Van Halen: Women and Children First (1980) Song by Song

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by GodShifter, Nov 30, 2017.

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  1. ian christopher

    ian christopher Argentina (in Spirit)

    Location:
    El Centro
    Take out the vocals and it cooks though - some of EVH's best rhythm playing, and Alex is on fire on the kit (per usual)
     
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  2. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    One more thing about this song is I think it's a great example of how important Ted Templeman was in the VH story. You listen to the demos of this and it's more or less the same song but it's just kind of okay, or maybe a bit better than okay. It's pretty good but it's missing something.

    Then they get in there with Ted and it really doesn't change that much, but it's changed enough to take it from pretty good to incredible.

    Of course it's years later and they were a better band, but you can hear the same thing with a lot of the demos. The songs got better once Ted was involved.
     
  3. ian christopher

    ian christopher Argentina (in Spirit)

    Location:
    El Centro
    shifts in tempo and dynamic that foretell a few songs on the next album (Fair Warning) - have always loved it when artists give hints to future directions on their final songs (Rush is an obvious example with "Vital Signs" closing Moving Pictures, leading into the dub-reggae heavy "Signals" album).
     
  4. 131east23

    131east23 Person of Interest

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    House to myself... finally spinning WACF at a proper volume.
     
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  5. ian christopher

    ian christopher Argentina (in Spirit)

    Location:
    El Centro
    Loved cranking "Loss of Control" on my step-dad's HUGE HK Sansui speakers when I was younger.

    The panning solo section, so damned cool at maximum volume.
     
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  6. Cooks420

    Cooks420 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    Perfectly stated.
    Great, now I want to listen to Bullet Boys.
     
  7. 131east23

    131east23 Person of Interest

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    Oh yes... it sounds really nice through my Cornwalls too.
     
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  8. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    [​IMG]
     
  9. 131east23

    131east23 Person of Interest

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    I think this is the best song on the album. It checks lots of boxes all at once.
     
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  10. ian christopher

    ian christopher Argentina (in Spirit)

    Location:
    El Centro
    Romeo Delight for pure rock energy, Simple Rhyme for melody and resonance.

    IOW, both sides end fantastically well.
     
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  11. ian christopher

    ian christopher Argentina (in Spirit)

    Location:
    El Centro
    interesting to compare songs like "Everybody Wants Some" and "Dirty Movies" to later Hagar sex raps "Black and Blue" and "Amsterdam"
     
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  12. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    SMOOOOOTH UP IN YA !!!!!
     
  13. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    That’s a good one! Why don’t you do it? You know a crap ton more theory than me. Your album by album threads are quite good.
     
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  14. Oliver

    Oliver Bourbon Infused

    I will say that today I gave WACF a full listen during some long uninterrupted highway driving and it was cool listening to it now remembering a lot of the comments and perspectives from this thread.
     
  15. ian christopher

    ian christopher Argentina (in Spirit)

    Location:
    El Centro
    Don't forget E'nuff Z'nuff !!!
     
  16. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I’d like to ....

    :hurlleft:
     
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  17. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Take Your Whiskey Home:
    Ah, this tune.
    It begins with this neat little acoustic tune. When Dave starts at :09, he has this cool low-key swagger that he really can embody, basically doing what Sammy did on Finish What Ya Started and doing it in a way that's good. Really Finish What Ua Started is what this song would be if it sucked, it is the most plastic, soulless, balless, whitebread **** this side of Barry Manilow. And we must mention the way Mike and Al really swing on this tune, make it really pop, whereas they just plod along on Finish What Ya Started, and Eddie does some ripping her tasty playing on this tune, has the slight blues bent but does it his way.
    This song is pure badassery, and better than Judgement Day. I give it a record without Sammy Hagar on a scale of one to ten
     
  18. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    For someone who likes Judgement Day, I can see how E'nuff Z'nuff would be good.
    Goddamn, what a third rate band
     
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  19. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    The thing about this album is it sounds incredibly confident. They knew where they were and they knew where they were going and you can hear that all over this record. It was really their time and they knew it.

    “The '80s is it, it belongs to Van Halen.” – David Lee Roth, 1980
     
  20. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I don’t even know what “Judgment Day” is. I’m guessing it’s not the Denis Leary/Emilio Estevez movie? (Good soundtrack on that one, btw).

    As to E’nuff Z’nuff = no thanks.
     
    Last edited: Dec 7, 2017
  21. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    It's a Van hagar song
     
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  22. ian christopher

    ian christopher Argentina (in Spirit)

    Location:
    El Centro
    unless you're particularly averse to power ballads, this tune has merit.

     
  23. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Agreed. A decent song for sure.
     
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  24. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    Enuff Znuff definitely have some good tunes. Donnie Vie has a great sense of melody.

     
  25. I like that he wanted just one guitar track when he started recording them, no double-tracking. A VERY wise decision on his part!
     
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