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Women And Children First Review
07/13/2005 4:02 AM, AMG
By Van Halen's third release, 1980's Women and Children First, the group was a bona fide arena headliner; hence, meaty guitar riffs and a huge, fat sound are featured throughout. While Van Halen II was closely rooted both compositionally and sonically to their self-titled debut, Women and Children First signaled the band's first (successful) attempt to branch out. The tracks may not have been as immediate as such previous favorites as "Runnin' With the Devil" or "Dance the Night Away," but they were much more ambitious from a songwriting standpoint, resulting in perhaps Van Halen's most underrated record. The anthemic album opener, "And the Cradle Will Rock...," was the first Van Halen track to ever feature keyboards (processed through a guitar amplifier for a heavy sound), while the massive yet spacious sound of such heavy hitters as "Everybody Wants Some!," "Fools," "Romeo Delight," and "Loss of Control" is simply awe-inspiring. Both the intro to "Take Your Whiskey Home" and "Could This Be Magic?" find the band in a loose and fun bluesy mode, while the album-closing epic ballad, "In a Simple Rhyme," is one of Van Halen's all-time best and deserved to be a hit. An oft-overlooked hard rock classic. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
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