Good morning all. I rarely encounter any problems when ordering CD's DVD's from Amazon. Unfortunately I have not received this particular order as of yet..... Amazon supplies a great tracking tool when an online order is placed. This order made it as far as Iowa. Unfortunately there was not a way to convey my concern to Amazon. Hopefully they will resolve this problem in a timely manor.

After the earthshaking impact of their first album, VH followed up with another solid outing. Great album from beginning to end.

Van Halen with DAVID LEE ROTH was the best of both worlds.
Their live show was like the circus, The greatest show on earth.
DAVE The ring leader, EDDIE the six string fingers of sting, Alex
The little drummer boy and Michael holding the rhythm down on the bass!!
I rate this album a 9 from 1to10!!

When Van Halen released their debut in 1978, the incredible guitar work of Eddie Van Halen and the gonzo genius of David Lee Roth's larger than life persona of ultimate rock frontman, they helped guide rock away from the mediocrity (Village People, Bee Gees) and horrendus disco back to a much harder sound. While punk got its start in around the same time, it was more underground and much more politically charged than Van Halen's scene. Van Halen was concerned with partying, not criticising existing political structures or lambasting what punk considered dinosaurs from a bygone era (read Led Zeppelin and The Who).

While punk proved influential, Van Halen laid the groundwork for much of the 1980s music scene, with big hair, monster riffs, and the dime-a-dozen, but mandatory for every hair metal record, power ballads. While the power ballads were mostly from the Sammy era, their 1978 debut pretty much rewrote the rule book, and established hard rock as a viable, commercially successful prospect in the late 1970s and early 1980s, paving the way for quite a few other bands of the same generation.

As I've said before, much of this success is owed entirely to their debut. VAN HALEN turned the clocks back the late 1950s and early 1960s, where rock was dangerous (although by today's standards rather tame). They abandoned all the pretensions of progressive rock (read Yes, ELO), rock operas (The Who), punk (The Sex Pistols), and went back to a time when the music was about a few simple things - sex, partying, and then more sex. On top of that, they wrote phenomenal, catchy music, had a hell of a guitar player and an over the top madman of a singer, making their debut one of the biggest selling records ever.

So how do you follow an album as influential as VAN HALEN, a record that basically put rock back on the cultural map in the wasteland of disco?

Well, listening to this VAN HALEN II, it's rather clear that Van Halen simply didn't have the answer to that often impossible question. VAN HALEN II, in all terms and conditions, simply follow the debut's sound and template pretty much to a T, only with less artistic success. You have the guitar solo ("Spanish Fly"). You have the cover song ("You're No Good", made famous by Linda Rondstadt of all people, didn't know the band listened to her). You have the potential single that did become a hit ("Dance the Night Away"). You have high octane, turbo charged rock that will appeal to anyone who likes the first record (the remaining seven songs on the album). Ultimately though, it's just not as good the second time around.

For one, the songs simply aren't as good as on the debut. Don't get me wrong, there's some great songs on VAN HALEN II, but compared the debut the material doesn't hold up as well, though still manages to jam and communicate the party vibe pretty damned well. But the record holds up quite well on its own. Just coming off the high of the first one, II plays out exactly what it is: more of the same, with only a little hint of expanding the sound of the band.

Any of the songs, with the exception of two, sounds like they're cut of the same cloth as the debut, but were left off that because the strongest material had already been chosen. To Van Halen's credit, however, II remains a very strong album in its own right, and only pales because of record before it. "Beautiful Girls" remains a staple of their catalogue (and party lifestyle). There are two songs that sound like Van Halen is intent on opening up their sound. The first song is Van Halen's first top ten hit, "Dance the Night Away". This song is distinct enough both in sound and in style (sounds like an Carribean groove the band stumbled upon) that it really doesn't sound like it could be part of the debut. Very catchy song. The second song is brief guitar instrumental, "Spanish Fly", written and recorded, no doubt due to the legendary guitar solo "Eruption" from the debut. Again, much different from any of the other songs comprising VAN HALEN and VH II. Of course, "Spanish Fly" is nowhere near the calibre of "Eruption".

Fortunately, the same cannot be said of VHII in relation to VH. VHII is a very strong album, but just eclipsed by one of the most legendary hard rock albums of all time. To be fair, VH is a pretty hard record to top, and the fact that the band came up with an album even half as good as VHII is a testament to their strength as a rock outfit

BOTTOM LINE: This belongs in any hair metal or hard rock fan's collection. Sure, if you're just starting to explore the Roth era of Van Halen, get the debut and 1984 first, and after that, your third purchase should be either this or WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST.

(Just a note: one thing that I never liked about the Roth albums is their brevity. All six albums are between 31 and 35 minutes. VH II has a running time of almost thirty two minutes, making it a short album, unfortunately).

