Listening to Van Halen: Van Halen, Part 2 

Early Van Halen. Oh yeah!!!!!

And can we pause for a moment and appreciate the awesomeness that is Michael Anthony, the most underrated bass players ever! ✌️

I bought this album in 1978... listened to it OVER and OVER. Got to see them live in 1980!! Blew my mind.

Fantastic, essential listening Jim. Wonderful. You owe it to yourself (and your ears) to listen to Van Halen II, Women and Children First as well as Fair Warning. The guitar landscape today currently sits as it does largely because of the guitar playing of Eddie Van Halen and the levels that he 'unlocked'. Easily belongs in a rarefied, exclusive echelon of guitar players to ever walk this earth.

You nailed it again...this was the bridge. In my comment on your Part I, I said this album changed the game. That's exactly what it did.

The early records are definitely the best overall, but if you wanna give some of Van Halen's stuff with Sammy Hagar a listen I can heartily recommend For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. Not a duff song on the record, it sounds IMMENSE and it opens with Ed playing the guitar with an electric drill. 5150 is also great, and their final record (with Dave again) A Different Kind Of Truth is a really special capstone to an extraordinary band and a virtuoso.

Keyboards don’t show up until And The Cradle Will Rock from their 3rd album Women And Children First (1980) and always played Eddie. He was a very accomplished pianist.

A historic album that holds a special place in my heart and in the unofficial debut album hall of fame. 🔥

My All-time favorite band. Their first 6 albums with Roth are incredible.... My favorite album is Fair Warning. It's darker and more experimental....The Sammy Hagar year's are pretty good as well but kind of a Van Halen Lite....Good work!

Michael Anthony’s background vocals are just completely amazing! His high 1st tenor voice is off the charts! What a big part to the total VH sound.

You should listen to the entire VH catalog. Their songs are amazing and the deep cuts are incredible!! They set the template for the Bon Jovi’s and Def Leppard’s and Motley Crue’s that followed. These guys were the total package. The link between early metal and the 80s scene. The second album..unreal!! Enjoy! 🤟🤟

The next album VH II is also a great album to check out! Eddie took the guitar to a new level in hard rock and metal and deserves all the praise he received! The rest of the band was great as well…

Yes, the way they set it up in Sunset Sound Studios was they had Eddie’s guitar in the left channel and put the ambiance from the echo chamber of it into the right channel.

EVH's guitar tone is unique, and instantly recognizable. Often imitated, never duplicated perfectly. From the beginning , he customized all his guitars hence the reference to his " Frankenstein guitar" ( seriously, google the image of his "original" to see what I mean). When asked to describe his tone , Eddie called it the " brown sound" . Aggressive , brash, but still maintaining a warmth in the overall sound. It's really the secret sauce. Also , remember, at this time ,much of the guitar technique and fluidity you are hearing Eddie play were completely "brand new" to almost anyone , anywhere. Certainly to the mainstream listening audience. Without the internet ,or easily accessible video , most people couldn't figure out HOW he was doing it. Today? No mystery at all¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯.....

I absolutely ♥ ♥ ♥ Van Halen s first 5 albums. And unlike many artists, the rest of their catalog has some really good tracks.

They did bridge the 70s and 80s. They were the band that all hair metal bands aspired to be.

Absolutely loved this album

I vividly remember this album coming out, and yeah, it changed the world of rock 'n' roll forever. Once word caught on, every single guitar player I knew stopped whatever they were doing and spent hours trying to mimic Eddie's various playing techniques. I would put this in league with the first albums by groups such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, etc. since they actually had the power to alter the way the majority of guitarists played / learned to play from that point in history forward. Glad you finally discovered this "new' band, Jim. :)

Thx Jim, It's been a while since I listened to this whole album. Favorite song: I'm The One. What a missle ride that song is! 🤯

Hey brother what's up! You are totally right about this album Bridging the late seventies into the 80s. This album basically created the sound of the 80s every Hollywood Hair Band try to sound like Van Halen. Even the European bands had to put that flare in there. Check out Van Halen2,Women & Children first. These two albums have a very live sound and feel to them especially on vinyl. You rock! God bless you! Peace!

It's funny you mention the vocal like guitar on the song Jamies Cryin. That's exactly what the rapper Tone Loc thought when he sampled the guitar part and the repeating drum fill in the song for his song Wild Thing which became a big hit in the early 90s.

My favorite VH song, little dreamer! Great memories, thanks!

Guitar panned hard left and then a reverb of that same signal panned hard right essentially creating a stereo like depth

The greatest thing about Van Halen is they sound like they're from Southern California! Forgot to add, I was born and raised in Southern California. I've been to a lot of places they used to play when they were coming up. Especially Hollywood.

