Album Review: Van Halen - Women and Children First (1980)

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+

Album Review: Van Halen - OU812 (1988)

The transition from one lead singer to another is often a risky one for a well-established and highly revered rock band.  AC/DC pulled it off quite successfully with Brian Johnson.  Van Halen did so to a lesser extent with Sammy Hagar.  Their first recording with Hagar, 5150, proved to be an excellent album, and I'd go so far as to consider it to be one of their best, up with the likes of Van Halen and 1984.  It was frantic, energetic, diverse.  It was more metal than hard rock, and that's what I like best.  It's follow-up, OU812, isn't quite as remarkable.  Some even say it was a sign of the progressive decline of the band.  I must admit it does feel a bit bland overall, even with a few good tracks to its name.  "Mine All Mine", "When It's Love", "Feels So Good" and "Sucker in a 3 Piece" are the best songs here, and I certainly don't mind "Source of Infection."  Everything else is a tad dready, lackluster, but not quite awful.  And even though I can fully appreciate the out-of-line blues stylings of "A Apolitical Blues", it's still not enough to get me up in the morning.  Yeah, it's an OK album, but 5150 will always be the Hagar-era magnum opus.  B

Album Review: Van Halen - 1984 (1984)

Van Halen is a name that frequently comes up whenever somebody tries to conjure up ideas for air guitar songs.  Well, let's be honest - nobody gets up on stage or in front of groups of people and flop about the place pretending to shred to the likes of Lonnie Donegan or heaven forbid, John Denver.  But they often do to Van Halen, on account of the fact that Eddie Van Halen is a well-known guitar legend.  Initially I took little interest in Van Halen on the radio, until I picked up a compilation CD featuring "Jump", which just happens to be track #2 on the album that I'm reviewing here, 1984, released in, you guessed it, 1984.  And from there I picked up a copy of Best Of - Volume One.  I was immediately hooked.  This was the missing link in my life as a music lover.  "Eruption" left me catatonic - it was fast, complex, brutal.  I had never heard anything like it.  And I wanted more.  Within a few years I had all the studio albums, including the legendary album I'm currently writing about.  Van Halen's 1978 album is easily their best record, but 1984 follows not too far behind.  And it's a special album too, on account of the band's decision to incorporate synthesizers into the hard rock/metal mix.  And all up they've done a pretty good job with them too.  The prelude opening track, "1984" has a sort of eerily 80s future utopian feel to it, but it sounds good nonetheless.  Some of the band's biggest mainstream hits are here on this album - "Jump", "Panama", "Hot for Teacher" all made the airwaves down here in the land of the long white cloud, and still do the rounds of the classic rock station playlists to this day.  "I'll Wait" starts off with a bit of synth overkill but settles down and plays out like the good 80s synth rock song that it is.  "Top Jimmy", "Drop Dead Legs" and "Girl Gone Bad" aren't too bad either, but still inferior to the radio hits.  Great album, and one you must own if, like me, you're into Van Halen in a big way.  A-

Album Review: Van Halen - Diver Down (1982)

If you want to listen to a Van Halen album that exemplifies nicely that "f*** it" factor and sets out to be nothing but fun, look no further than Diver Down from 1982.  In a way it is a strange album, but that's a good thing - few metal or hard rock bands would contemplate doing a cover of Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman." and the ones that would dare try would fail miserably to do it justice like Van Halen did.  And they did a spectacular job of it.  Hell, the rest of the album ain't bad either,especially the second half.  As for "Big Bad Bill (is Sweet William Now)", it stands out from the album like the proverbial mammaries on male cattle (and the band's work in general), but it's the most fun track on the record.  And their version of "Dancing in the Street" is the best ever too.  "Little Guitars", "Hang 'Em High" and "The Full Bug" are also worth listening to as well.  All in all, a better album than what many people claim it is.  Check it out for yourself and hopefully you'll see what I'm talking about.  A-

Album Review: Van Halen - 5150 (1986)

David Lee Roth's departure from Van Halen after the release of 1984 meant that the band were tasked with filling a rather large pair of shoes.  Diamond Dave had many things going for him - looks, charisma and energy, among other things, but like all artists who've carved out a unique brand for themselves that cannot possibly be replicated by any other individual, his departure inevitably asked for a change of direction for the band.  Bringing on board Sammy Hagar from Montrose, Hagar brought a very different style and persona to that of his predecessor.  For some, this would begin the era known derogatively by Roth supporters as 'Van Hagar.'  The way I see it, comparing them is like comparing apples and oranges - both are singers, great singers at that, but they are stylistically worlds apart.  And personally, I love both.

