Van Halen's debut studio album 'Van Halen' was released 38 years ago today. What an amazing debut from the classic VH lineup of David Lee Roth, Michael Anthony, Eddie Van Halen, and Alex Van Halen. The introduction of the cockiness of David Lee Roth and the expert skills of Eddie Van Halen.
All of the songs were written by the band, except for 'You Really Got Me' (Ray Davies) and 'Ice Cream Man' (John Brim).
The album reached number 19 on the charts. It wasn't well received critically upon its release. Rolling Stone critic Charles M. Young predicted, "In three years, Van Halen is going to be fat and self-indulgent and disgusting ... follow[ing] Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin right into the toilet. In the meantime, they are likely to be a big deal." (The critic really knew his musical trends).
