Van Halen (album)
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| Van Halen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Missing image Van_halen_album_cover.jpg Album cover | ||
| Album by Van Halen | ||
| Released | February 10, 1978 | |
| Recorded | 1977 | |
| Genre | Hard Rock | |
| Length | 35 min 13 sec | |
| Record label | Warner Brothers | |
| Producer | Ted Templeman | |
| Professional reviews | ||
| AMG | 5/5 | link (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE47D1ED847A47E20E0B11A40DEB561F61A8F1AACD83E284541D1B43844C30E79EC40A6D8B1E8B800E203E3FE2FBB5910D1CAEE52B0D56C393C87EBA4705843&uid=SUB030411032141&sql=10:hrk9ikl6bbc9~T1) |
| Van Halen Chronology | ||
| Van Halen (1978) | Van Halen II (1979) | |
Van Halen is the self-titled debut album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1978 (see 1978 in music).
| Contents |
Significance
Recorded in 1977 and released in February of 1978, the album roughly delineates the border of heavy metal and the emergence of hair metal (or glam metal). Bands such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Queen and Kiss were heavy metal staples who had, through the mid-1970s, defined the commercial character of the genre: distorted guitars coupled with dark, brooding, mystical lyrics (often laced with elements of the occult).
Van Halen marked the beginning of a decade-long revolution, commercialization and mass consumption of heavy metal music. Although Van Halen helped push this new, high energy, image conscious, egoistic artform (ready for the party scene and video music industry) out from obscurity, it was significant for another reason. It helped establish the "LA club scene" as the center of the contemporary music universe and marked a shift in emphasis from UK based heavy metal bands to American ones.
From a technical perspective, Eddie Van Halen's guitar solo, "Eruption", was hugely influential on many guitarists. The complex interlude toward the end is generally regarded as being responsible for the popularity of fretboard tapping as the "standard" guitar solo of the 1980s. The solo's "dive-bomb" pitches also lead to the wide-spread use of Floyd Rose-type floating bridge whammy bars, although the guitar used in the recording did not have one.
Track listing
all songs by Anthony, Roth, Van Halen and Van Halen, except where noted
- "Runnin' With the Devil" - 3:36
- "Eruption" - 1:42
- "You Really Got Me" (Ray Davies) - 2:37
- "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" - 3:49
- "I'm the One" - 3:46
- "Jamie's Cryin'" - 3:30
- "Atomic Punk" - 3:01
- "Feel Your Love Tonight" - 3:42
- "Little Dreamer" - 3:22
- "Ice Cream Man" (John Brim) - 3:19
- "On Fire" - 3:00
Personnel
Production
- Producer: Ted Templeman
- Engineers: Donn Landee, Peggy McCreary, Kent Nebergall
- Mixing: Steve Hoffman
- Project coordinator: Jo Motta
- Art direction: Dave Bhang
- Design: Dave Bhang
- Photography: Elliot Gilbert
- Typesetting: Jodi Cohen
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Pop Albums | 19 |
| 1984 | The Billboard 200 | 117 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "Runnin' With The Devil" | Pop Singles | 84 |
| 1978 | "You Really Got Me" | Pop Singles | 36 |
RIAA Certification
- Gold: May 24, 1978
- Platinum: October 10, 1978
- Multi-Platinum:
- October 22, 1984 (5x)
- February 1, 1989 (6x)
- September 29, 1993 (7x)
- July 11, 1994 (8x)
- August 7, 1996 (10x)
- Diamond: March 16, 1999