Reviews (page 9 of 14)
oh baby, that makes me feel old
I really wanted to give this album 5 stars; it's that good. However, it's just a tiny-bit too campy to get a full 5 stars. The guitar riffs are amazing, and Eruption is my favorite guitar solo of all time. This is a solid debut album. 4.5/5.
Very few albums mix clear virtuosic playing and fun silly jams as well as Van Halen does on their debut.
Loved it. Ends very abrupltly though.
Solid, energetic album. Pure rock sound and lots of fun.
Eerste album van Van Halen. Klassieke rock met een aantal zeer sterke hits
Great album. spectacular guitar work
Classic rock but cooler Damn I love that fingering technique So does my girlfriend
Fantastic rock. Some really great riffs and outstanding guitar from Eddie.
While I am not the biggest classic rock n' roll guy there is no denying the absolute powerhouse that this album is. Still widely considered one of the greatest rock debut albums ever, and well, for good reason. There is a reason why half the album gets played on classic rock radio. The guitar tones and techniques have inspired and continue to inspire generations after. And when it comes down to it, the pure energy of the songs coupled with the talent on display make for nothing short of a classic you gotta respect. Might not be what I ever search out to listen to, but there is no denying its impact and the pure enjoyment most of these songs bring.
Classic. This record was so great to me as a teenager. Nobody played guitar like Eddie Van Halen. It holds up pretty well, I haven’t listened in a while, but I still love it, even though I hardly listen to VH anymore.
AMAZING cover art, i need that energy in the music. its their debut and its 35 min long, sweet. yup i'm going to like this. okay im not crazy about his voice but it could work. well its done, a bit of an abrupt ending?? i did like it though overall. lyrics are very basic stuff but its okay, only song i didnt care about is ice cream man.
pretty nice! i like
Nice.
Classic hard rock sound
Among revolutionary rock albums, Van Halen's debut often gets short shrift. But make no mistake, Van Halen is as monumental, as seismic as those records, but part of the reason it's never given the same due is that there's no pretension, nothing self-conscious about it. In the best sense, it is an artless record, in the sense that it doesn't seem contrived, but it's also a great work of art because it's an effortless, guileless expression of what the band is all about, and what it would continue to be over the years.
They could just retitle the album The Best of Van Halen
Most enjoyable
While the band had yet to peak, their debut perfectly captures everything Val Halen are about. It’s not contrived or pretentious it’s just a lot of fun. Van Halen really sounded unlike anything that came before it, and while it might be a bit more hit and miss than say 1984 is still an incredible rock album. Runnin with the Devil and Ain’t talkin bout Love are as good as anything the band produced and there probably wasnt an aspiring young guitarist alive that wouldn’t have sold their soul to be able to play Eruption.
Mejor de lo esperado - me quedo con las partes instrumentales y con Eruption
Great album and fun listen
Awesome. 4.3 R. I. P. EVH - 2020
their best album and one of my favorite hard rock albums of all time.
Face melters and screaming spandex. BT: Running With The Devil, Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Jamie's Cryin'
4+. Not my style but about as good of a hard rock album as I can imagine
I'm not sure I liked it as much as some other 4s, but as far as hard rock goes it was great. Would definitely relisten in certain contexts
Pretty enjoyable, with a couple of songs with some good nostalgia. And of course I can't be too critical of my namesake
Very nice memories
Just good rock.
Short and sweet. Good vocal harmonies, interesting style change ups and of course that Van Halen Guitar
If you take away Eddie, the songs quickly become average. But as it is, it’s still one of the great rock albums.
great rock tunes. Val Halen crushed this record
amazing album. one of the best guitarist of all time
good album. all songs rocked
Bängeri Jag vet inte egentligen varför alla bara lyssnar på Panama eller Jump, här fanns så många rockbängerin som jag aldrig har hört
Great guitar solos and a bundle of classics 4.2
His voice is annoying as fuck and the guitar can be a bit masturbatory but you can’t deny this was a huge album. Full of hits and influence.
Classic. Probably the best Van Halen record.
I don't usually go for this sort of thing but I think it works really well. It's fun rock n roll. And Eddie Van Halen's guitar playing is ridiculous. Ice Cream Man is dumb though. I listened to it a bunch of times and it ended up growing on me. I kept wanting to hear it again. Surprised even myself.
Started really strong and ended just fine. 3 heavy hitters at the beginning were a slight shock as I didn't expect they were from Van Halen's debut album.
Révolutionnaire en terme de son à son époque.
I enjoyed the album. Not too long and all the songs had really happy undertones... changed my perception of Van Halen
One of the best hard rock a-side openings? Excellent music for cleaning and not too long either
Didn't realize this was a debut album. Iconic 80s rock album.
Still a banger
This is just a solid fucking rock album. So much energy, lots of raw power in the songs. 4/5
Ein sehr bekannter Name und hält was er verspricht. Coole Riffs und gute Melodien! Werde ich noch einmal hören und ich bin gespannt, was die anderen Platten hergeben. Gleichzeitig hat mich schon lange kein Album so enttäuscht. „Eruption“ schürt so große Erwartungen. „Ain‘t Talkin 'Bout Love“ macht in der ersten halben Minute richtig Stimmung, nur um im Rest des Liedes nicht weiter drauf einzugehen und es lediglich mit daran erinnernden Schnipseln vor den Ohren baumeln zu lassen. In dann diese ewigen Strophen, die mit Gesang dominiert werden. Wer will denn das hören? Ein deutliches Gefühl von ungenutztem Potential. Ich hoffe in späteren Alben ist Van Halen etwas dominanter im Auftritt. Die Reaktion der Fans hat ihn doch sicherlich darin bestätigt. Dabei ist der Rest der Band keinesfalls schlecht. Bisschen mehr Altruismus, bitte.
Decent, little disappointing though because if it wasn't for the guitar play, this would be a 3 star album
I was expecting to this be super cheesy, but it's incredibly catchy.
Fun, lots of energy
Great album filled with hard-hitting rock songs with some classics thrown in, this album is also not too short so you should give it a listen one day
The length should have tipped me off, but I was expecting more filler. It's a solid rock album, with hooks on both sides that have survived decades. The whole band seems to be moving toward the same goal, which makes it a bit hard to understand why Van Halen was so important for guitars. Guitar music, sure, but no playing strikes me as superlative.
Absolutely classic, just not the biggest Van Halen fan. The bass is too simple and David Lee Roth is too screechy of a singer for me.
Alright Eddie, settle down. We know you can play guitar well, it doesn't make the songs that interesting.
Just a fun album. Great vocals and noodling. Too similar to Spinal Tap and too many covers to warrant a higher rating
I very classic sounding rock album that i really enjoyed! some lyrics made me chuckle as they feel rather cliche but I think that was a staple of the time. Fun listen but not something I would add to my playlist.
Rock.
For something that is not really my thing it's better than I thought
ok
Great debut for Van Halen, maybe that's why Van Halen is what it is. Some songs didn't stick out to me enough, but definitely it's the perfect album to play infront of your friends and be like "yeah I listen to Val Halen", even though I listen to taylor swift when I'm alone.
This is a good album with awesome guitar work, but it isn't quite my style. Worth listening to nonetheless. Favourites: Feel Your Love Tonight On Fire
It’s a fine rock album, but there’s not much I can say that I liked in particular about it.
this aged well
Party time rock n roll album. If you like guitar solos and and howlin' glam vocals this for you. I can appreciate the talent but I am so torn on how to rate this cause it just doesn't get my juices flowing. I would love to have been there to see them live but it doesn't translate on record for me.
