Van Halen
Van Halen II

THE REVIEW

Second episode of the Van Halen story (and it was already clear from the title), this record continues the band's advance but above all the consolidation of the guitar hero figure of Eddie at the end of the '70s.

The album follows the same path as that of the group's debut, its predecessor, but in my opinion, it stands a notch above. In fact, beyond the obvious innovation due to the guitar technique never heard before, the first Van Halen album lacked something, which this subsequent one added. Unfortunately, then, however, the latter Van Halen albums (or if we want the entire production) remained at the same level in terms of the depth and caliber of the music. This "Van Halen II" entertains and pleases with its typically hard rock pace infused with melody. "You're No Good", with the chorus where voice and guitar are in unison, "Dance The Night Away", and "D.O.A." with catchy choruses, are tracks that can't help but please all genre lovers. If we then add "Spanish Fly", a piece for classical guitar where Eddie once again displays his talent, performing somewhat Spanish-like phrasing to lead back (as only he knows how to do in any way) to the well-known tapping section of "Eruption", the picture is truly complete. The latter is incredible, electric or not, but to "tap" on a classical guitar and achieve that effect, I don't think it's something everyone can do. Beyond this, the album is simply composed of the same elements that have always characterized VH's music, and in general, the typical hard rock in its most traditional forms. Raspy voice, inimitable guitar, and decent rhythm section. All in support of somewhat clichéd lyrics with at times banal themes. If all of this had been supplemented with a touch of research, we would have had albums of a much higher caliber from VH, as I already stated at the beginning. In any case, this must undoubtedly be considered as the reconfirmation of a new style that at the end of the '70s proposed the revamping of rock guitar, projecting it towards a new way of understanding the guitar as a solo instrument.