Runnin’ with the devil...

Van Halen is an American band formed in Pasadena in 1972, originally composed of brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen as well as David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony. An adventure that really begins at the beginning of the 70s when the 2 brothers create a first group called The Broken Combs. Which quickly became The Trojan Rubber Co then Genesis from 1972.

Name that they will of course have to quickly change to Mammoth given the existence of another group, and not the least, also called Genesis. And it was only in 1974 that the band officially took the name Van Halen.

They will have to wait until the middle of 1977 to finally stand out in a significant way (thanks in particular to the impressive stage performances of Lee Roth) and sign with the Warner Bros label. Label which allows them to release a first self-titled album the following year in 1978. Album with which they experience a first notorious success with the title "Runnin 'with the devil".

Success amplified a year later in 1979 on the album side with the release of "Van Halen II", an album which, paradoxically, produced only a small hit with the title "Dance the night away". Ditto for the album "Women and children first" which will be even stronger than its predecessor in 1980 without producing any notorious hit, apart from the large single "And the cradle will rock ...".

Eddie Van Halen decides to reorient the sound of the group a year later in 1981 on the album "Fair Warning", a reorientation which does not really please Lee Roth but which forced, accepts it in the end. A reorientation that pays off, at least on the single side, with the success of the single “So this is love ?".

Tensions which increased in 1982 on the following album "Diver down" but which, however, did not penalize the group in any way since the latter obtained their first global mega hit with the title "(Oh) Pretty woman". A title which is in truth a luxury cover of Roy Orbison's famous 1964 title.

The consecration, the real one, came two years later in 1984 with the album "1984", album which produced the biggest hit of all their discography, namely the enormous "Jump". But also the top hits "I'll wait", "Panama" and "Hot for teacher". This did not prevent the group from tearing themselves apart, to the point that Lee Roth began a solo career in parallel.

It will be without him that the group released the album "5150" in 1986 and the least we can say is that his departure did not really affect the fans of the first hour given the impressive level of success of the album. Album from which will be extracted the mega hit "Why can't this be love" and to a lesser extent "Dreams".

A dynamic of success that did not weaken when the album "OU812" was released in 1988, an album which was almost as strong as its predecessor and whose flagship single was "When it’s love".

But the adventure will not end there, far from it. The 90s saw them release 3 new albums with notable success, in the order of "For unlawful carnal knowledge", "Balance" and "Van Halen III".

They will even come back in force in 2012 with the release of a new album with equally notorious success.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

70s Decade :

You really got me 1978
Runnin’ with the devil 1978
Jamie's cryin' 1978
Dance the night away 1979

80s Decade :

And the cradle will rock 1980
So this is love ? 1981
Mean street 1981
Unchained 1981
(Oh) Pretty woman 1982
Dancing in the street 1982
Little guitars 1982
Jump 1984
I’ll wait 1984
Panama 1984
Hot for teacher 1984
Why can’t this be love 1986
Dreams 1986
Love walks in 1986
Black and blue 1988
When it’s love 1988
Finish what ya started 1988
Feels so good 1989

90s Decade :

Poundcake 1991
Top of the world 1991
Right now 1992
Don’t tell me (what love can do) 1995
Can’t stop loving you 1995
Not enough 1995
Me wise magic 1996
Can’t get this stuff no more 1997
Without you 1998
Fire in the hole 1998

2010s Decade :

Tattoo 2012
Blood and fire 2012
The trouble with never 2012

Tracks :

1978 ... the luxury cover which will launch the group in an ideal way. They allow themselves to take again the cult title of Kinks dating from 1964 and the result is to say the least bluffing. Race results : 1st global top hit !

1978 ... a year 1978 which continues on the hats of wheel with this title which will undoubtedly remain as one of their most emblematic. HU-GE !

1978 ... surprisingly, this title of more than certain quality will not even be classified. Nothing to worry about given what is on the horizon ...

1979 ... business picks up slowly but surely in 1979 with a new success. The group is growing in power year after year and we imagine that the years to come will be enormous !

1980 ... a single title year, rather surprising on their part. But as they say, quality is better than quantity, which is the case here !

1981 ... despite an obvious talent and a know-how which gains in power year after year, the group still does not manage to pass this stage which will make them very Great. Can and must do better !

