That’s the problem with society nowadays people let politics control their lives and forgot how to have a sense of humor or to enjoy life. Keep up with the awesome work Pete. Loving these series
Yeah, I don't understand why certain people have to bring politics and their personal beliefs into everything. And I'm sitting over here apolitical and wondering what the heck happened to society and why these people can't just chill out and stop with the social justice nonsense. They act like it's their responsibility to police everything and everyone, it's really ridiculous.
I've become a big Sammy fan just in the last year. Maybe its the depressing covid times but I really dig these pop / hair metal albums of the 80s more than when I was younger and into strictly speed metal. The Roth era is still beyond classic but its great to hear another version of VH that I long ignored and all the amazing song writing / hit machine making. RIP Eddie he was a guitar god. What a good run.
I loved all of the Roth era albums but "Women and Children First" was the one I played air guitar to most when I was a kid. To me, it was their best. I just pulled it out and listened to it, not to rock out, but to listen with a critic's ear paying attention to the song structures, the lyrics, etc. to see if I still feel the same way. Conclusion: Its better than I even thought. There is such creativity and diversity in the songs, not a bad tune on it and it just rocks. Still #1 in my book.
As time has passed, I have come to appreciate Damn Yankees more and more. It didn't seem very groundbreaking at the time. But, the combination of Ted's guitar and Tommy's and Jack's harmonies is amazing.
Great list! I’m with you on the top 3 VH albums. As far as Nugent, screw the haters. Wear the damn shirt if you wanna. He was a helluva musician, showman, and composer.
My personal list and I love both Dave and Sammy (no bad albums, except VHIII isn't very good): 1. Van Halen II 2. Van Halen (debut) 3. 1984 4. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge 5. 5150 6. Fair Warning 7. Women and Children First 8. OU812 9. Diver Down 10. A Different Kind of Truth 11. Balance 12. Van Halen III Also, Ted Nugent ROCKS!
@@tdunph4250 Well, as Pete says nearly every episode, we all hear things differently and if your ranking is different, that's a-okay. I still like WACF but I often find myself listening to For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge more of the time. I always liked that album, plus I saw them on that tour so I'm sure that influences my ranking.
@@TheInceptum that's what blew my mind about this album tbh.. Experimental sounds that I hadn't ever heard before! Sunday Afternoon in the Park is like Van Hallens take on Dub Step (a dance genre) but 30 years earlier!!! 😂 It's genius imho.. Such a great album.
Thanks Pete! Nugent Stranglehold one of my favorite albums ever - went to concert at Tarrant County Convention Center in 76 I think and he was banned from playing there because crowd was lighting brooms on fire and throwing them around - melted a chair in the Star Telegeam write up - crazy memories 🙃
Fair Warning is my fav all time, followed by VH1, VH2, and Women and Children First. Van Hagar is a different sound, hard to rank with the original lineup.
Here here! Fair Warning is the masterpiece of Van Halen to me too. They just added this element of darkness somehow that they didn't have before and I even mean beyond the down tuning
Fair Warning is the greatest American Hard Rock Album ever released. Better than Appetite, better than Rocks etc.....All 5 DLR era albums sans Diver Down are the best American Hard Rock albums ever though. From 69-77 Zeppelin were the best HR band in the world From 78-84 it was VH.
Before the internet, I always thought I was an outcast for listing Fair Warning as my favourite. After the internet, I realized there's a pretty hefty portion of the fanbase who agrees.
Right with ya, Pete. Van Halen’s debut is just amazing! Arguably the best debut from a American rock band. Beyond stellar. I also agree that Balance is best of the SH era.
Thanks for the "no-politics" stance, Pete. How sad you have to even take the time to address this stupidity. Just goes to show that if someone wants to be offended, they'll find a way..ya know? 😉 Music is the medicine!
@@malco49 - I disagree! Just because someone likes Ted Nugent's music does NOT mean that he or she is pro Second Amendment, or is an NRA member!! For me, I love Uncle Ted's music AND I'm a pro Second Amendment supporter! Conversely, I don't hate Roger Water because he hates Trump! I love Pink Floyd, and Roger Water's contributions! Yes...I despise Roger Water because he pushes his anti-Trump bullshit at his concerts! I wish that he'd shut the fuck up and play!!! Just play the music and ENJOY THE FUCKING MUSIC! Everything doesn't need to be so goddam political, especially with this fucking Coronavirus wrecking havoc in this world right now!
