Really happy that you all really liked the last two reviews!! I had a fun time; the thing is I did write these a long time ago for a server I was in, but I'm editing these to post them here and get my thoughts on Queen's overall discography out there with you guys. I really like seeing your own thoughts, and getting to discuss what you like or don't about their albums as well. :) Thanks for the support! Anyways, onto this album, which I deem the peak of their career.

Sheer Heart Attack by Queen Review
------------------------------------------------------------
Queen II may have held the breakthrough that Queen needed with its song "Seven Seas of Rhye" and established the fun jumping-around of different musical styles that the band would come to embrace, but this album would serve as their major breakthrough to the U.S. Coming just shortly after their previous album, by just a few months Sheer Heart Attack would allow this magnificent foursome to flash their jewelry and spread their wings and fly away into musical royalty, being the first album where they had got it completely right with the production, which finally sounds genuinely well mixed and gives a new level of appreciation to the songs here as its a lot easier to make out the individual parts, and to be able to admire just how good the guitar overdubbing and other aspects are.

Gone were the more mystical lyrics that Freddie had become so acquainted with, and while that was the end of an era for this band in a sense, it opened the gates for a more chart-friendly approach to their music. What's interesting to note is that a few of this album's songs were recorded while Brian May was hospitalized; he had acute hepatitis during the recording of this album and had even collapsed during a tour they were on. In a sense, this album was him going all out on guitar, making something that lasts with its power and stand-out riffs, in case anything did happen with the disease, during that time of turmoil the band made something incredible.

This album has a lot to uncover in the mix, with the fantastic "Brighton Rock" opening the album and being a perfect showcase of Freddie's insane vocal range where he sings both the female and male part of a duet, and hosts incredible Hard Rock guitar work from Brian May with one of his famous guitar solos frequently featured among the best solos of all time, following directly into single "Killer Queen" which would give listeners a clear listen into the bands theatricality and utter talent with pop hooks featuring some creative use of guitar and fun, catchy lyrics, clearly still holding up today as its heavily played on radio stations and served as the single that made the charts in the U.S.

But that's not all to love, there's a certain thrill to the excitement of Queen cementing their sound and the sheer diversity of the other songs too. For example, they do a medley with "Tenement Funster/Flick of the Wrist/Lily of the Valley" which has the first song being a foot-stomping hard rocker with lead vocals from Roger Taylor and lyrics that are first of many he wrote as a testament to youthful rebellion, being his first truly amazing song, the middle song featuring extremely creative blending of piano and hard rock guitar riffs and clever lyrics that compare the wrongdoing manager it's aimed as a middle finger at to the devil. Small story here is that Queen's old manager was very controlling and ripped them off, treating them as easily twistable for extortion, and this would be explored again later but here this song is just phenomenal. Finishing off is the soft ballad that demonstrates the innovative keyboard work from Freddie and a delve once again into the fantasy land of Rhye, this one being the last time he does. The lyrics feel a bit more metaphorical here in testament to Freddie's sexuality, and it explores a connection with him and his feelings in such a passionate way its impossible not to love.

"Now I'm Here" is the only other really 'huge' song on the album, and opens Side B. It was written while Brian May was in the hospital with hepatitis and is about the bands' experience touring with Mott The Hoople, with double tracked vocals that swish around from ear to ear as Freddie sings "Now I'm here/Now I'm there" almost as if he's dancing around you, and the main riff is inspired by Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog", of which Queen were big fans of. But rather than ripping it off, it does its own unique song and is one of May's greatest riffs, catchy and irresistibly heavy. While "In The Lap of the Gods" is a bit of a misstep with beautiful falsetto from Roger Taylor but a weird effect that ruins Freddie's vocals and makes the song an odd number to include. It is interesting with its jazz influence at least, but that's about it.

"Stone Cold Crazy" is proto-Thrash Metal, and shows all those out there that say Queen never pushed a new genre forwards completely wrong as it features some incredible heavy, fast-paced in-your-face guitar chops from Brian May, amazing acapella verses with Freddie taking hardly any breaths, and is a song that influenced many thrash metal artists such as Metallica, who even covered the song. This song was pivotal in the creation of that genre. This is easily the best song on the album as it showcases the best of every member's abilities. Then off the hook of that, "Dear Friends", a much softer ballad follows featuring a suspension resolution preceded by another one, in D major as Freddie plays arpeggiated notes on his piano. The third phrase shows a innovative downward scalar bassline with chromatic notes and chords, though despite how impressive it is, it really doesn't stand out as very memorable after how many songs came before it and were better.

"Misfire" is bassist John Deacon's first song for the band, with him doing all the guitars on this fun pop rocker, which clocks in at 1:50 making it the second shortest, yet the charm of it is undeniable; the groove is fantastic and he's actually quite impressive at playing guitar. Freddie's vocals elevate this one to be just joyous, then there's "Bring Back That Leroy Brown" takes an interesting turn to ragtime piano, and Freddie's lowest note hit on a record being a "C" in the second phrase, and a unique instrument being the banjolele. It is a tribute to the song "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" by Jim Croce who passed a year prior, and was Queen's first foray into ragtime. It's actually brilliant and the use of different instruments show the prowess of Brian in specific, while John's bassline is beyond incredible; he packs so much fun and enthusiasm that really makes the jazzy groove stand out.

The album ends with "She Makes Me [Stormtrooper in Stilettos]" being a slow song about a soldier reminiscing in his final moments on his lost love of his life as sirens signal an ambulance arriving in the end but as evidenced by the slowing breaths they are too late, it's pretty but nothing noteworthy as it kind of flows in one ear and out the other with its repetition and "In The Lap of The Gods...Revisited" being Freddie's first attempt to write a song that the audience could sing along to. This was a concert staple and its easy to see why with the piano work combining with Roger's jazz-tinged drumbeat and Brian's emotive guitar playing. Freddie's vocals are some of his best performance on a record here as well, this song just really captures beauty the way the first one did not, and even ends with the sound of thunder; just brilliant.

Overall it makes sense why this has been listed by multiple publications as one of the best albums of all time, and as a Glam Rock essential; it is truly one with a diverse span and incredible instrument work featuring lots of experimenting in styles similar to bands such as The Beatles and I definitely consider it such. This is Queen's greatest achievement, and where everything added up to a perfect whole.

Rating: ★★★★★

TRACKLIST RATING:

1. Brighton Rock: ★★★★★
2. Killer Queen: ★★★★★
3. Tenement Funster: ★★★★
4. Flick of the Wrist: ★★★★★
5. Lily of the Valley: ★★★★★
6. Now I'm Here: ★★★★★
7. In The Lap Of The Gods: ★★★
8. Stone Cold Crazy: ★★★★★
9. Dear Friends: ★★★
10. Misfire: ★★★★
11. Bring Back That Leroy Brown: ★★★★★
12. She Makes Me [Stormtrooper in Stilettos]: ★★★
13. In The Lap of The Gods...Revisited: ★★★★★

THE JOURNEY SO FAR (Other Reviews):
Queen review (4/5 stars)
Queen II review (5/5 stars)

It has been fun writing all of these and posting them here. This one was a bit controversial of a post in the Van Halen sub, mainly from the DLR purists, as I do think this album isn't up to par that much with the other ones. Anyways, here is the review.

Diver Down (1982) REVIEW
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Summer has always been my favorite season. I've always loved watching the sunsets and the way they paint the sky, or the feel of cold pool water on my skin as I take a swim. Hopping off the diving board, or eating ice cream always makes me feel joy, and is some of the most fun I've had. In many ways, from the album title to the overall vibes, Diver Down feels like a very summer-y album, with the very feeling of the California summer.

Around this time, Van Halen was a band that was constantly on tour, on a nearly-consistent basis. They needed a break, they deserved one. Everyone needs to take a break now and then, and so they recorded a cover of the classic, (Oh) Pretty Woman to satisfy their record label and show they were still there, but that wasn't good enough; no, instead they were pushed to make a full album by their label because the song ended up charted.

Thus, Diver Down was born. As much as I've talked about the vibe of it, I can't help but feeling this is the clear sound of an exhausted band grasping at straws in the small, ripped cup for ideas. There's more filler here than a landfill, and way too many covers. I don't think having some covers is bad, but Van Halen were known to balance it out, when there's a cover there's almost always a measure up to the original. The LP starts with a cover of the Kink's Where Have All the Good Times Gone! which is excellent and features some impressive guitar riffing, its a great time with David's fun interjections keeping it entertaining all the way through, and I feel Van Halen delivers a bite and heaviness that makes it even better than the original much akin to their cover on the debut.

Hang 'Em High is another fantastic song, with a catchy riff that flies by with a fury that rivals even thrash metal. In a way, this is the closest the band had got to that sound and feels almost like a blueprint for the future bands that ended up coming out. His tapping technique here also gives it such a unique flavor, and Dave's vocal performance is amazing and uses his lower register exclusively, its actually really western feeling with the lyrics as well, and Alex's drumming is impeccable. Though the ending feels a bit awkward with how sudden it feels and the transition in tempo isn't that smooth, which is my only complaint because the rest of the song is damn perfect.

Cathedral is beautiful, its almost dream-like and takes you on a trip through the faraway land of a soundscape painted with each note, among Eddie's greatest masterpieces. Sadly, that's where this album takes a nosedive and it seems the electro-shock that Warner Bros. had these guys on is wearing off because immediately after these tracks after you get the uninspired slop of Secrets, a teenage girl's boy-band pop drivel that goes on too long and goes nowhere. Sure, it was done on a doubleneck, cool, too bad it doesn't save it from being pastiche.

Intruder is another instrumental, but this one is clearly done to pad out runtime, its sort of shoved in there with it trying oh-so-hard to imitate sirens and feel like a break-in, only to segue into the cover of (Oh) Pretty Woman, which makes no sense thematically since that's a lighthearted song, it is very out of place. Anyways, the cover is one of Van Halen's very best, featuring a great crescendo with vocal harmony, and is an example of brilliance the band had when not force-fed studio time. I genuinely enjoyed this more than the original and this one feels perfect to play on a hot summer day.

Dancing in The Street is yet another cover...a criminally perfunctory offense with them not even trying to adapt it into their style, its probably their 2nd worst song in this era with how uninspired it sounds. Little Guitars, however, is among the very best songs ever made, and it seems, just for a moment, that the band is on life support again. THIS is what makes the Dave era great, a nifty, mind-blowing riff from Eddie and zen-like lyrics from the Diamond man himself. Then they fall on their faces again with the dispensable novelty number, Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now). While I like the idea of playing jazz music, it just does not work with the tracklist on this album, and it sounds a bit awkward with the performance. Other bands have pulled off this style merging like Queen or The Who, but Van Halen just couldn't. I do like the guitar work though, so I wouldn't say its horrific.

The Full Bug is as molten-hot rock you can get with this band and Dave and Michael play a big part in this, with Dave giving us an amazing acoustic guitar intro and harmonica on the solo, and Michael reminding listeners what makes the band special with his sparkling backing vocals. It's got that fury of early Van Halen and a hint of the more dark nature of previous masterpiece Fair Warning. Then we end with the one-minute goof-of of Happy Trails which is ruined by David's vocal performance and lack of any instruments whatsoever. Acapella can work, and the rest of the band seem to have the hang of it, but it feels spacious and empty and its Dave's fault. The backing vocals make it bearable.

