Favorite Van Halen album?

by Pethead Sat Nov 12, 2022 10:54 pm

My all-time favorite secular band. I’m more selective about which songs I listen to nowadays, but I will probably always love these guys.

Here’s another instance where I would say one album is their best, but another is my favorite.

I would say the debut is their best top-to-bottom. But those first 4 are magical.

My favorite, though, is 5150. Part of this no doubt for sentimental reasons. But the title track is tied with Unchained as my favorite VH song.

The only album I don’t really care for is III, but I can still hear some good moments there.

I love both the DLR and Sammy eras. VH rocks my face off.

Your turn.

by MagnusPrime Sun Nov 13, 2022 12:04 am

Women And Children First

1984 and Fair Warning are tied for second.

Although I love all the original DLR era.

I actually really like III. I'm a big fan of Extreme so having Cherone on vocals was awesome. I also like the somewhat more progressive approach of that album. Maybe because it's a little out-of-character for VH.

I like the Sammy stuff too though. VH Rules!

by Sevenoneself Sun Nov 13, 2022 12:10 am

This is another band I wasn't allowed to listen to growing up, so I have nothing to share. I'd like to sample their catalogue so I'll put them on my ToListenTo list.

by Black Rider Sun Nov 13, 2022 12:12 am

Women and Children First, has their best song, Romeo Delight. Enjoy both eras equally.

by Pethead Sun Nov 13, 2022 12:15 am

Black Rider wrote:Women and Children First, has their best song, Romeo Delight. Enjoy both eras equally.

Great song. The way DLR says, “I know the law, friend,” is one of my favorite VH moments. Classic DLR.

by Constantine Sun Nov 13, 2022 12:19 am

I'm also very selective about what songs I will listen to from them.
That's just the way it is now, no regrets.

That said, debut is still my favorite. I remember when it first came out. Kids in my school were talking about it but I didn't pay much attention. Then, I saw them open for Black Sabbath but didn't know any of their songs. It wasn't until I switched schools and our football q-back Dave Hanby lent me the album and I was floored. From then on I started buying their albums and eventually learned how to play bits of pieces of their material.

Not sure what the #2 spot would be. Either VH 2 or Fair Warning, depending on the day.

HOWEVER....my #1 favorite song from them is "I'll Wait."
I never get tired of that one.

The 2nd time I saw them live was with Gary Cherrone. Regardless of what the naysayers and complainers say, they were great on that tour.

by TZ75 Sun Nov 13, 2022 9:11 am

A tie between VH 2 and Fair Warning.

by arttieTHE1manparty Sun Nov 13, 2022 11:46 am

For me, it is definitely the debut followed by 1984 and A Different Kind Of Truth. For the Hagar years, I am in the minority compared to most, as I think Balance is fantastic and For Unlawful... is second. I really don't like OU812, and I was never all that into 5150.

Arttie

by Black Rider Sun Nov 13, 2022 12:55 pm

Balance is great, Seventh Seal is heavy as stink.

by Pethead Sun Nov 13, 2022 6:01 pm

Balance is a great album. Probably my second favorite of the Sammy years.

ADKoT was a great comeback, although I’d trim it by 3ish songs to make it perfect.

I’m surprised no one has mocked me for having 5150 as my favorite.

by MagnusPrime Sun Nov 13, 2022 6:43 pm

Pethead wrote:

I’m surprised no one has mocked me for having 5150 as my favorite.

Or me for actually liking "III"

by Pethead Sun Nov 13, 2022 6:46 pm

MagnusPrime wrote:
Pethead wrote:

I’m surprised no one has mocked me for having 5150 as my favorite.

Or me for actually liking "III"

There are a lot of good ideas on III, I just think the arrangements needed some fine-tuning.

by L8T Mon Nov 14, 2022 8:11 pm

My Fav is 1984 then the debut.

I like all of the Sammy era.

by Dustofyears Tue Nov 15, 2022 3:39 am

My best of album. Really hits the the spot when the mood suits. Most people generally say the debut. So interesting to see the choices here.

by alldatndensum Tue Nov 15, 2022 11:28 pm

For me, VH was firing on all cylinders as Dave went out and Sammy came in. My faves are 1984 and 5150. You just can't beat those two albums.

by arttieTHE1manparty Wed Nov 16, 2022 6:19 pm

...and yet I can't stand most of 5150...

Arttie

by oldschooldoom Thu Nov 17, 2022 4:28 pm

1) S/T
2) II
3) Women and Children
4) Fair Warning
5) Live Right Here

by AWJ Fri Nov 25, 2022 7:55 pm

Van Halen was my first favorite band, and I still love them. Impossible to pick a favorite album, but I'd be hard-pressed to pick against the debut.

by Superjuice Sun Nov 27, 2022 10:24 pm

Hard to beat that debut, but they came close with Fair Warning and 1984. Love the nostalgia of 5150 as that was the "summer" high school album.

Rick Beato did a 'best VH song' not too long ago on youtube. He and his buds said it was "Unchained" which is a great pick, but I go with "Mean Streets" because it has a little of everything that VH does and the solos are better than Unchained's solo which is a little too brief w/ few Eddie's trademark licks. Whilst Mean Streets has that amazing 'slap bass' intro that Eddie does w/ a six-string and baffled axe-slingers for decades.

by scottmitchell74 Fri Feb 02, 2024 10:45 pm

Van Halen came out in 1978!

That's simply unbelievable. There's nothing about it that sounds dated.

by Superjuice Sat Feb 03, 2024 2:08 pm

Black Rider wrote:Women and Children First, has their best song, Romeo Delight. Enjoy both eras equally.

Women and Children First sounds like 5 guys goofing off in the studio, but they totally caught lightning in a bottle. It's like they didn't care, just partied, and out came this album full of great songs. Probably Dave's finest improv moments during the bridges in songs. It takes awhile for this album to sink in outside of the hits.

by Superjuice Sat Feb 03, 2024 8:56 pm

Superjuice wrote:Whilst Mean Streets has that amazing 'slap bass' intro that Eddie does w/ a six-string and baffled axe-slingers for decades.

Joe Satriani can't play the Mean Streets intro:

by Pethead Mon Feb 05, 2024 2:38 pm

One of the interesting things about DLR era VH is that there are multiple songs that I’m sure have some sort of innuendo, but I don’t know what it is.

by Superjuice Mon Feb 05, 2024 3:34 pm

Constantine wrote:I'm also very selective about what songs I will listen to from them.
That's just the way it is now, no regrets.

Yeah, on that note, I was just listening to two guys on Youtube (Sea of Tranquility) give their Van Halen Top Ten songs list and they both listed "Fools" and I kinda scratched my head, since I don't know it verbatim and I remember it just being an okay song. I played it, and it's a free-flowing blues romp with some interesting guitar high-jinks; not my favorite kind of song, but then Roth says "and I'm sick and tired of Golden Rules" and it made me wanna puke.

by Black Rider Mon Feb 05, 2024 4:03 pm

Pethead wondering why Dave is so into ice cream.

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