Van Halen 1984 Song-By-Song Thread

I recommend song-by-song Me Wise Magic, Can't Get This Stuff, and Human's Being.

 

Go for it.

 

I'm not into Judas Priest

Never bought or owned a single thing by them

They have a couple of decent tunes but that's it.

 

Which songs do you like?

 

The two most everyone knows

Living After Midnight

You've Got Another Thing Coming

 

Victim Of Changes is my fave song. The live one. The first album is awesome. And Stained Class with Hell Bent For Leather are their best to me. Unleashed in the East has just stayed a favorite for me.

 

Here's a third song for you to check out. "Desert Plains". You're welcome in advance.

 

@Musicman1998 I'm really sorry; it has been a ROUGH few weeks, and I admittedly haven't had the time to dedicate to much else other than work and family happenings. Thank you for picking up my slack. This album undoubtedly deserves proper dedication that I couldn't have given. Much thanks!!!

 

I'm just gonna say it...even though 5150 is my favorite VH album...1984 is the only VH album I can listen to, start to finish. The highs aren't as high as other albums, but the lows aren't as low, either. When "Top Jimmy" is the "worst" song on the album, you're not doing so bad.

Plus it has Panama. You can't lose.

 

I know this album isn't thought of as one of VH's best from "the six-pack" era (though not their worst either), but I wonder if the album is simply a victim of poor track sequencing. Not counting the album's synth intro "1984", there are only three songs that I don't care for on this album, and I wonder if maybe the sequencing makes this album seem worse than it really is.

So let's begin this exercise by first taking a look at the original album's tracks:

Side One
1. "1984" (instrumental) 1:07
2. "Jump" 4:01
3. "Panama" 3:31
4. "Top Jimmy" 2:59
5. "Drop Dead Legs" 4:14

Side Two
6. "Hot for Teacher" 4:42
7. "I'll Wait" (writers: E. Van Halen, A. Van Halen, Anthony, Roth, Michael McDonald) 4:40
8. "Girl Gone Bad" 4:35
9. "House of Pain" 3:19

Now an optimist might look at that jumbled mess and say there are three songs that were big on the radio and MTV, four good, very good, great, excellent album tracks, one song that can best be described as a filler track and one throwaway synth intro. I think that's a fair assessment. So with that in mind, let's rearrange all those songs and see if it makes the album any better:

Side 1
1- 1984/Jump
2- Panama
3- Hot For Teacher
4- Girl Gone Bad

Side 2
I'll Wait
Drop Dead Legs
Top Jimmy
House Of Pain

Side one now has their three big hits all in a row, bookended by the aforementioned synth intro and the filler track.

Side two now has the four album tracks (and, to some like me, maybe the best four tracks on the album) all in a row and in a pleasing sequence now that Hot For teacher and Girl Gone Bad are now on Side One.

So would the album sequenced this way have made for a better album overall, or is it just me? Imo, each side is now evenly matched and more consistent within itself compared to the Warner Brothers offering. If you only like their hit songs from the charts, they're now all on Side 1. If you only like all their cool album tracks they're now all on Side 2.

And while I like this sequence for a vinyl record, if I were to burn this to a cdr I might burn Side 2 first and end the disc with Side 1. Well there's really no "might" about it -- I would.

So does this new sequencing help out those of you that aren't very very keen on this album, or are you too locked in to Warner Brothers' version to even consider this?

 

May 8, 2018 : today is Alex Van Halen's 65th birthday !! ...

 

SPOT ON

 

Have you heard the demo version from 1977 ?

 

Top Jimmy is perhaps the very best song on that album. It's also their best album.

 

juke joint Jimmy is the latest thing, he's got the sound that everybody digs ...

Totally under-rated track, kicks ass !!!

 

Taste is so personal!

Top Jimmy and Drop Dead Legs are my fave songs by anyone.

 

"Drop Dead Legs" rules. I love the drumming throughout and Eddie's almost jazzy solo at the end.

 

Finally bought this one last summer. It pretty much kicks butt all the way through. I was on the road all summer in '84 so it was on the radio a lot back then.

 

My friends and I will still obsessing over Diver Down. Heard "Jump" on Q107 in Washington, DC and immediately went to buy the album. Absolutely loved it...had no awareness that people were upset about the synth heavy sound. I played "I'll Wait", "Drop Dead Legs" and "Top Jimmy" like 45 million times before the tape wore out.