Van Halen
by Van Halen

It's very difficult to describe "Van Halen" (1978) via precedents: there's the unselfconscious attitude of The Ramones and virtuosic musicianship of Led Zeppelin, but it's filtered through blaxploitation films, Southern California skateboarding culture, and P.T. Barnum's Circus.

The bottom line is: "Van Halen" sounds like nothing that came before it. Its impact on rock and roll (particularly on rock guitar and the role of the frontman) is seismic, but to this day, misunderstood. Blame a generation of hapless imitators, (which is not the "sincerest form of flattery" when the imitators adopt the trappings rather than the substance;) or a decade of high profile music released under the name "Van Halen" that bears only slight resemblance to innovative original songwriting team's; or spandex made out of women's' undergarments. Regardless, "Van Halen" is one of rock n' roll history's game-changing debuts, indelibly - on par with the influence of "The Ramones," "Led Zeppelin," or "Are You Experienced?" (Edited)

It's one of those albums that blows your mind. How could these guys write so many standout songs for their first album. For many bands, the first album is an experiment of sorts, one in which they attempt to find exactly what they're going for and what they will eventually stick with. For Van Halen, however, they knew exactly what they wanted, they knew precisely what they wanted to sound like, and they had an incredibly impressive roster of songs to go with it.

From ~SMiLE~ 03/01/2013 15:16 | #66547 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Van Halen's 1978 outstanding debut is a collection of some of the most energetic songs of their career.
Eddie's outstanding blistering monster riffs are intermingled with the larger than life persona of gonzo frontman David Lee Roth's vocals. Veteran producer Ted Templeman capture their sound in its most frenzied state. Excellent backup vocal harmony. High-octane performance that create an invigorating, original sound.

A wild adrenaline rush from start to finish
An essential filler free hard rock album.

What's most amazing about this album is how it sounds absolutely nothing like anything that came before it.

Simply: the most original debut album by a major artist ever released.
Although generations of bands tried to copy this sound, doing VH a great disservice in the process, blaming Van Halen for glam metal is like blaming The Beatles for Justin Bieber.

It's a really solid album, especially considering it's Van Halen's debut album. All the songs are really good, although some personal favorites are Feel Your Love Tonight, Atomic Punk and Ice Cream Man. You Really Got Me is an amazing cover, with a memorable solo and it's the song that got me into the band.There are really no bad songs in the album, although it has some weak moments too, like I'm The One. It's undeniable that this band had style right from the beginning, although the lyrics can be pretty awkward sometimes, being too focused on women and sex. The sound of the album is amazing and the decision to have a single guitar track (most of the time) panned on one side really makes the album similar to a live performance, without losing the power of Eddie's playing. The rhythmic section is really strong: the bass is heavy and groovy and the drums really carry the songs at a fast pace.
The guitar playing is obviously amazing and it's the center of the album. Eddie's solos, which are what drew many fans into Van Halen will be remembered forever in Eruption, one of the best guitar songs of all time.