I see why some critics ripped into this with claws, and I'm guilty of doing the same somewhat; but this really isn't a terrible album. It's got a decent amount of crap and it feels very filler-y, but it's still a __GOOD__ record. If this is the weakest album of the David Lee Roth era that speaks for the sheer quality of it as this still has a few of the band's best songs. This album is also the most telling example of the divide between Eddie and Dave's approach to music styles which had been growing since this album was put out and was a major spike in their relationship. For everything I found myself critiquing, I found myself finding something to love as well.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Tracklist Ratings:

1. Where Have All The Good Times Gone?: ★★★★★
2. Hang 'Em High: ★★★★
3. Cathedral: ★★★★★
4. Secrets: ★
5. Intruder: 💥
6. (Oh) Pretty Woman: ★★★★★
7. Dancing in the Street: 💥
8. Little Guitars (Intro): ★★★★
9. Little Guitars: ★★★★★
10. Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now): ★★
11. The Full Bug: ★★★★★
12. Happy Trails: ★★

THE JOURNEY SO FAR (Other reviews):
Van Halen review (5/5 stars)
Van Halen II review (5/5 stars)
Women And Children First review (4/5 stars)
Fair Warning review (5/5 stars)

Really glad you all enjoyed my review of Queen's debut album! It was fun to write it, and I think that that album holds up as a really great one overall; one of their stronger releases, certainly. Though I will say that this one is one that I am glad gets a LOT more recognition than when it originally released. I hope you all enjoy this review!

Queen II Review
------------------------------------------------
This album is mindblowingly excellent, and the fact that its finally getting the recognition it deserves nowadays is satisfying. After opening the door to another world of whimsical adventured waiting to be explored, spells waiting to be uncovered, and ogres in the fantastical lands of Rhye, Queen manages to get even more focused on this album with a unique idea of two contrasting yet connecting sides, Side White and Side Black instead of your typical Side A and B.

Queen II may not be a concept album by technicality, but it does have a loose theme running throughout most songs on Side Black, penned by frontman Freddie Mercury. The sound on this album takes use of multi-layered tracks to have impressive vocal harmonies, multi-layered guitar overdubs, and a vast exploration of musical styles. Despite having largely negative reviews from contemporary critics, its now seen as a staple in their output and held in mostly high regard by retrospective critics, other musicians, and the band themselves.

Side White is penned by Brian May and begins with "Procession/Father To Son" which is a hard rocker that starts slow and functions as an intro to the album, building up excitement and fantastic lyricism about a father talking to his son about a country he will acquire as he grows into royalty. It has beautiful harmonies and some of Brian's best guitar work, though the first part shouldn't really be its own song, because it works better as a whole with the latter. "White Queen (As It Began) follows with an intro that is a tail to the previous track leading into this song via a fade-in and genius chord progressions, with sorrowful lyrics that get a strong emphasis from Freddie's vocal performance, and a section in which Brian makes his guitar sound like a sitar in Beatlesque fashion. I really enjoy how unique this is as a composition, and it demonstrates how creative they are.

"Some Day One Day" is a poetic song in which all guitars play different parts yet despite this, the concept works quite well as the song works perfectly and features Brian May on vocals for the first time. I've honestly always loved his style of singing and I'd daresay its rather underappreciated compared to Freddie's vocals; his voice fits the beauty of this song and really packs the emotional punch. "The Loser In The End" is the only misstep on the album, and closes this half of the album with a sour note. The percussion is rather awkward and doesn't really add up to a whole as well as a composition; it also sounds entirely out of place on this side since its meant to be a more straightforward metal song, when the other tracks, while still reasonably heavy, were meant to be more emotional; in short it sticks out like a sore thumb. Not to mention the lyrics are kind of just....embarrassing.

Then began Side Black; this one starts with "Ogre Battle" which is an impressive number that features the outro playing in reverse and smoothly sliding into the main guitar riff completely naturally, and its lyrics describe the battle in an arena of fantastical Ogre creatures, the guitar work is exceptional here and is the best flex Brian's done up to this point to his capabilities, not to mention Freddie's vocal performance is top notch. This is one of their best songs, and "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke" features incredible harmonies, and use of Harpsichord which is rare in rock music yet pulled off amazingly here, giving it a medieval feel that fits right in with the vibe of the overall album, this is yet another masterpiece. This song leads into "Nevermore" which is a beautiful well-composed piano ballad detailing the distress of a breakup with beautiful heartfelt lyrics and falsetto vocals from Freddie. It's really a shame that this song isn't longer, it is quite refreshing and I think Freddie's falsetto is among the best of the more known rock singers.

"The March of The Black Queen" is the bands first magnum opus stomping out of Side Black with a great variety of music during its seven minute length. Starting with a slow dramatic piano intro with appoggiatura figurations on the B chord, the next section starts with an E minor as two guitars explode into the first line with backing vocals creating a harmonic carpet, making it one of the most unique and mind-bending songs of the 70's. The song also has amazing lyricism and leads directly into "Funny How Love Is" which is a song influenced by Brian Wilson's wall-of-sound production style and harmonically influenced by them as well, while the music style takes some obvious inspiration from pastoral songs too. Sadly, I have to say that It doesn't quite work from a production standpoint as it sounds entirely out of place with the rest of the album, and ends up in a severe sound clash between every instrument as they overpower Freddie's vocals, but it's decent enough and even a tad bit charming of a little British number.

"Seven Seas of Rhye" caps things off as the first entry in the UK singles chart by the band. This song is phenomenal, Freddie's mystical lyrics and use of imagery of describing fantastical lands reaches its peak here, and Roger's drumming is absolutely out of this world, the way he utilizes his kit to add to the groove provided by John Deacon and Brian really makes something amazing. This song has so much character, it only makes sense as to why its still included on greatest hit compilations, what a way to end the album!

The only things holding this back from being their very best work is the production being a tad weak. While its still a very noticeable improvement from the debut album in terms of that, you can clearly tell it is a bit dark and murky in how the instruments are recorded, and the one bad song (Roger has written better; I don't think he's a bad songwriter, just this isn't very cream-of-the-crop) also takes away slightly from it.

Overall, I'd go as far as to call this one of the best albums of all time and a must check out for any rock fan, they push their roots in rock and metal as far as they could which showed their studio mastery, weaknesses in production, and this album much more than the first solidified their approach to jumping across various styles, incorporating different types of music, and the theatricality they'd embrace the rest of their career.

Rating: ★★★★★

TRACKLIST RATING:

1. Procession: ★★★
2. Father To Son: ★★★★★
3. White Queen (As It Began): ★★★★★
4. Some Day One Day: ★★★★
5. The Loser In The End: ★★
6. Ogre Battle: ★★★★★
7. The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke: ★★★★★
8. Nevermore: ★★★★
9. The March of The Black Queen: ★★★★★
10. Funny How Love Is: ★★★
11. Seven Seas of Rhye: ★★★★★

THE JOURNEY SO FAR (OTHER REVIEWS!):
Queen review (4/5 stars)

Really glad you all enjoyed my review of Queen's debut album! It was fun to write it, and I think that that album holds up as a really great one overall; one of their stronger releases, certainly. Though I will say that this one is one that I am glad gets a LOT more recognition than when it originally released. I hope you all enjoy this review!

Queen II Review
------------------------------------------------
This album is mindblowingly excellent, and the fact that its finally getting the recognition it deserves nowadays is satisfying. After opening the door to another world of whimsical adventured waiting to be explored, spells waiting to be uncovered, and ogres in the fantastical lands of Rhye, Queen manages to get even more focused on this album with a unique idea of two contrasting yet connecting sides, Side White and Side Black instead of your typical Side A and B.

Queen II may not be a concept album by technicality, but it does have a loose theme running throughout most songs on Side Black, penned by frontman Freddie Mercury. The sound on this album takes use of multi-layered tracks to have impressive vocal harmonies, multi-layered guitar overdubs, and a vast exploration of musical styles. Despite having largely negative reviews from contemporary critics, its now seen as a staple in their output and held in mostly high regard by retrospective critics, other musicians, and the band themselves.

Side White is penned by Brian May and begins with "Procession/Father To Son" which is a hard rocker that starts slow and functions as an intro to the album, building up excitement and fantastic lyricism about a father talking to his son about a country he will acquire as he grows into royalty. It has beautiful harmonies and some of Brian's best guitar work, though the first part shouldn't really be its own song, because it works better as a whole with the latter. "White Queen (As It Began) follows with an intro that is a tail to the previous track leading into this song via a fade-in and genius chord progressions, with sorrowful lyrics that get a strong emphasis from Freddie's vocal performance, and a section in which Brian makes his guitar sound like a sitar in Beatlesque fashion. I really enjoy how unique this is as a composition, and it demonstrates how creative they are.

"Some Day One Day" is a poetic song in which all guitars play different parts yet despite this, the concept works quite well as the song works perfectly and features Brian May on vocals for the first time. I've honestly always loved his style of singing and I'd daresay its rather underappreciated compared to Freddie's vocals; his voice fits the beauty of this song and really packs the emotional punch. "The Loser In The End" is the only misstep on the album, and closes this half of the album with a sour note. The percussion is rather awkward and doesn't really add up to a whole as well as a composition; it also sounds entirely out of place on this side since its meant to be a more straightforward metal song, when the other tracks, while still reasonably heavy, were meant to be more emotional; in short it sticks out like a sore thumb. Not to mention the lyrics are kind of just....embarrassing.

Then began Side Black; this one starts with "Ogre Battle" which is an impressive number that features the outro playing in reverse and smoothly sliding into the main guitar riff completely naturally, and its lyrics describe the battle in an arena of fantastical Ogre creatures, the guitar work is exceptional here and is the best flex Brian's done up to this point to his capabilities, not to mention Freddie's vocal performance is top notch. This is one of their best songs, and "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke" features incredible harmonies, and use of Harpsichord which is rare in rock music yet pulled off amazingly here, giving it a medieval feel that fits right in with the vibe of the overall album, this is yet another masterpiece. This song leads into "Nevermore" which is a beautiful well-composed piano ballad detailing the distress of a breakup with beautiful heartfelt lyrics and falsetto vocals from Freddie. It's really a shame that this song isn't longer, it is quite refreshing and I think Freddie's falsetto is among the best of the more known rock singers.

"The March of The Black Queen" is the bands first magnum opus stomping out of Side Black with a great variety of music during its seven minute length. Starting with a slow dramatic piano intro with appoggiatura figurations on the B chord, the next section starts with an E minor as two guitars explode into the first line with backing vocals creating a harmonic carpet, making it one of the most unique and mind-bending songs of the 70's. The song also has amazing lyricism and leads directly into "Funny How Love Is" which is a song influenced by Brian Wilson's wall-of-sound production style and harmonically influenced by them as well, while the music style takes some obvious inspiration from pastoral songs too. Sadly, I have to say that It doesn't quite work from a production standpoint as it sounds entirely out of place with the rest of the album, and ends up in a severe sound clash between every instrument as they overpower Freddie's vocals, but it's decent enough and even a tad bit charming of a little British number.

