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Doxa
RIP Eddie Van Halen. Not any personal favourite in guitar department but that is just my personal opinion and tells more about my ancient taste and unability to follow the evolution of guitar rock idiom. But not so stupid I am not that I don't recognize a genius when I see it (like in the case of Paul McCartney that I for some odd idiosyncratic reasons can't stand...). And that was Eddie was. One cannot underestimate his influence. Yeah, up there with Hendrix.

- Doxa

Funny...I actually can't stand the playing of him, and that off all the followers he created. And I can't stand the band Van Halen, which to me was so epic fake American cliche of a rock band, also which has spawned many followers. I am sooooo glad the 1980's are over!

Mathijs

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Doxa
Yeah, up there with Hendrix.

- Doxa

Really? Hendrix was lysergic guitarist : listening to him was like taking acid - he would turn your mind upside down.
EVH was more like a cocaine guitarist : a sudden rush of euphoria but nothing much left after the effect is gone. If you want a tech wizard from the early 80's try Randy Rhoads instead.

I still do like idiotic tunes like "Hot For The Teacher" or the cover of "You Really Got Me".

It was an extremely long and arduous battle for him. I hope he is at peace now.

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dcba
If you want a tech wizard from the early 80's try Randy Rhoads instead.

I still do like idiotic tunes like "Hot For The Teacher" or the cover of "You Really Got Me".

The thing is: there would never have been a Randy Rhoads without Eddie van Halen.

Mathijs

You're right! Though RR was a better songwriter than EVH imo. "Tonight" has an outro solo that always leaves me speechless.

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Mathijs

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Doxa
RIP Eddie Van Halen. Not any personal favourite in guitar department but that is just my personal opinion and tells more about my ancient taste and unability to follow the evolution of guitar rock idiom. But not so stupid I am not that I don't recognize a genius when I see it (like in the case of Paul McCartney that I for some odd idiosyncratic reasons can't stand...). And that was Eddie was. One cannot underestimate his influence. Yeah, up there with Hendrix.

- Doxa

Funny...I actually can't stand the playing of him, and that off all the followers he created. And I can't stand the band Van Halen, which to me was so epic fake American cliche of a rock band, also which has spawned many followers. I am sooooo glad the 1980's are over!

Mathijs

Is there anybody that you like other than yourself?

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dcba

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Doxa
Yeah, up there with Hendrix.

- Doxa

Really? Hendrix was lysergic guitarist : listening to him was like taking acid - he would turn your mind upside down.
EVH was more like a cocaine guitarist : a sudden rush of euphoria but nothing much left after the effect is gone. If you want a tech wizard from the early 80's try Randy Rhoads instead.

To avoid misunderstanding: I was just talking about those two guys in terms of influence in the history of guitar rock, not what I personally think of them or how great they are as guitarists (to me Hendrix is the most talented rock musician there ever been, but I don't think this thread and moment is the right one to praise him, or to list the shortcomings I personally see in Eddie's guitar playing and in his legacy...).

But I like that acid versus cocaine comparison!

- Doxa

Sag shocking news . They never toured Europe regulary or big. Just here and there . Could see them with DLR in the eighties and one more time with the unpopular Van Halen III with Gary Cherone as singer. Small venue in Berlin , Germany . No glamour , just Rock’n’Roll. Eddie 5 meters away , just like a private concert. They were superstars on that tour in 1998 and they played their asses of . No big show , a shy singer and just playing all their stuff. And Eddie ? Still known as one of the worlds best players at the time. So unpretentious modest , just playing and smiling for his 3000 fans in that unglamorous venue.
Thank you Eddie, rock on !



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020-10-07 18:10 by electricmud.

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Doxa

But I like that acid versus cocaine comparison!

- Doxa

And let me add I never took either substance (that's true).
VH always had to me "Let's party!" "C. is great" "America is back" kinda vibe. That's probably why they never really made it big abroad (unlike Metallica).

Okay "Jump" was a worldwide hit... cause it was more pop than rock?

Randy was great no doubt about it, but he was nowhere near the player Eddie Van Halen was...nowhere near...the man even admitted it himself in an interview or two before he died.

If you think Randy was greater then either you don’t know Eddie Van Halen’s music well, or you don’t know much about music. This is taking personal taste out of the equation.