The first four tracks are solid gold. Some of the greatest songs of the entire decade, if I'm being honest. How is it that I still get chills from "Eruption" some 15 years after hearing it for the first time and being blown away as a kid? EVH was a mythological figure. The rest of the album? Not so much. Pretty underwhelming and I don't think the experience totally works on the whole. I'll be curious to listen to their other stuff to see how it compares, but the filler is really filler-y and reminds me that this was a debut because of how frontloaded the record is.
There were some flashes of brilliance but it was also a little bit obnoxious. Fun when I am in the right mood, but I need to tap into the 'horny teenager' state of mind to fully enjoy this one. Eddie Van Halen was a really good guitarist though.
Indifferent but cannot deny it
Yes, you’re very, very good at playing the guitar. We’re all very impressed.
this is certainly one way to kick off a Monday morning. Listen, I am not typically a fan of most hair metal bands (I feel like Van Halen counts as a proto-hair metal band because they basically kickstarted the whole genre, or as someone in a reddit comment just said, they 'gave birth to hair metal' lol), but if I *had* to choose one to listen to, it would be Van Halen. This is solidly fine, I feel like I would enjoy it way more on a road trip somewhere versus sitting at my desk staring at a google sheet but alas.
Heard some before; 3.5; This is another really impressive debut album. Along with the Boston and Cars album I just got, this is another album where I didn't realize all the songs I knew were on a single album, let alone a debut. Extremely impressive guitar playing with simple and fun song structures. With that said, not quite as strong as those other albums I mentioned, with some of the songs being not quite as memorable and sounding a little similar. Favorite Track: Runnin' with the Devil
1978. Debut studio album. Contains some of the band's most well-known songs. "Eruption"; written and performed by guitarist Eddie Van Halen, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar solos of all time and helped popularize two-handed tapping technique.
first time really hearing Van Halen,beyond my expectation but not really amazing yet breathtaking overall 7/10
less hits than 1984 but still a fun cohesive album, saved 1/11
Mjög fín hlustun. Rennur vel í gegn en ekkert sem stendur uppúr fyrir utan upphafslagið.
This rocked! Just a fun party album. Its a shame these guys couldnt just get along because it sounds like when they were it was a good time.
I expected something more
Bowling alley music. I always forget that Van Halen is good. I think it's because I find David Lee Roth so off-putting. He's got the pipes. He also sounds like he's got some kind of vd. But the Van Halen brothers? Yeah, they rock. The album has lot's of technical skill and musicianship but no substance. Which is fine, if you like that sort of thing. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't. Today, I don't.
Just the right side of 80s kitsch for me
I quietly love Van Halen, mostly for nostalgia reasons. An older kid we used to hang out with would drive us around blaring Van Halen, and its charms are irresistible in that setting. Listening today, I felt like that kid again for a moment, and I loved it. I may prefer the Sammy Hagar over-earnest era to the David Lee Roth everything's-a-joke era, but Eddie's guitar and Alex's perfect-for-the-genre drums are the draw here. Eddie's solos never reach that "expressing something from deep within" like I hear from Hendrix, Prince, and Eddie Hazel, but they are face-meltingly fun. Van Halen albums ranked worst to best: 11. Van Halen 3 10. Diver Down 9. Fair Warning 8. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge 7. Women and Children First 6. Van Halen 2 5. Balance (this album isn't that great, but it meant a lot to me in 1995; I contain multitudes, apparently) 4. OU812 3. Van Halen 2. 1984 1. 5150
Listened
I'm surprised by the covers.
Big hard rock riffs, great tone, a handful of classic songs. The wonderfully masturbatory guitar solo Eruption. Surprised that this was late 70s, it sounds like a very 80s rock song…so the influence on the future sound is clear. It’s energetic and fun without falling into the cliched aspects and overly-sexed macho personas that came to dominate the genre. This project has led me to respect Van Halen more than I once did, and they stand apart from a lot of bands in the same sphere. It’s still not something I’m going to seek out with any regularly, but I also wouldn’t avoid it as I once may have.
I liked a few of their songs, very popular
Good rock album. I’ve heard better overall in this genre, but the guitar playing is exceptional and Dave Lee Roth is a powerful vocalist.
Nothing special, but a good average rock album that I enjoyed that I would not rush to listen to again.
Rock. Liked some songs
2.75
Had a bit of a hard time getting into this album since I don't listen to a lot of 70s mainstream rock. Just alright, 5.5/10
Listening session: june 22th/23th, while getting ready for dinner in Sicily and while flying back Listened to before: heard two songs before Thoughts: so it turns out I find earlier Van Halen more enjoyable than an 80s album I’ve gotten on here. Still not something I would often put on myself though Favourite tracks: You Really Got Me, Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love & I’m the One
He was an amazing guitarist. I love his playing. Didn't think much of the songs the band wrote and played. On this album, I loved You Really Got Me and Ice Cream Man. He covered those brilliantly. Their original tunes, not so much.
And with this album 80s hair metal is born and the shockwaves continue to be gyrated and the Aqua Net keeps spraying.
Guitar work is mental but the entire album is what I imagine goes through the old guy at the bar that claims he's slept with a 1000 women. "Hey baby I live life on the edge now sleep with me oh yeah honey" I like that they took so much joy in making their guitars sound like cars.
I have had 1984 already and I thought it was awful. Van Halen are a band that is made up noticeably talented musicians playing music I don't really like at all. This was nowhere near as bad as 1984 though, but not my thing. The standout song was the cover song. 3 stars
geht so, dad rock/supernatural vibes
Quite inconsistent but the attitude and playing takes it a long way and the good songs are very good.
--Runnin' with the Devil...outside the cool bass opening, I always found this a little boring --Eruption...Eddie's a great player. maybe too good --You Really Got Me...fun cover --Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love...feels like filler. at least there's a sitar --I'm the One...an earlier version of "Hot for Teacher". Eddie's cooking here --Jamie's Cryin'...I guess this qualifies as a Van Halen ballad. never liked it, still don't --Atomic Punk...something odd about the recording of this. DLR sounds like he's standing too far away from the mic. some nice bass work --Feel Your Love Tonight...sexual assault and then some kiss-and-tell! Oh, Dave, you rogue. chord progressions/tempos that would eventually become "Panama" --Little Dreamer...not a great song but the band sounds good --Ice Cream Man...DLR on the acoustic. it's good! --On Fire...apt title
Fine! Didn't hate it as much as I thought i was going to. I feel like I could Charleston to ice cream man... bonus points for that. 6/10
Explosive first track, following up with an instrumental shred is a bold choice. Doesn’t come back strong with a cover of a popular song. Album runs out of steam almost immediately, feel you love tonight brings the momentum back but not in par with runnin’
179. not bad
This project is testing me this week giving me Aerosmith on Tuesday and immediately following it with Van Halen the next. Although maybe that was a blessing in that I could feel and appreciate more readily the differences. Both bands and albums are similar - horned up dudes lusting after ladies over IMO semi-lazy rock music. But Van Halen is something more FUN in their approach to it. And for this reason, 3/5.
why did they do a doo-whop thing in the middle of all that
I mean it's fine. Not my kind of music
Bom álbum de estreia! Muitos riffs interessantes e inovadores
you know, these guys arent for me. but this album is much better than i thought it would be and the singles hold up against the rest of the album. its cohesive and silly, its brash and fast. its actually a solid album. again, not for me, but they have a hones first album. im surprised. tickle me pink. van halen, who fucking knew.
