LISTEN LIVE

Summertime ROCK: Van Halen ‘Van Halen’

The summertime series of albums best listened to when it’s hotter than hell continues with an absolute classic. I started the set last week with Sublime’s self-titled album; it’s pure…

The summertime series of albums best listened to when it's hotter than hell continues with an absolute classic.

I started the set last week with Sublime's self-titled album; it's pure coincidence that this week's feature is a self-titled release, too. Truth be told, you could probably tag any of Van Halen's first half-dozen albums with the "best listened to in summer" tag, but I put the debut ahead of the rest.

Why? The cover songs, first and foremost. "Ice Cream Man" is such an obvious summer jam, but their cover of The Kink's "You Really Got Me" is best cranked loudly with the car windows cranked down. Doesn't hurt that the album features "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" and "Jamie's Cryin'," too.

So help yourself to a double scoop of Van Halen this summer. And watch this space for more summertime ROCK.

adam12Writer
Adam 12 is the Program Director of Boston's ROCK 92.9, heard weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. He's been flexing his encyclopedic rock knowledge in New England for over 2 decades, both on-air and online, at WBCN, WFNX, Boston.com, and indie617. At ROCK 92.9, he keeps you in the know on the big stories from the Boston music scene and writes about great places to eat, drink (beer), and to spend time outdoors in and around Boston.