I am the POLLer of these netherworlds: Best Song On Van Halen's First Album

I kind of can't believe this hasn't been done, but I couldn't find anything in search. Curious if anyone has any sense of how outtanowhere this album seemed at the time. Kiss, Aerosmith, the aforementioned Boston, all obvious touchstones, and I know they big Mountain fans, but it still seems like they just shot out of a cannon already their own damn thing.

playing songs that sound as if they were shot out of a cannon

Pretty impossible to choose between running, jaime, talkin bout love, and on fire

Always thought little dreamer was the sneaky good song on this album

Runnin' With The Devil- Considering how much sheer rock and roll speed and thrill power is on this album, it is telling that it starts with this ominous “Black Sabbath in Cali” tune. I found the simple life ain’t so simple indeed.
Eruption- This one track from lore just recorded as a lark as producer Ted Templeton heard Eddie VH using it to warming up with this piece, which was more of a live intro than a complete track pretty much for better or for worse dropped the atom bomb on electric rock guitar.
You Really Got Me- VH were never prodigious song writers and so quite a few covers from their live sets ended up on records. I do think in a historical circle kind of way, it is cool that “You Really Got Me” is here as it kind of puts book ends on the rock guitar riff from 64-78 in a way.
Ain't Talkin' Bout Love- There are some great tunes on this record, but I think this one is the best and most finely stilled moment of Van Halen’s music. It’s all in there.
I'm The One- Man this song is really fast.
Jamie's Cryin'- I really love that sarcastic “peanut’s teacher/wah wah” sound EVH gets on the main riff, it really brings the nastiness to the tune. The riff was so cool it ended up in Tone LOC’s “Wild Thing”.
Atomic Punk- This one is another burner and probably one of VH’s most “metal” sounding tunes.
Feel Your Love Tonight- I’d say this tune could be looked at as an archetype for west coast pop metal.
Little Dreamer- More mid-tempo centered around a fat riff, definitely still in the vein of west coast pop metal that came later, if a bit bluesy sounding for VH.
Ice Cream Man- This one I think comes from David Lee Roth and showcases his schtik pretty well. I think the Van Halen’s dad’s music probably got them to be into doing this kind of tune for a change of pace and I think that added to the element of fun in their discography.
On Fire- Again, VH put the pedal to the metal and head out at breakneck speed.

I voted for "Aint Talking About Love".

prob "ain't.." for me. am i fucked up that i listen to - if not necessarily 'like' - about 3 of their records more than this one?

Kiss, Aerosmith, the aforementioned Boston, all obvious touchstones, and I know they big Mountain fans

To my ear the strongest influence has always been ZZ Top. Boogie band through and through, and the "brown sound" owes a lot to BFG.

Also this album smokes and this poll is diabolical. I will probably vote for "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love" but quien sabe.

also:

http://www.vintagevinyljournals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/vanhalen-vanhalen-cover.jpg

it seems impossible that I hadn't really noticed DLR's mic placement until now.

I do think the Mammoth/VH bar band that did funk like Kool & the Gang and KC & the Sunshine band tunes in their set did really seep into EVH's playing and is in their sound too.

James Gang also unrecognized early influence.

Runnin', Ain't Talkin' or Little Dreamer. This is impossible.

I think Kris said something on the old ILM about how "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" was the only time that flanged guitar sounded tough. Such a great guitar sound on that.

On Fire or Ain't Talkin'...went with On Fire for its ott facemelt quotient.

ain't talkin' bout love, no other choice

Also a fan of this:
http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=tim+hecker+my+love+is+rotten+to+the+core&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=safari&sa=N&rls=en&biw=1217&bih=664&tbm=isch&tbnid=RReBz2Zv5FZH4M:&imgrefurl=http://www.alien8recordings.com/releases/my-love-is-rotten-to-the-core&docid=EV5rs5LhHfD0_M&imgurl=http://www.alien8recordings.com/release_image/name/3/size600/SUBSF04CoverRGB.jpg%253F1259252854&w=600&h=560&ei=CSbMT7LbMaOC2AWqyYzaCw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=137&vpy=152&dur=397&hovh=149&hovw=161&tx=81&ty=143&sig=113949593372179468342&page=1&tbnh=147&tbnw=158&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:70

http://www.alien8recordings.com/release_image/name/3/size600/SUBSF04CoverRGB.jpg?1259252854