Some familiar sounds in there. Surprised how easy it was to listen.
Not Van Halen’s best, but as Chris said ‘much more musical than I expected’. That track with the guitar solo is fantastic.
Only know A few by Van Halen released around the same time as “Jump”. I thought the vocal was similar to Bruce Dickinson in places which wasn’t a bad thing. Always a fan of talented guitarists. I was pleased to hear the source of Apollo 440s “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Dub”, so I had to play that immediately after too
this was a vibe, not my fav but nothing bad!
Listened to this walking through town in a heatwave and enjoyed it, but don’t need to revisit.
Quite fun.
Enjoyed it. It’s a bit shit but in a good way
El protagonismo de Eddie es de llamar la atención, pero aún así se soporta bastante bien, la primera parte al menos. Creo que haber recorrido la adolescencia en los 80 me permite soportar este género con cierta facilidad.
Yeah, it’s ok.
So classic. Love how punchy it is.
A high 3. I have always loved Runnin with the Devil and DLR’s voice raises Van Haven to a level above similar bands for me.
This album obviously has an pretty impressive collection of hits. I just don’t love any of them. Van Halen has never really clicked with me and I think there are a few reasons why. I fucking hate those weird screams David Lee Roth does and he does them multiple times every fucking song. He sounds like a horse that’s stepped on a nail. And I’m sorry but I think Eddie Van Halen is perhaps the most overrated guitarist in rock. He always sounds to me like he’s more worried about sounding cool than he is in making melodious music. More notes played quickly just doesn’t do it for me. He sounds like he probably had a huge boner every time he played. Sorry Sam.
GENRE: Hard Rock FAVs: I'm the One, Atomic Punk, Feel Your Love Tonight, On Fire FIRST LISTEN RATING: 7/10
Eddie shreds! Who else has a whole track consisting of just guitar solo?
3.5/5. As someone who grew up in a family that listened to a lot of rock radio, I was familiar with far more of this album than I was expecting to be. it’s honestly a fun time all around and at a tight 35 minutes it doesn’t overstay its welcome. It also obviously goes without saying that Eddie Van Halen is an insane guitarist and his flashy solos on here are good stuff, especially on Eruption. Sure it’s not a deep or life-changing album, but not everything needs to be. And Van Halen’s debut serves well as just a fun rock record.
Much better than I thought. Was expecting it to be cheesy
gitarre pur!
Gerader Rock für damals, mir etwas zu langweilig
Muutama hyvä biisi niiku aint talkin jout love ja runnin with the devil iha hyvä albumi
Didn’t stand out to me. 3/5
I dont really enjoy the album and the genre of music but the guitar in it was really good. 5/10.
pretty boring tbh
Enjoyed voice and sound
Not really my taste. But in the ABBA-verse, this shit rocks. Right? So they get 3 ABBA stars. I've heard worse, I've definitely heard better.
nicht meine musik, aber doch ganz nett
Fairly forgettable cock rock except for a foot stomping, toe tapping cover version of the Kinks 'You Really Got Me'.
I actually enjoyed this album a lot more than I thought I would, and I think it has something to do with the fact that Roth's vocals are less grating and more chesty than I imagined they would be, and the guitar grooves are positively dirty. I don't feel like myself when I listen to this, but I do enjoy the sort of glam-rock/punk person I become.
Glam metal before it was a thing. The guitarist is good. He knows he's good too. I don't like the singer.
if I was a white dude in the 70s and 80s, this would be my addiction; also another instance of an album cover that matches very well the sound; Little Dreamer is a sneak banger
decent rock album
I did go through a phase once when I was probably 22 where I’ve listened to this album for about a month. Still love the guitar tone, but would be probably fine to never hear most of it ever again.
As much as I love classic rock, I have to say I never really understood the hype around Van Halen. They are good, the guitar riff on You Got Me Now was excellent, but everything else on the album is just kind of...generic. They are good, just not a group I would get excited over.
cool album: - great guitar - i don't like the vocals - ice cream man is a weird song to put here
I can't help but be disappointed by this. I don't know what all the fuss is about. Considering this is supposed to be a rocking album, it sure does sound weak in the delivery. Compare this to someone like Led Zeppelin and it's night and day. There is weirdly VERY little oomph in this. There's some good guitar playing, obvs, but I'd much rather have less virtuosity and more cohesion.
Well, that’s not awful for a debut I guess, even though I’m absolutely not a fan of the genre overall. So yeah, I got a bit bored in the middle of 35-minute long album and made a pause to listen to the original version of You Really Got Me, the only song I liked so far. And well, I definitely liked The Kinks’ version better. Maybe if there were versions of Runnin’ with the Devil, Jamie’s Crying and Little Dreamer without all that excessively Van Halen stuff that basically makes them, you know, them, I could even see myself enjoying them. Like, I won’t say it’s bad or anything. But for me it’s kind of mid lyrics and mid music which are poorly disguised with skillful guitar riffs and solos and youthful energy.
Heavy rock but quite accessible
Going through all these debut albums retrospectively is a bit fun, seeing which bands basically recorded their live set - a lot of them, to be fair - instead of the rare gems where an act was a studio creation first. This is more or less a really well-made studio demo, but Eddie’s playing is so front and centre and singular, it feels like a matter of time before he found an audience and this just so happened to be the form it took. Anyhow, fun set, DLR overstays his welcome by side 2, not entirely sure it’s a must hear.
Classic rock, recognizable songs, great guitar, but kind of just ok overall.
I don't love this style of music, but this is about as good as it's going to get, so 3 stars!
I like more then i thought i would. Catchy, feels like a bit of ”Grease” vibe. I like the instruments. Honestly thought this would give me headache but it didnt and instead i liked it. Would probably give this album like 3,5/5. Not anything life changing but I liked it.
Like it 3/5
I don't feel...wait, that isn't on this one
Meh. The hits are fine but I'm just not a fan of this kind of guitar-heavy, high pitched rock. 3/5
I find myself with a lot less tolerance for hair metal these days but there’s no denying that this album does have some of their best on it. You can definitely hear a lot of the progression from early to late 70s sensibilities when you compare this to the Queen album earlier in the list. This is another genre that has to feel completely different played live and you can’t recreate that energy. I wish they had been more adventurous with the drums. Also these lyrics are dogshit lmao
Pretty good. Eddie's guitar playing is legendary but the songwriting is not the best. Very sleezy at times. Highlights are Running With the Devil, Eruption, You Really Got Me, Ain't Talkin' About Love, and Atomic Punk.
so 80s that it hurts. Except from the 70s. I was prepared to give this a low grade, but it's merely mediocre.
Great guitar ofc Some classics on there
Though I appreciate the guitar work, I just wasn't feeling it.
I understand that this was a trailblazing album that brought metal from the 70s to the 80s. I het that Eddie’s guitar playing is considered game-changing (and all of them are great at their respective instruments). I just wouldn’t put it on it’s so bland compared to today’s music
The fact this album came out in ‘78 compelled me to give it 3 stars but not my scene
Not really much to say. It's van halen
Dumb fun music. Van Halen plays so much boomer music disguised as music that Gen-X would love to consume. It's like that trend of you tube music artists doing covers of songs in a different genre style. Like Feel Your Love Tonight sounds like someone doing a hair metal take on the Beach Boys. Runnin With the Devil is too fun to ignore tho. Belongs on this list, I don't hate it, but I can't give it more than a 3.
