For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge – Van Halen

 

Producer: Andy Johns, Ted Templeman & Van Halen

Released: June 17, 1991

Rating: *** 1/2

Three years had passed since Van Halen released OU812, which is the longest the band had ever gone between albums. During that time, the musical landscape was rapidly changing. The major labels were issuing walking papers to all the party rock hair bands that Van Halen had strongly influenced and grunge was quickly becoming the choice of a new generation. With that change, the keyboards and synthesizers that had dominated OU812′s sound had become very “uncool” literally over night. The question was, could Van Halen remain relevant as the dark, groove heavy sound of grunge swept the upbeat, riff heavy sound of hair metal to the curb.

Oddly enough, this proved to be relatively easy for this veteran, party rock band. As they say, “What’s old becomes new again,” and Van Halen resolved their differences with Ted Templeman who, with legendary producer Andy Johns, returned the band to a more guitar focussed sound. I’m not sure if the two worked together on the album, or if one of them was brought in finish what the other had started. The album credits don’t exactly make it clear either. It gives the two equal credit for the production, but a closer look indicates that “tracks were recorded by Andy Johns” and the album was “mixed by Ted Templeman, Andy Johns & Michael Scott“. Who knows how the duties were handled. Often times, if a label feels a band has lost their way, they may enlist the help of a producer responsible for some of their previous, bigger hits. I’m not saying that is what happened here. All I am saying is I wouldn’t be surprised.

But is the album good? Yes and no. Like a lot of albums, the good songs are phenomenal and some of the lesser songs are a bit forgettable. The album starts out beautifully with power drill intro to Poundcake. Once the tune gets under way, it’s impossible not to notice how “fresh” the new sound was compared to the somewhat flat, one-dimensional sound heard on OU812. Poundcake is a classic Van Halen tune. A sexual romp with Eddie’s subtle brilliance found throughout the entire track. The song also serves as an introduction to another unfamiliar sound, not heard on any previous Van Halen albums; a bass track. Aside from some of the industry’s most recognizable background vocals, Michael Anthony had for years also been known as the band’s bass player. It wasn’t until this album that you can actually hear his contributions in that department and they sound awesome!

The album continues on in fine fashion with Judgement Day. One of the album’s lesser known tracks, this hard-driving tune further showcases some top-notch production. The song has killer background vocals not to mention some awesome fret work from Mr. Van Halen. The first disappointment on the album is Spanked. With an oddly funky bass line, this song never really gets going. Fortunately, the next track, Runaround, is perhaps the most infectious Van Halen tune of all time. This is probably Hagar’s most memorable vocal performance with the band. I mean, it’s impossible not to sing along with Sammy on this track. The spoken bit after the guitar solo is priceless.

The ethereal mood of Pleasure Dome never really catches fire and is almost too unusual to sink your teeth into. In ‘N’ Out is another one of the albums unsung gems. This laid-back number benefits greatly from the album’s stellar production. The background vocals on Man On A Mission absolutely elevate this rather average tune into the underrated category. I’ve just about given up on this tune when the pre-chorus crooning kicks in. Great stuff. The Dream Is Over is a safe tune that seems right at home with the rest of the tracks.

Closing out the album are two of the albums singles and an instrumental. Right Now is undoubtedly the album’s most recognizable tune. A somewhat serious, yet inspirational tune, I’ve never been as big a fan of this song as a lot of people are. The song was enormously popular and was accompanied by a somewhat memorable video. I love the piano track, but for some reason I find the song too “grandiose”. Considering how popular this song was, most people didn’t share my opinion. 316 is a quick little lullaby, aptly titled in honor of Wolfgang Van Halen’s (Eddie’s son) birth date. Top Of The World closes out the album in perfect fashion. This is brilliantly crafted, totally commercial “pop” single. A catchy guitar riff, sing songy lyrics and classic Van Halen background vocals courtesy of Michael Anthony make this one of the Hagar era’s most memorable tunes. It’s a reminder that Van Halen is at its best when not taking itself too seriously.

Many people have said that Fair Warning is the last real Van Halen album. Fair enough. Like it or not, the band made some great albums with Roth replacement, Sammy Hagar. There are as many fans of this line-up of the band as the original one featuring Diamond Dave. If Fair Warning was the last real Van Halen album of sorts, than this one is the last good Van Halen album.