"Seven Seas of Rhye" caps things off as the first entry in the UK singles chart by the band. This song is phenomenal, Freddie's mystical lyrics and use of imagery of describing fantastical lands reaches its peak here, and Roger's drumming is absolutely out of this world, the way he utilizes his kit to add to the groove provided by John Deacon and Brian really makes something amazing. This song has so much character, it only makes sense as to why its still included on greatest hit compilations, what a way to end the album!

The only things holding this back from being their very best work is the production being a tad weak. While its still a very noticeable improvement from the debut album in terms of that, you can clearly tell it is a bit dark and murky in how the instruments are recorded, and the one bad song (Roger has written better; I don't think he's a bad songwriter, just this isn't very cream-of-the-crop) also takes away slightly from it.

Overall, I'd go as far as to call this one of the best albums of all time and a must check out for any rock fan, they push their roots in rock and metal as far as they could which showed their studio mastery, weaknesses in production, and this album much more than the first solidified their approach to jumping across various styles, incorporating different types of music, and the theatricality they'd embrace the rest of their career.

Rating: ★★★★★

TRACKLIST RATING:

1. Procession: ★★★
2. Father To Son: ★★★★★
3. White Queen (As It Began): ★★★★★
4. Some Day One Day: ★★★★
5. The Loser In The End: ★★
6. Ogre Battle: ★★★★★
7. The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke: ★★★★★
8. Nevermore: ★★★★
9. The March of The Black Queen: ★★★★★
10. Funny How Love Is: ★★★
11. Seven Seas of Rhye: ★★★★★

THE JOURNEY SO FAR (OTHER REVIEWS!):
Queen review (4/5 stars)

I recently did a discography review run of another band I really enjoy (Van Halen) and decided that I'd take the time doing Queen as well. To me, Queen is one of the greatest bands and I always loved their approach to tackling various musical styles, and combining it into something amazing. I also was inspired by Rolling Stone's really atrocious scores on a lot of their work to do my own critique reviews, as well as just doing it for fun and sharing my thoughts.

I'd love to start discussions on these posts and see your thoughts as well! It'd be fun discussing what other people like or dislike. Anyways, here is what I wrote for the first album....

Queen REVIEW
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Queen truly did come out of the dawn of the 70's with a blast. Her majesty gracefully enters the throne full power and strong, taking on the challenge of finding a spot among the Rock greats. I bowed my head graciously and allowed myself to indulge in the creations her highness brought to the royal table. Queen's basic stylistic elements are here already including Mercury's theatrics, May's distinctive and creative guitar work, and multi-part song structures present on many songs.

To think that something that actually has this level of quality was recorded only during sessions where other bands had finished their recordings, leaving scraps behind of studio time for Queen to catch up is really jaw-dropping, because despite being given only a much smaller budget, and having to pick up the slack for not much time to work on everything; to make something like this as your first album is just amazing. "Keep Yourself Alive" is a great fast rock song which despite not featuring anything groundbreaking like their later work, is an amazing display of Brian's guitar work, a drum solo from Taylor that matches with the amazing vocals of lead singer Freddie Mercury. Despite lacking in the theatrics and operatic flamboyance to come, it was fairly produced and an early staple at concerts!

"Great King Rat", "Liar", "Son and Daughter" are all heavy tracks that come in like a storm swirling in all directions with catchy hand-clap beats, fiery guitar licks and thunderous drums while Mercury adds a flavor to each song with the uniqueness and range of his voice and some unique clever lyrics as well. The second song even having John Deacon stand out with a bass solo that utilizes one of the catchiest melodies in the bands career and combines with Brian's screeching guitar background work, making one of the greatest rock songs of all time.

On the other side of things, "My Fairy King" (which takes lines and references the story of The Pied Piper of Hamelin; neat lil reference), "The Night Comes Down", as well as "Doing All Right" all showcase the tempo changes, complex chord structures, and genre bending the band would embrace later on. The second track also managed to genuinely move me with its lyrics, these ones penned by Brian May. I've always found Brian to be somewhat overlooked by the main consensus of most standard rock fans, his lyrics are brilliant and sometimes intimately passionate with the way it explores nostalgia and coming of age. Not to mention that sly reference to The Beatles ("Lucy was high and so was I", caught that the first listen!)

The only real downsides I can say in all honesty that hold this from being one of the greatest albums of all time is just the production which doesn't do the songs justice sometimes in how they're recorded; understandable, it is their first go-around at making a full album plus the budget was rather small but it does muddy Brian's guitar work and Roger's drumming sounds a bit soft here. As well as the fact Jesus is a little bit on the boring sides as far as the songs go with it going on far too long before changing up the composition to keep things interesting and drones as repetitive, though the way Brian manages to change his guitar's sound is pure wizardry and at least saves it from being atrocious, and the instrumental Seven Seas of Rhye didn't need to be here and is ultimately pointless, and Taylor's song Modern Times Rock N Roll doesn't quite scale up to the heights of the other tracks, though is still enjoyable.

Overall, Queen is truly an amazing debut that is totally worth a listen and though it does sound a bit like a lot of other bands that were more groundbreaking at the start of the 70's (Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith all can be heard on here), it is a great starting point. It's basically hard and prog rock with a dash of campiness and flamboyancy sprinkled atop. A very fun, and somewhat silly time overall, and it was only the signs of something great coming.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Tracklist RATING:

1. Keep Yourself Alive: ★★★★★
2. Doing All Right: ★★★★
3. Great King Rat: ★★★★★
4. My Fairy King: ★★★★
5. Liar: ★★★★★
6. The Night Comes Down: ★★★★
7. Modern Times Rock N Roll: ★★★
8. Son and Daughter: ★★★★★
9. Jesus: ★★
10. Seven Seas of Rhye (Early/Instrumental): ★★

Thank you guys for your support on the rest of the reviews so far!! So far Van Halen II is the crowning jewel with the debut as second place for me and they have had two of the best albums of all time. But that did change sort of for me with this one. I think you'll see what I mean in this review :). This one was a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy the read!

Fair Warning (1980 REVIEW)
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Dark, gritty, menacing, and threatening. These are all words you could use to sum up Fair Warning. This was Van Halen with Eddie in control at the helm of it all, and boy does it work. This is the perhaps the most "serious" the band had gotten, and gone are the more light-hearted fun tunes that made their first three albums, rather we get a view into a darker side of the band's sound in the best way possible. Fitting for an album who's cover is cropped from a drawing by mental patient William Kurelek who was raised on a prairie farm and experienced such a brutal childhood in which he had schizophrenia. "The Maze" is the name, and it gives you a feel for what your deal will be.

Perhaps the most important musical development however is the use of synthesizer on this album, something that was a double-edged sword for the band that both elevated their sound when it worked, and tore it to shreds when it didn't, its one of the key dividers for people between the Sammy era and the earlier era.

Starting things out is the ferocious "Mean Street", a song that starts with one of the most unique sounds that Eddie's done through tapping which perfectly sets up this strange album with a mystique of an eerie sound before David Lee Roth comes through with a more aggressive performance than anyone's used to. This song is an excellent example of pristine guitar playing and one of their greatest songs, it gets a perfect vibe of grit and searing metal.

"Dirty Movies" is a murky twisted story of a girl who goes from the star of a prom to a star of her own dirty movies; its your basic hard rock tune, nothing noteworthy, while "Sinner's Swing" is easily the greatest song on the record featuring a swing-influenced drumbeat from Alex who absolutely kills with some of his best fills while Eddie whoops you in the face with a riff that strikes like thunder in a bottle. It's such a chaotic song but in the best way possible, everything works so well, and the solo melts your mind.

"Hear About it Later" has an insanely melodic intro and an earhook of a chorus; its lyrics are fantastic and tell the tale of aggravation over life's shenanigans, its got some phenomenal wordplay as well, and the harmonies just elevate this one beyond the stars. This is a pristine display of hard rock guitar, and Alex's drums also sound a bit different here in parts, I really like the production so far! "Unchained" follows as the one of two big songs off the album and it rightfully deserves it. It sums up the darkness and anger of this album quite well with its fierce riff with a perfect contrast of playful cheeky lyrics. The best part of the song? Probably when the bridge happens with some light teasing towards Ted Templeman, longtime producer of the band's music, who gets his one and only line.

"Push Comes To Shove" was clearly an idea to try and ride the coattails of the reggae-rock love going on at the time thanks to bands like The Clash and The Police, and for the most part does it quite well; I'd like to focus on Michael Anthony's playing here because his bass playing is the superstar of this showcase, and for one of the very rare times in their catalogue he's allowed to sparkle as his own stand-out star with a bassline that actually sticks out and does some interesting things that creates its own melody rather than stay in the background. This is also home to an argument between Ted and Eddie over his solo which he played 20 times only to be told it wasn't good enough before coming in the next day and playing the same one, then being told its great. Talk about torture.

"So This Is Love?" is the only song released as a single and it did decently enough, but didn't make the top 10. Shame as this features some of the greatest playing by the band. To me, it really struck me with its intense groove that chugs along with some ferocious licks that dip its hands in blues. One of the bluesiest songs they've done, the use of call-and-response in the chorus makes it one of the most charming and memorable. Eddie has not one, but TWO solos here and they both scream with burning hot magma.

Unfortunately, I can't call this album perfect because following the absolute home run that everything has been so far is the always-included instrumental track but this time it's different. Normally I find myself excited for these, but my ears were hexed with sonic torture as shittily-"orchestrated" synthesizers try, and fail, to sound menacing, instead being headache inducing. Thanks "Sunday Afternoon in the Park" I'd rather not spend a day there.

"One Foot Out The Door" follows afterwards with trying to be...what sounds like a rockabilly song thats heavier but sounds like teenage edginess with Roth's vocals being utterly terrible and sounding weird with the music. Terrible, really the only saving grace is Eddie's absolute ripper of a solo that got wasted on a song like this, it definitely needed more time to cook in the oven.

Finishing things off however, this is one of the band's greatest works, and easily one of the best albums of all time. I find it appalling that originally critics didn't take kindly to this one, and I only assume its because this may not be as light or fun-laced as the albums before it, but its one of Van Halen's most consistently phenomenal works and showcases the bands ability to change styles and feel while retaining their masterful skill. This is a step up from the previous album which was still great and I'd dare say this is one of the best guitar albums ever released, that's for sure. Though I wouldn't call it better than Van Halen II or Van Halen which were perfect all the way through. Definitely up there with them as one of the best albums in music though!

Rating: ★★★★★

Tracklist Ratings:

1. Mean Street: ★★★★★
2. "Dirty Movies": ★★★
3. Sinner's Swing: ★★★★★
4. Hear About It Later: ★★★★★
5. Unchained: ★★★★★
6. Push Comes To Shove: ★★★★★
7. So This Is Love?: ★★★★★
8. Sunday Afternoon In The Park: 💥
9. One Foot Out The Door: ★

THE JOURNEY SO FAR (Other reviews):
Van Halen review
Van Halen II review
Women And Children First review

I recently did a discography review run of another band I really enjoy (Van Halen) and decided that I'd take the time doing Queen as well. To me, Queen is one of the greatest bands and I always loved their approach to tackling various musical styles, and combining it into something amazing. I also was inspired by Rolling Stone's really atrocious scores on a lot of their work to do my own critique reviews, as well as just doing it for fun and sharing my thoughts.

I'd love to start discussions on these posts and see your thoughts as well! It'd be fun discussing what other people like or dislike. Anyways, here is what I wrote for the first album....

