Post by redshoes on Aug 20, 2006 0:41:46 GMT -5
It's not Slayer that compells me to run into the streets of my town with a machete and decapitate people wearing tripp pants and/or H.I.M. sweat bands, it's not Sepultura, or Cannibal Corpse, Death or Obituary. Not even Mayhem, and Immortal.
It's Van Halen. It's their first album, it's the fact that it's no longer hip to have fun and just party because of the current trends...
On this album we are introduced to the original bad boys, and all those things they do best. We hear Alex's rolling beats, and combustive fills, we hear Anthony's rhytmic plugs with just a touch of melody, we hear Eddie's legendary leads, and of course, we hear Dimaond David Lee Roth scream. Too many people have sited Roth's elation as an anoyance in my presence. Too many people dressed all in black that listen to "love metal". I look forward to seeing them fail in their attempts to make a living with all the sad little poems they write and pictures they draw.
B Runnin With the Devil The exhibition's exhibition. In so it does everything it needs to, a solid introduction to the band and all their afformentioned talents. Compared to what lies in wait though, it's just slightly sub par, simply never fast enough to compare with the proceeding material in all it's jump. I feel like I'm wating for something
C Eruption I'm a little afraid to say this, thinking I'll hear the word "Blasphemy" quite alot for it but, to me, this is a wasted track. We all know what Edward Van Halen is capable of. He doesn't need to display it so blithely like this.
+B You Really Got Me A cover. We're getting there. When I first spun this I knew I was getting there when I heard this. From the get go the song is beefed up through Eddie's prowess, a fill at the tail end of every line sung by Roth. The Kinks certainly did come first, but never exactly reached this plateu did they?
A Ain't Talkin Bout Love I can't rightly describe the lead guitar on this song. Eddie makes you completly forget, time and again, that there even is a band playing with him. It takes only the most basic flex of his talent (possibly former talent...) You see, folks, it's not enough to just play solo's. The whole metal Renaissance as they called it, where shitty bands like Disturbed and Slipknot decided to start putting more solos into their songs after School of Rock came out, didn't make the music anything like this (or any better most assuredly). Eddie had a matchless ability to move fluidly from lead to rhythm. He'll show you how on this song
+A I'm the One Whatever it was I was waiting for, it just passed me going in the opposite direction. I was swept off the road and left burning in a wreck. Interestingly enough though, it's not so much Eddie's guitar, but Michael Anthony's steady, swift moving bass that gives this song the pace it needs to have it's affect. The completly scattershot and totally unlinear guitar however, does much to add to it and this truly does become, the ultimate party song. Play this really loud, no matter where it is you may be listening to it, remember, metal used to be all about having a good time. Let it remain so.
A Jaime's Cryin' Roth doesn't really seem too bent out of shape about it actually. So rude, so lude. Of particular delight is the breakdown ending with what Jaime's going to need.
B Atomic Punk I expected at least more of I'm the One's speed, due mostly to the word "Punk" appearing in the title. Much more straightforward though, not bad but no true gem.
A Feel Your Love Tonight Another song where it's not so much Eddie, but the band's working together, making those harmonies, that brings it on home (gotta dig that chorus). Kind of cathartic after Jaime's Cryin', if only because the girl isn't crying this time... I think.
B Little Dreamer The boys take it down a notch, with this bit about a little lady with dreams of her own. Another more straightforward song like Atomic Punk, only just more about sentiment now.
B Ice Cream Man I have mixed feelings about Eddie playing any accoustic guitar, because in this band, accoustic led to synth and synth... Led to Haggar... Thanks goodness it doesn't last long, and we're treated to one of his better straight solos on the album.
+A On Fire Good god is that Sabbath in the intro? I'm accustomed to that in maybe Megadeth or Metallica, but here? and what now... More speed! Truly a fitting end. Roth releases the most terribly fearsome scream I've ever heard at the 1:46 mark. Was this song written as a precognition of the success they would enjoy with this album alone? Who can tell. Short lived though the album maybe, it ist eternal in what is displayed during that life, don't miss it for the world.