0U812 – Van Halen

 

Producer: Donn Landee

Released: May 24, 1988

Rating: ** 1/2

I typically regard this as my least favorite Van Halen album of all time, but I should also mention that I do not own, and never will own, Van Halen III. I find that the album suffers (greatly) from its production. Whereas the change in production from 1984 to 5150 was a breath of fresh air, I think Landee took it a step too far on OU812. The sound is so “thin”, at times it seems one-dimensional.

If albums are like people, first impressions are very important. Many of the greatest albums of all time grab the listener’s attention with the first track and never look back. OU812 gets started with one of the album’s worst tunes. Somewhere, buried beneath the layers of synth and keyboards, you’ll find Eddie Van Halen‘s guitar tracks. Hardly what you’d expect to find or hear from one of  rock’s most celebrated guitarists of all time. Following the dismal opening track is a song, that up until very recently, I detested, When It’s Love.  This keyboard drenched ballad always bored me. For some reason, in recent months, the song has grown on me. Perhaps it’s the somewhat dramatic intro that makes me think of high school love.

A.F.U. (Naturally Wired) is a valiant effort to redeem on otherwise boring album. The song is one of the album’s highlights, but even at that it’s just okay. If you are a fan of Hagar (I am), than it’s impossible to resist his pitch to Mexico tourism, Cabo Wabo. While the track found here is pretty good, the one Sammy offers his fans live is phenomenal. Source Of Infection is another okay tune, but halfway through it the listener may start longing for a better version (Hot For Teacher for example). Feels S0 Good is undoubtedly the worst Van Halen song ever. Finish What Ya Started is another decent attempt to inject some life into OU812. It’s also a rare acoustic performance from Eddie.

OU812 is a rather sleazy album (lyrically) and Black And Blue is the crescendo of that theme. It’s a kick-ass track, possibly the album’s highlight. With its slow, stripper like grind, the music and lyrics are a perfect match. Closing out the album are Sucker In A 3 Piece (forgettable) and Apolitical Blues, possibly the album’s most honest track. A blues cover, this song sounds amazing and is the only time on the album where the production “works”.

This album was far from a failure and I am well aware that my opinion is not the popular one. The album bores me, what can I say. Most of the album sounds more like a demo, to me. I also find the album packaging a little interesting. Take the cover for example. I always thought that those heads are very strategically placed, relative to their pecking order within the band. And then there is the alphabetical track listing (as opposed to the order in which they are heard) on the back cover of the album. Not since the reverse image of Aerosmith’s Done With Mirrors has album packaging been so confusing.

If you are a purist you should own this album. If you are just starting to build your Van Halen collection, don’t make it your first.

5150 – Van Halen

 

Producer: Van Halen, Mick Jones & Donn Landee

Released: March 24, 1986

Rating: *****

For the most part, growing up in the 80′s was a worry free experience. The Cold War offered some concerns about nuclear combat, but in retrospect it was simply a looming fear of war as opposed to the real thing. The 60′s and 70′s weren’t as fortunate and both decades are defined and remembered for the controversial Vietnam War. The 80′s were a fun time. Either you lived through the decade or someone has shared their experience. Most of us who grew up during the decade of decadence have very fond memories. Van Halen very much embodied the 80′s experience. Light hearted music that provided the soundtrack to some very fun times. Truth be told, the band had enjoyed multi-platinum success from the very beginning of their career. Their albums and tours were all very successful and they were one of the main influences for the Sunset Strip hair bands. The band’s album 1984 was the first to really break them into the mainstream. With the help of some memorable videos that received constant airplay on MTV, 1984 was truly a landmark album. This is probably why most fans of the band were stunned when lead singer/frontman “Diamond” David Lee Roth left the band (or was fired depending on who you believe) after the supporting tour for their hugely successful album. This was, without a doubt, the equivalent of The Beatles breaking up, for my generation. Our worries may have been less during the 80′s, but our love for music and the bands who were responsible for our favorite tunes was unrivaled.

I am a huge Roth fan, but from everything I have read (and I’ve read a lot) it sounds to me as if he made the decision to leave the band. I recently read and interview with Michael Anthony who said, “We were stunned and didn’t know what we were going to do.” Stunned is probably an exaggeration. It’s no secret that there was a ton of tension between Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth. Eddie has been extremely vocal in saying that Roth  has LSD (lead singer disease). Fair enough, Diamond Dave is quite obnoxious. I’ll give you that. But you can’t tell me that Eddie’s ego isn’t ginormous. At the end of the day, there are only 4 people who know what really happened. The rest of us were left wondering what happened and why.

