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Rating: There are albums that deserve to be considered (not only) for their intrinsic value as a record, but for their quality as real "time machines." Small devices that we activate with a simple play and that just as easily can realistically make us relive an era, a historical period, those colors better than a documentary or a school book.
"1984" by Van Halen is one of these, and the title already says a lot. David Lee Roth's band and company reached this sixth album after six years of electrifying, courageous work, in which they managed to stay at the forefront thanks to performances full of vitality, freshness, and a rampant irony often clashing with the grave and tormented atmosphere that prevailed during the golden age of NWOBHM ("New Wave Of British Heavy Metal") and the nascent thrash-metal. Indeed, the Van Halen brothers' creation, the prodigious Dutchmen guitarist (Eddie) and drummer (Alex), fits into the heavy metal category only with many concessions. If nothing else, they represent an anomalous side of it. Driven by the pyrotechnic virtuosity of one of the most innovative guitar-heroes in the instrument's history and a rhythm section that is heavy yet very sharp, sprightly, and never redundant, since their unmatched debut ("Van Halen", 1978) they have become champions of a hard rock indebted to the tradition of the giants of the '70s as much as a herald of a groundbreaking new sound, hard but not necessarily violent or "dangerous." Much credit for the original path inaugurated by the band goes largely to the choice of an incredible front-man like Lee Roth, the "Diamond Dave" who drives audiences crazy with his extraordinarily athletic and energetic performances, making his voice (not powerful but very adaptable to any register) and his prima donna showmanship his winning weapon. Van Halen made an unexpected turn when, after years of skepticism toward drastic changes in sound, the band allowed Eddie the green light for his requests for electronic experimentation on the pieces. And so, the synthesizer was infused into heavy metal. What at the time might have seemed like an ultimately reversible or irrelevant choice became one of the main revolutions of the decade. Van Halen surprisingly updated their sound, placing themselves now more than ever a step above colleagues and rivals.
It was January 1984, the group's pop approval index was already sky-high after Eddie's cameo in the mega-hit of the previous year by Michael Jackson, "Beat It," and releasing an album titled 1984 was all part of the plan. It was an important title, meaning to ambitiously position themselves as "the definitive group of the era," outside of a restrictive genre: it was a challenge to the mainstream, to the various Toto, Police, and others who dominated the charts, gathering an audience from every age group, regardless of individual musical preferences. From the intro titled "1984," the group immediately shows us their aces, with a suggestive beginning of ethereal and majestic electronics, leading directly to the opener of the work, that ever-green success "Jump," which we should remember more for the pop breach it opened in the hearts of less accustomed metal kids than for its ultimately modest qualitative value. With the explosive, yet still very radio-friendly "Panama," another big hit of the time, Van Halen makes an excellent move. It's the move that leads to the success of this album: they abandon the keyboards, content with having given us an important taste of their new frontiers, and wisely decide to return to their old style, granite rock anthems forged by admirable technical inventions, by a joy of playing together, showing that they are better than before, or—better yet—more confident, aware. The validity of "1984" lies in this, in the maturity achieved by a group that can allow itself anything without making mistakes. In the wisdom of offering something for everyone, innovation and tradition, spread out at their own pleasure over the course of a compact album, highly arranged and curious in every detail, from the playful half-minute drum solos and the out-of-sync laughter of the unlikely teacher in "Hot For The Teacher," to the wonderful electronic arpeggios of "I'll Wait," up to the grand finale of the furious "House Of Pain," a remarkable foreseeing of what the future arena-rock by Guns 'N' Roses, Motley Crue, and their epigones will be. Yes, because "1984," if it doesn't have the immortal beauty of "Van Halen" or the crystal-clear purity of "Women And Children First" is still an act of love towards creativity, the admirable effort to renew itself, maybe stumbling, making mistakes but with full confidence in one's own abilities and those of one's companions. It's what it had to be at that moment, a perfect bridge between the seasons of hard rock from "Back In Black" and that of "Appetite For Destruction". And after all, that diabolical little angel on the cover who carelessly smokes a cigarette to our health might just be the grandfather of the aquatic newborn from "Nevermind". But it's not up to us to fantasize. History is a fascinating cycle, and "1984" is a small piece of it to remember, to think about what was, what will not return but is right not to forget.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 1984 (01:08)
Uh!
Oh yeah!
Ah-huh!
Jump back, what's that sound?
Here she comes, full blast and top down
Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue
Model citizen, zero discipline
Don't ya know she's coming home with me
You'll lose her in that turn
I'll get her!
Panama, Panama
Panama, Panama
Ain't nothin' like it, her shiny machine
Got the feel for the wheel, keep the movin' parts clean
Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue
Got an on-ramp comin' through my bedroom
Don't you know she's coming home with me
You'll lose her in that turn
I'll get her
Uh-oh!
Panama, Panama
Wow!
Panama, Panama
oh-oh-oh-oh
Woo!
[Guitar Solo]
Yeah, we're runnin' a little bit hot tonight
I can barely see the road from the heat comin' off
You know what I'm sayin'
Ahh, I reach down between my legs n' ease the seat back
She's runnin', I'm flyin'
Right behind in the rearview mirror now
Got the fearin', power steerin'
Pistons poppin', ain't no stoppin' now
Panama, Panama
Panama, Panama
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Panama, Panama
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Panama
02 Jump (04:04)
Owwww!