You will know Van Halen before we're done with you. And you will thank us. Oh, I forgot, RIP Edward Van Halen. He passed away in 2020 from throat cancer at the age of 65. Anyway, be watching.

Second album is great too. And I bought the album Balance (1995) which has some cool songs too. I grew up with Deep Purple, Rainbow and all those other seventies (mostly European) hard rock bands. That was my kind of music. Hard rock evolved into all the genres of heavy metal. I especially like bands like Iron Maiden. Good singing and great guitar riffs.

If you go in order, you will appreciate the anticipation of a new VH album coming out Getting to me at 15 years old and "fair warning" coming out. That included "sinners swing" and "dirty movies". My fav VH love songs. :) Cheers.

This album is phenominal! Van Halen is becoming popular among young people today which just shows that rock and roll will never die!

This album was released on February 10, 1978. The following day, the Billboard Top Ten was: 1. Stayin’ Alive-BeeGees 2. Short People-Randy Newman 3. (Love Is) Thicker Than Water-Andy Gibb 4. We Are The Champions- Queen 5. Just The Way You Are- Billy Joel 6. Sometimes When We Touch- Dan Hill 7. Baby Come Back- Player 8. Emotion- Samantha Sang 9. Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah)- Chic 10. How Deep Is Your Love- BeeGees How utterly terrifying must this band have been in this context?! They were somehow a product of their boogie-rock past and simultaneously light years ahead of their time. Greatest rock debut ever IMO. The sheer swagger, abandon, and viscera on this album is unmatched by anything else I’ve ever heard on a debut, much less in most bands’ entire careers.

Thanks for talking over Eddie's best solos on the best song on the album, I'm the One.

A lot of people have tried to categorize VH into a genre….one of the best I’ve heard is “Southern California Party Rock”…..but I prefer to refer to their music simply as Van Halen. They are unique, due in large part, of course, to Eddie’s playing….which changed the way people looked at and played guitar! One of the greatest debut rock albums of all time!

Jim, this is good old Rock and Roll. For yet another experience from the early 70’s, you need to listen to REO Speedwagon REO Two. Straight forward good music that didn’t a lot of play time other than Golden Country. Excellent album, definitely one of their best! Thanks for all you do. I’m still holding out for Transatlantic-Kaleidoscope. You won’t be disappointed!

I really enjoyed listening along to this with you. I think that you are absolutely right about the album forming a bridge between 70s and 80s rock. If you want to listen to more VH, then “1984” is their poppiest album and has some astonishing guitar solos. “Fair warning” is their hardest-edged album, and the introduction to the song “Mean streets” is one of the most extraordinary moments of guitar playing ever recorded- it sounds like nothing else before it.

Hey Jim, there were 2 immensely influential band that came out in the 70s; Montrose in 1973 and Van Halen in 1976. Interestingly, the singer from Montrose took David Lee Roth's place in VH, Sammy Hagar. I highly suggest that based on your loving the 1st VH album, please listen to the 1st Montrose album too.

You should totally do more Van Halen!! Work your way up through the Roth Era (Van Halen 1 through 1984), all of those albums are great and worth a listen!

The second album is even better...

My old cover band did some Van Halen because our guitarist could handle Ed. Ice Cream Man was a fan favorite for sure, and I loved singing Dave songs!

Still waiting for Van Halen's fourth album "Fair Warning" reaction Jim. When you get a chance of course. And by that I mean NOW!!!

I think Eddie probably prompted more people to want to learn to play the guitar than any guitarist before and maybe since. Jimi probably would have done the same had guitar manufacturing been at the same level as what it became during Eddie's time, but to be fair, a lot of the advances in electric guitar manufacturing were themselves directly in response to Eddie's playing.

Jim, This is the future speaking ...You'll be well versed in Van Halen by 2024. 🎸🗽📻

This album, AC/DC's "Powerage" and UFO's "Strangers In The Night" were in heavy rotation for me in '79 and the early '80s. Would love to see you do a reaction to Strangers In The Night - the greatest live rock album ever recorded in my opinion.

Jim do "Women and Children First" or "Fair Warning." Either one is excellent.

Hey Jim! Blood pressure is high. Been on meds for over 25 years. Working on a game plan with my Dr to get it back down. Probably will have to adjust meds. That is your medical update for today!🎵🎼🎶👍😎

Must go to Van Halen II album, you will keep to be surprised.

Take a listen to the Fair Warning album a banger. Best whises from Sweden.