My guitar teacher, who can play anything, nonetheless had to break down and buy a new guitar just to make Van Halen type shit a little more manageable (I guess Eddie's hands are really big, and the way he gets around the guitar not always intuitive?). Anyway, my teacher likes to point out the irony that the finger tapping stuff in "Eruption" that first got all the attention - "Runnin' with the Devil" doesn't have much in the way of a flashy guitar solo, as if Eddie knew just what he had and wanted to save it for a little later - is actually the easiest stuff to do on that track. He's constantly amazed at the precision and syncopation of the other stuff Eddie is frequently pulling off at pretty fast tempos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0C0Yke9tww

http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q496/mikb844/IMG_4211.jpg

'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love'... what a riff!

http://www.weissguygallery.com/images/galleries/VAN%20HALEN/VAN%20HALEN%2005(Eddie%20&%20Valerie)%20-1981.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3570/3800151358_a9e2d3955d_o.jpg

I love the surfiness of Ain't Talkin. went with that, but damn near impossible poll

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2441/5850042744_8814913f9d_z.jpg

yeah, "ain't talkin" is it. crazy thing is, the riff could hardly be easier.

lol @ opening Xgau review, even if I can't quite follow it

it's kind of OTM!

Kiss, Aerosmith, the aforementioned Boston, all obvious touchstones, and I know they big Mountain fans, but it still seems like they just shot out of a cannon already their own damn thing.

Montrose seem like the obvious precursor, ironically given who replaced DLR.

And Black Oak Arkansas. Or at least Big Jim Dandy, who DLR basically aped.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Sorta tempted to vote for "Eruption", but even though it is Eddie Van Halen's best guitar performance, there are other tracks here that have actually certain pop qualities in addition, so I went for "Running With The Devil" instead. Also love "Jamie's Cryin'" and "Ain't Talking 'Bout Love".

Best album in this genre until "Hysteria".

I ain't got time to fuck around... FUCK YOU

just listened to this last week, didn't see this poll until now. voted "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love" b/c of the 2 Live Crew sample & its badass brazenness but this is such a strong album; "Atomic Punk" sounds like a completely different band except for Eddie's periodic flairs.

I voted for "Ain't Talkin'" here; guess I will again --

http://www.spin.com/articles/fair-warning-best-and-worst-moments-van-halens-7-david-lee-roth-records

I keep thinking I don't like Van Halen that much until polls like this come up. Don't know this whole album but the radio tracks are all unbelievable.

yeah as a singles act they were fucking fierce

holy shit I had forgotten what a force of nature David Lee Roth is

I mean, people talk about the guitar work on this album but let's not overlook the singing, which is fucking crazy

voted for ain't talkin bout love for sheer gale force rawk, but Little Dreamer is still my personal favorite. and Janie.

yeah everything about this album is incredible, I can't think of any other singer who was this balls-out crazy and still felt sincere

Ain't Talkin' is going to win (as it should) but I'm throwing a vote to Dreamer.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

I voted "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love," but yesterday I was driving somewhere and heard that slowed-down-car-horn intro to "Runnin'" on the radio and was like DAMMIT I WANT A REVOTE.

wau @ the margin of victory, especially on an album where every track is a legit keeper.

while i'm not really a fan of their covers, i *love* the segue from 'eruption' to 'you really got me'. also 'intruder' into 'pretty woman'

rifftastic

weird margin. Runnin' should have won.

feel bad that I'm The One got no votes --- I really love the uber swing vibe on that

Back when I didn't have a car, I always imagined buying a new car and putting Runnin' With the Devil in on the stereo as I rolled out of the lot. When the time actually came to buy my first car in 10 years, I was too worried about not getting tricked into buying the latest warranty undercoat protection plan that I didn't bother to bring the CD. When all was said and done, I scrambled as I turned onto the parkway to flip to the local classic rock station and the best I got was Hollywood Nights. I mean, yeah, but no.

hahah

lol

RIP Ice Cream Man

confused by revive, went to google news/twitter and didn't see anything about VH

i was laughing at how's life's last post. forgot to quote it

wtf is julian cope talking about here, i can't find any deviations in track sequences anywhere?

Secondly, magnificent as the first LP is, their simple act of re-sequencing it for the new Remastered series so that the three strongest tracks now open the record, is not only proof that Warners and Van Halen themselves got it wrong the first time, but hell, it almost makes the thing an entirely new record. While “Running With The Devil” is just about the greatest (and most bass heavyyy) career opener of the 1970s, if it’s taken the protagonists over 25 years to realise what every Van Halen head always intuitively knew when making C90 comps for mates, that is: you follow “Running With The Devil” with “Atomic Punk” and “On Fire”, then should they have bothered at this late stage?

maybe it's some metafiction bullshit or something? sorry for bumping a VH thread if so. http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/albumofthemonth/van-halen-atomic-punks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ewsHwVOyyE

getting a lot of mileage out of this recently. i know, not first album, but still

Released 40 years ago today.

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