Early rumours suggested that the band had planned to use a variety of singers on their forthcoming album. Interesting concept, but it raises some questions when you start thinking about touring. As the story goes, Eddie Van Halen and Sammy Hagar shared the same mechanic. It was the mechanic who suggested that Eddie take a look at Hagar. This has always been odd to me. Hagar was far from an unknown at that time. Regardless, Hagar met with the band and they clicked (very well). Sure, Hagar was no stranger to success on the charts or in the arenas, but was his style suited for Van Halen’s sound? Possibly, but the band’s sound was about to change as well.

Ted Templeman had produced every Van Halen album, but when Roth left the band, Templeman followed Diamond Dave and Van Halen went with Templeman’s Engineer, Donn Landee. Even if Roth had remained in the band, they probably could have benefited from a fresh perspective. So how did all the changes play out? WONDERFULLY!

In classic rock n’ roll style Hagar announces his arrival with, “Hellloooo Bayyyybehh!” to kick off one of rock n’ roll’s greatest come-back albums. Following Hagar’s big announcement is some of Eddie’s best work. Good Enough is an amazing song. Like a chef who carefully places ingredients into his favorite recipes, Eddie “dribbles” genius throughout this track. The first minute alone is sick. There are two other things that become abundantly clear before this song is over. The production is much “brighter” than the band’s previous efforts and drums were going to be much more prevalent. This is an amazing drum album.

Also evident was that the band had focussed on recording a great album, not just some great songs. On 1984 the band flirted with the ballad format with I’ll Wait which is a brilliant tune. On 5150, probably because of Hagar’s influence the band totally embraced the lighter side of rock. For many people who grew up when I did, Why Can’t This Be Love is a timeless track, but at the same time we’ll never forget the first time we heard it. A little heavier than Journey or REO Speedwagon, Why Can’t This Be Love speaks to the same aching teen-age emotions that those two bands made fortunes off of.

Undoubtedly, the albums heaviest track and also my favorite is Get It Up. Obviously the lyrics are inspired by Hagar’s family history of boxing. This song SMOKES! Eddie’s frenetic guitar work is perhaps another example of cocaine taking over, but check out Alex’s frantic-as-hell drum tracks. POSSIBLY, the best drum song ever. His fills are amazing! Completely underrated tune.

Dreams is possibly the most inspirational song ever, next to the theme song from Rocky. No other rock tune that I can think of is as poignant and beautiful as this one. Dreams is truly one of those songs that can pick me up when I am at my worst and make me feel as if everything is going to be okay. Since leaving Van Halen, Hagar has included this song in his set and his slowed down, acoustic version is AMAZING. If Dreams is the motivational track on the album, than Summer Nights is without a doubt the party anthem. With an opening line, “Ain’t no way I’m sittin’ home tonight! Well, I’ll be out until the mornin’ light,” there is no doubt that Sammy knew how to ingratiate himself to the Van Halen crowd.

Kicking off the second half of the album is another of my favorite tracks, Best Of Both Worlds. This is another amazing track that showcases some laid-back, yet amazing fretboard mastery courtesy of Eddie Van Halen. When Love Walks In picks up where Why Can’t This Be Love left off in a dramatic, Journey style fashion.

Oddly, two of the albums most unspoken tracks include the title track, 5150. This is a great tune that, quite honestly, sounds like a left-over from Diver Down and I am not complaining. I LOVE this song. At some point in the mid 80′s, Eddie did the score to a movie called The Wild Life. This song would have been right at home on that soundtrack. Closing out the album is a very dated, drug induced sounding song called Inside. In the context of the album, it works beautifully.

In 1986, no one could have imagined Van Halen without David Lee Roth. Those concerns were laid to rest 30 second into this album. I do feel that 5150 benefits (tremendously) from superb production. For years I have labeled myself a Van Halen fan as opposed to a Van Hagar fan. fact is, I listen to this album more than any other from the band. Does that mean it’s their best? In my opinion, yes.

