A Look Back: Van Halen — Van Halen (1978)
The first Van Halen album from 1978. Does it hold up? A retro-review.
The first Van Halen album from 1978. Does it hold up? A retro-review.
The musical landscape on which Van Halen dropped their self-titled debut album in February of 1978 was diverse. The Bee Gees were at their apogee, and Peter Frampton was the guitar god of the moment. Attempting to infiltrate a landscape that complete was a Sisyphean task if ever there was one.
Van Halen was equal parts Black Sabbath and Rick James (with just a flare of Elton John and a touch of James Brown). Would they, could they fit in? They were a hybrid unto themselves. Not quite hard rock and not quite pop.
Sure, now we can say unequivocally that Van Halen fit in, but at the time? Fitting in was of little concern. They busted through the door, screamed their presence, and crossed genres.
Recognizing the genius of Eddie Van Halen, FM radio programmers quickly added the first single, a rather ballsy and meaty re-make of The Kinks “You Really Got Me.”
A few years later, many cried foul when Eddie used keyboards on 1984, thinking it was the first time he had used keyboards. Hogwash, I would point to the first few seconds of Van Halen’s first track, “Runnin’ With The Devil,” there is a tiny piano roll right at the beginning. And then the song stomps and rolls right into your ears and consciousness to bellow the band’s presence.
If there was ever a first song on a debut album that announced a band to the world, “Runnin’ With The Devil” is it.
Track two is “Eruption,” a 1:42 minute guitar solo. A guitar solo as a second song…think about that for a second… that’s a strong statement by any artist . . . at any stage in their career.
But a new artist . . . track two, instrumental . . . on their first album? That’s some serious chutzpah.
The one-two punch of “Runnin’” and “Eruption” is followed by the Van Halen-ing of “You Really Got Me.” The Kinks? Seriously? That’s a trifecta of intrepid musicianship.
The rest of Van Halen is a barrage of originality. Yes, Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth are unique. And yes, they are most certainly the focal point. Yes, Diamond Dave is one of the great lead singers in rock, and Eddie is, well, he’s Eddie. Enough has been written about both.
To discount the contributions of drummer Alex Van Halen and bassist Michael Anthony would be a mistake.
Maybe if Alex Van Halen were in any other band where his brother wasn’t one of the most original rock guitarists in history, he might have been singled out for his drumming. But, that isn’t the case…he IS in a band with his brother Eddie, the guitar god. And whatever the gossip is, Michael Anthony was, and is, as reliable as any rock bass player.
Van Halen, the album, is bupkis without them.
Van Halen, the band, is bupkis in any other incarnation.
Masculinity was still a thing in 1978 and Van Halen proved that you could still rock (with a capital R), make catchy tunes, have hits, look good and appeal to women. They were the first to package the masculinity of hard rock and make it appeal to both men and women.
From the heavy “Ain’t Talking ‘Bout Love” to the poppier “Feel Your Love Tonight” to the tongue in cheek cover of “Ice Cream Man,” the band often vacillated from threatening to playful; suitable for both genders.
The same could not be said of Black Sabbath or Deep Purple.
1978 wasn’t just a diverse year for established music. Some fractures were being created with a new genre of music burgeoning (Elvis Costello, The Cars, Blondie). Van Halen’s debut album helped to bridge that crevasse by proving that good music is good music. Genre is a marketing term.
The band toured relentlessly, quickly rising from opening act to headliner. No easy task in the late ’70s, and by the end of 1978, the album was platinum, and the band was certified rock stars.
Forty-one years later, and ignoring all the Page Six nonsense, Van Halen is just as fresh and original as it was then. And it still sounds so f’ing good — a testament to not only the band but to producer Ted Templeman and engineer Don Landee.
Van Halen is rightly recognized as a watershed moment for rock music because it helped expand the parameters of hard rock. Eddie revolutionized rock guitar playing for sure, but more importantly, it announced that a hard rock band could appeal to both guys and girls.
With Van Halen, the album and the band built the template for what followed — guys wanted to be them, girls wanted to be with them . . . and parents were terrified of them.
A rock band, rock fan, and a record label’s dream come true.
Van Halen is arguably the best, but certainly the most consistent, Van Halen album.
This is an album that will continue to influence musicians for generations to come.