While not quite the album the first one was, Van Halen II (1979) still delivers the goods, with the same defiant masculine strut as before. Eddie's guitar playing is more riff-dominated this time out, and the songs take on a beat-heavy sound, with a little less guitar pyrotechnics. But have no fear! There is still plenty of Eddie's trademark guitar sound, and it's unmistakably Van Halen. The album opens with VH's hostile and menacing cover of the Linda Ronstadt hit, You're No Good, and this version is the better of the two, in my book. Dance The Night Away is upbeat and fun, a sexy song of a young girl dancing. Somebody Get Me A Doctor is powered by a great guitar riff, and impressive guitar throughout. Bottoms Up features Michael Anthony's powerful bass lines and rambling, erotic vocals. On the "good love gone bad" Outta Love Again, drummer Alex Van Halen pounds out the beat as the rest of the band angrily rocks out. The frantic Light Up The Sky features one of Eddie's trademark guitar solos, and then he shows off some speedy acoustic fretwork on the one-minute unplugged Spanish Fly. DOA is the hard rocking and hopeless saga about a kid from the streets who ends up as a fugitive, and Women In Love is the band's raunchy and rocking salute to one-night-stands. The album ends with VH II's most popular song, the carefree and fun Beautiful Girls. The rhythm section rocks out while Eddie plays a great guitar riff throughout the song, and David Lee Roth shows off his lovable and charming (even if sleazy) sexual swagger while trying unsucessfully to pick up women at the beach. It's cool, it's funny, and it really rocks, too! On Van Halen II, the band is still running with the devil, still looking for sex, and still rocking like there's no tommorrow. I don't think VH II is their best album, but I do think it's in the top two (II).

They should make a movie about these guys,maybe their gonna wait until
their dead.I mean they made a movie about the doors,and those guys don't
even have a guitar virtuoso.They truly are pioneers.Long live VAN HALEN!!

Van Halen's first album titled Van Halen was followed up by Van Halen II. I thought the first album could not be matched, but was surprised that it was surpassed by the guitar work and vocals on Van Halen II.

I fully recommended this one back when it first appeared all those years ago and I do the same today!

Van Halen II is a really good rock album. There's not a bad song on it. It's straight-forward rock with a pinch of funk in spots. The problem, for me, has always been that it was the follow-up to one of the best rock albums ever made. Several other albums in the Roth era were much stronger, particularly Fair Warning and 1984. VHII is certainly a worthy effort, it's just bookended by much better albums.

Maybe the best Van Halen album ever. And to quote Dave. "It's like the guy says in that movie I Hate You. The best comedy ain't always funny". Van Halen is America's greatest rock band. If you don't have this cd buy it.

VH II is like a continuation of the first classic. It has the strong originals, Eddies solo(this time on acoustic) and the cover song, "you're no good". Good second album, no musical growth here, but still just as good as the first.

I think Van Halen maintained the brilliance started on their first album with their second release. Not as many singles as #1, but just as good of songs. The real stand-out is "D.O.A." which features Diamond Dave and Eddie both doing what they do best (heck props to Alex as well). This album is an essential item if you are starting up your Van Halen collection, as if that really needs to be stated.

The main reason why this is better then the debut and Fair Warning is that there is not one song on here that is at least 4.5 stars. The only problem I have with this is the same problem I have with all the Roth era VH albums and I think everyone would agree with me. They are too short! That does not make sense to make an LP that is less then 32 minutes long and now that they have been remastered you'd think we'd have an unreleased demo or a live track to fill all the empty space.
Anyway here is my list in order of what I think are the best VH records
1. Van Halen II
2. Fair Warning
3. Van Halen
4. For Unlawful...
5. Balance
6. 1984
7. 5150
8. Women and Children First
9. OU812
10. Diver Down
11. Van Halen 3
Overall you can't go worng if you get any one of these CDs, but if you want a place to start, VH II is where it is at.

I'm amazed that we haven't had any of those "anti-Van Halen" reviews yet. I guess the guys must have gotten my memo on my review of "Van Halen". Unlike Led Zeppelin, Van Halen only needed to name one album with roman numerals because they were way more creative and had more names in their frontal cerebral cortex than Zep had in their whole collective body.
Van Halen II took a step a whole different direction, instead of going in the heavy direction that ruled most of the first albums music, Van Halen II went with a more commercial pop-oriented sound, making Van Halen the most distinct hard rock band of it's time.

