Tag: Van Halen

Ladies and Gentlemen, Sammy Hagar!

On By bigbadburchIn Controversy4 Comments

Today we’re going to get into a story I have not ever run across before. This incident happened in either 1985 or ’86, exact dates aren’t specified. While I am a fan of Sammy Hagar and Van Halen and I’ve also been a pro wrestling fan at various points in my life, I have never heard this story before at all until I stumbled onto this video last week.

This presentation is from Dark Side of the Ring, an outfit that puts together documentary episodes about (usually) the seedier side of pro wrestling. If you know anything about wrestling, you know that there’s a lot of seedy stuff. They also do a podcast called Unheard to cover things that don’t really fit into the main documentary episodes and that’s where today’s story comes from.

The episode in question was about the tragic story of former wrestler Adrian Adonis, but the actual meat of today’s story came from legendary grappler Bret “The Hitman” Hart. Bret was being interviewed about Adrian and told this story during the sessions. The filmmakers couldn’t wedge the story into Adrian’s episode but felt they had to tell the full story, and I’m glad they did.

I have posted the video and I fully encourage everyone to check it out to see Bret tell the story. But I will also recap it here.

Bret Hart was flying into New York City with Adrian Adonis and Bret’s brother in law, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart. Bret was sitting next to a guy who was dressed in a sort of “rock n’ roll” style, not uncommon in the mid-80’s. The guy picks up on Bret and his cohorts being wrestlers and tells Bret that he is a rock star. Bret asks who he is and the guy says he is Sammy Hagar.

Jim Neidhart was rightfully skeptical that the man in question was Sammy Hagar, who at this point had just joined Van Halen. Jim picked up on the guy wearing a cheap Timex watch, something the real Sammy Hagar probably wasn’t doing by this point as he’d made a fair share of cash. It’s worth noting that none of these wrestlers knew what Sammy Hagar looked like, this was the days before the Internet and ready access to photos and all that.

Something else would happen to actually change Jim’s mind though – the group went to Madison Square Garden, the spiritual home of the World Wrestling Federation (now Entertainment). In the back, “Sammy Hagar” took up Adrian on an offer of the currency of the 1980’s, cocaine. “Sammy” snorted a huge line and had a bit of a nosebleed after, this caused Jim to exclaim “It IS Sammy Hagar!”

Celebrities were a common presence at WWF shows, especially at MSG, so “Sammy Hagar” was actually introduced and made his way to the ring. The clip of this hilarious scene is below, and I’m sure anyone who reads this blog can instantly tell that the person is certainly not Sammy Hagar. The crowd were pretty easily able to ascertain that this guy was not Hagar and the very brief appearance got jeered by the fans waiting for the next match.

The podcast goes over another few funny moments of this story – an unnamed New York Yankees ballplayer was also backstage and knew Sammy Hagar personally, he instantly ratted the imposter out. Also, Bret and Adrian and company had to deal with the fallout of bringing a faulty version of Sammy Hagar to the wrestling event, as WWF head Vince McMahon has long been famous for his calm temperament in such matters… But this being a MSG broadcast in the mid-80’s, the Fed was able to sweep this mishap under the rug until just recently.

This story is a really funny slice of entertainment from the ’80’s and, if left where it is, is perfectly fine. The only loose thread is this – who was Not Sammy Hagar? The podcasts hosts wonder if the guy is even still alive and are curious as to who this legend of rock and wrestling might be. It seems as though this guy’s identity might be totally lost to time and mortality – that is, unless you want to engage in a bit of conspiracy theorycraft.

A few of the podcast viewers picked up on something I wouldn’t have honestly considered – the Sammy imposter looks familiar. It’s certainly not Sammy Hagar, but this guy could have easily passed for Dana Carvey. At the time in question Dana Carvey was just getting ready to join Saturday Night Live and become known to the wider world. But had the celebrity impersonation been Dana Carvey, this guy could have pulled it off without a hitch.

That is, barring one further consideration – what if this guy wasn’t a ringer for Dana Carvey, but was Dana Carvey? Dana would become a household name by 1987, but at the time of this wrestling show he was not very well known. He’d had some bit acting parts but wasn’t an SNL cast guy yet. There is some speculation that this actually was Dana Carvey, who wound up on a plane next to Bret Hart and decided to pull a gag.