I get up, and nothin' gets me down
You got it tough, I've seen the toughest around
And I know, baby, just how you feel
You got to roll with the punches and get to what's real
Ah, can't ya see me standin' here
I got my back against the record machine
I ain't the worst that you've seen
Ah, can't ya see what I mean?
Ah, might as well jump (Jump!)
Might as well jump
Go ahead an' jump (Jump!)
Go ahead and jump
Ow-oh! Hey you! Who said that? Baby, how you been?
You say you don't know, you won't know until you begin
So can't ya see me standing here
I got my back against the record machine
I ain't the worst that you've seen
Ah, can't ya see what I mean?
Ah, might as well jump (Jump!)
Go ahead and jump
Might as well jump (Jump!)
Go ahead and jump
Jump!
Might as well jump (Jump!)
Go ahead and jump
Get in and jump (Jump!)
Go ahead and jump
Jump!
Jump!
Jump!
Jump!
03 Panama (03:32)
Ooh!
Oh yeah!
Ah-huh!
Jump back, what's that sound?
Here she comes, full blast and top down
Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue
Model citizen, zero discipline
Don't you know she's coming home with me
You'll lose her in that turn
I'll get her
Panama
Panama
Panama
Panama
Ain't nothin' like it, her shiny machine
Got the feel for the wheel, keep the movin' parts clean
Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue
Got an on-ramp comin' through my bedroom
Don't you know she's coming home with me
You'll lose her in that turn
I'll get her
(Uhhhh-ohhhhhh!)
Panama
Panama, oww!
Panama
Panama, oh-oh-oh-oh
Woo!
Yeah, we're runnin' a little bit hot tonight
I can barely see the road from the heat comin' off, you know what I'm sayin'
Ah, reach down between my legs and ease the seat back
She's runnin', I'm flyin'
Right behind in the rearview mirror now
Got the fearin', power steerin'
Pistons poppin', ain't no stoppin' now
Panama
Panama
Panama
Panama, oh-oh-oh-oh
Panama
Panama, oh-oh-oh-oh
Panama!
06 Hot for Teacher (04:44)
Oh, wow, man, wait a second, man.
What do you think the teacher's gonna look like this year?
My butt, man.
Whoooa!
Ooh!
Oh yeah!
T-t-teacher stop that screamin'
Teacher don't you see?
Don't wanna be no uptown fool
Maybe I should go to hell
But I'm doin' well
Teacher needs to see me after school
I think of all the education that I've missed
But then my homework was never quite like this!
Ow! Got it bad
Got it bad
Got it bad
I'm hot for teacher
I've got it bad, so bad
I'm hot for teacher
Hey, I heard you missed us, we're back!
Hey!
I brought my pencil... Give me something to write on, dude!
Whoa!
Uh!
Ooo-oo-ooo!
I heard about your lessons
But lessons are so cold
I know about this school
Little girl from Cherry Lawn
How can you be so bold?
How did you know that golden rule?
I think of all the education that I've missed
But then my homework was never quite like this!
Whoa! Got it bad
Got it bad
Got it bad
I'm hot for teacher
I've got it bad, so bad
I'm hot for teacher
Whoa!
Oh man, I think the clock is slow.
I don't feel tardy.
Class dismissed!
Ooh yeah! I've got it bad
Got it bad
Got it bad
I'm hot for teacher
Whoa!
Oh! Oh, yes, I'm hot
Wow!
Oh my God!
Woo!
07 I'll Wait (04:45)
You've got me captured, I'm under your spell
I guess I'll never learn
I have your picture, yes, I know it well
Another page is turned
Are you for real? It's so hard to tell
From just a magazine
Yeah, you just smile and the picture sells
Look what that does to me
I'll wait 'til your love comes down
I'm coming straight for your heart
No way you can stop me now
As fine as you are
I wrote a letter and told her these words
That meant a lot to me
I never sent it, she wouldn't have heard
Her eyes don't follow me
And while she watches I can never be free
Such good photography!
I'll wait 'til your love comes down
I'm coming straight for your heart
No way you can stop me now
As fine as you are
You can't imagine what your image means
The pages come alive
Your magic greets everyone who reads
Heartbreak in overdrive
Are you for real? It's so hard to tell
From just a magazine
Yeah, you just smile and the picture sells
Look what that does to me
I'll wait 'til your love comes down
I'm coming straight for your heart
No way you can stop me now
As fine as you are
I'll wait 'til your love comes down
I'm coming straight for your heart
No way you can stop me now
As fine as you are
09 House of Pain (03:19)
Say you're gonna leave me
'Cause I only tie you up
I always love you tender
But you only like it rough
Woman bound for glory
Why you leavin' me again?
Gonna pack your bags and leave
This house of pain
Heartache's all around me
How many times we've tried
Said she tried to leave me
But her hands were always tied
If I had it all to do
I'd keep it just the same
Gonna fix it so you never leave
This house of pain
Ah ah, ah ah, ah ah, ah ah ah ah ah
Ah ah, ah ah, ah ah, ah ah ah ah ah
Ah ah, ah ah, ah ah, ah ah ah ah ah
Wow!
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