siLLy puPPy VAN HALEN experienced a phenomenally fast rise to the top after the release of the debut album in 1978. The combo effect of David Lee Roth’s charismatic vaudeville laced frontman antics in tandem with Eddie Van Halen’s pyrotechnic guitar wizardry was enough to give the world of hard rock and heavy metal a much needed kick in the ass and as a result the band quickly ascended to top dog status. The band toured extensively and then dropped the sophomore album “Van Halen II” only a year later but round two failed to catch the magic of the debut. The sophomore slump could’ve been interpreted as VAN HALEN falling from grace as quickly as it arose from nowhere but all those fears were put to rest when the band released its third album WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST on March 26, 1980. 


After two unapologetic party rocker albums VAN HALEN decided to move on a bit and solidify its rather scattered musical approach and as a result VH focused on a sound that firmly cemented them in the world of the 80s heavy metal scene with much more emphasis on rowdy metal rockers that emphasized fast tempos, sizzling guitar antics and strong rhythmic drives accompanied by Roth’s already flamboyant singing style. One could even say the album was a bit more serious although VAN HALEN was never known for its philosophical meanderings into existential quandaries. The more focused approach was also matched by the band’s first album of all original material which yielded two of the band’s best classic tracks that were concert draws for years including “And The Cradle Will Rock” and “Everybody Wants Some.”

Ted Templeton once again sat in as producer and while WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST failed to produce any hit singles as had the first two albums, the band’s unrelenting heavy rock approach made them a successful album oriented band that became very popular in arena sized concerts. The leading track “And The Cradle Will Rock” began with a phase-shifting Wurlitzer electric piano masquerading as a guitar effect debuted Eddie’s fascination with keyboard tricks which would culminate with heavy synth use on “1984.” The track became one of the most beloved live songs of the band’s repertoire and equally popular was the jungle drum / vocal led “Everybody Wants Some!” which gleefully celebrated Roth’s sexual conquests which also showcased another VH trait, namely Roth reciting spoken word dialogue like a lustful teenager in a whorehouse.

While none of the album’s remaining tracks became FM radio classics like the first two, the entire album seriously rocks the house with tracks like “Fools” showcasing some of Eddie’s tasteful guitar antics ushering in a groovy bluesy guitar led riff with a bass stomp that allowed Eddie’s improv virtuosity to have a moment in the spotlight. While “Romeo Delight” takes things into even heavier metal territory with head banging guitar riffs and Hendrix-esque feedback it manages to keep that VH charm of mixing louder and softer dynamics. The true surprise comes from the brief instrumental “Tora! Tora!” with trippy synthesizer effects along with a Black Sabbath inspired doom metal riff accompanied by Eddie’s restless fret workouts. The track bleeds into “Loss Of Control” which keeps the metal pace going strong with an unusual song arrangement that showcases not only Eddie’s guitar techniques but unusual rhythmic cadences and lots of VH vocal tradeoffs. Somehow they keep the boogie-woogie underbelly in tact.

“Take Your Whiskey Home” finds Eddie in classic acoustic blues guitar form, a trick that would later be recycled for “Hot For Teacher” but turns into a heavy rock hard hitter that displays a bass line reminiscent of the “Running With The Devil” playbook. The track that started out acoustically and turned hard rock is followed by the all acoustic “Could This Be Magic?” which is the only track in the entire VH canon to feature a backing female vocalist however Nicolette Larson is practically drowned out by the rest of the band also belting out vocal harmonies. It’s also somewhat of a title track with the lyrics WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST appearing several times. The beautiful slide guitars and a rare appearance of Roth on acoustic guitar create a nice little respite from the heavy metal heft. It’s a beautifully melodic track which is followed by the final rocker “In A Simple Rhyme” which originally was supposed to connect to the ending to the beginning of the next album but that never happened.

This is my second favorite VAN HALEN after after the debut notable for its consistency and heaviness only punctuated by brief moments of slower paced acoustic parts. WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST pretty much stated that VAN HALEN was here to stay and went multi-platinum and ushered the band into the heavy metal 80s as one of the top acts of the day. It was also becoming clear that the egotistic frontman David Lee Roth was increasingly in conflict with the Van Halen brothers which led to serious tensions brewing in the band but due to the success the band was enjoying was always worked out in the end but after many decades since the band’s heyday it’s been revealed that Roth’s antics clashed big time with the brothers’ desire to steer the band in a different direction. There are many moments that are a sneak preview to Roth’s solo career and while he would split just a few years down the road, for this moment in time the chemistry and tension worked to everyone’s advantage. WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST is an outstanding classic hard rock / heavy metal album of the era.

