LIMITED GATEFOLD DOUBLE YELLOW VINYL. Van Halen formed in 1974, but emerged in public view with the 1978 release of their self-titled debut album, which quickly established them as the hottest American hard-rock band since Aerosmith. The band reinvigorated hard rock during a period of doldrums by bringing youthful, West Coast bravado and blistering virtuosity to the genre. They delivered their music with an unrelenting intensity and musicality that audiences devoured, launching them to superstardom and restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene. After 30 years and 11 studio releases —four of which reached Number One—, Van Halen has sold more than 56 million records in the U.S., which places them among the top 20 best-selling artists of all time. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen redefined what the electric guitar could do, developing a blindingly fast technique with a variety of self-taught two-handed tapping, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and effects that mimicked the sounds of machines and animals. It was wildly inventive and over the top, equaled only by vocalist David Lee Roth, who brought the role of a metal singer to near-performance art standards. Roth wasn't blessed with great technique, unlike Eddie, but he had a flair for showmanship derived as much from lounge performers as Robert Plant. Together, they made Van Halen into the most popular American rock & roll band of the late '70s and early '80s, and in the process set the template for hard rock and heavy metal for the '80s. In The Many Faces of Van Halen, we will dig deep into their story, its members' collaborations, influences, and the band's fantastic catalog. With fantastic artwork and remastered sound, The Many Faces of Van Halen expand our collection of The Many Faces in vinyl format.