Queen REVIEW
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Queen truly did come out of the dawn of the 70's with a blast. Her majesty gracefully enters the throne full power and strong, taking on the challenge of finding a spot among the Rock greats. I bowed my head graciously and allowed myself to indulge in the creations her highness brought to the royal table. Queen's basic stylistic elements are here already including Mercury's theatrics, May's distinctive and creative guitar work, and multi-part song structures present on many songs.

To think that something that actually has this level of quality was recorded only during sessions where other bands had finished their recordings, leaving scraps behind of studio time for Queen to catch up is really jaw-dropping, because despite being given only a much smaller budget, and having to pick up the slack for not much time to work on everything; to make something like this as your first album is just amazing. "Keep Yourself Alive" is a great fast rock song which despite not featuring anything groundbreaking like their later work, is an amazing display of Brian's guitar work, a drum solo from Taylor that matches with the amazing vocals of lead singer Freddie Mercury. Despite lacking in the theatrics and operatic flamboyance to come, it was fairly produced and an early staple at concerts!

"Great King Rat", "Liar", "Son and Daughter" are all heavy tracks that come in like a storm swirling in all directions with catchy hand-clap beats, fiery guitar licks and thunderous drums while Mercury adds a flavor to each song with the uniqueness and range of his voice and some unique clever lyrics as well. The second song even having John Deacon stand out with a bass solo that utilizes one of the catchiest melodies in the bands career and combines with Brian's screeching guitar background work, making one of the greatest rock songs of all time.

On the other side of things, "My Fairy King" (which takes lines and references the story of The Pied Piper of Hamelin; neat lil reference), "The Night Comes Down", as well as "Doing All Right" all showcase the tempo changes, complex chord structures, and genre bending the band would embrace later on. The second track also managed to genuinely move me with its lyrics, these ones penned by Brian May. I've always found Brian to be somewhat overlooked by the main consensus of most standard rock fans, his lyrics are brilliant and sometimes intimately passionate with the way it explores nostalgia and coming of age. Not to mention that sly reference to The Beatles ("Lucy was high and so was I", caught that the first listen!)

The only real downsides I can say in all honesty that hold this from being one of the greatest albums of all time is just the production which doesn't do the songs justice sometimes in how they're recorded; understandable, it is their first go-around at making a full album plus the budget was rather small but it does muddy Brian's guitar work and Roger's drumming sounds a bit soft here. As well as the fact Jesus is a little bit on the boring sides as far as the songs go with it going on far too long before changing up the composition to keep things interesting and drones as repetitive, though the way Brian manages to change his guitar's sound is pure wizardry and at least saves it from being atrocious, and the instrumental Seven Seas of Rhye didn't need to be here and is ultimately pointless, and Taylor's song Modern Times Rock N Roll doesn't quite scale up to the heights of the other tracks, though is still enjoyable.

Overall, Queen is truly an amazing debut that is totally worth a listen and though it does sound a bit like a lot of other bands that were more groundbreaking at the start of the 70's (Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith all can be heard on here), it is a great starting point. It's basically hard and prog rock with a dash of campiness and flamboyancy sprinkled atop. A very fun, and somewhat silly time overall, and it was only the signs of something great coming.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Tracklist RATING:

1. Keep Yourself Alive: ★★★★★
2. Doing All Right: ★★★★
3. Great King Rat: ★★★★★
4. My Fairy King: ★★★★
5. Liar: ★★★★★
6. The Night Comes Down: ★★★★
7. Modern Times Rock N Roll: ★★★
8. Son and Daughter: ★★★★★
9. Jesus: ★★
10. Seven Seas of Rhye (Early/Instrumental): ★★

Glad to see you all liked my Balance review write-up! I gotta say I'm really glad I found another Sammy era album I enjoyed; it was amazing and I had such a great experience listening to it, I can definitely see myself listening to that one again a lot. However, I finally listened to this one, and well...where do I begin?

Van Halen III Review

The Sammy Hagar era of Van Halen had come to an end, with Sammy we got a two very fantastic albums, one even being among the greatest albums ever put out by the band--or anyone for that matter. Its really a shame that they had split with him, because though not everything was perfect, there was still life, and magic, packed within the band. So who did Van Halen decide to chuck into the arena? Extreme vocalist, Gary Cherone.

Around this time, Grunge had died off, nu-metal was on the rise, and Hip-Hop had taken the mainstream away from guys like Van Halen or hair metal. Van Halen wasn't actually too dated here with this release, but they seem farther away from both the current sounds, and their own legacy to know what to do in general on this album.

At its best (and that's hard to even say it like that), Van Halen III sounds like a pretty decent band of dads that formed a cover band and are now trying to rip off the sound that Van Halen had in the mid 80's to early 90's with Sammy Hagar at the helm, at its worst, its a bunch of middle aged guys trying to cash in and keep relevance without any evolution. The thing is, this isn't the fault of Gary Cherone, as much as you probably hate to hear it, it is definitely Eddie's fault it ended up being a complete trainwreck. Gary Cherone is a fantastic vocalist--but his style definitely doesn't work with whatever Eddie was trying to mish-mash. The songs are lacking of the pizzazz that Van Hagar had on songs such as "Right Now" or "Best of Both Worlds" and don't have the fun of the Diamond Dave era songs such as "Light Up The Sky" or the technical brilliance of songs such as "Mean Street". Sure, "Without You" and "Fire in the Hole" are surprisingly decent songs, being some nice slices of hard rock goodness, but 10 of the 13 songs on the album extend for over 5 minutes, so whatever good will those songs had get washed away at the 3 minute mark where songs like "Sinner's Swing" would be fading out into the next song.

There's also a severe lack of their vocal harmonies they were known for. Eddie's shredding ability is only super memorable when his songwriting is there to back it up, and on this album that's all down the drain. The production is possibly the worst its ever been on a Van Halen record, worse than even OU812's production. The vocal mix is terrible and you can barely make out a sentence, the album sounds muddy, and the guitar overpowers literally anything else. Sad.

Thankfully, the album closes with a genuinely great song, that being the underrated gem of "How Many Say I", it is the first and only song with Eddie doing lead vocals, and he played piano on it. It's got some genuinely beautiful piano work that escalates dramatically, and takes influence from more rock opera-like melodies. It even has--surprise--a violin! This is somehow a more hated song in their catalog, but in truth I find that the more odd vocals come with a charm that works well with the surprisingly down-to-earth lyrics, and the beautiful piano ends the album on an oddity that feels refreshing compared to the disgruntled mess of everything else. I'd take over an hour of that rather than what we got on this album.

Taking a quick detour to gush a little more, but that song just proves even more what draws me to Eddie's keyboard abilities; I would argue he's very underrated with that skill. Everyone focuses on his guitar prowess; don't get me wrong, it deserves all the praise, but his ability to tackle various styles of keyboard playing and create something beautiful, or a rock 'n' roll groove on a piano just speaks volumes of his talent.

It's a shame, but this is perhaps among the worst albums ever released in the history of music. To think a band that once had struck gold and came out with a blast could put something like this out, its insane. It was also their final album for a while; can you imagine them going out on a note like this? Perhaps its 'common' to not like this album, but goddamn, this is just that terrible. It's almost blasphemous that its titled similarly to their masterpiece first two records. I can't even give any of these songs higher than a four star rating, and this is probably the only album by them I'm never playing again. Ever.

Rating: 💥/5

TRACKLIST RATING:

1. Neworld: ★★
2. Without You: ★★★
3. One I Want: ★
4. From Afar: 💥
5. Dirty Water Dog: ★★
6. Once: 💥
7. Fire in the Hole: ★★★★
8. Josephina: 💥
9. Year to the Day: 💥
10. Primary: ★
11. Ballot or the Bullet: ★★
12. How Many Say I: ★★★★

THE JOURNEY SO FAR (OTHER REVIEWS + THEIR SCORES):
Van Halen review (5/5 stars)
Van Halen II review (5/5 stars)
Women And Children First review (4/5 stars)
Fair Warning review (5/5 stars)
Diver Down review (3/5 stars)
1984 review (5/5 stars)
5150 review (4.5/5 stars)
OU812 review (1.5/5 stars)
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge review (2/5 stars)
Balance review (4/5 stars)

Wrote this earlier, but wanted to wait a bit before posting this. I listened to this after listening to For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. I wanted to edit my review a bit to give it justice, anyway this is my feelings on the last album with Sammy.

Balance Review
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For all those who had their doubts regarding if the Sammy Hagar era could do some more swings after 5150, rest assured and cast those shadows aside because while a dark shadow of 80's hair pop loomed over their work, its now gone fully. While For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge was meant to be a return to form after OU812, it flopped on its face, yet this one actually goes back to the hard rocking raw goodness of Van Halen, and balances it out with some lighter tunes.

They were on the verge of breaking up when they recorded their tenth studio album of their career in 1995. It was the fourth and ended up being the last with Sammy Hagar on vocals. Van Halen was paying the price for the strains of touring and the rock star life. Guitar hero Eddie Van Halen needed a hip replacement, and his brother Alex, who played drums, suffered from severe, long-term neck pain that hampered his playing.

Despite these harder times, the band did their best to create a good successor to the best-seller For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, which was played over and over again on the radio. Feeling a tad worried after the last couple of outings, musically I was blessed to find Balance was one of the better albums with Sammy on the mic, though it only sold about 5 million copies, which was a bit of a disappointment given their standards, especially considering this is one of the best albums they ended up putting out in the later years. Right out of the gate, something that you'll notice is that the tone of this album is a lot more serious in nature and darker, much less playful and cheeky than most of their work; and it REALLY gives this album an advantage; in feeling at least, it's basically the Hagar eras Fair Warning, and this tone is established right out of the bat with opening song The Seventh Seal.

This song has more mystical overtones and delves into some old mythology of religious nature, and it has chanting monks and the use of metal bells. The guitar riff here is downright nasty and has a tone that really hammers the heavy groove in yoru head, combining well with Hagar's shrieking performance and Alex's catchy performance. Following after is Can't Stop Loving You, a ballad written by Sammy who gives some of his most beautiful lyrics that elevate this to be one of the best love songs in rock with how it explores the tender side of things, and Eddie's guitar work is just as emotional. It's a cathartic listening experience.

Don't Tell Me What Love Can Do worried me at first; two love songs right after the other? But in all actuality, it ended up being another great one. The song even references Kurt Cobain's suicide, which was an event that had taken place not too far from this album's release, but it's in a sympathetic way that pusehs the message of universal love and Eddie's guitar riff still packs the powerful punch you've come to expect, complete with harmonies that make you soar, but his solo here is the real treat. Amsterdam was apparently about the Van Halen bros. place where they were born, and serves sort of as a tribute to it. Eddie's thunderous lyrics and Alex's drumbeat that is pretty atypical for a mainstream rock song ends up working in its favor, and the way he utilizes his kit in innovative ways for the rhythm is just impressive; only issue is Sammy's lyrics dragging it down with a terrible chorus; but the music more than makes up for it.

Following the high notes are a one-two punch of pits in the quality; Big Fat Money does have some unique changes in the rhythm throughout the song but rather than smooth transitions with ease, it sort of awkwardly stumbles into them making the song not cohesive, and Strung Out is an odd experiment that was probably best left in the nights of a stoned day; I quite like experimenting, but its better left to a band that knows what to do with it like Pink Floyd; the odd plucks of strings here sound very dissonant but without resolve or closure, and just hurts to listen to.

