Four-headed hard-rock beasts had long roamed the earth by the time the late '70s rolled around. Led Zeppelin, the Who and Black Sabbath, among others, left gargantuan footprints in establishing the template: Take a magnetic lead singer, pair him with a wizard-like guitarist, and back them both with a heavy-bottomed rhythm section.
But there was something different about Van Halen from the moment their 1978 self-titled debut arrived.
Maybe it was their sunny SoCal roots, giving the band a breezy, party-friendly vibe while their predecessors plodded through dark themes, rock "operas" and tales inspired by The Lord of the Rings. Maybe it was boisterous, fast-talking frontman David Lee Roth, the pop-tastic harmony vocals of bassist Michael Anthony or the thunderous drums of Alex Van Halen.
It was all of that, but really it was guitarist Eddie Van Halen who made them one of rock's biggest bands, inspiring (for good or ill) legions of imitators on L.A.'s Sunset Strip. Eddie Van Halen, who died last fall at 65, was a six-string savant. His impish grin belied his determined, concise dexterity in bending, tapping, stretching, plucking and brushing his strings to create some of modern rock's most memorable anthems, from "Runnin' with the Devil" to "Panama." Even cover songs became redefined as Van Halen songs thanks to his style. (See Van Halen's take on the Kinks' "You Really Got Me.")
Forty years ago this week, on April 29, 1981, Van Halen released their fourth album, Fair Warning, having by then established themselves as arena headliners and global rock stars. It was considered a commercial disappointment despite selling more than 2 million copies and is thought by many to be less happy-go-lucky than they expected or wanted from the band. Songs like "Mean Streets," "Dirty Movies" and "Push Comes to Shove" help make that case, and even the album cover is kind of weird and violent. (It's a portion of a painting called "The Maze" by Canadian artist William Kurelek.) But no matter how "dark" you consider Fair Warning, it just might be the ultimate showcase of Eddie Van Halen's guitar talents.
To celebrate Fair Warning's anniversary, we're ranking the albums of the original Van Halen lineup. As fans know, Roth was replaced by Sammy Hagar in 1985, and the band had some huge hits with that lineup as well. We rank those albums in the sidebar, but the two main eras of Van Halen are like two different bands, so let's focus on the early days, worst to first:
7. A DIFFERENT KIND OF TRUTH (2012)
Technically, this isn't the original lineup since Eddie's son Wolfgang took over on bass. But it is the first time the Van Halen brothers and David Lee Roth put out a new album together in 28 years. Some riffs went back to '70s demos (not a bad thing), and it's far from an embarrassment.
6. DIVER DOWN (1982)
This album has aged pretty well, but the fact it's packed with covers keeps it from being among the band's best. Still, songs like "Hang 'Em High" pack a worthy punch, and the band's cover of Roy Orbison's "(Oh) Pretty Woman" featured a video famously banned by MTV.
5. 1984 (1984)
Yes, this album was massive, and included hits "Jump," "Panama," "I'll Wait" and "Hot for Teacher." But one of its nine songs was a minute-long synthesizer intro, and half of the album is filler.
4. WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST (1980)
The band's third album was the first time they could spend some quality time in the studio after they'd become stars, and it paid off with a potent collection including now-classics like "And the Cradle Will Rock ..." and "Everybody Wants Some!!" Yes, that's TWO exclamation points!! That's how rocking that track is!!
3. VAN HALEN II (1979)
The band's sophomore album was recorded in less than a week, and they hit the studio less than a week after ending their first world tour. That they delivered this sizzling set including classic-rock staple "Dance the Night Away" is pretty remarkable, as is the fact most of the songs existed before they recorded their debut. This band was ready for the big time when they were still playing backyard keggers.
2. VAN HALEN (1978)
A case can be made that Van Halen never improved on their debut. Hell, the case can be made that their first album is the best rock debut ever. It introduced the hard-partying Van Halen to the world, and they promptly blew Black Sabbath and Journey off the stage as a touring opening act. From the masterful guitar solo "Eruption" through hits like "Runnin' with the Devil," "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" (later covered by punk heroes the Minutemen) and "Jamie's Cryin'" (sampled as the hook for Tone Loc's "Wild Thing"), this album is pretty much perfect. And yet...
1. FAIR WARNING (1981)
From the madly flickering guitar licks opening "Mean Streets" through the synth-driven closing rapid-fire vamp "One Foot Out the Door," Fair Warning features everyone in the band at peak form. Roth is at his lascivious best on "Sinner's Swing," "Hear About It Later" is a hard-hitting display of the pop prowess that would come to full fruition during their Sammy Hagar years, and "Unchained" is still guaranteed, 40 years later, to induce even grownass men into fits of air guitar. At least, it does at my house. ♦
What About "Van Hagar"?
Explore any Van Halen fan sites and the debate continues between folks who prefer the David Lee Roth era or the massively successful years with his replacement, Sammy Hagar (playing Northern Quest Aug. 22). It was the Hagar-led incarnation that headlined the 1988 Monsters of Rock show at Joe Albi Stadium that many Inland Northwesterners recall fondly, if hazily.AC/DC was another platinum-selling band forced to replace its singer and finding even greater commercial success. AC/DC's shift didn't mark a huge change in their sound, but that's not true for Van Halen. Hagar's arrival led to a more "mature" Van Halen, one with more ballads, more pop moves and, not surprisingly, more radio and MTV hits.
While I prefer the early Van Halen albums, I certainly ran out and bought the "Van Hagar"-era releases, too, and saw them in concert. (The less said the better about Van Halen III featuring former Extreme singer Gary Cherone). Let's rank the albums of the Sammy days, worst to best.
BALANCE (1995)
For completists only. You won't find a No. 1, triple-platinum album with less life than this one.
FOR UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE (1991)
The beginning of the end of the Hagar party, this hamfistedly titled album had some huge hits ("Right Now"), but it's mostly forgettable.
5150 (1986)
The excitement just to hear if Hagar would work in Van Halen generally paid off, and "Best of Both Worlds" is one of Van Halen's best songs, period.
OU812 (1988)
Probably the weirdest musical mix of the Hagar era, touching on bubbly pop ("Feels So Good") and twangy blues ("Finish What Ya Started") along with straightforward rockers.
