Track Listing

1. Cradle Will Rock
2. Everybody Wants Some
3. Fools
4. Romeo Delight
5. Tora Tora
6. Loss Of Control
7. Take Your Whiskey Home
8. Could This Be Magic
9. In A Simply Rhyme

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15628 in Music
• Released on: 2001-01-22
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

CD Description
WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST reached #6 in April 1980 and showsa band progressing towards their eventual peak. "And The Cradle Will Rock" is one of the album's two radio staples, along with "Everybody Wants Some". These two anthems set the stage for one hell of a rock & roll party album.
"Fools", arelatively obscure VH tune, features thumping rhythm, the piercing background vocals of bassist Michael Anthony and some David Lee Roth scatting at the end. Roth declares "I'm takin' whiskey to the party tonight and I'm lookin' for somebody to squeeze" in "Romeo Delight". Preferring sneaky licks and heavy riffs, Eddie Van Halen does fit some excellent acoustic work into "Could This Be Magic" and "In A Simple Rhyme".WACF shows a hungry, talented rock band delivering the goods. Longtime producer Ted Templeman helps the band achieve their signature sound, producing a fantastic album.

Customer Reviews

A joyous celebration of decadent rock 'n' roll at it's best
If you have got to this point (i.e. reading this review), then it is evident that you have more esoteric and refined tastes in rock music than the average trend and fad prone rocker of today would anticipate. Such distance is this album from any commercially relevant music of today would also imply that you already have a fair experience of rock music in its complete form, unsullied by trends or modern commercial success.

Bearing this in mind, if you are looking for a classic, seminal masterpiece of rock music to add to a collection, then look no further. From beginning to end, this album delivers everything a classic rock fan could desire. Tracks such as "Everybody Wants Some!", "Romeo Delight" and "Tora Tora" will showcase the fast-paced, decadent and joyously defiant rock music that only Roth era Van Halen could do so well. What makes tracks like these so special is that they are so original in their sound, it has remnants and the concept of classic rock like Led Zeppelin and Free, yet it is also fresh and rebellious like punk music was at that time. It blends the greatest attributes of both era's and unites them to make this album essential listening for any dedicating rock fan.

While this album lacked the commecial hype of its two predecessors, Van Halen 1 and Van Halen 2, but that by no means implies that the album is any less significant or revolutionary.

Eddie's playing is still as fresh and triumphantly experimental as it was before, and the many facets of their sound are displayed here. Certain songs will genuinely hit you with a surprise, leaving you thinking "Is this a Van Halen song?". Examples would be the acoustic blues guitar intro of "Take Your Whiskey Home", which is something Van Halen haven't previously experimanted with, not in an original song atleast.

"Could This Be Magic?" is another example, it is so far from traditional VH song, that it is genuinely dumbfounding: folk-slide playing on acoustic guitar? Are you sure that's Van Halen? But it is, and it works perfectly as song and in the context of the album, brilliant.

"In A Simple Rhyme", the final song, is a song that i believe any music fan should hear. It is a moving combination of a beautiful, sonorous and delicate melody seamlessly interwoven with passionate rock, and the lyrics are some of Roth's most surprisingly poetic to date "She makes the mountains sing/Birds against an icy sky/somewhere I heard bell's ringing/ I thought I heard an angel sigh..."

The songs' remarkable and intrinsic beauty serves as the perfect end to an understated and masterpiece of an album that I recommend with great earnesty.

A short review
This was Van Halen's third album (rel. 1980), following the release of Van Halen I (1978) and II (1979). These are all truly great records, with original songs, techniques (at the time of release anyway!) and a fantastic sense of live performance. The latter comes from Producer Ted Templeman's impressive ability to just let the band play the songs without over-producing. Also Engineering from Donn Landee enables you to hear the infamous 'Brown Sound' of Alex Van Halen's Snare and Eddie's Amp/ Guitar Set Up.

But less of the history! As a stand-alone record this, like so many other Van Halen records, has brilliantly pure Hard Rock Songs and in so many different styles: From the meanest 'Fools' to the premier track 'And The Cradle Will Rock...' to the acoustic work on 'Take Your Whiskey Home' and the (let's face it) bizarre masterpiece of 'Could this be Magic?'. These are impressive to the listener because the band do them all so well.

Reasons to buy this record?? If your interest is in Van Halen, Monumental Guitar work, quality understated Bass and drum work (Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen are legends in their own right), Hard Rock, great songs, scary harmonic-squealing from David Lee Roth, a wonderful ear for chords from Eddie, balanced records... This is certainly one of the best of the Group's realeases, because it showcases them doing what they do best.

Ultimate album from the ultimate band
If you like Heavy Rock/Metal to have a tune then there is NO HEAVIER album than this one. VH's debut album is without question THE best debut album of all time (bar none) and it took their third album to match it... and match it it did. As a die hard VH nut, I consider WACF to be one of the most underrated albums in rock history. BUY IT.