RIP Eddie Van Halen

[usmc0331horn 962]

Article on when they were discovered and signed.

"Van Halen’s biggest issue was one that as a producer I feared I couldn’t fix. The truth was that Dave’s performance in Sunset Sound only raised my anxieties about his abilities. Some of his vocal performances, to be frank, just weren’t acceptable. To be sure, he was distinctive as a singer; his train-whistle screams were identifiable in a good way. But every time I heard him get pitchy or completely miss a note, I worried that the public was going to be turned off by this band because of his limitations."

 

"They had a great big blackboard, like you’d have in a classroom, and we’d write these ideas down. At these rehearsals Dave would show me his lyrical ideas, things that became classics like “Atomic Punk” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love.” When we took breaks I’d talk at length with him. That’s when I came to appreciate his astounding intellect; he’d quote a line from Tom Sawyer and then a comic book. I still don’t know anybody who can keep those kinds of stream-of-consciousness raps going like he can. Captain Beefheart used to try to do that; all the guys around Frank Zappa thought they could do that. But Dave naturally is that way. His intelligence came through in his writing, too."

https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/van-halen-ted-templeman/?fbclid=IwAR0H6HmMPHdQ2vBKRYBeC9TT-K6J1ha-fCUS7A4ZpObDAoSLnt_rkjfkIYQ

Edited October 7, 2020 by usmc0331horn
New

[ztejas 43,526]

1 hour ago, dcar00 said:

Aerosmith(early) is the only one that would come close

Nah. I'd be hard pressed to think of a less important band than Aersomith.

[BonzoMontreaux 1,071]

Trying to measure the impact he had on my musical tastes.  All I can say is that he opened it to a brand new world of possibilities and at the same time confirms that he indeed, as others have pointed out, otherworldly.  

 

[Wally Pryor 5,262]

23 minutes ago, usmc0331horn said:

Article on when they were discovered and signed.

"Van Halen’s biggest issue was one that as a producer I feared I couldn’t fix. The truth was that Dave’s performance in Sunset Sound only raised my anxieties about his abilities. Some of his vocal performances, to be frank, just weren’t acceptable. To be sure, he was distinctive as a singer; his train-whistle screams were identifiable in a good way. But every time I heard him get pitchy or completely miss a note, I worried that the public was going to be turned off by this band because of his limitations."

 

"They had a great big blackboard, like you’d have in a classroom, and we’d write these ideas down. At these rehearsals Dave would show me his lyrical ideas, things that became classics like “Atomic Punk” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love.” When we took breaks I’d talk at length with him. That’s when I came to appreciate his astounding intellect; he’d quote a line from Tom Sawyer and then a comic book. I still don’t know anybody who can keep those kinds of stream-of-consciousness raps going like he can. Captain Beefheart used to try to do that; all the guys around Frank Zappa thought they could do that. But Dave naturally is that way. His intelligence came through in his writing, too."

https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/van-halen-ted-templeman/?fbclid=IwAR0H6HmMPHdQ2vBKRYBeC9TT-K6J1ha-fCUS7A4ZpObDAoSLnt_rkjfkIYQ

That is a great read.

When I think back on that night, it wasn’t just one thing about him that grabbed me. It was his whole persona. When he played, he looked completely natural and unaffected; he was so nonchalant in his greatness. Here he was playing the most incredible shit and acting as if it were no more challenging than snapping his fingers.

[TwiceHorn 31,520]

My neighbor across the alley was one of the few guys in my high school that had a band.  And they were actually quite talented.  Kyle played guitar and bass, his drummer Jeff went to Berklee.  Kyle was a journeyman player around Dallas for years.

One day I was over at their house and they were dicking around with recordings.  The bass player was MIA so Kyle gave me his bass, set me on a stool with it in my lap and showed me how to thump out the bass line for Running With The Devil.  Another neighbor kid tried it, but I had better rhythm, so I got tapped.

Prior to that, Van Halen was just another band in my budding listening repertoire on The Zoo. 

[Kyrie Eleison 9,312]

[jimmyjazz 46,054]

Same smile, 64 years ago.  Classic.

[Cajun 11,722]

Yes!  Out of everything that's what I will always remember that great "velcro" smile.

It was like he had a perpetual, "I know what's comin' and it's really fuckin' cool" expression.

[66BUFF 2,565]

1 hour ago, ztejas said:

Nah. I'd be hard pressed to think of a less important band than Aersomith.

Sugar Ray?

[phdhorn 6,224]

2 hours ago, Chad Fuck said:

Let's hear it for the keyboard player everybody!