Not Enough is another ballad, and it's a bit more experimental and sounds decent; but it takes away from the consistency of the album so far. Eddie's playing is amazing, and it shows just how much of a phenomenal keyboardist he is, in fact I wish people recognized his abilities on this as much as his guitar capabilities, and the harmonies are excellent but the main lyrics are very repetitive and drone on and on repeating the same three or so words, but then Aftershock explodes out of the gates, knocking the doors off with a crash-and-burn riff that sets aflame your headset with an incredible intro that gives way to a searing hot rock-n-roll song. Alex's rhythm work here is addictive, and easily this is one of the best cuts.

Doin' Time is forgettable and shouldn't be included as its own track but Baluchiterium blew me away, its got some of Eddie's greatest guitar work and I am convinced that this is on the same level as Eruption or Cathedral, seriously the way the riff builds up and moves along is almost heavenly, and it still is heavy as hell! Michael's bassline also has its own groove that sticks out and delves into funk territory. Too bad it's followed up with Take Me Back (Deja Vu) which is cheeseball gutter-trash at its core with an awful vocal effect on what's possibly the worst post-chorus the band has done.

Feelin' closes the album, great guitar intro - the slight echo makes a lot of difference, and gives it an effect that really is just mindblowing. this song is a hell of a way to end the album. This song moved me, and though I can't personally call it my favorite track, or even one of them, I still admire it. It's pretty great and I see why it resonates with a lot of people.

This album may not be exactly one of the greatest ever put out, but a little over half the album is enjoyable as an experience, though it is a bit too long for its own good at times; the length of the album holds it back from being perfect. It's still one of the stronger releases they put out, and deserves to be seen as a GREAT album, because that's what it is in essence; a really amazing album that perfectly bookends the Sammy Hagar era, I'd genuinely put this in my top 7 for this band.

Rating: ★★★★☆

TRACKLIST RATING:

1. The Seventh Seal: ★★★★★
2. Can't Stop Lovin' You: ★★★★★
3. Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do): ★★★★★
4. Amsterdam: ★★★★
5. Big Fat Money: ★★
6. Strung Out: 💥
7. Not Enough: ★★★
8. Aftershock: ★★★★★
9. Doin' Time: ★★
10. Baluchiterium: ★★★★★
11. Take Me Back (Deja vu): ★
12. Feelin': ★★★★

THE JOURNEY SO FAR (OTHER REVIEWS + THEIR SCORES):
Van Halen review (5/5 stars)
Van Halen II review (5/5 stars)
Women And Children First review (4/5 stars)
Fair Warning review (5/5 stars)
Diver Down review (3/5 stars)
1984 review (5/5 stars)
5150 review (4.5/5 stars)
OU812 review (1.5/5 stars)
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge review (2/5 stars)

Glad that for the most part people enjoyed my 5150 review. I kind of am surprised at the dislike towards it though, I guess the discourse between the Hagar era and Roth era fans is a little much but I still wanna continue! Moving onto the next album after loving 5150, I was really excited since I was REALLY loving the previous album with Sammy, and I was thinking this era was about to be as good as the Dave era! Well...I'll just say my thoughts here though warning: this isn't going to be a very positive review (Read at your own risk)

OU812 Review (1988)
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Van Halen. When you hear that name what comes to your mind? Is it the thunderous riffs storming through your speakers through the surprisingly slick finger-work of Eddie? Perhaps its the fun atmosphere that the simple-yet-charming tongue-in-cheek lyrics bring to the forefront. For many people; this formula makes a good Van Halen album. However, it seemed that Edward was of the mindset of taking things in a whole new direction starting with 1984.

It's noticeable that since the masterpiece of Fair Warning, synthesizers had been increasingly making their way into the songs, and Eddie's fascination with a more pop-leaning sound came to a head on 1984 and 5150, however, these two albums ended up incorporating this style successfully and making something very enjoyable twice in a row. The same can not be said about OU812, however. Everything you expect on a good Van Halen album can't be found here.

I've sat down and tried this album twice, grasping my claws to get a grip on anything--something--that sounded like the hard rockin' goodness that the boys from California grew so acquainted with, but my ears were left ringing with disappointment, making me wish I had opted to spin some other band instead for the first time with this band.

The production is genuinely terrible, and somehow everything sounds so thin. You can barely even make out Michael Anthony's bass because its so tuned down low in the mix, while Alex's drumming sounds really soft and without the dynamic power of how his kit was recorded on even the last album. Eddie's guitar is kind of favored in this mix and stands out way more than any instrument which makes the whole thing sound very imbalanced, and even the good songs sound a million times better on live recordings I've watched after listening to this album.

The songwriting is really bland and the riffs and instrumentation lacks the energy that every album before this one had. The album sounds the complete opposite of cohesive with the tracklist never really finding its way of progressing right, in fact, its all over the place. Most songs are either bland filler or worryingly bad 80s pop that makes even bands like Poison look better in comparison. Instruments sound quieter to one another in the mixing, and the title of the album is even a jab at previous frontman David Lee Roth's solo debut. How petty.

Now you may be wondering--is there anything that limped away from the battlefield of instruments bashing and smashing into each other? To that I say, there are a couple songs that are still passable. Cabo Wabo sounds like an honestly fair attempt at recreating the hard rock magic that bands such as Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin struck up back in the 70's and holds one of Sammy Hagar's greatest vocal performances, When It's Love may be a sappy one, but it's not without merit.Especially the drumming that Alex supplies us with is a treat to the ears despite the previously noted bad mixing, and Source of Infection sounds remarkably similar to the rip-n-shred that made their early work of their first few albums so special.

OU812 serves as a reminder of what to avoid when making a Van Halen album, and while it may leave a sour taste in any fan's mouth, at least the band would learn slightly from the missteps on here. This is the first album I've heard by them that I'd say is genuinely bad.

Rating: ★.5

Tracklist Rating:

1. Mine All Mine: ★
2. When Its Love: ★★★★
3. A.F.U. (Naturally Wired): ★
4. Cabo Wabo: ★★★★★
5. Source of Infection: ★★★★★
6. Feels So Good: 💥
7. Finish What Ya Started: 💥
8. Black and Blue: ★★
9. Sucker In a 3-Piece: ★★
10. A Apolitical Blues: ★

THE JOURNEY SO FAR (OTHER REVIEWS + THEIR SCORES):
Van Halen review (5/5 stars)
Van Halen II review (5/5 stars)
Women And Children First review (4/5 stars)
Fair Warning review (5/5 stars)
Diver Down review (3/5 stars)
1984 review (5/5 stars)
5150 review (4.5/5 stars)

Finally back and able to continue reviewing!! Really happy you guys loved the WACF, II, Fair Warning, and 1984 write-ups! I Know my Diver Down one was a tad controversial, but I liked conversing with everyone and seeing your takes. I didn't wanna stop at just the Roth era, so I'm excited to get into the Hagar one!! Anyways, here's my thoughts on this one.

5150 (1986) REVIEW
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David had split (believe whatever story you'd like on the reason), and out was the charismatic frontman that had been a major staple of Van Halen. The boys needed a new lead, and who better than Sammy Hagar? Eddie was recommended by him from the guy working on his car and the two hit it off instantly. Being someone who was mostly very much in love with the first six albums, originally going into this I was worried that this wouldn't be that great. That and the fact this period seems kind of divisive in the fanbase, but boy was I wrong.

Sammy brought content to the table lyrically that David never could even imagine. Just look at Dreams. this is much more than the more basic, yet charming, style of lyricism that David brought. It's almost majestical in its approach to writing the lyrics that feel so inspirational. The guitar work is absolutely great too and its good to see that it wasn't sacrificed for the more "commercial" approach. With a glistening keyboard and acoustic 12 string intro, that explodes into a steady driving rock beat that just builds and builds to the epic chorus with Hagar's passionate vocals, and heartfelt breakdowns. This is probably one of the best 80's rock anthems of all time. Not only that, but Sammy had a way larger vocal range and could sing on-key nearly all the time with much better training as well. I still love David, but I must admit I think Sammy is the better singer.

Now, something to note is that the band incorporates synthesizers way more here, and while that may be a downgrade with some songs coming across as too sappy (its the mid 80's what do you expect?), its not that horrific; in fact a lot of this retains the hard rock goodness that made the band special. Eddie brings in some of his most phenomenal performances here, and Alex absolutely makes the drumming on this album stellar. Best of Both Worlds gets this across best, being the greatest song on the album, the riff is as muscular and heavy as anything they'd released prior, and the drumming is as catchy as ever to leave you wanting more. I particularly love the build-ups throughout this song too. There's more straightforward harder jams like Why Can't this be Love, which is a fantastic mid paced rocker with a supremely catchy hook and talk-box guitar leads that provide an extra pep in the step of this already jaunty rock tune.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have things like Love Comes Walkin' In which is another anthemic power ballad with a strong emphasis on synths and guitar leads, as Hagar sings about extraterrestrial encounters. Just like the previously mentioned Dreams, this one uses them in a way that just expands the sound to new heights.

Moving on, something I'd really like to highlight is that Alex Van Halen is insanely good on this record. I'd go as far as to call this album one of his best in terms of his performances, right up there with the first two albums and 1984. His fast playing on Get Up is incredible to hear. The footwork and syncopation is mind bending and he plays with so much personality. The touches he adds to the rhythm section is undeniably the glue that holds the band together and I get just as much satisfaction out of hearing him play as I do his brother, or either frontmen.

Now, this is an 80's rock record so yeah there's gonna be a few duds and lyrical misfires that make some of the songs here downright corny as hell. The intro track for example, comparing a good woman to a literal piece of meat and then going to describe making love as equivalent to chowing down on a greasy piece of grade A is just...not the best thing here. Good thing the melody and the song is explosive enough to not make it atrocious. The final track Inside would have been cool as an observational track about Hagar's inclusion, but it's undercut by all of this banter between the band members which make the song just feel half-assed and messy to listen to (Even if EVH shreds his guts out on the solo here).

Finishing off, this album isn't so much a step back as it is a natural evolution. While this album isn't perfect, it still stands the test of time and has aged the best of the Van Hagar era stuff; its actually on par with their earlier records, and is a masterpiece in its own right. It has moments with some of the greatest songs the band has ever made. This is one of the best albums of all time, as well though much further down than the first two Van Halen albums, 1984, and Fair Warning.

I can say with confidence, that I think the transition from David to Sammy is one of the smoothest in rock history, and that the Sammy era has some really great highlights, and holds up to the Dave era.

Rating: ★★★★.5

Tracklist Rankings:

1. Good Enough: ★
2. Why Can't This Be Love?: ★★★★★
3. Get Up: ★★★★
4. Dreams: ★★★★★
5. Summer Nights: ★★★★★
6. Best Of Both Worlds: ★★★★★
7. Love Walks In: ★★★
8. 5150: ★★★★
9. Inside: 💥

THE JOURNEY SO FAR (OTHER REVIEWS):
Van Halen review (5/5 stars)
Van Halen II review (5/5 stars)
Women And Children First review (4/5 stars)
Fair Warning review (5/5 stars)
Diver Down review (3/5 stars)
1984 review (5/5 stars)

Just wanted to thank everyone for their positive comments on my review of the band's second and first albums! I'm going to keep posting my thoughts on their albums as I go through them! I'm mainly doing this for fun as a fan and music fan in general, and it's been pretty fun writing these up.

