With the formula established on their first two records, Van Halen began tinkering on Women and Children First. Always in search of new sounds, Eddie Van Halen continued playing around with guitars and effects pedals; the LP also featured his first studio experiments with keyboards, which would prove much more successful a few years later. Meanwhile, Roth upset his bandmates by hiring Helmut Newton to shoot the cover photo, which seemed to focus more on the singer before a different photographer was brought in.
The first single from the album was the keyboard-driven "And the Cradle Will Rock..." Although it was not a success like previous singles "Dance the Night Away" or the cover of "You Really Got Me", the album itself was well-received, went platinum within a year and further entrenched the band as a popular concert draw. The song "Everybody Wants Some!!" was also a concert staple through the 1984 tour
1. "And the Cradle Will Rock..." 3:31
2. "Everybody Wants Some!!" 5:05
3. "Fools" 5:55
4. "Romeo Delight" 4:19
Side two
No. Title Length
5. "Tora! Tora!" 0:57
6. "Loss of Control" 2:36
7. "Take Your Whiskey Home" 3:09
8. "Could This Be Magic?" 3:08
9. "In a Simple Rhyme"
Photo: Getty Images North America