Album: 1984
Artist: Van Halen
Release Date: January 9, 1984
Genre: Hard Rock
Length: 0:33:22
Label: Warner Bros. Records
Producer: Ted Templeman
1,001 Album Book: Yes
Rest In Peace to the late, great legend, Eddie Van Halen...
1984 is the sixth album by Van Halen, the last to feature all four original members of the group. 1984 featured Van Halen's only #1 song on Billboard Hot 100 in "Jump" but also contained three other top 20 hits. The album peaked at #2 on the US Billboard 200 and would eventually certify Diamond.
The opening song on the album, "1984" is an introduction song showcasing the 80s synth technology which was widely popular during that decade. A mysterious space-like sound, the song leads perfectly into the mega-hit "Jump". One of the most famous synth riffs of all time, "Jump" throws the listener into an arena show headlined by Van Halen. The hollow sounding tom-fills throughout, the constant comfortability of the riff and the classic sound of David Lee Roth's vocal style all combine to make this one of Van Halen's biggest hits. An empowering song that was originally written about someone threatening to commit suicide, the lyrics are all about "jumping" on any opportunity presented in life. The synthetic riff along with the complex drum patterns throughout provide a sense of urgency and make this an anthem to listen to while working out, to pump you up, or just to listen to if you're in a bad mood.
The following track on the album, "Panama" is a much heavier sound than "Jump" but is still peak Van Halen. "Panama" allows the listener to hear the destructive, complex guitar playing of Eddie Van Halen, the consistency of the magnitude from Alex Van Halen on the drums, and the perfectly contrasted vocal style from Roth. "Panama" features a section that lays the song a little more intimate, showcasing the multi-dynamic ability of the band's playing, then brings a slight build-up into a satisfying release.
The dark, melodic playing from Eddie Van Halen is the reason he is considered one of the greatest guitarists to ever walk the face of the Earth. His ability to make the instrument sing so elegantly while keeping the ferocity Van Halen as a group is known for is shown wonderfully on tracks like "Top Jimmy" and "Drop Dead Legs". These songs are definitely the weaker tracks on the album when compared to the likes of "Jump", "Panama" and some of the others, but they still have the ability to entertain any listener due to Eddie's legendary status.
The MTV super song, "Hot for Teacher" is a graphic song about a boy paying attention in school because he has a schoolboy crush on his teacher. The song opens up with an explosive drum beat that is just as complex as it is entertaining. The built-on layers with the various drums being added in, eventually adding in cymbal work puts this song as one of the most famous drum intros in rock history. Various sections of the song featuring Roth's spoken word lyrics, with Eddie playing a more intimate style of guitar, all to surrender to the hard-rock sound Van Halen is known for is a great dynamic jam that easily can be heard through a sold out arena's speakers.
The big drum sound from "I'll Wait" along with the synth sounds and background contrast to Roth's voice during the chorus is something Van Halen doesn't touch on throughout the rest of the album except for this track. A fantastic contrast to the harder songs across 1984, while still keeping the song distinguishably Van Halen, is an impressive feat especially during the times it was released when artist's were expected to keep a consistent tone throughout their records.
An album that provides a beautiful peak into big hair rock that was so popular during the 1980s without sounding too forced or cheesy, 1984 by Van Halen is a nearly flawless album for this genre. The combined effects of synths served the band well and gave a great contradiction to Eddie's distinct style of guitar playing. The album is a recommended album for anyone that is into hard rock, or wants to play tribute to a legend. Once again, the music world lost a great guitarist too young in Eddie Van Halen and his passing will forever affect all types of guitarists...
Favorite Songs: "Jump", "Hot for Teacher", "Panama", "I'll Wait"
Least Favorite Songs: I didn't dislike any tracks
Production Quality:
Mix = 9.5/10 (Sometimes it gets a little TOO chaotic in the mix)
Innovation = 8/10 (Impressive mix of synthetic sounds with natural hard-rock playing)
Songwriting Quality:
Arrangement = 9/10 (Songs have a perfect amount of consistency, comfortability and surprises)
Lyricism = 5/10 (Catchy but not very meaningful lyrics)
Instrumentation Quality:
Vocal Timbre = 7/10 (David Lee Roth has a great sound sometimes, but sometimes his screeches get to be a little too much)
Instrumental Timbre = 10/10
Group Chemistry = 10/10
Overall Likability:
My Personal Rating = 8.5/10
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
Any confusion on how the rating is weighted/calculated, please look at my "About" page.
Remember this is all my opinion! Let me know if you agree, disagree or have any comments!