I think it would be hilarious if it actually was Dana, but logical speculation leads me to believe it wasn’t. Dana has had 40 years to tell this story if he did indeed pull this ruse, and to my knowledge he has never brought it up. I’d think it’d have to be a story he told at some point in time over the decades of interviews he has done. So I am going with “no” on this one.

I have noticed comments indicating that someone does know this person, they aren’t Dana Carvey, and the person is still around. Maybe we’ll get a feature with this dude someday, I really want to hear what he has to say. I’m not saying I necessarily believe that anyone really has a hook-up to this guy, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

So here’s to the legend of Not Sammy Hagar appearing at a WWF live event in 1986. It probably wasn’t Dana Carvey but maybe it was, or maybe we’ll get to hear from the perpetrator of this hoax sometime down the line. And if not, well, we at least have this great story from a time when pro wrestlers, the world’s biggest bullshit artists, got bullshitted to a huge degree.

Picking Five Songs From 1984

On By bigbadburchIn Songs By Year7 Comments

I am still running through the years on this very long series. And here we are at 1984. Funny that, given that I spent a great deal of time last year discussing the music of ’84 on its 40th anniversary. Had I kept to my original posting schedule I would have gotten to this last year, but I was both busy and lazy so here we are.

Given that 1984 is special in my lexicon, I’m going to do something a bit different here. I’m going to offer up five songs today, and then I’m going to do five more tomorrow. This was always the plan on ’84 when I got to it. In a way it’s “cheating” since I’m only supposed to pick five a year, but it’s not like there are any real rules to this anyway. It’s just something I saw other people doing and stole from them.

At any rate, let’s do five songs from 1984, then do it all again tomorrow.

Queensrÿche – Take Hold Of The Flame

This ripper still stands as one of the band’s most immortal offerings over 40 years later. This was one hell of a debut full-length for a band who got signed to a record deal without playing a show. It’s a motivational tale, one lamenting those who did not, in fact, take hold of the flame.

Judas Priest – The Sentinel

My favorite Priest song of all time was bound to make this list. It’s a badass tale of some dark avenging force that wipes out all his enemies. Very dank guitar work here leads to a massive, heavy atmosphere and Rob Halford singing “sworn to avenge” in his unholy voice puts it all over the top.

Iron Maiden – Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

My favorite Maiden song came out in ’84 but I’ve spent enough time going over 2 Minutes To Midnight. This time I chose the monster epic based on the hit poem of the same name. This was the band’s longest song for 37 years and every second of it is massive and pounding. A true heavy metal masterpiece.

Van Halen – Hot For Teacher

1984 was Van Halen’s triumphant year (and album). This song was one last blast of fun party rock before the classic Van Halen era came to an end. Alex played a monster drum intro and the song celebrates the ages-old concept of being into a teacher. Fun all around.

Mercyful Fate – Gypsy

It’s time for some evil, as King Diamond and company romp through a dark visit with a mystical woman. It’s a great, catchy riff and replete with the signature King Diamond vocals. This one is a bit “simpler” than other MF tunes but it works extremely well.

That does it for this first installment of 1984. Tomorrow I’ll bring five more songs on a rare weekend post as a bit of bonus content.

Picking Five Songs From 1981

On By bigbadburchIn Songs By Year6 Comments

This series, often delayed, is now up to 1981. Again, the ’80’s are a tough time to narrow things down to five songs, so take this list as “five of my favorite songs from the year” rather than being a definitive list of my five absolute favorites. Nothing much more to say, let’s get right after it.

Iron Maiden – Murders In The Rue Morgue

The final salvo from Maiden’s Paul Di’Anno era came with this pounding musical rendition of the classic Edgar Allan Poe story. It’s fast, noisy and a great cut from Di’Anno’s final bow. This song is a bit less celebrated than many other Maiden tracks but it’s always been my favorite slab from this record.

Van Halen – Unchained

This was an absolutely slamming track that became one of Van Halen’s signature songs. Eddie does all sorts of stuff with the guitar here – making noise, keeping rhythm and just going all out. And David Lee Roth is, well, DLR here in all his glory. In this case it totally enhances the song, as it usually did in the early Van Halen catalog. Easily one of my very favorite Van Halen tracks here, can’t go wrong with it.