My cool keyboard story, short version:  I told my wife I was running down to the Mason's Lodge because they were getting rid of a "keyboard" a friend had suggested I pick up.  I showed back up at the house with a 250 lb. M-3 that it took three good sized guys to (barely) get upstairs.  Luckily, Chad Jr. took a shine to it so the complaints withered, but if she could've killed me with her eyeballs that day, she would've.  No one is moving that thing until I move or die.  

I started playing on our family chord organ at age 3, officially the first instrument I ever learned to play. Begged my parents for a Hammond; I had never seen anything so incredible in my life. They laughed. After three more years of NONSTOP begging they stopped laughing and and got me one at age five it was an old m3.

2 years ago, my mom passed and we had to clean her house. I brought that old M3 back to Austin with me in a U-haul, and had it restored. That was over half a century time span. Today it sings like a canary, although I don't use it much for actual recording. That M3 is an extension of me.

On topic, I heard that Eddie was in a lot of pain the last week or two, that the cancer was pretty much everywhere in him. Very sad. ☹️

Edited October 7, 2020 by phdhorn

[usmc0331horn 962]

2 minutes ago, 66BUFF said:

Sugar Ray?

Crazy Town?

[deadshank 24,653]

1 hour ago, ztejas said:

Nah. I'd be hard pressed to think of a less important band than Aersomith.

There's that word associated with a band again.  What does "important" mean when used as a description for a singer, band, album, song, etc.

Seems silly.

I could be wrong.

Probably not.

[ztejas 43,526]

6 minutes ago, deadshank said:

There's that word associated with a band again.  What does "important" mean when used as a description for a singer, band, album, song, etc.

Seems silly.

I could be wrong.

Probably not.

Important to the development/advancement of music. Kind of thought that was implied.

Like - the Beatles were important. Wings was not.

I said it in another thread - Aerosmith is basically a shitty Led Zeppelin. Outside of Dream On and Sweet Emotion I can do without their entire catalouge.

[TwiceHorn 31,520]

5 hours ago, phdhorn said:

He also said he almost never partied (not sure I'm on board with that) but took all the stuff to keep going - a refrain we hear from almost every rock star who's been in the business.

Assuming he was an addict, partying falls out of the picture pretty quick (all those other people and shit get between you and the drugs/booze), and everyone who's an addict takes "the stuff to keep going."  It's the nature of the disease.

[Mach 1 1,677]

2 hours ago, usmc0331horn said:

Article on when they were discovered and signed.

"Van Halen’s biggest issue was one that as a producer I feared I couldn’t fix. The truth was that Dave’s performance in Sunset Sound only raised my anxieties about his abilities. Some of his vocal performances, to be frank, just weren’t acceptable. To be sure, he was distinctive as a singer; his train-whistle screams were identifiable in a good way. But every time I heard him get pitchy or completely miss a note, I worried that the public was going to be turned off by this band because of his limitations."

 

"They had a great big blackboard, like you’d have in a classroom, and we’d write these ideas down. At these rehearsals Dave would show me his lyrical ideas, things that became classics like “Atomic Punk” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love.” When we took breaks I’d talk at length with him. That’s when I came to appreciate his astounding intellect; he’d quote a line from Tom Sawyer and then a comic book. I still don’t know anybody who can keep those kinds of stream-of-consciousness raps going like he can. Captain Beefheart used to try to do that; all the guys around Frank Zappa thought they could do that. But Dave naturally is that way. His intelligence came through in his writing, too."

https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/van-halen-ted-templeman/?fbclid=IwAR0H6HmMPHdQ2vBKRYBeC9TT-K6J1ha-fCUS7A4ZpObDAoSLnt_rkjfkIYQ

Great read.

My older brother had a badass stereo system in the 70's, with those 5 foot high JBL speakers.  A buddy and I were watching some cartoons or some shit when he came in and said "hey dumbasses check this out."

He put us in front of the speakers and turned on Eruption, full blast.  It felt like a hot wind was blowing over me.  When it was over I looked over at my buddy, his mouth gaping open.  "Holy shit!"

I read somewhere that they were kicking around band names in the early days.  DLR said it had to be Van Halen, because it sounded like a fucking pirate ship.

[Wally Pryor 5,262]

1 hour ago, Kyrie Eleison said:

Shit, those are great. 

