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Van Halen (album)

 

 
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Van Halen (album)
 
 
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Van Halen is the eponymous debut album
Album

An album or record album is a collection of related Sound recording and reproduction or music tracks distributed to the public. The most common way is through commercial distribution, although smaller artists will often distribute directly to the public by selling their albums at live concerts or on their websites....
 by American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 hard rock
Hard rock

Hard rock is a sub-genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock and psychedelic rock and is considerably harder than conventional rock music....
 band Van Halen
Van Halen

Van Halen is a hard rock band formed in in 1972. They enjoyed success from the release of their Van Halen in 1978. As of 2007 Van Halen has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide and have had the most number one hits on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart....
, released in 1978
1978 in music

Events*January to May - The Bee Gees dominate the singles and album charts as Saturday Night Fever becomes a cultural phenomenon. At one point, the album was selling 1 million copies per week....
.

album was recorded in 1977 and released in February 1978. It has sold over ten million copies in the United States alone and is one of the most successful debuts by a hard rock band. Along with 1984
1984 (Van Halen album)

1984 is the sixth album by United States hard rock band Van Halen. One of the band's more popular albums , 1984 is the final album featuring singer David Lee Roth, who later left the band in the spring of the following year due to escalating tensions between him and guitarist Eddie Van Halen, as well as Roth's desire to pursue a sol...
, it gives Van Halen two original (non-greatest hits) albums with Diamond status in sales.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 415 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J....
 magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time is the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2003.Related news articles:* The list was based on the votes of 273 rock musicians, critics and industry figures, each of whom submitted a weighted list of 50 albums....
.

The album cover was shot at the Whisky a Go Go
Whisky a Go Go

The Whisky a Go Go is a nightclub in West Hollywood, California. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip.The correct spelling of the name, often misspelled as "Whiskey", is confirmed by the signage of the nightclub's exterior, as well as on the club's web site....
.






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Encyclopedia


Van Halen is the eponymous debut album
Album

An album or record album is a collection of related Sound recording and reproduction or music tracks distributed to the public. The most common way is through commercial distribution, although smaller artists will often distribute directly to the public by selling their albums at live concerts or on their websites....
 by American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 hard rock
Hard rock

Hard rock is a sub-genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock and psychedelic rock and is considerably harder than conventional rock music....
 band Van Halen
Van Halen

Van Halen is a hard rock band formed in in 1972. They enjoyed success from the release of their Van Halen in 1978. As of 2007 Van Halen has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide and have had the most number one hits on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart....
, released in 1978
1978 in music

Events*January to May - The Bee Gees dominate the singles and album charts as Saturday Night Fever becomes a cultural phenomenon. At one point, the album was selling 1 million copies per week....
.

Significance

The album was recorded in 1977 and released in February 1978. It has sold over ten million copies in the United States alone and is one of the most successful debuts by a hard rock band. Along with 1984
1984 (Van Halen album)

1984 is the sixth album by United States hard rock band Van Halen. One of the band's more popular albums , 1984 is the final album featuring singer David Lee Roth, who later left the band in the spring of the following year due to escalating tensions between him and guitarist Eddie Van Halen, as well as Roth's desire to pursue a sol...
, it gives Van Halen two original (non-greatest hits) albums with Diamond status in sales.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 415 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J....
 magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time is the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2003.Related news articles:* The list was based on the votes of 273 rock musicians, critics and industry figures, each of whom submitted a weighted list of 50 albums....
.

The album cover was shot at the Whisky a Go Go
Whisky a Go Go

The Whisky a Go Go is a nightclub in West Hollywood, California. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip.The correct spelling of the name, often misspelled as "Whiskey", is confirmed by the signage of the nightclub's exterior, as well as on the club's web site....
. In a 2009 interview, Eddie Van Halen said the guitar on the cover was his first, a 12-string purchased from "a Radio Shack-type of store in Pasadena" that he modified and dubbed "Frankenstein".

In 2006, a cover of "You Really Got Me" based on Van Halen's cover appeared as a playable song in the music video game Guitar Hero II
Guitar Hero II

Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. It is the second installment in the Guitar Hero and is the sequel to Guitar Hero ....
.

