Poll

What are your favorites of these songs?

Runnin' with the Devil
Right Now
Jump
Dreams
Beautiful Girls
Black and Blue
Unchained
Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)
And the Cradle Will Rock...
Humans Being
Runaround
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
When It's Love
Love Walks In
Dance the Night Away
Hot for Teacher
Pouncake
Finish What Ya Started
Ice Cream Man
Can't Stop Lovin' You
I'll Wait
The Dream Is Over
Everybody Wants Some
Feels So Good
Mean Street
Somebody Get Me a Doctor
Why Can't This Be Love?
Panama
Top of the World
Jamie's Cryin'

Voting closes: October 12, 2024, 02:58:30 PM

Author Topic: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)  (Read 2324 times)

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Offline bosk1

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #35 on: January 02, 2019, 09:04:24 AM »
I have to disagree with you Bosk. Women and Children First is one of the greatest hard rock albums ever recorded. Pure rock'n roll energy front to back.

I can't really disagree with you.  I had tons of friends back in the day that were hugely into that album, and I can pretty much say that about most VH albums.  All I can say is, for me, they never really did much for me outside of three albums total, and even those I have a hard time with because I find them so lyrically immature.  But I completely get that there are many out there who feel differently.
« Last Edit: January 02, 2019, 09:12:10 AM by bosk1 »
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Offline cramx3

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #36 on: January 02, 2019, 09:07:48 AM »
It would be a fans dream come true to have one set of VH with Sammy and Anthony and another with DLR and Wolfgang.  It'll never happen though, too much ego to break through.

Offline PowerSlave

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #37 on: January 02, 2019, 09:11:36 AM »
I have to disagree with you Bosk. Women and Children First is one of the greatest hard rock albums ever recorded. Pure rock'n roll energy front to back.

I can't really disagree with you.  I had tons of friends back in the day that were hugely into that album, and I can pretty much say that about most VH albums.  All I can say is, for me, they never really did much for me outside of three albums total, and even those I have a hard time with because I find them so lyrically immature.  But I complete get that there are many out there who feel differently.

You make a good point about the lyrics. I simply try to ignore them and rock out  :lol
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #38 on: January 02, 2019, 09:16:25 AM »
As good as Women and Children First is, it's only my 5th favorite VH album...of the original 6! ;)

As for the lyrics, yeah, they are usually pretty juvenile, but I have always seen VH as party rock, so they work given the style. 

Offline cramx3

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #39 on: January 02, 2019, 09:25:22 AM »
VH lyrics never bothered me, it's meant for fun and they might be dumb, but they are fairly fun lyrics.  However, some of those lines are just soo ridiculous and the way DLR would sing/talk them just kind of puts it over the top.  I get why people might be turned off by it.  It just comes off as fun though to me.

Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #40 on: January 02, 2019, 09:34:35 AM »
From this list, I've got

Dreams
Beautiful Girls
Unchained
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Hot For Teacher
Ice Cream Man
Mean Street
Panama




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Offline pg1067

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #41 on: January 02, 2019, 10:04:15 AM »
VH was obviously huge when I was growing up.  I didn't start getting into popular/rock music until high school, but the "VH" symbol was ubiquitous on my classmates' Pee-Chees in junior high.  When I started getting into rock music, I felt like I needed to check out VH.  It was during the Diver Down album cycle, so I got that album and really enjoyed it.  I didn't realize half the album was covers, but Hang 'Em High was my favorite and probably is still one of my favorite VH songs.  The rest of VH's catalog is, however, mostly lackluster, with only 1-3 really good songs per album:

VH - I initially thought RwtD was really good, but now it's kind of a one trick pony with a nice riff and really silly vocals.  Eruption is wankery.  YRGM is ok.  Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love is good.  Jamie's Cryin' is another one trick pony.  Ice Cream Man was initially amusing.  Feel Your Love Tonight is ok.

VHII - DtNA and Beautiful Girls are really good, but the rest of the album is meh.

WACF - AtCWR is ok, but not great.  Otherwise, nothing about the album grabs me.

FW - Unchained is my absolute favorite VH song.  The rest of the album is nothing great.

DD - See above

1984 - My first new VH album, and one of the most massively overrated albums of the 80s.  The hype around Jump was ridiculous.  Panama was a little better, but I never liked it.  It's a classic example of how awful lyrics can drag down a musically strong song.  Hot for Teacher was just dumb.

