When Van Halen first appeared on the live scene in the late 70s, they revolutionised hard rock. Artists like Led Zeppelin were playing mammoth live sets, dominated by huge solos and many other rock acts were seeming just a little…tired. Van Halen’s combination of volume and energy was said to floor any act they were invited to support. Just one listen to their self-titled debut album makes it easy to see why.
The power in ‘Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love’ and ‘On Fire’, combined with the jaw dropping ‘Eruption’ – during which guitarist Edward Van Halen pretty much reinvented what was considered “cool” at the time – still makes that record a thrilling listen decades on.