Looking back at my previous assessments, I think Van Halen is to ACDC as Hendrix is to Led Zeppelin. Where Zeppelin and ACDC sound solid and put together (although on very different levels of quality), Van Halen and Hendrix are straining and vital. In the case of VH, we might even say ramshackle and expulsive. Where Hendrix somehow marshalled everyone to his vision, EVH doesn't have anywhere near this control. The difference, probably, between the composer and virtuoso who writes for himself. The connection between Eddie's virtuosic throttling and Diamond Dave posturing is a tenuous one. Even his connection with his brother at the back feels like the strangled cord between space capsule and hyperventilating, hallucinating space man. Where ACDC and Zeppelin look back to ancient civilisations, their Romans and Vikings, Hendrix and Van Halen look to the future. Whatever an Atomic Punk is. No wonder Marty McFly uses Eruption as a death ray in Back to the Future. It is the most alien thing on the record. And the most curious and alien thing about it is its placement on the record. Track 2. Not track 1, opening the record and introducing the titular Van Halen as the main attraction. But neither does it come in the third quarter of the record, where such an individual display would come in a live show - and I have no doubt that Van Halen was recorded, with its oddly spacious mix, to represent an arena show long before the band was playing arenas. To be honest, I have no explanation for why Eruption is the second track on the record. I can admit that it's not pleasant to listen to. It's not really a coherent musical statement or study. It's not as good as Running with the Devil, which I enjoy immensely. But it is, I guess, the key to the album. If you get Eruption for what it is, you will understand what Eddie is doing over the rest of the record. I don't understand a lot of the time, but I enjoy the challenge a lot more than with many of their contemporaries. 3 Van Halen suck. That is why, like Wyld Stallyns, they need Eddie Van Halen. The constant interest of Eddie’s noodling away unpredictably in the left speaker is virtually everything positive that tracks like Atomic Punk and Little Dreamer have going for them. The extent to which the other musical material and the three other unremarkable musicians are simply a sturdy frame and mount for a portrait of Eddie is perfectly transparent on the first single off this album. Their cover of ‘You Really Got Me’ is an insipid account of The Kinks classic which somehow manages to feel much less like rock music than the original - bafflingly light and almost prissy compared with a recording from 1964. Just as well that curious little fly is buzzing in our left ear the whole time. All the same, it would nearly be a shame to hear Eddie Van Halen in a good band. Jimmy Page is often cited as part of EVH’s presumed pedigree. Well it’s a superficial comparison. Truthfully those two players were worlds apart. Page had a depth of expression that Eddie Van Halen doesn’t even pretend to approach. There is much more of the circus act about Eddie (there is also plenty of the clown about David Lee Roth). I enjoy the circus by the way - no great criticism here. Especially when the whole show is a very civilised 35 minutes. 2/5
Holiss. Bueno q puedo decir, otro álbum de rock de estos… la pucha madre. Estoy cansado de escuchar este tipo de música la posta, quiero descansar mi cabeza. La primera vez tuve q escuchar este álbum en dos partes, porq en el momento no me daba el coco para tanto y lo tuve q pausar y reanudar a las horas, asi q ns si tuve la experiencia correcta en la primera escucha, pero ta. Bueno aquí va la review: Empezamos con “Runnin wiht Da Devil”, buen comienzo cojones con toda la pawer. La intro se siente como entrar por un portal a una especie de infierno cool o ns, despues voy a hablar mas de la atmosfera q me trasmite el álbum. Despues entra ese bajo q en mi primera escucha me recordó a una onda Primus y dsp con el hi hat también y flashe q iba a sonar algo asi re loco, pero ta dsp empezó el tema posta y me acorde q estoy escuchando un álbum de van halen. Escuchandolo de vuelta saque de donde me sonaba ese bajo y suena igual al tema “bmbmbm” de black midi, q loco. Ahhhh me encanta eso primero q hace la guitarra antes de entrar y también hace más jueguitos así a lo largo del álbum, es de lo q mas me gustaa. Ns como se llama esa técnica ni se como describir el sonido, pero ta me encanta. Acabo de escribir un montón solo sobre los primero 20 segundos del tema wtf. Bueno despues sobre el tema como tal, me gusta bastante si. Me pasa parecido como con acdc. Ah y ya, mismo con el titulo, se empieza a sentir esa mistica medio diabolica (pero no mala, si no como q rebelde) q tiene, q despues se va a desarrollar mas y mas. Este, al igual q los dos álbumes anteriores, es rock de guitarra, perooo, a diferencia de los otros dos, por lo menos deja espacio para q el resto de instrumentos destaquen bastante. Tipo en los de zz top y acdc era descarado como la guitarra se robaba casi todo el protagonismo y dejaba a los demás marginados y condenados a tocar para rellenar. Aca se nota q la guitarra lucha por ser el centro de atención, pero los demás instrumentos no se quedan atrás. Bueno y el ejemplo mas grande de la guitarra queriendo lucirse esta en el segundo track, “Erection”. Ah si, es ese solo, si muy bueno Eddie tocas muy bien felicidades. Esa fue mi reacción al tema. La verdad q no me parece q venga mucho a cuento, me parece muy exagerado, it insist upon itself ahr. Ni siquiera como interludio, onda si me parece icónico y todo, pero hubiese quedado mejor si le buscaban la forma de ponerlo en un tema o aunq sea construir un tema a base del solo si es q tan bueno es. Qsy me parece la típica boludez q se aprende un adolescente yanki q vive en los suburbios en los 80s o 90s para impresionar a las minas, me parece eso, todo performance… capaz q tiene su merito porq las tecincas q se uso para tocarlo y todo fue una gran influencia en su época, pero el simple hecho de q tengan q hacer un track solo para un solo ns no me parece. No puedo creer q solo voy dos temas y ya escribi tanto lpm. Bueno volvemos a la normalidad con “You Really Got Me”, es un cover de un tema muy conocido, no puede fallar, y aparte me parece q la esencia del tema original conecta bastante con la de van halen, son como q muy parecidas, pero en distintas épocas. Suena muy bien y me encanta la parte en la q queda la batería y suenan como gemidos, idk i laik it, me recuerda mucho a led zeppelin, bueno bastante de este álbum me suena a influenciado por led zeppelin en momentos, normal. Bueno “Not Talkin Bout Luv” es uno de los temas conocidos y ta esta bueno, pero no es de mis favss. Just good job. “Im the One”, me gusta la intro, pero enseguida me empieza a atomizar, este tema es de esos q tiene una guitarra exageradísima y q cansa. Igual me gustan mucho los versos antes del coro cuando baja y eso. Ah y la sección esa de “babada shubi du wa” en la primera escucha me parecio medio cualquiera y me dio un poco d cringe, pero escuchándolo de vuelta y teniendo mas entendido e interiorizado el tono del álbum, me gusta mas y me parece divertido. “Jimmy Crying” ahr no se sabía ni ahí el nombre de los temas. Mmm está bien, no tengo mucho q destacar porq aca se repiten un poco. Me gusta el coro y el ultimo verso. Hacen temas muy divertidos no te voy a mentir. “Atomic Punk” oohhh yeaahhhh. Me encanta como suena esa guitarra de la intro, y junto al ride me hypea mucho. Bueno es un tema q no me parece muy loco dsp, ni instrumentalmente ni vocalmente, pero me gusta la letra bastanteee. Es como q con esta letra se sigue desarrollando esta vibe rara como de oscuridad, tinieblas y maldad, pero de forma cool. Los siguientes dos temas no los destaco mucho, aca el álbum se empieza a repetir y no trae nada interesante mepa. Despues “Ice Cream Man” es otro cover, es un giro inesperado esa primera mitad de blues acustico. Muchos podrán opinar q es algo q no tiene nada q ver con el resto del álbum y q caga el tono, pero a mi me gusta bastante. Es como ese momento del “babada shubi du wa”, parece algo q no tendría q quedar para nada, pero dentro de este mundo disparatado q crean los van halen, tiene algo de sentido dentro del sinsentido. Termina con “On Fire” y me parece un buen final. Siento q es la conclusión adecuada para este reinado del terror. Se empieza cantando sobre “correr con el diablo” y llevar una vida mucho mas acelerada y despreocupada q el resto, sin pensar en las consecuencias. Este se siente como el resultado de una vida asi, se grita “im on fire” de forma desesperada, y parece q es la transformación de un pendejo irresponsable a un viejo demacrado y q ya no tiene respeto por la vida en general, como la transformación de un simple mortal a un demonio, porque gran parte de la letra se siente como una especie de entidad oscura y atrevida hablandonos directamente, hasta como en tono de advertencia o amenaza. Ns q estoy escribiendo ya a este punto. Pero en resumen, este álbum, para mí, crea una especie de universo q no se termina de tomar en serio, pero por eso mismo funciona. Se siente como una típica peli de sc-fi o terror de los 80 q es rarísima y tiene efectos especiales q son horribles, pero q igual se le agarra cariño. Tiene un tono de humor medio absurdo y se siente paródico sin dejar de sonar bien. No es mi estilo de música para nada y hay momentos (sobre todo de la guitarra) q me parecen medio inbancables. Pero este álbum tiene más personalidad, consistencia y originalidad q todo lo q salió hasta ahora. Personalmente, no es algo q escucharía mas veces, capaz q si algún tema aislado en algún momento especifico. Pero si me parece q tiene su merito y que objetivamente esta muy bien. Siento q se merece su lugar en esta lista.
