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Van Halen - Van Halen II Audio CD

A fair review of the Van Halen "Van Halen II" 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 II
Rating:
Release Date: 2000-09-19
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: You're No Good 2: Dance the Night Away 3: Somebody Get Me a Doctor 4: Bottoms Up! 5: Outta Love Again 6: Light Up the Sky 7: Spanish Fly 8: D.O.A. 9: Women in Love... 10: Beautiful Girls

VAN HALEN 2
this is a definite bonafide 5 star release. previous reviewer giving this 3 stars and saying VAN HALEN is boring is really beyond the pale.


van is out of style
None of those things come to mind and catch my attention when I hear Van Halen II, and instead I feel bored, VERY bored in fact. I really don't get the appeal of the supposed "classic" Van Halen late 70's/early 80's period- these albums are quite lackluster to me, as far as songwriting, pop hooks, guitar riffs and solos, and that influential guitar style goes. What's so great about this album? It starts off with a horrible cover of "It's No Good" with terrible vocals. I don't get the appeal of this version.

"Beautiful Girls" is a great song, along with the exciting "Light up the Sky", and "Dance the Night Away" USED to be a good song until classic rock radio beat it to death. Other than that, I'm not really that impressed with the music on this album, or Van Halen's supposed classic years for that matter. The band comes up WAY short for me. .


Perfect album
Just a perfect rock performance, which I originally bought as an LP back in the day when I was in seventh grade or something. I have been totally crazy for this killer record ever since it came out. I've never forgotten it and never gotten over it. I've got the remastered version now, and of course it makes Van Halen sound as fresh and vital as ever. It's loaded with energy just like the first album, and I personally don't consider any of it fluff or filler. Definitely some of Eddie's best solos, riffs and melodic progressions to be found. Of course this was originally sequenced for two sides of a record. Now that I can reorganize the tracks, I've developed my own favorite sequencing. I think it makes for better pacing, which is important, since this is one of only a few CD's I will listen to from start to finish in one sitting. Here's my sequence for what I consider to be the perfect 'set':

1) You're no good
2) Somebody get me a doctor
3) Dance the night away
4) Bottoms up
5) Outta love again
6) Spanish fly
7) D. O. A.
8) Light up the sky
9) Women in love
10) Beautiful girls

That's about 30 minutes of absolute hard rock bliss.

These days? Forget about it. Van Halen wasn't VH without David Lee Roth. He's back now, and that's great. But Van Halen isn't VH without Michael Anthony, either, and he's AWOL. Anthony has a distinctive voice which absolutely made the backing vocals. He also has a singular and highly accomplished style of bass playing. So it's a no-go now, as in no dollars for new CD's or shows, because it just ain't what it should be, or could be. .


Van Halen's sophomore effort proves the band was no one hit wonder 30 years on

The album was produced by Ted Templeman whom helmed the first six albums for the band and this album has all but one track written by guitarist Eddie Van Halen, his drummer brother Alex Van Halen, lead singer David Lee Roth and bass player Michael Anthony. In March of 1979 (thirty years ago this month), California based hard rockers Van Halen unleashed their sophomore effort simply titled Van Halen II. The band had momentum coming into their second album. They had a huge selling debut and opened for Journey on their Infinity tour and Black Sabbath on their last tour with Ozzy Osbourne before his firing in 1979 and upstaging them. Later in 1978, the band recorded its second album. Would it be as good as debut or would it stink, read on and find out (as I did when I first got on cassette tape in March, 1985).
The album kicks off with a rocking version of the 1974 Linda Ronstadt hit "You're No Good" with Michael's wild bass before it gives way into the song with Diamond Dave singing the verses and screaming during the chorus as Eddie and Michael sing the chorus and a superb remake which just burns. The hit "Dance the Night Away" follows and was the song that got most attention from this album and a great song. Next is "Somebody Get Me a Doctor" which was another great track. The rock just continues with "Bottoms Up" and a excellent hard rocker with excellent solos from Eddie (this time with phasers and processors making his guitar sound like an Army playing). The frantic rocker "Outta Love Again" ends the first half on a rockin note.
"Light Up the Sky" is a powerful rocker that starts the second half with a bang and the song is noted for its small Alex Van Halen drum solo section. The instrumental "Spanish Fly" follows and showcases Eddie's talents on classical guitar. "D. O. A. " (which stands for Dead Or Alive for those curious) is next and one awesome hard rocker and the ending is to be heard to believe. "Women in Love" follows starts sounding to be a ballad in its guitar intro before rocking out. The closing rock radio stapler "Beautiful Girls" is a great song and a great way to close the album.
Van Halen II was to be the band's first US Top 10 album and second million seller. It also proved that Van Halen were in it for the LONG HAUL!
Highly recommended! .


I think this microphone's still on
Not that I don't think about you, frequently, daily. Been a while since I wrote ya. Even though your smell, your sound, certainly your feel has receded. Far far gone. What's it like? Distant. Shoulda been I used to think, maybe I'm through thinking so much, right person wrong time, fate intervenes. I suspect fate is fallible but it's got its sway doesn't it. Shoulda been but wasn't meant to be, who am I to argue with destiny, knuckleheaded destiny. All I need is a [transmission interrupted]. Sure enough, good enough, stay in time. "You're no good. ".


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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