Van Halen is the reason metal became what it did. Many popular 80s rock bands have said they themselves were influenced by Van Halen. Heavier guitarists like Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society) and Dimebag Darrell (Pantera) have often given credit to Eddie Van Halen specifically as an inspiration. They started the flood of bands pouring into the Sunset Strip in Hollywood trying to make it big in the 1980’s. This impact all started with the band’s first album, Van Halen.

This album is iconic. Of the eleven tracks, five continuously got major radio play. These songs are among the first people think of when they think of Van Halen. As a debut album, it stands out for how consistently great all of the songs are. It’s common for a band’s first album to have a few gems, but mostly have filler. This is different. It commands your attention from start to finish. It’s become much more than music, it’s an experience.

With all that said, here is my track by track review of Van Halen.

The album starts out with “Runnin’ With the Devil”. In the beginning of the song, there’s a train horn that gives an eerie feel to it. The bass line that follows turns the song into one you can really bang your head to. There’s a piano glissando right before the guitar kicks in, which adds a nice touch. The riff is amazing; for its simple sound, it’s really quite complex. The lyrics reflect the rockstar lifestyle of many bands in Hollywood in the late 1970s and David Lee Roth brings it to life with the shrill screams he does throughout the song. The harmonies between Eddie Van Halen and Michael Anthony really shine in this song. Overall, this song is a really fitting introduction to the band and shows some incredible musicianship for a debut album.

“Eruption” is the solo that kickstarted the guitar revolution of the 80’s. The tapping technique that Eddie used in this song quickly became a staple for metal and hard rock guitar. You can hear the influence of this solo in so many songs throughout the 80’s. As for the solo itself, it flows incredibly well. I feel that it’s separated into four sections: the first is the intro with Alex’s drums and a touch of bass, second is the start of the tapping which showcases the technique used to create the effects of the song, next is the really fast tapping that sounds like something out of an old space video game, and finally, there’s the outro that fades into a cover of “You Really Got Me” by The Kinks. This solo is what cemented Eddie Van Halen as a legend. It shows his talent off in such a unique way.

The cover of “You Really Got Me” by The Kinks that follows “Eruption” is a hard rock twist on a classic song from the 60’s. The band really makes this song their own. Everything meshes so well together and shows off the capabilities of everyone in the band. You can clearly hear the bass throughout and the drums are nice and punchy. I love how it stays true to the original but with added Van Halen flair. 

“Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” is a classic. To me, the lyrics are a cautionary tale on the dangers of love. However, you can still jam out to it despite this somber tone. The riff is simpler compared to some of the others on this album, but it still sounds amazing. The bridge has a nice punch to it with Alex synchronizing the drum beats with David singing “bleed for it”. The outro is really fun and has a great riff and beat. It’s a nice change of tone from the more upbeat songs thus far on the album.

“I’m the One” is often overlooked. It’s such a great song and has some really interesting parts to it. It features a really cool solo as well as a nice shuffle beat. The bass line is one of my favorites from Michael Anthony. There’s also a barbershop quartet section which shows how truly great Van Halen’s harmonies are. Lyrically, the song tells of both love and the music industry. It shows some similarities to “You Really Got Me”, which helps tie everything on this side of the album together.

Side Two of the album kicks off with “Jamie’s Cryin’”. This is another cautionary tale of love gone bad. I love that Eddie makes the guitar sound like it’s crying, which fits so well and drives the point of the lyrics home. The harmonies on the chorus are some of my favorites. David’s vocals on this song have a really cool swagger to them. Some endings of sections have a slight cry to them, which is a perfect touch. This song is a really solid way to start the second half of the album.

“Atomic Punk” is a tribute to the space-age of the 1950s. It compares the Hollywood nightlife to space exploration, which is a pretty cool metaphor. It captures a fascination many people had with space at the time since the moon landing was under ten years before this album was released. The beginning of the riff also plays into this imagery. The palm muting effect makes it sound like a ray gun in an old Sci-Fi movie from the 1950s. It’s a really solid piece overall.

“Feel Your Love Tonight” has a danceable feel. This song has one of my favorite vocal performances from David Lee Roth. The high notes he hits are nothing short of incredible. The layered harmonies before the chorus are another nice touch. The solo calls back to others on the album, which ties everything together before they go for a break in their mold with the next song: “Little Dreamer”.

“Little Dreamer” is the rare slow Van Halen song. It defies categorization since it’s not quite a straight rocker and not quite a ballad. The lyrics talk of either a fallen beauty queen or a wild child who met a bitter end. There’s a really beautiful descant harmony part over the chorus that works extremely well with the more tender side of David’s voice that’s on display here. This song has my favorite riff Eddie has ever written. It’s beautiful in its melancholy tone while still being rock driven. It truly stands out among their catalogue and shows that they are capable of more than party-hard rock n roll.

“Ice Cream Man” is another cover on the album that the band truly makes their own. They had a knack for updating the doo-wop sound of the 1950s to fit within the hard rock craze of the late 1970s. The acoustic intro leans closer with the original, but it kicks into Van Halen’s signature hard rock about a minute in. What really stands out to me about this song is how the guitar solo cuts through everything and really lets Eddie shine. It’s not the strongest song on the album in my opinion, but it’s still a good one. 

“On Fire” closes out this iconic album with a bang. The intro is amazing. The sound is nice too since it’s gritty, but has a professional polish to it. Something else that stands out is that this track is one of the earliest examples of glam metal. The screams David Lee Roth does are reminiscent of Poison and Bon Jovi. It really shows the influence they had on the bands that would start in the next few years after this album was released. Overall, this song is a great way to close the album.

Van Halen changed the game with their debut album. It paved the way for glam metal and influenced so many others. If not for Eddie Van Halen, guitar wouldn’t sound like it does now. This album is a lasting testament to his prowess. David Lee Roth is the mold that so many future frontmen came from. Michael and Alex’s rhythm section added the extra backbeat needed to make the songs as powerful as they were. With these four men and their contributions, as long as rock music stays alive, they will always be a staple.