You really got me temon
A lot of guitar technique, sure, but here’s the thing - technique alone means nothing. People need songs. Ain’t Talkin’ ‘bout Love is the only track that really stands out. Ok, and to some extent Little Dreamer. Everything else is more “look what I can do with my guitar” than real songs.
Runnin' with the Devil — slow and dull start. The motif got boring quick and the vocals/lyrics were annoying for me. Cool guitar solo towards the end but it was way too short to give any lasting energy to the track. Eruption — should've been the opener. Showcases the best part of the band—the guitarist—and packs a lot of energy and excitement in a short song. You Really Got Me — the gravelly vocals annoyed me. Harmonies were okay but not enough to save the vocal performance. Guitar was cool but the song got too repetitive for me. Also, the lyrics have no soul: neither comedic or sentimental. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love — lyrics are more focused and the vocals are more bearable. The harmonies are a lot better here and the guitar kicks ass throughout. I'm the One — lyrics are still focused. Killer opening guitar riff. Surprisingly good scatman breakout towards the end. Jaimie's Cryin' — not a fan of the whiny chorus. Rest of the vocals are good. The slow section in the middle is also nice. Lyrics are focused and do try to tell a story. Not as good as the previous two songs, but not bad. Atomic Punk — nice change from the relationship focused lyrics of the previous songs. That riff is amazing, catchiest of the album so far. The vocals feel more powerful in this song throughout as well. Feel Your Love Tonight — not a fan of the harmonies in the chorus here. Returns to the old themes of the album and the lyrics feel hollow. Nothing particularly stands out about this song. Being after Atomic Punk only makes it seem disappointing in comparison. Little Dreamer — this is the best chorus so far; the slower approach to the chorus is nice and the harmonic droning notes are beautiful. The lyrics are better than most of the lyrics on this album, but they definitely wouldn't stand out on most albums. Ice Cream Man — annoying to start. Food innuendoes are a pandemic. Can live without this one. On Fire — good song, good energy. Nothing too special. Favourite song: Atomic Punk Worst song: Runnin' with the Devil Overall: not my type of album. Guitar was incredible throughout, but it won't be enough to make this something I listen to repeatedly. Not a bad album, just not one that left an impression on me.
Legendary hair rock album. Eddie’s riffage echoes through the rock canon and is heroic status is plain to see. The songs can be lacking in writing but not for personality and of course the rhythm section cannot be understated. Anthemic, heavy, and bouncy; “Runnin’ with the devil” is a fantastic opener and delivers in showing exactly who Van Halen are. Followed by Eruption, a phenomenal display of virtuosity without the peacocking tedium of like-musicians (I’m looking at YOU Satriani). Eruption is a phenomenal display of virtuosity without the peacocking tedium of like musicians (I’m looking at YOU Satriani). This song changed the face of guitar forever. An excellent cover of The Kinks’ “You really got me going” which holds its own salt, Van Halen’s bravado really shines on this rendition. The quintessential Van Halen track needs no introduction - “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” begins with possibly the most epic riff to grace the airwaves of the time (and possibly all-time) and continues with no letting up. “Jaimie’s Crying” is an understated mid-tempo rock romp with a moody undertone. The chorus is an infectious punky ear worm and the passion is heard in the wailing guitars. This song is a clear highlight of the album. The last leg of the album is not as good as the first leg, that being said it’s not bad in the sightest. The album is extremely solid Hair Rock and its legacy shows. It’s clear Atomic Punk is influenced by the NWBHM sound with some added classic punk’isms but doesn’t prove to be anything special except for a solid VH track. Feel your love tonight is another excellent poppy rocker with sweet backing vocals adding to its hookyness. Little dreamer is a decent hard rock ballad with a good atmosphere but lacks any stand out elements. Van Halen brings it back with the bluesy Ice Cream Man, dialing it down for the first minute, then transitioning to a 50’s rock and roll 70’s hard rock fusion that works to its own merit. A commendable effort although nothing brilliant. The album finishes strong with an epic swan song with “On Fire”, a fiery metal proto-thrash sound which sounds like a Metallica if they emerged from the 70’s. Overall this album reflects the prime of Van Halen and hard rock in this period, the Led Zeppelin of their time if you will. But unlike the Led Zeppelin of their time they remain a product of their time. It is one of the best debut albums in the Hair Rock space, and a cut above much of the genre. Rating: 3.75/5
This was fine but didn’t do much for me, even including a Kinks cover version didn’t really provide enough sparks. I also wondered if Ice Cream Man was a Tom Waits cover but in fact it was a cover of John Brim, so I was half right. I recognised Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love instantly for its use by Apollo 440 so at least I learned something. So nothing bad about this really, just don’t think it inspired me to return.
This is actually so fun! Way more enjoyable than I expected. I think as an album, David Lee Roth's voice gets a bit annoying by the end. But the songs work well within a shuffled Spotify environment.
una cátedra de guitarra. el solo en "eruption" es irreal, y dentro del álbum la mejor introducción para "you really got me" la cual es un rolon y una vez más gran solo. alm como suena la guitarra en "I'm the one", bien podria no tener letra. en general cada canción del álbum es un ejemplo más de lo cabron que estaba Eddie en la guitarra.