The Tracks:

1.You're No Good (3:12):A surprisingly hard rocking remake of a poppy song. I especially love Micheal Anthonies bass licks at the beginning of this song. Vastly underated hit.
2.Dance the Night Away (3:04):Soothing, doesn't contain the usual loud whiny guitar solo from Eddie but is a great departure from the usual and their first top 20 hit.
3.Somebody Get Me a Doctor (2:51):Believe it or not this is a pretty great song, and it has another VH riff that has been copied by many. Lyricwise it is hilarious but genious and features one of Eddies speed solos.
4.Bottoms Up! (3:04):Interesting guitar sound by Eddie halfway through, but the lyrics are subpar for Van Halen. Party starter.
5.Outta Love Again (2:49):Super cool riff starts off the song with neat sound effects. Amazing chorus effect.
6.Light Up The Sky (3:09):The best song on the album, almost a perfect song. It has amazing fills, vocals, backup vocals, and the spotlight is Dave's soothing toned down vocals in the middle with Eddie's amazing wailing guitar solo.
7.Spanish Fly (58 sec):For all of you who are like: "Eddie can only make sound effects, he isn't a real guitar player", listen to this 58 sec acoustic piece, it is actually quite cool.
8.D.O.A. (4:07):Dead or Alive! One of the long songs on here, notable for being one of the first songs on which the boys in the band make comments during the song ("judges gavel fell and he said:"oh god.") which would be a trademark of theirs throughout the rest of their career. It gives a more interactive aura when listening because it is more real and usually precedes a solo.
9.Women in Love (4:05):Neat sound at the beginning of this song, a little bit on the poppy side though, not my favorite. Still pretty good though.
10.Beautiful Girls (3:55):Another great pop-rock song. Ths band's backup vocals are really the trademark, not Dave, not Eddie, but the band's overall sound coming together as one. In fact, everyone almost sings the same amount on this song because Dave doesn't really do choruses but the backup does.

Just because I can,
Van Halen album ranking:
1.Fair Warning
2.Women and Children First
3.Van Halen
4.1984
5.Van Halen II
6.Balance
7.5150
8.OU812
9.Diver Down
10.For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
11.Live: Right Here, Right Now
12.Van Halen 3

To the previous reviewer..."Running with the Devil" is off their debut Van Halen I...this is Van Halen II.

This whole thing has been noticeably, if only slightly, slowed down from its original tempo, and where's the original first track, "Running with the Devil"? Look for this on cassette or vinyl instead. I don't believe the CD version sounds like the original recording. A great album like Van Halen II should be remastered for CD more carefully. On cassette and vinyl, it is easily Van Halen's best album, and arguably one of the best examples of guitar playing ever.

i don't know why i say its better because it is just another classic vh album. everyone else seems to compare it to no.1 so i thought i would give a little of my opinion there. i actually think there is only about 4 good songs on their first. come on i just think that running with devil is just to slow and boring with a couple of good guitar licks in it, you really got me is a cover tune of a middle of the line song,ain't talkin bout love is ok,i'm the one kicks ass,atomic punk kicks ass,ice cream man kicks ass and on fire, also eruption is interesting but not all good tunes. now vh11 has a great remake of a killer tune, your no good, dance the night away is killer with some guitar tricks from a cool evh, somebody get me a doctor is killer to,bottoms up is classic vh, outa love again has some amazing drumming from alex and is a great tune, light up the sky is probably my favorate tune by them, just awesome vh, spanish fly makes you wonder if anybody could actually play that on guitar, seems out of this world, thaks eddie, women in love and beautiful girls are great songs that makes me think of drinking beer outside by the pool with a bunch of chicks who are drunk and waiting for the wet t-shirt contest.that is why i think van halen 2 is better than van halen 1. the first album just shocked everybody because they haven't heard this band before and eddie's guitar sound is more him on the second album, not so trebly and scratchy, his sound is much warmer and with still a good dose of distortion. keep your fingers crossed to see if the ultimate band will ever get together so we can start the party and go see them on tour. see ya

I said it 25 years ago and I still say it today - if you don't own this album, you don't know Van Halen!
Van Halen II is the quintessential "side b" of their debut album. A second helping of the same smokin' guitar riffs, whimsical vocals and high energy good times that made this band the toast of the rock music world.
A bit under-produced by some standards, Van Halen II is unadulterated by synths or MIDI technology. This is pure no-nonsense artistry and raw power.
Hungry to make their lasting mark, the band exudes energy from the pop-friendly radio staple "Dance the Night Away" to the hard driving rock anthem "Light Up the Sky". David Lee Roth's trademark screams along with a powerhouse rhythm section spin the cover tune "You're No Good" into a metal classic. Eddie debuts his acoustic prowess with "Spanish Fly" and unleashes a fury of scorching riffs on "Somebody Get Me a Doctor". The ballad "Women In Love" showcases the dynamic abilities of this versatile ensemble as "Outta Love Again" betrays their heavy metal roots.
Chemistry like this cannot be duplicated. Van Halen II is a must for any VH fan.

