Eddie Van Halen has passed away

[TAC]

I think to some degree more than some other bands, it's hard to reconcile how big Van Halen were in the early 80's.   

Van Halen were FUCKING HUGE!

And for whatever reason, they are criminally overlooked by future generations.

[King Postwhore]

Young kids do not know the impact VH had. They don't know how the were larger than life to so many kids.  They were larger than life.

[cramx3]

I actually just listened to 5150 for the first time in awhile last week and for some reason, had VH in my thoughts recently.

Live Without A Net, recorded right here in New Haven, CT at the old Coliseum (also where I saw my first show!)

Yea, so this is kind of why I thought of listening to 5150 last week, I stopped in New Haven for some pizza and on the way, I was like "New HALEN!" which Sammy says on the DVD and so I put on 5150 (my favorite Van Halen album and what the live album was centered around).  I just was watching it in my basement now too, it's such a good concert DVD.

[Bolsters]

 

[King Postwhore]

I think Tick went to that show.

[TAC]

I think Tick went to that show.

Live Without A Jacket.

[TAC]

I'm still not a 5150 guy and DLR's first tour blew it away. Though I must say, while VH lost the first battle, they definitely won the war.

[King Postwhore]

I think Tick went to that show.

Live Without A Jacket.

Yes.

[TAC]

I have literally never watched Live Without A Net. And I mean never.


Isn't it filled with all sorts of editing gaffes?

[King Postwhore]

I haven't watched it in a long time. I don't remember that though.

[Stadler]

I actually just listened to 5150 for the first time in awhile last week and for some reason, had VH in my thoughts recently.

Live Without A Net, recorded right here in New Haven, CT at the old Coliseum (also where I saw my first show!)

Yea, so this is kind of why I thought of listening to 5150 last week, I stopped in New Haven for some pizza and on the way, I was like "New HALEN!" which Sammy says on the DVD and so I put on 5150 (my favorite Van Halen album and what the live album was centered around).  I just was watching it in my basement now too, it's such a good concert DVD.

Where'd you go for 'za? 

[lonestar]

I think to some degree more than some other bands, it's hard to reconcile how big Van Halen were in the early 80's.   

Van Halen were FUCKING HUGE!

And for whatever reason, they are criminally overlooked by future generations.

On the way home from work, the news talk radio host said that VH 1 was 'instrumental in the death of disco'. That alone is a true, and yuuuuuge statement.

[Architeuthis]

🎶Happy trails to you.............we'll meet again my friend,, someday sooooooooon! 🎶

[silentmac6]

Absolutely... gobsmacked

[The Walrus]

I actually just listened to 5150 for the first time in awhile last week and for some reason, had VH in my thoughts recently.

Live Without A Net, recorded right here in New Haven, CT at the old Coliseum (also where I saw my first show!)

Yea, so this is kind of why I thought of listening to 5150 last week, I stopped in New Haven for some pizza and on the way, I was like "New HALEN!" which Sammy says on the DVD and so I put on 5150 (my favorite Van Halen album and what the live album was centered around).  I just was watching it in my basement now too, it's such a good concert DVD.

Where'd you go for 'za?

If people out east refer to pizza as 'za, I declare war on the near east.

[gazinwales]

I have literally never watched Live Without A Net. And I mean never.


Isn't it filled with all sorts of editing gaffes?

I never noticed it and I've watched it many many times.

[Kwyjibo]

I have literally never watched Live Without A Net. And I mean never.


Isn't it filled with all sorts of editing gaffes?

I never noticed it and I've watched it many many times.

Yeah, never noticed that too, although it's been a time since I last watched it.

It isn't the best concert video but at the time it was the only one. And I like that Eddie actually plays keyboard on some songs and Sammy playing the guitar parts instead of using tapes like they did later.

The editing is heavy on Right Here Right Now, maybe you mean that one.

[a51502112]

I'm fucking crushed. My musical hero. It's because of him that I started playing 35 years ago,
and EVH was the reason I try to play at my best today.
Even my wife was crying at the news knowing how hard it would hit me.

[TAC]

I have literally never watched Live Without A Net. And I mean never.


Isn't it filled with all sorts of editing gaffes?

I never noticed it and I've watched it many many times.

Yeah, never noticed that too, although it's been a time since I last watched it.

It isn't the best concert video but at the time it was the only one. And I like that Eddie actually plays keyboard on some songs and Sammy playing the guitar parts instead of using tapes like they did later.

The editing is heavy on Right Here Right Now, maybe you mean that one.

I've never once watched Right Here Right Now, even though I did buy the tape when it came out.

Eh, never mind I guess.