Rush – Limelight

Funny thing here – Rush wrote a song about being uncomfortable with the increased attention they’d gotten around this time, so the song they wrote became a hit and one of their signature tracks. The song features Rush being quite accessible yet also still offering the mind-bending music they excelled at. This song in particular is the Alex Lifeson show, with one of his most memorable solos. Rush would commendably succeed and do so largely on their own terms.

Ozzy Osbourne – Over The Mountain

I’ll set aside the valid arguments about who didn’t get properly comped for their writing work on this and other Ozzy classics and simply focus on the amazing music. This is a massive triumph that was part of an unlikely second life for Ozzy, who came out swinging as the Prince of Darkness in the early ’80’s. The song is phenomenal in every way and especially with Randy Rhodes, this is one of his finest works in a brief yet crowded field. This would sadly be his swansong, but it’s a hell of a way to go out.

Black Sabbath – The Sign Of The Southern Cross

While Sabbath’s former singer was racking up his own accolades, Sabbath themselves were trucking along just fine with Ronnie James Dio. This crushing doom track sees Dio explore the darker side of religion. It was one more triumph for Black Sabbath before things came undone, but it was again one hell of a way to wrap up the first Dio stint.

That does it for ’81. More very awesome music next week as the hits keep coming in what has to be the greatest decade of human existence.

Picking Five Songs From 1980

On By bigbadburchIn Songs By Year2 Comments

This little series that I’ve half-assed for the past while is now in to 1980. The 1980’s were the most significant decade in my musical development so this whole decade is gonna be loaded with songs I love.

And, as this series has gone, I will only pick five per year. It is more important than ever to remember that this is simply a list of five songs I like a lot from a particular year, this not a definitive list of my five favorite songs from any given year. There are so many awesome songs left off these ’80’s lists that it’s honestly impossible to mess with much – I just go with the vibe and choose five I really like. This stuff does get a hell of a lot easier once I get to the late ’90’s and especially the 2000’s.

But we are in it to win it here, so let’s kick off this look at the best decade the world has ever seen.

Judas Priest – Living After Midnight

In 1980 Priest would finally gain a foothold in the US with their landmark British Steel album, featuring this cut among others. The song is a bit more simple and fun than other things which was a point of debate, but it’s a glorious party anthem and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden

And now we’re on to the debut from my favorite band of all time. Pretty easy auto-include here with their self-named song from their self-titled album. This one is also fun, though much more murdery than the Priest track. Maiden have played this song live more than any other and by quite a margin. While they have a handful of signature songs, it’s pretty clear that this one is the real calling card.

Van Halen – And The Cradle Will Rock

Shocking stuff here, as the band who defined party rock offer up another party anthem. It’s also a rather simple offering, though Eddie makes quite a bit of noise as he often did. Rock on, indeed.

The Police – Don’t Stand So Close To Me

This one was huge business for Sting and company, a dark tale of a teacher wrapped up in lust for a student all set to the signature reggae-rock catchiness The Police had refined by this point. It’s moody and haunting at its core but a very infectious song on the surface, something the band would nail down again in a few years time.

Black Sabbath – Heaven And Hell

Sabbath had a bit of drug-fueled turmoil that saw the exit of singer Ozzy Osbourne. The band were able to regroup with Ronnie James Dio and offer up this massive slab of heavy metal. It features a grand battle between good and evil within a person, something that would be a calling card of Dio’s career. Although Sabbath wouldn’t enjoy the full fruits of the decade of metal, they were off to a very hot start.

And that wraps this one up, five songs of about five thousand great ones from the first year of the ’80’s. The tough sledding continues in the weeks after.

Picking Five Songs From 1978

On By bigbadburchIn Songs By Year7 Comments

Now I’m up to 1978 on my songs by year lists. I turned one that year so I don’t exactly have memories associated with the time, but these songs were pretty easy for me to pick and are timeless ones I’ll always enjoy.

Times were really changing this year I think – three very significant new acts showed up in ’78 that are on this list and would be central to the sounds to come, which was what shaped my musical fandom in my early years. Let’s head in and see what’s up.

Van Halen – Runnin’ With The Devil

Up first is a great cut from the debut album of one of rock music’s most important bands. Van Halen were central in what would happen in the 1980’s and their ’78 debut was red hot. The way Eddie Van Halen played his guitar here, it was almost talking alongside David Lee Roth’s vocals and insane ranting. It’s an ode to living hard and running free, and a massive song.