5150 was, on the whole, probably stronger than any DLR album, but it was a different band.  OU812 was awful.  FUCK had a few good songs, and that's where I parted company with VH.

The stories about VH concerts in the late 70s/early 80s were legendary.  I didn't get around to seeing the band until the FUCK tour.  It was cool, but nothing different than dozens of other concerts I'd seen.
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Offline Grappler

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #42 on: January 02, 2019, 10:09:33 AM »
No surprise here - I picked 8 Sammy era songs.  The DLR era is just so over-played for me.  They're just like Sabbath - the original lineup is absolutely iconic, but the band's songwriting improved so drastically after the change from the original singer to someone who has a better voice and is a much better singer.

I saw the 2004 reunion tour with Sammy and don't ever need to see Van Halen again.  Sammy's solo shows are so much more fun and he's played a few VH tunes each time I've seen him live.

The poll is definitely missing Best of Both Worlds and Seventh Seal, two of my favorite VH songs.  I'm glad Humans Being was an option, since that song is awesome.

Offline Stadler

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #43 on: January 02, 2019, 10:14:29 AM »
Couple thoughts:

One, count me in as someone that's not really interested in seeing Sammy and Dave on stage together (or on a tour together).  I much prefer the DLR era, and for me it's like Sabbath: I didn't want Dio and Ozzy on the same stage either (and no one was really calling for it).  Ditto Gillan/Coverdale or Dio/Bonnet/Turner.  I saw the Michael Schenker tour with Barden/Bonnet/McCauley/White and frankly, when McCauley and White were on stage I was waiting for Barden to sing again.   

Two, recognizing the greatness of VH-I, 1984 and WaCF, I would offer that side one of Fair Warning is their greatest single album side.

Three, I'm not sure I get the lyrical issue; isn't it like anything else?   Maybe it's that I'm a Kiss fan and so I'm used to it, but short of Marillion/Fish/Rush, the level of lyrical insight in rock'n'roll isn't really that high to begin with.  Don't many of us overlook the faux (and maybe not so faux) satanism in a lot of rock, and don't many of us kind of ignore the overly evangelical side of some of Neal Morse's lyrics?   I will also add that the lyrics of "A Different Kind Of Truth" are not only better than you'd expect, they are VERY good.  Roth either kept diligent notes across the years he was out of the band, or just put in the hard work, but there is some interesting and very clever word play in those lyrics.

Offline bosk1

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #44 on: January 02, 2019, 10:21:42 AM »
I'm not sure I get the lyrical issue....  Maybe it's that I'm a Kiss fan and so I'm used to it...

Well, not to be condescending, but you just unintentionally hit the nail on the head.  That's why Kiss has never interested me in the least bit and why I have never and will never be a fan.  So, yeah, bingo.

Don't many of us overlook the faux (and maybe not so faux) satanism in a lot of rock...?

Um...no.  It is precisely why I don't listen to a lot of music that I would likely otherwise find appealing in terms of sound.

...and don't many of us kind of ignore the overly evangelical side of some of Neal Morse's lyrics?   

No again.  Why would you?  Aside from the fantastic musicianship, it is one of the primary reasons I am such a big fan.
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Offline Anxiety35

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #45 on: January 02, 2019, 10:28:43 AM »
No Eruption?

Online bl5150

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #46 on: January 02, 2019, 10:31:17 AM »
   I will also add that the lyrics of "A Different Kind Of Truth" are not only better than you'd expect, they are VERY good.  Roth either kept diligent notes across the years he was out of the band, or just put in the hard work, but there is some interesting and very clever word play in those lyrics.

That's something I have commented on before too........ADKOT in particular.  Across his solo career DLR developed into a very strong writer with a knack for clever humour.   Even on average albums like Your Filthy Little Mouth some of the lyrics are great.  On ADKOT he knocked it out of the park .

And this is from someone who normally takes scant notice of lyrics.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #47 on: January 02, 2019, 07:31:03 PM »
No Eruption?

I didn't include any of EVH's solo pieces (which Eruption mostly is).

Offline pg1067

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #48 on: January 03, 2019, 10:49:16 AM »

This is going to sound a lot like what Bosk wrote....

I'm not sure I get the lyrical issue; isn't it like anything else?   Maybe it's that I'm a Kiss fan and so I'm used to it, but short of Marillion/Fish/Rush, the level of lyrical insight in rock'n'roll isn't really that high to begin with.