Unitron Van Halen - Women and Children First

'Women and Children First' is the third studio album by hard rock/heavy metal band Van Halen. When talking about favorite Van Halen albums the debut is probably the first to be mentioned, while 'Women and Children First' seems to be underrated. However, this is when Van Halen got a bit heavier then they already were.

This and the next album is probably Van Halen at their heaviest, with some straight-forward heavy metal moments mixed in with their already hard rocking sound. This album speeds, shreds, and drives itself into the listeners ears beginning with the opening two songs 'And the Cradle Will Rock...' and 'Everybody Wants Some!!' which were the most popular songs from the album. These songs certainly do deserve their popularity, being excellent hard rocking opening tracks. What comes after is one of my favorite Van Halen songs, 'Fools'. This is simply one of the best examples of a driving song, with one of the most addicting riffs I've ever heard. All the instruments fit together so well, making it difficult to not stomp your foot to the thumping bass and driving guitar. 'Romeo Delight' is another awesome hard rock song with some more thumping bass and catchy guitar work. During the middle, Eddie Van Halen gives a solo that wouldn't sound out of place in a heavy metal album.

The short 'Tora! Tora!' sounds like it came right out of a Black Sabbath album, with dark diminished chords before flowing right into 'Loss of Control', which has some killer shredding reminding me of Motorhead. If you want a fast shredding song with some killer bass as well, then this is perfect. 'Take a Whisky Home' is another one of my favorites, starting out with catchy acoustic guitar mixed with some bluesy vocals from Lee Roth. The acoustic guitar transitions nicely into bluesy Aerosmith-esque riffing. Michael Anthony is a pretty underrated bassist, giving some extremely catchy grooves all throughout the album especially in the aforementioned song.

Overall, I know many think the debut is Van Halen's best, I've always thought that it suffered from filler. However, apart from 'Could This be Magic?' this album never stops rocking. This and the next album are my personal favorites from Van Halen. If you want some fun hard rock/metal, you can't go wrong with this album or 'Fair Warning'. Hope you found this review helpful.

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Sinkadotentree My second favourite VAN HALEN album after the debut.I know a lot of this has to do with the year 1980 because i was having the time of my life and this cassette was a big part of 1980 along with "Highway To Hell","Back In Black","Permanent Waves","Heaven And Hell" and more. I met the green eyed blonde after i had already purchased tickets to this concert,so it was one of the rare concerts she didn't go to with me.Instead me and three buddies went down to Toronto on a hot summer's night to see the boys play at Maple Leaf Gardens on their "Women And Children First" tour.Probably the hottest i've been at a concert.We were way up in the Grey seats and it was so humid and hot in there.I even remember after the concert in the parking lot after 11 pm how warm it still was.They put on an amazing show.That was the only time i've seen them live. "And The Cradle Will Rock" seems pretty immature now but as a 19 year old i loved it.I remember giving my girlfriend's sister and her boyfriend a ride somewhere and i put this on.After we got to the destination he said "I've got to get that album !" My sound system was really good and the second track "Everybody Wants Some!!" sounded amazing.Love the tribal drumming to start.Eddie comes in half way through lighting it up. "Fools" is dark and and Eddie puts on one incredible performance early on on this the longest track."Romeo Delight" is where they pick up the pace.Ripping it up !"Baby please,can't take it anymore !"Killer stuff.Attitude man. "Tora! Tora!" is only a minute long and half way through it turns SABBATH-like then blends into "Loss Of Control".Love this song. "Take Your Whiskey Home" is my favourite song on here.I like how it starts with acoustic guitar and Roth singing before it turns dark and heavy.Check out the bass here."Could This Be Magic?" is a good acoustic tune. "In A Simple Rhyme" is a song that moves me for some strange reason. This album is all about bringing back those crazy memories from a time long gone.

rushfan4 Women and Children First was one of the last Van Halen albums that I acquired way back in the day when I was in the Van Halen album purchasing mode. This album is one of their least memorable releases, although songs like And The Cradle Will Rock and Everybody Wants Some are amongst their hit songs. There are no cover songs on this album. Tora! Tora! is the 1 minute to shine instrumental which leads into Loss of Control, but nowhere near as good as previous and future instrumentals. Possibly my least favorite Van Halen album, but still a worthy purchase and a fun album to listen to.