Van Halen - Van Halen

This is the album that changed it all.

Funny, I'd not listened to this one in a long time. Back when I was a kid I played this nearly to death.

Even back then it was an album that had a few clunkers - at least to me. I know there are legions of fans who will lose their shit over "Atomic Punk" and that's just fine. It's a technically amazing bit of fretwork, but I didn't 't like it as a song at the time.

I'm starting off on the wrong foot. I'd take a mulligan but I've used so many I'll just keep plowing on.

As a teenager in the small town where I grew up there was no such thing as rock radio. Oh sometimes you'd hear something resembling top 40, but it was an all things to all people station and didn't seem to make anyone happy. I think I heard "You Really Got Me" on the radio, but I'm almost sure I didn't. It was the other kids, the cool kids at school who had records, or older siblings who had records and I'm pretty sure that's where I first heard of the band.

As a young guitar player I was enthralled by rock and roll, especially guitar driven rock. My friends were losing their minds over Van Halen. So I bought a copy, probably in '79 because I had friends who had Van Halen II and I was generally a step behind.

I still remember to this day dropping the needle and hearing the opening to "Running with the Devil" and it ... was ... awesome. Good gravy and holy guacamole that was something. Then came "Eruption" and I'd never heard it. It started out great, and Edward was all over and his left and right hand were totally in sync and then came the impossible section. What the fudge was that? No one knew what tapping was, or how he did it ... it was jaw dropping. It was the new high water mark. Then came "You Really Got Me" and it was a twist on The Kinks classic, and there was that impossible bit in the solo again.  

I had a good friend who never appreciated Ed's playing, he just called him a one trick pony with no sense of melody. I disagreed with him then, and still do. It may have been a trick, but it was employed with such precision and there was structure. It wasn't a haphazard flurry of cacophony - the solos were deliberate. You could hear it, everything was constructed with a sense of purpose.

Heck Edward's rhythm work was impeccable. I still love his work on "Ain't Talking 'Bout Love" as a high watermark for the band, even after all these years. I especially lover the guitar solo ... after melting faces, kicking ass and taking names, Edward delivered a simple yet effective supporting solo that served the song. 

Now I've been listening while jibber jabbering, and I flipped the record over a couple of minutes ago, and "Atomic Punk" is now blaring in the basement, and I'm really getting into it ... I'm trying to recreate my disdain for the song and I must have left it in my other pant's pocket. One of my favourite tracks as a kid was "Ice Cream Man" and even now it puts a goofy grin on my face.

Like I said earlier, I'd not really listened to this in a long time, and holy crap this album still sounds absolutely fantastic. Donn Landee who engineered the album would be Edward's go to guy for much of the band's career. Ted Templeman produced the album and at that point in his career was better known as the guy who worked with the Doobie Brotheres.

Much would be made of this album over the years. From trying to dial in Edward's "Brown Sound" to how his Frankenstrat was built ... it was mostly centred on Edward, and for good reason, he was the sonic architect. To me though, this was about the band, and David Roth (as he was listed on the album) was the shit. I always thought Dave was a heck of a belter, who had more range than he was given credit for. I'll agree that in later years as his antics and penchant for over the top showmanship would eclipse his vocal prowess seemed to take a back seat. Michael's backing vocals were an integral part of the sound, and Alex Van Halen was pretty creative in how he and Ed would connect on the music. Everything was intertwined.

Still, here at this point in time Van Halen served as shots fired! Rock and roll would never be the same.