Yes Van Halen played with a sense of fun, loud music, good times fast cars, and girls. If that’s unabashedly American and you’re offended or turn your nose up...then you have brought a smile to my face today.

One of the dumbest comments on the internet. Right up there with hating on Motzart for being too European.

the shoot 'em dead, brainbell jangler!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020-10-07 19:27 by rattler2004.

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Mathijs
Funny...I actually can't stand the playing of him, and that off all the followers he created. And I can't stand the band Van Halen, which to me was so epic fake American cliche of a rock band, also which has spawned many followers. I am sooooo glad the 1980's are over!

Mathijs

LOL, I feel the same! Never could get into him/them. Still he is an icon as witnessed by all that seem to love him, so RIP just the same.

I remember "Jump". A big hit at the time. I can still listen to it. Very energetic song. I kind of liked the tongue-in-cheek quality David Lee Roth contributed to the band.
Made them rise above the worst 80s rock (metal/poodle) cliches. Rest in peace.

I have a good Eddie Van Halen story that I was too upset & ill to share yesterday. I had chemo yesterday morning & got home to hear the news of Eddie's passing. Not a good day. So let's hop in the time machine & head back to 1978. I was 17 & a junior in high school. At this point I am seriously getting into music which affected my life (good & bad) for decades to come. The first record came out in February of 1978. I was hanging out at my favorite record store & they said listen to this & put the record on as there was no radio play yet. Eruption comes on & it was like a bolt of lightning. My friends & I freaked out because there wasn't anything else out there that sounded like that. Bought the album immediately. A few months later they came to town as an opener for Black Sabbath on the Never Say Die tour. Van Halen absolutely destroyed them. Sabbath were not at their best & it turned out they fired Ozzy after the tour. They were so bad that we left the show early. Went to a party at a friend's place & I came up with the bright idea of heading down to the Edgewater to try & meet the band. The hotel was the stay of choice for bands. You could fish from the rooms & it was made famous by Frank Zappa song about mudsharks. So, we got there & bluffed our way into the cocktail lounge being underage & all. Turns out both bands were there & it was party time in the bar. We noticed Eddie was sitting at a table by himself in the corner so we wandered over to say hi. I think Eddie figured out we were there on the sly & told us to have seat saying he'd rather hang with fans than anyone else. We ended up getting quite a buzz on with him & he was very cool & nice to us. We met Ozzy, too. He was nice to us, too. On the other hand, David Lee already was really arrogant & aloof. 1 friend ended up spilling a really sloppy drink like a tequila sunrise on him by accident. He was not pleased! To cap it off, on the way back to the car I see a flash of green & dove on it. Turned out it was $40 which was a healthy amount of money in those days. What a night! I saw VH a bunch in the early days. I think they would've been an even bigger deal if Sammy Hagar was the singer from the beginning. DLR was entertaining but irritating & finally he was just insufferable. I saw them with Sammy a few times including a memorable show with Alice in Chains opening. Didn't catch any of the reunion shows. Now I kind of wish I had but I don't think it would've topped the early shows. RIP Eddie. You were 1 of a kind for sure!

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LeonidP

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Mathijs
Funny...I actually can't stand the playing of him, and that off all the followers he created. And I can't stand the band Van Halen, which to me was so epic fake American cliche of a rock band, also which has spawned many followers. I am sooooo glad the 1980's are over!

Mathijs

LOL, I feel the same! Never could get into him/them. Still he is an icon as witnessed by all that seem to love him, so RIP just the same.

I have grown to love hair metal as grunge, rap, and the plastic music of today all suck!

At least, most of 'em had a sense of humor (unlike the much overrated Kobain, a real loser).

"No Anchovies, Please"

Great story!!

Love the Edgewater..
Another band that added to the infamy of the hotel.