[hookem48 4,702]

6 hours ago, phdhorn said:

Unfortunately this is one part that isn't surprising.  Anyone who followed him knows that at least as far back as the mid-90's, he was in bad shape, beaten up and really old for his years; as shocking as this is, it can't be surprising. You hoped he would linger on but you also wondered when and if he'd be overcome by all of his ailments.  He apparently cleaned up the booze but did enough coke and bennies to wreck a football team.  He actually said in a 2012 Esquire interview that A Different Kind of Truth was the first album he ever - again ever - made sober.   He also said he almost never partied (not sure I'm on board with that) but took all the stuff to keep going - a refrain we hear from almost every rock star who's been in the business.

You know, when I was younger, like many kids I sort of wanted to be a rock star.  And who wouldn't have wanted to be with the "glamorous" life portrayed?  But more and more I'm sort of happy that never happened to me.  I think it's a life that's insane and causes people to self-destruct.  Almost no one has escaped that; a lucky bunch survive it.

After the initial thrill of being famous and rich, it seems like it's a dogshit life.  Eddie was part of it, and it killed him early.

but then you look at Sammy who's in his '70s, looks 60 and living like he's 50. 

[Cajun 11,722]

1 hour ago, 66BUFF said:

Sugar Ray?

Nickelback doesn't like y'all's tone!

[Cajun 11,722]

16 minutes ago, hookem48 said:

but then you look at Sammy who's in his '70s, looks 60 and living like he's 50. 

Still got the voice too.  72.  Whatever he's doing I wanna do it too -

 

Edited October 7, 2020 by Cajun

[Al Czervik 1,229]

Younger Al remembers hearing ‘Jump‘ for the first time sitting in morning Cotton Bowl traffic on New Years Day 1984. One of the better things that happened that day,  one muffed punt too many right in front of us for a National Championship. That sting still lingers along with the passing of EVH. 

[bamachine 1,231]

Well shit. I have been under the weather for the last few days and not online. I come back to this. Fuck this year. I mean, if Dave, Sammy and Michael are to be believed, he was kinda a dick. Still, he was a damned amazing musician and VH was the soundtrack to my middle school(Dave) and HS years(Sammy).

[ztejas 43,526]

26 minutes ago, Cajun said:

Nickelback doesn't like y'all's tone!

I was having trouble thinking of other examples earlier. I'd like to submit Chicago and DMB for consideration.

(And I like a good amount of DMB stuff - so put the pitchforks down)

Edited October 7, 2020 by ztejas

[phdhorn 6,224]

56 minutes ago, hookem48 said:

but then you look at Sammy who's in his '70s, looks 60 and living like he's 50. 

No doubt some of it is genetic, and certainly some is just Keith Richard's breath that's encircled the globe by now, but I bet a lot of it is psychological too. I don't know these guys nor pretend to, but I hear Sammy is one of the nicest, greatest guys in rock, genuinely nice guy. And Eddie from what I have read could be a very nice guy to people he got on with, but carried a lot of psychological baggage and hostility to a lot of other people. He wasn't in the best of mental health most of the time from what I've read. I'm sure carrying a lot of that stuff ages one quickly as well. I'm just glad he's out of his pain now.

Edited October 7, 2020 by phdhorn

[LTtxfan 49,329]

Siap...

 

[Cajun 11,722]

24 minutes ago, phdhorn said:

No doubt some of it is genetic, and certainly some is just Keith Richard's breath that's encircled the globe by now, but I bet a lot of it is psychological too. I don't know these guys nor pretend to, but I hear Sammy is one of the nicest, greatest guys in rock, genuinely nice guy. And Eddie from what I have read could be a very nice guy to people he got on with, but carried a lot of psychological baggage and hostility to a lot of other people. He wasn't in the best of mental health most of the time from what I've read. I'm sure carrying a lot of that stuff ages one quickly as well. I'm just glad he's out of his pain now.

Something else Eddie did that I'm fairly certain Sammy didn't/doesn't -

[Macanudo 13,006]

I had never heard the story about EVH winning the piano contests and I'm feeling pretty cocky now because...

I took piano lessons for two years as a kid.  End of year one, at our recital, I finished 2nd out of 30-40 1st year players.  I couldn't read music but my sister could and she'd play my songs for me and I would memorize them by sound.  Got good enough that I was playing on par with her the next year and she was a 4th year by then.  Took 1st among the 2nd years, and because my mom had told me "2 years of lessons and then you can quit if you want" I walked out if the recital and never took another lesson.   

I regret that to this day.   But I have a guitar that I can't play for shut and I know that has nothing to do with reading music. 

[Deej 76,885]

Monday, I texted a buddy the Beato Stairway video. He replied he'd like to hear Eddie actually play it. I told him he had been ill and he replied that he looked great every time he'd seen him and he was the next Keith.  24 hours later, Eddie passed. I am blaming my friend for having jinxed this. 

