I'm still sad about Ed.

[Parr8hed]

I didn't get to chat about it here since I was on vacay.  I am sure that you guys talked about him.  

 

So tell me your fav song or album and why?  

[Kzoo]

Last week's news.

[bikeman564™]

21 minutes ago, Parr8hed said:

I didn't get to chat about it here since I was on vacay.  I am sure that you guys talked about him.  

 

So tell me your fav song or album and why?  

I made a special avatar because Razor did.

[Kirby]

I was still too upset about Mac Davis to get too invested in the Eddie Van Halen news.

[Parr8hed]

9 minutes ago, Kirby said:

I was still too upset about Mac Davis to get too invested in the Eddie Van Halen news.

I had to use to google on that one.  I am surprised that I didn't know that name.  My condolences.  

[jsharr ★]

Van Halen was no nonsense rock and roll.  Hard to listen to it without joining in.  I need to go find something a friend of mine wrote and post it here.

 

[jsharr ★]

This was written by Roland Ball, an old high school buddy.

 

I discovered Van Halen sometime between 8th and 9th grade. Van Halen II was out and "Dance the Night Away" was the one that drew me in. Just love that opening cowbell, signaling the greatness that's about to come. The 45-single I bought had a blue background, boldly displaying the flying VH logo they use to this day. On the back, air bound in the splits, wearing peppermint-striped pants - "Diamond Dave," David Lee Roth. I wasn't quite sure what to make of him, but I knew I liked his band. An incredibly catchy, sing-along tune with fabulous backing harmonies.

"Dance the Night Away" is a bit misleading. Having not heard Van Halen's debut (I know, I know), I wasn't aware of the almighty power the band wielded. I wasn’t aware that this wasn't Dave's band with some dudes backing him. I wasn't aware that Van Halen was the last name of two of those dudes and that one of those dudes would end up being one of the greatest musicians I'd ever see or hear in my lifetime. What helped was that I flipped that 45-single over and played the B-side, "Outta Love." Eddie's bee-swarm intro, Michael Anthony's rumbling bass, and Alex Van Halen's skipping drums all marched into Dave's funky ass vocals and I knew I had stumbled upon something completely different. This underappreciated jam has all the key elements of great VH songs: Eddie's screaming, ferocious guitar melodies and hooks, that driving, powerful rhythm section, and Dave's tuneful wails and woo hoo's, all cocksure and full of attitude. Man, I gotta have more of this!

So, I got Van Halen II, then went back and got the first release, Van Halen. And I’ve never looked back.

Over 40 years later, I’m still here, nearly blowing speakers and always breaking speed limits listening to the mighty Van Halen, but now my guitar hero is gone.

And I’m heartbroken.

I knew Eddie wasn’t well. And I knew he lived hard. Stupidly, maybe too hopefully, I expected that exuberance and youthfulness he always exhibited would carry him through. I knew better, but you gotta stay hopeful: “C’mon, Eddie, you can beat this thing.”

I loved Eddie Van Halen. He gave me so much joy. So many hair-raising, thrilling, OMG moments, on record and in person. So many opportunities to ridiculously air-guitar with my friends - hanging out, in our cars, and at every show. So many summer nights, avoiding speeding tickets, trying to meet girls, and looking for a good time with Eddie’s jams as the soundtrack to our adventures.

All the mind-bending solos and gloriously catchy hooks. The power pop and the full-throttle rock and roll. The harmonies between him and Michael Anthony. The tolerant teasing between him and Dave or Sammy. The undeniable, brotherly tether between he and Alex. His spirited sprinting and enthusiastic jumping all over the stage. The cigarette wedged up between the neck and strings of his guitar while he ripped off another blistering solo.

And that smile.

Eddie’s two-hand tapping and other trickery set the rock world on its ear in 1978, sending both experienced and aspiring guitarists back to their instruments, exasperated and frustrated. And, his ground-breaking mastery, influence, and innovation never waned throughout his life. I absolutely love his technique, tone, and style. There’s SO much going on during these recordings, but within all the tasteful tappings, chirps, massive tidal wave swells, and ferocity was his undeniable commitment to melody. He was always concise and served the song first. I don’t play guitar and I have no idea HOW he did what he did, but I know WHAT he did – thrilled, astonished, and amazed me.

