concert should be. Though I can't say I'm still a band of Van Halen, I must admit their first album was very influential on so many levels and it is must be considered one of the great debut records of the 70's. The instrumental, Eruption introduced the world to the guitar wizardry of Eddie Van Halen and if you love guitar, this is essential. Listening to it now (loud), brings back a lot of happy memories, but I'm glad I expanded my music tastes after the first couple Van Halen albums because they became a shell of their former self and self-parody later in their long career. Still, this a must-hear!
Listened to on 2/28/22 4.5 Favorite song: little dreamer, ice cream man Classic with the most amazing guitar rifs
Multiple classic rock songs with Runnin with the Devil and Ain’t Talking Bout Love, an impressive display of guitar on Eruption, and a nice change of pace with the potential favorite of the album in Little Dreamer. It was packed with energy and fun to listen to.
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: You really got me, Aint talking about love, Jamie’s crying
not bad tbh
This is great fun. The precise point at which you can hear metal pivoting from the Sabbath era to the eighties. Of course down the line it would beget the horrific hair metal bands, but this is sharp, tight and both heavy and pop at the same time. Terrific. Can't forgive them for Jump though.
Dit is natuurlijk goud, zo lekker klassieke sound. Blijft goed :)
I prefer their later work.
Maybe hair metal wasn’t a mistake
Many familiar tunes. Up beat, easy going rock.
Some great classics, can't believe its my first time listening to this album
Van Halen is real cool, and this album is fucking jammed to brim with hits.
A rock classic.
Hair metal's not really my thing, but what a classic guitar record.
Fairly archetypical rock for the time, still holds up today
Great Band ! Like this music very much
Þetta var góð skemmtun. Eiginlega stórskrýtið að maður hafi aldrei hlustað almennilega á þetta skemmtilega rokk.
The best of this album IMO: - Runnin' with the Devil - I'm the One - Jamie's Cryin' - Little Dreamer - On Fire Talk about a fun album to listen to. I love the voices, the harmonies, the energy. 3.8/5
There aren't many bands who have ever announced their presence on a debut album the way Van Halen does on side A of this one.
Classic. How could anyone not like this?
I can recognize the quality of music, but it’s not really my jam. I wouldn’t be against having it on, but it’s not something I’d seek out actively
Not a single bad song on the record. I don't think I can give this a 5 yet, but I was really digging the sound here. Much better than my initial dive into Van Halen (1984).
Awesome sound and groove with iconic players.
This is so much more interesting than other popular rock bands from the time like Deep Purple or Black Sabbath, but sometimes enters the boring parts of a KISS album when the whole band is screaming in unison but without the glamour. Eddie Van Helens guitar is legendary for a reason though. It's crazy. A concrete 4. Pretty strong. "I'm The One" and "Ice Cream Man" slaps hard
8/10
A lot richer (musically) than they are often derided as being. Rock on brother
Love the Second song - guitar solo that just trips you out
- Great start. Running with the devil is iconic. - Amazing they could follow it up with a guitar solo for track 2 - You really got me sounds a bit pop - Ain't talking 'bout love is good. - Atomic punk reminds me of Rage Against The Machine - Really like the vibe of Little dreamer
This was *quite* good.
Jump!
Simply fantastic. No wonder no one wanted to rival them. (8/10) FT: I'm the One, Ice Cream Man, Eruption
Really a good debut album for the band. The songs are good but there is no flow for the album as a whole.
Oh shit this is good!
Stone cold classic. Only giving 4 instead of 5 as I need time in between listens to give it a sonic punch each time. Greatest electric guitar guru, 2nd only to Hendrix (sorry Stevie Ray, but Eddie added so much to the guitar vocabulary).
I didn’t think I would like this having listened to 5150 and OU812 in the past, however I was really impressed with it. Bluesy in places with just the right amount of EVH on the guitar it was one that I listened to a few times before deciding that early VH material is kinder on my ears that the latter.
Classic. Over the top. Love it.
Great rock album top to bottom, so much feel good stuff
Good one
Wasn't overly impressed but gave it a second listen and a couple of songs like "Little Dreamer" bumped it up from 3 to 4 stars.
Classic album. I can't say I enjoyed every single song, overall it was a great listen. The guitar riffs in my opinion really make this album great, they blew me away. Especially the guitar solo on Eruption.... that was insane in the best way. 4/5 stars.
Puro hard rock.
\m/
A bit too fiddly for a day to day listen but undeniable classics.
Lots of fun
I’m way past the point in my life where I’m all of a sudden going to get into Van Halen. I also feel like I’ve heard their songs so much just by being alive that I can’t really form an objective opinion on them. Of course Eddie Van Halen is an incredible guitar player. Of course David Lee Roth is ridiculous. Of course these songs are a lot of fun.
I never really liked Van Halen, I never saw them live and I never bought any of their records... except this one. Which is terrific. I soon tired of Eddie Van Halen's "new" fingering technique that earned him guitar god status, but I have never tired of the fine songs on this record. This is a secret I have kept from all of my friends for over 40 years, but there it is. Jamie's Cryin, Running With the Devil, Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love and Little Dreamer are all first class melodies. The guitar playing does sound dated in 2021, and David Lee Roth has always been a first class assaholic, but the songs still stand up.