Heart – Straight On

Another hard rocker from Heart here, as they’d wrap up their first era before transitioning into the next decade. This one has some dance/disco elements to it but still shines through as a Heart classic. It’s an auto-include on any Heart greatest hits or setlist for sure.

Judas Priest – Delivering The Goods

Priest would get in two albums in ’78, and by this time they were truly rounding the corner as heavy metal’s premier act. They would be in prime shape for the total explosion of metal soon to come. Here Priest show their muscle with a song that was composed about how they feel on stage. This was a great way to truly launch the new era of metal.

The Police – Can’t Stand Losing You

Up next is band new to the scene and one that would light the world on fire for the next several years. This chippy, upbeat music stands in contrast to the dismal lyrics about someone ready to off himself over losing his gal pal. The Police were a rock/reggae/punk/new wave machine that would dance across the ears of millions in their time, and all of us who heard them were lucky to have done so.

The Cars – You’re All I’ve Got Tonight

Speaking of new wave, it turns out it blended nicely with hard rock, and The Cars put that into full effect on their debut album. Pretty heavy, very melodic and insanely catchy, this song wasn’t released as a single but wound up all over radio as The Cars became a popular act. Super fun song to bop to.

1978 is now done and dusted. Just one more post to go from the decade before this turns to the 1980’s and things just go totally insane.

Van Halen – Hot For Teacher

On By bigbadburchIn Song Of The Week6 Comments

For my song pick this week I’m headed back to that glorious year of 1984. Today’s song was the fourth and final single from Van Halen’s monumental album 1984. The album was a smash success, making Van Halen one of 1984’s biggest acts and eventually moving over 10 million copies. Our single today did not hit quite as well as other singles from the record, clocking in at a modest 56 on the Billboard Hot 100. But it is still a beloved offering from the band.

Hot For Teacher is a fun, all out rocker that gets going from the word go with a drum intro that sounds like a motorcycle. It is a very attention-grabbing thing to hear what Alex got up to there. The band jumps in after a bit and keeps up the bombastic instrumentation for a bit, then things settle down a hair and we get the first instance of David Lee Roth.

Roth comes in with introductory banter. While DLR’s ramblings are a point of contention with some in a fair few Van Halen songs, he was totally on point here as he set the table for the song’s topic of, well, being hot for teacher. There are a few other spoken word bits through the song and here they all fit very well.

When Roth does get to actual singing he is in full force, and it’s pure magic paired with the heavy and playful riff that Eddie Van Halen lays out. Van Halen often toed the line between rock and heavy metal and at times were the line, and this song is a prime example of it. Fun and rocking yet heavy and slamming, it’s all here on display.

The music video for this one pulled out all the bells and whistles. It features the concept of a nerdy kid being overwhelmed in school by a kid version of the Van Halen band as well as a few teachers who were certainly easy to be hot for. The kid, named Waldo, was voiced by Phil Hartman. The video shows what “happened” to the band members when they grew up and old Waldo really turned his image around after growing up. In terms of concept and added entertainment value, Hot For Teacher is the number one video from the early Van Halen era.

The video came with a bit of controversy – some felt it was objectifying and sexualized, and some broadcasts used black boxes to censor when band members would grab their crotches. There are uncorroborated reports on various sites that the video did, in part, influence Tipper Gore to start the PMRC. It should be noted that neither the song nor Van Halen made the infamous Filthy Fifteen list.

As I said in the open, this was the final single from 1984. That would also mean it was the final single from the first David Lee Roth era of the band. The song was featured in the band’s set through the 9 months of touring before Roth left the band, and it appeared again once Roth returned in 2007. It ended up getting 285 live airings, not a bad total considering the song didn’t see stage from 1984 to 2004. If setlist.fm is to be taken as an accurate source, Van Halen did the song with Sammy Hagar one time in 2004. I have no idea how correct that is, though.

At the end of it all, Hot For Teacher is one monster of a Van Halen song and a great addition to the list of hallowed songs from the year 1984. The song’s subject matter rings true with a great many students over the decades – though I must admit I personally never really had a “hot for teacher” issue. But hey, I do have this amazing song to jam out to.

Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (Album of the Week)

On By bigbadburchIn Album of the Week10 Comments

This week it’s time to head back to the fateful year of 1991, but in this case it’s to visit a band that was immune to the tectonic shift in rock that year. Van Halen were riding high heading into their third album with Sammy Hagar at the mic. While many dismissed Van Hagar as AOR rubbish that didn’t hold a candle to the beloved David Lee Roth era, VH were cranking out number one albums and hit singles as well as arenas full of eager fans.

Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge

Released June 17, 1991

My Favorite Tracks – The Dream Is Over, Poundcake, Judgment Day

Van Halen spent a year recording their first effort of the 1990’s. While Andy Johns was tabbed to produce, the band also brought in an old friend – Ted Templeman, who had famously guided the band’s early albums but had been absent through the Van Hagar era. The duel producers were a means to satisfy Sammy, who apparently didn’t enjoy working with Johns.

This album would see Van Halen forego the synth-based AOR rock of the late ’80’s and move to a heavier song structure based on guitar, and the occasional power tool. While I’m sure the band made the decision on their own terms, it did coincidentally fit with the times as the album’s release slotted in the summer that hair metal, AOR and other venerable forms of rock met their mainstream end.

The album cover is nice though also basic, but the real art lore was in the inner booklet pictures. In first pressings of the album, one photograph showed a blackboard with a bunch of phone numbers on it. Some of the phone numbers got massive amounts of calls, so the record label repressed the album with the phone numbers removed. Note that these CD and cassette versions are not hard to acquire, it was a mass produced item so the phone numbers version carries no premium. Vinyl copies of the album did not have the blackboard photo that I know of, but vinyl of this album is scarce and does command huge value.

And of course there’s the album title. If it isn’t obvious, it spells out FUCK. The phrase was NOT the origin of the actual word “fuck,” which is a thing that’s out there but isn’t true.

There are 11 songs running at near 52 minutes total, time to head on in.

Poundcake

We start off with Eddie using a drill to mess with his pickups and then we’re off to the races. This is a heavy, driving track that doesn’t go too fast but really slams its point home. And that also happens to be what the song is about – slamming the point home with a nice, lovely woman.

Judgment Day

This one retains the heaviness but gets a bit faster as Sammy extols the virtues of kicking back in life and staying out of the ambitious rat race. This song was a big hit with my teenage self, perhaps informing me a bit more than it should. But hey, it’s all good.

Spanked

This one is pure sleaze and grime. This is some monster heaviness from Eddie and the band, it goes a degree further with it than Van Halen ever really went before. This one also has a good helping of the backing vocals that Van Halen were famous for but were not emphasized a lot on this album.

The song is about the old 1-900 numbers, which were a pre-Internet outlet for the sexually frustrated gentleman. They were total rip-offs as magazines were far cheaper, but I guess nothing beats that “personal” interaction. The song today would be about OnlyFans.

Runaround

One of the album’s featured singles, this track is a bit of a faster-paced and a less R-rated version of a sex song. It could be considered basic but it’s a pleasant song and I don’t find anything wrong with it. The video makes use of the rotating stage Van Halen were into using in their live shows, a pretty obvious fit given the song title.

Pleasure Dome

This one is a bit of an oddball. It’s still fittingly heavy for the record but is also a bit out in left field, at least in vibe it’s reminiscent of the prior album OU812. It seems like someone is caught in an artificial utopia of some sort but is aware and wants out, some kind of virtual reality or simulation kind of thing maybe. There is some seriously crazy riffing from Eddie on here, it hangs back a bit in the song but its truly something to behold.

In ‘N’ Out

A bit more of an “open” rocker here, it’s a song about how money makes the world go around and most people are basically screwed no matter what they do. The song’s loose rock vibe is a bit in contrast with the grave subject matter but it’s a sign that Van Halen were willing to explore more serious lyrical fare, something that comes up again on this album.

Man On A Mission

Another bit of a loose and upbeat song, this is Sammy motivating himself to go out and get his girl. Parts of the song are a bit self-help in nature and then other parts are total sleaze, it all works pretty well overall.

The Dream Is Over

A total vibe shift here from going out and getting some to a stark condemnation of the system and its leverage against the average citizen. This one really came from out of nowhere and delivered a powerful statement about the workings of society. Eddie and Sammy had discussed turning an eye toward more serious lyrical fare and they hit on it big time here. The song feels like nothing less than a death certificate for the American Dream and feels just as relevant today as it was 32 years ago.

