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Van Halen - Van Halen Audio CD

A fair review of the Van Halen "Van Halen" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Van Halen reviews here, or go back to the Van Halen tabs.

Van Halen Band: Van Halen
Title: Van Halen
Rating:
Release Date: 1998-09-29
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Runnin' with the Devil 2: Eruption 3: You Really Got Me 4: Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love 5: I'm the One 6: Jamie's Cryin' 7: Atomic Punk 8: Feel Your Love Tonight 9: Little Dreamer 10: Ice Cream Man 11: On Fire

Great classic VH.
Not my fave VH album but a very good one indeed!
Love Dave era Halen - awesome!
The remastered version sounds great!.


First Van Halen and the best so far.
Van Halen's music focuses more upon good times and has a mostly positive message, rather than dwell on the dark side of life, like some metal bands do. Yes, their first record was probably their best, combining Hard Rock with Heavy Metal, and taking music in general, to places it had never gone before.


One of the Biggest Sounds of 1978
For those who were not around in '78, this album appeared with such popularity because of the lead guitarist's unusual riffs on some songs. Some great music was produced around this time, and this Los Angeles, California, band was absolutely one of them. However, the lead guitarist's talent did not eclipse the talent of his band members. The others were equally talented and equally made the sound very big.

At the time, it was an album whose sound was very big, heavy, and rebellious. It made many get up and dance.

Not all songs are originals.

I don't recall who worked the sound and produced the album, but they certainly deserve a lot of credit. It's real bright, solid, and well mixed. The production is very well done.

An interesting history about the band can be found at [. . . ].


Clearly, The First Is Sometimes The Best.
I mean, before Van Halen, noboby shredded like this. I once heard that even Frank Zappa was blown away by Eddie Van Halen's guitar magic. A few guitarist like Steve Hackett of Genesis used the two handed tapping technique, but this is the first time such extended techniques found their way into their proper place. . . Heavy Metal. Heavy Metal is always known for its flash: take Jimmy Page and proto metal star Jimi Hendrix for example. But this is the first time metal flashed brighter than lightning. This is the first time metal became a true party music, which is in direct contrast to the gloomy lumber of Black Sabbath, or the blues swing of Aerosmith. This music doesn't lumber or swing at all. It's lean, straightforward, party-metal.

There are really two showcases here. David Lee Roth was, and still is, the perfect embodiment of a pop metal front man. His flare and charisma gave the music character and it gave it a personality unlike anything at its time. His humourous, almost parodic showmanship would be copied by one hair-metal clone after another. None of them, however, had the credibility or feel of Roth. Maybe its because Dave wasn't just some pretty boy with a pretty face. His gruff vocals and labido gave him a more down and dirty persona that would put most "cleaner" hair metal singers to shame.

A lot of the same could be said of the groups other figurehead, Eddie Van Halen. His riffs, chords, and solos would be copied like crazy over the next decade by many faceless teenybopper metal-heads. More importantly is the fact that he completely rewrote the books on guitar playing. He totally redefined the role of the electric guitar in both rock and metal. Whether he's pick scraping the crap out of the strings on, "Atomic Punk", or pulling off harmonics like nothing on, "I'm On Fire", or launching a full assualt on the shredfest, "Eruption", he clearly is the instrument's master and he let's us know it too.

This is not hair-metal. Van Halen simply doesn't play it safe enough to be in the same boat as Bon Jovi. And let's face it; if Van Halen were safe, they wouldn't be any fun. No metal fan should be without this record. Actually, any rock fan period shouldn't be without this masterpiece. Van Halen would never sound this raw or amazing again. 1984, for example, was a great record in its own right yet it simply featured too many synths. And after David Lee Roth left, and Sammy Hagar jumped on board, the band lost its edge. This proved just how valuable Roth was to the group's sound. Anybody with any interest in the genre should do themselves a favor and purchase this album as soon as possible.


VAN HALEN ROCKS
pearl jam-ten , guns n roses-appetite and van halen 1. this is one of the best debuts of all time. best debuts ever. .


You can see a complete list of all Van Halen discography, or go back to the Van Halen tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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