This album is not well produced and song set is made of too gentle and radio-friendly tracks.
1 You're no good - good mid tempo blues rock song(cover of Linda Rondstadt's song - but who the hell heard about her??) Great guitar - vocal dialogue at the end, beautiful solo. 8/10
2 Dance the night away - pop oriented song, 6/10
3 Somebody get me a doctor - it's rocker but nothing special 7/10
4 Bottoms up - funny rocker, sounds like recorded live, lot of laughs can be heard there 8/10
5 Outta love again - intro reminds... Hendrix, then it's strange rock song but weird vocals ruin this song- 7/10
6 Light up the sky - Good vocals, guitars, nice climat and finish -10/10
7 Spanish fly - eruption on acoustic guitar - less impressing for me - 8/10
8 D.O.A. raw rock song, nothing special - 7/10
9 Women in love - great semi ballad, beautiful guitar intro, song is really nice -10/10
10 Beautiful girls - simple rock song with pop flavoured chorus -7/10

From the beginning of the album to the very end, this is flawless Eddie and Dave perfection. One of the best things about the music is that you can sense the excitement of having suddenly entered the world of the highest degree of fame. This is what Dave was born to do. Eddie doesn't falter in his newly elected position of Best Guitarist on the Planet Earth or otherwise as millions of screaming fans now know him. There is magic burned inbetween the grooves of this remastered CD. Etchings of pure golden scripture that no mortal man can decode. The details of Eddie's rig are so secret that even he no longer knows how he did it. Alex Van Halen plays beneith a ring of fire and preforms female fan sacrifices before and after the show. Michael plays his bass militantly and squeels in such a way that maidens clutch for their bossoms. And Dave, the lion man, the god of all strutting heavy metal singers to come, the knight of good will and truth bellows in all halls and stadiums a mighty cry that means all to those that know of his kingly power.

Van Halen's second album II is no where near as revolutionary as their eponymous debut, but it still burns with passion of the highest order. Coming out only one year later, it is packed with some of the most energetic and fired-up rock songs the genre has ever seen. Almost all tracks are within the three minute mark and therefore very easy to enjoy. David Lee Roth delivers big sing-along choruses with backing harmonies provided by Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen, while Eddie is still as shocking a player as he was on the 1978 debut. The album immediately resonated with the fans and went gold within a week and platinum within a month.

The first CD highlighted Eddie Van Halen's guitar playing all the way. Even the mix propelled the impeccable guitar work there, so there was a conscious effort to bring the band's tight rhythm section forward on II. This album also marks Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen's indestructible rhythmic power. The bass is full and heavy - check out "Outta Love Again". That song is almost completely driven by Michael Anthony's bass, until Roth steals the show with the infectious chorus and Eddie comes in ripping with a "what the hell was that?" type of solo. There are several drums solos on the songs as well. The drumming in the beginning of "Bottoms Up!" came as a shock to Van Halen fans when they discovered Ed's brother was equally killer. On this tour, Alex was instoppable. He started lighting his drum kit during the shows and would play with burning drum sticks that would make the crowds lose it. The best drumming on the album is "Light Up the Sky" though. Alex gets a solo spot on this piece and thrashes the skins madly. During the classic era of the Van Halen, he was among the hardest hitting drummers in the world, and II is one of his finest performances.

David Lee Roth shows significant improvement over the debut on II. He is more confident which makes up for his deficiencies as a singer. DLR was always more of a frontman than a vocalist anyway. Still, some of the choruses on this disc are totally gripping, not to mention Roth's unique screams. His sappy vocals on "Women in Love" are simply hilarious. "Dance the Night Away" was the biggest hit off this album though. Roth's majestic hooks, the great percussion, and danceable bass groove all embraced Eddie's sick whammy-dives and solo, which despite being rather complicated, has a very catchy melody that anyone can follow easily. Eddie's guitar playing is still as good as the debut. The solo in "Light Up the Sky", the tapped intro of "Women in Love", the killer riffs on "D.O.A." (this album features some of Eddie's best riffs ever), and of course the cover of "You're No Good" prove that Ed was getting better with each album. The nylon-string acoustic guitar on "Spanish Fly", a song less than a minute, shows how prolific a player Eddie was and what he could do without hooking his guitar up the amp. Kudos to producer Ted Templan, the man who made Eddie put "Eruption" on the debut, for asking him to write a little acoustic instrumental on the album, for it became a guitarists' favourite.

II is a great second release that proved Van Halen was here to stay for many years, if not decades. Brian May of Queen recently said, "Eddie Van Halen is the absolute pinnacle of guitar playing in our lifetime". I couldn't agree more.

