1007. Van Halen / Van Halen II. 1979. 4/5

Van Halen’s eponymous debut album had been released in February 1978, and as always the episode covering it appears in Season 4 of this podcast for your listening pleasure. The band then went on an extensive tour to promote it and along the way continued to pick up new fans of the guitar based hard rock that they had filled that debut album with. At one point they opened for Black Sabbath, creating a rivalry of sorts as the brash young opening band showed more enthusiasm than the older and tour-wizened main attraction. Van Halen’s touring stretched all the way through to the first week of December, and most bands would be looking for a break after such a long engagement. However, a week later, Van Halen had returned to the studio in order to write and record their follow up album.
Once again, the recording time was short, in this case only seven days were spent in the studio. The band did have some leftover material from the writings sessions of the first album, and even songs written well before that. Some of those songs of course never surfaced until the band’s final album some 30-odd years after this. There had also been writing done on the road, all of which allowed the recording of this second album to happen quickly and with few speedhumps.
At this stage of the band’s career, the bumping of heads over the style of music the band should be playing had not come up in conversation, with the four members all on the same course. Because the songs are all still more or less out of the same writing sessions over those recent period of years, the sound on what became “Van Halen II” was similar to that which came from “Van Halen”. The second instalment is more or less an extension of the first album, with a similar structure and song body about it, which for those who loved that first album was all they could have asked for from the follow up.

While the debut album opened up with a cracking opening song that then set up the entirety of side one of that album, I’m not sold on how this album opens up. The band starts with the cover version of “You’re No Good” to open up the album, and even after all of this time I just can’t understand why they went in this direction. I’ve been spoiled by the original version of the song that is in the cult movie classic “House”, which is in a great scene that to me is timeless. As such, this doesn’t do enough to top that. To me it is an unfortunate weak opening. The first single from the album is the classic “Dance the Night Away” which harbours all of the great things about this band in one song. It may not be the most energetic of the songs here but given its exposure it is the most well-known, and it gets this album moving after the slight disappointment of the starting track.
For the majority of the album this is an upbeat jaunty exercise, mixing the jive drum beat of Alex Van Halen and the funky bass of Michael Anthony along with the ridiculous guitar skills of Eddie Van Halen and the athletic vocal chords of David Lee Roth, which are also stacked in support by the other members contributions. Each song is short and sweet, and action packed. When an album only stretches to 31 minutes, you’re going to get that. Songs like “Somebody Get Me a Doctor” and “Bottoms Up!” and “Outta Love Again” all have that upside joyous vocal quality backed up by Eddie’s wonderful guitar licks. Dave is almost freelance riffing on “Outta Love Again” which showcases just what a voclaist and performer he was, especially in these early days of the band.
“Light Up the Sky” opens up the second side of the album, and really does light up the sky, picking up the pace further, with the mood lifted high by Dave’s vocals, and then set on fire by Eddie’s flying solo and even a solo drum piece for Alex to get his chops around. Great song.
Whereas the first album had Eddie’s “Eruption” to audience to with mouth agape at his skill and just listen to in amazement, "Van Halen II” has “Spanish Fly”, a one minute instrumental piece with Eddie again excelling on his instrument in a different form, this time on the acoustic guitar. It’s still great to listen to. It gives another side of his amazing skills rather than the belligerent guitar that he is best known for. This is followed by the straight up rock guitar stylings of “D.O.A” which still does most things right.
The final two songs on the album slow back down to a much different tempo. “Women in Love…” and “Beautiful Girls” both go for a more reflective, less urgent style, and while others may enjoy these songs as much as the others on this album, for me it comes as a slightly disappointing end to the album after what has come before this. And that’s only from someone who far more enjoys the faster and more energetic side of the band that the side that produces these songs as well. Again. It doesn’t make them bad songs, just not of the style that I prefer.

My introduction to Van Halen really came with the “1984” album, surprisingly released in 1984, and then the split which then resulted and came with the “5150” album. So, the albums prior to this were a mystery to me until those years after this, and only from listening to them at friends’ houses who had the albums. Eventually I came to own all of the band's albums and gave them the listening they deserved.
“Van Halen II” has always been a mid-range album for me. Much like I do with all of Van Halen’s albums, I find they are a bit 50-50, in that there are half of the songs on an album I love, and then half that I... tolerate. Here I find the upbeat songs are great, and the others are a slight letdown. It was certainly the way for much of my youth and into my twenties with the band.
Listening to the album again now, I find nothing much has changed. I enjoy all the songs I have put on this episode for you to sample - “Dance the Night Away”, “Somebody Get Me a Doctor”, “Outta Love Again”, “Light Up the Sky”... and the other songs are there, and I listen to them because they are there, but that’s all. The album sounds like the band is having a party in the recording studio. The whole vibe is fun and fantastic, with all four members at the top of their game and sounding like they are having a great time. And this moves away from the blues base of the first album and tends to take on the live sensation they must have been channelling at this stage of their career. For me though that doesn’t change the fact that there are peaks and troughs here as there tends to be on most Van Halen albums.
Put it on the stereo and turn the volume up, and it comes across a whole lot better because you get that studio party vibe coming through. Throw it on in the car or on a walk, and I don’t think it works as well.