Thank you, Eddie. You’ve been so generous with your gifts and given me so much happiness. I will never stop playing your songs (windows down, of course) and I will play them LOUD.

Rest in Peace, Edward Van Halen. Blessings and peace to your family.

[Parr8hed]

4 minutes ago, jsharr said:

This was written by Roland Ball, and old high school buddy.

 

I discovered Van Halen sometime between 8th and 9th grade. Van Halen II was out and "Dance the Night Away" was the one that drew me in. Just love that opening cowbell, signaling the greatness that's about to come. The 45-single I bought had a blue background, boldly displaying the flying VH logo they use to this day. On the back, air bound in the splits, wearing peppermint-striped pants - "Diamond Dave," David Lee Roth. I wasn't quite sure what to make of him, but I knew I liked his band. An incredibly catchy, sing-along tune with fabulous backing harmonies.

"Dance the Night Away" is a bit misleading. Having not heard Van Halen's debut (I know, I know), I wasn't aware of the almighty power the band wielded. I wasn’t aware that this wasn't Dave's band with some dudes backing him. I wasn't aware that Van Halen was the last name of two of those dudes and that one of those dudes would end up being one of the greatest musicians I'd ever see or hear in my lifetime. What helped was that I flipped that 45-single over and played the B-side, "Outta Love." Eddie's bee-swarm intro, Michael Anthony's rumbling bass, and Alex Van Halen's skipping drums all marched into Dave's funky ass vocals and I knew I had stumbled upon something completely different. This underappreciated jam has all the key elements of great VH songs: Eddie's screaming, ferocious guitar melodies and hooks, that driving, powerful rhythm section, and Dave's tuneful wails and woo hoo's, all cocksure and full of attitude. Man, I gotta have more of this!

So, I got Van Halen II, then went back and got the first release, Van Halen. And I’ve never looked back.

Over 40 years later, I’m still here, nearly blowing speakers and always breaking speed limits listening to the mighty Van Halen, but now my guitar hero is gone.

And I’m heartbroken.

I knew Eddie wasn’t well. And I knew he lived hard. Stupidly, maybe too hopefully, I expected that exuberance and youthfulness he always exhibited would carry him through. I knew better, but you gotta stay hopeful: “C’mon, Eddie, you can beat this thing.”

I loved Eddie Van Halen. He gave me so much joy. So many hair-raising, thrilling, OMG moments, on record and in person. So many opportunities to ridiculously air-guitar with my friends - hanging out, in our cars, and at every show. So many summer nights, avoiding speeding tickets, trying to meet girls, and looking for a good time with Eddie’s jams as the soundtrack to our adventures.

All the mind-bending solos and gloriously catchy hooks. The power pop and the full-throttle rock and roll. The harmonies between him and Michael Anthony. The tolerant teasing between him and Dave or Sammy. The undeniable, brotherly tether between he and Alex. His spirited sprinting and enthusiastic jumping all over the stage. The cigarette wedged up between the neck and strings of his guitar while he ripped off another blistering solo.

And that smile.

Eddie’s two-hand tapping and other trickery set the rock world on its ear in 1978, sending both experienced and aspiring guitarists back to their instruments, exasperated and frustrated. And, his ground-breaking mastery, influence, and innovation never waned throughout his life. I absolutely love his technique, tone, and style. There’s SO much going on during these recordings, but within all the tasteful tappings, chirps, massive tidal wave swells, and ferocity was his undeniable commitment to melody. He was always concise and served the song first. I don’t play guitar and I have no idea HOW he did what he did, but I know WHAT he did – thrilled, astonished, and amazed me.

Thank you, Eddie. You’ve been so generous with your gifts and given me so much happiness. I will never stop playing your songs (windows down, of course) and I will play them LOUD.