In March of 1979, California based rockers Van Halen unleashed their sophomore effort Van Halen II.
The album was produced by Ted Templeman whom helmed the first six albums for the band and this album has all but one track written by Eddie and Alex Van Halen(guitar and drums respectively), David Lee Roth(vocals) and Michael Anthony(bass).
The album kicks off with a rocking version of the 1974 Linda Ronstadt hit You're No Good with Diamond Dave screaming during the chorus as Eddie and Michael sing the chorus and a superb remake which kicks ass. The hit Dance the Night Away follows and was the song that got most attention from this album. Somebody Get Me a Doctor and Bottoms Up are next and are excellent hard rockers. The frantic rocker Outta Love Again ends the second half on a rockin note.
Light Up the Sky is a kick ass rocker that starts the second half which has a small Alex Van Halen drum solo section. Spanish Fly follows and showcases Eddie's talents on classical guitar. D.O.A.(which stands for Dead Or Alive) is an awesome rocker. Women in Love starts sounding to be a ballad in its guitar intro before rocking out. The closing Beautiful Girls is another rock radio staple and a kick ass rocker.
This was the band's first US Top 10 album and second million seller. I first got this album on cassette in March of 1985 and loved it immediately and the remastered CD catalog buries the original issues by a longshot!
Highly recommended!

1979 saw the release of Van Halen's sophomore album, the aptly titled, "Van Halen II." Releasing a follow-up to their classic debut was no easy task. How on earth would you be able to top "Van Halen" (1978)? It would be like Neil Armstrong having to outdo his moon landing, or Charles Lindbergh having to one-up flying around the globe. Going into the studio within a year of releasing a masterpiece, without a lot of time to work on a follow-up, a sophomore slump would seem inevitable. After all, all the best songs are already used up for the debut. The remaining songs are just the left-overs. Right? Well, yes and no.

"Van Halen II" is not as good as its predecessor. How could it be? But in the late 70s, Van Halen was an up-and-coming band and they needed to churn out another album. Sloppy seconds or not, the songs on "Van Halen II" are better than most bands first course.

The songs on "Van Halen II" are basically cut from the same slab as the debut. Admittedly they're not quite as classic or infectious, but it's still a damn fine collection of songs.

Eddie Van Halen's guitar work is just as impressive here as it was on the debut. Song after song, his pioneering solos are both innovative and infectious. I've listened to "Van Halen II" a thousand times and never tire of hearing them. As usual Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen provide an exciting and dynamic rhythm section. But what makes these songs extra special and exciting, what really spices them up and makes them exceptional, is singer/frontman extraordinaire David Lee Roth. His master showmanship and delivery takes these songs from being just good 70s arena rock songs, and transforms them into classics.

"Van Halen II" opens with a bluesy rendition of Linda Rondstadt's hit "Your No Good." Eddie's solo automatically makes this cover outshine the original. David Lee Roth's hurt but confident baritone, over Michael Anthony's background harmonies are what really put the song over the edge. "Dance the Night Away" is easily one of the bands most memorable songs and remains a staple on classic rock today. No matter how crappy I feel, I always want to get up and dance around the kitchen/bedroom/office when I hear this song. The fast and furious "Somebody Get Me a Doctor" is akin to "I'm the One," from "Van Halen." Although not quite as memorable, it's still a great rocker. The mid-tempo cocky "Bottoms Up" has a great sing-along melody and keeps up the momentum. The album picks up a lot of steam with the lighting fast "Outta Love Again" and "Light up the Sky." Both first rate rockers. For an instrumental, rather than try to outdo "Eruption," (from "Van Halen") Eddie shows a gentler side with the impressive acoustic solo "Spanish Fly." The mid-tempo dodgy "DOA" (Dead or Alive) is one of the bands more underrated rockers. The highly melodic, melancholy "Women in Love" is one of Van Halen's best songs. With a soulful verse, and an infectious sing-along chorus, Roth is both vulnerable and confident, as only he can be. A truly underrated song if ever there was one. The album ends on an upbeat note with the buoyant "Beautiful Girls." This song possesses a great hook, witty lyrics, and a fun sing-along chorus. It is Roth's charisma, however, that ultimately caries the song and makes it a true triumph. The celebratory nature of the song is sure to up-lift the most despondent of spirits.

While "Van Halen II" will forever live in the shadow of the classic debut, it's still an outstanding album. From Eddie's screeching solos, to Roth's wit and showmanship, to Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen's stellar rhythm section, to Anthony's invaluable background vocals, "Van Halen II" is a sure winner. Like any of the first six Van Halen albums, "Van Halen II" is a must have for any great collection.

The 2000 remastered addition is a big improvement over the original CD, which sounded a bit stuffy. Now "Van Halen II" can be enjoyed in all its glory.

This album is almost as good as there monumental debut album not quite there but almost as good.

1.You're No Good- 8.5/10 A good intro that leads into a slow bluesy track. Some trademark falsetto screams from David Lee Roth. A great creative bluesy solo by Eddie Van Halen

2.Dance the Night Away- 10/10 A poppy hair metal track here with a very catchy riff and chorus.

3.Somebody Get Me a Doctor- 10/10 A great classic Van Halen track. With a trademark catchy chorus and some trademark falsetto screams. A great solo from Eddie Van Halen too. One of the best riffs on the album too.