[Lowdz]

I'm still not a 5150 guy and DLR's first tour blew it away. Though I must say, while VH lost the first battle, they definitely won the ar.

I'd agree with that. Never liked 5150 as an album. EE&S won hands down. After that, Van Hagar wins.

[New World Rushman]

This one hurts just about as much as Peart. Although, now that I think of it, when I count my top bands, VH never comes up, but they should, I've overlooked them.

Been a fan since '78 and the first album. Saw the 5150 tour in '86 at the Meadowlands arena. He reinvented the guitar with his playing.

A couple things I posted on FB when I first heard yesterday:

First there was Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, and Page, but you mastered and perfected it. There was no one before or since that sounded like you, and in my mind, you were the guitar GOAT.
RIP Eddie Van Halen

and

I always said, going back to high school, that this was my fantasy band:
Vocals: Freddie Mercury
Guitar: Eddie Van Halen
Bass: Chris Squire
Drums: Neil Peart
Keys: Keith Emerson
Now they’re all gone. I hope they’re jamming together somewhere.

[jingle.boy]

I'm still not a 5150 guy and DLR's first tour blew it away. Though I must say, while VH lost the first battle, they definitely won the ar.

I'd agree with that. Never liked 5150 as an album. EE&S won hands down. After that, Van Hagar wins.

This was how I felt at the time. As a young kid, my perception was that VH *needed* Monsters of Rock to draw an audience.    By the time I really listened to 5051, and the release of OU812/Skyscraper, VH was in the lead.

This really blows.  For us fogeys, the upcoming decade is going to have a LOT of this.  Gonna be a lot of sad times coming unfortunately. 

[TAC]

I'm still not a 5150 guy and DLR's first tour blew it away. Though I must say, while VH lost the first battle, they definitely won the ar.

I'd agree with that. Never liked 5150 as an album. EE&S won hands down. After that, Van Hagar wins.

This was how I felt at the time. As a young kid, my perception was that VH *needed* Monsters of Rock to draw an audience.    By the time I really listened to 5051, and the release of OU812/Skyscraper, VH was in the lead.

This really blows.  For us fogeys, the upcoming decade is going to have a LOT of this.  Gonna be a lot of sad times coming unfortunately. 

In my favorite band alone, UFO has lost 3 members in the last year and a half, and two of them in the last 6 months.

[Lowdz]

I'm still not a 5150 guy and DLR's first tour blew it away. Though I must say, while VH lost the first battle, they definitely won the ar.

I'd agree with that. Never liked 5150 as an album. EE&S won hands down. After that, Van Hagar wins.

This was how I felt at the time. As a young kid, my perception was that VH *needed* Monsters of Rock to draw an audience.    By the time I really listened to 5051, and the release of OU812/Skyscraper, VH was in the lead.

This really blows.  For us fogeys, the upcoming decade is going to have a LOT of this.  Gonna be a lot of sad times coming unfortunately. 

In my favorite band alone, UFO has lost 3 members in the last year and a half, and two of them in the last 6 months.

Someone better wrap Ace Frehley and Angus Young up in cotton wool because two of my early influences are gone (Gary Moore and now Eddie).

[TAC]

Yeah Gary Moore. Brutal.

[ReaperKK]

Really sad news. I was never a big VH fan but I was a huge Eddie fan, I've watched countless videos of him playing. RIP to a legend.

[RodrigoAltaf]

Two of my favorite moments of Live Without a Net:

https://youtu.be/HB8vp5R6Vmk


https://youtu.be/NqG7hXwXXv4

[Stadler]

I'm still not a 5150 guy and DLR's first tour blew it away. Though I must say, while VH lost the first battle, they definitely won the ar.

I'd agree with that. Never liked 5150 as an album. EE&S won hands down. After that, Van Hagar wins.

That EE&S tour was PHENOMENAL.  I saw that (with Cinderella opening; fell in love with them that night, too!).

[Bentower]

This Tokyo Dome show from '89 is the bee's knees. I might even proclaim that the official video releases pale by comparison.
Stellar performance by the band and a setlist, while not exactly ideal in typical Van Hagar fashion, is nevertheless "good enough". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0mMB7vhje8

[Stadler]

I'm still not a 5150 guy and DLR's first tour blew it away. Though I must say, while VH lost the first battle, they definitely won the ar.

I'd agree with that. Never liked 5150 as an album. EE&S won hands down. After that, Van Hagar wins.

This was how I felt at the time. As a young kid, my perception was that VH *needed* Monsters of Rock to draw an audience.    By the time I really listened to 5051, and the release of OU812/Skyscraper, VH was in the lead.

This really blows.  For us fogeys, the upcoming decade is going to have a LOT of this.  Gonna be a lot of sad times coming unfortunately. 