A lot of these songs are songs I've heard a billion times and don't really like. I don't know if I actually don't like them, or if I've just heard them so many times while not really having any emotional attachment to them. I think it's funny that I, a person with 0 musical exploration, opened this site and was dealt an album full of stuff I've already heard as my first one. I don't think I've ever heard Little Dreamer (fine), Atomic Punk (fine), Ice Cream Man (kind of funny i guess), or On Fire (good). I don't want anyone to think "oh uhhhh yeah uhhhh he's saying these guys can't play or he doesn't like their sound or whatever." They're obviously amazingly skilled and can play the shit out of their instruments and sing really good and all that. I've just heard it so many times and it's not really for me I guess. Van Halen did give us Why Can't This Be Love which is an all-timer but it's not on this album it's nearly 10 years after this album so their sound will definitely evolve. Thinking of it, with this being their debut album yet having THIS many hits on it, it's kind of fucking crazy. I give it a 3 for "I like it, it's a fine album, but if I saw a copy at a store, I wouldn't be like "holy shit I've gotta buy it.""
I mean, it's got some classic tunes. Supernatural road trip vibes. -NS
Eddie van Halen was the first to ever do it, and still the best? Probably. Iconic guitar sound, can't stand the singer. Some great songs, some not so great.
I feel like this was very hard to rate. I fluctuated between 2 and 4 as I was listening to it! Maybe it's an album I need to be in the mood for. Sometimes it feels like it's just a hollow demo of how technically proficient the music is without any of the effort in the actualy songwriting, and other times I am jamming along. I guess 3? One I would like to re-assess in the future.
It's nice, has a good mix of different sounds but it reminds me quite a bit of some QUEEN guitar solos. Out of the album "Jamie's Cryin'" was my favorite as it has the most interesting sound of the bunch and the lyrics were said in such a funny way. I am not a metal / rock music fan but this album was nice got some good head bobbing out of me.
Three solid stars. Three stars in spite of David Lee Roth, who ruins every song he attempts to sing. You can hear the arrogant timbre in his voice and it instantly lowers the credibility of every Van Halen album until 5150.
Average AOR. Not my kind of thing
It's Van Halen, classic congs but not necessarily my taste in music generally.
I wasn't expecting much, but this was a positive surprise. Ten decent songs (and whatever "Eruption" is) in 35 minutes is apparently just the right amount of Van Halen. Runnin' with the Devil and Ain't Talkin' Bout Love are the obvious highlights.
Their debut album is very skilled musically and vocally. I enjoyed the album as a whole but nothing stood out to me individually.
All the guitar virtuosity and vocal fireworks in the world don’t make up for the near total lack of charm and massively over-developed sense of superiority from this bunch of electrified doo-wop barbershop bastards. It’s not bad, but it is just so overbearing USAian and I was very glad when it was over, and I won’t be going back to it (and I’m a dyed in the wool metal-head)
A pretty solid rock album. Better than most, not as good as some.
Listenable.
A really great classic rock album, I see why it is so beloved and launched Van Halen to huge status. Top Songs: Runnin’ with the Devil, Aint Talkin’ ‘Bout Love, Jamie’s Cryin
Solid rock n' roll from a simpler time.
esta bueno, no soy fan de este tipo de rock pero me sirvio para darle una oportunidad a van halen.
A much-loved album amongst rock fans, but to be honest, not really my thing. I first heard Van Halen around the time of their 1984 LP, and the ubiquitous “Jump” single. I disliked everything about it, from the one-fingered synth riff to the over enthused video posturing (big hair, tight spandex and much jumping around). The 1978 debut is much more agreeable. For a start it’s a great guitar album – flashy and loud, but always impressive, and even the singer is less annoying here, occasionally even bordering on likeable. There’s not a track that really stands out as a classic, but I found myself happy to be in its company for 35 minutes. Much better than I expected. 7/10
It’s amazing how this became background music to me. It used to be THE EDGE! Now I ended up talking over most of it (blasphemy!). Did love the swing song which was a huge surprise! And, yes, this music is still great, if not stop-what-you’re-doing-to-listen great.
- kind of fun - not really in the mood for this right now - they like playing the guitar in a fun way
Alltså.... Jag gillar inte Van Halen, har aldrig gjort. Tror att en del av det var David Lee Roths röst ihop med skrikiga gitarrer. Visst Eddie Van Halen kan spela gitarr. Fantastiskt till och med, men för mig är det inte tillräckligt. Gillar dock Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love. Vissa låtar är catchy men i min värld är detta inte hårdrock, men vad vet jag...
Me parece un gran álbum debut con un sonido ya decidido, muy divertido de escuchar y con eruption, un solo histórico, complejo, que todo guitarrista quiere aprender. Por otro lado aprender a escucharlo con auriculares al principio puede ser molesto por su hardpan extremo.
Surprisingly good and consistent. Great open and close to the album, no bad songs, fairly original sound of hard rock, never been the a fan of theirs and there is a lot of LedZep worship, but they’re welcome to it. Ain’t Talking About Love is the best one after the opener. Not something I’d pass to my children, but really good
already had a couple of songs
not my cup of tea
Power rock album
A solid first effort, I can see why they stuck around. That said not something I would choose in a rock playlist.
David Lee Roth era Van Halen were the true showmen of hard rock. Nothing too original here, but this works pretty darn well on the background preparing for the weekend on the last working day of the week.
Early on in this project I listened to 1984 by Van Halen. This was an album I didn't really like, and a band I've never really liked. The album was one that "everyone" in high school loved when it came out. It was playing at the parties and in cars. I never liked it, and mostly was annoyed when it would be played. I then went to college and my roommates loved classic rock radio, so many songs from this album were staples of the format. Thankfully I discovered the alternative scene and started pulling away from bands like this, but I'd still have to listen every now and then. I groaned when it popped up today. Much like I did when 1984 came up. What I can say positively is listening today wasn't as bad as it could have been. Some of the songs were less annoying than they used to be. And Eruption is a genuinely good song that needs to be longer. I even found myself singing along to Jamie's Cryin'. Of note, Hot For Teacher from 1984 is basically a rewrite of I'm the One, but were aren't really talking about a creative bunch here other than Eddie's guitar playing. I'm generously giving this a 2.5 and I'll decide in the morning whether it goes up or down.
3.5 Eddie van halen is really talented but at points it seemed he put showing off over the actual music :/ really enjoyed some of these songs though
Some great riffs, the intro to "ain't talkin' bout love" being my favourite. Low 3
Van Halen is an entertaining listen. Extraordinarily virtuosic guitar playing. Catchy songs with very simple arrangements.
This is immensely fun, good time music which you should “feel” rather than think about too much. It’s a rush of joyful silliness with extreme amounts of flair. I laughed a lot at the audaciousness. The bass playing is terrible though. I’ve heard of a walking bass line, but never one with a limp! I can’t imagine how boring it would be to perform these parts in a band that makes such a thing out of extra flair and plays for attention.
The hits are ones everyone has heard many of times. The other songs were just there. Average album. Good sounds but average all around. 7.1/10
Where to begin? They are very talented, but it feels really disjointed. I think I was a tad too late to the hair metal scene and I wished I liked this more. 7.25/10 Top song On Fire
My first time knowingly listening to a VH album. Sounds like someone wanted to be Black Sabbath and ended up inventing Hair Metal I bet every 16 year old boy loved them. The RHCP of their day. FUN but that Kinks cover and the Ice Cream song can do one.
Ok
Eddie with a new style
gud..kinda boring..didn’t wanna finish listening🤕
just not my thing ig
This album is radio city but it’s not bad just way overplayed
I'd never listened to a Van Halen album deliberately (i don't think anyone can say they've never listened to Van Halen) This was very fun! Eddie is unsurprisingly a beast
Some true guitar hero bangers on here, but I enjoyed it less and less as the album went on. Like, I get it…you can play guitar realllllly well congrats.
