Really liked the new song, the only other songs I know are Jump, Eruption and Runnin' With The Devil.

What would you say was the best couple of albums for someone who is new to the band??

The first album (Van Halen) and 1984 are their best sellers. Start with them and if you like 'em get the rest of the Dave era albums.

Start with the album 1984. This is a masterpiece and already a classic.
They have a collection of hits - The Best of Both Worlds

Tracklist:
Disc 1::
1. Eruption
2. You Really Got Me
3. Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love
4. Jamie’s Cryin’
5. Runnin’ With The Devil
6. Beautiful Girls
7. Dance The Night Away
8. And The Cradle Will Rock...
9. Everybody Wants Some
10. Unchained
11. Dancing In The Street
12. (Oh) Pretty Woman
13. Hot For Teacher
14. Jump
15. Panama
16. I’ll Wait
17. Why Can’t This Be Love
18. Dreams
19. Best Of Both Worlds

Disc 2::
1. When It’s Love
2. Finish What You Started
3. Feels So Good
4. Black And Blue
5. Poundcake
6. Runaround
7. Right Now
8. Top Of The World
9. Can’t Stop Loving You
10. Not Enough
11. It’s About Time
12. Learning To See
13. Up For Breakfast
14. Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love (Live)
15. Jump (Live)
16. Panama (Live)
17. Not Enough

As with any newbie I would suggest, like Lili1992 above, Best Of Both Worlds compilation. Listen to all of it to see what you like and don't like. Then proceed from there with full albums. Though I'm biased, you can't go wrong with the first 6 albums with DLR. The classic 6 pack as it's known. Most, if not all, true VH fans would agree I'm sure.

Glad to see you like the new song Matty and your interest in VH. Just in time for the new album.

MattyJam said:

Really liked the new song, the only other songs I know are Jump, Eruption and Runnin' With The Devil.

What would you say was the best couple of albums for someone who is new to the band??

As its been said, go with that compilation, its a great one, though a track here and there should have been included its basically a perfect collection of bothe Versions of VH. As for just albums it will really depend on who's style you like David or Sammy, its really a different feel with both, go with 1984 for sure and from Sammy i would suggest For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.

I'm glad someone made this topic. I've loved Jump since I was a wee little one in the mid 80's, and David Lee Roth's California Girls/Just a Gigolo mashup video. I also remember a song Love Somebody in the mid 90's, but it was not the same without David though the melody was good.

Their first album, Van Halen. You realize why VH was such a big damn deal back in the first place, why countless wannabe shredders in rock, metal, etc. all took to it. Plus that's my preference.

1984 is good too, but I don't like "Jump." Never did crap for me. "Hot for Teacher" is good fun. I need to re-listen to that record again, haven't spinned it in a good while.

I'll never forget that anecdote that Dimebag Darrell was buried with one of EVH's guitars (the one featured on the backcover of the VH2 album.)

I Agree with the first album, it has a ton of there classics, and fan classics like Atomic Punk, Ice Cream Man, Little Dreamer etc. But also if you want to explorethe Sammy & David era for a start... Best Of Both Worlds isn't a bad start

I started chronologically, I think that's what you should do IMO.

rialb said:

The first album (Van Halen) and 1984 are their best sellers. Start with them and if you like 'em get the rest of the Dave era albums.

Sammy hater

Paris9748430 said:

I started chronologically, I think that's what you should do IMO.

Ideally yes. Especially if you got the money and time. And if you are able to do that, make sure you spend time with each cd before moving to the next. If not, compilation first then proceed in what era moves you best. Let us know how it goes.

Gunsnhalen said:

rialb said:

The first album (Van Halen) and 1984 are their best sellers. Start with them and if you like 'em get the rest of the Dave era albums.

Sammy hater

You say "hater," I say "realist."

I...thought Van Halen II was pretty good too? *shrugs*

But yeah, start with VH first. The most essential album in their entire discography. Followed by 1984, but hey if by price or circumstances, you won't be failed by gong that one first.

rialb said:

Gunsnhalen said:

Sammy hater

You say "hater," I say "realist."