1984 (MCMLXXXIV) – Van Halen

 

Producer: Ted Templeman

Released: January 9, 1984

Rating: *****

I have to believe that things were not well in the Van Halen camp while they were recording this, their last album with original lead singer David Lee Roth. It’s not uncommon for extreme tension within a band to produce exceptional music. This album is a perfect example. Ironically, the band chose to reinvent itself at perhaps the most tumultuous point in their career. Evidence of this change is abundantly clear the second the listener “presses play”. 1984 (the instrumental intro that opens the album) is a clear indicator that the band had “tweaked” their sound a bit. This minute long, ethereal, synth “wall of sound” is the perfect intro to the band’s only #1 single, Jump. Jump absolutely has suffered from over exposure since its release (like most hit songs do), but I never get tired of this synth drenched, 80′s classic. At this point, the world had embraced Eddie Van Halen as a guitar virtuoso, but he is also a classically trained pianist. While very catchy, the synth “riff” isn’t the most complex piece of music ever written, but the solo (guitar, then synth) is AMAZING. 

Following the infectious, commercial sound of Jump, is one of hard rock’s greatest riffs. Panama isn’t just a great song, it’s an accomplishment. In my opinion, this song is the perfect marriage of Roth’s swagger and Eddie’s virtuosity. It’s as if they are trading punches throughout the song, trying to outdo one another. The result is one of hard rock’s most memorable tunes ever. Top Jimmy is an upbeat, jazzy little tune that maintains the momentum of the album perfectly. Adding to an album already loaded with great riffs, is Drop Dead Legs. I’m often surprised that more fans of the band don’t list this tune as one of their favorites.

Completing the Van Halen “trifecta” is Hot For Teacher. Like the other two songs in the ”trifecta“, Hot For Teacher has a somewhat unconventional song structure. After a lengthy drum intro, Eddie unleashes a full-on fretboard assault. The song eventually “settles” into some bluesy guitar riffs coupled with some Roth-style ramblings. The frenetic pace of the song absolutely resembles the mountains of cocaine that the band was more than likely Hoovering up during the recording process. Adding to the songs popularity was a very memorable video that was quite popular on MTV.

The “slowest” song on the album is also one of my all time favorites from the band. With an extremely dramatic intro, I’ll Wait is a song like no other from the Roth era. It absolutely foreshadowed where the band was headed when Hagar joined the band. This is probably the most understated Roth performance you’ll find, at least with Van Halen. Once again, a slower, more subdued tune showcases some supreme guitar work from Eddie. Don’t believe me? Check out the solo.

Closing out the rather short album (8 songs unless you count the intro) are Girl Gone Bad and House Of Pain. Girl Gone Bad is a somewhat forgettable track, but it fits in perfectly with the rest of the album. House Of Pain, on the other hand, is an amazing, yet almost never talked about Van Halen tune. The tune is a tad spooky, but has a kick-ass riff.

By the time the band concluded the supporting tour for 1984, they had spent nearly 7 years recording and touring non-stop. Not only that, the albums and tours were all highly successful. In some ways, there was nowhere else for them to go. Right around the time the band was parting ways with original lead singer, David Lee Roth, a new “brand” of music was gaining popularity that they pretty much invented. Hair Metal was definitely Van Halen’s baby. 1984 was the first album the band would record in Eddie Van Halen’s home studio, 5150. Love him or hate him, Diamond Dave exited the band with a bang and recorded one of the band’s most memorable albums.

Diver Down – Van Halen

 

Producer: Ted Templeman

Released: April 14, 1982

Rating: *** 1/2

If purists regard Fair Warning as the last “real” Van Halen album, than this is probably the one they like the least. With Women and Children First and Fair Warning the band’s sound was a bit heavier than their first two releases. On Diver Down they returned to a poppier, more commercial sound. Hardly the worst thing the band could do. Fans of the band were certainly used to the occasional cover song. With Diver Down they got five cover songs. Five out of twelve songs were cover tunes. That is kind of difficult for fans aching to hear “new material” to swallow. Of the remaining seven songs, three are instrumentals. Oddly, I happen to like this album more than the previous two the band had released. Cover tunes or not, the album flows very well from start to finish and sounds like a Van Halen record should.

The album kicks off with a cover of the Kinks song, Where Have All The Good Times Gone. This was the second Kinks tune that the band covered. Hang ‘Em High is pretty much a standard issue Van Halen song. Nothing terribly groundbreaking, but fans of the band should enjoy it. The album’s first instrumental is the somewhat subdued Cathedral. Very cool track that demonstrates Eddie’s versatility. Secrets is another original track and one that I recently “discovered”. How this song went unnoticed (by me) for all these years is beyond me. It’s very ethereal and super cool. More laid back than some of your typical frenetic Van Halen tunes, it’s songs like this where I think Eddie shines the most.