Rest in Peace, Edward Van Halen. Blessings and peace to your family.

That's an awesome write up.  Thanks for posting.  

 

[MickinMD ★]

Eddie van Halen's greatest accomplishment was marrying Valerie Bertinelli.

They'd been separated/divorced for almost 2 decades, but Valerie was reportedly by his side when he died.

[jsharr ★]

@Parr8hed if you have not watched this, WATCH IT!!!!  If you have watched it, watch it again.
 

 

[ChrisL]

12 minutes ago, jsharr said:

@Parr8hed if you have not watched this, WATCH IT!!!!  If you have watched it, watch it again.
 

 

Thanks for posting. I watched some of it but will watch the rest after work.

I posted while you were on Vacay that the Van Halen’s immigration story mirrors my family as were both Dutch Indonesians.  My dad was an electrician in the army so was able to find higher paying work during the construction boom in SoCal post WWII but they faced many of the struggles my family faced.

[Razors Edge ★]

Pure and simple, Van Halen I is one of my favorites of all time. It is lucky I've had it on CD (and mp3) for decades now, because it would have been worn out long long ago.  I think I was maybe 11 or 12 when I first started listening to VH, and then, freshman year in HS was 1984, and it was BANANAS.  Damn. What a great time and album that was.  So maybe that's my second favorite VH album.  Add in VH II and Diver Down and ... hell, anything up to 1990. 

I'm a real sucker for the short intros/guitar solo tracks.  Intruder or Eruption or Cathedral, but damned if I am not singing "Unchained" in my head a lot these days.  Fucking brilliant stuff.

That little guitar bit at the very start just gets me going.

 

[Airehead]

How can you not pY attention to this.  I have always like this best. 

[Square Wheels]

2 hours ago, Parr8hed said:

So tell me your fav song or album and why?  

I own a Les Paul, an insanely nice guitar.  It needed a significant repair and I had that done a few years ago.  When done, they set it up with a really loose action.  I didn't like it.  In fact, I thought there was something wrong with it.

My step brother came over and played the song below on it, he's amazing on guitar.  Sadly I had to admit the guitar was fine.

This song kicks some serious ass.

 

[ChrisL]

4 minutes ago, Square Wheels said:

I own a Les Paul, an insanely nice guitar.  It needed a significant repair and I had that done a few years ago.  When done, they set it up with a really loose action.  I didn't like it.  In fact, I thought there was something wrong with it.

My step brother came over and played the song below on it, he's amazing on guitar.  Sadly I had to admit the guitar was fine.

This song kicks some serious ass.

 

Did you see Eddie pull the pick from his mouth after he was done playing with just his fingers?  He said he used metal picks and the cancer was right where he held the picks in his mouth.... He didn’t know what caused the cancer but thought there was a correlation. 

[Square Wheels]

5 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

Did you see Eddie pull the pick from his mouth after he was done playing with just his fingers?  He said he used metal picks and the cancer was right where he held the picks in his mouth.... He didn’t know what caused the cancer but thought there was a correlation. 

Many people do that, some hide it between their fingers. I suspect it was a combination of bad luck and smoking.

[dinneR ★]

I saw them in 1982. Great show. 

[Parr8hed]

22 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

Pure and simple, Van Halen I is one of my favorites of all time. It is lucky I've had it on CD (and mp3) for decades now, because it would have been worn out long long ago.  I think I was maybe 11 or 12 when I first started listening to VH, and then, freshman year in HS was 1984, and it was BANANAS.  Damn. What a great time and album that was.  So maybe that's my second favorite VH album.  Add in VH II and Diver Down and ... hell, anything up to 1990. 

I'm a real sucker for the short intros/guitar solo tracks.  Intruder or Eruption or Cathedral, but damned if I am not singing "Unchained" in my head a lot these days.  Fucking brilliant stuff.

That little guitar bit at the very start just gets me going.