In my favorite band alone, UFO has lost 3 members in the last year and a half, and two of them in the last 6 months.

You are, of course, correct.  A couple of my favorites are already gone - Wetton, Greg Lake, Chris Squire - but when we start in with the real core guys - Simmons, Stanley, Billy Joel, McCartney, Blackmore - it's going to get tough for me.   Eddie is in that group, so while I'm not "sad" per se, it's a really weird feeling, since these are starting to be PEERS (well, not McCartney and Blackmore; they're old) more or less, or at least older brothers/sisters.   

[Stadler]

It's funny; it's not like I DISLIKE it, but the Van Hagar years haven't aged as well as the Roth years for me.   If I have the choice to go listen to Fair Warning, or OU812, I'm going to FW.  If I have a choice of listening to Diver Down or Carnal Knowledge, I'm going DD.   I don't know; if I put on the first six albums, there are maybe five songs, MAYBE, that I skip.  There are three on 5150 alone (Good Enough, Get Up, and Inside).  In the Roth years there are like four perfect album sides (VHI Side One, Fair Warning, Side One, DD Side One, 1984 Side One); I'm not sure there's one in the Hagar years (EDIT:  There is one:  OU812, Side One).  Not to say I don't like the Hagar years, but it wasn't a sound track for me, as much.  Only OU812 rises to that level.   

[HOF]

It's funny; it's not like I DISLIKE it, but the Van Hagar years haven't aged as well as the Roth years for me.   If I have the choice to go listen to Fair Warning, or OU812, I'm going to FW.  If I have a choice of listening to Diver Down or Carnal Knowledge, I'm going DD.   I don't know; if I put on the first six albums, there are maybe five songs, MAYBE, that I skip.  There are three on 5150 alone (Good Enough, Get Up, and Inside).  In the Roth years there are like four perfect album sides (VHI Side One, Fair Warning, Side One, DD Side One, 1984 Side One); I'm not sure there's one in the Hagar years (EDIT:  There is one:  OU812, Side One).  Not to say I don't like the Hagar years, but it wasn't a sound track for me, as much.  Only OU812 rises to that level.

To be honest, VH were not really an “albums” band for me. It was always way more about the hits, and pretty much every album has 3-4 songs that are just not that great (which is a bigger deal on the earlier albums). Part of it’s my age, but For Unlawful, Balance, and III are their strongest albums as a complete work in my opinion, and the later two lack the big rock radio hits but have a lot more depth and consistently strong material through and through. I know most people will disagree with me, but the earlier albums were for partying. They got a little more serious in the 90s at least.

As I was listening through VH songs on shuffle last night, Josephina from III came up and was actually the last thing I listened to. Seemed fitting somehow. I don’t think many VH fans care for it, but it’s a really fun showcase of EVH’s creativity on guitar. Basically all of his tricks are on display.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cltNn3Fvu7k

[King Postwhore]

It's funny; it's not like I DISLIKE it, but the Van Hagar years haven't aged as well as the Roth years for me.   If I have the choice to go listen to Fair Warning, or OU812, I'm going to FW.  If I have a choice of listening to Diver Down or Carnal Knowledge, I'm going DD.   I don't know; if I put on the first six albums, there are maybe five songs, MAYBE, that I skip.  There are three on 5150 alone (Good Enough, Get Up, and Inside).  In the Roth years there are like four perfect album sides (VHI Side One, Fair Warning, Side One, DD Side One, 1984 Side One); I'm not sure there's one in the Hagar years (EDIT:  There is one:  OU812, Side One).  Not to say I don't like the Hagar years, but it wasn't a sound track for me, as much.  Only OU812 rises to that level.

Me Personally, I'd rate the Van Hagar years

5150
Ballance
OU812
F.U.C.K.

[TAC]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cltNn3Fvu7k

I've never heard this before, but he goes from Alex Lifeson right into Michael Schenker.

I must say the first thing that came to my mind when this started was..

"What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound...."


Holy shit though, that song blows.

[RodrigoAltaf]

This Tokyo Dome show from '89 is the bee's knees. I might even proclaim that the official video releases pale by comparison.
Stellar performance by the band and a setlist, while not exactly ideal in typical Van Hagar fashion, is nevertheless "good enough". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0mMB7vhje8

That show is REALLY cool. It's funny, but for a band whose live reputation is so great, their amount of live releases is very slim. And that includes a live album which is not really live (Live: Right Here, Right Now, which was is chockful of studio overdubs - more so than your customary live release) and the horrible Live at Tokyo Dome. There should have been a live album of the "golden" Roth years. I hope they rectify that now, and that some of the thousands of hours of demos from 5150 see the light of day in some shape or form too.