[deadshank 24,653]

9 minutes ago, Deej said:

Monday, I texted a buddy the Beato Stairway video. He replied he'd like to hear Eddie actually play it. I told him he had been ill and he replied that he looked great every time he'd seen him and he was the next Keith.  24 hours later, Eddie passed. I am blaming my friend for having jinxed this. 

Text your buddy Rick Beato’s Stairway video with Cardi B and Meghan Trainor.  
 

Let’s see if it really is a jinx. 

[Deej 76,885]

I'm on it. 

I will also text him a Tom Herman video.

Edited October 7, 2020 by Deej

[tbone_ 14,142]

Maybe Barry Switzer too?

[USC_TMB 405]

13 hours ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

Simple decision really, guitar payers get more ass than piano players, and drummers....

Like he said, you can get girls and wish to be a rock star, or you can practice, BECOME a rock star and the girls will follow

[USC_TMB 405]

10 hours ago, phdhorn said:

Truth was the first album he ever - again ever - made sober.   He also said he almost never partied (not sure I'm on board with that) but took all the stuff to keep going - a refrain we hear from almost every rock star who's been in the business.

You know, when I was younger, like many kids I sort of wanted to be a rock star.  And who wouldn't have wanted to be with the "glamorous" life portrayed?  But more and more I'm sort of happy that never happened to me.  I think it's a life that's insane and causes people to self-destruct.  Almost no one has escaped that; a lucky bunch survive it.

After the initial thrill of being famous and rich, it seems like it's a dogshit life.  Eddie was part of it, and it killed him early.

Yeah, no lol. Substance abuse was definitely a genetic thing, his dad died fairly young.

Living in LA in the ‘70s-‘90s and being around the music scene, I’ve seen too much shit to wish that life on anyone. If you can come out the other side somewhat sane, and no major health issues, you’re a unicorn. Someone mentioned Sammy being 70 and looking better than most, but he pretty much steered clear of the hard stuff. 

[CHIEF 5,094]

On 10/6/2020 at 4:32 PM, Chad Fuck said:

This was my first live experience of Van Halen.  I crammed 6 other kids into my 65 Mustang (that's a lot even then for that car - we were skinny I guess) and drove down from Denton.  Still tryin' to cop those licks.  I'll never get 'em like Eddie.

 

 

 

That was the free show I went to. If I would have known you, I would have offered you a "good day, Mr. Fuck."

On 10/6/2020 at 6:42 PM, phdhorn said:

I've been primarily a keyboard player most of my life. The Van Halens started on piano, and - this is beyond mind-blowing -he got so good at it that he won the Long Beach City College piano competition for three years in a row, and he never really learned how to read music! He would simply listen and imitate, and then go to the competition and just play what he heard. Again, 3 years in a row. Even if this wasn't Van Cliburn level, I still scratch my head at that.

He got bored of the piano - again, bored of the piano. So he bought a drum set and started playing drums. Then one day he heard Alex playing a surf rock solo on it and decided to take up the electric guitar around age 13. To say the rest is history would demean the word history.

I fancy myself a pretty good musician, after all I've been doing it from all my life as well. There are few people in popular music that I can't look at what they do and go "well I can get there it just would take a while in some of the toughest cases." But there are a few that I can't understand how somebody could be so good and it's impossible for me to even begin to figure out how they can do what they do. Edward was one of them. Way too many people in rock are called brilliant when they're not. He hasn't been called brilliant nearly enough.

RIP.

I was the keyboard player for my shitty cover band in college. My Roland Juno 106, that has sat in its case for 25 years, still has the "Jump" sound in patch 86, exactly identical.

CHIEF

Edited October 8, 2020 by CHIEF
punkchewashun

[SHOOTER12 8,819]

20 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Awesome shot

[Dilligas 666]

On 10/6/2020 at 3:04 PM, CHIEF said:

I remember seeing Van Halen about 2-3 times in one year in Dallas. Texxas Jam at the Cotton Bowl, 5150 and OU812, they also had a "make up" concert in Dallas as well. Best show was 1984 in Reunion Arena. Dave in his heyday was pretty awesome, wasn't a dude alive that didn't want to be him.

CHIEF

Yes sir those Texas Jams were best concerts I ever attended even with all the people carted off due to heat exhaustion.  And VH was icing on the cake.

[hookem48 4,702]

4 hours ago, Cajun said:

Something else Eddie did that I'm fairly certain Sammy didn't/doesn't -

Sammy also says a lot of it has to do with him being a singer, he had to know when to say when and shut it down because he had to have his voice for the next show.