1981 ... unfortunately it won't be for this year yet, that's clear. They still do not manage to take the measure of the new musical tendencies of this decade 80 and remain bow butted in a style which they will have to make quickly evolve ...

1981 ... as much the year 1980 was poor in title, as the year 1981 her will be bloated at this level. In this year 1981, the group has rather privileged at certain times the quantity to the quality unfortunately ...

1982 ... it's yet another luxury cover that will bring them one of their biggest successes. They attack here without any complex the cult title of Roy Orbison dating from 1964 and make a version at least totally unbridled !

1982 ... a year definitely placed under the sign of covers. This time they are attacking another cult title, that of Martha And The Vandellas also dating from 1964. This title will not have the level of success of its predecessor but comes closer to it

1982 ... this time, we feel that something is happening. The sound of the group changes, that's obvious. A healthy change that will change everything !

1984 ... then THIS title comes ! After an empty year 1983, the group returns metamorphosed and delivers here an amazing title which will allow them to enter the musical legend of the 80s in an absolutely shattering way. They sign here quite simply the biggest hit of all their discography and above all an enormous Dance hit which will shatter everything on a planetary level. MO-NU-MEN-TAL !

1984 ... an exceptional year in all respects with a new top hit in the wake. The group has finally taken the measure of the sound changes to be made to stick to the trends of the moment and the result is absolutely stunning. All inclusive, little guys !

1984 ... the top hits follow one another in a truly incredible way. The group is undoubtedly one of the biggest phenomena of the moment, a well-deserved consecration !

1984 ... 1 mega hit and 3 top global hits just for this year 1984. An incredible level of success which positions the group as one of the best of the moment. What more can be said !

1986 ... another empty year in 1985 but who would be angry with them after such an exceptional 1984. Back in 1986 once again in Olympic form with a new global mega-hit. One would have thought that the group would not survive the departure of David Lee Roth, it was bad to know them. MAS-TER-FUL !

1986 ... the group surprisingly regains its unbridled sound of the beginning of the decade. It works particularly well on this title but not on that it will work on the next ones ...

1986 ... fortunately, the beating in order does not last. We find the sound that allowed them to reach the summits and there is therefore no need to worry about what will happen next ...

1988 ... year 1987 empty to recharge their batteries and they are back in great shape. A year 1988 which started in the best possible way with this new major success. One more !

1988 ... the group does Intimist, in its own way. Certainly some particularly punchy Intimist but we won't remake them again, that's for sure !

1988 ... a BIG year 1988 with a plethora of titles and quality on every level. The group was able to turn the page David Lee Roth perfectly and reinvented himself in the process. All good !

1989 ... another single-title year. Once again, quality takes precedence over quantity. The end of an incredible decade which saw them literally explode and reach a level of notoriety worthy of the greatest

1991 ... they will have crossed the decade 70, then the decade 80. One could think that the decade 90 and its new musical tendencies would not be really favorable to them. This is without counting on their extraordinary adaptability ...

1991 ... a BIG year 1991 with several big caliber successes which prove once again that the group still has some under the pedal and that he certainly does not intend to stop there ...

1992 ... the year 1992 will be a step below the previous one in terms of success, but the important thing is that the group maintains a constant level of quality. Which is the case !

1995 ... after two somewhat disappointing years 1993 and 1994, the group returns in this year 1995 in a form which says a lot about their will to never let go. Beating is back in force, but how can we blame them, it has always been their trademark !

1995 ... a year 1995 which sees them align top hit on top hit, like what nothing is ever finished. They are right to hang on and prove it in a striking way in the face of all their detractors !

1995 ... the group's first real Intimist success. On a tempo worthy of the name and above all on a melodic base which respects the codes of this particular domain. Well done gentlemen !

1996 ... the adventure continues for good. Of course, the competition has taken a few steps ahead but the group is not giving up. Not sure that it will last very long ...

1997 ... the only problem of the group during this decade, it is that he will have little followed the evolution of musical trends. Hence an inevitable stall at some point. Something that's happening ...

1998 ... the last notorious hit. The sound is heavy, very heavy, too heavy. The group did not know how to prepare for the transition with the 2000s and will pay it cash ...

1998 ... 20 years already on the clock. An incredible career that has seen them touch the stars on numerous occasions. But the adventure draws to its end and that, nothing, and nobody, will be able to stop it ...