Not his best album but still great
oh baby, that makes me feel old
I really wanted to give this album 5 stars; it's that good. However, it's just a tiny-bit too campy to get a full 5 stars. The guitar riffs are amazing, and Eruption is my favorite guitar solo of all time. This is a solid debut album. 4.5/5.
Very few albums mix clear virtuosic playing and fun silly jams as well as Van Halen does on their debut.
Loved it. Ends very abrupltly though.
Solid, energetic album. Pure rock sound and lots of fun.
Eerste album van Van Halen. Klassieke rock met een aantal zeer sterke hits
Great album. spectacular guitar work
Classic rock but cooler Damn I love that fingering technique So does my girlfriend
Fantastic rock. Some really great riffs and outstanding guitar from Eddie.
While I am not the biggest classic rock n' roll guy there is no denying the absolute powerhouse that this album is. Still widely considered one of the greatest rock debut albums ever, and well, for good reason. There is a reason why half the album gets played on classic rock radio. The guitar tones and techniques have inspired and continue to inspire generations after. And when it comes down to it, the pure energy of the songs coupled with the talent on display make for nothing short of a classic you gotta respect. Might not be what I ever search out to listen to, but there is no denying its impact and the pure enjoyment most of these songs bring.
Classic. This record was so great to me as a teenager. Nobody played guitar like Eddie Van Halen. It holds up pretty well, I haven’t listened in a while, but I still love it, even though I hardly listen to VH anymore.
AMAZING cover art, i need that energy in the music. its their debut and its 35 min long, sweet. yup i'm going to like this. okay im not crazy about his voice but it could work. well its done, a bit of an abrupt ending?? i did like it though overall. lyrics are very basic stuff but its okay, only song i didnt care about is ice cream man.
pretty nice! i like
Nice.
Classic hard rock sound
Among revolutionary rock albums, Van Halen's debut often gets short shrift. But make no mistake, Van Halen is as monumental, as seismic as those records, but part of the reason it's never given the same due is that there's no pretension, nothing self-conscious about it. In the best sense, it is an artless record, in the sense that it doesn't seem contrived, but it's also a great work of art because it's an effortless, guileless expression of what the band is all about, and what it would continue to be over the years.
They could just retitle the album The Best of Van Halen
Most enjoyable
While the band had yet to peak, their debut perfectly captures everything Val Halen are about. It’s not contrived or pretentious it’s just a lot of fun. Van Halen really sounded unlike anything that came before it, and while it might be a bit more hit and miss than say 1984 is still an incredible rock album. Runnin with the Devil and Ain’t talkin bout Love are as good as anything the band produced and there probably wasnt an aspiring young guitarist alive that wouldn’t have sold their soul to be able to play Eruption.
Mejor de lo esperado - me quedo con las partes instrumentales y con Eruption
Great album and fun listen
Awesome. 4.3 R. I. P. EVH - 2020
their best album and one of my favorite hard rock albums of all time.
Face melters and screaming spandex. BT: Running With The Devil, Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Jamie's Cryin'
4+. Not my style but about as good of a hard rock album as I can imagine
I'm not sure I liked it as much as some other 4s, but as far as hard rock goes it was great. Would definitely relisten in certain contexts
Pretty enjoyable, with a couple of songs with some good nostalgia. And of course I can't be too critical of my namesake
Very nice memories
Just good rock.
Short and sweet. Good vocal harmonies, interesting style change ups and of course that Van Halen Guitar
If you take away Eddie, the songs quickly become average. But as it is, it’s still one of the great rock albums.
great rock tunes. Val Halen crushed this record
amazing album. one of the best guitarist of all time
good album. all songs rocked
Bängeri Jag vet inte egentligen varför alla bara lyssnar på Panama eller Jump, här fanns så många rockbängerin som jag aldrig har hört
Great guitar solos and a bundle of classics 4.2
His voice is annoying as fuck and the guitar can be a bit masturbatory but you can’t deny this was a huge album. Full of hits and influence.
Classic. Probably the best Van Halen record.
I don't usually go for this sort of thing but I think it works really well. It's fun rock n roll. And Eddie Van Halen's guitar playing is ridiculous. Ice Cream Man is dumb though. I listened to it a bunch of times and it ended up growing on me. I kept wanting to hear it again. Surprised even myself.
Started really strong and ended just fine. 3 heavy hitters at the beginning were a slight shock as I didn't expect they were from Van Halen's debut album.
Révolutionnaire en terme de son à son époque.
I enjoyed the album. Not too long and all the songs had really happy undertones... changed my perception of Van Halen
One of the best hard rock a-side openings? Excellent music for cleaning and not too long either
Didn't realize this was a debut album. Iconic 80s rock album.
