VIDEOS OF THE WEEK: VAN HALEN-Special

[Niels (Mod)]

VOTW - VAN HALEN

Okay, I know, "we've" just been through all the VH-albums and that most of all you people, that are following VOTW week after week () probably have heard each and every VH-song 1,000.000 times and probably also have seen these video's, but......it's Christmas, and I felt like having one of my favorite bands from the late 70's on display, this last VOTW in 2015 (next one will be the first monday in 2016). Sometime later in 2016, I'll probably also do a Cheap Trick-special, just because those 2 bands are so important to my upbringing as a fan of rock-music. I won't copy any text at all from wiki, when I do these "very known" bands, just write something, that comes to my mind, but there's not much new to write, since we've "been through" the album recently on Facebook (courtesy RJhog):

JAMIE'S CRYING

I remember the first time, I saw VH's debut-album. Again it was at a friends house (the same friend, once again). As I wrote not long ago on Facebook, I actually thought it was KISS without make-up, just for a few moments, but I came to my senses, and bought the album if not the next day, then damn near the next day. After being a KISS-fan for nearly 2 years or so (this was in late '78, as far as I recall), Van Halen was only the third band, I bought an album "by" (Nazareth being the second). Reluctanly I had to borrow this album out to one of my "classmates" (a girl) kid-brother, just so she might like me. I hated those couple of months, where I didn't have the album at home. The girl turned out to be lesbian. True story!

YOU'RE NO GOOD

VH II, I suddently saw in the windows of a recordstore around May '79. It's alway great to come accross a new album, that you didn't expect at all. That album sounds sooo much of Summer '79 to me. At the time, I thought it wasn't as good as the debut, and I still don't, but it's an awesome album never the less.

AND THE CRADLE WILL ROCK

Again, I was taken by surprise, when I saw this album (Women and Chlidren first) at a recordstore in March '80. At the time, I thought the album was better than II. I'm not so sure these days.

FAIR WARNING

The first VH-album, that I knew the release-date of, and I got it pretty damn near the release-date. I was pleasantly surprise of the production of this album, and it reminds me very much of the summer of 1981. Van Halen is definitely a summer-band! Oh man, I wish, I'd seen VH on this tour, but sadly, they never were near Denmark until the 90's, I think. I just got me a new Iphone, and therefore a new ringing-tone (or whatever you call it). For years, I've had "She's A Rainbow" by Stones, and I've allways been looking forward to a new phone, so I could get Fair Waring as the ringning-tone. But damn it, The first 30 sec are missing, and the start is what I wanted. So I've chosen The Who's Baba O'Riley instead.

LITTLE GUITARS

Again a summer-album (Diver Down), but a letdown. There were a few good new tracks, like this one. I've always felt like they took it way too "lightly" on this album. They did better on 1984, but "The magic" kind of dissapeared after Fair Warning.

Thank you for watching and commenting in 2015. See you in 2016

[Scott]

JAMIES CRYIN'... Seems that they shot the videos an the album cover at the same time.  KISS without make-up, that's an association that's never crossed my mind. This is one my go-to tracks on the debit album, once Runnin' With the Devil and You Really Got Me started to get overplayed (And Eruption really) then the rest of the album really started to gel for me.  Great video too!  Pre over-the-top hijinks (like we will see on the bandstand performance).  Nice starter...

YOURE NO GOOD ... As much as I love II, the riffs don't have the same punch as the debut and there was a rushed feel to it IMO.  That said I love it all and its awesome to this day, just a personal observation.  Still the band is working great together and each member stands out and is given a showcase.  The attention is on the band and not DLR/EVH only.  I like that.

AND THE CRADLE WILL ROCK ... Silly over-the-top Dave emerges.  And he can't keep the lip syncing straight with all his antics.  Oh well this is Bandstand after all and it needs a rock infusion from time to time, so I'm cool with this one as well.  For me this album is better than II, even to this day.

MEAN STREET ... One can never go wrong with Baba O Riley (Greatest rock of all time IMO).  Much like one can never go wrong with Fair Warning!  And you're right, they've never been better than this album

LITTLE GUITARS ...  Secrets is the best track on DD IMO.  But this one is pretty cool too.

Nice post and great pre-Christmas present!  Merry Christmas to you as well!

[RJhog (Admin)]

Jamie - I think that today my favorite VH album is the debut.  Last week it was II.  Didn't they get this song by ripping off that Tone Loc song?  Seriously, the video is very cool to watch.  Not a lot going on other than Roth moving around. Alex was just pounding and Eddie didn't really have much life to him at this point.

No Good - Man, I would have loved to have seen VH back then.  I finally got to see them on the ADKOT tour, but DLR's singing is much better on this video.  He's still got the most flash in the band, but Eddie did seem a bit livelier on this clip.  

Cradle - Ha!  What the heck has DLR got on?  That's awful, but again, flashy.  Alex needs a few more drum pieces.  Mike Anthony needs a stylist in the worst kind of way.  And it seems like maybe, just maybe, this is an early sign of Roth and Eddie scrapping a bit for camera time.

Mean Street - Notice the choreography by this time.  I really dig the overhead shot of Alex playing the drums.  That is so cool.  This is such a badass song.  If somebody asked me to play a song that proves why VH was one of the absolute greatest, this is the song I'd pick.  Even over my personal favorite, Light Up The Sky.  The riff, the composition, and the lyrics/vocals.  One of the all-time great songs.

Little Guitars - I didn't notice until about halfway through the song that Eddie was actually playing a little guitar.  How cool is that?  This was a tremendous live performance.  They sounded amazing back then.  

This was a great trip back brother.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though it took me a week to get to it.

By the way, if you want me to, I believe I can make you a 30 second ringtone of the beginning of Mean Street.