The album’s second instrumental, Intruder, leads into the album’s second cover tune, (Oh) Pretty Woman. Intruder is somewhat forgettable and is more or less an intro to (Oh) Pretty Woman, which turned out to be one of the band’s more popular tunes. Dancing In The Street was another cover tune that became a hit for the band. I’ve always felt that this version of the song kicks ass. The overall production combined with Eddie’s signature style practically makes the listener forget that this is a cover tune. With a brief acoustic intro, Little Guitars displays some incredible fret work from Eddie. Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) is pure Roth. It’s this kind of light-hearted, sense of humor that Diamond Dave added to the band. They never would have done a tune like this with Hagar. The Full Bug is another familiar sounding tune that most fans should enjoy. The album closes out with Happy Trails, a cover of a song from a Roy Rogers radio and television show. Probably the most appropriate way to end an album like this.

As the story goes, the band was under a lot of pressure from Warner Brothers to release an album. The band was hot and the label saw no reason to slow down. With five cover tunes, it’d be easy to accuse the band of being creatively bankrupt. The fact is, they had been recording and releasing albums and touring for five years straight. In addition, this album was probably a good indicator of the internal tensions that had been building between Diamond Dave and Eddie. Regardless of what was going on with the band at the time, I actually love this album. I would’ve given it a higher rating, but couldn’t justify it with all the cover tunes. At the end of the day, this is a very fun album that every fan of the band should own.

Fair Warning – Van Halen

Producer: Ted Templeman

Released: April 29, 1981

Rating: ***

A lot of Van Halen purists, such as guitar related magazines and those who read them, regard this as the last “real” Van Halen album. It’s the last album of totally original material where keyboards don’t play a significant role. It was the fourth million plus seller the band had released in as many years. Clearly they were on a role. Like its predecessor, Fair Warning was a bit heavier than the band’s first two offerings. Like the band’s first few albums, this one was recorded rather quickly.

The album opens with fan favorite, Mean Streets, which is probably the darkest song (lyrically) of the Roth era. Lyrically, this is a departure from the typical Van Halen tune such as Dance The Night Away or Beautiful Girls. Musically, the song is classic, hard drivin’ Van Halen. “Dirty  Movies” is somewhat forgettable (and what’s with the quotation marks in the title?) and Sinner’s Swing ain’t much better. Don’t get me wrong, Eddie’s playing, for the most part, is always impressive. With an amazing intro, Hear About It Later is probably one of the albums “lazier” tracks. It kicks ass.

Without a doubt, Unchained is my all time favorite Van Halen tune from either the Roth or Hagar era. This song is amazing. With possibly the best riff ever written (reportedly, it’s also Eddie’s favorite riff) and SUPREME vocal work from Roth, in many ways this song epitomizes what the band is all about. Truthfully, it’s not that the vocals are that stunning, so much as the Roth swagger is that cool. Once again we have a Van Halen song where the lyrics make no sense, but who cares? After a somewhat understated and brief guitar solo, there is a break similar to the one found in Everybody Wants Some (yes, this is the second tune in the trifecta). Everybody Wants Some was cool, but Diamond Dave literally shines with this one.

Push Comes To Shove has an unusually dated (for Van Halen), disco type bass line that, honestly, ruins the song. So This Is Love is one of the album’s more upbeat tracks that fans of the first two albums should enjoy. Sunday Afternoon In The Park is an odd instrumental, but kind of foreshadowed where the band was headed. This segways into One Foot Out The Door which is probably the worst Roth era Van Halen song. The song sound so bizarre. Almost like the soundtrack to Tron or video games of the same era.

By this point the band had been running non-stop for four years. If they weren’t on a stage, they were in the studio. Just what every young rock star should be doing. Unfortunately, that pace lends itself to burn-out. It was around this time that Roth and Eddie started having problems. While this isn’t my favorite Van Halen album, things were just about to get interesting. Stay tuned.