4.Bottoms Up!- 8.5/10 A great fast paced track. A good riff and an awesome solo from Eddie Van Halen. Some great vocals by David Lee Roth too.

5.Outta Love Again- 9/10 Another great song with some more falsetto screams and another great riff. Eddie Van Halen shreds away on this track.

6.Light up the Sky- 9/10 Another good fast paced song with a greta riff. This song has a great bridge which leads into one of Eddie's best solos on the album.

7.Spanish Fly- 10/10 An amazing showcase by Eddie Van Halen who shreds away on an acoustic guitar and finger taps on an acoustic guitar aswell. Amazing guitar work...kind of like an acoustic version of Eruption.

8.D.O.A.- 7.5/10 A good track although it sounds dated. However Eddie Van Halen shreds away on this song.

9.Women in Love- 10/10 Another great catchy track. David Lee Roth's vocals are excellent and Eddie's guitar work is flawless. One of the band's first ballads too.

10.Beautiful Girls- 10/10 A great catchy track with a great riff. The chorus is great as are the main vocals and Eddie's lead work is excellent aswell

This album is great and I think anyway hard rock fan should own this although It's not quite as good as the debut album. This album is more commercial than there debut. The band is

David Lee Roth- Vocals
Eddie Van Halen- Guitar
Alex Van Halen- Drums
Michael Anthony- Bass

This is a great rock music album. What's so wonderful about it? It's got energetic, driving riffs, it makes you feel good and it rocks. What else do you need?
This one's a little mellower than some of the other Van Roth albums, with melodic songs like 'Dancing the night away'. There's also some really heavy songs, like 'Light up the sky' and there's really riff driven numbers like 'D.O.A.' (dead or alive) which just plain rocks.

In 1979 when this record was made, Van Halen was the hottest up and coming band on the planet. They had toured with Sabbath and Journey and word was spreading quick that This was the band to see and hear. This record starts off oddly with two melodic pop songs, a smoldering version of You're No Good and the good time bliss of Dance The Night Away. Then, the mood changes drastically- Somebody Get Me A Doctor starts off like a Kiss song and then kicks into a classic Eddie Riff. Roth screaming nonsensical lyrics that are freakin perfect. This song is Van Halen nirvana. Party keeps rocking along with Bottoms UP! and Outta Love Again- nothing amazing here, but solid songs with Roth and Edward wailing away. Track 6- Light Up The Sky is the real gem on this record- mean guitar riff with lots of mood and subtle volume changes. This song showed that these cats were way beyond rock and roll party animals. Behind the booze and egos was an incredibly tight and talented band. Name a band in 2005 that can write a riff as hot as D.O.A. They don't make bands like this anymore. Aint no Pro Tools used on this one either. Made in 6 days. I love this record.

Van Halen II is a fine album from Van Halen. Not in the same league as their debut, but still pretty good. Diamond Dave hadn't got to annoying yet, and VH were able to come up with a good batch of songs. Highlights include: a cover of Linda Rondstats "You're No Good", Dance the Night Away", Beautiful Girls, Bottoms Up, and DOA. If you liked Van Halen's first album you should like Van Halen II as well.

Van Halen effectively avoided the sophomore slump with Van Halen II. David Lee Roth's persona as the number one frontman in rock continued to grow while the band added a slight pop sensibility to their material. This was most evident with the pop-rock of "Dance The Night Away" which would become the band's first Top 20 single and remains a mainstay on AOR radio. The closing tracks "Women In Love" and "Beautiful Girls" continue in this vein and are also top notch. Edward Van Halen's guitar wizardry continues on the strong track "Somebody Get Me A Doctor" and on "Spanish Fly" where the master's fleet fingers work as well on the acoustic guitar as they did on "Eruption" from Van Halen I. Other great tracks include the riff rocker "D.O.A.", the self-explanatory "Bottoms Up", and the relentless "Light Up The Sky." The remaining tracks include their sluggish cover of the Linda Ronstadt hit "You're No Good" which is okay but doesn't touch the original and "Outta Love Again" which has a cool riff but seems incomplete with its abrupt ending. Nonetheless, this is a strong followup to their debut and is one of their best albums.

Van Halen's self-titled debut was truly astounding. It is my second favorite album of all time (Right after Metallica's "Master of Puppets", of course). But the follow up is just as good.

Van Halen II truly lives up to it's name, and what I mean by that will be explained in a moment. It was recorded less than a year after it's predecessor, with the same producer(Ted Templeman) and it sounds, well... exactly the same. But that's not necassarily a bad thing (If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?). Here's my track-by-track runthrough:

1.You're No Good - A Linda Rondstadt cover opens the album. Here you see what I mean about repetition of the first album (not complaining). Like "Running with the Devil", it opens with a slow bass intro that slams into a mid-paced rock anthem. Mike's bass really shines here.10/10.