@@billyreynolds4749 ehh i think the problem becomes when musicians or artists etc make bold political statements in general in certainly colors the way the music taken.
Mitchell Feldstein not if you separate the art from the artist. You can admire an artist’s work and love what he’s achieved without agreeing with everything he says. There’s the person and the work of the artist. You can not care about one but love the other. It’s a really simple concept.
@@lennoxmate4064 simple concepts are not always the best concepts. extreme political views ( on either end of the spectrum) certainly will color the perception of that artist and attract like minded individuals that agree with them.but it's all good thanks for showing interest in my post! and i don't want to stray to far afield from pete's desire to keep his channel about the music.
"He's a great guitar player, but I'm more impressed by his recent songwriting and keyboard work. I think he's going to be remembered-he could be the next Cole Porter." Blackmore about EVH, circa '91
Pete, you definitely handled the " Ted Nugent T-Shirt" issue great and I'm with you. Great RU-vid channel, and no BS politics talk, just a very solid music ranking and such!!!! #1 album 5150, song Humans Being!!!!!
I will always defend Diver Down. Maybe it just holds a lot of good memories for me, but I put it on the other day after not hearing for many years and still thoroughly enjoy it. In a way, it kind of bridges their style from harder edged earlier stuff to what they accomplished with 1984. Full Bug, Little Guitars and Secrets definitely show that balance between hard rock and catchy pop. Hang ‘em High is probably more in the vein of their earlier stuff like I’m the One. As far as the covers, I think they’re totally solid, even if it may seem like they are straining at times to repeat the magic of You Really Got Me. I’ve always loved how Intruder creates a tension that breaks when the Pretty Woman riff kicks in. Very cool. Dancing in the Streets is the one I could do without. The sillier one-two of Big Bad Bill and Happy Trails showcases the humor of Schmaltzy Dave which hadn’t yet worn out its welcome and was hitting its stride; at the time, we all loved him for it. The Little Guitars into is wonderful even if it’s kind of like Spanish Fly II, and I’ve always found Cathedral to be a majestic little instrumental, even if it gains much by watching Eddie perform it (but what didn’t?). Is it my favorite? No. Van Halen II is. But, I would rather listen to it than anything post 1984.
Spot on Pete! Love yourchannel along with my 450 plus albums, Love your rant! Also spot on. I'm 64 yrs. Old from mn. Alot of my friends are enjoying you! Keep it up , your love of music shows and that's what I'm sure everyone is enjoying. Keep on Truckin !
Ted Nugent was one of the few rock stars who never had a drug or alcohol problem. I always admired him for that when so many rock legends have died because of substance abuse. Plus his 70's albums were great.
Great stuff Pete. Fully agree with what you said about politics. Shame then that there are so many comments below from folk telling us what politics they support. R.I.P. Eddie Van Halen 1955-2020.
AWESOME!!!! This is one I've been dying for! Thanks Pete!!! Wonder what Butch thinks about this list and his favorite VH II coming in second lol and...no need to apologize to the trolls...Nugent rocks! Thanks for these continuous killer videos!
Pete, I love your Videos, and thank you for taking the time to put so much thought and intelligence into what you do for us! :) I wanted to put forth a suggestion. It would be REALLY super cool to do a piece on one of the most underrated and almost forgotten about Guitarists/Musicians from the '70s - Ronnie Montrose. From his groundbreaking work with Sammy Hagar with MONTROSE, do his excellent GAMMA project, then onto his list of very tasty and eclectic Progressive Instrumental phase beginning with "Territory" and "Open Fire", then later on with "Speed of Sound" onward until he passed, I truly think Ronnie more than deserves a mention here. Sadly, it seems that only people here in the Bay Area even talk about him anymore. Thanks for listening Pete! Peace, man :-)
Can we just give a huge thanks to Pete for putting out so much content? Out of all my subscriptions, this is the one that's giving me the most new stuff consistently.
The beauty of this channel Pete is that it is about music and not about politics. I too loved Ted’s music back in the day. Regardless of his politics it’s his music that I enjoy.
