THE ALBUM OF THE DAY IS… VAN HALEN, 1984
Van Halen’s 1984 was arguably one of the most important rock releases of the 1980s. Eddie Van Halen’s band members finally allowed him to introduce keyboards to the band’s sound, and the result was a hard rock album with pop leanings that delivered hook after hook without sacrificing any of what made the band so successful initially. Album opener and #1 hit single “Jump” introduced fans to Van Halen’s new synth sound in a big way, as did the weirdly New Wave-esque “I’ll Wait.” But purists disappointed with this experimentation could find solace in the fist-pumping rockers “Panama” and “Hot for Teacher,” the latter of which spawned a racy and irresistable MTV video as well as one of the most famous guitar solo intros ever. David Lee Roth is on top of his game on 1984 with the usual assortment of screeches, shrieks and humorous ad-libbing (“I lost my pencil! Now give me somethin’ to write on!”). The fact that Diamond Dave left the band after this album at the height of Van Halen’s success only solidifies the album’s legacy as one of the band’s best if not their absolute best, period.
-VN
Buy 1984