2.Dance the Night Away - So catchy it makes me sick (In a good way). A mid-paced pop song that personally reminds of the Beach Boys. 9/10.

3.Somebody Get Me A Doctor - Fast paced rocker, but not that catchy or memorable. 7/10.

4.Bottoms UP! - See #3. 7/10.

5.Outta Love Again - See #3&4. 7/10.

6.Light Up the Sky - When the album starts to drag, Eddie and the boys pick it up with this kick [butt] rocker. Totally speedy and totally catchy verses with agreat lead break and the best lyrical performance of the album. Don't skip on this track, it's incredible! 10/10!

7.Spanish Fly - Acoustic Guitar piece. Every bit as impressive as "Eruption"... actually, not really. But still very, very impressive. It had great potential. I wish it were longer. Oh, well. 9/10.

8.DOA - Another personal favorite of mine. One of the coolest, catchiest riffs I've ever heard. Eddie always had a great ear for musical hooks. Cool lyrics, too. This track rocks. 10/10.

9.Women in Love - Awesome, Beach Boys-esqe into. Chills you out and gets you ready a smooth relaxing island music-type song. But sadly, it segues into a mediocre blues rocker. Intro 10/10. Song 6/10.

10.Beautiful Girls - Catchy riff, cool lyrics, feelgood summer/ beach song. 8/10.

Bottom Line: If you liked the debut, you'll like this one. If not, then not. It's a good thing they didn't go in some radical new direction with this album like they could, because it came out great.

By the end of the 1970's, even though several artists and bands like KISS, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent,etc were popular,there was one thing that everyone knew:Disco music pretty much ruled the world. But,like grunge rock would kill(unfortunately and sadly)the classic hair metal scene in the early 90's, two bands and two albums would have the honor of saving rock music and killing disco-the bands are Van Halen and AC/DC, the albums are Van Halen's self-titled debut and AC/DC's classic album "Back In Black". Van Halen knew how to rock, and even though this album was not as good as their first one,it was very solid. The album opens with a cover of Linda Rodstast's "You're No Good", and it sounds excellent-the original version was supposedly a pop song, and if that is true,then Van Halen really did a good job at turning it into a rock song-and it's a shame that their cover of that song never became a hit. The two hits on here were "Dance The Night Away"(Van Halen's first ballad) and "Beautiful Girls". The other standouts to be found on this CD are "Outta Love Again", the accoustic instrumental "Spanish Fly", and "D.O.A.". The rest of this album is good, but it kind of got lost in the shuffle of Van Halen albums-I am not sure why, but it just kind of did.

Overall, like I already said,even though this is not as good as the first VH album, it is still very good, and it deseves a spot in the CD collection of all Van Halen fans. Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen,David Lee Roth, and Michael Anthony all did some killer work on this album(with both songwriting and performances)and even though I have enjoyed the contributions Sammy Hagar had to Van Halen,it is really a shame that they weren't able to keep DLR in the group.However,the stories I've heard about Van Halen kind of prove that Hagar had a better attitude about Van Halen then Diamond Dave did, so at least we probably won't have to worry about Van Halen splitting up(like we once did).If You're new to Van Halen and you want to buy only one of their albums to start off with, then get their most recent greatest hits album "The Best of Both Worlds", a two disc set that spans material from both the Roth and Hagar years in VH. Then get their first album,"1984"(their last full-length album with David Lee Roth on lead vocals)this, and then buy the rest of their albums in whatever order you want(just my advice,those are all excellent starting points if You're a new VH fan). Also, here are three Van Halen albums you should avoid if you are new to the group:

"Women and Children First"(their third album, a few good songs on there, but they REALLY slowed down their rocking pace on that album, especially since it came out right after this and their first album.

The live album "Live:Right Here, Right Now":Sound is pretty good(I've never owned it but I've heard some of it)but ten out of the eleven songs off of the "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" are on there,and since Hagar was with the band at the time that album was being made, for some reason,they only chose three songs from the Roth era to be on the album-VERY stupid, especially since those three Roth songs sung by Hagar were also the only Roth songs on the "Live Without A Net"DVD(that also had Hagar on lead vocals).

"Van Halen III"-The dreaded album with Gary Cherone on lead vocals,there are several reasons why You shouldn't buy this album, and I won't list them here-just don't waste your money. Enough said.

"Van Halen II" is a killer album.

van halen's sophomore album is as good as their brilliant debut.get it with their debut album.

Like I said above, its no Van Halen I but its far from a disappointment. Heres what I think Of each song.