Women and Children First – Van Halen

Producer: Ted Templeman

Released: March 26, 1980

Rating: ***

I’ve always contended that with David Lee Roth Van Halen made better songs, but with Sammy Hagar they made better albums. That might seem like an odd concept to grasp. A lot of that probably has to do with the fact that with Hagar they took a lot more time recording and releasing albums and with Roth they pretty much released an album every year. Van Halen’s first two releases definitely had a commercial edge to them, even if they were defining their own sound and genre. The songs on those albums were meant to be heard on the radio. Women and Children First is not nearly commercial sounding as either of those albums and the songs are quite a bit heavier. It was also the first album they released of totally original material, no cover tunes.

The album kicks off with a classic Van Halen tune, And The Cradle Will Rock… This is a laid-back tune with a somewhat lazy riff, but that’s okay because  Roth steals the show. If the opening track is “lazy”, than the second track, Everybody Wants Some, with its tribal drum intro and somewhat unconventional song structure definitely gets the heart pumping. Tribal rhythms aside, lyrically, this song makes NO sense. Don’t believe me? Here’s the second verse:

I took a mobile light, lookin’ for a moonbeam. Ow!
Yeah, ya stand in line ya got lost in a jet stream

As I said, NO sense. D0esn’t matter, the song kicks ass and is the first in a trifecta of Van Halen tunes with this particular style. If you can’t figure out the other two, stay tuned. Fools is a fairly forgettable track, but Romeo Delight is undoubtedly one of the band’s unspoken gems. Tora! Tora! is a very forgettable “instrumental”, but even worse is Loss of Control. Take Your Whiskey Home has proven to be a fan favorite over the years, but the albums real “treat” is Could This Be Magic. It’s a rare occasion when Eddie picks up the acoustic guitar, but even more rare is hearing him play slide! This song kicks ass in way no other Van Halen song does. Probably the best song on the album. Unfortunately, the album closes with In A Simple Rhyme, which is a completely forgettable tune.

 Van Halen reportedly recorded this album in less than a month. There are pluses and minuses to recording and releasing an album a year. Obviously the fans are happy with getting new material every 12 months, but sometimes that means they are getting lesser “product”. There are moments when this album kicks ass. Unfortunately, the album is somewhat inconsistent which prevents it from being great.

Van Halen II – Van Halen

Producer: Ted Templeman

Released: March 29, 1979

Rating: ***

Following the massive success of their debut album, there wasn’t much that Van Halen could have done wrong. Messing with the formula was probably the last thing they had in mind. Lucky for them (and fans) most of the tunes found on their sophomore effort were recorded while recording their debut album. Toss in a new song (or possibly two) and an appropriate cover tune and less than a year after the release of their self titled, debut album you have this album, Van Halen II. In choosing a title for the album it’s probably likely that they were following in Led Zeppelin’s footsteps (or they were equally as uncreative in choosing album titles).

I’ve always felt that the opening track, You’re No Good, was an odd choice to open the album with. Not only because it’s a cover of a Linda Ronstadt tune (okay, the original version belongs to Betty Everett, but Ronstadt charted a #1 hit with the tune in 1975), but because it’s a somewhat “dreary” song. That being said, the vocals of David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony help make this track a tad memorable. The album truly gets underway with the second tune (reportedly one of the only ones written specifically for this album), Dance The Night Away. If ever there was a “feel good” song, this is it. The opening riff literally makes me think of beaches, booze and bikinis. Like I said, “feel good”. Superior background vocals and the subtle genius of Eddie Van Halen make this one of the band’s greatest tunes.

The riff-rockin’ swagger of Somebody Get Me A Doctor is probably the most obvious left-over from the first album, but it’s also one of this album’s better tracks. Bottoms Up! is probably the album’s most underrated track, largely because of Michael Anthony’s background vocals. Unfortunately, the album begins to stall with Outta Love Again and Light Up The Sky. Spanish Fly is a cool, somewhat rare, acoustic offering from Eddie Van Halen. D.O.A. is another one of the album’s highlights. With a moody and somewhat dark overtone, D.O.A. foreshadowed where the band was headed with their next two albums.

The 30 second opening riff to Women In Love might be the most beautiful piece of music ever written, recorded and played on the guitar. These 30 seconds are pretty much Eddie’s calling card. This is why he is “King”. Closing the album is one of the band’s classic tracks, Beautiful Girls. Diamond Dave owns this song. Immediately following Eddie’s solo, Roth says, “Sit down right here,” and then Eddie tears into the main riff of the song. It’s perfect for the song, but it also foreshadows some things we’d be treated to with the next two Van Halen albums.