Still a banger
This is just a solid fucking rock album. So much energy, lots of raw power in the songs. 4/5
Ein sehr bekannter Name und hält was er verspricht. Coole Riffs und gute Melodien! Werde ich noch einmal hören und ich bin gespannt, was die anderen Platten hergeben. Gleichzeitig hat mich schon lange kein Album so enttäuscht. „Eruption“ schürt so große Erwartungen. „Ain‘t Talkin 'Bout Love“ macht in der ersten halben Minute richtig Stimmung, nur um im Rest des Liedes nicht weiter drauf einzugehen und es lediglich mit daran erinnernden Schnipseln vor den Ohren baumeln zu lassen. In dann diese ewigen Strophen, die mit Gesang dominiert werden. Wer will denn das hören? Ein deutliches Gefühl von ungenutztem Potential. Ich hoffe in späteren Alben ist Van Halen etwas dominanter im Auftritt. Die Reaktion der Fans hat ihn doch sicherlich darin bestätigt. Dabei ist der Rest der Band keinesfalls schlecht. Bisschen mehr Altruismus, bitte.
Decent, little disappointing though because if it wasn't for the guitar play, this would be a 3 star album
I was expecting to this be super cheesy, but it's incredibly catchy.
Fun, lots of energy
Great album filled with hard-hitting rock songs with some classics thrown in, this album is also not too short so you should give it a listen one day
The length should have tipped me off, but I was expecting more filler. It's a solid rock album, with hooks on both sides that have survived decades. The whole band seems to be moving toward the same goal, which makes it a bit hard to understand why Van Halen was so important for guitars. Guitar music, sure, but no playing strikes me as superlative.
Absolutely classic, just not the biggest Van Halen fan. The bass is too simple and David Lee Roth is too screechy of a singer for me.
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
🇳🇱
van halen
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.
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.
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
Nice hard rock and roll.
Great guitar skills but the music is quite slow and boring. 3/5
‘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
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.
Actually pretty fun. Honestly I thought I was too good for Van Halen. Guess not.
Kevin: eh Jamie: liked the first half more, childhood memories of Jamie's Cryin soured me on that one
xxx
Okayyy,
Has this aged well? No - probably not. But without it, we wouldn't have so much...
De sange jeg kendte var gode, resten var ok. Kan godt høre igen I ny og næ
Pretty cool
The album has a whole is pretty good, but just not it. And that is very much personal taste.
High energy, a bit arrogant, but overall a nice listen. Solo count: 20+?
It's a fun album, but I didn't love any song in particular
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
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
Pretty good hair metal. 7/10
Eh
I mean it’s good rock, it just didn’t stand out to me from all the other good rock.
This was fun.
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.
Good album.
enjoyable enough!
Didn't like it much. The 1 famous song was nice.
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.
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.
Cool pero para un poco con el grito
Guitar solos were overkill sometimes.
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
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
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.
Rock.
For something that is not really my thing it's better than I thought
ok
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.
this aged well
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.
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.
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.
Indifferent but cannot deny it
Yes, you’re very, very good at playing the guitar. We’re all very impressed.
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.
first time really hearing Van Halen,beyond my expectation but not really amazing yet breathtaking overall 7/10
less hits than 1984 but still a fun cohesive album, saved 1/11
prima rock
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This rocked! Just a fun party album. Its a shame these guys couldnt just get along because it sounds like when they were it was a good time.
I expected something more
Bowling alley music. I always forget that Van Halen is good. I think it's because I find David Lee Roth so off-putting. He's got the pipes. He also sounds like he's got some kind of vd. But the Van Halen brothers? Yeah, they rock. The album has lots of technical skill and musicianship but no substance. Which is fine, if you like that sort of thing. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't. Today, I don't.
Just the right side of 80s kitsch for me
I quietly love Van Halen, mostly for nostalgia reasons. An older kid we used to hang out with would drive us around blaring Van Halen, and its charms are irresistible in that setting. Listening today, I felt like that kid again for a moment, and I loved it. I may prefer the Sammy Hagar over-earnest era to the David Lee Roth everything's-a-joke era, but Eddie's guitar and Alex's perfect-for-the-genre drums are the draw here. Eddie's solos never reach that "expressing something from deep within" like I hear from Hendrix, Prince, and Eddie Hazel, but they are face-meltingly fun. Van Halen albums ranked worst to best: 11. Van Halen 3 10. Diver Down 9. Fair Warning 8. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge 7. Women and Children First 6. Van Halen 2 5. Balance (this album isn't that great, but it meant a lot to me in 1995; I contain multitudes, apparently) 4. OU812 3. Van Halen 2. 1984 1. 5150
Listened
I'm surprised by the covers.
Big hard rock riffs, great tone, a handful of classic songs. The wonderfully masturbatory guitar solo Eruption. Surprised that this was late 70s, it sounds like a very 80s rock song…so the influence on the future sound is clear. It’s energetic and fun without falling into the cliched aspects and overly-sexed macho personas that came to dominate the genre. This project has led me to respect Van Halen more than I once did, and they stand apart from a lot of bands in the same sphere. It’s still not something I’m going to seek out with any regularly, but I also wouldn’t avoid it as I once may have.
I liked a few of their songs, very popular
Good rock album. I’ve heard better overall in this genre, but the guitar playing is exceptional and Dave Lee Roth is a powerful vocalist.
Nothing special, but a good average rock album that I enjoyed that I would not rush to listen to again.
