Last album review of 2019 and I'd thought I'd go out with a review of an album from one of my favorite bands, Van Halen. Women and Children First is an OK album - it feels more "metal" in parts than the other albums by Van Halen, including the legendary debut to a a certain extent - and it is unmistakably Van Halen in its sound, but some tracks are, well, dull. "Fools" and "Could This be Magic?" have nothing to offer me, and whilst "Take Your Whiskey Home" and "In a Simple Rhyme" certainly aren't what you would call crap, they still fall short of the standard of excellence I expect from a solid VH record. I can listen to "Romeo Delight" now where I once couldn't, and "Loss of Control" I've always had an abiding respect for, perhaps more so than even the opening hit "And the Cradle Will Rock" could ever hope to muster. "Everybody Wants Some!" is great too. I'd probably give this album a fifty-fifty in terms of how well this album sounds and feels. Still, every true Van Halen fan is obliged to possess this record in their collection, no excuses. Everyone else, well, just give it a whirl. It won't hurt you. Just don't expect it to be on par with the likes of Van Halen, 1984 or even the Van Hagar era 5150. B+
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