 

That album that Unchained came off of (Fair Warning) is still considered the Gold Standard on Ed's guitar tone.  Some of the big guitarist are known for certain sounds or tones.  Jimi was known for the "voodoo" sound.  Ed's tone on that album has been called "brown sound".  Simply amazing.  I am more of a fan of his darker, deeper tone on "Women and Children First".  But I love the brown tone as well.  

[Parr8hed]

21 hours ago, Airehead said:

How can you not pY attention to this.  I have always like this best. 

You don't see that one much.  That's called the "shark" guitar.  Ed used a hacksaw blade to cut up an Ibanez Deystroyer.  He liked the look better but felt like it destroyed the tone of the guitar.  He actually recorded the album on a borrowed Deystroyer.  You could seriously write a book just about guitar tech with him.  Different ones he's played and built over the years.  

[jsharr ★]

2 minutes ago, Parr8hed said:

You don't see that one much.  That's called the "shark" guitar.  Ed used a hacksaw blade to cut up an Ibanez Deystroyer.  He liked the look better but felt like it destroyed the tone of the guitar.  He actually recorded the album on a borrowed Deystroyer.  You could seriously write a book just about guitar tech with him.  Different ones he's played and built over the years.  

Have you watched the interview I posted?  He talks a lot about making his own guitars, potting pick ups, all the stuff he had to learn to do on the cheap.  Very cool

[Parr8hed]

21 hours ago, Square Wheels said:

I own a Les Paul, an insanely nice guitar.  It needed a significant repair and I had that done a few years ago.  When done, they set it up with a really loose action.  I didn't like it.  In fact, I thought there was something wrong with it.

My step brother came over and played the song below on it, he's amazing on guitar.  Sadly I had to admit the guitar was fine.

This song kicks some serious ass.

 

Les Pauls are insanely nice!  So depressing to see someone else play one of your guitars and make the instrument make sounds that you never could.  Mean street is another off of Fair Warning.  Lots of folks just call it "The Guitar Album".  I can't see it clearly, but I think he is playing one of the Peavy wolfgangs that he helped to design.  

[Parr8hed]

20 hours ago, Square Wheels said:

Many people do that, some hide it between their fingers. I suspect it was a combination of bad luck and smoking.

He used to hold the pick between his thumb and middle finger a lot so he could free up the index finger for tapping.  I tried it once and it felt so awkward that i couldn't take it.  

[smudge ★]

23 hours ago, Kzoo said:

Last week's news.

Cold, brah.

[Parr8hed]

2 minutes ago, jsharr said:

Have you watched the interview I posted?  He talks a lot about making his own guitars, potting pick ups, all the stuff he had to learn to do on the cheap.  Very cool

I have watched bits and pieces.  I want to watch it, but I am at work and i cannot devote that much time to it because certain jackasses are being whiny today.  This sounds a little cheesy, but I want to watch it later at home so I can devote my full attention to it.  

[jsharr ★]

23 hours ago, Parr8hed said:

I didn't get to chat about it here since I was on vacay.  I am sure that you guys talked about him.  

 

So tell me your fav song or album and why?  

Another tribute from another friend from high school.

R.I.P. to an incredible musician who embodied the pure passion of rock and roll. When I heard of Eddie Van Halen's passing this afternoon, I was legitimately saddened, so much so I was actually surprised by it.
And then it hit me: Eddie's death added mortality to my adolescence. See, I saw Van Halen play Reunion Arena in Dallas in 1980, when I was just 16 ... 40 years ago. It was my first real rock concert (and I still can't believe my folks let me drive all the way to downtown Dallas in my VW Bug, for a rock concert). It was so long ago I don't even remember who came with me to see the show (my best guess is my dear friend Michael Dillon; if not, it certainly should've been). But the point here is, I got to see Van Halen in concert when I was a teenager, and that represents a seminal moment of my youth. As noted, my parents approved, so it was a hardly an act of rebellion; and yet it was absolutely an act of adolescent independence. It was subtlety transformative, which is to say I didn't realize how much it changed my life until 40 years later, when I heard about Eddie Van Halen's passing, and I got strangely emotional when it dawned on me: he played the first concert I ever saw. I saw him on stage, wailing on that red-and-white striped guitar, sweaty long hair flying behind him.
I raised both hands in the air and yelled for all I was worth, just like thousands of other teenagers from the Dallas suburbs.
We were just kids.
Now we're on the downside of middle age.
But we're cool because we saw Van Halen in concert.
Long live rock 'n roll.
#RIPEddie