Jeez, man, people really have a hard time separating the music from the artist. If the artist isn’t the greatest person but the music is still fantastic, then just pay attention to the music and don’t focus on the person themselves. Whatever, that’s my rant. Time to get into the list. Van Halen has always been somewhere around my top 10 bands of all time. Right now, they may be just outside my top 10, being displaced by Thin Lizzy, UFO, and Blue Öyster Cult. But I’ve only heard the early David Lee Roth era stuff, so I can’t rank anything after 1984. So here’s my list. 6. Diver Down Rating: 7.4/10 Favorite Song: Hang Em High Comments: Yeah, a lot of the songs are throwaways, but I don’t mind the album at all. “Hang Em High” is totally killer and “Where Have All the Good Times Gone” is a fun cover song. I like the covers of “(Oh) Pretty Woman” and “Dancing in the Street.” “Big Bad Bill” is extremely stupid, but I like that the band knew that the song was bad and embraced it, just having fun with it. And I like “Happy Trails” because they don’t take it seriously. Again, not great but it’s fun for what it is. 5. 1984 Rating: 7.8/10 Favorite Song: Panama Comments: Eh, I’m just kinda tired of this one. There’s not really a bad song on it, but very little on the album truly grabs me. Never need to hear “Jump” again, except for the admittedly great guitar solo. “Top Jimmy” is fun, but it feels less natural to me than a lot of the fun stuff from earlier Van Halen. Actually, that’s how I feel with pretty much every song on this album: Fun, but not as much as earlier Van Halen. “Panama” is my favorite song on the album and the only one I actively go back to and enjoy as much as stuff from the debut through Fair Warning. 4. Fair Warning Rating: 8.0/10 Favorite Song: Mean Street Comments: My opinion on this album changes all the time. I really need to be in the right mood in order to like it. Recently I haven’t been in the right mood, so it’s just sitting down here at number 4. 3. Women and Children First Rating: 8.7/10 Favorite Song: Everybody Wants Some!! Comments: Now this album I always enjoy. Everything on here is great, from the killer opening track “And the Cradle Will Rock...” to the crazy “Everybody Wants Some!!” to the odd “Loss of Control” to the sweet “Could This Be Magic?” Everything is great here. 2. Van Halen II Rating: 9.5/10 Favorite Song: Bottoms Up! Comments: This is probably the most fun Van Halen album. It’s wild, it’s energetic, and it’s hard rock. I didn’t think much of this album until I set a Van Halen playlist to shuffle and “Somebody Get Me a Doctor” came on. From there on, Van Halen II has been one of my favorite albums of all time. The only songs I don’t really care for on here are “Dance the Night Away” and “Women in Love,” with the latter possibly being my least favorite Van Halen song from the first 4 Van Halen albums. But as a whole, the album is awesome and the good definitely outweighs the bad. 1. Van Halen Rating: 10/10 Favorite Song: Ain’t Talkin’ ‘bout Love Comments: Do I even need to explain? It’s perfect. Yeah, there are a couple songs I don’t need to hear ever again (“Runnin’ with the Devil” and “Jamie’s Cryin’”) but even those are such classic songs that I can’t fault the album for having them. This album is a textbook for guitarists, with “Eruption” still being a rite-of-passage of sorts for metal guitarists. I still can’t play it, but maybe someday... nah, probably not. “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘bout Love” is my favorite Van Halen song, both to listen to and to play on guitar, and I’m still trying to figure out how Eddie made those sounds on “Atomic Punk.” The album is just perfect.
Nugent is an awesome human being. He made some great music back in the day. People are just haters because they are out of their minds and can’t get along with people who have political differences. Keep on doing what you do I love how people talk about hunting as killing and then go to a drive through burger stand. Brilliant
I don’t knowvthe man personally, but he says a lot of controversial crap to get attention. If you know him and he is a decent man, then, okay. But based on what he says in the media and interviews, he is the biggest douchebag piece of shit.
1) Van Halen II 2) Van Halen 3) Fair Warning 4) Women and Children First 5) 1984 6) A Different Kind of Truth 7) 5150 8) OU812 9) For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge 10) Diver Down 11) Balance 12) Van Halen III As far as Ted Nugent goes, I saw him live in 2017... he and his band thoroughly rocked the place! Awesome stuff! As for personal beliefs, opinions and things he says or does... I may or may not agree with any of it, but I do like it when anyone riles a lot of people! Lol. Especially these days with all of the thin skin walking around. Anyway, great list, Pete. You keep em comin and we'll keep watchin em! 🤘
Roth has a wild, poweful style that fit more with the VH first era, in my opinion the band created the best material. And from Eddy what I say.....: one of the most great musicians of all time. His best perfomances came from this period. And excellent band.