He nails exactly the impact Van Halen's first album had on rock guitar when he comments during On Fire. Joe Bonamassa said about Eddie Van Halen, " only a handfull of guitarists are known as the beginning of an era. Rock guitar pre Eddie Van Halen and rock guitar post Eddie Van Halen. The influence this one man had on rock music and guitar playing cannot be measured. Yet the definitive line is drawn when Van Halen 1 was released. Accomplished guitarist's heard sounds that they did not know what it was or what instrument made them. And of course it was Eddie Van Halen's guitar minus the intro to Runnin With The Devil which was slowed down car horns. After that, it was likely Mr. EVH. Love you and miss you bro big time man!☠💀☠ You made the struggle an enjoyable adventure.

Not only did they use very few overdubs, but their backup vocals sounded damn near as good live as they did in the studio. This really was the first "eighties" hard rock album. These guys weren't "metal" so much as So Cal party rock cranked up to 11 (Spinal Tap reference 😁). Van Halen's first album was truly groundbreaking. On Eruption, Eddie was basically screwing around in the studio and Ted Templeman thought it would be great idea to record it. Yeah, I'd say that was a good call.

Hey Jim, VH primarily has a Californian rock sound, the entire West Coast is a musical land all to itself. Just look up the bands from CA and they all have a groove with some Santana/Beach Boys/Doors/GnR mix. Short rockin sing along music is good for the brain sometimes. Prog is my first girlfriend but I'm glad to have dated other girls.🗽😎🎸 Onto VH 2👍

I always kinda liked that bluesy undertone to Little Dreamer. Atomic Punk must not have done well here. I can't recall ever having heard it, whereas I've heard all these other tracks dozens of times. Side note, it sounds like your audio balance is better today. Your voice was a bit buried yesterday. 🙂

Song 6 I guess Janies crying is that’s what it’s called loved the swagger an feel of it and the beach boys harmonies not a fan of the singer though I can’t imagine anyone else singing it I also love the guitar vocals wah wah.. 7 Atomic punk luv the guitar scratching intro no idea what he was singing if didn’t like this song at all 8 Feel your love tonight my side 2 fave good rhythm and feel love the beach boy singing and a great sing along chorus 9 Little dreamer great swagger not sure on it though 10 ice cream I get it it’s a kinda blues song turn into a van Helen rock extravaganza it’s fits the singers voice preferred it as a blues song than the rock n roll it went into though it had some great guitars that didn’t really fit in it was like overkill reminds of the scenes in that back to the future movie where can’t remember his name but he over plays the guitar and the audience is shockingly silenced and I think he says too soon or summit 11 on fire def a on fire rock song and the best way to end the album does have that 70’s classic bands sounds Loved your bridging the gap analogy sounds about right to me but I have little knowledge on 70’s and 80’s Side 1 was better I give this side a 3 out of 10 best song def feel your love tonight def keeping that one good 1st van Halen listen for me thanks Uncle Jim

Tone Loc sampled Jamie’s Cryin’ in his song Wild Thing.

You are like the best D.J. ever !! You put the song on say the songs name and..... enjoy the freaking music 🎶

For me side 1 I prefer more then 2, but that is personal.

I kinda say it a different way. There’s the world before Van Halen and the world after.

I enjoy lots of music including prog, electronic, rock etc. When this came out it blew me away, in my opinion, they never bettered this debut and the next album was a major disappointment.

Is there a better cover anywhere?

Dude, if you're gonna Comment, STOP the Video, then hit the "J" key on the Keyboard, to go Back 10 Seconds!!!

Running your mouth during Ed's solo during ON FIRE should be illegal and grounds for deportation.

I saw Van Halen support Black Sabbath in 1978 and was certainly impressed with David Lee Roth but the band...not so much. Knowing the rifftastic stuff to come from the headliners, I found VH to be rather generic, very American sounding hard rock. The legend goes that they blew Sabbath off the stage but not for me. The setlist was probably mostly from this album but I can't confirm that as nothing really stuck in my mind other than DLR's stagecraft. Still sounds rather meh to me.

If someone has a problem with you playing Van Halen, I believe they need they’re head examined LOL Just Sayin, Van Halen is iconic, with David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar, the more the better brother, luv it, you just eared a subscriber. ✌🏽🤟🏽✌🏽🤟🏽

If you enjoy Ren, you should listen to these great songs, Ren with his band The Big Push, and the song is - I shot the sheriff/Road to Zion/Hip Hop - AND - War Pigs -- great covers - his music -Chalk Outlines - Humble - Power - The Hunger - Sick Boi - Money Game part 1 & 2. I’ll put it this way, I haven’t disliked one of his songs yet, and I’m on my 15th song, so I guess I’m suggesting to dive down a REN RABBIT HOLE 🕳 You’ll be glad you did, the kid is amazing.