[hookem48 4,702]

kinda amazing he made it as long as he did

 

[hookem48 4,702]

5 hours ago, Al Czervik said:

Younger Al remembers hearing ‘Jump‘ for the first time sitting in morning Cotton Bowl traffic on New Years Day 1984. One of the better things that happened that day,  one muffed punt too many right in front of us for a National Championship. That sting still lingers along with the passing of EVH. 

It took me a long time to warm up to Jump, absolutely hated it at first.

[HenryJames 66,150]

6 hours ago, hookem48 said:

but then you look at Sammy who's in his '70s, looks 60 and living like he's 50. 

Writing lyrics like he’s 10.

[SHOOTER12 8,819]

7 hours ago, 66BUFF said:

Sugar Ray?

Unless that's sarcasm, you're begging for a negging.

[Hate 20,130]

53 minutes ago, hookem48 said:

It took me a long time to warm up to Jump, absolutely hated it at first.

Totally opposite for me.  Fourteen year old me liked it, but that's one of the few Van Halen songs I can't listen to now.

[hookem48 4,702]

33 minutes ago, Hate said:

Totally opposite for me.  Fourteen year old me liked it, but that's one of the few Van Halen songs I can't listen to now.

the first time I listened to it was riding around in my truck smoking pot with two buddies of mine and Nicky had bought the cassette, after about 4 songs he ejected the tape and threw it out the window. lol

[honolulu horn 6,165]

57 minutes ago, hookem48 said:

the first time I listened to it was riding around in my truck smoking pot with two buddies of mine and Nicky had bought the cassette, after about 4 songs he ejected the tape and threw it out the window. lol

He ejected it after hearing the solo in Top Jimmy? What a dumbass. You should've thrown Nicky out the window and kept the 1984 cassette. 

[Cajun 11,722]

[Nole-4-Life 804]

Stern was saying yesterday that he had spoken with Sammy who said he and Eddie had been texting since early this year and it was all love. They had put the animosity behind them. THey kept it between them to keep rumors of a reunion from circulating because they both knew it wasn't going to happen.

He said Eddie quit responding a few weeks ago and Sammy figured that was a bad sign.

Edited October 8, 2020 by Nole-4-Life

[Chad Fuck 17,724]

Stern was saying yesterday that he had spoken with Sammy who said he and Eddie had been texting since early this year and it was all love. They had put the animosity behind them. THey kept it between them to keep rumors of a reunion from circulating because they both knew it wasn't going to happen.
He said he Eddie quit responding a few weeks ago and Sammy figured that was a bad sign.

At least they got to bury the hatchet before Eddies passing. That’s good to know.

[Onboard 2.0 9,083]

10 hours ago, Hate said:

Totally opposite for me.  Fourteen year old me liked it, but that's one of the few Van Halen songs I can't listen to now.

That stuff was way to poppy for me.

[usmc0331horn 962]

11 hours ago, Hate said:

Totally opposite for me.  Fourteen year old me liked it, but that's one of the few Van Halen songs I can't listen to now.

I was like 8 or 9 when Van Halen and then David Lee Roth were on heavy rotation on MTV. I remember loving those 1984 songs and Roth's solo stuff. I even got his solo tape in my stocking for Christmas one year. I didn't get into the early VH stuff until I was in high school.

[Chad Fuck 17,724]

2 minutes ago, usmc0331horn said:

I was like 8 or 9 when Van Halen and then David Lee Roth were on heavy rotation on MTV. I remember loving those 1984 songs and Roth's solo stuff. I even got his solo tape in my stocking for Christmas one year. I didn't get into the early VH stuff until I was in high school.

This is me.  I became aware of Van Halen during 1984.  I remember seeing kids wearing the tour T-shirt at Six Flags.  Panama and Jump pretty much ruled my 10 year old brain that year. 

I've been trying to nail the solos for those two songs for probably as long.  Damn.  One day, I'll get them!

[CHIEF 5,094]

13 hours ago, Dilligas said:

Yes sir those Texas Jams were best concerts I ever attended even with all the people carted off due to heat exhaustion.  And VH was icing on the cake.

Went one year in nothing but cut off overalls. I was cycling about 60 miles per day at the time and lifting for 8-10 hours a week. Three really hot chicks asked me to take the overalls off. I did, and they promptly took them, and my overalls ended up crowd surfing the rest of the show. Ended up leaving the Cotton Bowl in nothing but my whitey tighties and a Wild Mick Brown drum stick I caught during Dokken's show. Drunk as fuck, and no fucks given. At least the girls were kind enough to grope the rest of the show.

CHIEF