Van Halen – Women and Children First – 1980

Women and Children First is the third album by the legendary band Van Halen. I was never a big fan even though Eddie Van Halen’s name alone brings out the guitar nerds claiming him to be the best guitarist of all time. I don’t really dispute that. It’s not my favorite guitar playing but his skills are hard to overrate. I thought most of that had to do with him being such an early pioneer for what you could do with a guitar, I certainly can’t do it, but on the other hand, there are many guitarists’ skills that I cannot match.

I have written about Van Halen before on Active Context but I can’t really remember those two first albums that I already wrote about. When reading up on what I wrote I feel like they sure were solid rock albums but nothing that stood out too much for me. This third album – Women and Children First, is kind of the same. I think it’s maybe a bit more mature and I like the guitar playing on it. There are some amazing chops on it but the one thing I’m really amazed at is that they never take focus from all the other stuff going on. Alex’s drumming och Michael Anthoney’s bass playing. Which I believe is top notch by the way.

Maybe it’s a little for Hardrock than before, a little less blues and I really like Women and Children First. it’s also kind of eclectic. There are parts that are very strange sounding to be on a rock album and things that you’d expect to be on there. Especially when it comes to an album featuring a guitar virtuoso.