35 Years Ago Today

"someassemblyrequired" (someassemblyrequired) 01/09/2019 at 12:18 • Filed to: I got my back against the record machine.

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Van Halen’s 1984 was released, complete with smoking cherub on the cover. Soon Hot for Teacher would enter the l exicon, and Panama wouldn’t just refer to a great place for laundering your money.

interstate366, now In The Industry > someassemblyrequired 01/09/2019 at 12:21

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DLR Van Halen is best Van Halen.

someassemblyrequired > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/09/2019 at 12:22

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This cannot be disputed, though I do appreciate some aspects of Van Hagar.

WilliamsSW > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/09/2019 at 12:23

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It’s not even close.

I was excited when Sammy Hagar replaced DLR, because I loved both VH and Sammy - yet the combo was somehow worse then either VH or Sammy solo.

WilliamsSW > someassemblyrequired 01/09/2019 at 12:30

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Van Hagar was a disappointment to me, because I loved them both separately. It wasn’t bad, it just didn’t meet my expectations. 

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/09/2019 at 12:33

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DLR VH was the better VH, Van Hagar was the better band. We don’t talk about Gary Cherone VH.

promoted by the color red > someassemblyrequired 01/09/2019 at 12:40

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I have a sudden urge to fire up the PS2 and play Gran Turismo 4.

interstate366, now In The Industry > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 01/09/2019 at 12:54

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I think we can agree on that last part, but I can’t say I’ve heard a Van Hagar song that I’ve truly liked. At all.

someassemblyrequired > WilliamsSW 01/09/2019 at 12:54

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This.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > someassemblyrequired 01/09/2019 at 13:01

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I remember buying this new, at Tower Records, when it first came out. Thanks for reminding me that I'm ancient...

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/09/2019 at 13:02

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I hate to admit it, but I really like Finish What Ya Started. None of Van Hagar stacks up to Van Halen or Van Halen II (their first album is in my top 5 albums of all time, I love it), but their commercial success and widespread appeal is much greater than the original lineup had. Plus, they could draw from Hagar’s considerable pre-VH catalog (I think they still play I Can’t Drive 55 with DLR on vocals, weirdly). I don’t think it’s hard to argue that Hagar is a better lyricist than EVH or DLR, either .

lone_liberal > someassemblyrequired 01/09/2019 at 13:19

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The last Van Halen album I ever bought. I bought their debut, I bought II, I bought Women and Children First, I bought Diver Down, and I bought 1984 but nothing since then. I wonder why...

*I never did buy Fair Warning. I’m not sure why that was. I do like Unchained. 

someassemblyrequired > lone_liberal 01/09/2019 at 13:24

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I got a theory.   Fair Warning is no 1984, but I do like Mean Street and Unchained quite a bit.

OmerCarrothers333 > someassemblyrequired 01/09/2019 at 13:34

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1. The only truly good Van Hagar record is 5150.

2. Van Hagar had only slightly better musicianship than DLR Van Halen, because Sammy knew Ed called the shots.

3. While 1984 is the most “popular” Van Halen record, Fair Warning is the BEST. Those songs are unfuckwithable.

4. Geriatric VH>geriatric every other band out there, especially KISS, the Stones, and Aerosmith.

5. I once had a roommate thar I could communicate with via the lyrics to “ Hot For Teacher”. The entire song could be the entirety of our conversation, and we understood each other. She was a great roommate, man.

someassemblyrequired > OmerCarrothers333 01/09/2019 at 13:37

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Yeah 5150 is definitely peak Van Hagar. I do like Fair Warning, but for some reason a lot of folks just don’t seem to be aware of it. I need to see them live at some point, it is a great shame.

Bwahaha, yep definitely sounds like a great roomate. 

ttyymmnn > someassemblyrequired 01/09/2019 at 13:46

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Thanks for making me feel old. I graduated from high school in 1984. That said, I still think Diver Down was a better album.

someassemblyrequired > ttyymmnn 01/09/2019 at 13:50

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Ha getting there myself. Oh yeah, Van Halen had better albums , but this was peak DLR and probably had the most cultural influence.

Roundbadge > OmerCarrothers333 01/09/2019 at 15:08

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For years, 1984 was my go-to. In the past 15 years though, Fair Warning has become my favorite.

Roundbadge > someassemblyrequired 01/09/2019 at 15:15

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For years, whenever ‘Panama’ is played, I’ve done the spoken “Yeah, we’re runnin’ a little bit hot tonight” part along with the song when it’s playing and I’m with my gf. One evening, after I’d consumed many beers, I was singing along while she was driving, and I reached down...between my legs...to ease the seat back...and the seat slid all the way back catching my dumb drunk ass completely off guard. She burst out laughing, and it has since become one of ‘our songs’.

someassemblyrequired > Roundbadge 01/09/2019 at 22:35

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LOL, that’s a great story.