Van Halen (album)
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| Van Halen | ||
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| Studio album by Van Halen | ||
| Released | February 10, 1978 | |
| Recorded | 1977 | |
| Genre | Hard Rock | |
| Length | 35:13 | |
| Label | Warner Bros. | |
| Producer(s) | Ted Templeman | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Van Halen chronology | ||
| Van Halen (1978) |
Van Halen II (1979) |
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Van Halen is the self-titled debut album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1978.
Contents |
[edit] Significance
Recorded in 1977 and released in February of 1978, it is considered to be one of the most famous debut albums by a hard rock/heavy metal band in history along with such albums as Led Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced, Boston's Boston, Black Sabbath's Black Sabbath and Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction.
From a technical perspective, Eddie Van Halen's guitar solo, "Eruption", was hugely influential on many guitarists. The cadenza near the end is generally regarded as seminal in the development of fretboard tapping, a virtuosic style of solo guitar playing which became popular in the 1980s. The solo's "dive-bomb" pitches also led to the wide-spread use of Floyd Rose-type floating bridge tremolo bars, although the guitar played on the recording did not have one. The album has sold over ten million copies in the United States alone and is considered to be one of the most successful debuts by a hard rock band. Along with 1984, it gives Van Halen two albums with Diamond status in sales -- a feat achieved by only six other rock bands.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 415 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
[edit] Track listing
all songs by Anthony, Roth, Van Halen and Van Halen, except where noted
- "Runnin' With the Devil" – 3:35†
- "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
† denotes a single
[edit] Personnel
[edit] Production
- Producer: Ted Templeman
- Engineers: Donn Landee, Peggy McCreary, Kent Nebergall
- Project coordinator: Jo Motta
- Art direction: Dave Bhang
- Design: Dave Bhang
- Photography: Elliot Gilbert
- Typesetting: Jodi Cohen
[edit] 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 | "You Really Got Me" | Pop Singles | 36 |
| 1978 | "Runnin' With the Devil" | Pop Singles | 84 |
[edit] 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)
- Diamond: August 7, 1996
| Van Halen |
|---|
| Eddie Van Halen | Alex Van Halen | Michael Anthony | David Lee Roth | Sammy Hagar |
| Gary Cherone |
| Discography |
| Albums and extended plays: Van Halen | Van Halen II | Women and Children First | Fair Warning | Diver Down | 1984 | 5150 | OU812 | For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge | Balance | Van Halen III | Live: Right Here, Right Now | Best of Volume I | The Best of Both Worlds |
| Videos and DVDs: Van Halen - Live Without a Net | Van Halen: Right Here, Right Now - Live | Van Halen: Video Hits, Vol. 1 |
