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Post by kds on Oct 7, 2020 12:20:21 GMT
I could have sworn I started a Van Halen thread at some point, running down their catalog, but I guess I didn't. So, as yesterday sadly marked the end of the greatest hard rock band to ever emerge from the United States with the death of possibly the greatest rock star of my generation, Eddie Van Halen, I'll start now.
Van Halen (1978)
In 1978, a group of young men - a charismatic frontman named David Lee Roth, an everyman bassist Michael Anthony, ferocious drummer Alex Van Halen, and the guitar genius Eddie Van Halen - released a game changing album on an unsuspecting public. The original s/t Van Halen album is a rarity in that it kickstarts a long career with the band's most iconic album.
What can you really say that hasn't already been said? Every song is a classic. Eleven songs over 35 minutes. There's not a wasted note anywhere. This band took the guitar wizardry of bands like Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, and made it more accessible. The playing appeals to the headbangers. The hooks and melodies got the more pop leaning audience. It's perhaps the most perfect blend of heavy rock and pop sensibility that has ever existed.
Eruption completely changed guitar rock, kickstarting the shred movement. This album essentially started the 1980s two years early in terms of rock, leading to a countless assortment of bands. Over forty years later, it still sounds fresh, and is definitely one of those "every home must have one" albums.
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 7, 2020 13:22:50 GMT
Not only one of the greatest debut albums in rock and roll history, but one of the greatest albums in rock and roll history.
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Post by kds on Oct 7, 2020 13:50:02 GMT
And I can't think of any other legendary band who began their career with such an essential album. I saw them when they reunited with Roth in 2007. Nine songs from the debut cracked the setlist. Only Feel Your Love Tonight and On Fire didn't make it.
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 7, 2020 14:21:01 GMT
And I can't think of any other legendary band who began their career with such an essential album. I was thinking about that, and I have to admit, there are a handful of others whose first is arguably similarly essential: the Velvet Underground, the Doors, Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Led Zeppelin are in that ballpark. At the very least, each of those debuts was that of a band who already knew who they were, presented themselves well, and put out an album widely regarded as canonical.
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Post by kds on Oct 7, 2020 14:30:41 GMT
And I can't think of any other legendary band who began their career with such an essential album. I was thinking about that, and I have to admit, there are a handful of others whose first is arguably similarly essential: the Velvet Underground, the Doors, Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Led Zeppelin are in that ballpark. At the very least, each of those debuts was that of a band who already knew who they were, presented themselves well, and put out an album widely regarded as canonical. I'd definitely agree on The Doors. But, neither The Doors, Hendrix, or the VU had the staying power of Van Halen either. Led Zeppelin.......eh, I feel like they had better albums. I think that album was important in that it made a huge impact, but song for song, I don't think I'd list it as an essential album.
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 7, 2020 14:36:39 GMT
I personally agree on Zeppelin, but consensus does seem to be that I was fully formed as a classic.
The Doors and Hendrix didn't have staying power for a good reason! As for VU, they just obviously never approached popularity in any real way. But for the people who appreciate them, their debut is a classic, and it does tend to be considered that in "greatest albums" kinds of things.
Of all those bands--including Van Halen--probably NONE of the debuts are actually my favorites! Though VH is the closest, as I'd rate it my second-favorite from them.
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Post by kds on Oct 7, 2020 15:08:42 GMT
I never got the VU, but back to be best band in the "V" rack at the record store.
I'll be interested to hear the VH album you rank above S/T once we get that far.
I'm giving VH a 10.
I think I'm going to move through their catalog fairly quickly, in the style of the Petty thread, so if anyone else wants to chime in on any particular album, even if the discussion of that album has passed, feel free.
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 7, 2020 16:04:12 GMT
I'd go with a 10 as well. Actually, technically, I'd probably end up with something like a 9.8 or whatever, because I don't think it's PERFECT. But it's something that would round to 10... Great, great album.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Oct 7, 2020 16:22:40 GMT
I don't have much to add, but I do remember when Van Halen came out in 1978. This predates MTV by a few years, so there were no videos. But, I distinctly remember hearing "You Really Got Me", "Runnin' With The Devil", and even "Jamie's Crying" on the radio and thinking, "Wow, these guys are onto something". No, I didn't buy the album, but appreciated what VH were bringing to the table. It was definitely a shot in the arm, especially Eddie's guitar playing.
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Post by kds on Oct 7, 2020 16:30:51 GMT
Van Halen II (1979)
Van Halen II might not have the same iconic status as its predecessor, but it's really almost as good. It pretty much sticks to the formula of great guitar work, great hooks, and (I failed to mention earlier) great background vocals.
