Van Halen were running a little bit hot when they hopped in the studio to track the follow-up to their guitar world-revolutionizing self-titled debut LP. Warmed up from a recent world tour, they were firing on all cylinders and produced an eponymous sequel that rivals the dangerous, dynamic appeal of that first release. II thrives on bad-boy party anthems (“Beautiful Girls”) and features some of Van Halen’s meanest rockers yet (“D.O.A.”), but it likewise spread the band’s wings with harmonic-tapping pop-rock (“Dance the Night Away”) and acoustic virtuosity (“Spanish Fly”). Fiendishly fun and meant to be cranked as loud as possible.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP repressing. Digitally remastered edition of this 1979 album.

Mastering engineer Chris Bellman, who remastered the original albums at Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios, was enlisted for this new version. In order to produce the original sound the band intended, Bellman cut straight from the quarter-inch tapes.