Rock. Liked some songs
2.75
Had a bit of a hard time getting into this album since I don't listen to a lot of 70s mainstream rock. Just alright, 5.5/10
Listening session: june 22th/23th, while getting ready for dinner in Sicily and while flying back Listened to before: heard two songs before Thoughts: so it turns out I find earlier Van Halen more enjoyable than an 80s album I’ve gotten on here. Still not something I would often put on myself though Favourite tracks: You Really Got Me, Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love & I’m the One
He was an amazing guitarist. I love his playing. Didn't think much of the songs the band wrote and played. On this album, I loved You Really Got Me and Ice Cream Man. He covered those brilliantly. Their original tunes, not so much.
So I think my review of 1984 is gonna be apt here too. This is definitely 80s butt rock and I just can't pretend like I don't enjoy it some. I feel like I would have lost my mind in a big ass arena shouting "RUNNAN WITH THE DEVOOOOOLLLLL!!!". I would have had my tongue out, head shaking and banging all night if Eddie started soloing live like on Eruption. Would have jumped up and swung from the rafters if an entire stadium of people started singing I'm the One's "shooooowww youuur love". Here, sitting at work and born too late for live Van Halen, and also 30, it's alright. I definitely get the appeal, just mindless entertainment in the form of a big wall of butt rock sound, which is perfectly fine now and then. We all need and deserve more substance than this throughout our entire lives, but I still stand by art not needing to be anything specific and it being okay for stuff to occupy a space regardless of what it is, really. This occupies the big, dumb, and blunt space, and it's no less valid a form of expression for it.
Ni slabo
And with this album 80s hair metal is born and the shockwaves continue to be gyrated and the Aqua Net keeps spraying.
Guitar work is mental but the entire album is what I imagine goes through the old guy at the bar that claims he's slept with a 1000 women. "Hey baby I live life on the edge now sleep with me oh yeah honey" I like that they took so much joy in making their guitars sound like cars.
I have had 1984 already and I thought it was awful. Van Halen are a band that is made up noticeably talented musicians playing music I don't really like at all. This was nowhere near as bad as 1984 though, but not my thing. The standout song was the cover song. 3 stars
geht so, dad rock/supernatural vibes
Quite inconsistent but the attitude and playing takes it a long way and the good songs are very good.
--Runnin' with the Devil...outside the cool bass opening, I always found this a little boring --Eruption...Eddie's a great player. maybe too good --You Really Got Me...fun cover --Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love...feels like filler. at least there's a sitar --I'm the One...an earlier version of "Hot for Teacher". Eddie's cooking here --Jamie's Cryin'...I guess this qualifies as a Van Halen ballad. never liked it, still don't --Atomic Punk...something odd about the recording of this. DLR sounds like he's standing too far away from the mic. some nice bass work --Feel Your Love Tonight...sexual assault and then some kiss-and-tell! Oh, Dave, you rogue. chord progressions/tempos that would eventually become "Panama" --Little Dreamer...not a great song but the band sounds good --Ice Cream Man...DLR on the acoustic. it's good! --On Fire...apt title
Fine! Didn't hate it as much as I thought i was going to. I feel like I could Charleston to ice cream man... bonus points for that. 6/10
Explosive first track, following up with an instrumental shred is a bold choice. Doesn’t come back strong with a cover of a popular song. Album runs out of steam almost immediately, feel you love tonight brings the momentum back but not in par with runnin’
179. not bad
This project is testing me this week giving me Aerosmith on Tuesday and immediately following it with Van Halen the next. Although maybe that was a blessing in that I could feel and appreciate more readily the differences. Both bands and albums are similar - horned up dudes lusting after ladies over IMO semi-lazy rock music. But Van Halen is something more FUN in their approach to it. And for this reason, 3/5.
why did they do a doo-whop thing in the middle of all that
I mean it's fine. Not my kind of music
Bom álbum de estreia! Muitos riffs interessantes e inovadores
you know, these guys arent for me. but this album is much better than i thought it would be and the singles hold up against the rest of the album. its cohesive and silly, its brash and fast. its actually a solid album. again, not for me, but they have a hones first album. im surprised. tickle me pink. van halen, who fucking knew.
Some familiar sounds in there. Surprised how easy it was to listen.
Not Van Halen’s best, but as Chris said ‘much more musical than I expected’. That track with the guitar solo is fantastic.
Only know A few by Van Halen released around the same time as “Jump”. I thought the vocal was similar to Bruce Dickinson in places which wasn’t a bad thing. Always a fan of talented guitarists. I was pleased to hear the source of Apollo 440s “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Dub”, so I had to play that immediately after too
this was a vibe, not my fav but nothing bad!
Listened to this walking through town in a heatwave and enjoyed it, but don’t need to revisit.
Quite fun.
Enjoyed it. It’s a bit shit but in a good way
El protagonismo de Eddie es de llamar la atención, pero aún así se soporta bastante bien, la primera parte al menos. Creo que haber recorrido la adolescencia en los 80 me permite soportar este género con cierta facilidad.
Yeah, it’s ok.
So classic. Love how punchy it is.
A high 3. I have always loved Runnin with the Devil and DLR’s voice raises Van Haven to a level above similar bands for me.
