Calling all Van Halen fanatics

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I've seen this before on a grainy VHS, but just found a decent online version. Those were the days!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FORI7x8WWHg&search=van%20halen

VINMAN · 04-12-2006, 05:15 AM

Man, do I miss the old Van halen!!

fastpat · 04-12-2006, 05:50 AM

I just don't respect Eddy VanHalen these days, not since he left Valerie.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I think Val left him. 20+ yrs. with someone who was always drunk was probably enough for her.

VINMAN · 04-12-2006, 06:01 AM

Have you seen Eddie these days? Scary. He makes Keith Richards look good!

fastpat · 04-12-2006, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee
I think Val left him. 20+ yrs. with someone who was always drunk was probably enough for her.

Oh, man, say it ain't so.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Pat, remember Ed had part of his tongue removed for oral cancer and continued to smoke thereafter. He is much an alcoholic as they come too. I don't know how Val made it that long with someone so self-destructive. But there's no denying his greatness in the music world.

deathpunk dan · 07:13 AM

**** band since 1985! Party rock cover band formed in 1974 that as early as 76 was considering luring Hagar and also nearly ended up with Richard Hell's then-wife and future John McEnroe spouse Patti Smythe of faux new wave band Scandal as frontwoman.

But yes, their DLH era output is great. He was a great frontman and blindingly perfect for their image and sound.

fastpat · 04-12-2006, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by deathpunk dan
**** band since 1985! Party rock cover band formed in 1974 that as early as 76 was considering luring Hagar and also nearly ended up with Richard Hell's then-wife and future John McEnroe spouse Patti Smythe of faux new wave band Scandal as frontwoman.

But yes, their DLH era output is great. He was a great frontman and blindingly perfect for their image and sound.

Don 't you mean DLR, as in David Lee Roth? MTV had a great show quite a while ago called Dave TV, it was Roth for hours mostly in person. His acrobatic antics were stunning to say the least.

deathpunk dan · 04-12-2006, 08:10 AM

yeah dlr...got the braindamage today

IROC · IROC's Garage

Read an interview with Ed not too long ago that was originally written around the Diver Down album timeframe. He lambasted DLR (a sign of things to come) and also had *nothing* good to say about Michael Anthony. He basically said, "It's all me. I do everything."

At least he was modest.

His tone is incredible, though. Wow.

Mike

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

In a very recent interview, Mike (I think very accurately) said his backing vocals are every bit as much of the classic VH sound as was Ed's guitar. If it's all Ed, why isn't he out there playing solo now? The others would love nothing more than to get out there and play again.

IROC · IROC's Garage

I agree. In that video above, Mike has some decent chops on bass, too. I was a little surprised that Eddie was so totally negative on Mike in the interview. He said something to the effect of, "All he has done is remodel his house and buy a Porsche with the money he's made off of us."

That statement, to me, made it sound like Eddie (and maybe Alex to an extent) felt that Mike wasn't part of "us" - he was just some guy riding their coattails. He also lambasted DLR saying that many of the songs had to be adjusted to fit Dave's "range" and the implication was that he meant that in a derogatory manner.

Interesting interview. I think it is in a GuitarOne magazine from a month or so ago...

Mike

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Update. Here's another one.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=U9pbvGp4jwU&search=van%20halen

This is another total crushing by the king when he was still young and hungry. Looks like their first tour. Sound quality is pretty good too.

on-ramp · 05-01-2006, 01:49 PM

Eddie did the solo to Michael Jackson's "Beat It". It won "solo of the decade contest" by some Guitar magazine, I think .

gassy · 05-01-2006, 02:14 PM

Thanks Rick-- Anyone who can't appreciate that version of Eruption...
Amazing!

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

MA didn't really have chops, but in a band like VH, you don't want that. Kinda like SRV's backing band...boring as all snot and not really technically proficient players. But any serious noodling from the ryhthm section would detract from the guitar, so it is the best setup.

In some cases you can get guys who hold down the ship will still providing sublime/inspired playing (Jim Gordon on drums with Derek and the Dominos comes to mind, along with Tony Levin on bass playing with Peter Gabriel), but those are exceptions.

EVH was borrowing quite a bit from the Jimi playbook on that eruption video...

stuartj · 05-01-2006, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by nostatic

EVH was borrowing quite a bit from the Jimi playbook on that eruption video...

I am old enough to remember VH, and what his technique meant in the late 70s. I wish i still had the 1978 GP magazine which fiest featured EVH after the VH1 album had come out.

Tho I personally lean much more to the Brit school of Page, Beck, Green, Moore et al myself, to my mind there have been only two really influential rock guitar players. Hendrix stood guitar playing on its ear in the 60's and EVH set the agenda for the 80 and 90s.

Who's come since?

Stuart

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Eddie and Jimi are the only two I can think of who actually inspired entire generations of kids to go out and buy guitars. Lots of great ones between and after them. But none had the impact they had. I still get goose bumps when I go to a VH show or hear certain songs. I got their first album right when it came out and I was in 2nd grade. Certain bands are just a soundtrack to one's life. VH is mine. I grew up and learned all my lessons while listening to them.

jbripps · jbripps's Garage

Thanks for sharing......that made my night. I think they are the only band I didn't get to see (with DLR) that I would just love to attend now. If they re-unite again, I'll travel anywhere to see.

Thanks again,