Review Summary: Van Halen's FIRST, and, in my opinion, BEST album.
This is easily Van Halen's masterpiece. Naturally, a little bit of history is in order.
From their home in California, brothers Edward and Alex Van Halen were avid listeners of many late 60's and early 70's rock bands (The Doors, Cream, Led Zeppelin, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, ZZ Top, etc.). They were equally inspired by the funk of the time (James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, and many others). Although initially Edward would play drums and Alex would play guitar, they would eventually switch instruments. We all know what happened next.
Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth would eventually join, and the band would be christened Mammoth. But the name wouldn't last long, and the band would soon be christened in reference to some people's last names :P. So, the band would be doing a great many gigs, and would write quite a few songs, many of which ended up here.
Here's the line-up, for all those who need look:
Edward "Eddie" Van Halen: Guitar
Alex Van Halen: Drums
Michael Anthony: Bass
David Lee Roth: Vocals
The band opens up with the hit that made them popular: "Runnin' With the Devil". A VH classic, with two solos and a memorable riff, this song really sticks with you. While Eddie didn't really invent tapping, "Eruption" is a required listen for all those ambitious guitar players who wish to develop tapping skills. The cover of The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" is epic, and the band exceeds at making the song their own (Eddie's riffing is great here).
"Ain't Talkin' Bout Love" is a VH classic, and well known by fans. "I'm the One" was played often at club gigs before the band released this record. "Jamie's Cryin'" is a well known hit, but one of my least faves on the album. "Atomic Punk" is great, and very memorable, Roth really provokes the listener well here.
"Feel Your Love Tonight" may seem like a ballad, but it's really another rocker in the bunch, albeit a somewhat corny one (However, VH are skilled at pulling off corny songs without embarrasment). "Little Dreamer" is somewhat forgettable, but it leads on well to the last two songs. "Ice Cream Man" is an epic song about sex, and is well executed. "On Fire" is the epic finisher that leaves the listener either satisfied, or hungry for more.
The reason I love this album so much is because it shows the band at it's freshest. Eddie, though not the inventor of the two-handed tapping technique, manages to pull of some addictive riffs and solos. David Lee Roth shows off with a mayor attitude to match. Alex does very well in the drum parts; the only thing to criticize music-wise here is the bass, which isn't much (Anthony gets the job done, but there are better bassists out there). Still, I really love this record, and I think VH could never really make a better one.
So there you have it. The album that made VH a household name. A lot of people point to 1984, but i still prefer this one because, simply put, it has all the neccesary ingredients to rock out with pure abandon. A true rock n' roll classic.
