Everyone thought the smoking angel baby was the coolest thing they had ever seen
I wrote my favorite 100 cd list some time ago, but Number 45 seems real timely. So, at Number 45 is...
Van Halen - 1984 (1983)
After years of being the coolest heavy metal band (they were considered metal back then) in the land, the So Cal rockers figured out how to operate a synthesizer and hit the mainstream. With "Jump", the top party band hit #1 on the singles chart thanks to Eddie Van Halen's upbeat keyboard runs, David Lee Roth's rambling lyrics and a killer video that highlighted their high flying performance style.
1984 is often considered the album where Van Halen went pop and it is true that they seemed to figure out a few song hooks they didn't have before. But really what it came down to was the group finding focus in their songwriting. After Van Halen II (1979), the band seemed to shift back and forth between Eddie Van Halen's ambitions and David Lee Roth's whims. On 1984, the band members found a balance with each other where they could play to support the song, as opposed to endless guitar experiments (Fair Warning ) or jokes with monologues (Women and Children First).
In addition to the classic pop hit "Jump", the band registered three more hits off 1984. The classic rock smash "Panama" with it's pounding guitar riffs and party anthem chorus is the epitome of the Van Halen sound. Recent exposure in the movie ads for the film Superbad reflect it's endurance. The double bass drumwork, freewheeling guitar solo and spoken word verses to "Hot For Teacher" made it a must hear for all rock fans. Ominous, cold synths mark "I'll Wait" while Roth delivers one of his most memorable melodies in his career.
Even past the hits, the quality of the songwriting does not falter. "Drop Dead Legs" struts and swaggers to one of my favorite Van Halen riffs. "Girl Gone Bad" harks back to the classic Van Halen sound of the first album. "House of Pain" was in the bands songbook as far back as their earliest demos. And "Top Jimmy" has a loose groove and jokey manner to add to it's appeal.
To finish it off, the group is in top form on all fronts with Eddie Van Halen's flamethrower guitars and David Lee Roth's life-of-the-party attitude. 1984 placed the band on the top of the heavy metal kingdom with a big giant smirk on their face. At the time, no one would have guessed they would have to wait 23 years to see them play live again. But they are finally back, as demonstrated in the clip below. I hope they can keep it together long enough for me to see them!
Van Halen - 2007 rehearsal excerpts
Van Halen - 1984 (1983)
After years of being the coolest heavy metal band (they were considered metal back then) in the land, the So Cal rockers figured out how to operate a synthesizer and hit the mainstream. With "Jump", the top party band hit #1 on the singles chart thanks to Eddie Van Halen's upbeat keyboard runs, David Lee Roth's rambling lyrics and a killer video that highlighted their high flying performance style.
1984 is often considered the album where Van Halen went pop and it is true that they seemed to figure out a few song hooks they didn't have before. But really what it came down to was the group finding focus in their songwriting. After Van Halen II (1979), the band seemed to shift back and forth between Eddie Van Halen's ambitions and David Lee Roth's whims. On 1984, the band members found a balance with each other where they could play to support the song, as opposed to endless guitar experiments (Fair Warning ) or jokes with monologues (Women and Children First).
In addition to the classic pop hit "Jump", the band registered three more hits off 1984. The classic rock smash "Panama" with it's pounding guitar riffs and party anthem chorus is the epitome of the Van Halen sound. Recent exposure in the movie ads for the film Superbad reflect it's endurance. The double bass drumwork, freewheeling guitar solo and spoken word verses to "Hot For Teacher" made it a must hear for all rock fans. Ominous, cold synths mark "I'll Wait" while Roth delivers one of his most memorable melodies in his career.
Even past the hits, the quality of the songwriting does not falter. "Drop Dead Legs" struts and swaggers to one of my favorite Van Halen riffs. "Girl Gone Bad" harks back to the classic Van Halen sound of the first album. "House of Pain" was in the bands songbook as far back as their earliest demos. And "Top Jimmy" has a loose groove and jokey manner to add to it's appeal.
To finish it off, the group is in top form on all fronts with Eddie Van Halen's flamethrower guitars and David Lee Roth's life-of-the-party attitude. 1984 placed the band on the top of the heavy metal kingdom with a big giant smirk on their face. At the time, no one would have guessed they would have to wait 23 years to see them play live again. But they are finally back, as demonstrated in the clip below. I hope they can keep it together long enough for me to see them!
Van Halen - 2007 rehearsal excerpts
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