All posts by freealonzo

Classic Album Reviews – Van Halen

In 1978, heavy metal/hard rock was tired and bloated. It seemed like all rock bands were only interested in creating dirge-like long songs about mysticism or Satan and one couldn’t listen to a rock album without six minute organ suites and self-indulgent guitar solos that didn’t go anywhere. Rock was almost an afterthought as the Southern California light rock sound, disco, and nascent rumblings from the punk scene dominated popular music at the time.

It’s this background that Van Halen’s first album exploded on the rock scene. Short (no song is over 4 minutes), punchy rock songs that were fun but freakin’ rocked! Make no mistake, even though the songs weren’t about evil wood nymphs, this was metal as Eddie Van Halen’s guitar work and David Lee Roth’s screams was straight from the heavy metal handbook.

The album kicks off with Running with the Devil, a common theme in mid-70’s metal. But at the two-minute mark, you realize something is different as EVH’s short guitar solo screams for attention. Followed by Eruption, an extended guitar solo that kicks off a very muscular You Really Got Me and Van Halen has taken all of five minutes to grab you by the balls. This wasn’t your older brother’s metal.

Not only were the songs short and about partying and hitting up the chicks, they had 3-part harmonies, something unheard of in metal circles. David Lee Roth is a fine frontman and singer, and the rhythm section is top notch, but let’s face it, the album belongs to Eddie Van Halen. Every song has a scorching guitar solo that just wasn’t heard before. It’s style that’s been copied many times in the nearly 40 years Van Halen came out, but at the time it was mind blowing.

For me the highlight of Van Halen is Feel Your Love Tonight. This is a classic “I’m going to make you mine” song, but it’s so infectious, while also hard rocking you have to be practically comatose not to enjoy it. This song should be the national anthem to teenage Friday night (live version from 1977 below). Ice Cream Man is a song David Lee Roth had been singing since he was a teenager, while Eddie takes over the last third with another classic guitar part. Unfortunately the album ends with I’m on Fire, which is more a vehicle for Roth’s screaming, but by that time who cares, you’ve been thoroughly rocked.

Van Halen would change rock, not always for the better. While the tired old 8-minute drones fell by the wayside, unfortunately it was replaced by hair bands more interested in copying David Lee Roth’s sexual swagger or emphasizing the party, not the rock. Plus let’s face it, there is only one Eddie Van Halen. But let’s also not end up on a sour note. Van Halen came out when I was 15, which was probably the perfect age for that album. But I still listen to it fairly regularly and along with Cheap Trick Live at Budokan, one of the few albums I still have on a regular rotation from the era. If you like the rock,Van Halen should be in your music collection.

Game 157: Twins at Royals

I wrote my first 2016 game log at the Amsterdam Airport, now my last at the Phoenix Aiport. Lest you think I'm a world traveler, these are the only two times out of Minnesota in the past year.

I don't think back in Amsterdam I would've guessed that this post would be seeing the Twins sitting in 100 losses  I wasn't super bullish on the club, but man has this year been tough

Jose Berrios on the mound against a Royals club that also has had a disappointing season

 

Twins Game 139: Royals at Twins

Big Erv Santana back on the mound for the Twins in the proverbial first game of Fall.  Kids back in school, kinda rainy forecast, home town nine 3,567 games out of first place.  I'm guessing you could get a ticket for cheap if so inclined.  Things to watch for:  Can Brian Dozier keep up his Home Run assault on the Royals? Can Byron Buxton keep his nice little batting approach going?  Now with the roster expanded what fun line-ups will we see?  It's all we got folks, cherish it.  Four weeks from now we won't have any Twins baseball.

Game 119: Minnesota at Atlanta

Maybe we didn’t fare so well a couple of weeks ago against our arch enemy from Atlanta.  I guess 25 years of pent up frustration over the 1991 World Series finally came to the surface and those dang Barves weren’t going to give us any quarter.  Well now it’s payback time gentlemen and it will be the Twins’ turn to look for a little revenge.  Given that it will be the last time the Twins will visit Turner Field, let’s just say the emotion’s going to be turned up to 11 on this one.

Ervin Santana on the mound versus something called Joel De La Cruz and his 0-5, 4.09 ERA.  First pitch at 6:10 Central