Hagar brought to Van Halen a refreshing, more heavier sound that, rather than sullying the legacy left behind by the now solo David Lee Roth, carved out a completely new Van Halen.  5150 from 1986 is the "debut" album for the new Van Halen.  But what a way to kick off a new era for the band.  Look at the songs on this album - "Why Can't This Be Love?", "Best of Both Worlds", "Dreams" - three of the best songs I have ever heard from the band.  And let's not forget the emotive, synthesized, "Love Walks In."  Either.  The low point here is probably the title track, "5150", but don't let that stifle your indulgence.  One of their best, no matter what the detractors might say.  A

Album Review: Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth (2012)

Out with bassist Michael Anthony, in with Eddie's son. Sammy having gone several years beforehand, in comes David Lee Roth, the larger than life, energetic frontman of the early Van Halen years. Speaking of both Sammy Hagar and Roth, much affection was always retained for the latter. Even in Hagar's shining moments, fans still yearned for the day that their knight in tights would once more take the mic back, iron out them VH wings and once more unleash upon the world the band that took rock and roll to an entirely new level. And their dreams came true with a reformation in 2006. Now, in 2012, they have a brand new album out. And it is a pearler. A Different Kind of Truth sounds nothing like the Youtube snippets and extracts. No sir. This is classic Van Halen, the way the fans wanted it, and what the fans got. Sure, some of the choruses are slight let downs at worst, and the album cover may bear a strong resemblance to the Commodores' 1975 album, Movin' On. But who really cares for nitpicking? Bugger the perfectionists, this album is a phenomenal start to the new year. And where do I start on the songs? "Tattoo", "She's the Woman", "China Town", "Bullethead." Oh, to hell with it, listen to the whole damn album. My verdict: the awe factor of this record is such, if you lose interest in sex completely, you'll know why. A

Album Review: Van Halen - Van Halen (1978)

Over the years, much has been said about Eddie Van Halen's proficiency with the ax. Some say he is the reincarnation of Hendrix, some say he's better than Hendrix, some say he's the best thing since Hendrix, and some invariably say he's nowhere near as good as Hendrix. Whatever position one holds, there is a common point for agreement - Eddie Van Halen is an innovator. And like Jimi, many a teenager idolized him and wanted to follow in his footsteps. And I was one of those teenagers. Take the debut album from Van Halen, the self-titled, Van Halen, or Van Halen I as it sometimes referred to as. It introduced young boys to two things - the need to make a fool of yourself as you twirl your arm around and around playing air guitar, with the windows wide open for the neighbors to see, and premature arthritis. The legendary guitar solo "Eruption" had the same inspiring influence on young minds as professional wrestling; the difference being that Eruption didn't kill or maim its imitators. Nor did it attract lawsuits like Ozzy Osbourne's "Suicide Solution" supposedly did.
But air guitar solos aside, the rest of the album shows that it isn't just a record filled with songs wannabe guitar heroes can show off to. "Running With the Devil", the Kinks' classic "You Really Got Me", and the random and quirky "Ice Cream Man" make this the quintessential rock/pop metal album. My personal favorite, the very metallic, "I'm the One." A

Album Review: Van Halen - Balance (1995)