Women and Children First (1980) REVIEW
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Entering a new decade is sometimes a challenge for any artist, but Van Halen had already seized the throne from the rock elites, crowning themselves the undisputed kings of rock-n-roll of every guy with a guitar in the late 1970's. How hard could it be to go into the 80's?

That's where Women and Children First comes in. I was headed into the thick of the David Lee Roth era, and things were just getting started with the first album of the 80's by them! The album cover is the best one we've got yet in my opinion, with a black-and-white photo of the band members standing in a greenish-blue background with a formal font. This promises a great time...right? For the most part yes, though I couldn't help but shake a little bit of the puzzle that had made them so enticing had been lost in the form of how this lacks in vocal harmonies that had made the songs on the last two albums stand out and be so charming. But anyways, moving onto my feelings with the album as a whole.

Kicking off is And the Cradle Will Rock..., which is a hard rock masterpiece, it's got a unique intro done through plugging in a piano through Eddie's amplifier creating a unique effect not heard on any album prior before exploding into a mid-tempo hard rock banquet for you to sink your teeth into. Complimenting the aggressive riff and tone are lyrics that speak of youthful rebellion, sang by David in a fun manner. Everybody Wants Some!! follows and is just as fantastic, with a tribal drumbeat by Alex that tells the tale of a fight through David's incredible vocal work that stands as one of his best. This gives me that adrenaline and rush of watching a fight scene in a movie unfold--brilliant.

Fools follows off the heel of these two and starts with...a guitar solo?!? You bet your sweet bippy it does, Eddie and co. waste no time on getting to the good part. It's got a phenomenal instrumental and David's vocals are perfectly tuneful for this one. However, I found myself finding the lyrics rather dull and obnoxious, I don't typically listen to this band for the lyrics. But unlike the ones on the first two albums, these ones were noticeably a bit more cheesy and drip with a bit of sap. Still a good song, just not as great.

Romeo Delight is the album's crowning jewel, this one genuinely moved me with how impressive it is being the greatest song on here. The solo rips with the fury of a thousand flames, the main verse is sang extraordinarily by David and delivered with playfulness that invites the listener along, not to mention the drumming is impeccable as well. I always thought Alex deserved more recognition for his drumming, he's one of my favorite drummers. This is a perfect window glimpse to his excellence much akin to Outta Love Again from their second album.

Sadly you get two-for-two deal on songs that just aren't really enjoyable. Tora! Tora! being an obvious case of filler--its just an opening to the next song and it really did not need to be its own track. On other albums before this there were instrumental interludes that did their own thing and stood out as their own standalone tracks; here it just exists for the sake of existing and isn't memorable in the slightest. Loss of Control starts off with an intro riff that absolutely kicks ass, but then it devolves into a messy, sloppy riff that barely holds consistent with Alex's drum abuse (this is the best I can call it). David's vocals are atrocious and off-key by a lot and while he was never the best singer out there, he absolutely fails miserably here. The chorus is just the title repeated until its an earworm. This is one of the worst songs I've actually heard. What happened to quality control?

Take Your Whiskey Home saves you with it's more acoustic blues feel that is quite unique to the rest of the album. Though it does feel a bit too akin to Ice Cream Man from the superior first album, switching to electric midway through and having everyone else come in. That's not to say it isn't great, it is a very enjoyable song! But it's not as impressive I find. Could This Be Magic? is what the previous song should have been; an all-out acoustic romper with the return of the lacking vocal harmonies that define the band, and the rain in the background that gives a relaxed feel. It also functions kind of as an unofficial title track considering it gets mentioned here. This song could almost pass as lo-fi before it existed, it's insane to me just how much Eddie influenced music.

In a Simple Rhyme has an insane middle section but the rest is kind of basic Van Halen.

Overall, this album is still great but is a step down. It has some very high highs, but also the lowest lows that the band has reached to this point. It's weaker, but still fantastic overall and the first Van Halen record to not get a 5-star from me. Perhaps it is heavier than the first two were even, but heavier doesn't always mean better. Still much better than what a lot of other bands could put out.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Tracklist Ratings:

1. And The Cradle Will Rock...: ★★★★★
2. Everybody Wants Some!!!: ★★★★★
3. Fools: ★★★
4. Romeo Delight ★★★★★
5. Tora! Tora!: ★
6. Loss of Control: 💥
7. Take Your Whiskey Home: ★★★★
8. Could This Be Magic?: ★★★★★
9. In A Simple Rhyme: ★★★

THE JOURNEY SO FAR (Other Reviews):
Van Halen Review (5/5 stars)
Van Halen II Review (5/5 stars)

Really happy to see everyone enjoying my write-ups as I move along the bands discography, its been really fun getting to hear all your thoughts too, and sharing this journey together. I will start off saying that this album isn't going to be a very positive review, but if you can handle me having more negativity than on any of the previous albums (which all were 4-5 stars out of 5) and perhaps wildly different takes, then feel free to read at your own risk!

Diver Down (1982) REVIEW
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Summer has always been my favorite month. I've always loved watching the sunsets and the way they paint the sky, or the feel of cold pool water on my skin as I take a swim. Hopping off the diving board, or eating ice cream always makes me feel joy, and is some of the most fun I've had. In many ways, from the album title to the overall vibes, Diver Down feels like a very summer-y album, with the very feeling of the California summer.

Around this time, Van Halen was a band that was constantly on tour, on a nearly-consistent basis. They needed a break, they deserved one. Everyone needs to take a break now and then, and so they recorded a cover of the classic, (Oh) Pretty Woman to satisfy their record label and show they were still there, but that wasn't good enough; no, instead they were pushed to make a full album by their label because the song ended up charted.

Thus, Diver Down was born. As much as I've talked about the vibe of it, I can't help but feeling this is the clear sound of an exhausted band grasping at straws in the small, ripped cup for ideas. There's more filler here than a landfill, and way too many covers. I don't think having some covers is bad, but Van Halen were known to balance it out, when there's a cover there's almost always a measure up to the original. The LP starts with a cover of the Kink's Where Have All the Good Times Gone! which is excellent and features some impressive guitar riffing, its a great time with David's fun interjections keeping it entertaining all the way through, and I feel Van Halen delivers a bite and heaviness that makes it even better than the original much akin to their cover on the debut.

Hang 'Em High is another fantastic song, with a catchy riff that flies by with a fury that rivals even thrash metal. In a way, this is the closest the band had got to that sound and feels almost like a blueprint for the future bands that ended up coming out. His tapping technique here also gives it such a unique flavor, and Dave's vocal performance is amazing and uses his lower register exclusively, its actually really western feeling with the lyrics as well, and Alex's drumming is impeccable. Though the ending feels a bit awkward with how sudden it feels and the transition in tempo isn't that smooth, which is my only complaint because the rest of the song is damn perfect.

Cathedral is beautiful, its almost dream-like and takes you on a trip through the faraway land of a soundscape painted with each note, among Eddie's greatest masterpieces. Sadly, that's where this album takes a nosedive and it seems the electro-shock that Warner Bros. had these guys on is wearing off because immediately after these tracks after you get the uninspired slop of Secrets, a teenage girl's boy-band pop drivel that goes on too long and goes nowhere. Sure, it was done on a doubleneck, cool, too bad it doesn't save it from being pastiche.

Intruder is another instrumental, but this one is clearly done to pad out runtime, its sort of shoved in there with it trying oh-so-hard to imitate sirens and feel like a break-in, only to segue into the cover of (Oh) Pretty Woman, which makes no sense thematically since that's a lighthearted song, it is very out of place. Anyways, the cover is one of Van Halen's very best, featuring a great crescendo with vocal harmony, and is an example of brilliance the band had when not force-fed studio time. I genuinely enjoyed this more than the original and this one feels perfect to play on a hot summer day.

Dancing in The Street is yet another cover...a criminally perfunctory offense with them not even trying to adapt it into their style, its probably their 2nd worst song in this era with how uninspired it sounds. Little Guitars, however, is among the very best songs ever made, and it seems, just for a moment, that the band is on life support again. THIS is what makes the Dave era great, a nifty, mind-blowing riff from Eddie and zen-like lyrics from the Diamond man himself. Then they fall on their faces again with the dispensable novelty number, Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now). While I like the idea of playing jazz music, it just does not work with the tracklist on this album, and it sounds a bit awkward with the performance. Other bands have pulled off this style merging like Queen or The Who, but Van Halen just couldn't. I do like the guitar work though, so I wouldn't say its horrific.

The Full Bug is as molten-hot rock you can get with this band and Dave and Michael play a big part in this, with Dave giving us an amazing acoustic guitar intro and harmonica on the solo, and Michael reminding listeners what makes the band special with his sparkling backing vocals. It's got that fury of early Van Halen and a hint of the more dark nature of previous masterpiece Fair Warning. Then we end with the one-minute goof-of of Happy Trails which is ruined by David's vocal performance and lack of any instruments whatsoever. Acapella can work, and the rest of the band seem to have the hang of it, but it feels spacious and empty and its Dave's fault. The backing vocals make it bearable.

I see why some critics ripped into this with claws, and I'm guilty of doing the same somewhat; but this really isn't a terrible album. It's got a decent amount of crap and it feels very filler-y, but it's still a __GOOD__ record. If this is the weakest album of the David Lee Roth era that speaks for the sheer quality of it as this still has a few of the band's best songs. This album is also the most telling example of the divide between Eddie and Dave's approach to music styles which had been growing since this album was put out and was a major spike in their relationship. For everything I found myself critiquing, I found myself finding something to love as well.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Tracklist Ratings:

1. Where Have All The Good Times Gone?: ★★★★★
2. Hang 'Em High: ★★★★
3. Cathedral: ★★★★★
4. Secrets: ★
5. Intruder: 💥
6. (Oh) Pretty Woman: ★★★★★
7. Dancing in the Street: 💥
8. Little Guitars (Intro): ★★★★
9. Little Guitars: ★★★★★
10. Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now): ★★
11. The Full Bug: ★★★★★
12. Happy Trails: ★★

THE JOURNEY SO FAR (Other reviews):
Van Halen review (5/5 stars)
Van Halen II review (5/5 stars)
Women And Children First review (4/5 stars)
Fair Warning review (5/5 stars)

And now since I did my review of their first album at 5 stars of 5, we move onto what I consider their magnum opus.

Van Halen II by Van Halen (1979) 🌟 REVIEW

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When you come out of the gates with a massive Eruption, your music already On Fire, and you produce a monster of a debut album, what's the most logical thing to do? Why not make a follow-up using some of the other material that you have been performing live from the time?

Van Halen II is similar, in many ways, to the widely-beloved debut album almost to a tee of being a carbon copy. However, it does set itself apart at the same time. The lyrics sound more finalized with the Van Halen style, and feel much more lighter and carefree, finding themselves a staple of a more late-night California party vibe. Not only that, but everyone is on a high point here and the care and love gets shown. Everyone gets a moment to shine moreso than on the debut as well!