This album obviously has an pretty impressive collection of hits. I just don’t love any of them. Van Halen has never really clicked with me and I think there are a few reasons why. I fucking hate those weird screams David Lee Roth does and he does them multiple times every fucking song. He sounds like a horse that’s stepped on a nail. And I’m sorry but I think Eddie Van Halen is perhaps the most overrated guitarist in rock. He always sounds to me like he’s more worried about sounding cool than he is in making melodious music. More notes played quickly just doesn’t do it for me. He sounds like he probably had a huge boner every time he played. Sorry Sam.
GENRE: Hard Rock FAVs: I'm the One, Atomic Punk, Feel Your Love Tonight, On Fire FIRST LISTEN RATING: 7/10
Eddie shreds! Who else has a whole track consisting of just guitar solo?
3.5/5. As someone who grew up in a family that listened to a lot of rock radio, I was familiar with far more of this album than I was expecting to be. it’s honestly a fun time all around and at a tight 35 minutes it doesn’t overstay its welcome. It also obviously goes without saying that Eddie Van Halen is an insane guitarist and his flashy solos on here are good stuff, especially on Eruption. Sure it’s not a deep or life-changing album, but not everything needs to be. And Van Halen’s debut serves well as just a fun rock record.
Much better than I thought. Was expecting it to be cheesy
gitarre pur!
Gerader Rock für damals, mir etwas zu langweilig
Muutama hyvä biisi niiku aint talkin jout love ja runnin with the devil iha hyvä albumi
Didn’t stand out to me. 3/5
I dont really enjoy the album and the genre of music but the guitar in it was really good. 5/10.
pretty boring tbh
Enjoyed voice and sound
Not really my taste. But in the ABBA-verse, this shit rocks. Right? So they get 3 ABBA stars. I've heard worse, I've definitely heard better.
nicht meine musik, aber doch ganz nett
Fairly forgettable cock rock except for a foot stomping, toe tapping cover version of the Kinks 'You Really Got Me'.
I actually enjoyed this album a lot more than I thought I would, and I think it has something to do with the fact that Roth's vocals are less grating and more chesty than I imagined they would be, and the guitar grooves are positively dirty. I don't feel like myself when I listen to this, but I do enjoy the sort of glam-rock/punk person I become.
Glam metal before it was a thing. The guitarist is good. He knows he's good too. I don't like the singer.
The Wiki article says this album was based on their live show as a young band and that really shines through. I can imagine the energy of this tracklist played live. Every band member is ready to perform. And no one needs me to say that Eddie can play a mean fiddle. The important question after listening: who screams better, David Lee or Frankenstrat? (For all their youthful instrumental genius, their covers are my favorite tracks.)
if I was a white dude in the 70s and 80s, this would be my addiction; also another instance of an album cover that matches very well the sound; Little Dreamer is a sneak banger
decent rock album
I did go through a phase once when I was probably 22 where I’ve listened to this album for about a month. Still love the guitar tone, but would be probably fine to never hear most of it ever again.
As much as I love classic rock, I have to say I never really understood the hype around Van Halen. They are good, the guitar riff on You Got Me Now was excellent, but everything else on the album is just kind of...generic. They are good, just not a group I would get excited over.
cool album: - great guitar - i don't like the vocals - ice cream man is a weird song to put here
I can't help but be disappointed by this. I don't know what all the fuss is about. Considering this is supposed to be a rocking album, it sure does sound weak in the delivery. Compare this to someone like Led Zeppelin and it's night and day. There is weirdly VERY little oomph in this. There's some good guitar playing, obvs, but I'd much rather have less virtuosity and more cohesion.
Well, that’s not awful for a debut I guess, even though I’m absolutely not a fan of the genre overall. So yeah, I got a bit bored in the middle of 35-minute long album and made a pause to listen to the original version of You Really Got Me, the only song I liked so far. And well, I definitely liked The Kinks’ version better. Maybe if there were versions of Runnin’ with the Devil, Jamie’s Crying and Little Dreamer without all that excessively Van Halen stuff that basically makes them, you know, them, I could even see myself enjoying them. Like, I won’t say it’s bad or anything. But for me it’s kind of mid lyrics and mid music which are poorly disguised with skillful guitar riffs and solos and youthful energy.
Heavy rock but quite accessible
Going through all these debut albums retrospectively is a bit fun, seeing which bands basically recorded their live set - a lot of them, to be fair - instead of the rare gems where an act was a studio creation first. This is more or less a really well-made studio demo, but Eddie’s playing is so front and centre and singular, it feels like a matter of time before he found an audience and this just so happened to be the form it took. Anyhow, fun set, DLR overstays his welcome by side 2, not entirely sure it’s a must hear.
Classic rock, recognizable songs, great guitar, but kind of just ok overall.
I don't love this style of music, but this is about as good as it's going to get, so 3 stars!
I like more then i thought i would. Catchy, feels like a bit of ”Grease” vibe. I like the instruments. Honestly thought this would give me headache but it didnt and instead i liked it. Would probably give this album like 3,5/5. Not anything life changing but I liked it.
