Thread: Van Halen - GAH Week 9 - 12.31.22

Happy almost new years!

Van Halen. For a couple weeks. I like two-weeks better, I need the time.

I've come to the conclusion, after sampling the "greats" and having no strong conclusion so far, that there will be no greatest for me, personally. There is also no greatest, objectively. I like the idea of a "great" that amounts to a top 5-15 or so.

The Americans have no band equivalent of a Zep, Floyd, Stones, or Beatles. There isn't one that can touch any of them. Solo artists like MJ, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis, Madonna, etc.? Sure.

Simply put, the Brits beat the Americans to the punch as rock bands.

I think I've listened to VHII, Fair Warning, Women and Children First, and Diver Down from end to end about 0 times.

I remember back in the day, when I loved VH the most, the opinion I shared with my other VH friends was that they sucked as albums. Without really diving in all that much.

I should probably give the entire albums a listen to be able to form an opinion on VH.

This might be the most peaks and valleys of the greats. There's an entire mountain range of the peaks:

Jump
Runnin' with the Devil
Why Can't This Be Love
Dance the Night Away
Panama
You Really Got Me
Can't Stop Lovin' You
Unchained
Hot for Teacher
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Pretty Woman
Dreams
I'll Wait
Eruption
Right Now
Love Walks In
Drop Dead Legs
Jamie's Cryin'
And the Cradle Will Rock...
Ice Cream Man
Beautiful Girls
When It's Love
Everybody Wants Some!
Dancing in the Street
Mean Street
Finish What Ya Started
Summer Nights
Best of Both Worlds
...and the rest of their first album

But I only remember trying on some of the earlier albums on for size when I was younger and getting bored real quick.

What do y'all think about those albums?

Diver Down
VHII
Women and Children
Fair Warning

Originally Posted by Hawgdriver

What do y'all think about those albums?

Diver Down
VHII
Women and Children
Fair Warning

Diver Down and VH2 are great albums in their entirety, Women and Children, Fair Warning only have a couple of songs i dig and thats it.

A dude in my discord music group had this to say about VH.

Fair Warning rivals their debut, in the view of many rabid VH fans, as their opus. VHII has some tremendous riffs, and in many respects is a sequel to the debut, albeit somewhat more AM radio popish (Dance the Night Away for example). Women & Children First has its moments, particularly Romeo Delight and Take Your Whiskey Home, for me. Diver Down was seemingly recorded and produced in haste, with many remakes of semi-classics. (Eddie always contended DD was his least favorite album, at least of the DLR era).

For me, the stand out track on DD is The Full Bug. Again, completely biased opinion from a rabid VH fan of (could it be 45 years this year), but overwhelmingly highs for me.

I've been able to give VHII, DD, and FW good listens. Haven't hit W&CF yet.

Impressed with Fair Warning as a sort of "measure me" album. That is, there aren't all that many mega-hits (Unchained comes the closest, but is not one imo). But from song to song it is quality. I liked Diver Down more than I expected. Some shite tracks on it, and the covers are, well, not original, but some good songs too. Van Halen II is pretty solid.

I'd say you could give VH credit for 4 solid (in terms of great American band tier) albums: VH, FW, 1984, and 5150.

VHII and DD aren't as bad as I feared.

W&CF, OU812, and F*CK I may not get around to. I like VH on occasional rotation rather than deep dives. Not sure why. I don't wanna take their music super serious, but I love it when I'm in the mood.

Van Halen is going to be a one-week band.

Great fuggin band.

I remember listening to OU812 and thinking it had some nice cuts but a good bit of waste. F*CK, I never cared much for the sound of it. How it was mixed, engineered, that sort of thign. It was ok.

The best album during the Hagar era is 5150 for me.

I didn't have any of their albums, but knew all the words to all the songs when they came on!

Great band!

Originally Posted by Hawgdriver

I think I've listened to VHII, Fair Warning, Women and Children First, and Diver Down from end to end about 0 times.

I remember back in the day, when I loved VH the most, the opinion I shared with my other VH friends was that they sucked as albums. Without really diving in all that much.

I should probably give the entire albums a listen to be able to form an opinion on VH.

This might be the most peaks and valleys of the greats. There's an entire mountain range of the peaks:

Jump
Runnin' with the Devil
Why Can't This Be Love
Dance the Night Away
Panama
You Really Got Me
Can't Stop Lovin' You
Unchained
Hot for Teacher
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Pretty Woman
Dreams
I'll Wait
Eruption
Right Now
Love Walks In
Drop Dead Legs
Jamie's Cryin'
And the Cradle Will Rock...
Ice Cream Man
Beautiful Girls
When It's Love
Everybody Wants Some!
Dancing in the Street
Mean Street
Finish What Ya Started
Summer Nights
Best of Both Worlds
...and the rest of their first album

But I only remember trying on some of the earlier albums on for size when I was younger and getting bored real quick.

What do y'all think about those albums?

Diver Down
VHII
Women and Children
Fair Warning

I think I know more VH songs than I thought I knew.

Probs not the greatest band considering they may not have had a god-tier album, but definitely a great band.

Jump gets me hype. One of the songs with the greatest vibes.

You guys hurt me. There are so many deeper tracks that are amazing. A lot of them are better than the more “popular” songs. I may have missed it, but did you mention “Balance?” There are even some good songs on VHIII. Come on my good friends, let me introduce you to some deeper cuts. Hit me up if you’re interested. If not, no big deal, on to the next band.

Originally Posted by spikerman

You guys hurt me. There are so many deeper tracks that are amazing. A lot of them are better than the more “popular” songs. I may have missed it, but did you mention “Balance?” There are even some good songs on VHIII. Come on my good friends, let me introduce you to some deeper cuts. Hit me up if you’re interested. If not, no big deal, on to the next band.

Give us a playlist. 10 deep cuts.

Ok, off the top of my head (I know a couple of these are repeats from Hawg’s list). I’m not including A Different Kind of Truth because I’m a snob and it’s not VH without Michael Anthony.


VH

Feel Your Love Tonight
On Fire

VHII

Somebody Get Me a Doctor

WaCF

Take Your Whiskey Home
In A Simple Rhyme

Fair Warning

Hear About It Later
Mean Street

Diver Down

Little Guitars

1984

Girl Gone Bad
House of Pain

5150

5150
Get Up

OU812

Sucker in a 3 Piece

For Unlawful

Judgement Day

Balance

Feelin’
Crossing Over

VHIII

Once
Fire in the Hole

Little Guitars is rad.

5150 might be my fav song on that album.

Originally Posted by spikerman

Balance

Crossing Over

FYI to all - not on spotify

Originally Posted by Hawgdriver

FYI to all - not on spotify

Oh, yeah, I meant to note that it’s only on the Japanese version of the album, but you can find it on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/leA6OmIvTTk