Van Halen was really on a high note here, still exploding with inspiration. You're No Good, the only cover song on the album opens it with one of the many great opening tracks that they did. It starts off with a solo bass guitar using a flanger, showing just how cool Michael Anthony could be, then Eddie's guitar fading in to mute the initial attack before letting the song explode with a ferocity that bites through like any song on the debut.

Dance The Night Away hails as one of the band's very best songs, they fully embrace bubblegum pop but do some creative calypso rhythms in the intro and after the second chorus, and yet never loses its heavy edge. Somebody Get Me A Doctor follows and makes a whopping two-for-two on amazing tracks. It's one of the heaviest and no one can scream and wail as well as David does on this one. For a song about being high and feeling good, it sure blazes with a fire only heightened by such vocals.

Bottom's Up! is immature macho humor with lyrics that aren't much for everyone but if you're in on the joke, its a good enough time, nothing special of a track, though. Just plain decent.

Outta Love Again however gets back on the blazing streak of mind-blowing tracks with mighty lead singer, David Lee Roth, hammering the maxim home with a flurry of intense yowls, super fun guffaws, surprisingly intentionally-done percussive vocals combined with some jazz-funk percussion by Alex Van Halen which only shows his versatility, and a riff that teeters on the verge of heavy metal. Light Up The Sky is a rebel anthem that features one of the greatest drum solos ever in a rock song halfway through with some phenomenal fills and a riff that sets speakers on fire to those who dare listen. Easily the boy's best song ever, if you ask me.

Spanish Fly takes influence from Spanish flsmenco guitar playing! It's a pretty impressive work, kind of like an acoustic version of Eruption, and I dig it, it shows Eddie could shred on any six string and use natural harmonics in innovative ways before moving onto D.O.A. which is about as simple of a riff you can get from this band, yet they transform it into something excellent with Dave's gruff lyrics and vocals, Eddie's ability to switch tempo near the end, and Michael's catchy bass.

Women In Love... is one of the best songs the band has done, it actually includes some bisexuality themes in the woman that is the subject of the song--pretty rare for its time--and featuring innovative use of tapping technique on the fretboard and even sounding like other instruments, that of which being a harp which fits the dreamy vibe the song goes for, and we end on Beautiful Girls, check out these timelessly ponderable lyrics lifted from it: “I got a drink in my hand!/I got my toes in the sand! …/All I need is a beautiful girl!” I think that sums up the dumb fun of this masterpiece with it's catchy hook and playful cheekiness.

The production here is a bit more raw, but honestly it captures the feel of the band in a more primal state, making it feel more like a live performance, like being there for a show. Same guitar tone as the first album too, so that's a bonus.

I think Eddie's own words sum up the conclusion, "I hate it when albums are happy-happy or heavy-heavy all the way through. We had a little bit of both on Van Halen II" One of the best albums of all time, and I'd argue the peak of their career.

Rating: ★★★★★

Tracklist Ratings:

1. You're No Good: ★★★★
2. Dance The Night Away: ★★★★★
3. Somebody Get Me A Doctor: ★★★★★
4. Bottom's Up!: ★★★
5. Outta Love Again!: ★★★★★
6. Light Up The Sky 🔥: ★★★★★
7. Spanish Fly: ★★★★
8. D.O.A.: ★★★★★
9. Women In Love...: ★★★★★
10. Beautiful Girls: ★★★★★

Thank you guys for your support on the rest of the reviews so far!! So far Van Halen II is the crowning jewel with the debut as second place for me and they have had two of the best albums of all time. But that did change sort of for me with this one. I think you'll see what I mean in this review :). This one was a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy the read!

Fair Warning (1980 REVIEW)
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Dark, gritty, menacing, and threatening. These are all words you could use to sum up Fair Warning. This was Van Halen with Eddie in control at the helm of it all, and boy does it work. This is the perhaps the most "serious" the band had gotten, and gone are the more light-hearted fun tunes that made their first three albums, rather we get a view into a darker side of the band's sound in the best way possible. Fitting for an album who's cover is cropped from a drawing by mental patient William Kurelek who was raised on a prairie farm and experienced such a brutal childhood in which he had schizophrenia. "The Maze" is the name, and it gives you a feel for what your deal will be.

Perhaps the most important musical development however is the use of synthesizer on this album, something that was a double-edged sword for the band that both elevated their sound when it worked, and tore it to shreds when it didn't, its one of the key dividers for people between the Sammy era and the earlier era.

Starting things out is the ferocious "Mean Street", a song that starts with one of the most unique sounds that Eddie's done through tapping which perfectly sets up this strange album with a mystique of an eerie sound before David Lee Roth comes through with a more aggressive performance than anyone's used to. This song is an excellent example of pristine guitar playing and one of their greatest songs, it gets a perfect vibe of grit and searing metal.

"Dirty Movies" is a murky twisted story of a girl who goes from the star of a prom to a star of her own dirty movies; its your basic hard rock tune, nothing noteworthy, while "Sinner's Swing" is easily the greatest song on the record featuring a swing-influenced drumbeat from Alex who absolutely kills with some of his best fills while Eddie whoops you in the face with a riff that strikes like thunder in a bottle. It's such a chaotic song but in the best way possible, everything works so well, and the solo melts your mind.

"Hear About it Later" has an insanely melodic intro and an earhook of a chorus; its lyrics are fantastic and tell the tale of aggravation over life's shenanigans, its got some phenomenal wordplay as well, and the harmonies just elevate this one beyond the stars. This is a pristine display of hard rock guitar, and Alex's drums also sound a bit different here in parts, I really like the production so far! "Unchained" follows as the one of two big songs off the album and it rightfully deserves it. It sums up the darkness and anger of this album quite well with its fierce riff with a perfect contrast of playful cheeky lyrics. The best part of the song? Probably when the bridge happens with some light teasing towards Ted Templeman, longtime producer of the band's music, who gets his one and only line.

"Push Comes To Shove" was clearly an idea to try and ride the coattails of the reggae-rock love going on at the time thanks to bands like The Clash and The Police, and for the most part does it quite well; I'd like to focus on Michael Anthony's playing here because his bass playing is the superstar of this showcase, and for one of the very rare times in their catalogue he's allowed to sparkle as his own stand-out star with a bassline that actually sticks out and does some interesting things that creates its own melody rather than stay in the background. This is also home to an argument between Ted and Eddie over his solo which he played 20 times only to be told it wasn't good enough before coming in the next day and playing the same one, then being told its great. Talk about torture.

"So This Is Love?" is the only song released as a single and it did decently enough, but didn't make the top 10. Shame as this features some of the greatest playing by the band. To me, it really struck me with its intense groove that chugs along with some ferocious licks that dip its hands in blues. One of the bluesiest songs they've done, the use of call-and-response in the chorus makes it one of the most charming and memorable. Eddie has not one, but TWO solos here and they both scream with burning hot magma.

Unfortunately, I can't call this album perfect because following the absolute home run that everything has been so far is the always-included instrumental track but this time it's different. Normally I find myself excited for these, but my ears were hexed with sonic torture as shittily-"orchestrated" synthesizers try, and fail, to sound menacing, instead being headache inducing. Thanks "Sunday Afternoon in the Park" I'd rather not spend a day there.

"One Foot Out The Door" follows afterwards with trying to be...what sounds like a rockabilly song thats heavier but sounds like teenage edginess with Roth's vocals being severely off-key and sounding weird with the music. Terrible, really the only saving grace is Eddie's absolute ripper of a solo that got wasted on a song like this, it definitely needed more time to cook in the oven.

Finishing things off however, this is one of the band's greatest works, and easily one of the best albums of all time. I find it appalling that originally critics didn't take kindly to this one, and I only assume its because this may not be as light or fun-laced as the albums before it, but its one of Van Halen's most consistently phenomenal works and showcases the bands ability to change styles and feel while retaining their masterful skill. This is a step up from the previous album which was still great and I'd dare say this is one of the best guitar albums ever released, that's for sure. Though I wouldn't call it better than Van Halen II or Van Halen which were perfect all the way through. Definitely up there with them as one of the best albums in music though!

Rating: ★★★★★

Tracklist Ratings:

1. Mean Street: ★★★★★
2. "Dirty Movies": ★★★
3. Sinner's Swing: ★★★★★
4. Hear About It Later: ★★★★★
5. Unchained: ★★★★★
6. Push Comes To Shove: ★★★★★
7. So This Is Love?: ★★★★★
8. Sunday Afternoon In The Park: 💥
9. One Foot Out The Door: ★

THE JOURNEY SO FAR (Other reviews):
Van Halen review
Van Halen II review
Women And Children First review

Just wanted to thank everyone for their positive comments on my review of the band's second album! I'm going to keep posting my thoughts on their albums as I go through them! I'm mainly doing this for fun as a fan, and it's been pretty fun writing these up. I will warn this one won't be entirely positive (though I still really love this album!!) so if you can handle that and be alright with a bit of commentary that may differ from your own taste, read at your own risk.

Women and Children First (1980) REVIEW
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Entering a new decade is sometimes a challenge for any artist, but Van Halen had already seized the throne from the rock elites, crowning themselves the undisputed kings of rock-n-roll of every guy with a guitar in the late 1970's. How hard could it be to go into the 80's?

That's where Women and Children First comes in. I was headed into the thick of the David Lee Roth era, and things were just getting started with the first album of the 80's by them! The album cover is the best one we've got yet in my opinion, with a black-and-white photo of the band members standing in a greenish-blue background with a formal font. This promises a great time...right? For the most part yes, though I couldn't help but shake a little bit of the puzzle that had made them so enticing had been lost in the form of how this lacks in vocal harmonies that had made the songs on the last two albums stand out and be so charming. But anyways, moving onto my feelings with the album as a whole.

Kicking off is And the Cradle Will Rock..., which is a hard rock masterpiece, it's got a unique intro done through plugging in a piano through Eddie's amplifier creating a unique effect not heard on any album prior before exploding into a mid-tempo hard rock banquet for you to sink your teeth into. Complimenting the aggressive riff and tone are lyrics that speak of youthful rebellion, sang by David in a fun manner. Everybody Wants Some!! follows and is just as fantastic, with a tribal drumbeat by Alex that tells the tale of a fight through David's incredible vocal work that stands as one of his best. This gives me that adrenaline and rush of watching a fight scene in a movie unfold--brilliant.

Fools follows off the heel of these two and starts with...a guitar solo?!? You bet your sweet bippy it does, Eddie and co. waste no time on getting to the good part. It's got a phenomenal instrumental and David's vocals are perfectly tuneful for this one. However, I found myself finding the lyrics rather dull and obnoxious, I don't typically listen to this band for the lyrics. But unlike the ones on the first two albums, these ones were noticeably a bit more cheesy and drip with a bit of sap. Still a good song, just not as great.

Romeo Delight is the album's crowning jewel, this one genuinely moved me with how impressive it is being the greatest song on here. The solo rips with the fury of a thousand flames, the main verse is sang extraordinarily by David and delivered with playfulness that invites the listener along, not to mention the drumming is impeccable as well. I always thought Alex deserved more recognition for his drumming, he's one of my favorite drummers. This is a perfect window glimpse to his excellence much akin to Outta Love Again from their second album.

