I’m jut back from finishing my Christmas shopping. It was a little bit like Soviet Russia out there, with all the lineups necessitated by the pandemic. However, the crowds were well behaved, and I had music to accompany me while I waited.
Disc 1433 is…. Self-Titled
Artist: Van Halen
Year of Release: 1978
What’s up with the Cover? Select “action” shots of our heroes. Alex Van Halen appears to be playing his gig in the fiery pit of hell. I suppose he’s…drummin’ with the devil…?
In the centre of it all the band’s logo, which appeared on many a jean jacket back-patch in my teenage years.
How I Came To Know It: I knew this album growing up. I didn’t own it, but it was popular at parties and blaring out of Camaros going up and down the main drag.
How It Stacks Up: This is my only Van Halen album. I may one day get one or two more, but for now there is no stacking to be had.
Ratings: 3 stars
Full disclosure: I did not like Van Halen growing up. I actively disliked them, in fact. As a metalhead, I referred to them as “tinsel” (and not in a warm tingly holiday-spirit kind of way). I thought David Lee Roth was a pompous ass, and Eddie Van Halen played fast, but not good. Sure I enjoyed watching the “Hot for Teacher” video as much as the next hormone-ridden teenager, but give the music a chance? Never.
In the end, my hatred for Van Halen blinded me, as hatred usually does and the only joy I was denying was my own. Fortunately, there is always time to reject musical snobbery. All you have to do is open your ears, and let the music in. With the help of friends, I’ve had a lot more recent exposure to early Van Halen of late, and it has made me appreciate these guys for the first time.
Enter Van Halen’s eponymous debut. This record is a solid hard rock record, expertly delivering seventies flavour, with just a hint of the excess and bombast that lay just around the corner in the next decade. It is not heavy metal, but since I’m not fifteen anymore, I know that everything doesn’t have to be metal to be worth listening to (see blog sidebar for further evidence of this).
It all starts with the brilliant and timeless “Runnin’ With the Devil.” When David Lee Roth belts out “I live my life like there’s no tomorrow” he sings it with such conviction you believe every word. All that bombast that used to bug me in my youth, now draws me in and makes me revel in the glory of a natural frontman doing his thing. As for Eddie Van Halen, his guitar work on this song is perfect. Sitting that groove down in the pocket and adding just the right amount of flourish to give the song a little spice.
The album also features a cover of the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me.” I used to dismiss this song in my youth as “just another cover” but the truth is Van Halen has nailed this song. Dare I say, I like it even more than the original, which is saying something.
That said, there are still elements of this record that remind me of legitimate reasons the band used to irk me in my youth. “Eruption” is a renowned and celebrated instrumental, but for me it exemplifies the aspect of Eddie Van Halen’s playing that I don’t like. Does he demonstrate his virtuosity on this song? Absolutely, but just making the guitar create interesting sounds and playing super fast does not a great song make. I found the tune lacked emotion and intent, which are two things he demonstrates beautifully on other parts of the album where he bows to the needs of the song’s melody.
And “Atomic Punk” is David Lee Roth at his most excessive. The song is supposed to be hard hitting and frenetic, but it just feels vaguely ridiculous. Roth strays from his comfort zone of “party guy at a kegger” at his own peril, and the post-apocalyptic feel the band is trying to convey never quite lands.
I’ll probably never love Van Halen, but this record taught me that I was wrong to dismiss them. They are a solid band who play an important and undeniable part in the history of rock and roll. It is a reminder that you should never harbour a permanent dislike of a band just because you didn’t like them in your youth. Except for Duran Duran. Seriously, fuck them.
Best tracks: Runnin’ With the Devil, You Really Got Me, Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love, Jamie’s Cryin’
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