Among revolutionary ock albums, Van Halen's debut often gets short shrift. Although it altered perceptions of what the guitar could do, it is not spoken of in the same reverential tones as Are You Experienced? and although it set the template for how ock & roll sounded for the next decade or more, it isn't seen as an epochal generational shift, like Led Zeppelin, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, or Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols, which was released just the year before. 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. The band did get better, tighter, over the years -- peaking with their sleek masterpiece 1984, where there was no fat, nothing untidy -- but everything was in place here, from the robotic pulse of Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen, to the gonzo shtick of David Lee Roth to the astonishing guitar of Eddie Van Halen. There may have been antecedents to this sound -- perhaps you could trace Diamond Dave's shuck-n-jive to Black Oak Arkansas' Jim Dandy, the slippery lues-less riffs hearken back to Aerosmith -- but Van Halen, to this day, sounds utterly unprecedented, as if it was a dispatch from a distant star. Some of the history behind the record has become ock lore: Eddie may have slowed down Cream records to a crawl to learn how Clapton played "Crossroads" -- the very stuff legends are made of -- but it's hard to hear Clapton here. It's hard to hear anybody else really, even with the traces of their influences, or the cover of "You Really Got Me," which doesn't seem as if it were chosen because of any great love of the Kinks, but rather because that riff got the crowd going. And that's true of all 11 songs here: they're songs designed to get a rise out of the audience, designed to get them to have a good time, and the album still crackles with energy because of it.
Sheer visceral force is one thing, but originality is another, and the still-amazing thing about Van Halen is how it sounds like it has no fathers. Plenty other bands followed this template in the '80s, but like all great originals Van Halen doesn't seem to belong to the past and it still sounds like little else, despite generations of copycats. Listen to how "Runnin' with the Devil" opens the record with its mammoth, confident riff and realize that there was no other band that sounded this way -- maybe Montrose or Kiss were this far removed from the lues, but they didn't have the down-and-dirty hedonistic vibe that Van Halen did; Aerosmith certainly had that, but they were fueled by blooze and boogie, concepts that seem alien here. Everything about Van Halen is oversized: the rhythms are primal, often simple, but that gives Dave and Eddie room to run wild, and they do. They are larger than life, whether it's Dave strutting, slyly spinning dirty jokes and come-ons, or Eddie throwing out mind-melting guitar riffs with a smile. And of course, this record belongs to Eddie, just like the band's very name does. There was nothing, nothing like his furious flurry of notes on his solos, showcased on "Eruption," a startling fanfare for his gifts: Steve Howe may have tapped before, but nothing like Eddie's fluid, lightning runs. He makes sounds that were unimagined before this album, and they still sound nearly inconceivable. But, at least at this point, these songs were never vehicles for Van Halen's playing; they were true blue, bone-crunching rockers, not just great riffs but full-fledged anthems, like "Jamie's Cryin'," "Atomic Punk," and "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love," songs that changed ock & roll and still are monolithic slabs of ock to this day. They still sound vital, surprising, and ultimately fun -- and really revolutionary, because no other band rocked like this before Van Halen, and it's still a giddy thrill to hear them discover a new way to rock on this stellar, seminal debut.
Say what you will about Van Halen now, but there was a day when they were the baddest, most imitated band on the planet. They made metal a music palatable even non adolescent boys (read: actual real live women!) and changed the face of what party rock was.While Van Halen is most known for the guitar virtuosity/pyrotechnics of Eddie Van Hallen, but I think this track will rove that ol' Diamond ...
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By Laura Snyder Fibbing is a fact of life. We're all genetically programmed to lie; we do it all the time. Studies have shown that most people lie once or twice a day - that's as much as you brush your teeth! - and over the course of a week, we deceive about 30 percent of those with whom we interact. And at no time is that more true than when he's trying to lure you into his bed. Have you heard...
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DANIA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - More tests will be necessary to determine the cause of Anna Nicole Smith's death, but no illegal drugs were found in her hotel room, officials said Friday. It's possible Smith's died of natural causes, because of some medication or from a combination of reasons, said Dr. Joshua Perper, the chief medical examiner for Broward County, who performed the autopsy. The autopsy...
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So? Whats Ya Fav Guitar, Guitarist, Amp, Cab, Style, EFX's ECT. ?P.S. Ya' don't Even have ta' be a Guitarist 2 play...Come One...Come All...I Got JustA'S Gott's 2 Know! I ain't No SnoB! I dig WaH GuiTar! I'M A FaN TuRned MusICiAn ThaTs AlL NuThaNg SpeaCiel Bout' Me's...|;^[)>
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The weird and wonderful world of guitar plank spankers! as this rare photo of Joe Walsh demonstrates during the 9000 minute extended guitar solo in Hotel CaliforniaThanks Fedge!http://mog.com/Fedge
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I can't recall the last time I heard this album straight through. Thanks to my torrential impulses, I was able to do so tonight. The extra day off tomorrow + the 1800 Aňejo also helped.I'm glad I did listen to this album straight through because it made me realize just how much I miss Van Halen.
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Zepplin Made Me Want To Pick up A Guitar...Harris And Butler Kicked My Ass And Made Me Want To Pickup Bass...Van Halen Beat The Fuck Outta Me Once Upon A Very Distant Time And Made Me Want To Put a Band To Gether!