Right Now

The album’s huge hit and a song that caused a lot discussion back on release. This was another of the songs with a more serious look at things and is the song Sammy Hagar has declared his proudest lyrical moment from his Van Halen days.

Right Now is about embracing change and reaching for it in the moment, even in the face of great adversity. The music video featured a bunch of random footage with text of things that were going on “right now,” some funny but many serious. The video was a smash hit and is likely the band’s biggest of their career.

Right Now was also used by Pepsi in a huge advertising campaign for Crystal Pepsi. The story of that soda is an odd one all its own, but for Van Halen it caused a fair bit of anger for the band “selling out” to corporate interest. Eddie justified the licensing, saying that the ad agency would have simply hired some jingle writers to do a basic cover of the song anyway, and he was correct in that assessment.

316

This instrumental track was originally written during the 5150 era but was brought back out by Eddie when his son Wolfgang Van Halen was born. Wolfgang’s birthdate was 3-16-1991, thus giving a title to the piece. This one is a quiet and reflective piece that sequences very well after the thematically heavy nature of Right Now.

Top Of The World

The album ends with a more “standard” Van Halen track that connects more to the prior Van Hagar releases. It’s a pretty simple and uplifting song that pretty well says what the title communicates. It’s a pretty nice way to close a record that was filthy in parts and serious in others.

For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge was another smash hit for the Van Hagar camp. It spent 3 weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 chart and would come out with 3 US platinum certifications. Singles from the album were all over radio and MTV, and the band’s tour for this cycle was one of their longest. While success can be defined by many different metrics, this period was easily one of the band’s most successful. Music critics were not very into this album, but the record won the popularity contest.

For me personally this was a pretty watershed moment in my music history. The summer of ’91 was when I really took off as far as getting into music goes, and I went to get this one on the day it was released. Along with it I also bought an album that had just come out a week prior, that being Skid Row’s second album Slave To The Grind. I went back and forth between both albums constantly and both tapes got wore out pretty quickly.

The “Van Hagar” era gets a fair bit of flack from Van Halen fans, with many people living and dying on the classic catalog built in the band’s first frame with David Lee Roth. I would never in a million years argue against that period of the band. But to discount Sammy’s tenure is short-sighted and for me, this album is the high point of that time.

Van Halen (Album of the Week)

On By bigbadburchIn Album of the Week8 Comments

I had a few different options for this week, but then this past Friday I was enlightened to the fact that February 10th marked the 45th anniversary of what likely marks the greatest debut album ever presented. So to commemorate something that came out almost six months after I was born, I’ll divert my attention to this absolutely phenomenal slab of music.

Van Halen – self-titled

Released February 10, 1978 via Warner Bros.

My Favorite Tracks – Runnin’ With The Devil, Ain’t Talking About Love, Atomic Punk

The early Van Halen tale is worth a brief run-through here. The brothers Van Halen, along with original bassist Mark Stone would kick off the band, then David Lee Roth would join on vocals after the group were regularly renting his PA equipment. Stone was replaced with Michael Anthony, and the group began a slow ascent through the Los Angeles club circuit.

Gene Simmons loves his credit for discovering Van Halen, so here’s where his part of the story comes in. Simmons helped VH craft a demo, which did not draw attention or a record deal. Simmons was frustrated that no one in his circle saw the talent within Van Halen and went to tour with Kiss, leaving VH to find their own deal. People out on the LA scene began calling producer Ted Templeman, who had been wanting to get a guitar-centric band together, and the match made in Heaven would come to fruition. Templeman got the band signed to Warner Brothers, got them in the studio and banged out the album in a few weeks.

Time to go under the hood of this landmark record. It’s 11 songs though with a fairly brief 35 minute play time, but of course there’s a lot to discuss here.

Runnin’ With The Devil

I can save a bit of time off the bat as I’ve covered the opening track before in my S-Tier Songs series. It’s a fantastic, immortal rock track and one of the band’s best, even if the field of “their best” is very crowded.

Eruption

This brief instrumental would light the rock and music world on fire. Eddie’s use of two-handed tapping would revolutionize rock guitar for the next decade. The solo is a crazy shred fest that just wasn’t present in late 70’s rock music and it quickly became the piece that every aspiring guitarist looked to emulate.

