Edward Van Halen RIP

Eddie wasn’t the first guy to use tap techniques, but he took them to a whole new level and made them popular. He was also considered a kingmaker in the guitar business. His gear choices and emulators shaped the industry for about eight years.

Numerous interesting bits have resurfaced in the last day. One was that Eddie and Alex had wanted Sass Jordan to replace Sammy but their managers talked them in to Gary Cherone because they didn’t think a female singer would go over with the old school fans and Gary’s voice was passable for Sammy and Dave songs and would be popular with them.

@Timpranillo posted:

Not saying they are better, but in the team picture.

Welcome to the Jungle - GNR

Head Like A Hole - NiN

Blister in the Sun - Femmes

Radio Free Europe - REM

Good Times Roll - The Cars

More Than a Feeling - Boston

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

Good Times, Bad Times - Zeppelin

Metallica- Hit the Lights

AC/DC (reinvented with Brian Johnson): Back in Black

Alice In Chains - We Die Young (prophetic)

Pearl Jam - Once

@Herschel posted:

Eddie wasn’t the first guy to use tap techniques, but he took them to a whole new level and made them popular. He was also considered a kingmaker in the guitar business. His gear choices and emulators shaped the industry for about eight years.

Numerous interesting bits have resurfaced in the last day. One was that Eddie and Alex had wanted Sass Jordan to replace Sammy but their managers talked them in to Gary Cherone because they didn’t think a female singer would go over with the old school fans and Gary’s voice was passable for Sammy and Dave songs and would be popular with them.

Watched an interview he did 3 years ago. He talked about him and Alex seeing everyone they could at the Forum. He said they went to see Zeppelin and noticed Page tapping with one hand, with the other hand in the air. He decided then he would try both hands and see what happened. He didn't invent it, but he opened a floodgate of possibilities, and deserves all credit for that.

Within a few minutes of their debut album,  Eddie told a whole planet full of guitarists you're doing it wrong. Game changer. Forget 8th notes, 16th notes, 32nds, 64ths, arpeggios, triplets. Throw it out. You could increase your output by multiples using the fingering style he perfected. The great Randy Rhoads has said seeing EVH inspired him. High praise from a truly great player himself. 

@Timpranillo posted:

Not saying they are better, but in the team picture.

Welcome to the Jungle - GNR

Not disagreeing, just adding to the list of first songs on an album

Them Bones - AiC Dirt

"Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)" - Def Leppard Pyromania

They’re talking debut albums

I'll throw in Motley Crue's first album, Too Fast For Love, with the first track being Live Wire.  

King Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King- 21st Century Schizoid Man

@MichiganPacker2 posted:

Sweet Child of Mine - GNR

Sunshine of Your Love - Clapton/Cream

I was studying in London in 1974. I heard Eric Clapton and Cream live.  Everything since has been compared to him for me.  

@MichiganPacker2 posted:

Sweet Child of Mine - GNR

Sunshine of Your Love - Clapton/Cream

Baba O'Riley - The Who

Side two of that album starts with Getting in Tune, also amazing.

For EVH, can't even rank his solos, but I can listen to 316 on repeat.

My sister was at this show....digitized from old 8mm

Roy Clark

Malaguena

Look it up.

My oldest brother got to see VH opening for Black Sabbath back in ‘78...lucky bastard

@PackLandVA posted:

Roy Clark

......
I'm an old rock n roller, but Roy Clark so good on any type of song!
Guitar, banjo, violin, vocals!

Some trivia about their only #1 song, "Jump," video posted above by me.

Back in 1981 Eddie created a synthesizer segment inspired by the Hall & Oates song, "Kiss on my List." Band received it coolly, but one of the producers with the group wouldn't let it go. Played it in a car for David Lee Roth, and asked him to write some words for it. Roth had recently witnessed a horrible traffic jam caused by a man on a bridge threatening suicide and mused that surely someone there yelled at the man, "Go ahead and jump!" He wanted to do lyrics headed in that direction, but another producer with the band steered it more toward a commentary on the typical male-female courtship. That line from Roth did make it into the final product, but of course with a clearly different context.

Roth directed the video shot in a black box theater. Pretty cool that Eddie got to showcase his keyboard skills. His parents envisioned him as a concert pianist and started him on piano lessons at the age of 5.

There's a great version on YouTube of the band performing it live in Fresno, CA just up the road from us, with Sammy Hagar on vocals.

Good read about his LONG battle with various cancers.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/b...t_PopMedicine_Active