Friday, September 26, 2014

#303: Van Halen - Van Halen (1978)


Zack: I didn’t realize I’d ever listened to this album, but I can pretty clearly remember my Dad playing it while we drove back from the dentist when I was a little kid, and me really like Jamie’s Cryin'. Then, if my memory serves, he popped the CD into his ridiculous surround sound stereo system so I could be fully immersed in guitar solos. I have no idea how old I was, but I was pretty little. Maybe it’s nostalgia, but Van Halen was way better than I expected. It’s a tight and compact album of just hard rock. The corniness quotient is kept at a pretty respectable low. Plus it has a fair number of their most classic hits. It’s not an album I plan on blasting through a stereo at any point soon, but it’s certainly a decent way to spend 35 minutes.
Favorite Tracks: Jamie’s Cryin’; Running with the Devil; You Really Got Me 

Emily: Thirty-five minutes is usually pretty short from an album, but for hard rock it's probably the perfect length. I can only get my ears blasted at for so long until I've just had enough. Luckily, on Van Halen's debut, they keep the ear-blasting to a respectable level. It's thoroughly a hard rock album with guitar solos galore, but the band also adds in some doo-wop and blues quirks here and there. These additions are interesting, but probably not necessary. For thirty-five minutes, a few blasts of rock is all you really need.
Favorite Tracks: Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love; I'm the One; Little Dreamer

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