Part 1 of Hair Metal Hysteria is just about done folks. We took a look at an iconic album from KISS, and gave a glace at Whitesnake’s second release. Today, we reach a band that blended everything that would ultimately become Hair Metal together into one being, and that’s Van Halen! An iconic band, whether it was fronted by David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar, you knew you were in for a good time when they appeared on MTV or came in on the radio waves. When people went to see them live way back when, it was pure 80s magic. Today, I’m looking at a slice of that magic with their final album with Roth, 1984. Get some of that hairspray at the ready, and let’s begin!
Background
Taken from Wikipedia:
“Following the group's 1982 album, Diver Down, guitarist Eddie Van Halen was dissatisfied by the concessions he had made to Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth and producer Ted Templeman. Both discouraged Eddie from making keyboards a prominent instrument in the band's music. In 1983, Eddie built his own studio in his backyard, naming it 5150 after the Los Angeles police code for "escaped mental patient". There, he composed Van Halen's follow-up to Diver Down—without as much perceived "interference" from Roth or Templeman. The result was a compromise between the two creative factions in the band: a mixture of keyboard-heavy songs, and the intense rock for which the band was known.
In Rolling Stone's retrospective review of 1984 in its 100 Best Albums of the Eighties list, producer Ted Templeman said, "It's real obvious to me [why 1984 won Van Halen a broader and larger audience]. Eddie Van Halen discovered the synthesizer."
At the time, Eddie was in the process of building his own studio with Donn Landee, the band's longtime engineer (and later producer on 5150 and OU812). While boards and tape machines were being installed, Eddie began working on synthesizers to pass the time. "There were no presets," said Templeman. "He would just twist off until it sounded right."”
1984 was received pretty positively upon it’s release. Robert Christgau gave it a B+, explaining that "Side one is pure up, and not only that, it sticks to the ears" and that "Van Halen's pop move avoids fluff because they're heavy and schlock because they're built for speed, finally creating an all-purpose mise-en-scene for Brother Eddie's hair-raising, stomach-churning chops". Rolling Stone reviewer J. D. Considine gave the record a 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "the album that brings all of Van Halen's talent into focus" and stated “"Jump" is not exactly the kind of song you'd expect from Van Halen” but that "once Alex Van Halen's drums kick in and singer David Lee Roth starts to unravel a typically convoluted story line, things start sounding a little more familiar". Ironically enough in regards to Rolling Stone, 1984 was ranked 81 on its list of the 100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s, despite being critical of the band beforehand. Change of heart I guess.
1984 also managed to accomplish some pretty big feats as well. In managed to reach number 2 on the Billboard 200, just behind Michael Jackson’s behemoth Thriller, where it would stay there for 5 weeks. The first single of the album, Jump, would reach number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. 1984 would also go on to be certified Diamond by the RIAA, selling 10 million copies here in the states (Van Halen’s first album would be the other record in their library that accomplishes such a feat). And finally, Jump would become Gold in April of 1984, just a few months after it’s release. Pretty impressive accomplishments if you ask me!
Basic Description
Fun. Genuine 80s fun.
What Power Metal is from the 90s to now, Hair Metal was to the 80s. The genre never took itself serious in any way: Dokken, Stryper, and even W.A.S.P. always had a great time performing live and on their records. Van Halen is no exception, as they always seem to have positive energy inside each & every single song they make. 1984 brings a smile to my face through and through, as the tracks within never get dark or depressing in any way. From young love, to living life, and hot teachers, the album is definitely an example of something that’ll take you to your happy place easily!
Best Track
Jump has always been one of those songs that has stuck within the social consciousness, and for very good reason. It’s a bright and happy tune, and the band is having a lot of fun. The instrumentation, the vocal work, and the keyboard are all even in their time throughout the track, and none of them ever leak into one another. If I remember correctly, while my Mom was pregnant with me, I apparently started moving around everytime it came on the radio or played on MTV. Pretty funny if you ask me!
Jump
However, my personal favorite will always be the silly & dirty Hot For Teacher. Taking the keyboard out, this track is a bit more raw with it’s instrumentation, and David Lee Roth goes between taking like a jerk student, and singing at the drop of a hat. Coupled with the incredibly hilarious music video, and you have a recipe for a classic!
Hot For Teacher
Worst Track
1984 is the only bad track on the album, but even then it’s only because of how small it is! At just 1 minute and 7 second, it serves as just an intro to the fantastic song afterwards. It’s a tiny bit sad, as the keyboarding creates a nice futuristic atmosphere, but otherwise there’s nothing of note here.
1984
Apart from that, 1984's only real issues is how short the album actually is. Clocking in at 33 minutes & 17 seconds (Take out the title track, and it’s 32 minutes & 10 seconds!), this is one of those records to need to listen to at least twice for it to stick in your head. Maybe more that for some of you. Quick albums aren’t necessarily a bad thing if the content is good (Everything excluding the title track here is an example), but even then it might not always be memorable.***
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:
1984
Overall Impression & Rating
1984 is an absolute classic of the 1980s. It might be a bit on the quick side, but it is easily a highlight of Hair Metal’s time in that decade. Fun, vibrant, energetic, and a little bit sexy, Van Halen are proof that not everything wasn’t horrible in the 80s. Not only that, but it acts as a nice sendoff for David Lee Roth’s time in the band, and he wound not return until the early parts of this decade. Definitely an album to seek out if you want some 1980s sunshine!
1984 gets a 8.5 out of 10.
Well everybody, this was just the start of Hair Metal Hysteria. From KISS, to Whitesnake, and now to Van Halen, these 3 bands (Along with many others) helped create an iconic subgenre of Heavy Metal. For the entirety of the 1980s (And even a sliver of the 1990s), Hair Metal was a force to be reckoned with, but like many good things, it would fade away from the public eye. However, there is always a hunger for old things, as next month shows off a band that brings back the old days.....and brings it back hard!
***
What I referenced in my Kiss review at the beginning of this month.
No comments:
Post a Comment