You Really Got Me

This cover of the Kinks’ 1964 hit would serve as the first single from the record. It’s a Van Halen-ized version of the classic original and the VH cover would get wide airplay. Eddie wasn’t pleased with using the cover as the lead single but apparently there was a race on between Van Halen and the band Angel to get a cover version out so Warner Brothers rushed out the VH cover. The song fits the album just fine and is a very good cover track. Dave Davies of the Kinks would disagree with me but that’s kind of his thing.

Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love

This apostrophe-laden title catastrophe is also one of the band’s most celebrated songs. It was released as the album’s third single and was an instant classic. The riff is a signature rock standard and one of the areas where Van Halen could be accused of playing heavy metal. There’s also some electric sitar on the guitar solo because of course there is.

I’m The One

This is a very nice tune that really showcases in full the Van Halen sound – playing nearly off the rails with Alex and Michael holding down the rhythm fort, while David Lee Roth goes totally batshit on the mic.

Jamie’s Crying

Another highlight song, this has some fantastic riffs from Eddie as DLR spins the tale of Jamie, who got caught up trying to make a one-night stand into something more. Poor Jamie is caught in a bad spot, but at least we get a fantastic song out of it.

Atomic Punk

A very nice and heavy song about some kind of dystopian super villain or something. The song isn’t that deep or anything but it does have a bit of sci-fi cyberpunk feel to it. It’s another “brush” with heavy metal and it’s an outstanding work.

Feel Your Love Tonight

Thematically standard about trying to get with some gal, but a very revved up version of a more old-time rock song. The backing vocals from Eddie and Michael really hit here, though of course they’re present all over the album.

Little Dreamer

Here’s a song that feels like it’s a bridge between Van Halen and the rock that came prior. A very simple yet extremely effective riff and a well-done solo call to mind the rock heroes of the 70’s.

Ice Cream Man

A cover of an old blues standard from John Brim, the song had been around for ages but course had not yet had the Van Halen treatment. The band starts it off slow then kicks in with full instrumentation, making this yet another party rock tune. And of course the lyrical fare is alluding to certain, more adult activities. The song is well done and John Brim got a nice payday out of it too.

On Fire

The album ends with an exhibition, both of Eddie’s guitar playing and Roth’s full-fledged screams. Not that this album had any restraint anyway, but On Fire just goes off into another dimension. One of the band’s less heralded tracks but one that might deserve a bit more recognition.

Van Halen was a hit out of the gate and started the band on their track to superstar success. It would peak at number 19 on the Billboard 200. The record was platinum by October of 1978, and would go on to later diamond certification with over 10 million copies sold. It is virtually tied with 1984 as Van Halen’s best-selling album, though a lack of willingness on the record label’s part to re-certify does leave an incomplete picture.

The album retains its reputation as one of the greatest debut albums released. While to truly judge that would require an examination across many genres and eras, there is no doubt this was one of the most profound and electric debuts in music history.

And this goes far beyond just the scope of one album – this was the beginning of a new era in rock, one in which guitar would take center stage. This album set the table for the rock music of the 1980’s, which happened to be rock’s most commercially successful era. Van Halen was the shape of rock to come in the most excessive and loud decade of the 20th Century. Their own success would rival the biggest acts of music for their extraordinary run through a few decades, ultimately ended by the death of Eddie Van Halen in 2020.

Van Halen was the opening statement from a musical genius and the inspiration for millions to pick up guitars. The album was also the kick-off of a “party rock” trend that would run well through the next decade and usher in many good times and kill trillions of brain cells.

Album Of The Week – November 7, 2022

On By bigbadburchIn Album of the Week9 Comments

This week’s pick is one of rock’s greatest albums. The songs married the sounds of the time with the band’s already-established formula and created a whirlwind that marks one of the most successful periods in the group’s career. It would also be the last offering from this phase of the band for many years.

Van Halen – 1984

Released January 9, 1984 via Warner Bros. Records

My Favorite Tracks – Hot For Teacher, Panama, I’ll Wait

The lead-up to 1984 was a bit contentious for Van Halen. The band had rushed out Diver Down and Eddie Van Halen was prevented from his desired use of synthesizers. In 1983 he sequestered himself in his new home studio and used a synthesizer for the whole year, in defiance of the wishes of David Lee Roth and the record label.

The results weren’t to be argued, though. The slate of songs Eddie came up with worked, both within the band’s sound and as an update to their offerings. This album was chock full of hits and several of the songs would become iconic pieces of Van Halen’s catalog.