Sadly you get two-for-two deal on songs that just aren't really enjoyable. Tora! Tora! being an obvious case of filler--its just an opening to the next song and it really did not need to be its own track. On other albums before this there were instrumental interludes that did their own thing and stood out as their own standalone tracks; here it just exists for the sake of existing and isn't memorable in the slightest. Loss of Control starts off with an intro riff that absolutely kicks ass, but then it devolves into a messy, sloppy riff that barely holds consistent with Alex's drum abuse (this is the best I can call it). David's vocals are atrocious and off-key by a lot and while he was never the best singer out there, he absolutely fails miserably here. The chorus is just the title repeated until its an earworm. This is one of the worst songs I've actually heard. What happened to quality control?

Take Your Whiskey Home saves you with it's more acoustic blues feel that is quite unique to the rest of the album. Though it does feel a bit too akin to Ice Cream Man from the superior first album, switching to electric midway through and having everyone else come in. That's not to say it isn't great, it is a very enjoyable song! But it's not as impressive I find. Could This Be Magic? is what the previous song should have been; an all-out acoustic romper with the return of the lacking vocal harmonies that define the band, and the rain in the background that gives a relaxed feel. It also functions kind of as an unofficial title track considering it gets mentioned here. This song could almost pass as lo-fi before it existed, it's insane to me just how much Eddie influenced music.

In a Simple Rhyme has an insane middle section but the rest is kind of basic Van Halen.

Overall, this album is still great but is a step down. It has some very high highs, but also the lowest lows that the band has reached to this point. It's weaker, but still fantastic overall and the first Van Halen record to not get a 5-star from me. Perhaps it is heavier than the first two were even, but heavier doesn't always mean better. Still much better than what a lot of other bands could put out.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Tracklist Ratings:

1. And The Cradle Will Rock...: ★★★★★
2. Everybody Wants Some!!!: ★★★★★
3. Fools: ★★★
4. Romeo Delight ★★★★★
5. Tora! Tora!: ★
6. Loss of Control: 💥
7. Take Your Whiskey Home: ★★★★
8. Could This Be Magic?: ★★★★★
9. In A Simple Rhyme: ★★★

The Journey so far!
Van Halen review
Van Halen II review

Van Halen (1978) REVIEW
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Evolution. This term definitely applies to art, and music as a form of it, is subject to the exact occurrence that art has gone through. In the late 70's, the rock scene was changing drastically; the kids were fed up with society and becoming angry and through rebellion and wishing rock to go back to its simpler roots after progressive bands had dominated, punk rock was born. Disco was also taking ahold of people. Legendary bands such as Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath were being seen as outdated around this time and constantly upstaged by newer artists at live shows.

Then, coming kicking down the throne room's door and ripping the seat right out from under those old suckers' noses was a fresh, new band. That being Van Halen. It's hard to overstate just how mind-blowing their sound was at the time. Eddie Van Halen revolutionized guitar playing with the tap technique (yes, it was done before such as on 1977's News of the World or 1969's Led Zeppelin II but he revolutionized its use and popularized it.)

Think back to your own personal favorite guitarist; many of them, yours included, were influenced by his face-melting riffs and solos. Though he's not the only talented member, since Alex Van Halen, his brother, is a stellar drummer who keeps the beat well and even adds some impressive unconventional fills at times here, and David Lee Roth redefines what it means to be a frontman with his antics and fun-loving personality that shines through. Michael Anthony is a pretty good bassist as well! The boys had access to a studio through David Lee Roth and Ted Templeman does a wonderous job producing this album, the production lets everyone shine and allows David Lee Roth to add his fun interjections, and the guitar to rip through the speakers alongside the drums and bass.

"Runnin' With The Devil" hooks you right from its opening suspense chord done by taking multiple car horns sounding and taken from the band's own cars mounted in a box which are slowed down to give an eerie creeping up on you feeling. The riff crawls menacingly while David adds the fun with the lyrics of living on the edge. Immediately following is "Eruption" which is legendary for good reason. It starts with a short drum intro before Eddie delves into a short orchestra of guitar shredding and tapping which is telling you all that this is definitely not something you've heard before, THIS is the new sound, it takes an obvious classical influence and transforms it into its own thing. This was the song that changed guitar playing forever.

Then as the last track ends, we're treated to a cover of The Kink's "You Really Got Me", and in blasphemy I dare say it is better than the original. It's a fun cover with some vocal shenanigans and playfulness by the ever-so-cheeky David which combines with the heavier, kickass riff of Eddie, the breakdown section is probably my favorite part. I had a good laugh with this one and isn't that what this is all about? Probably shouldn't have been the lead single, though.

"Ain't Talkin' Bout Love" is excellent, especially the drumming and features a good mix of aggression and charisma which makes up for the silly lyrics, while "I'm The One" takes inspiration from 50's doo-wop and transforms it into a headbanger of a hard rocker, closing side one. I wasn't the biggest fan but it was alright, but "Jamie's Cryin'" is a fantastic example of the genius use of harmonies and how well the band works together with them alongside a wailing guitar riff that fits the title,

"Atomic Punk" is honestly the greatest song on the album and starts with a hand-muting and Dunlop MXR Phase 90 to achieve that iconic opening sound alongside Alex's unique jazz-flavored opening cymbals before absolutely tearing apart with a blast! The lyrics capture the spirit of the disoriented youth around this time perfectly, and typically live Alex would do a drum solo. It's also one of the only Van Halen songs without backing vocals or harmonies.

"Feel Your Love Tonight" and "Little Dreamer" are a bit slower and give you a good breather while still being quite great especially with harmonies, before you get a cover of the classic blues song "Ice Cream Man", in which Diamond Dave uses cheeky metaphors an clever wordplay combined with his charisma, transitioning from Eddie doing great on acoustic with a chillaxed vibe before ripping with electric. The final track on the album is also a fun way to close the album! The lyrics are mostly about the way audio works in a fun way, and this sounds like it could have been a 2000s song.

And there is Van Halen, one of the most revolutionary albums ever released, and the start of one of the rock titans. Fully deserving of its praise and clearly one of the best debut albums ever, probably one of my most favorites.

Rating: ★★★★★

Tracklist rating:

1. Runnin' With the Devil: ★★★★★
2. Eruption: ★★★★★
3. You Really Got Me: ★★★★★
4. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love: ★★★★★
5. I'm the One: ★★★
6. Jamie's Cryin': ★★★★
7. Atomic Punk 🔥: ★★★★★
8. Feel Your Love Tonight: ★★★★
9. Little Dreamer: ★★★★
10. Ice Cream Man: ★★★★★
11. On Fire: ★★★

And now since I did my review of their first review at 5 stars of 5, we move onto what I consider their magnum opus.

Van Halen II by Van Halen (1979) 🌟 REVIEW

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When you come out of the gates with a massive Eruption, your music already On Fire, and you produce a monster of a debut album, what's the most logical thing to do? Why not make a follow-up using some of the other material that you have been performing live from the time?

Van Halen II is similar, in many ways, to the widely-beloved debut album almost to a tee of being a carbon copy. However, it does set itself apart at the same time. The lyrics sound more finalized with the Van Halen style, and feel much more lighter and carefree, finding themselves a staple of a more late-night California party vibe. Not only that, but everyone is on a high point here and the care and love gets shown. Everyone gets a moment to shine moreso than on the debut as well!

Van Halen was really on a high note here, still exploding with inspiration. You're No Good, the only cover song on the album opens it with one of the many great opening tracks that they did. It starts off with a solo bass guitar using a flanger, showing just how cool Michael Anthony could be, then Eddie's guitar fading in to mute the initial attack before letting the song explode with a ferocity that bites through like any song on the debut.

Dance The Night Away hails as one of the band's very best songs, they fully embrace bubblegum pop but do some creative calypso rhythms in the intro and after the second chorus, and yet never loses its heavy edge. Somebody Get Me A Doctor follows and makes a whopping two-for-two on amazing tracks. It's one of the heaviest and no one can scream and wail as well as David does on this one. For a song about being high and feeling good, it sure blazes with a fire only hightened by such vocals.

Bottom's Up! is immature macho humor with lyrics that aren't much for everyone but if you're in on the joke, its a good enough time, nothing special of a track, though. Just plain decent.

Outta Love Again however gets back on the blazing streak of mind-blowing tracks with mighty lead singer, David Lee Roth, hammering the maxim home with a flurry of intense yowls, super fun guffaws, surprisingly intentionally-done percussive vocals combined with some jazz-funk percussion by Alex Van Halen which only shows his versatility, and a riff that teeters on the verge of heavy metal. Light Up The Sky is a rebel anthem that features one of the greatest drum solos ever in a rock song halfway through with some phenomenal fills and a riff that sets speakers on fire to those who dare listen. Easily the boy's best song ever, if you ask me.

Spanish Fly takes influence from Spanish flsmenco guitar playing! It's a pretty impressive work, kind of like an acoustic version of Eruption, and I dig it, it shows Eddie could shred on any six string and use natural harmonics in innovative ways before moving onto D.O.A. which is about as simple of a riff you can get from this band, yet they transform it into something excellent with Dave's gruff lyrics and vocals, Eddie's ability to switch tempo near the end, and Michael's catchy bass.

Women In Love... is one of the best songs the band has done, it actually includes some bisexuality themes in the woman that is the subject of the song--pretty rare for its time--and featuring innovative use of tapping technique on the fretboard and even sounding like other instruments, that of which being a harp which fits the dreamy vibe the song goes for, and we end on Beautiful Girls, check out these timelessly ponderable lyrics lifted from it: “I got a drink in my hand!/I got my toes in the sand! …/All I need is a beautiful girl!” I think that sums up the dumb fun of this masterpiece with it's catchy hook and playful cheekiness.

The production here is a bit more raw, but honestly it captures the feel of the band in a more primal state, making it feel more like a live performance, like being there for a show. Same guitar tone as the first album too, so that's a bonus.

I think Eddie's own words sum up the ocnclusion, "I hate it when albums are happy-happy or heavy-heavy all the way through. We had a little bit of both on Van Halen II" One of the best albums of all time, and I'd argue the peak of their career.

Rating: ★★★★★

Tracklist Ratings:

1. You're No Good: ★★★★

2. Dance The Night Away: ★★★★★

3. Somebody Get Me A Doctor: ★★★★★

4. Bottom's Up!: ★★★

5. Outta Love Again!: ★★★★★

6. Light Up The Sky 🔥: ★★★★★

7. Spanish Fly: ★★★★

8. D.O.A.: ★★★★★

9. Women In Love...: ★★★★★

10. Beautiful Girls: ★★★★★

Mainly just something I've been wondering with people that grew up with the show/are in the fandom. I've wondered what the overall fan consensus is regarding the quality of the show overall and how they'd rank the seasons. Not counting the movie or interstitial shorts/pilot that were done before it.

For me, I think I'd honestly have to say I think that I prefer the writing and more fleshed out character dynamics and build-ups of relationships and development that happened with Seasons 2 and 3. I also really liked that the show had a continuing arc with certain things as well, which is the opposite of what I liked when I saw it as a kid (I preferred the more episodic and 'invention of the day' type writing of season 1).

1. Season 2 (Balances everything the best IMO, and I think it did the best at keeping the humor of the first season while it had the more developed writing going forward)

2. Season 3 (Has a lot of very great episodes and follows from season 2, but has some forgettable episodes)

3. Season 1 (Still has some of my favorites! Just like it least. Also I think Jimmy as a character changed a bit after this season and I like him here best while the other characters got better as the show went on.)