Runnin With the Devil
Everybody Wants Some close second.
I’m either old skool, or boring pop radio fan.
Eruption/You Really Got Me.
Almost everything before Diver Down is great. I sort of view DD as a failed EP, or maybe a demo tape. There just isn’t that much substance, but Intruder/Pretty Woman is awesome. But, it really is just a rehash of E/YRGM. Just a very good rehash!
To meet the OP’s criteria regarding Ed’s guitar prowess, Dave’s vocals, and the band’s harmonies, these five stand out:
I’m The One
Feel Your Love Tonight
Romeo Delight
Hear About It Later
Little Guitars
The differences between the first three and the last two show the band’s versatility, while keeping those three main ingredients.
I’ll Wait off of 1984. Love the synths.
I was surprised to see so many “Little Guitars” votes. I thought I was the only one who felt that was a great one.
I think “Lighting up the Sky” is good as it juxtaposes all the beautiful heaviness on either side of that soft little break in the middle. And coming out of that break, Eddie picks us back up with a fun solo.
However, I just listened to “Little Dreamer” and need to give it a shout out for its rockin’ soul sound.
My top five DLR VH tunes…
Little Guitars
Feel Your Love Tonight
Mean Street
I’ll Wait
Unchained
“Feel Your Love Tonight” is my earliest VH memory. Hearing that kind of harmony from a heavy band really struck me and made me a fan very fast.
That being said, all of Van Halen’s first album is pretty awesome. One of the best debut albums ever, IMO. Running with the Devil, Ice Cream Man… awesome.
My other choice would be Panama. Hard driving and distinctive right out of the gate.
I just realized I posted twice in this thread. At least my answers were the same (albeit in opposite order).
Posted by the fan of leaf:
I am a victim of the science age, uh
A child of the storm, whoa yes
I can’t remember when I was your age
For me, it says no more, no more
Nobody rules these streets at night like me, the atomic punk
I always thought the 4rth line was:
“For me, time’s no more”
Googling lyric sites confirms the previous set but lyric sites are notoriously bad.
Re-listening, I still hear, time’s no more. And to me it makes more sense.
What say you?
As far as everyone in the band making strong contributions to a song, it’s hard to beat Mean Street. Next to So This Is Love?, it’s Mike’s best bass work.
I’ll second stolatt’s choices of Little Guitars and Take Your Whiskey Home.
It’s criminal not to play *1984 *before Jump.
As far as the newer DLR songs go, I like She’s the Woman and Big River.
VH is my favorite band. I love this thread.
I’ll tell you something. When I listen to the song and look at the lyrics I posted, it definitely sounds like “For me, it says no more” and when I listen to it and look at your lyrics it sounds like “For me, time’s no more.”
Neither really make sense to me, but that it one nifty audio illusion.
“Runnin’ With The Devil” for me. Instant flashback to hanging out at the apartment complex pool, big bong that no one seemed concerned with, my trusty '66 GTO parked close by.
Good times.
This guy pretty much sums up my feelings about VH in their DLR prime:
[QUOTE=Henry Rollins ]
To this day, perhaps some of my most played records that I own are the Van Halen albums with Dave. They still work. To transmit on a critical level for just a moment here, let me say this; Van Halen’s perfect synthesis of bone crunching riffs and almost Beach Boys backing vocals is one of the most irresistible and potent concoctions I have ever heard in music. Perfect for radio without selling out or being wimpy. How the hell can you do that?! Something for the guys, something for the ladies. Adding to that, the presentation was second to none. That was a show. Diamond Dave really needed an arena to realize his vision and when he got one, he wasted no time. Van Halen was like the Circus coming to town, like the biggest block party you’ve ever seen and you’re on the invite list.
[/QUOTE]
Interesting you would say that because to me taken with the line right before it, it makes perfect sense:
“I can’t remember when I was your age. For me, time’s no more”.
Ok, I just spent over 20 minutes watching live performances of Atomic Punk. Sometimes its unintelligible, sometimes he forgets the words but in the times you can make it out, to my ears it’s clearly “time’s no more”. Example: Van Halen (010 Redo) - 1) I'm The One / Atomic Punk / Aint Talkin' Bout Love - Fresno 78 - YouTube
(About 3:13)
Gotta love the 'Dope - where else can you find folks deeply scrutinizing DLR lyrics on a first album deep cut?
Simply because we’re focused on Atomic Punk, I will add this little guitar nugget: The effect at the beginning is Eddie, his fretting hand flat against the strings so they are deadened, rubbing his knuckles against the deadened strings with his strum hand, so all you can really hear is the strumminess bringing out the sound of his trusty MXR Phase 90 phase shifter effect pedal, kind of like a brass rubbing making the image occur as you rub over the raised surfaces.
Really, compared to his two-handed triplets and harmonic hammer-ons, and so many other innovative approaches, this one is almost a toss-off. But that full-on phase shifter swooshing sounds so damn cool. He really made it part of his signature tone, using it at the climax of Eruption (climax of Eruption - heh), and as parts of song outros, etc…
I second this nomination. Great, dark energy to it, and I love the different feel to the outro (?) riff at the end of the song.
Also, for my money, Dancing in the Streets is the best rock cover of a pop song I’ve ever heard. Still gives me goosebumps after all these years.
Without reading the thread…
I was introduced to Van Halen when MTV, in its first year (1981-82), put a live So This is Love clip in heavy rotation. (I recently found the whole show on YouTube). It’s still my favorite Van Halen song.
Silver medal to Panama, and a bronze to Dance the Night Away.
Time’s no more, it is.
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I enjoy listening to their chart toppers, but, as it with a lot of these rock and roll groups, their first hit (i.e., the first by song by them I heard on the radio) is their best song. So I’ll have to go with Beautiful Girls.