Album rating A
Overall Song rating +B
It's Van Halen. It's their first album, it's the fact that it's no longer hip to have fun and just party because of the current trends...
On this album we are introduced to the original bad boys, and all those things they do best. We hear Alex's rolling beats, and combustive fills, we hear Anthony's rhytmic plugs with just a touch of melody, we hear Eddie's legendary leads, and of course, we hear Dimaond David Lee Roth scream. Too many people have sited Roth's elation as an anoyance in my presence. Too many people dressed all in black that listen to "love metal". I look forward to seeing them fail in their attempts to make a living with all the sad little poems they write and pictures they draw.
B Runnin With the Devil The exhibition's exhibition. In so it does everything it needs to, a solid introduction to the band and all their afformentioned talents. Compared to what lies in wait though, it's just slightly sub par, simply never fast enough to compare with the proceeding material in all it's jump. I feel like I'm wating for something
C Eruption I'm a little afraid to say this, thinking I'll hear the word "Blasphemy" quite alot for it but, to me, this is a wasted track. We all know what Edward Van Halen is capable of. He doesn't need to display it so blithely like this.
+B You Really Got Me A cover. We're getting there. When I first spun this I knew I was getting there when I heard this. From the get go the song is beefed up through Eddie's prowess, a fill at the tail end of every line sung by Roth. The Kinks certainly did come first, but never exactly reached this plateu did they?
A Ain't Talkin Bout Love I can't rightly describe the lead guitar on this song. Eddie makes you completly forget, time and again, that there even is a band playing with him. It takes only the most basic flex of his talent (possibly former talent...) You see, folks, it's not enough to just play solo's. The whole metal Renaissance as they called it, where shitty bands like Disturbed and Slipknot decided to start putting more solos into their songs after School of Rock came out, didn't make the music anything like this (or any better most assuredly). Eddie had a matchless ability to move fluidly from lead to rhythm. He'll show you how on this song
+A I'm the One Whatever it was I was waiting for, it just passed me going in the opposite direction. I was swept off the road and left burning in a wreck. Interestingly enough though, it's not so much Eddie's guitar, but Michael Anthony's steady, swift moving bass that gives this song the pace it needs to have it's affect. The completly scattershot and totally unlinear guitar however, does much to add to it and this truly does become, the ultimate party song. Play this really loud, no matter where it is you may be listening to it, remember, metal used to be all about having a good time. Let it remain so.
A Jaime's Cryin' Roth doesn't really seem too bent out of shape about it actually. So rude, so lude. Of particular delight is the breakdown ending with what Jaime's going to need.
B Atomic Punk I expected at least more of I'm the One's speed, due mostly to the word "Punk" appearing in the title. Much more straightforward though, not bad but no true gem.
A Feel Your Love Tonight Another song where it's not so much Eddie, but the band's working together, making those harmonies, that brings it on home (gotta dig that chorus). Kind of cathartic after Jaime's Cryin', if only because the girl isn't crying this time... I think.
B Little Dreamer The boys take it down a notch, with this bit about a little lady with dreams of her own. Another more straightforward song like Atomic Punk, only just more about sentiment now.
B Ice Cream Man I have mixed feelings about Eddie playing any accoustic guitar, because in this band, accoustic led to synth and synth... Led to Haggar... Thanks goodness it doesn't last long, and we're treated to one of his better straight solos on the album.
+A On Fire Good god is that Sabbath in the intro? I'm accustomed to that in maybe Megadeth or Metallica, but here? and what now... More speed! Truly a fitting end. Roth releases the most terribly fearsome scream I've ever heard at the 1:46 mark. Was this song written as a precognition of the success they would enjoy with this album alone? Who can tell. Short lived though the album maybe, it ist eternal in what is displayed during that life, don't miss it for the world.
Album rating A
Overall Song rating +B