Overall, Van Halen II is a good album, but nowhere near as good as the band’s debut effort. It makes sense. Most of the tunes were left-overs from the first album. I’ve always felt that their debut album was the first night of the party: A Complete Blowout. Van Halen II wasn’t the hang-over, rather the more subdued, second day of the party.

Van Halen- Van Halen

Producer: Ted Templeman

Released: February 10, 1978

Rating: ****

1978 was a fairly bleak year for rock music. Two of the years hottest sellers were the soundtracks to Saturday Night Fever and Grease. Disco and retro were very much alive. The AOR format dominated radio airwaves with releases from The Cars (self titled, debut), Boston (Don’t Look Back), Journey (Infinity) and Cheap Trick (Heaven Tonight). KISS released their four Solo Albums which began that bands rapid decline and Aerosmith marked the beginning of their descent with a live album (Live Bootleg). Truth be told this is one of my favorite eras of music. I like all of these bands and albums. Unfortunately, true rock fans had little to choose from in 1978. Even if KISS and Aerosmith were at the top of their respective games, hard rock fans had no idea what was going to be unleashed on them in the form of this debut album from the original Sunset Strip party band, Van Halen.

Prior to the release of this album, hard rock had offered up plenty of guitar heroes worthy of worship. Axe slingers like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Ace Frehely, Joe Perry and Tony Iommi had inspired legions of fans and all had unique styles. Each of those players are very much worthy of all the praise they have garnered over the years, but I’m not sure any of them have influenced or inspired as many kids to pick up a guitar and “give it a shot” as Eddie Van Halen. A true pioneer, Eddie was not just a master at his craft, but he truly re-invented the guitar with a completely new style of playing.

Within the first few seconds of Runnin’ With The Devil it becomes clear that this is one slickly produced album. Little did they know it, but this album’s sound would influence a decade of bands and music that would follow. For all practical purposes, this album marks the beginning of hair metal. Runnin’ With The Devil is a classic Van Halen tune, but it is more a David Lee Roth song than a showcase for Eddie’s talents. It’s here that we are first introduced to the metal crooning of Diamond Dave, complete with his signature screams. That’s not to say that Eddie’s playing isn’t spectacular. For 1:43 following Runnin’ With The Devil, Eddie let’s it all hang out in a track called Eruption. I was only four years old when this album was released, but I have to imagine that teenagers across the nation had their collective minds blown the first time they heard this song. Eruption of course segways into one of the best covers tunes of all time, You Really Got Me. It’s almost as if Ray Davies (Kinks) wrote this tune specifically for Van Halen. Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love is another classic Van Halen tune with an incredible intro riff from Eddie. Closing out the first half of the album is the rapid fire attack of I’m The One.

In my opinion, the album’s best riff can be found on the extremely seductive Jamie’s Cryin’. This tune is tons of fun from start to finish. This may be the quintessential Van Halen track, complete with the Roth swagger and sense of humor, subtle yet kick-ass guitar work from Eddie and the industry’s best background vocals courtesy of Michael Anthony. The following track, Atomic Punk, isn’t one of my favorites, but it is followed by the album’s most underrated track, Feel Your Love. I’ve often read that Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles had a classic California “sound”. I get that and I do agree, but also feel that Van Halen represent another version of the California sound. Feel Your Love is a great example of that. Little Dreamer is okay, but once again Michael Anthony’s background vocals are amazing.

Over the course of the colorful Roth “years” , the band became known for injecting a little humor into their music. Up until then, hard rock was often too cool to think about cracking a smile. Roth & Co saw things differently. As far as they were concerned you could make heavy music that was also fun. Evidence of this can be found on their cover of the John Brim blues song, Ice Cream Man. You can almost feel Eddie and Dave competing for your attention in this song with their respective chops. I probably would have chosen to end the album with this track, rather than the somewhat obnoxious On Fire. Clearly I am nitpicking as this album is a slice of genius.

Van Halen’s career has rivaled some of the most storied soap operas. As they say, you couldn’t write this kind of drama. Lucky for fans, in addition to tabloid style headlines, they were treated to some incredible music over the years. This album was the band’s launching pad. To date it has sold over 10 million copies (Diamond status, how appropriate) in the U.S. alone making it one of the best-selling hard rock debuts of all time.