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crholmstrom
I have a good Eddie Van Halen story that I was too upset & ill to share yesterday. I had chemo yesterday morning & got home to hear the news of Eddie's passing. Not a good day. So let's hop in the time machine & head back to 1978. I was 17 & a junior in high school. At this point I am seriously getting into music which affected my life (good & bad) for decades to come. The first record came out in February of 1978. I was hanging out at my favorite record store & they said listen to this & put the record on as there was no radio play yet. Eruption comes on & it was like a bolt of lightning. My friends & I freaked out because there wasn't anything else out there that sounded like that. Bought the album immediately. A few months later they came to town as an opener for Black Sabbath on the Never Say Die tour. Van Halen absolutely destroyed them. Sabbath were not at their best & it turned out they fired Ozzy after the tour. They were so bad that we left the show early. Went to a party at a friend's place & I came up with the bright idea of heading down to the Edgewater to try & meet the band. The hotel was the stay of choice for bands. You could fish from the rooms & it was made famous by Frank Zappa song about mudsharks. So, we got there & bluffed our way into the cocktail lounge being underage & all. Turns out both bands were there & it was party time in the bar. We noticed Eddie was sitting at a table by himself in the corner so we wandered over to say hi. I think Eddie figured out we were there on the sly & told us to have seat saying he'd rather hang with fans than anyone else. We ended up getting quite a buzz on with him & he was very cool & nice to us. We met Ozzy, too. He was nice to us, too. On the other hand, David Lee already was really arrogant & aloof. 1 friend ended up spilling a really sloppy drink like a tequila sunrise on him by accident. He was not pleased! To cap it off, on the way back to the car I see a flash of green & dove on it. Turned out it was $40 which was a healthy amount of money in those days. What a night! I saw VH a bunch in the early days. I think they would've been an even bigger deal if Sammy Hagar was the singer from the beginning. DLR was entertaining but irritating & finally he was just insufferable. I saw them with Sammy a few times including a memorable show with Alice in Chains opening. Didn't catch any of the reunion shows. Now I kind of wish I had but I don't think it would've topped the early shows. RIP Eddie. You were 1 of a kind for sure!

Great story cr!! I have to disagree with you about if Sammy was with them sooner. VH was the ultimate party band when I was in high school and they really changed with Sammy joined. Lyrically it was totally different and musically Eddie was getting more into keyboards and lighter material.
My first intro to VH was seeing their name on a tv commercial. I remember on the Seattle tv stations, KZOK would have a commercial showing names of bands they played like Aerosmith, Boston, Heart, etc. Then Van Halen. Never heard of them but shortly after, I was at hockey practice and VH1 was playing on the stereo. Eruption! Asked a friend right at center ice who was this? From that point on I was hooked.
Saw VH with Alice In Chains in 91 at BC Place in Vancouver so just a day or two before you. I liked the @#$%& album but wasn't too impressed with the show. Sammy apologized for his voice being crappy, said it was too much partying. He said the same thing again in 95 when I saw them.

So sorry to hear this. RIP Eddie.

The poor guy suffered from Cancer for a long time. It was probably a painful death. We should talk about how he fought for years. And idiots on here talk about how they hate his guitar playing. Geeez



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2020-10-08 00:38 by Cooltoplady.

The Age --- 8 October 2020



ROCKMAN

Quote
crholmstrom
I have a good Eddie Van Halen story that I was too upset & ill to share yesterday. I had chemo yesterday morning & got home to hear the news of Eddie's passing. Not a good day. So let's hop in the time machine & head back to 1978. I was 17 & a junior in high school. At this point I am seriously getting into music which affected my life (good & bad) for decades to come. The first record came out in February of 1978. I was hanging out at my favorite record store & they said listen to this & put the record on as there was no radio play yet. Eruption comes on & it was like a bolt of lightning. My friends & I freaked out because there wasn't anything else out there that sounded like that. Bought the album immediately. A few months later they came to town as an opener for Black Sabbath on the Never Say Die tour. Van Halen absolutely destroyed them. Sabbath were not at their best & it turned out they fired Ozzy after the tour. They were so bad that we left the show early. Went to a party at a friend's place & I came up with the bright idea of heading down to the Edgewater to try & meet the band. The hotel was the stay of choice for bands. You could fish from the rooms & it was made famous by Frank Zappa song about mudsharks. So, we got there & bluffed our way into the cocktail lounge being underage & all. Turns out both bands were there & it was party time in the bar. We noticed Eddie was sitting at a table by himself in the corner so we wandered over to say hi. I think Eddie figured out we were there on the sly & told us to have seat saying he'd rather hang with fans than anyone else. We ended up getting quite a buzz on with him & he was very cool & nice to us. We met Ozzy, too. He was nice to us, too. On the other hand, David Lee already was really arrogant & aloof. 1 friend ended up spilling a really sloppy drink like a tequila sunrise on him by accident. He was not pleased! To cap it off, on the way back to the car I see a flash of green & dove on it. Turned out it was $40 which was a healthy amount of money in those days. What a night! I saw VH a bunch in the early days. I think they would've been an even bigger deal if Sammy Hagar was the singer from the beginning. DLR was entertaining but irritating & finally he was just insufferable. I saw them with Sammy a few times including a memorable show with Alice in Chains opening. Didn't catch any of the reunion shows. Now I kind of wish I had but I don't think it would've topped the early shows. RIP Eddie. You were 1 of a kind for sure!

