The third album from Van Halen is an updated continuation of their expertise. After two releases with no speed bumps in between, the band was ready to face the new decade with confidence. Hearing the amplification of EVH’s guitar in the intro of And The Cradle Will Rock is the prologue of another VH experience ready to take off.
Everybody Wants Some is the band’s bizarre take on a jungle themed tone, provided by Alex Van Halen’s drum beat, David Lee Roth’s Tarzan impression and Edward Van Halen’s guitar tinkering in the background. The song is carried out of the intro’s realm and brought into a spirited hard rock chorus.
Fools is a good jam, beginning with an elaborate EVH-centric intro and blues rock traits fueling the rhythm. Romeo Delight is a whirlwind of the group’s collaborative supersonic vitality, however it is still kept in control by toned down segments stringing the track together.
One of the most creative instrumentals done thus far in Van Halen‘s catalog is the eerie Tora! Tora!, opening with playback audio of EVH plucking his guitar and initiating a doomy, Black Sabbath-influenced chain of solos merged with his playing style. Meanwhile, Roth howls in the background like they’re in a scary movie. These two factors make for a clever piece of the band’s approach at a horror tone.
Loss Of Control is VH transformed into a boogie shuffle masters which was intended to display another category they’ve explored and transmitted into their interpretation. Take Your Whiskey Home is a swinging rhythm riff-based tune introduced sharply on acoustic and magnified on electric guitar with dramatic breaks adding suspense between the vocals and during the solo. Could This Be Magic? is the group’s practice of southern blues and EVH’s first attempt at playing slide guitar, inducing further diversity in the band’s musical ambiance.
In A Simple Rhyme is the culmination of the album where every member shines. Beginning with an appealing guitar segment transferred to the song’s solid drum beat. Roth’s vocals complement the other members. Ed and Alex carry the tone into striking breaks. These pause sequences trigger luminous harmonies with Michael Anthony, who is emphasized not only for his vocals during the dreamlike portions of the track, but his bass line is also purposely left peaking over EVH’s guitar on more than a few occasions. Finally, the track reanimates itself during the last couple seconds as an outro known as Growth and leaves listeners on edge and wanting more.
Women And Children is VH at the top of their game. Expanding their musical chops while remaining loyal to the tone that they know their fans can’t get enough of. This album represents the band digging deeper into their arsenal searching for fresh ideas and coming up with just the right amount new material.
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