Album of the day (#2589): 1984 by Van Halen

[albummaster]

Today's album of the day

1984 by Van Halen (View album | Buy this album)

Year: 1984.
Country:
Overall rank: 708
Average rating: 75/100 (from 428 votes).

Tracks:
1. 1984
2. Jump
3. Panama
4. Top Jimmy
5. Drop Dead Legs
6. Hot For Teacher
7. I'll Wait
8. Girl Gone Bad
9. House Of Pain

About album of the day: The BestEverAlbums.com album of the day is the album appearing most prominently in member charts in the previous 24 hours. If an album, or artist, has previously been selected within a x day period, the next highest album is picked instead (and so on) to ensure a bit of variety. A full history of album of the day can be viewed here.

[Fischman]

My name is Eddie Van Halen.

I'm the most popular guitar god in the world. But I'm getting bored with guitar, so I'll switch back to keyboards and integrate them into our adolescent LA glam rock. ... and it'll sell millions!

[mickilennial]

I hate this record.

[CharlieBarley]

I love this record, maybe not as much as their debut album but it has charm. OK it's more pop than metal but it's good. And Jump is one of my very favourite songs of the 80s.

[RockyRaccoon]

This is when Van Halen died
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2023 Chart

Early Psychedelic Rock

Electronic Chart

[AAL2014]

I have a soft spot for anything from the Roth era of Van Halen, but this album hasn't aged all that well for me. If I never hear Jump, I'll Wait, or Panama again, I'll be just fine. Hot For Teacher would be the same if not for the legendary drum mosaic pieced together by Alex. I do like Drop Dead Legs for it's powerful groove and riff though.
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Attention all planets of the solar federation: We have assumed control.

[RoundTheBend]

I can't stand the aesthetics of this band.

[rkm]

I think the age you are when you encounter an album, entirely determines if you're able to get on board.

I was 12 when this came out, and so the fact that Van Halen were completely adolescent suited me fine. And once an album makes its way into your brain, it's welcome to come and visit from time to time. The same year, I was really into Bryan Adams "Reckless", and it falls into the same category (although I still think it's a well crafted pop/rock album).

However, if I were younger and encountered these things in retrospect, I'd have much less tolerance for them, and zero understanding for why grown men were running around in spandex, for instance.

[RoundTheBend]

[rkm]

My liking for Van Halen has nothing to do with lyrics or songs or spandex, and everything to do with the energy of the music. Particularly on Van Halen I, the interplay between Eddie and DLR is just plain exciting, in an improvisational sense. The fact that there's no second guitar, and Eddie is pulling these crazy ideas off, and you never quite now if they're going to connect (like acrobatics), and yet somehow they do. It's exciting. There's still some of that on 1984, and his tone is flat out great, before 5150, when he embraced the Eventide Harmonizer.

DLR is over the top and ridiculous, but it gave the band energy. Sammy Hagar was capable and professional, but less exciting. Van Halen were never a band that could grow old and respectable.