It is a rather short album in some respects – 8 songs with a total time of 33 minutes. But there is a lot to talk about, given the legendary nature and success of these songs.

1984

Keeping things even more concise is the first track, a minute long instrumental that only features synthesizer. That’s about all there is to it.

Jump

The proper lead track is likely Van Halen’s most recognized song. Jump features the keyboard front and center, with Eddie’s guitar taking complimentary role. Roth originally based the lyrics around footage of someone contemplating suicide from a tall building, but later reworked them to fashion a more inspiring message.

Jump is Van Halen’s biggest single, being their only number one entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Jump has been ever-present in society in the 38 years since its release.

Panama

Eddie put up the keyboard here and offered a more conventional Van Halen track. The song sounds like the prototypical Van Halen party track but is actually about David Lee Roth’s race car. It’s all the same, really, and this is another widely celebrated song. Panama was a top 20 single and is another VH tune that’s never more than a stone’s throw away. It’s also a very nice bridge to the earlier material.

Top Jimmy

Another guitar-focused track, this upbeat song is a tribute to a gigging band Roth used to catch at a club in Hollywood. Many rock songs have been written about the rise and fall of music stars, but this song simply shines light on a group that went out and played, without the shitty ending.

Drop Dead Legs

Nothing much to get into here – it’s a groovy, Eddie-on-the-guitar tune whose lyrical content is blatantly obvious. Nothing wrong with short and to the point.

Hot For Teacher

The band’s final single from the DLR era is a thing to behold. Alex Van Halen rumbles in with an intense double-bass drum solo intro, then Eddie joins in with some crazy fretwork to kick off this massive rock tune.

The song is, again, simple in premise – guy’s got the hots for his teacher. It has been a common deal since school has been a thing. The song is electric and takes everything to 11. While the single didn’t’ crack the US Top 40, the MTV video was a sensation and saw massive airplay.

I’ll Wait

Another single, this song goes back to the keyboard-heavy approach of Jump. It’s a bit of a slower tune and the synth being at the forefront works well.

An outside collaborator was brought in to help with the lyrics – Michael McDonald, he of the Doobie Brothers and sundry other projects, helped Roth along with the words. McDonald was not credited on certain versions of the release initially, for reasons not made clear.

I’ll Wait matched Panama’s success on the US Billboard singles chart, hitting position 13.

Girl Gone Bad

Heading toward album’s end with a song that showcases a bit of a cleaner guitar tone from Eddie, something a bit brighter that might be a preview of Van Halen to come. There are also words sung about a girl gone bad, which is literally all there is to say about the song’s lyrical theme.

House Of Pain

The album closes on a very old-time VH sounding tune with a very heavy, driving riff. It’s about rough sex, or about not enough rough sex, or not about rough sex, or maybe all of the above – all is possible within the David Lee Roth multiverse.

1984 was a smash success for Van Halen. The album sold well out of the gate, hitting gold just a bit after release. It is in a virtual tie with the debut album as Van Halen’s best-selling record, both being over 10 million and diamond certified in the US. 1984 is often at or very near the top of many VH album rankings and is cited as one of the best albums of the 1980’s.

It’s worth noting that the “synth” arguments about the album are pretty overblown. It’s two whole songs, three if you count the intro. It wasn’t the first time VH used synth either, so the fuss probably comes down to the success of Jump as a single. It might have been different to hear Eddie base a song off of keys rather than guitar, but it gets boring when artists do the same thing over and over again, and Eddie Van Halen wasn’t going to be that kind of artist.

The band would tour behind the album and then long-running tensions would see David Lee Roth exit Van Halen to pursue a solo career. Van Halen would regroup with Sammy Hagar and enter a musically different yet commercially fantastic era.

Roth’s exit was a foregone conclusion, as fans would find out mostly in retrospect. Roth and Eddie Van Halen butted head creatively, with Roth not fond of the synth-based direction Eddie wanted to take. 1984 seems to be Eddie’s response to that. Roth was also presented with opportunities that later didn’t pan out, so heading out on his own was a fairly logical choice.

However things afterward went down, there is no argument that 1984 was a pinnacle album for Van Halen. It was a more cohesive effort that offered up quality work even in secondary tracks, something other early-era albums could sometimes lack. It captured the attention of the world at large and made Van Halen one of rock’s biggest names in an era where rock was king.