Who is a main reason why you are a fan of Van Halen?

[Blue J]

Wow...going through this thread I listened to some songs I had not heard in aaaaaaages. Thank you for posting, everybody.

[Rick N. Backer]

Back when VH was new - the vibe in my neck of the woods was all about EVH and how amazing he was as a guitar player. Which was true at the time. There was no one quite like him (Randy was just getting started, and the new generation guys were all watching EVH too).

 

But then there were the songs, fun. Heavy but you could sort of groove to them. Dave, his in song antics. The backing vocals.

 

VH was a total package - fun band with a talented guitar player. Even if 1/2 the songs on the records were corny filler material.

 

You were so close. On the first 6 albums there is no filler. Even on Diver Down.

[Blue J]

Back when VH was new - the vibe in my neck of the woods was all about EVH and how amazing he was as a guitar player. Which was true at the time. There was no one quite like him (Randy was just getting started, and the new generation guys were all watching EVH too).

 

But then there were the songs, fun. Heavy but you could sort of groove to them. Dave, his in song antics. The backing vocals.

 

VH was a total package - fun band with a talented guitar player. Even if 1/2 the songs on the records were corny filler material.

 

You were so close. On the first 6 albums there is no filler. Even on Diver Down.

 

Diver Down* does have a bit of filler, IMO- that whole bevy of cover tunes. But other than that, I totally agree. The first six* are all killer, no filler.

[Todem]

Is there an "All of the Above" option?

 

Exactly. I love Dave's voice on those first 6 albums. Eddie is, IMO, the greatest rock guitarist of all time, hands down. Michael Anthony's background vocals were a big part of the VH sound. Really, only Alex could be replaced by another competent drummer for me and it wouldn't matter. But that might have affected Eddie's productivity, so you probably needed Alex as well.

 

You know as much flack as he get's...his drum sound is an integral part of the bands history. It would not be Van Halen without it. Much like how Michael Anthony's background vocals are also iconic.

 

The Sammy years were also great for the record. I loved it. I love both era's.

 

But of course prefer the DLR era.

[Rick N. Backer]

Back when VH was new - the vibe in my neck of the woods was all about EVH and how amazing he was as a guitar player. Which was true at the time. There was no one quite like him (Randy was just getting started, and the new generation guys were all watching EVH too).

 

But then there were the songs, fun. Heavy but you could sort of groove to them. Dave, his in song antics. The backing vocals.

 

VH was a total package - fun band with a talented guitar player. Even if 1/2 the songs on the records were corny filler material.

 

You were so close. On the first 6 albums there is no filler. Even on Diver Down.

 

Diver Down* does have a bit of filler, IMO- that whole bevy of cover tunes. But other than that, I totally agree. The first six* are all killer, no filler.

 

Diver Down ranks last for me on the first 6 because of the number of covers. But none of them are throwaways IMO. Van Halen, more so than any other band (again, IMO) took covers and made the originals almost obsolete. But I'm biased.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Back when VH was new - the vibe in my neck of the woods was all about EVH and how amazing he was as a guitar player. Which was true at the time. There was no one quite like him (Randy was just getting started, and the new generation guys were all watching EVH too).

 

But then there were the songs, fun. Heavy but you could sort of groove to them. Dave, his in song antics. The backing vocals.

 

VH was a total package - fun band with a talented guitar player. Even if 1/2 the songs on the records were corny filler material.

 

You were so close. On the first 6 albums there is no filler. Even on Diver Down.

 

Diver Down* does have a bit of filler, IMO- that whole bevy of cover tunes. But other than that, I totally agree. The first six* are all killer, no filler.

 

Diver Down ranks last for me on the first 6 because of the number of covers. But none of them are throwaways IMO. Van Halen, more so than any other band (again, IMO) took covers and made the originals almost obsolete. But I'm biased.

 

Your opinion about VH's covers is pretty much fact, btw. I can't name another band that did as many great covers as Van Halen, and on top of that most every cover they did became the definitive version of the song. Jimi Hendrix pulled that off once (maybe twice if you're counting the national anthem). GnR tried a few times and really set the standard rendition only once (and it's not even a great cover...Knockin' On Heaven's Door wasn't a great song in the first place). Jeff Buckley did it once with Hallelujah. This isn't a knock against those artists as much as it's more praise for Van Halen. It's really hard to do a great cover, and even harder to make your version the standard when the old version was already well known (or at least by a well known artist). Van Halen rarely swung and missed at this challenge.

[Rick N. Backer]

Back when VH was new - the vibe in my neck of the woods was all about EVH and how amazing he was as a guitar player. Which was true at the time. There was no one quite like him (Randy was just getting started, and the new generation guys were all watching EVH too).

 

But then there were the songs, fun. Heavy but you could sort of groove to them. Dave, his in song antics. The backing vocals.

 

VH was a total package - fun band with a talented guitar player. Even if 1/2 the songs on the records were corny filler material.

 

You were so close. On the first 6 albums there is no filler. Even on Diver Down.

 

Diver Down* does have a bit of filler, IMO- that whole bevy of cover tunes. But other than that, I totally agree. The first six* are all killer, no filler.

 

Diver Down ranks last for me on the first 6 because of the number of covers. But none of them are throwaways IMO. Van Halen, more so than any other band (again, IMO) took covers and made the originals almost obsolete. But I'm biased.

 

Your opinion about VH's covers is pretty much fact, btw. I can't name another band that did as many great covers as Van Halen, and on top of that most every cover they did became the definitive version of the song. Jimi Hendrix pulled that off once (maybe twice if you're counting the national anthem). GnR tried a few times and really set the standard rendition only once (and it's not even a great cover...Knockin' On Heaven's Door wasn't a great song in the first place). Jeff Buckley did it once with Hallelujah. This isn't a knock against those artists as much as it's more praise for Van Halen. It's really hard to do a great cover, and even harder to make your version the standard when the old version was already well known (or at least by a well known artist). Van Halen rarely swung and missed at this challenge.

 

And, perhaps interestingly, my favorite VH cover is You're No Good, a song that was only a few years old when they covered it.

[custom55]

^^^ my favorite VH cover is "Where Have All the Good Times Gone"

 

a great opening tune as well.

[goose]

^^^ my favorite VH cover is "Where Have All the Good Times Gone"

 

a great opening tune as well.

:ebert:

[Todem]

If I had to rank the DLR years now? I have been on a major VH kick lately. Made a very best of playlist on amazon for myself with both DLR and Hagar era tunes. 74 total. That is a shit ton of music.

 

DLR albums

 

1. Fair Warning

2. Van Halen

3. Van Halen 2

4. 1984

5. Diver Down

6. A Different Kind of Truth

7. Women and Children First

Edited September 18, 2019 by Todem

[Lorraine]

Diver Down was the first VH album I bought. I bought it for Little Guitars. I love that song.

 

Then I backtracked and bought the other albums.

[Todem]

Diver Down was the first VH album I bought. I bought it for Little Guitars. I love that song.

 

Then I backtracked and bought the other albums.

 

My first as well!

[Amps211]

DLR .. I'm a sucker for front men

[Nova Carmina]

I didn't vote, since the one most responsible for me getting into Van Halen was a girl who was a sophomore with a driver's licence whilst I was an 8th grader with a crush. She'd sometimes give me rides to school, and she would blare 1984, which was the latest album. I was hooked right away; that music still takes me back to those days of denim and aqua net. Good times.

[Lorraine]

1984 has Goose's favorite VH song on it, right Goose?

[Rick N. Backer]

1984 has Goose's favorite VH song on it, right Goose?

 

I heard you missed us, we're baaaack! Yay-ay!

 

I don't feel tardy.

[Nova Carmina]

Give me something to write on . . .

[Lorraine]

1984 has Goose's favorite VH song on it, right Goose?

 

I heard you missed us, we're baaaack! Yay-ay!

 

I don't feel tardy.

 

 

I brought my pen - cil!!!

[Lorraine]

But that's not Goose's favorite ;) song.

 

This is:

 

 

 

:7up:

[chemistry1973]

Eddie rips - but it's that rhythm section - Eddie included - that propels VH.

 

A lot of that was lost in the post 5150 years...

[Lorraine]

Eddie rips - but it's that rhythm section - Eddie included - that propels VH.

 

A lot of that was lost in the post 5150 years...

I admire him a great deal as a musician. He and his brother worked hard for what they got. They practiced for hours every day and played in whatever venue they could get for I think it was 7 years before they got a "break."

 

Once I watched an interview with him and someone asked him about how he got started. I got the impression, from how he answered the young man, that he was somewhat annoyed by anyone who thought that without hard work you could make it overnight.

[Rick N. Backer]

But that's not Goose's favorite ;) song.

 

This is:

 

http://youtu.be/VegvworoMX4

 

 

:7up:

 

I figured it was the "teacher" thing.

[Lorraine]

But that's not Goose's favorite ;) song.

 

This is:

 

http://youtu.be/VegvworoMX4

 

 

:7up:

 

I figured it was the "teacher" thing.

He hates I'll Wait with a passion.

[Lorraine]

Watch out, Earl

 

http://youtu.be/abwqTcRjgiY

 

Edit: Here she is doing Money For Nothing

You have to be pretty coordinated to play the drums. I can't even manage air drums.

Edited September 18, 2019 by Lorraine

[Krystal]

I don't recall answering this thread. My reply would be Eddie Van Halen most definitely.