Track listing

All songs by Van Halen, except where noted

Side one

  1. "Runnin' with the Devil
    Runnin' With the Devil

    "Runnin' with the Devil" is a Rock music song and the first track from Van Halen's 1978 Van Halen ....
    " – 3:35†
  2. "Eruption
    Eruption (song)

    "Eruption" is an instrumental by Van Halen from their first album, Van Halen . Written and primarily performed by Eddie Van Halen, this electric guitar solo showcase is considered one of the most influential rock instrumentals of all time, appearing on many 'greatest guitar solos' lists, including a recent Guitar World poll....
    " (Eddie Van Halen) – 1:42
  3. "You Really Got Me
    You Really Got Me

    "You Really Got Me" is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. It was released as the group's third single , in August 1964, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the following month, staying there for two weeks....
    " (Ray Davies
    Ray Davies

    Ray Davies, Order of the British Empire is an English Rock music musician, best known as lead singer and songwriter for The Kinks - one of the most prolific and long-lived British Invasion bands - which he led with his younger brother, Dave Davies....
    ) – 2:38†
  4. "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love
    Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love

    "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love" is one of the best known songs from Van Halen. Appearing on their 1978 Van Halen , it is considered one of the rawest songs the band has ever recorded....
    " – 3:49†
  5. "I'm the One" – 3:46


Side two

  2. "Jamie's Cryin'
    Jamie's Cryin'

    "Jamie's Cryin" is a 1978 song by Van Halen from their debut album, Van Halen . The song was written and recorded live during the three week sessions for the album....
    " – 3:29†
  3. "Atomic Punk" – 3:03
  4. "Feel Your Love Tonight" – 3:42
  5. "Little Dreamer" – 3:23
  6. "Ice Cream Man" (John Brim
    John Brim

    John Brim was a Chicago blues guitarist, songwriter and blues harp player. He wrote and sound recording and reproduction the original "Ice Cream Man" that David Lee Roth cover version on Diamond Dave , and Van Halen also covered on their first album....
    ) – 3:19†
  7. "On Fire" – 2:57


† denotes a single

Personnel

  • David Lee Roth
    David Lee Roth

    David Lee Roth is an United States Rock and roll vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality, best known as the lead singer of Van Halen....
     – vocals
  • Eddie Van Halen
    Eddie Van Halen

    Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen , is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and music producer, most famous as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen....
     – guitar
    Guitar

    The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
  • Michael Anthony – bass
    Bass guitar

    The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
  • Alex Van Halen
    Alex Van Halen

    Alexander Arthur Van Halen is a Dutch-American drummer and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen.Originally, his brother Eddie Van Halen had taken lessons for drums, while Alex practiced guitar....
     – drums
    Drum kit

    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....


  • Producer: Ted Templeman
    Ted Templeman

    Ted Templeman is an influential United States record producer....
  • Engineers: Donn Landee, Peggy McCreary, Kent Nebergall, Logan Jervis
  • Project coordinator: Jo Motta
  • Art direction: Dave Bhang
  • Design: Dave Bhang
  • Photography: Elliot Gilbert
  • Typesetting: Jodi Cohen


Charts


Album

Billboard (North America)
YearChartPosition
1978Pop Albums12
1984The Billboard 200117


Singles

Billboard (North America)
YearSingleChartPosition
1978"You Really Got Me
You Really Got Me

"You Really Got Me" is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. It was released as the group's third single , in August 1964, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the following month, staying there for two weeks....
"		Pop Singles36
1978"Runnin' with the Devil
Runnin' With the Devil

"Runnin' with the Devil" is a Rock music song and the first track from Van Halen's 1978 Van Halen ....
"		Pop Singles84
1978"Jamie's Cryin'
Jamie's Cryin'

"Jamie's Cryin" is a 1978 song by Van Halen from their debut album, Van Halen . The song was written and recorded live during the three week sessions for the album....
"
1978"Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love

"Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love" is one of the best known songs from Van Halen. Appearing on their 1978 Van Halen , it is considered one of the rawest songs the band has ever recorded....
"


RIAA Certification
RIAA certification

In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and single sold through retail and other ancillary markets....

  • Gold: May 24, 1978
  • Platinum: October 10, 1978
  • Multi-Platinum:
    • October 22, 1984 (5x)
    • February 1, 1989 (6x)
    • September 29, 1993 (7x)
    • July 11, 1994 (8x)
  • Diamond: August 7, 1996