Like it 3/5
I don't feel...wait, that isn't on this one
Meh. The hits are fine but I'm just not a fan of this kind of guitar-heavy, high pitched rock. 3/5
I find myself with a lot less tolerance for hair metal these days but there’s no denying that this album does have some of their best on it. You can definitely hear a lot of the progression from early to late 70s sensibilities when you compare this to the Queen album earlier in the list. This is another genre that has to feel completely different played live and you can’t recreate that energy. I wish they had been more adventurous with the drums. Also these lyrics are dogshit lmao
Pretty good. Eddie's guitar playing is legendary but the songwriting is not the best. Very sleezy at times. Highlights are Running With the Devil, Eruption, You Really Got Me, Ain't Talkin' About Love, and Atomic Punk.
so 80s that it hurts. Except from the 70s. I was prepared to give this a low grade, but it's merely mediocre.
Great guitar ofc Some classics on there
Though I appreciate the guitar work, I just wasn't feeling it.
I understand that this was a trailblazing album that brought metal from the 70s to the 80s. I het that Eddie’s guitar playing is considered game-changing (and all of them are great at their respective instruments). I just wouldn’t put it on it’s so bland compared to today’s music
The fact this album came out in ‘78 compelled me to give it 3 stars but not my scene
Not really much to say. It's van halen
Dumb fun music. Van Halen plays so much boomer music disguised as music that Gen-X would love to consume. It's like that trend of you tube music artists doing covers of songs in a different genre style. Like Feel Your Love Tonight sounds like someone doing a hair metal take on the Beach Boys. Runnin With the Devil is too fun to ignore tho. Belongs on this list, I don't hate it, but I can't give it more than a 3.
Looking back at my previous assessments, I think Van Halen is to ACDC as Hendrix is to Led Zeppelin. Where Zeppelin and ACDC sound solid and put together (although on very different levels of quality), Van Halen and Hendrix are straining and vital. In the case of VH, we might even say ramshackle and expulsive. Where Hendrix somehow marshalled everyone to his vision, EVH doesn't have anywhere near this control. The difference, probably, between the composer and virtuoso who writes for himself. The connection between Eddie's virtuosic throttling and Diamond Dave posturing is a tenuous one. Even his connection with his brother at the back feels like the strangled cord between space capsule and hyperventilating, hallucinating space man. Where ACDC and Zeppelin look back to ancient civilisations, their Romans and Vikings, Hendrix and Van Halen look to the future. Whatever an Atomic Punk is. No wonder Marty McFly uses Eruption as a death ray in Back to the Future. It is the most alien thing on the record. And the most curious and alien thing about it is its placement on the record. Track 2. Not track 1, opening the record and introducing the titular Van Halen as the main attraction. But neither does it come in the third quarter of the record, where such an individual display would come in a live show - and I have no doubt that Van Halen was recorded, with its oddly spacious mix, to represent an arena show long before the band was playing arenas. To be honest, I have no explanation for why Eruption is the second track on the record. I can admit that it's not pleasant to listen to. It's not really a coherent musical statement or study. It's not as good as Running with the Devil, which I enjoy immensely. But it is, I guess, the key to the album. If you get Eruption for what it is, you will understand what Eddie is doing over the rest of the record. I don't understand a lot of the time, but I enjoy the challenge a lot more than with many of their contemporaries. 3 Van Halen suck. That is why, like Wyld Stallyns, they need Eddie Van Halen. The constant interest of Eddie’s noodling away unpredictably in the left speaker is virtually everything positive that tracks like Atomic Punk and Little Dreamer have going for them. The extent to which the other musical material and the three other unremarkable musicians are simply a sturdy frame and mount for a portrait of Eddie is perfectly transparent on the first single off this album. Their cover of ‘You Really Got Me’ is an insipid account of The Kinks classic which somehow manages to feel much less like rock music than the original - bafflingly light and almost prissy compared with a recording from 1964. Just as well that curious little fly is buzzing in our left ear the whole time. All the same, it would nearly be a shame to hear Eddie Van Halen in a good band. Jimmy Page is often cited as part of EVH’s presumed pedigree. Well it’s a superficial comparison. Truthfully those two players were worlds apart. Page had a depth of expression that Eddie Van Halen doesn’t even pretend to approach. There is much more of the circus act about Eddie (there is also plenty of the clown about David Lee Roth). I enjoy the circus by the way - no great criticism here. Especially when the whole show is a very civilised 35 minutes. 2/5