[jsharr ★]

I am sad that I never saw VH live.  I was never much of a concert guy for whatever reason, but there are a few bands that I wish I had seen.  REM and VH being the top ones.  I quess since I am not a musicaion, I had no idea of the mastery, invention and innovation in Eddie's playing.  More amazing is that he taught himself to play.  He could watch and listen and then mimic, immitate and innovate.  If Eric Clapton does it that way, then I can do that to do it my way.

Learning more about the tough road Alex and Eddie and their family walked and perserved through is amazing.  Even more amazing is that through it all music was their respite and salvation.  So many would have said by to the music and just gotten a job but music was their job, almost from day one.

Need to sit down and listen to more Van Halen after reading all I have read and watched the last week or so.

Godspeed Eddie.  I hope where ever you are, there are still guitars and cars and that both are running a little bit hot tonight.

[Parr8hed]

14 minutes ago, jsharr said:

Another tribute from another friend from high school.

R.I.P. to an incredible musician who embodied the pure passion of rock and roll. When I heard of Eddie Van Halen's passing this afternoon, I was legitimately saddened, so much so I was actually surprised by it.
And then it hit me: Eddie's death added mortality to my adolescence. See, I saw Van Halen play Reunion Arena in Dallas in 1980, when I was just 16 ... 40 years ago. It was my first real rock concert (and I still can't believe my folks let me drive all the way to downtown Dallas in my VW Bug, for a rock concert). It was so long ago I don't even remember who came with me to see the show (my best guess is my dear friend Michael Dillon; if not, it certainly should've been). But the point here is, I got to see Van Halen in concert when I was a teenager, and that represents a seminal moment of my youth. As noted, my parents approved, so it was a hardly an act of rebellion; and yet it was absolutely an act of adolescent independence. It was subtlety transformative, which is to say I didn't realize how much it changed my life until 40 years later, when I heard about Eddie Van Halen's passing, and I got strangely emotional when it dawned on me: he played the first concert I ever saw. I saw him on stage, wailing on that red-and-white striped guitar, sweaty long hair flying behind him.
I raised both hands in the air and yelled for all I was worth, just like thousands of other teenagers from the Dallas suburbs.
We were just kids.
Now we're on the downside of middle age.
But we're cool because we saw Van Halen in concert.
Long live rock 'n roll.
#RIPEddie

Let's be clear.  It was not a red and white striped guitar.  It was red with white and black stripes.  

[Parr8hed]

8 minutes ago, jsharr said:

I am sad that I never saw VH live.  I was never much of a concert guy for whatever reason, but there are a few bands that I wish I had seen.  REM and VH being the top ones.  I quess since I am not a musicaion, I had no idea of the mastery, invention and innovation in Eddie's playing.  More amazing is that he taught himself to play.  He could watch and listen and then mimic, immitate and innovate.  If Eric Clapton does it that way, then I can do that to do it my way.

Learning more about the tough road Alex and Eddie and their family walked and perserved through is amazing.  Even more amazing is that through it all music was their respite and salvation.  So many would have said by to the music and just gotten a job but music was their job, almost from day one.

Need to sit down and listen to more Van Halen after reading all I have read and watched the last week or so.

Godspeed Eddie.  I hope where ever you are, there are still guitars and cars and that both are running a little bit hot tonight.

Yea, he innovated so much.  Tone, style, aggressiveness, mechanics, electronics.  There was a funny interview with Jan Hammer (Miami Vice Soundtrack) talking about how he tried to make his keyboard sound like a guitar and the Ed comes along and makes his guitar sound like a keyboard.  On this vid watch his right hand.  Using volume knob to create that coold revibe thing while his left hand just plays simple bar chords.