Got a drink in my hand, got my toes in the sand. All I need is some good internet service so I can watch the latest video on Van Halen from the “Professor of Rock”!
“The Professor” Adam Reader has just done a deep dive into 1979’s Van Halen II album and how it avoided the sophomore jinx.
The sophomore jinx is defined as being an instance in which a second, or sophomore effort fails to live up to the relatively high standards of the first effort. As we know, Van Halen II was far from that. Led by the #15 single “Dance The Night Away” and “Beautiful Girls”, the rock radio favorite released in August of ’79, the album reached #6 on the Billboard 200 after its March 23rd, 1979 release. It’s gone on to sell close to 6 million copies.
“The Story of Van Halen II the band’s spectacular sophomore album,” wrote “The Professor” in the video above. “They only had a few weeks to create it. The hijinks of Eddie and Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony as we breakdown the album including classic cuts like ‘Beautiful Girls’, ‘Dance the Night Away’, ‘D.O.A.’ and ‘Bottoms Up’.”
More Van Halen Videos From “The Professor Of Rock”
How Eddie Van Halen & David Lee Roth IGNITED The Late 70s
WHY the Sammy Hagar vs David Lee Roth Debate is All About Eddie Van Halen
This Van Halen song is Eddie and David Lee Roth at Their BEST | #1 In Our Hearts
Eddie Van Halen Tribute: Top 5 Songs of Both Eras Feat. Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar on Writing This VAN HALEN 80s Hidden Gem with Eddie Van Halen
Van Halen: How Eddie and Sammy met / Story of 80s Song “Dreams“
5 Van Halen Hidden Gems you need to hear NOW Feat. David Lee Roth & Sammy Hagar
Why Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth Created The Classic Rock LP 1984
Eddie Van Halen & co on the story of “Hot for Teacher”, “I’ll Wait” & Side 2 of 1984