I'll never understand the Sammy hate, he brought out some good songwriting in the band, introduced a lot more piano, even some caribean sounds on songs like Feels So Good, yes he had to many love songs. But the musicianship in the band was top notch at the time & the melodies where great. Have you ever listened to the Sammy era albums or justs kimmed through the tracks

How can you say

Get Up

Source Of Infection

Pleasure Dome

5150

Are bad songs? those are powerhouse fast paced rockers up there with some of DLR best.

And what about some of the ballads & mellodies?

Dreams

Not Enough

Love Walks In

Don't Tell Me[What Love Can Do]

Can't Stop Loving you

Feels So Good

Come on, thos songs have some kickass melodies to them and some good singing by Sam

Or what about some weird experiments they did with Sammy?

The keyboard & sonic infused Inside? which was more of a dialogue between the band

Apolitical Blues?

Finish What Ya Started?

adding strings to a lot of the songs on Balance

I love both eras, and yes DLR was the punk, the rock, the showmanship, the funk.

Sammy had the melodies, the expirements, the pianos, keyboards, strings.

There's no need to be scared of a band trying out new thing's

I would listen to them sequentially up through 1984, with a major study of VH1. That album is just peerless; interestingly it's heavy yet music fans of all tastes seem to adore it. I have a boot of Phish ripping into 'Runnin' With the Devil' and the crowd just goes apeshit.

And I would avoid the Sammy stuff until much later on (if you feel you must hear it at all). I can't blame them for taking him on after Roth bailed on them. But worthy of the Van Halen name, it was not.

Gunsnhalen said:

rialb said:

You say "hater," I say "realist."

I'll never understand the Sammy hate, he brought out some good songwriting in the band, introduced a lot more piano, even some caribean sounds on songs like Feels So Good, yes he had to many love songs. But the musicianship in the band was top notch at the time & the melodies where great. Have you ever listened to the Sammy era albums or justs kimmed through the tracks

How can you say

Get Up

Source Of Infection

Pleasure Dome

5150

Are bad songs? those are powerhouse fast paced rockers up there with some of DLR best.

And what about some of the ballads & mellodies?

Dreams

Not Enough

Love Walks In

Don't Tell Me[What Love Can Do]

Can't Stop Loving you

Feels So Good

Come on, thos songs have some kickass melodies to them and some good singing by Sam

Or what about some weird experiments they did with Sammy?

The keyboard & sonic infused Inside? which was more of a dialogue between the band

Apolitical Blues?

Finish What Ya Started?

adding strings to a lot of the songs on Balance

I love both eras, and yes DLR was the punk, the rock, the showmanship, the funk.

Sammy had the melodies, the expirements, the pianos, keyboards, strings.

There's no need to be scared of a band trying out new thing's

I don't hate the Sammy era, I've got all four of his albums with Van Halen, but to me they almost became a completely different band with him. For me they lost too much of the hard rock/heavy metal sound and became too poppy. Structurally, the songs also changed and started to get too long. The great thing about the Dave era was that the songs were fairly short and punchy. With Sammy five minute songs became the norm and they started to sound a bit bloated and uninspired. Maybe Dave was just there at the right time when Eddie was at his absolute peak? I just find that the songwriting really dipped when Sammy entered the picture.

Maybe a year ago I gave the Sammy albums a listen after not having heard them for quite a while and they were better than I remembered but they are still inferior to the earlier albums with Dave. Realistically I can not see recommending the Sammy era over the Dave era to a new listener.

[Edited 1/13/12 4:00am]

There's many an argument with Van Halen vs Van "Hagar".

I grew up with CVH and stuck with then during the Hagar years. Did I still like them after the change? Yes. Do I still have the 4 Hagar led releases?. Yes. Do I listen to them much? Not really. Do I hate them? No. But when it comes to the CVH 6 pack, I just feel they don't compare. There's really nothing I cringe or skip on the 6 pack releases. There's a lot of the Hagar stuff that I downright cannot listen to today. That's just me though. Others will feel different. As others said, they really are 2 different bands. You listen, you decide.

If you can, start chronologically. It will be more of a fun and interesting ride that way.