One of only three 90s studio albums from axe-master Eddie Van Halen and his band, Balance comes across as being a mixed bag of sorts. Supposedly a downgrade in sound from their lightweight metal roots, this hard rock number could hardly be considered soft. It still sounds delightfully Van Halenish, which is always a plus, but it is also tarnished by the likes of "Strung Out" and the drum/percussion instrumental "Doin' Time", both of which are short, odd and essentially serve no purpose apart from being fillers. Don't get me wrong, it really does sound like effort has been put into this record, but it also seems like Hagar's best is well and truly behind him. "Can't Stop Lovin' You", "Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)" and "Amsterdam" are my top three. "Not Enough" is worthy of some attention, but I can't see anybody getting all lovey-dovey about it. B

Album Review: Van Halen - Fair Warning (1981)

No great rock band is perfect, no doubt about it. Of course, they mostly release great albums, but amongst the discography titans lies some downright duds that either have one good song on them, or none at all. And what really makes them worse is the poor choice of album artwork, just to add injury to insult. People are still willing to fork out money to buy these albums, but of course, this is purely to elevate their status as a fan, not because the album compels them to jump up and down on their couches playing the air guitar with the apartment window wide open, so everyone in the real world can see them embarrass themselves.

Van Halen is one of those great rock bands, and is also one of my all time favorite and most inspirational bands, I'll make this quite clear. Albums like Van Halen, 1984 and 5150 are favored highly by both me and many music publications, for good reason. You have Eddie Van Halen, the legendary guitar hero who's dexterity and prowess with an ax wears the fretboard down faster than a woodpecker on speed. And you can't leave frontmen Diamond Dave and Sammy Hagar out of the picture either. Coming back to what I've said in the first paragraph, not all great bands consistently put out great albums. And Van Halen's Fair Warning from 1981 is an example of this. For starters, the album cover is a painting by Canadian artist William Kurelek, called, "The Maze." On a wall in an art gallery this might look good, but on an album cover it looks ghastly, like a homely-looking lunch lady from Romania with moles sprouting whiskers and teeth like a row of broken menhirs. And the layout artist could've chosen better typography for the band name too. Oh, and the rest of the album cover is poo brown, which looks really bad, even for 1981. Musically, things aren't quite as bad, but they could've been much better too, every song except for "Unchained" and possibly "One Foot Out the Door" are by Van Halen standards boring. Listen to this album once, and put it away, I say. B-

Album Review : Van Halen - Van Halen II (1979)

Van Halen's debut album was regarded by many as one of the greatest 'lightweight' metal albums ever released, and showcased Eddie Van Halen's talent with the electric ax as an example for future guitar legends to follow. Many a jaw dropped in sheer awe when rock music fantatics first heard his "Eruption" solo, and likewise, many balls dropped when guitar legend hopefuls first heard him shredding that guitar like a cat on catnip trying to tear the living room carpet a new one. Here was a band that made hyperactive, no frills and no 'questions asked' music that dared to try things that, had most bands being asked to do, would've have replied, "We're outta here, man." Take "Ice Cream Man', for example. What the hell does this have to do with heavy metal and hard rock?" you might ask. Well, absolutely nothing. But it demonstrates why Van Halen seems to get away with a lot of things. Their entire discography has seen three lead singers, they've put songs like "Happy Trails" on their albums, and their original (and again present) lead singer has allegedly been diagnosed with ADHD. Surely all this makes for one of the most interesting rock bands in history. And it does. It most certainly does. Van Halen sounds just as good regardless of whoever is behind the mike, be it David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar, or even Gary Cherone.

Now, looking at Van Halen II, their second effort, the musical prowess of the original album seems absent or watered down, but despite lacking what made their first a success, it is in no way a bad album. They have made better, no doubt about that, but there are worse alternatives. Like Fair Warning, or sodomizing yourself with barbed wire dipped in iodine. Songs like, "You're No Good", "D.O.A", and "Dance the Night Away", are the ones to listen to. Sure, they sound like diluted cuts from their debut album, but even though they lack the same luster of Van Halen, they would still warrant a stabbing were you to give them the fast forward treatment. And if you like faster-than-light acoustic riffs, "Spanish Fly" is right up your alley. My verdict - you should own this album if you like Van Halen. B+