1.Youre No Good (4/5)- A rocked up version of a pop song by linda rondstadt
2.Dance The Night Away (4.5/5)- A good pop song
3.Somebody Get Me A doctor (4/5)- Brings things back to a more rocking pace
4. Bottom's Up (3.5/5)- I love the part when dave and mike stop everything and just start singin "C'mon,mon,mon,mon,mon baby, Bottoms Up"
5.Outta Love Again (3/5)- An okay song, nothing special
6.Light Up The Sky (3/5)- the tune of the song is kinda all over the place but its still good
7.Spanish Fly (5/5)- Great Acoustic solo, has a real spanish feel to it)
8.D.O.A. (3/5)- Okay song, If you dont know, DOA stands for Dead Or Alive
9.Women In Love (3.5/10)- Great intro, great riff but its too cheesy
10.Beautiful Girls (4/5)- Im pretty sick off it but it use to be my favorite song on the album

If you like rock music I wouldnt recommend you buy it right away but listen to it first and youll probobly like it.

If you liked this album you might also like:
Judas Priest-Hell Bent For Leather
Def Leppard-On Through The Night
Journey-Departure
The Scorpions-Lovedrive

Now while this doesn't match up too their first album by any means. But I did think that this was a fairly good album. If I had to put my Van Halen (with David Lee Roth) CD's in order of my liking they would be:
Van Halen
1984
Fair Warning
II
Women & Children First
Diver Down
So, this one is fairly high up there. Here are the tracks:
You're No Good: Really good song. Haven't heard the original version, but this one is good.
Dance the Night Away: One of my favorite Van Halen songs.
Somebody Get Me a Doctor: Good song. Eddie's guitar playing is terrific.
Bottoms Up: Good song, guitar is really good.
Outta Love Again: Didn't really like this song. Some stupid lyrics.
Light Up the Sky: Not the best song on the album, it's OK.
Spanish Fly: 58 second guitar solo. It's pretty good.
DOA: Guitar in the beginning is really good. The song is pretty cool as well.
Women in Love: Pretty good song, not the best on the album.
Beautiful Girls: Really good song. One of my favorites.
A-.
Who do u like better. Roth or Hagar? E-mail me your vote at moviefreak144@hotmail.com

Van Halen 1 is a monster on it's own.A record which can completely stand it's ground as one of the greatest hard rock albums of all time.Van Halen II may not be as beastly as VHI,but boy,this baby is without a doubt a kick arse hard rock album everyone's gotta have.The tunes on this one have more of a "party" vibe,nothing wrong with that since VH was known for their backstage antics.Their love to party is captured by tracks like "Bottoms Up" and "Beautiful Girls".The band dabbles into some nice pop/rock tunes like "Dance..." and "You're No Good".Then there's Halen's metal side which sounds awesomely heavy in tunes like "Light Up The Sky","Somebody Get...","Outta Love",and "DOA"."Spanish Fly" in an insane acoustic solo by Eddie.Almost like "Eruption",just not as flashy and loud but still a great tune which is one of my fav Halen solos on record.Then there's "Women In Love" which is one of the most criminally-underrated Halen songs of all time.The intro is pure genius and just tugs at your insides.The background vocals on this one simply soar and make you just want to sing along.I think it's Dave,Eddie,and Mike all singing.Like I said in a previous review,this was the only band that could combine heavy metal riffs with beautiful background harmonies without losing their edge.

VHII rocks big time and this is a must have for any hard rocker or Dave era Halen fan.A classic!

Van Halen followed up to their debut album with "Van Halen II" in spring 1979. After the flawless debut album, there's only one way to go, down, right? Not quite.

The album leads off with a cover of "You're No Good". I know a lot of VH fans hate this song because it's a Linda Ronstadt cover, but... I am a Linda Ronstadt fan too (at least her 70's and early 80's stuff), so I didn't have problems. I think VH's version of the song rivals Linda's classic interpretation, and "You're No Good" is one of my fave Ronstadt songs.

Other classic hits on the album include "Dance The Night Away" and "Beautiful Girls"

Much like the short "Eruption" was a centerpiece of the debut. "Spanish Fly" is the equivilent for Van Halen II. One minute of Eddie proving he can rock as hard on the acoustic guitar.

This album is another essential rock and roll record and proof that "Van Halen" was no fluke.

After the release of Van Halen's self- titled debut album, I guess a lot of people thought it was a fluke and that it could never happen again, but a year later it happened again. Maybe this time it was just as big and made just as an impact as the first album and landed Van Halen superstars and launching a world tour in '79. Usually with a sequel to anything whether its a movie, or in music, the sequel tends to be weaker than the first, but the sequel to Van Halen 2 was not ready to follow that trend. A perfect sequel and a masterpiece for everyone to own and listen to at least once.

1. You're No Good- (9/10)
2. Dance the Night Away- (9.5/10)
3. Somebody Get Me a Doctor- (10/10)
4. Bottoms Up!- (10/10)
5. Outta Love Again- (7.5/10)
6. Light Up the Sky- (10/10)
7. Spanish Fly- (8/10)
8. D.O.A- (9.5/10)
9. Women in Love- (8/10)
10. Beautiful Girls- (10/10)