Way underrated. Completely different from the early stuff and some songs with more "mature" songwriting, but despite that or maybe even because of that I love it. And of course Eddie's guitar playing is absolutely amazing on that album, especially his rhythm work. And Not Enough has to be one of the best Van Halen guitar solos of all time
You shouldn't have to say it, but I'm glad you did anyway. This channel is about music. And, if we're gonna boycott great music based on the artist's politics or personal life, we're gonna miss out on a ton of great music. And, where would we draw the line. People, keep it about the music.
Fair warning is my all time fave.. I like how house of pain was on 1984, being a song from the gene simmons demo in the 70s Cool concert story saw them on the diver down tour 12 yrs old. The insanity i saw, well i walked to the front of the barricade when they walked of stage, then they came out to do happy trails, but before they did the the security sat me and this other kid on the stage so i was there literally sitting there right there looking up at them very wild n great concert memory, my 3rd concert ever next to elo n tull
Always been wanting to listen to Van Halen for years and I don’t regret it now that I’ve binged the whole shebang. Personally, my rankings are: 1. Van Halen 2. Van Halen II 3. 1984 4. Fair Warning 5. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge 6. Women and Children First 7. A Different Kind of Truth 8. 5150 9. OU812 10. Diver Down 11. Balance 12. Van Halen III 1-3 are a given, when you think Van Halen you’ll mention songs from those three albums. Despite the Van Hagar era being lower on my list, I love the era and I think out of the two Sammy will always be the better vocalist for the band (no disrespect for Diamond Dave, he’s a great charismatic showman). Really consistent discography here, would be perfect if VH3 was scrapped but the bookends make it a nearly flawless package 9.5/10
Good stance, Pete. Besides, in America, Ted is free to hold his extreme conservative stance as much as anyone can hold an extreme liberal stance...or anything in between for that matter. It's what makes America America, folks. Wear what you'd like, Pete- unencumbered !! BTW, Little Guitars is my fave VH track.
Nugent made some of the best hard rock albums of the 70's, was HUGE. Im with Pete. No politics. VHII Van Halen Fair Warning Women And Children First Diver Down
Well said about Nugent. Just a request to rank my favorite band Aerosmith. Maybe just there early stuff if you don’t want to hit all of their later stuff just a thought, keep up the great work stay healthy.
Great call ! Absolute Van Halen brothers jam ... Eddie's keyboard work is coming out , Alex rattles that boxy snare and The Man pulls the harmonics out of everywhere on the neck and Mike ties it in .. then they launch into " Pretty Woman " ! Id love to have heard them jam it live ;
Their studio outtakes and jams for Diver .Down must have been incredible. Listening to Eddie and Alex work on the songs for 1984 is an experience of stunning genius.
Long time subscriber love everything man. I’m 23 and van Halen is my #1 band all time. My ranking 1. Van Halen ll 2. Women and children first 3. Van Halen 4. Fair warning 5. 1984 6. 5150 7. OU812 8. For unlawful carnal knowledge 9. Diver down 10. Balance 11. Different kind of truth 12. Van Halen lll
I agree with you 100% on the top 4!! Only exception is that VH1 is probably always #1 for me. The other 3 could change in order on any given day. Absolutely love your channel Pete!!
I'm with you 100% on Nugent dude! He made me pick up the guitar in the first place and I'll always love his peak era in the 70s and a lil bit in the early 80s. Even saw him in concert in 2000, but I disagree with his beliefs and i, like you separate the two from each other.
Michael L Rakes mate, I wish I could do that. I haven’t listened to state of shock for years.... you’ve got to pretend your face is a Maserati is probably the best line in rock n roll, but I haven’t listen to wango for years.
If Nugent was a minor talent without any truly memorable songs, I'd probably toss his cds. But he is a one-of-a-kind guitar god that was a huge presence in the second half of 70s hard rock with dozens of songs that will always be stuck in my brain. I'll never see him in concert again because I won't sit and listen to his insane bullshit, but the music is classic -- and irreplaceable.
When I heard "Humans Being" I thought damn they have perfected rock. I never would have guessed they would only release 2 studio albums over the next 20+ years.
Thanks again for the vid Pete! Born in the 80s, grew up in the 90s but for some reason never got into Van Halen, prob was a bit too young for it. But every now and then feel tempted to buy a couple of those old ones. Always interested in hearing which ones are the abs cream. Keep up the good work and ignore the disses. Nothing wrong with wearing a Nugent shirt.
