I’m going to go into this one with an open mind. I have this internal monologue that I don’t like Van Halen and I think that’s because I was brought up on classic rock and grunge and skipped “Glam/Hair Metal”. That being said I know at least 7 of these songs so I’m curious if my opinion will change during this deep dive. I’m well aware of how great and iconic of a guitarist EVH is. Not a big Sammy Hagar fan but I think he’s only the singer in one of these songs. Let's see!

Jump: Iconic song. Fun synth. Lyrical content is practically non-existent but realistically this song doesn’t require any deep message. Just a fun, big production glam rock song. Not too much to talk about untill the guitar solo and the 2:15 mark, followed by a fun little synth solo.

Panama: Replace the synth of Jump with some ripping guitar and you have Panama. Again lyrically it's a nothing burger. I’d actually prefer less lyrics, for sure remove the spoken word interlude. Again the guitar solo around 2:15 rips and the bridge is cool until the spoken word and revving engine noises. Another iconic song for the era.

Hot For Teacher: Look at that, another icon. This time replace the synth and guitar and you get an iconic drum intro. The guitar crushes when it joins and the whole ensemble in the first minute is great. And then DLR jumps in and everything goes to shit. The lyrics hurt so much. It’s like you asked an alien who has been watching humanity from outer space what being cool was and this was the interpretation. Maybe pop culture was different back when this was released but it didn’t age well. This is the best instrumental song so far, it never really lets up. Guitar, bass, and drums explode at around 3 minutes.

Eruption: 4/4 Iconic songs, which is saying a lot. They definitely were on top of the world with their hits. I think this one had the largest influence on getting people into rock, or playing guitar at the very least. This is like THE song to show people getting into guitar. I can’t play to save my life and even I still try tapping the part at 1:00 anytime I get a hold of something with strings. This is like the gateway drug to the likes of Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Satriani, and Steve Vai.

Running With The Devil: I think sonically this is more my speed. Just feels like a better put together rock n roll song as opposed to the flashy glam of the previous songs. This song still has a bunch of tiny little shiny things but it doesn’t come packaged in glittery tight leather pants and blown out perms. One thing I did notice about this deep dive is that they do way more harmonies then I remember. I prefer this to the other tracks but I also don’t think they would have hit their level of fame if this is the music they always produced.

You Really Got Me: This is a solid cover that really plays to the band's strengths. They get to excel at the instruments and harmonies and don’t have to worry about writing lyrics since it’s a cover. I love the dive bombing harmonies and all the little mini solos and riffs throughout the track. I think this is the first time I noticed the bass in any of their music. Dig it.

Dance The Night Away: Oh I do know this song as well. Kind of a little more reserved and I don’t love it. The guitar harmonics in the background of the chorus are cool. Lots of harmonies again as well with more prominent bass. This band confuses me so much. I don’t love their signature sound but then when they pull back on the reins I want them to break loose… I don’t know what that means (I figured it out by the end of the review, don’t you worry).

Jamie’s Cryin: My opinion of this song is similar to that of Dance the Night Away. The drums are wild but the rest of the instrumentals are a little more reserved and take more of a backseat to the DLR lead and harmony vocals. EVH still is doing a bunch, but it isn’t the main attraction.

Right Now: Oh I know this song too. Correction to my introduction, I know every song on this list. Finally a song with some lyrical content, had to look into it. This was 1000% their statement song which goes wildly away from their typical message of sex, drugs, and rock n roll. Like I was saying with Dance The Night Away I think I prefer them just having fun and jamming instead of putting together a statement piece. It’s a fine song but I think it kind of gets lost with other comparable songs of the time.

This is another great choice for this music club. Like I have no idea how to rate this band in comparison to everything else. EVH absolutely changed what people thought was possible on guitar. His brother Alex also has some of the most iconic drum sections in rock history. Even DLR has a monster voice. And then you put it all together and…Meh. Not for me. I think the poppiness and glam is just not for me. The ad libs and talking sections are just cheesy as hell. Maybe they were cool back in the early 80s but they didn’t age well.

So I think I figured it out! They are a decent rock band and an amazing “glam” band. Musically they slap and they are in my opinion part of the top two of the genre right up there with Guns N’ Roses. They blow away bands like Motley Crue and Def Leopard. The problem is that the genre just isn’t for me. With all that being said I have to respect their legacy. To give them a score I looked at other rock bands in our club. I enjoy them more than U2 and Jethro Tull but not as much as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Yes.

7.1 it is.

*Note* I saw in 2015 they considered tapping Chris Cornell as lead singer. I think that would have been really interesting, unfortunately he passed away before that ever came to fruition. Not sure how the dark introspective style of Cornell would have melded with the party style vocals of older Van Halen but I think his voice could for sure handle it.