Marvellous story, thank you for sharing. It’s because of contributions like this I keep coming to this board. Love reading these stories from the past, impossible to hear anywhere else.

THE AUSTRALIAN -- 8 October 2020



ROCKMAN

Thanks for the goosebumps, Eddie.

EVH was the best, in my top 10 somewhere amongst Jerry Garcia, Yngwie Malmsteen, Hendrix, Dimebag Darrell, Randy Rhoads, George Lynch, Warren Demartini, etc.

The first 6 Van Halen records are perfection.

If anyone has a link where I can download the Oakland 1981 show (flac or mp3), I'd be happy to check it out! The only thing I've found is a stream of the show here:
[www.themightyvanhalen.net]

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rattler2004
Randy was great no doubt about it, but he was nowhere near the player Eddie Van Halen was...nowhere near...the man even admitted it himself in an interview or two before he died.

If you think Randy was greater then either you don’t know Eddie Van Halen’s music well, or you don’t know much about music. This is taking personal taste out of the equation.

Yes Van Halen played with a sense of fun, loud music, good times fast cars, and girls. If that’s unabashedly American and you’re offended or turn your nose up...then you have brought a smile to my face today.

One of the dumbest comments on the internet. Right up there with hating on Motzart for being too European.

In my opinion there is a distinct difference between European bands or music and American bands and music. Sure there is an overlap, but many artists are music forms are quite distinct. Country and Western is very American, whereas something like Radiohead to me is very British and European.

With rock bands, I think American bands are more flash, more theatrics, more 'good fun', whereas European bands tend to be more serious and self conscious. The difference between Stones and Aerosmith. American bands more often have this entertainment, or Las vegas aspect to them.

It's not a thing about good or bad, but me I never liked the Bon Jovi / Van Halen Motley Crue bands of the 80's, all of which I think are very American bands.

Mathijs

Maybe so, Mathijs. But I think they are in different genres of rock. Bands like Van Halen and Bon Jovi are more into hard rock or poodle rock. Which is by nature more eccentric and expressive than classic rock.
More showmanship so to say. If you follow me?

Well at least Grand Funk stayed true to form. Even Alice Cooper Band's Killer as well. Although Billion Dollar Babies may fit previous post description, there are some really good songs on that album.

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Stoneage
Maybe so, Mathijs. But I think they are in different genres of rock. Bands like Van Halen and Bon Jovi are more into hard rock or poodle rock. Which is by nature more eccentric and expressive than classic rock.
More showmanship so to say. If you follow me?

Haha , Van Halen were on tour in Europe in 1995 and they had a package with Bon Jovi , at last in Germany , Waldbühne Berlin. I remember interviews , that Van Halen were furious to open for these posers Bon Jovi . Even if it’s both very American ( transported by the videos and lyrics , teenage girls on college etc), there is a huge difference between Van Halen and Bon Jovi . Pleaase..

Eddie Van Halen invented that style of playing. When I first heard his playing it was incredible. Nobody did the string tapping before him. What others did does not come close to what Van Halen did.

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Rocknroll1969
Eddie Van Halen invented that style of playing. When I first heard his playing it was incredible. Nobody did the string tapping before him. What others did does not come close to what Van Halen did.

Good old Harvey Mandel did it way before him , same area , but only a very few people listened to his records ..



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2020-10-08 19:59 by electricmud.

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electricmud

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Rocknroll1969
Eddie Van Halen invented that style of playing. When I first heard his playing it was incredible. Nobody did the string tapping before him. What others did does not come close to what Van Halen did.

Good old Harvey Mandel did it way before him , same area , but only a very few people listened to his records ..

And Vittorio Camardese in 1965...




As well as Roy Smeck on ukelele from way, way back....starting around the 30 second mark:




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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......