Diver Down is one of my favorite VH albums though objectively I can see why its flawed. It has great songs "Secrets", Little Guitars"....but then there is the cover tunes and the whole thing sounds unfinished or put together too quickly.
people get triggered at the drop of a gd dime anymore. stop giving them this much rant time!! ignore the ignorant. you are not running a social justice network. you are giving us a platform to discuss THE MUSIC. peace out
i just watched a question and answers show from last year!!! thought it was new, due to the same shirt you have on now, Uriah Heep, which you had on 3/17/19,,, so your advice on how to wash your shirts was spot on! It looks new. Take heed.
Nice Goldtop Les Paul hanging back there! I have one of them! It's my Tom Scholz bucket list item! haha! I love playing Boston on it - and other stuff, of course. I live in New England. It's so weird that I grew up 2 hours from Boston and about 45 minutes from New York City while all those bands were coming out of those 2 cities: KISS, The Cars, Boston, Aerosmith, etc etc etc!
Hi Pete. I first saw your Rolling Stones album reviews, which really hit the spot for me as I'm not familiar with all of their material, but just wanted to say that I enjoy your reviews. I think we have similar views on rating albums from what I've seen. Don't worry about the trolls. I think some people are just out to push other people's buttons. I think it's been said by others, but we're here for your reviews and opinions. I think we ranked the early Beatles albums exactly the same. I just subscribed. I think the hardest thing for me will be finding the time to get caught up. Thanks for the videos!
I'm with you. I love his music. I have 4 nugent shirts. I wear them when I want. I don't care what people think, and I will not be intimidated or bullied into not wearing them. You picked the wrong guy! Love your channel, and keep wearing whatever you want. Great videos!!!!! 🤘🤘🤘🤘👍👍👍👍
Unleash the hate, because here are MY top 3 VH albums. Now I was born at the tail-end of Generation X and the beginning of the Millennial generation, so I can relate to both generations. Here’s my list: 1) 5150. Hate me! I heard this album a lot as a little boy, on the radio, on Pop’s audio cassette player. Definitely nostalgic ties to this album. I’m biased, that’s why it’s my opinion. But I also think this is a killer debut album for Sammy. He showcases his range and style on this album. I’m a child of the 80’s, I like the synth-heavy pop sound of this album. Can’t help it! I can listen to the whole album now without skipping a song and now as an adult I even appreciate the songs I didn’t like as a kid from this one. Lots of emotion and heart in these songs. All those reasons are why I think this is their best album as a whole! 2) Van Halen(1978) The debut. Eruption, Jamie’s Cryin’, Runnin’ With the Devil, Ain’t Talkin’ bout Love, You really Got Me, Atomic Punk. Also one of their strongest albums, but there are a few forgettable tracks on this one. Near perfect! Love the swagger of EVH and DLR. Great vocal and guitar squeals. Love it! 3) 1984 The controversial DLR album in which EVH incorporated the synth for the first time. I know Pete said that he’s sick of the singles, but I think they’re some of the greatest rock/pop songs ever written. The title track is underrated also.
Your show is about music. Anyone that said that you doesn’t know you! Anyone reading this Pete Pardo stands for music! And he always has! Don’t comment on things you know nothing about! ROCK ON PETE!!!!!!!!
Hey Pete, thanks so much for your Van Halen rankings! My favorite is the debut album also! Is Mike Antonelli any relation to Bobby Antonelli? Bobby was the drummer for Coxan's Army in Virginia in the mid-70s. Pat Benatar was their lead singer before she went to New York. Thanks again and keep up the great work!
In an early interview with "Creem" magazine (remember that??), David Lee Roth said he got his "wail" from the Ohio Players. Oh, Pete, if you lose all your "political" subscribers you'll likely be down by 2. You are probably the most un-political RU-vidr I tune into. Keep 'em coming.
My Top 12 Van Halen Albums. 12. OU182 11. Diver Down 10. Van Halen III 9. Balance 8. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge 7. A Different Kind Of Truth 6. 5150 5. Women and Children First 4. 1984 3. Van Halen 2. Van Halen II 1. Fair Warning I Was At An Antique Store When Eddie Died, I Was Wondering Why The Radio Was Playing Too Much Van Halen.
Nice ranking Pete. When it came out I didn't really like Jump that much (I liked it, but I was more into other stuff from them), but that has changed now. I don't think it's overplayed, but I don't know how this is in the US. Anyway, great band indeed!
