Van Halen: Van Halen II [WARNER]

Why you'll love it

This remastered 180g edition was pressed in the EU. Van Halen II reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and went five times platinum in the US, with "Dance the Night Away" and "Beautiful Girls" as its hit singles.

This edition

• 180g vinyl
• Remastered
• Pressed in the EU

About the album

Most bands take a breather after their first world tour. Van Halen took a week off, walked into Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood with producer Ted Templeman, and had their second album finished between December 10 and 16, 1978. You can hear the road in it: David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony play like a band that hasn't stopped moving in months.

It opens with a swaggering cover of "You're No Good," played in the style of Dee Dee Warwick's version, then lands the sunny "Dance the Night Away." "Somebody Get Me a Doctor," "Bottoms Up!" and "Light Up the Sky" keep the party roaring, "Spanish Fly" is a one-minute instrumental showcase for Eddie, and "Beautiful Girls," which began life on a 1977 demo as "Bring On the Girls," closes with a grin.

It went double platinum in Canada too, and it still sounds like the best summer of somebody's life. They made it in about a week, which is roughly how long it takes us to agree on what goes on the shop stereo on a Saturday.

Also at Kops: more Van Halen on vinyl · browse Rock

Tracklist

Listen

On Warner (cat# RR1 3312), a reissue of the 1979 album.