Pretty solid album! Great guitar riffs. I'm just not super into this genre of rock.
alright. hair rock.
Fun Rock album.
Not really my thing but it’s undeniable they are great at what they do. I had no idea that 90% of this album was hits. Good for you guys!
Not bad. They’re very talented, but not making music I typically listen to. It’s one of those “If you love this, great! This music has value. Just not for me” bands.
Hooting and hollering with some cool guitar
6/10 better than the other rock ones so far!
🎸
Some great tracks in here, but even after giving it an honest listening, I truly can't get into metal. It doesn't excite me, doesn't click with me. I know it is technically impressive, and even talked to some friends about this album since I only have superficial knowledge on the genre - it's amazing tha Van Halen was able to revolutionize the way people play and listen the guitar, but I guess I'm one of those who his work couldn't reach or move.
finished the entire album and im still thinking about eruption........
This would be good to play to my dad to convince him I’m Darth Vader from the planet Vulcan. Anyway, pretty fun. The shooby-doo wah refrain made me laugh. Never fully grabbed me though.
A couple good songs.
Big hair rock.
kind of a weird one to rate because I think this is an extremely good version of what it is, but what it is I don't rate that highly the singles are great except when they aren't (Ice Cream Man sucks) and the album being a weird mix of guitar wanking and doo-wop influences and blues and pop metal and everything else genuinely is interesting but in my heart this is a three also sorry but I prefer Sammy Hagar over Diamond Dave any day
It’s alright.
Intéressant les backing vocals, je ne connaissais pas ça de Van Halen. Monstre à la guitare ofc.
I know of this band (guitarist) but never listened to more than one song in a row. So off to Wikipedia. David Lee Roth rewarded roadies $25 for every woman who came to him wearing a pass with the relevant roadie's initials on it? Charming. Runnin' With the Devil: my id has free rein, fair warning!! Eruption: tweedle weedle going nowhere. You Really Got Me: not nice. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love: ounds like they just want to dominate women. I'm the One: I can listen to this okay, it has some oomph, and gives a nod to doo-wop, this is my fave track so far. Jamie's Cryin': a date rape song. Feel Your Love Tonight: another rape song. Little Dreamer: decent riff and harmony vox. Zero interps volunteered as yet on Genius - I won't be the first. Ice Cream Man: not as good as Roth seems to think. On Fire: "Turn your radios on / I'll appear right there .... Lay your bodies down / I'm in your beds". Anyway, it's clearly Mix of Good and (very) Bad - 5/10. (Is that too generous for these schmucks? I do recognise that the guitar tone and tech were way influential, I'd just rather listen to music by grown-ups who have got over any testosterone high.)
Meh. A few bangers, but not great.
reminds me of childhood. knew most of the songs because we listened to this at home a lot.
it was nice, although not used to it
cool electric guitar
Kul začetek. Sam komad ( "Runnin' with the Devil") je... Fine? Js sm napačn človek, da bi bla impressed with a guitar solo ("Eruption"), zmer so mi bla druga glasbila v bandih ljubša. Ok, to sm se spraševala, če bo a cover, ko sem vidla naslov ("You Really Got Me") - and it is! Fajn cover. Začetek komada "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love" mi je ful všečen, se mi pa tud zdi, da me na nekej spomne, but I can't quite put my finger on it (na en komad iz Paranoid od Black Sabbath? - šla preverit, spomne me na začetek od "Fairies Wear Boots". Sicer na netu očitno noben drug tega ne sliš, tko da it might be just me.). "Ice Cream Man" ful izstopa, vsaj na začetku, k je res bluesovski vajb, sam po pa cover nardijo bolj svoj, k se pridruž cel band. Meh, will never listen to this again, ni blo pa horrible.
one of the only VH albums i dig
Solid guitar work. Can’t unhear David Lee Roth’s vocal for Runnin’ with the Devil.
Alright hair metal. Didn't know they had a cover of you really got me
Didn't do much for me, but appreciate the individual talent and the impact this had on 80s rock.
High energy, and some recognizable hits. Favourite track: You Really Got Me
I liked a lot of elements of this album but I can't say I loved every bit of it.
Some crazy guitar stuff going on here but I felt like it was a bit much at times. But at the same time I felt it was lacking something. Still, a good listen and there were some great tracks on this album.
I used to really like Van Halen but I feel like they don't quite hit the same anymore. This album sadly fell a bit flat and whilst I do love some of the songs I just don't think I can warrant giving it a 4.
Some of the best guitar bits in an album so far. Nice cohesive feel overall but a bit unmemorable
Едді звичайно легенда, з гітари іскри летять, але я особливо ніколи не був прихільником творчості гурту. Якісь самі пісні не видатні, просто непогані. Ще й 2 кавери на 11 пісень
middle school flashback!
The guitarwork is incredible, but outside of that, I don't think it really stands out that much among its hard-rock peers.
To be honest i didn’t enjoy it as much as i thought i would since its rock but there were a few songs i like but i don’t think this is a repeat
I get why this album is so regarded...I made it halfway through and tapped out. Great musicianship, very samey. Their Kinks cover absolutely sucks and I will die on this hill
3,5/5 Bem produzido e empolgante. A melhor música, porém, é um cover.
Not my cup of tea, but there's no denying that a certain guitarist slapped here
Not for me but can see how they are for others. 3/5.
Van Halen burst onto the scene this pop-influenced Heavy Metal-Lite. Success was inevitable, when the disaffected youth of America saw it as rebellion, rather than a very calculated grab at their money. Efficient, but not for me.
Mi-o plăcut chiar îi fain îi dau un 6/10
don't care
The album is at it's best when the songs are played fast, and at it's worst when they slow down a bit. I don't really care for David Lee Roth's vocals, but the Van Halens and Mike Anthony can play some good stuff when they want to. Really enjoy "I'm The One" with it's cheesy but endearing swing rhythm. One of those albums that, while historically significant, kind of pales in comparison to some of the many bands it would inspire afterward going into the 1980s. 7.5/10.
classic sports bar ambiance
Winter 3 but a Summer 5 Favorite Tracks: Runnin with the Devil, I'm The One, Feel Your Love Tonight, I'm on Fire
Not the best fan of van halen but i recognize their greatness especially on the guitar!
Never really listened to Van Halen before. Nice dad rock that carries some good guitar.
Van Halen is another band where if I could give the lead guitar a 5 I would but just can't get behind the 80s jams that accompany these fucking amazing guitar licks. Had I been 10-15 years older than I am I would have been all over this. I know for a fact seeing Eddie Van Halen play live would have given me multiple guitar orgasms. However me, an 80s baby, does not find as much joy in this.
Short and Sweet!
Favorite track was ice cream man
My life wasn’t changed
As a lot of reviews have mentioned, the band is full of great musicians. But that doesn’t make you a great songwriter 🤷🏻♂️ It’s a high energy album but that kind of self masturbatory guitar playing gets tired after a while!
Eddie Van Halen's guitar technique is amazing. The songs are okay but didn't grab my attention. The Darkness clearly drew inspiration from this album, and for that we should be grateful!
decent. Not really my thing though
intressant album där det dras lite mellan deras åttiotal, den engelska hårdrocken och bluesrock. väldigt intressant att bredda synen på bandet. och det klassiska riffet på Ain't talkin bout love... Barbershop-känslan på en av låtarna kändes väldigt apart dock
Me gustó, pero no 100% evocó algo lindo en mi más como un meh
Way better than 1984.