One quibble - the opener. Granted, it's a good cover of You're No Good, but it doesn't exactly blow the doors open like most VH openers. Perhaps Somebody Get Me a Doctor or the criminally overlooked Light Up the Sky (which was the opener on the final VH tour) would've been better openers.
Dance the Night Away is a pop rock classic. Bottoms Up, Somebody Get Me a Doctor, and Women in Love are classic party rock. The closer, Beautiful Girls, features one of Eddie's best ever riffs.
I'll go nine for this sophomore album.
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Post by B.E. on Oct 7, 2020 18:14:46 GMT
I see their first six albums are right in that 30-35 minute sweet spot - OK, think I'll give 'em a go. Only heard the hits on classic rock radio, never listened to their albums.
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Post by kds on Oct 7, 2020 18:29:07 GMT
For the most part Van Halen were good at making people want more. Short albums (at least their first seven), as well as a relatively small catalog, and not too much in the way extra releases (more on that later).
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Post by B.E. on Oct 7, 2020 18:56:03 GMT
Wait a second, "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" didn't chart!? Mind. Blown.
Anyway, the debut sounded how I thought it would. After all, I'd heard nearly half of it hundreds of times on the radio. "Runnin' With The Devil" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" are my favorites. Both stone cold classics - 10s. Not quite the same level, but "Jamie's Cryin'" and "Feel Your Love Tonight" are up there. "You Really Got Me" is alright. Those were the familiar ones. "Little Dreamer" was the pleasant surprise. I don't think I've ever heard that one before. "Ice Cream Man" and "On Fire" are pretty cool (in their own way). "Eruption", like the Queen instrumentals, doesn't do much for me. Just not interested, regardless of how impressive it is. I also started to drift off during "I'm The One" and "Atomic Punk". Just too up-tempo/metal for my tastes, perhaps. That said, I really liked the vocal break in the former. That elevated it tremendously. One of my only criticisms is that despite being familiar with David Lee Roth's vocal style, and Van Halen's classic sound, I was a little put off by Roth's incessant high-pitched screams/squeals. I wasn't surprised by it, obviously, but I think listening to it over the course of an album as opposed to one song at a time on the radio, it got to be too much. I like it, he just went to it too frequently (IMO).
8/10 (but I understand completely why it's a 10 for Van Halen fans)
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Post by kds on Oct 7, 2020 19:00:03 GMT
Wait a second, "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" didn't chart!? Mind. Blown. Anyway, the debut sounded how I thought it would. After all, I'd heard nearly half of it hundreds of times on the radio. "Runnin' With The Devil" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" are my favorites. Both stone cold classics - 10s. Not quite the same level, but "Jamie's Cryin'" and "Feel Your Love Tonight" are up there. "You Really Got Me" is alright. Those were the familiar ones. "Little Dreamer" was the pleasant surprise. I don't think I've ever heard that one before. "Ice Cream Man" and "On Fire" are pretty cool (in their own way). "Eruption", like the Queen instrumentals, doesn't do much for me. Just not interested, regardless of how impressive it is. I also started to drift off during "I'm The One" and "Atomic Punk". Just too up-tempo/metal for my tastes, perhaps. That said, I really liked the vocal break in the former. That elevated it tremendously. One of my only criticisms is that despite being familiar with David Lee Roth's vocal style, and Van Halen's classic sound, I was a little put off by Roth's incessant high-pitched screams/squeals. I wasn't surprised by it, obviously, but I think listening to it over the course of an album as opposed to one song at a time on the radio, it got to be too much. I like it, he just went to it too frequently (IMO). 8/10 (but I understand completely why it's a 10 for Van Halen fans) I'll agree on Roth's screaming, especially when he's doing it over Eddie's playing. Although (I didn't mention it in my review), I'm the One and Atomic Punk might be my all time favorite Van Halen songs from the DLR era, maybe any era really.
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Post by kds on Oct 7, 2020 19:14:12 GMT
Woman and Children First (1980)
1980 is widely regarded by hard rock / heavy metal fans as a banner year with huge releases from AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, Motorhead, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Saxon, and of course Van Halen.
Woman and Children First has a little more variety than the first two albums, and is also the first VH album to feature keyboards, most notably on the album opener And the Cradle Will Rock.
That song is followed by another VH classic Everybody Wants Some. Fools and Loss of Control are pretty heavy songs, as it the fast paced Romeo Delight, which would be the opener of the majority of DLR era VH shows going forward.
The heaviness is balanced out a bit by the band's first showtune-esque number Could This Be Magic. As a fan of light and shade, I don't mind having this light song between Take Your Whiskey Home (a personal favorite) and the closer In a Simple Rhyme.
Another nine.
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