It is strange to recollect now that at a time that Van Halen
reached the peak of their popularity in the commercial market, they also
reached the end of their first chapter. Through all of the battles and visions
of grandeur and so forth, 1984 was headed for a road works sign ahead.
The album is dominated by the three singles lifted from it, the real fusion of
synth that inflicts itself upon most of the tracks as a constant reminder that
it was released in the mid-1980's, and the spandex on the music videos that
propelled the album's success,
The album opens with the eponymous "1984", an
instrumental that seems to be a strange way to start things off despite it
being a popular method. Once this has passed the album goes straight to it's
strength, the mega-hit "Jump" and its partner "Panama".
"Jump" has of course stood the test of time, still riding high in
rock playlists almost thirty years on. For a band that made its name as a hard
rock band, led by the arguably the greatest guitarist of his era, it is still mystifying
to this day how little the guitar gets a look in during this hit song. Apart
from the solo, it is the synthesizer that is the instrument high in the mix.
Amazing. The lyrics are pure DLR, whose exuberance drives the song along.
"Panama" is a great follow up, and in many respects I still enjoy
more, perhaps solely because Eddie's guitar returns to a more prominent position
in this song.
"Top Jimmy" and "Drop Dead Legs" are
typical Van Halen songs, both jauntily pushed along by Alex's drumbeat and Michael
Anthony's bass. Ed's guitaring here is also closer to his classic stuff.
"Hot For Teacher" got plenty of repeat business on MTV and the like
for it's video clip, which probably raises the profile of the song higher than
its quality deserves. It's a fun song, but just not a great one. "I'll
Wait" bring a return of the synth, a real power ballad that probably
tickle's a lot of people's fancy, but just rate super high in mine. "Girl
Gone Bad" is the equal of those songs in the middle of the album, while
the closer "House of Pain" has its moments without being overly
memorable.
David Lee Roth's departure from the group after this album
brought a small amount of success for both himself and his solo career, and the
remainder of the group with new front man Sammy Hagar. It was a changing of
eras, and this album signified it as such. From the hard rock guitar band of
the late 70's and early 80's, this album with its synth oriented rock paved the
way for bands like Bon Jovi and Europe to make their own mark on the industry.
Rating: Might as well Jump. 3.5/5
Rating: Might as well Jump. 3.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment