Eddie wasn't for everyone but man that mother fucker could play the guitar..... Damn... There were a few years as a young teen that I was seeing Van Halen one weekend & then the GD shortly after...
>It's a wonder that he lasted this long. RIP, EVH.
He spent a good part of his fortune privately developing cancer treatments. It kept him going for a while. Hopefully they can use that research for the common folk.
The Van Halens lived 2 homes down the alley from one of the first band houses where I first started playing in the late 70's. They had a limo and yacht (for dad) in the driveway, while the brothers had an old ford they drove (fairlane?). The drivers side door didn't open, so they had to pile in from the side door. Alex came over and smoked a joint with us once. I remember seeing them play parties before they were "discovered"... good times!
that quiet little lick at the end of the guitar solo before Dave sings: "have you seen juniors grades?" is one of my most favorite guitar moments in all of rock and roll
I seen them open for Black Sabbath when their first album came out. They tore up their 45 minute set, but never had the urge to go see them again. He defiantly made playing guitar cool again, and turned a lot of people on to the finger tapping on the neck, the dude knew music too.
Aww man. That sucks. RIP. Back when I was 12 I enjoyed a good dose of VH. Went to a Christian summer camp that brought all of the older campers together and showed us a slide show of what they thought Satanic music was. VH, Metallica and such, what a trip. We all snickered and laughed and the meeting just made us turn it up louder. This was the same summer camp where I was introduced to the Dead and Pink Floyd. Lol.
Loved his hair and his guitar playing but at that point in my life most of us girls just wanted to be Valerie Bertinelli... married to a hot rock star and traveling the world. Good times.
He always seemed to be having a good time with a smile on his face. Didn't seem to take himself too seriously. But I don't know much about him. Gone too soon.
There are a handful of people with any musical instrument that we can credit with actually changing the course of the instrument. Obviously Charlie Parker changed the alto saxophone. Coltrane changed the tenor saxophone. Jaco Pastorius changed the electric bass. John Bonham changed the world of rock drumming. I could go on but you get the point. It’s an amazing feat for any artist to have that kind of impact and influence on any instrument…..But let’s talk about the electric guitar. The advent of the electric guitar changed music, arguably, more than the the advent of any other instrument. The endless combinations of sounds and techniques allowed everyone to seek their own voice which opened up a whole new world of musical expression and possibilities. Maybe I’m biased but in my opinion the electric guitar saved modern music. So when we’re talking about a small pantheon of people who changed the electric guitar that’s a major feat. Monumental!
I still remember the first time I heard Van Halen. It was at a party in Asheville, my hometown. The first VH album had just come out and people were raving about the music and about Eddie’s guitar playing in particular. Never ready to add someone new to my list of who I consider to be great guitarists, I was a bit resistant but ready to give it a chance. At first listen, I can admit now, I was quite impressed but still not ready to give in to the hype. It was obvious that what he was doing was exceptional but he was using a lot of distortion so I wasn’t convinced that he was really pulling it off in a technical sense…. until I heard Eruption. Pretty damn precise! That’s when it hit me. It was a new day in Rock ’n’ Roll. It was a new day in electric guitar playing. Then later when I heard Spanish Fly (from VH2) GOD DAMN!!! He can play that shit on acoustic guitar.
Fast forward. No matter what your tastes, especially if you’re of a certain age, maybe VH’s music was not your thing but you had to admit it was the real deal! I personally never looked at EVH as being a major influence on my own playing as my style was fairly developed by the time I discovered his music but I was always a big fan of his virtuosity. Also I should point out that, as is the case with the emergence of any highly innovative, groundbreaking new music or new musician, it would soon follow that the airwaves would become inundated with a gazillion copycats, most of which paled in comparison to the trendsetter. This has happened in virtually every moment in history where someone changed the course of a genre or where someone changed the course of an instrument. It has also happened historically with songwriting. When someone comes along with a fresh innovative approach to writing songs suddenly copycats appear out of the woodwork. That’s the way it was with Van Halen, both with Eddie’s playing and with the music itself. This inundation left a bad taste in the mouths of a lot of avid music fans, myself included, but again Eddie was the catharsis for change- not to be blamed for what followed- and VH was the real deal.
I only got to see Van Halen, the band, perform twice- once in the early 80’s in Asheville and once a few years ago when they reformed the original band. All four members of Gov’t Mule happened to be in LA at the time and we were invited to the Forum to see what they called a “friends and family” dress rehearsal show. Being there watching Van Halen in a 20,000 seat arena with only 700 lucky attendees was quite an experience. Eddie played brilliantly. The whole band sounded great, as they did when I first saw them several decades earlier. It was something I'll always remember.
I never knew Eddie- never had the opportunity to meet him- but as someone who has studied music since I first got the “bug” as a kid I am compelled to say that the loss of Eddie Van Halen today is monumental! The list of those who changed the trajectory of the electric guitar is a short one and many arguments can be made that I am leaving some out (which I don’t doubt) but in that regard Eddie is joined by the likes of Charlie Christian, Les Paul, and Jimi Hendrix and very few others. Eddie changed the electric guitar. Eddie changed Rock ’n’ Roll. Rock ’n’ Roll changed the world. Any questions?- WH
I was in the 7th Grade and had just turned 13 when Van Halen's debut LP came out in early February of 1978. My peers and I were the target demographic. Along with AC/DC and Motörhead, they brought loud, fast Rock 'n' Roll back into vogue, making a mockery of the soft rock bands. When I had started Junior High School, it seemed like every desk had "Led Zeppelin" carved into it. By the next year in 8th Grade, it was nothing but the "VH" logo.
In their early DLR years, they were prolific, putting a new album out almost every year. The new releases were always highly anticipated, and they consistently hit the mark: I, II, Women & Children First, Diver Down, Fair Warning, 1984...a classic run. I grew bored with them when DLR left, but those years are packed with great memories.
A few years ago I was visiting one of my nephews at the boot camp style boarding school his parents had sent him off to in Montana. I took him and a couple of his cousins who were also visiting to the local Wal-Mart to get a Whiffle Ball and Bat, and they talked me into buying a CD for them to listen to in the car. They picked Van Halen II, and it was a hoot watching the three 13-15 year olds crank it loud and whoop and yell as they got into the music, just the way my friends and I had when we were their age.
I appreciate the monstrous licks and dedication to his craft that Eddie Van Halen shared with the world.
Tough loss
Great guitarist, great band, great albums, good times
Saw them a few times during the Sammy years. Rosemont Horizon, Alpine Valley and at SIU.
Fun scene in the movie Better off Dead with the song Everybody Wants Some
In a post on the Who Facebook account, Townshend checked in to say goodbye to Van Halen. Townshend called his passing “completely tragic” and praised the late guitar great. “He was not just an innovative and stylish player with great taste,” Townshend said. “He was also a laidback virtuoso showman who just blew us all away every time.”
Townshend didn’t stop there. The Who legend also related a remarkable story involving himself and Van Halen in the ’80s. It began with none other than Michael Jackson asking Townshend to play guitar on a record called Thriller (1982).
“I said I couldn’t do it but recommended Eddie,” Townshend recalled. After Van Halen called him and the two chatted, he quickly won over Townshend. “He was utterly charming, happy about the connection […]. His smile was just classic. A man in his rightful place, so happy to be doing what he did.”
Though Van Halen once called out Page for his sloppiness on stage in the late Zep years, he acknowledged the impact Page had on him. “I’ve always said Eric Clapton is my main influence, but Page was actually more the way I am, in a reckless-abandon kind of way,” he told Guitar World.
In his goodbye on Instagram, Page described the “great sadness” he felt and called Van Halen “the real deal.” He also saluted Van Halen’s one-in-a-generation skill. “He pioneered a dazzling technique on guitar with taste and panache that I felt always placed him above his imitators,” Page wrote. “R. I. P. Eddie.”
Cool flyers Noodler. Wish I had stayed around for their show at the US Fest in 83. 350,000 people on heavy metal day saturday. Went to the day before and saw the Clash last show with Mick Jones. Van Halen got paid $1.000.000 for their performance which caused a problem with the Clash( Joe) who only got $500,000 to headline friday which made for an epic Clash performance.
Van Halen Us Fest. I think they played 7 encores if I remember reading right.?
So I only saw Van Halen twice--2 mights in a row at the Philly Spectrum 1980, anyone else there? I was already 4 years deep into being a rabid Hot Tuna and Dead Head and liked Van Halen because they were just so innovative sounding. Anyway, went with my friend and the thing was, they played the same set both nights and Diamond Dave made the exact same small talk between the same songs like coming out in an Eagles jersey and saying "hey Philly, what the fuck--how ya doing" or something like that. There were like 4 or 5 places each night he said the exact same shit. Now, they were loud and powerful in 1980 even through Michael Anthony only knows like 6 notes. I liked it but came away thinking, how unique are the Dead--no small talk and totally different sets each night. I have their first 4 albums, but their first 2 still move me and still play Bottoms Up!, Women In Love and truly one of the best cover songs ever, from album number 1, the Kinks "You Really Got Me" they made that one all their own.
I was never a fan. I've always fully acknowledged his virtuosic technical & innovative mastery of his instrument, but despite the technical brilliance, IMO it was all too much based on "tricks" for my taste.
Another thing that's always made it hard for me to fully appreciate him is that I never saw him with the "real" band in the early days, only seeing him twice with Van Hagar, once as a very strange sit-in with Simon & Garfunkel at a Bridge Benefit show, and then twice at Van Halen "reunion" shows with David Lee Roth. As always, live is where we can see who's really who and what's really what, and I was never really impressed, and was twice horrified.
At none of those shows did I think he was doing anything but "hitting his marks" at best, and at worst - the Bridge sit-in & the first of the DLR shows - he was absolutely terrible.
Maybe the sit-in with S&F can be excused, but at the time I couldn't help but think it was a clear example of how incapable he was at fitting in at all with something different. Probably not fair, but I thought his one song in that set almost ruined the whole set and that's always left a mark in my mind.
Then, he was REALLY bad at the first reunion show in Oakland around '08, because he was completely shitfaced that night. That was obvious almost immediately and it was confirmed later from firsthand backstage reports. Apparently his ex-wife, whats-her-name the actress, showed up unannounced because their 16-year-old son lil' Wolfie was playing bass (he was bad too). Reports are that her showing up freaked Eddie out and he fell off the wagon and got roaring drunk.
He was just terrible that night, flubbing, unable to pull of or finish solos, multiple clams, stumbling around the stage and tripping over things.
For obvious reasons that night also made a long-lasting impression on me, which again is probably not really fair because I'm pretty sure that he usually knew & played his parts very well, but even when I saw him earlier with Hagar and then again in 2013 with DLR I always found him to be more machine than a "soulful" in-the-moment player.
I really wish I'd seen him with the original band, as I always got the idea that THAT band in their early heyday was truly ripping and had more of a loose, pure rockin' approach, but I just had no interest is seeing bands like that in those days.
Still, despite my personal issues & tastes, there is no doubt that he was an all-time great player, wrote some classic rock 'n roll songs, was an innovator on his instrument and this is clearly a deep loss for many.
Since I was a kid in the 80's (4 - 14) I mostly listened to or heard what my older brother and sister were playing. My brother wasn't a metal head or anything like it, but played the standard Van Hagar hits of 80's, so at that time I always thought Van Halen was a cheesy 80's synth band. Around 13, 14 I started exploring my own tastes and discovered early Van Halen, which I liked a lot, but it was quickly overrun by so much good music that would come my way from that point on, starting with Zeppelin. Once I discovered Zeppelin there was no going back to standard radio rock like Van Halen.
But hey, the guy had talent, I think that much is clear. Sad to see anyone pass at an early age. Hope his family and loved ones are all ok.
I think it is a very significant thing to remember that EVH was an immigrant who was naturalized.
His heritage is Dutch and Indonesian! So cool. He came to America as a child.
He Stated:
“Coming here with approximately $50 and a piano, and not being able to speak the language, going through everything to get to where we are,” he said. “If that's not the American dream, I don't know what is.”
>>>then again in 2013 with DLR . . . more machine than a "soulful"
Saw them on that tour and it was the biggest musical let down of my show going career. Zero energy (despite DLR's antics) and just going through the motions.
>>>Michael Anthony only knows like 6 notes.
I had always thought that too, although "simple" bass playing often fits the music and keeps things together. However, a week after I saw that awful VH show in 2013, saw Chickenfoot and was really impressed by Michael Anthony's bass playing. Sammy was not shy about letting him stretch out a bit and the whole band blew 2013 Van Halen away.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Joe Buck is Back
I wonder if somebody got him
I wonder if somebody got him a Doctor?
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It's a wonder that he lasted
It's a wonder that he lasted this long. RIP, EVH.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mice elf
Seems like Eddie has had one
They're definitely not getting back together after this
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: jonaspond
Eddie wasn't for everyone but
Eddie wasn't for everyone but man that mother fucker could play the guitar..... Damn... There were a few years as a young teen that I was seeing Van Halen one weekend & then the GD shortly after...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: jonaspond
>It's a wonder that he lasted
>It's a wonder that he lasted this long. RIP, EVH.
He spent a good part of his fortune privately developing cancer treatments. It kept him going for a while. Hopefully they can use that research for the common folk.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Blue Rose Task Force
RIP to The Atomic Punk
The Soundtrack to many keg parties back in the day...
RIP to The Atomic Punk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m-DYM7JvMA
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Druba
The Van Halens lived 2 homes
The Van Halens lived 2 homes down the alley from one of the first band houses where I first started playing in the late 70's. They had a limo and yacht (for dad) in the driveway, while the brothers had an old ford they drove (fairlane?). The drivers side door didn't open, so they had to pile in from the side door. Alex came over and smoked a joint with us once. I remember seeing them play parties before they were "discovered"... good times!
RIP
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: DZ
that little lick before Dave
that quiet little lick at the end of the guitar solo before Dave sings: "have you seen juniors grades?" is one of my most favorite guitar moments in all of rock and roll
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: jazfish
I met him in a bar in
I met him in a bar in Shreveport, LA a long time ago.
RIP, Ed.
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Damn one more down RIP
Damn
one more down
RIP
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: An organ grinder’s tune
noodler ya know a dude named
noodler ya know a dude named craig chamberlain? my buudy who grew up in pasadena with similar stories...
my 1st big rock show was van halen at the la formum diver down tour....eddie's solo, he came out in a cowboy hat playing the bonanza theme.
rip.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Tim
A rock god of my early youth
A rock god of my early youth
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Rasputin O'Leary
Where have all the good times
Where have all the good times gone - RIP Brother Eddie - California Azz Kicker
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skyjunk
I seen them open for Black
I seen them open for Black Sabbath when their first album came out. They tore up their 45 minute set, but never had the urge to go see them again. He defiantly made playing guitar cool again, and turned a lot of people on to the finger tapping on the neck, the dude knew music too.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mice elf
I bought Van Halen 1 it was
I bought Van Halen 1 it was the best damn record I ever owned
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd31wu2rdEQ
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: doctor
Loved them in my youth.
Loved them in my youth. Revolutionary band who changed how people play the guitar. Saw them twice. Either 2 times in 80 or 80 and 81.
RIP Edward!
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Aww man. That sucks. RIP.
Aww man. That sucks. RIP. Back when I was 12 I enjoyed a good dose of VH. Went to a Christian summer camp that brought all of the older campers together and showed us a slide show of what they thought Satanic music was. VH, Metallica and such, what a trip. We all snickered and laughed and the meeting just made us turn it up louder. This was the same summer camp where I was introduced to the Dead and Pink Floyd. Lol.
Loved his hair and his guitar playing but at that point in my life most of us girls just wanted to be Valerie Bertinelli... married to a hot rock star and traveling the world. Good times.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Strangha
He always seemed to be having
He always seemed to be having a good time with a smile on his face. Didn't seem to take himself too seriously. But I don't know much about him. Gone too soon.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: dj_easy_wind
From Warren Haynes' FB Page:
From Warren Haynes' FB Page:
RIP Eddie Van Halen
There are a handful of people with any musical instrument that we can credit with actually changing the course of the instrument. Obviously Charlie Parker changed the alto saxophone. Coltrane changed the tenor saxophone. Jaco Pastorius changed the electric bass. John Bonham changed the world of rock drumming. I could go on but you get the point. It’s an amazing feat for any artist to have that kind of impact and influence on any instrument…..But let’s talk about the electric guitar. The advent of the electric guitar changed music, arguably, more than the the advent of any other instrument. The endless combinations of sounds and techniques allowed everyone to seek their own voice which opened up a whole new world of musical expression and possibilities. Maybe I’m biased but in my opinion the electric guitar saved modern music. So when we’re talking about a small pantheon of people who changed the electric guitar that’s a major feat. Monumental!
I still remember the first time I heard Van Halen. It was at a party in Asheville, my hometown. The first VH album had just come out and people were raving about the music and about Eddie’s guitar playing in particular. Never ready to add someone new to my list of who I consider to be great guitarists, I was a bit resistant but ready to give it a chance. At first listen, I can admit now, I was quite impressed but still not ready to give in to the hype. It was obvious that what he was doing was exceptional but he was using a lot of distortion so I wasn’t convinced that he was really pulling it off in a technical sense…. until I heard Eruption. Pretty damn precise! That’s when it hit me. It was a new day in Rock ’n’ Roll. It was a new day in electric guitar playing. Then later when I heard Spanish Fly (from VH2) GOD DAMN!!! He can play that shit on acoustic guitar.
Fast forward. No matter what your tastes, especially if you’re of a certain age, maybe VH’s music was not your thing but you had to admit it was the real deal! I personally never looked at EVH as being a major influence on my own playing as my style was fairly developed by the time I discovered his music but I was always a big fan of his virtuosity. Also I should point out that, as is the case with the emergence of any highly innovative, groundbreaking new music or new musician, it would soon follow that the airwaves would become inundated with a gazillion copycats, most of which paled in comparison to the trendsetter. This has happened in virtually every moment in history where someone changed the course of a genre or where someone changed the course of an instrument. It has also happened historically with songwriting. When someone comes along with a fresh innovative approach to writing songs suddenly copycats appear out of the woodwork. That’s the way it was with Van Halen, both with Eddie’s playing and with the music itself. This inundation left a bad taste in the mouths of a lot of avid music fans, myself included, but again Eddie was the catharsis for change- not to be blamed for what followed- and VH was the real deal.
I only got to see Van Halen, the band, perform twice- once in the early 80’s in Asheville and once a few years ago when they reformed the original band. All four members of Gov’t Mule happened to be in LA at the time and we were invited to the Forum to see what they called a “friends and family” dress rehearsal show. Being there watching Van Halen in a 20,000 seat arena with only 700 lucky attendees was quite an experience. Eddie played brilliantly. The whole band sounded great, as they did when I first saw them several decades earlier. It was something I'll always remember.
I never knew Eddie- never had the opportunity to meet him- but as someone who has studied music since I first got the “bug” as a kid I am compelled to say that the loss of Eddie Van Halen today is monumental! The list of those who changed the trajectory of the electric guitar is a short one and many arguments can be made that I am leaving some out (which I don’t doubt) but in that regard Eddie is joined by the likes of Charlie Christian, Les Paul, and Jimi Hendrix and very few others. Eddie changed the electric guitar. Eddie changed Rock ’n’ Roll. Rock ’n’ Roll changed the world. Any questions?- WH
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Localcountyline
This was my second Rock
This was my second Rock Concert. My first was the Grateful Dead a week and a half before, at the same venue.
(9-24-82, last show of the Fall '82 tour).
We had great seats; when Eddie came out on the "runway" for Eruption, we were right the fuck there.
David Lee Roth's birthday; they of course were swagging Jack Daniels on stage, totally fucked up by the end.
Good times!
Never saw them again.
The Grateful Dead won me over a week and a half before.
That being said,
Rest In Peace Eddie. Much respect.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
I was in the 7th Grade and
I was in the 7th Grade and had just turned 13 when Van Halen's debut LP came out in early February of 1978. My peers and I were the target demographic. Along with AC/DC and Motörhead, they brought loud, fast Rock 'n' Roll back into vogue, making a mockery of the soft rock bands. When I had started Junior High School, it seemed like every desk had "Led Zeppelin" carved into it. By the next year in 8th Grade, it was nothing but the "VH" logo.
In their early DLR years, they were prolific, putting a new album out almost every year. The new releases were always highly anticipated, and they consistently hit the mark: I, II, Women & Children First, Diver Down, Fair Warning, 1984...a classic run. I grew bored with them when DLR left, but those years are packed with great memories.
A few years ago I was visiting one of my nephews at the boot camp style boarding school his parents had sent him off to in Montana. I took him and a couple of his cousins who were also visiting to the local Wal-Mart to get a Whiffle Ball and Bat, and they talked me into buying a CD for them to listen to in the car. They picked Van Halen II, and it was a hoot watching the three 13-15 year olds crank it loud and whoop and yell as they got into the music, just the way my friends and I had when we were their age.
I appreciate the monstrous licks and dedication to his craft that Eddie Van Halen shared with the world.
R.I.P.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Druba
From when they played our
From when they played our High School (played there twice)
Local Party
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Localcountyline
Excellent Druba. Great stuff.
Excellent Druba. Great stuff.
One of my friends saw them at the Marin Civic; can't imagine how loud that was....
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Druba
(No subject)
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Druba
(No subject)
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: nebulous nelly
My buddy's reaction...
It's like our youth just died.
Think I'll give Fair Warning a spin today
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Oaksterdam Dan
>>>Wonder if he is running
>>>Wonder if he is running with the Devil now?
He ran with devil most of his life.....the music industry!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
(No subject)
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: jazfish
Thanks for sharing that
Thanks for sharing that ,Noodler.
Most interesting and way cool.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mtndog
Tough loss
Tough loss
Great guitarist, great band, great albums, good times
Saw them a few times during the Sammy years. Rosemont Horizon, Alpine Valley and at SIU.
Fun scene in the movie Better off Dead with the song Everybody Wants Some
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Tim
The jury look at me, say...
The jury look at me, say....Outta luck
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
DLR just posted "What A Long
DLR just posted "What A Long Strange Trip It's Been" with a photo of him and Eddie on Instagram. We really are everywhere.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Oaksterdam Dan
Playing GD & ABB songs
Playing GD & ABB songs leading into commercials on Dodgers vs Padres games.
We are everywhere!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Druba
(No subject)
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Tim
https://www.youtube.com/watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0XdzSMzwgw&list=PLDE17C34DFBDE4266&inde...
DOA
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Rasputin O'Leary
In a post on the Who Facebook
In a post on the Who Facebook account, Townshend checked in to say goodbye to Van Halen. Townshend called his passing “completely tragic” and praised the late guitar great. “He was not just an innovative and stylish player with great taste,” Townshend said. “He was also a laidback virtuoso showman who just blew us all away every time.”
Townshend didn’t stop there. The Who legend also related a remarkable story involving himself and Van Halen in the ’80s. It began with none other than Michael Jackson asking Townshend to play guitar on a record called Thriller (1982).
“I said I couldn’t do it but recommended Eddie,” Townshend recalled. After Van Halen called him and the two chatted, he quickly won over Townshend. “He was utterly charming, happy about the connection […]. His smile was just classic. A man in his rightful place, so happy to be doing what he did.”
Though Van Halen once called out Page for his sloppiness on stage in the late Zep years, he acknowledged the impact Page had on him. “I’ve always said Eric Clapton is my main influence, but Page was actually more the way I am, in a reckless-abandon kind of way,” he told Guitar World.
In his goodbye on Instagram, Page described the “great sadness” he felt and called Van Halen “the real deal.” He also saluted Van Halen’s one-in-a-generation skill. “He pioneered a dazzling technique on guitar with taste and panache that I felt always placed him above his imitators,” Page wrote. “R. I. P. Eddie.”
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: _________
RIP ______EVH
RIP ______EVH
made a 18 song compilation from some downloads just now Van Halen
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Rasputin O'Leary
Rocked the hair even as an
Rocked the hair even as an infant.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: long live the dead
Eddie loved cars Some of
Eddie loved cars Some of us do as well
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a34301199/eddie-van-halen-was-o...
Sammy too fyi
His Lamborghini is the revving engine in panama
https://youtu.be/fuKDBPw8wQA
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: doctor
Cool flyers Noodler. Wish I
Cool flyers Noodler. Wish I had stayed around for their show at the US Fest in 83. 350,000 people on heavy metal day saturday. Went to the day before and saw the Clash last show with Mick Jones. Van Halen got paid $1.000.000 for their performance which caused a problem with the Clash( Joe) who only got $500,000 to headline friday which made for an epic Clash performance.
Van Halen Us Fest. I think they played 7 encores if I remember reading right.?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igdZKgESbJU&t=112s
The Clash the day before
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsZks2ZxqTs&t=1252s
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: long live the dead
All good stuff zoners
All good stuff zoners
speaking of rockers that love cars
flash back to the cow palace Many fine shows including ZZ
https://relix.com/blogs/detail/video-premiere-billy-f-gibbons-hollywood-...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Greasyheart
So I only saw Van Haen twice-
So I only saw Van Halen twice--2 mights in a row at the Philly Spectrum 1980, anyone else there? I was already 4 years deep into being a rabid Hot Tuna and Dead Head and liked Van Halen because they were just so innovative sounding. Anyway, went with my friend and the thing was, they played the same set both nights and Diamond Dave made the exact same small talk between the same songs like coming out in an Eagles jersey and saying "hey Philly, what the fuck--how ya doing" or something like that. There were like 4 or 5 places each night he said the exact same shit. Now, they were loud and powerful in 1980 even through Michael Anthony only knows like 6 notes. I liked it but came away thinking, how unique are the Dead--no small talk and totally different sets each night. I have their first 4 albums, but their first 2 still move me and still play Bottoms Up!, Women In Love and truly one of the best cover songs ever, from album number 1, the Kinks "You Really Got Me" they made that one all their own.
RIP brother Ed
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance just me Newberry
I was never a fan. I've
I was never a fan. I've always fully acknowledged his virtuosic technical & innovative mastery of his instrument, but despite the technical brilliance, IMO it was all too much based on "tricks" for my taste.
Another thing that's always made it hard for me to fully appreciate him is that I never saw him with the "real" band in the early days, only seeing him twice with Van Hagar, once as a very strange sit-in with Simon & Garfunkel at a Bridge Benefit show, and then twice at Van Halen "reunion" shows with David Lee Roth. As always, live is where we can see who's really who and what's really what, and I was never really impressed, and was twice horrified.
At none of those shows did I think he was doing anything but "hitting his marks" at best, and at worst - the Bridge sit-in & the first of the DLR shows - he was absolutely terrible.
Maybe the sit-in with S&F can be excused, but at the time I couldn't help but think it was a clear example of how incapable he was at fitting in at all with something different. Probably not fair, but I thought his one song in that set almost ruined the whole set and that's always left a mark in my mind.
Then, he was REALLY bad at the first reunion show in Oakland around '08, because he was completely shitfaced that night. That was obvious almost immediately and it was confirmed later from firsthand backstage reports. Apparently his ex-wife, whats-her-name the actress, showed up unannounced because their 16-year-old son lil' Wolfie was playing bass (he was bad too). Reports are that her showing up freaked Eddie out and he fell off the wagon and got roaring drunk.
He was just terrible that night, flubbing, unable to pull of or finish solos, multiple clams, stumbling around the stage and tripping over things.
For obvious reasons that night also made a long-lasting impression on me, which again is probably not really fair because I'm pretty sure that he usually knew & played his parts very well, but even when I saw him earlier with Hagar and then again in 2013 with DLR I always found him to be more machine than a "soulful" in-the-moment player.
I really wish I'd seen him with the original band, as I always got the idea that THAT band in their early heyday was truly ripping and had more of a loose, pure rockin' approach, but I just had no interest is seeing bands like that in those days.
Still, despite my personal issues & tastes, there is no doubt that he was an all-time great player, wrote some classic rock 'n roll songs, was an innovator on his instrument and this is clearly a deep loss for many.
On it goes.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: long live the dead
sons, and sons in bands
sons, and sons in bands sometimes are not very good.......
some sons of rockers are very good ( sons of bitches?)
Yes, that bridge show was weird - and the reunion show in Oakland pretty bad
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skyjunk
https://www.popularmechanics
https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/a15615/how-eddie-van-halen-h...
Eddie also enjoyed working on guitars and has a bunch of Patents. Good read and even a story about his dad losing his finger in Druba's hood
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Andean Flight
Since I was a kid in the 80's
Since I was a kid in the 80's (4 - 14) I mostly listened to or heard what my older brother and sister were playing. My brother wasn't a metal head or anything like it, but played the standard Van Hagar hits of 80's, so at that time I always thought Van Halen was a cheesy 80's synth band. Around 13, 14 I started exploring my own tastes and discovered early Van Halen, which I liked a lot, but it was quickly overrun by so much good music that would come my way from that point on, starting with Zeppelin. Once I discovered Zeppelin there was no going back to standard radio rock like Van Halen.
But hey, the guy had talent, I think that much is clear. Sad to see anyone pass at an early age. Hope his family and loved ones are all ok.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: doctor
Love the flyer for a Dance at
Love the flyer for a Dance at Pasadena High School. When one hears Van Halen the first thing that comes to mind is to dance.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Sun so hot, clouds so low
I think is a very significant
I think it is a very significant thing to remember that EVH was an immigrant who was naturalized.
His heritage is Dutch and Indonesian! So cool. He came to America as a child.
He Stated:
“Coming here with approximately $50 and a piano, and not being able to speak the language, going through everything to get to where we are,” he said. “If that's not the American dream, I don't know what is.”
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Ken D.
>>>then again in 2013 with
>>>then again in 2013 with DLR . . . more machine than a "soulful"
Saw them on that tour and it was the biggest musical let down of my show going career. Zero energy (despite DLR's antics) and just going through the motions.
>>>Michael Anthony only knows like 6 notes.
I had always thought that too, although "simple" bass playing often fits the music and keeps things together. However, a week after I saw that awful VH show in 2013, saw Chickenfoot and was really impressed by Michael Anthony's bass playing. Sammy was not shy about letting him stretch out a bit and the whole band blew 2013 Van Halen away.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: An organ grinder’s tune
eddie would not party but
eddie would not party but lock himself in his room and play.
so it has been said.
also, DLR was in black leather assless chaps and there was a blow up doll being passed around the stage.
the drum kit was hooked to the lights so during the solo was nuts.
1st time smelled marijuana. it was on the t-shirt i bought. kept opening the drawer to smell it...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
Van Halen producer Ted
Van Halen producer Ted Templeman remembers his work and friendship with Eddie in a new interview:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/ted-templeman-producer...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Sun so hot, clouds so low
Aren't all chaps assless?
Aren't all chaps assless?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: long live the dead
Trying to post promise of the
Trying to post promise of the real and Willie John Lennon tribute
But I am too stupid
that is a talented family
watching the wheels go round. I for sure cried. We were so lucky to have walked the earth with John Lennon. Happy 80th
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: MeditateontheQ
From The Atlantic : The mad
From The Atlantic : The mad genius iof Eddie Van Halen
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/10/mad-genius-eddie-van...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Rasputin O'Leary
If you don't have hours to
If you don't have hours to watch the whole US Fest performance this will suffice.
Not for the faint of heart.
Eddie Van Halen: ERUPTION Solo DESTROYS The '83 US Festival
https://youtu.be/RLsEvZgmRVA