Holiss. Bueno q puedo decir, otro álbum de rock de estos… la pucha madre. Estoy cansado de escuchar este tipo de música la posta, quiero descansar mi cabeza. La primera vez tuve q escuchar este álbum en dos partes, porq en el momento no me daba el coco para tanto y lo tuve q pausar y reanudar a las horas, asi q ns si tuve la experiencia correcta en la primera escucha, pero ta. Bueno aquí va la review: Empezamos con “Runnin wiht Da Devil”, buen comienzo cojones con toda la pawer. La intro se siente como entrar por un portal a una especie de infierno cool o ns, despues voy a hablar mas de la atmosfera q me trasmite el álbum. Despues entra ese bajo q en mi primera escucha me recordó a una onda Primus y dsp con el hi hat también y flashe q iba a sonar algo asi re loco, pero ta dsp empezó el tema posta y me acorde q estoy escuchando un álbum de van halen. Escuchandolo de vuelta saque de donde me sonaba ese bajo y suena igual al tema “bmbmbm” de black midi, q loco. Ahhhh me encanta eso primero q hace la guitarra antes de entrar y también hace más jueguitos así a lo largo del álbum, es de lo q mas me gustaa. Ns como se llama esa técnica ni se como describir el sonido, pero ta me encanta. Acabo de escribir un montón solo sobre los primero 20 segundos del tema wtf. Bueno despues sobre el tema como tal, me gusta bastante si. Me pasa parecido como con acdc. Ah y ya, mismo con el titulo, se empieza a sentir esa mistica medio diabolica (pero no mala, si no como q rebelde) q tiene, q despues se va a desarrollar mas y mas. Este, al igual q los dos álbumes anteriores, es rock de guitarra, perooo, a diferencia de los otros dos, por lo menos deja espacio para q el resto de instrumentos destaquen bastante. Tipo en los de zz top y acdc era descarado como la guitarra se robaba casi todo el protagonismo y dejaba a los demás marginados y condenados a tocar para rellenar. Aca se nota q la guitarra lucha por ser el centro de atención, pero los demás instrumentos no se quedan atrás. Bueno y el ejemplo mas grande de la guitarra queriendo lucirse esta en el segundo track, “Erection”. Ah si, es ese solo, si muy bueno Eddie tocas muy bien felicidades. Esa fue mi reacción al tema. La verdad q no me parece q venga mucho a cuento, me parece muy exagerado, it insist upon itself ahr. Ni siquiera como interludio, onda si me parece icónico y todo, pero hubiese quedado mejor si le buscaban la forma de ponerlo en un tema o aunq sea construir un tema a base del solo si es q tan bueno es. Qsy me parece la típica boludez q se aprende un adolescente yanki q vive en los suburbios en los 80s o 90s para impresionar a las minas, me parece eso, todo performance… capaz q tiene su merito porq las tecincas q se uso para tocarlo y todo fue una gran influencia en su época, pero el simple hecho de q tengan q hacer un track solo para un solo ns no me parece. No puedo creer q solo voy dos temas y ya escribi tanto lpm. Bueno volvemos a la normalidad con “You Really Got Me”, es un cover de un tema muy conocido, no puede fallar, y aparte me parece q la esencia del tema original conecta bastante con la de van halen, son como q muy parecidas, pero en distintas épocas. Suena muy bien y me encanta la parte en la q queda la batería y suenan como gemidos, idk i laik it, me recuerda mucho a led zeppelin, bueno bastante de este álbum me suena a influenciado por led zeppelin en momentos, normal. Bueno “Not Talkin Bout Luv” es uno de los temas conocidos y ta esta bueno, pero no es de mis favss. Just good job. “Im the One”, me gusta la intro, pero enseguida me empieza a atomizar, este tema es de esos q tiene una guitarra exageradísima y q cansa. Igual me gustan mucho los versos antes del coro cuando baja y eso. Ah y la sección esa de “babada shubi du wa” en la primera escucha me parecio medio cualquiera y me dio un poco d cringe, pero escuchándolo de vuelta y teniendo mas entendido e interiorizado el tono del álbum, me gusta mas y me parece divertido. “Jimmy Crying” ahr no se sabía ni ahí el nombre de los temas. Mmm está bien, no tengo mucho q destacar porq aca se repiten un poco. Me gusta el coro y el ultimo verso. Hacen temas muy divertidos no te voy a mentir. “Atomic Punk” oohhh yeaahhhh. Me encanta como suena esa guitarra de la intro, y junto al ride me hypea mucho. Bueno es un tema q no me parece muy loco dsp, ni instrumentalmente ni vocalmente, pero me gusta la letra bastanteee. Es como q con esta letra se sigue desarrollando esta vibe rara como de oscuridad, tinieblas y maldad, pero de forma cool. Los siguientes dos temas no los destaco mucho, aca el álbum se empieza a repetir y no trae nada interesante mepa. Despues “Ice Cream Man” es otro cover, es un giro inesperado esa primera mitad de blues acustico. Muchos podrán opinar q es algo q no tiene nada q ver con el resto del álbum y q caga el tono, pero a mi me gusta bastante. Es como ese momento del “babada shubi du wa”, parece algo q no tendría q quedar para nada, pero dentro de este mundo disparatado q crean los van halen, tiene algo de sentido dentro del sinsentido. Termina con “On Fire” y me parece un buen final. Siento q es la conclusión adecuada para este reinado del terror. Se empieza cantando sobre “correr con el diablo” y llevar una vida mucho mas acelerada y despreocupada q el resto, sin pensar en las consecuencias. Este se siente como el resultado de una vida asi, se grita “im on fire” de forma desesperada, y parece q es la transformación de un pendejo irresponsable a un viejo demacrado y q ya no tiene respeto por la vida en general, como la transformación de un simple mortal a un demonio, porque gran parte de la letra se siente como una especie de entidad oscura y atrevida hablandonos directamente, hasta como en tono de advertencia o amenaza. Ns q estoy escribiendo ya a este punto. Pero en resumen, este álbum, para mí, crea una especie de universo q no se termina de tomar en serio, pero por eso mismo funciona. Se siente como una típica peli de sc-fi o terror de los 80 q es rarísima y tiene efectos especiales q son horribles, pero q igual se le agarra cariño. Tiene un tono de humor medio absurdo y se siente paródico sin dejar de sonar bien. No es mi estilo de música para nada y hay momentos (sobre todo de la guitarra) q me parecen medio inbancables. Pero este álbum tiene más personalidad, consistencia y originalidad q todo lo q salió hasta ahora. Personalmente, no es algo q escucharía mas veces, capaz q si algún tema aislado en algún momento especifico. Pero si me parece q tiene su merito y que objetivamente esta muy bien. Siento q se merece su lugar en esta lista.