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My first real "rock" experiences were KISS, Ted Nugent and AC/DC, but the first band that I ever was fanatical about was Van Halen. My bedroom back then was like a cave of Van Halen pitctures, cut out from Creem, Hit Parader, etc. Even my dad could get into Van Halen. He was into jazz and classical guitar and he was impressed when I played Eruption and Spanish Fly for him.I saw them in conce...
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Eddie Van Halen's red, white and black splatter-striped "Frankenstrat" guitar is one of the Van Halen leader's true signatures. In fact, it's so closely associated with the guitarist, Van Halen had the color scheme copyrighted in 2001. Now he's suing Nike because he says the sportswear giant put a similar design on one of their Dunk Lows sneakers, Spinner reports. In the lawsuit Eddie and his ...
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SIERRA MADRE, Calif. (AP) - A wildfire that broke out in a popular hiking area blackened the steep slopes of the foothills near Pasadena and forced mandatory evacuations for 300 homes, authorities said Sunday. Two hundred homes around Sierra Madre were evacuated Saturday night and residents from 100 other properties were told to leave Sunday, Elisa Weaver of the Arcadia Fire Department said, as...
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HISTORIC CONCERT TOUR MARKS FIRST OF ITS KIND FOR VAN HALEN IN 22 YEARSLOS ANGELES, CA -- August 13, 2007Beginning this September, in what promises to be the most exciting live tour this year, Van Halen will embark on a national concert tour throughout the U.S. and Canada with its original lead singer David Lee Roth for the first time in 22 years. Considered by fans and media alike as one of th...
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I don't even play freakin' guitar and I want one of these things.http://www.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/static/evh/index.html
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By Laura Snyder Fibbing is a fact of life. We're all genetically programmed to lie; we do it all the time. Studies have shown that most people lie once or twice a day - that's as much as you brush your teeth! - and over the course of a week, we deceive about 30 percent of those with whom we interact. And at no time is that more true than when he's trying to lure you into his bed. Have you heard...
More >
DANIA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - More tests will be necessary to determine the cause of Anna Nicole Smith's death, but no illegal drugs were found in her hotel room, officials said Friday. It's possible Smith's died of natural causes, because of some medication or from a combination of reasons, said Dr. Joshua Perper, the chief medical examiner for Broward County, who performed the autopsy. The autopsy...
More >
Zepplin Made Me Want To Pick up A Guitar...Harris And Butler Kicked My Ass And Made Me Want To Pickup Bass...Van Halen Beat The Fuck Outta Me Once Upon A Very Distant Time And Made Me Want To Put a Band To Gether!
More >
So? Whats Ya Fav Guitar, Guitarist, Amp, Cab, Style, EFX's ECT. ?P.S. Ya' don't Even have ta' be a Guitarist 2 play...Come One...Come All...I Got JustA'S Gott's 2 Know! I ain't No SnoB! I dig WaH GuiTar! I'M A FaN TuRned MusICiAn ThaTs AlL NuThaNg SpeaCiel Bout' Me's...|;^[)>
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Van Halen's cover of John Brim's Ice Cream Man is one of their most beloved covers and is a big part of their current live show. I won't give it away. But we all know Dave's not singing about frozen dairy confections, and neither was John.John Brim was a regular performer in the Chicago blues scene until his death in 2003. I once saw him play with some unknown singer on Halsted Street. Lord, th...
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This is the vocal track for Van Halen's Runnin' With the Devil. Anyone have any thoughts on what it should be played over?Let Diamond Dave lead the way...
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dave's obviously wasted..this is the classic shiznit right here..dig on it, my babies..
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My first real "rock" experiences were KISS, Ted Nugent and AC/DC, but the first band that I ever was fanatical about was Van Halen. My bedroom back then was like a cave of Van Halen pitctures, cut out from Creem, Hit Parader, etc. Even my dad could get into Van Halen. He was into jazz and classical guitar and he was impressed when I played Eruption and Spanish Fly for him.I saw them in conce...
More >
My new favorite time waster is a site that let's you be Diamond Dave, sort of. This site takes all the yells, squeals and some lyrics from the song and play around with them.There is no music on the site but I think this is even funnier. Maybe you can use on a confrence call.Check it out here: http://thetyser.com/I'm amazed at how many ways you can say AAAAWWWWW YYEEEAAAAHHHH.
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The weird and wonderful world of guitar plank spankers! as this rare photo of Joe Walsh demonstrates during the 9000 minute extended guitar solo in Hotel CaliforniaThanks Fedge!http://mog.com/Fedge
More >
I can't recall the last time I heard this album straight through. Thanks to my torrential impulses, I was able to do so tonight. The extra day off tomorrow + the 1800 Aňejo also helped.I'm glad I did listen to this album straight through because it made me realize just how much I miss Van Halen.
More >
| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Runnin' with the Devil |
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| 2 Eruption |
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| 3 You Really Got Me |
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| 4 Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love |
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| 5 I'm the One |
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| 6 Jamie's Cryin' |
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| 7 Atomic Punk |
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| 8 Feel Your Love Tonight |
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| 9 Little Dreamer |
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| 10 Ice Cream Man |
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| 11 On Fire |
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Click to purchase…
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 "Van Halen")
