1984 : the last great classic rock album

[Wayne L.]

1984 was just another great rock album by Van Halen to me when it was first released even though it was " ridiculous " the way the mainstream media were treating VH like they were some kind of fad or something because of their hit Jump since it was an " edgy rock song " on the pop charts for a mainstream audience at the time similiar to We're An American Band by GFR & Smoke On The Water by DP along with a great music video showcasing what VH is all about without the over indulgent crap like most music videos. 1984 is without a doubt one of the last great classic rock albums of all time creatively, musically & artistically showcasing this rock band at their finest with few equals with great tracks that are above any so called classic rock albums since joining other great timeless classic rock albums like Abbey Road, Sticky Fingers, Led Zeppelin 2, Paranoid, Rocks, Love Gun & Back In Black despite the fact that Eddie & Dave were about to split personally & professionally. BTW, the music videos for Jump, Panama & Hot For Teacher are visual timeless masterpieces fr generations of rock fans to come.

[flappo]

..what about appetite for destruction ?

[Wayne L.]

Appetite For Destruction by GNR is a great classic rock album in its own right but it's not Van Halen, Fair Warning or 1984 at all even though the reason why AFD became so huge is because it sounded like a 70's rock album instead of an 80's rock album similiar to Motley Crue or Bon Jovi IMO.

[flappo]

..vh kick gnr's ass anyway

..roth is a vastly superior frontman
..edward is an incomporable guitarist
..mikey and alex are a strong double act
,,and their songs are mostly stunners

..something that gnr never quite managed to maintain

[ZahZoo]

I think the answer to the question "last great classic rock album" depends greatly on your age... At varying stages in my life I would have considered Ina Goda Da Vita the last great classic or Hendrix's Band of Gypsys or Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, Allman Brothers Eat A Peach, or the Beatles Let It Be, or Aerosmith Toys in the Attic or Eagles Hotel California... this was the stuff I grew up on in the 60's & 70's.

For some reason I just don't view 80's stuff as classic although a lot of it dominates Classic Rock radio...

[DLR7884]

80's rock is NOT Classic Rock.....yet.

DLR7884
I'm with you, I generally count 60's and 70's only.

[DLR7884]

Speaking of 80's rock dominating classic rock stations.

94.7 The Arrow here in D.C. is always playing U2 songs from the Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. Those albums are from 87 and 91, and are NOT classic at all.

They are great albums, but don't belong on a classic rock station.

What makes me cringe the most is when I hear old and new Metallica on progressive/modern rock stations.

DLR7884
Actually hearing ANY Metallica post 1991 makes me cringe.

[vamp1227]

I was thinking the other day that it has been 20 years since 1984 was released...

[DLR7884]

I marked the anniversary by listening to it with my buddies on New Years Eve.

DLR7884
All the way through, twice.

[TMR]

1986 EAT'EM AND SMILE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BLOWS VH AWAY, BLOWS LED ZEP AWAY, etc....

[DLR7884]

TMR, are you saying you like EEAS more than any album Dave did with VH?

And pretty much more than any album ever since you are saying it blows Zeppelin away?

Pretty strong statement....please elaborate on why you think this.

DLR7884
I'm not saying you're wrong, just wanted to know why you feel this way.

[TMR]

EEAS not only has the best musicians of all time who are still touring in the music industry and creating new music! EEAS has attitude, color, vibe, and lyrics that are great listening to and very positive songs.

I like Led Zep...but look at their collection! Sometimes I like listening to some of their songs but they sound some what depressing.

It's simple as far as Classic DLR goes....when I listen to any of those cd's, and then I listen to EEAS....I notice a huge difference in sound and EEAS has spent more time in my disc player then any other effort by DLR

[Mr Badguy]

I`ve got to agree with Flappo here.

I regard AFD as a classic not just for the music but for the whole phenomenon.

It was one of those albums that defines an era.

Everybody was listening to that album, and I mean everybody.

Even now it still sounds great and there ain`t no synths or anything to make it sound smooth, it`s a dirty and honest rock n roll album.

1984 was a great album but I think AFD is/was better.

Van Halen`s true classic is "Van Halen", which had the same groundbreaking effect as AFD.

[Wayne L.]

I think Van Halen is " more " of a groundbreaking classic rock album than AFD by GNR ever was or ever will be because VH took the hard rock/heavy metal genre to another level back in the 70's giving it a good kick in the ass similiar to the debut album by Led Zeppelin while AFD stood out because it " didn't " sound like an 80's rock album similiar to other 80s rock bands like Motley Crue, Bon Jovi & Ratt along with GNR's image which " isn't " saying too much these days.

[Mr Badguy]

There`s no doubt about it.

"Van Halen" is a contender for the best debut LP ever.

In terms of songs and innovative rock music.

It`s in the same bracket as "Are you experienced?", "Led Zeppelin" and "Black Sabbath".

However "VH" vs "AFD" is another arguement.

One that "AFD" wouldn`t win on this site.

[ALinChainz]

I like the think of AFD as a "Hey, remember what rock music is?". A great album, but the first VH changed everything for everyone in the genre.

In my opinion of course.

[Wayne L.]

The fact " still " remains that 1984 by VH is without a doubt the " last " great classic rock album creatively, musically & artistically " similiar " to other great classic rock albums like Abbey Road, Sticky Fingers, Led Zeppelin 2, Rocks, Love Gun & Back In Black because " anything " by 80's rock bands like Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi & Ratt isn't in the same leagues.

[Viking]

1984 was the best 'throw it on the stereo and crack open the beer keg' albums of all time........I give it a on a scale of to

[Gmoney]

Originally posted by DLR7884
80's rock is NOT Classic Rock.....yet.

DLR7884
I'm with you, I generally count 60's and 70's only.

I agree, I would really not consider any albums from the 80's to be classic rock.

When I think of classic rock I think of the Rolling Stones, Who, Led Zepplin, Hendrix, Deep Purple, ect...

[Cathedral]

You know your getting old when you hear Zepp playing in an elevator....which i did at Dillards the other day.

I think 80's bands went straight past becoming classic and went directly to Muzak.

[Mr Badguy]

Well, if Nirvana can get played on classic stations then I don`t see why the 80`s bands can`t.

Even stuff like "Smoke on the water", "Stairway to heaven" were regarded as classics only a few years after they were recorded.

If you`re telling me that the songs "The number of the beast", "love in an elevator" or "Silent lucidity", to name a few, ain`t classics then I don`t agree with you.

[Lou]

Just because it's not that old doesn't mean it can't be classic. Hell I consider Tom Petty's "Wildflowers" and the song "Mary Jane's Last Dance" classic rock. It gets played on the two classic rock stations here.