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100 of 107 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-have, October 29, 2001
In 1978 the L.A. based rock group VAN HALEN released a self-titled album (known to most fans as VAN HALEN 1) that pushed the limits of the genre and changed the way every longhaired rock and roller played the guitar. Considering the impact this one record had on all rock music that was to follow, it is undeniably one of the most important rock records ever made.Now imitated to death, Eddie Van Halen's wildly inventive guitar technique of two-handed hammer-on pull-off finger tapping on the fretboard set the new standard for guitar wizardry in the late 1970's. The strength of the Van Halen brothers' musicianship could have made VAN HALEN 1 an essential record, but Michael Anthony's pounding eighth-note anchoring and David Lee Roth's Roger Daltry meets Wayne Newton wailing assured the group a spot in the annals of rock superiority. The group started out playing small clubs around LA, quickly becoming one of the most popular local acts. Gene Simmons of KISS financed the demo recording that led to the group signing with Warner Brothers and releasing their breakthrough debut album. Strong radio support and constant touring established the group as the leaders of the coming wave of 80's heavy metal. It's painfully obvious that every lead guitarist in every 80's metal band was directly descended from Eddie Van Halen's lineage. Most of these guitarists unquestionably honed their technique by learning to play "Eruption" the instrumental second track on VAN HALEN 1. The first VAN HALEN album produced 4 "hits" that became staples of AOR radio: "Runnin With the Devil", a cover of the KINKS' "You Really Got Me", "Ain't Talkin Bout Love", and "Jamie's Cryin". (An aside: the opening drum fill from "Jamies Cryin" was sampled for TONE LOC's hit "Wild Thing") VAN HALEN 1 is not the best VAN HALEN album. Most fans will tell you either FAIR WARNING or WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST hold that dubious title. Regardless of which one is the best, this one is the most historically important. It set new standards as far as guitar playing is concerned, and David Lee Roth took the rock and roll frontman schtick to a new level. What Roth may have lacked in vocal talent he made up for in sheer ballsyness (in spades!). Roth raised the vault bar for all rock singers, and no one was ever able to top it. His James Brown like embellishments on songs like "You Really Got Me" and "Atomic Punk" ooze with sexuality and something that was missing from much late 70's white-boy rock: soul. The remastered disc of VAN HALEN 1 is the best way to hear this album. The old Warner Brothers CD pressing suffers the same problem that many early CD issues suffer: low sound quality. The rumor mills keep churning about a supposed reunion between the estranged Roth and the Van Halen brothers. Whether or not that happens is probably irrelevant, as neither side has done anything groundbreaking in 20 years... but back in 1978, VAN HALEN 1 was the most groundbreaking thing the world of rock and roll had heard since Jimi Hendrix asked us if we were experienced.
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50 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Album That Saved Rock N' Roll, September 17, 2004
It was the late 70's and unless you lived through it, it may be kind of hard to understand. Disco ruled the radio, you couldn't turn the dial without finding the latest and greatest by the Bee Gees or The Village People. The term "Rock" was now assigned to bands like Styx or Supertramp. The guitar driven rock of Led Zep, The Who and Kiss, were pushed to the back-burner of the American music scene. Then out of nowhere Van Halen burst onto the scene. With the opening chords of "Runnin' With The Devil" into "Eruption" and "You Really Got Me", Van Halen cemented the new American rock sound. No matter what era of Van Halen you prefer, DLR vs. Sammy, it's impossible to top the band's debut album. This was something new, something purely American, and opened the door to what we know as Hard Rock or Heavy Metal today. It's impossible to listen to any rock artist today and not hear the influence of Van Halen. The 80's hair-metal scene was basically made up of bands immitating this album. Is it coincidence that soon after Van Halen debuted disco died, and bands like Twisted Sister emerged? Why bother reviewing the songs on this disk, unless you have lived under a rock for the last 25+ years you have heard each of the songs on this album at one point or another? These songs are classics, and have stood the test of time. I have owned this album on vinyl, 8-Track, cassette and CD. If you don't own this disk already.....well what are you waiting for. Like The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper", or AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" and Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon", "Van Halen" is an essenital album for your cd collection.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
VH Never Sounded Better!, October 16, 2000
This remains Van Halen's best CD. There is a cynical truth in the music business: you have 10 years to prepare your first album, and only 10 weeks to do your second one. While Van Halen's subsequent CD's all had great tunes, none were as consitently excellent as this one. The remastering job here is exceptionaly good. The guitar sounds are hot, and clean, the bass and drums sound like they're right in the room, and the vocals are out front, but not inordinately so. You can blast this CD right up to the clipping levels of your electronics, and it sounds clean. Musically, every song here features some pyrotechnic guitar variation, over a hard driving rhythm section, and complemented by strong vocals by David Lee Roth. In short, it's got the formula that all great rock acts used. But this is not "formula music"; it's the stuff of rock legends, and it's easy to see why VH went straight from LA house parties to super stardom -- headlining in areanas & stadiums-- by the time their 2nd CD came out. Audiphiles take note: While some "remastered" CD's are barely distinguishable from the originals, this one is a major improvement.
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