It's Van Halen! It's hard to judge these guys as the music and sound feels so normal these days. There music was fine, but there was nothing that really set me alight.
Feels like a drop off in quality after listening to Deep Purple recently. Some crunchy riffs, flashy solos, but it's just so commercial feeling. I feel like I need to clean myself after listening to this.
Hey i bet all the dads love it
Not a huge Van Halen guy, but their first few albums are pretty decent. Ain't Talking About Love is probably the highlight of this album for me.
Start mouth
I didn't know what this was. Heavy metal? Hair metal? Confusing.
A million curses to this album for the influence it had on the Glam Metal sound that plagued the 80s. However, Eddie Van Halen truly plays that thing like no other, and David Lee Roth brings a really enjoyable bravado to his vocal performance. It all comes together to a pretty fun record all round A couple stand out moments are of course Eruption, genuinely a piece of guitar playing art. Also the Doo-Wop breakdown in I'm The One was an insane choice and I lowkey loved it. Ice cream man is unlistenable. Fave track(s): 2 - Eruption / 9 - Little Dreamer Best Three Track Run: 3, 4, 5
Not really my jam. But it’s undeniably good. Or at least competent. (Side 1 is a fair bit better than Side 2.)
I've never really listened to Van Halen, apart from the well known songs, so this was a first to listen to a whole album. Overall, it's OK. Decent music and vocals. I didn't pay much attention to the lyrics though. Having said that, and this is probably sacrilege to Van Halen fans, I didn't feel that it was strikingly better than many albums of their contemporaries.
Never listened to this album before. I was surprised how many of the songs I had heard before. Kinda corny and I hate the guitar tone but it does rip at points
I felt quite conflicted with this one. I love heavy metal, though this leans already to hard rock. I don’t know why I found it a little boring despite Eddies sublime guitar playing and Roth’s amazing voice, put to good use on their cover of You Really Got Me.
Loved the love songs in the first half of the album. Don’t know if I’m right, but i think that Atomic Punk is the guy that slept with Jamie. Otherwise, I don’t see the reason of this song in this position.
So short, I listened twice and completed my 48 year reappraisal. Great cover of You Really Got Me, and Runnin' With The Devil leads you in nicely. Apologies to Jess M from VIth Form for me not being more receptive at the time. It's not that far from punk rock after all.
Made me smile on my way to work. Solid 3
You Really Got Me blows the gaff here; it's rock for folks that prefer pop. Feels like a platform for Eddie's guitar chops. Which are impressive if not my cup of tea. 3* for all the hours of scale practice Eddie did in his bedroom.
Not that I hate it, but I also don't love it
shokingly fun listen, and even though it came out in 78, it embodies early 80's
Four star album for EBH, two stars for DLR's weird bird singing. I probably should give it the 4 it deserves but I just can't.
It was alright. I feel like I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have. Fun and heavy I guess.
7/10
(Should be 3.5) Honestly a very good album. Van Halen simply isn’t my style of artist which is why he isn’t getting graded higher, otherwise he would. Was a little surprised by how many I knew. Favorite track: You Really Got Me
3 maybe leaning 2.5
Good- listened to over half the songs Favourite: Ain’t Talkin ’ ‘Bout Love
I've already listened a couple of songs from this album. I like the cover of Kinks and of course artificial harmonics that Eddie loved to do like the virtuoso guy. Not mine nowadays and then i was into that music however why not? Eventually, the best album in their discography.
Donne envie de danser un peu, meilleure écoute pour le moment
3.5 stars. Great album. So much fun to listening to. Definitely adding this one to my listening rotation.
The Van Halen brothers get all my stars for this album--Eddie is obviously a great guitarist, and Alex keeps a solid backbeat to sustain him. But I grew up watching and listening to David Lee Roth. He was obnoxious then and still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. His singing style fits the lyrics, but is he crucial to the band's sound? Nah. :) He was a dramatic frontman and crucial to their popular success, I get it. I just don't like his singing style.
Runnin' with the Devil brings the taste of light beer to my mouth....Eruption, a joint between my fingers....every track that comes afterward sounds like the music that I would make after drinking 12 light beers and smoking a few joints. In terms of guitar, my interest was piqued. The tone felt novel in some ways, especially with eruption. But then again, it wasn't "earth-shattering" as some would describe this album... 2.5, rounded up for "Ice Cream Man" and the variety that a little bit of blues adds to the album.
Its okay.. I'm a huge fan of softer rock most of the time, but I will say I listened to half of this album while taking a quick shower before bed. Honestly, I only liked one or two songs from the album, believe it or not, 'Jamie's Cryin and You Really Got Me. I think my biggest turn-off with this album is the vocalist. Don't get me wrong, he's not horrible. But it's that annoying nasally whine that I hate in male singers. Also, I need to remember that this was made in the 1970s, when music was actually evolving from the traditional rock 'n' roll you would hear in the 1960s or anytime before that. Okay, so I would give this Van Halen by Van Halen (heh hehhh) a decent 3/5. I'm not a huge knower of all music, but drums/guitar were pretty stable and unique. The blends of the instruments were obviously nicely placed and did keep :p
The first concert I ever went to was Van Halen (supporting their 1984 album) and I feel like despite it being for that album, they played the entirety of this one. Despite David Lee Roth's vocal wanking over the top of almost every song (except for, ironically, "Eruption"), the real voice of this album is Eddie Van Halen's guitar, and the second-most noteworthy thing being Eddie and Michael Anthony's harmonies. There are a ton of hits here, but none that I ever really loved. David Lee Roth is a visual performer, and his vocals in isolation are kind of terrible. The rhythm section lacks punch as well, never more apparent than on "Atomic Punk" and "On Fire" which want to sound more powerful than they are. The muffled sound of the drums annoys me in general. But for all my complaints, it's not a bad album or a chore to listen to, and I do prefer fun and zany DLR Van Halen to the serious versions that came later. They just didn't have enough of the elements that I enjoy out of hard rock, and the song's melodies weren't catchy enough to appeal to me from a pop perspective. But Eddie sure could play the hell out of a guitar, and 13-year old me really enjoyed them in concert.
I downloaded a best of Van Halen compilation in my teens, so it was really nice to get reacquainted with some of these. Eruption was a 5 star song back in my iPod smart playlist days. It was also a blast to hear Jamie's Crying and You Really Got Me again, as someone who finds Van Halen generally mid-tier, those few songs really hold their own weight. As far as the sound goes, ignoring how ahead of their time they were because this feels like a cemented '80s vibe and this is a late '70s debut, it's just ok metal with a really good guitarist. That's a mood, and it's generally what you hope for in a good rock band. I can live without this but I'm glad it exists. 3.2/5
Started off strong and I thought this album is cooking. Doesn’t hurt that my band in high school used to cover their version of you really got me. But then I just started getting bored with the guitar tricks. I know Eddie is awesome but I heard enough.
I had my first guitar class yesterday and so I find this fitting. The guitar playing is impressive. Van Halen is better than me at guitar. It’s still big cock dad rock but it speaks to me today and I appreciate it way more. High 3.
I enjoyed the guitar parts, but the lyrics easily dragged my rating now to a 3/5 for this album. Nothing special as far lyrics go for most songs, this is a definitely a product of its time lyrically. I have to say, I loved the surprise 'shoob-a-doob' section in one song, that was awesome. Nice cover of "You Really Got Me" and my favorite track was the opener, "Runnin' with the Devil".
cant go wrong with a classic
hm