Women And Children First [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Part of our Two CDs for £9 offer*

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.

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.

- Cradle will Rock : early use of synth (through the MXR phaser, I guess) by EVH. Has the sound of a single.
- Everybody Wants Some! : DLR's sleazy spoken lines are well matched by EVH's sleazy guitar & trem bar. Sounds like it was recorded in a tunnel.
- Romeo Delight : pure energy. the little breakdown after the fantastic solo is pure brilliance, adding a completely different dynamic to the song. EVH has a real ear for gorgeous chord voicings. the bass/drums have a kind of mesmeric quality during the breakdown...i love this song.
- Take your Whiskey Home : the acoustic intro is a nice little piece
- Could This Be Magic : one of my favourite VH recordings. DLR was made for these type of songs. Great 'noodled' slide guitar.
- In a Simple Rhyme : unusually tender lyrics from Mr Roth! A lush breakdown.