I'm not a Kiss fan, but it's not because of the lyrics.  Also, there's a pretty big gap between "I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day" and "Ow oh, hey you, Who said that? Baby, how you been?" (when I cited Panama as "a classic example of how awful lyrics can drag down a musically strong song," I was actually thinking of Jump, which isn't nearly as good musically as Panama).


Don't many of us overlook the faux (and maybe not so faux) satanism in a lot of rock

I'm sure some do, but I don't.  It's one reason I don't listen to Slayer despite the band churning out some really good riffs now and then.


and don't many of us kind of ignore the overly evangelical side of some of Neal Morse's lyrics?

I can't speak to this because I've never (to my knowledge) heard a Neal Morse song, but it's one reason I never got into Stryper beyond buying Soldiers Under Command 30+ years ago.


I'm not suggesting I need all lyrics to be Peartian (heck, I enjoy mid- to late 70s and early 80s Scorpions notwithstanding some pretty dumb lyrics, but the lyrics are one reason why I don't ever listen to Scorpions on a near endless loop), but some measure of intelligibility would be nice, and there are instances where lyrics ruin otherwise decent/good music.
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Offline Stadler

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #49 on: January 03, 2019, 11:16:28 AM »
Well, I apologize to you and Bosk if you thought I was pointing fingers, I was merely making a general observation that we all sort of look for what we look for in music.   Jon Anderson's lyrics don't really make much sense either, and while Neil is a great lyricist at times, not all his are winners either ("net boy, net girl!").   I think Dave's lyrics are less about being "bad" than they are about reflecting the mood and vibe of the moment.  Dave is not Springsteen, by design.  His is a carefree, live-by-the-seat-of-your-pants ethos and the words reflect that.    I love Iron Maiden, but I take "666, the number of the beast! 666, the one for you and me!" with a grain of salt.  I love REM tremendously, but when Stipe is singing "Ignoreland" or "Exhuming McCarthy", both in my REM Top 10, it's taken in the spirit of the music, since I couldn't be further from that place politically than I am.

Dave is easily in my top five rock stars I'd love to have a beer with; I have a very sneaking suspicion that he's a lot different than the "Diamond Dave" persona he projects, and a lot more on the ball, introspective, and calculating than he lets on.   

Offline pg1067

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #50 on: January 03, 2019, 11:20:42 AM »
Well, I apologize to you and Bosk if you thought I was pointing fingers, I was merely making a general observation that we all sort of look for what we look for in music.   Jon Anderson's lyrics don't really make much sense either, and while Neil is a great lyricist at times, not all his are winners either ("net boy, net girl!").   I think Dave's lyrics are less about being "bad" than they are about reflecting the mood and vibe of the moment.  Dave is not Springsteen, by design.  His is a carefree, live-by-the-seat-of-your-pants ethos and the words reflect that.    I love Iron Maiden, but I take "666, the number of the beast! 666, the one for you and me!" with a grain of salt.  I love REM tremendously, but when Stipe is singing "Ignoreland" or "Exhuming McCarthy", both in my REM Top 10, it's taken in the spirit of the music, since I couldn't be further from that place politically than I am.

Dave is easily in my top five rock stars I'd love to have a beer with; I have a very sneaking suspicion that he's a lot different than the "Diamond Dave" persona he projects, and a lot more on the ball, introspective, and calculating than he lets on.

You weren't "pointing fingers" and have nothing to apologize for, but you did say you didn't understand something I wrote, so I felt it appropriate to clarify.  Jon Anderson is sort of an odd duck in this discussion, but I agree that a lot of what he writes doesn't make sense.  And I agree that "Virtuality" is Rush's best example of the concept under discussion (although I don't think the song is particularly strong musically).  Ultimately, this is all about line-drawing, and I understand that others draw their lines in places different than I.
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Offline bosk1

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Re: Your favorites of these Van Halen songs (1978-1996)
« Reply #51 on: January 03, 2019, 11:31:56 AM »
Well, since we're on the subject of lyrics, I guess for me, I can easily "overlook" lyrics that are obscure and hard to understand.  And I can easily overlook lyrics that take positions I don't identify with.  I have a much harder time overlooking lyrics that take a position that is antithetical to something I feel strongly about.  And the line is, admittedly, blurry and shifting.  But I think, to an extent, a lot of us do that.  It's just where we draw the lines and how willing we are to shift them that differs.
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