You really got me temon
A lot of guitar technique, sure, but here’s the thing - technique alone means nothing. People need songs. Ain’t Talkin’ ‘bout Love is the only track that really stands out. Ok, and to some extent Little Dreamer. Everything else is more “look what I can do with my guitar” than real songs.
Runnin' with the Devil — slow and dull start. The motif got boring quick and the vocals/lyrics were annoying for me. Cool guitar solo towards the end but it was way too short to give any lasting energy to the track. Eruption — should've been the opener. Showcases the best part of the band—the guitarist—and packs a lot of energy and excitement in a short song. You Really Got Me — the gravelly vocals annoyed me. Harmonies were okay but not enough to save the vocal performance. Guitar was cool but the song got too repetitive for me. Also, the lyrics have no soul: neither comedic or sentimental. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love — lyrics are more focused and the vocals are more bearable. The harmonies are a lot better here and the guitar kicks ass throughout. I'm the One — lyrics are still focused. Killer opening guitar riff. Surprisingly good scatman breakout towards the end. Jaimie's Cryin' — not a fan of the whiny chorus. Rest of the vocals are good. The slow section in the middle is also nice. Lyrics are focused and do try to tell a story. Not as good as the previous two songs, but not bad. Atomic Punk — nice change from the relationship focused lyrics of the previous songs. That riff is amazing, catchiest of the album so far. The vocals feel more powerful in this song throughout as well. Feel Your Love Tonight — not a fan of the harmonies in the chorus here. Returns to the old themes of the album and the lyrics feel hollow. Nothing particularly stands out about this song. Being after Atomic Punk only makes it seem disappointing in comparison. Little Dreamer — this is the best chorus so far; the slower approach to the chorus is nice and the harmonic droning notes are beautiful. The lyrics are better than most of the lyrics on this album, but they definitely wouldn't stand out on most albums. Ice Cream Man — annoying to start. Food innuendoes are a pandemic. Can live without this one. On Fire — good song, good energy. Nothing too special. Favourite song: Atomic Punk Worst song: Runnin' with the Devil Overall: not my type of album. Guitar was incredible throughout, but it won't be enough to make this something I listen to repeatedly. Not a bad album, just not one that left an impression on me.
Legendary hair rock album. Eddie’s riffage echoes through the rock canon and is heroic status is plain to see. The songs can be lacking in writing but not for personality and of course the rhythm section cannot be understated. Anthemic, heavy, and bouncy; “Runnin’ with the devil” is a fantastic opener and delivers in showing exactly who Van Halen are. Followed by Eruption, a phenomenal display of virtuosity without the peacocking tedium of like-musicians (I’m looking at YOU Satriani). Eruption is a phenomenal display of virtuosity without the peacocking tedium of like musicians (I’m looking at YOU Satriani). This song changed the face of guitar forever. An excellent cover of The Kinks’ “You really got me going” which holds its own salt, Van Halen’s bravado really shines on this rendition. The quintessential Van Halen track needs no introduction - “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” begins with possibly the most epic riff to grace the airwaves of the time (and possibly all-time) and continues with no letting up. “Jaimie’s Crying” is an understated mid-tempo rock romp with a moody undertone. The chorus is an infectious punky ear worm and the passion is heard in the wailing guitars. This song is a clear highlight of the album. The last leg of the album is not as good as the first leg, that being said it’s not bad in the sightest. The album is extremely solid Hair Rock and its legacy shows. It’s clear Atomic Punk is influenced by the NWBHM sound with some added classic punk’isms but doesn’t prove to be anything special except for a solid VH track. Feel your love tonight is another excellent poppy rocker with sweet backing vocals adding to its hookyness. Little dreamer is a decent hard rock ballad with a good atmosphere but lacks any stand out elements. Van Halen brings it back with the bluesy Ice Cream Man, dialing it down for the first minute, then transitioning to a 50’s rock and roll 70’s hard rock fusion that works to its own merit. A commendable effort although nothing brilliant. The album finishes strong with an epic swan song with “On Fire”, a fiery metal proto-thrash sound which sounds like a Metallica if they emerged from the 70’s. Overall this album reflects the prime of Van Halen and hard rock in this period, the Led Zeppelin of their time if you will. But unlike the Led Zeppelin of their time they remain a product of their time. It is one of the best debut albums in the Hair Rock space, and a cut above much of the genre. Rating: 3.75/5