Alex's Blog (ALG ): Van Halen

Let's begin to comment and discuss the band from the 1980's
going back to high school and that is Van Halen.
There are two incarnations that have been successful one is from the
David Lee Roth era and the other is the Sammy Hagar era (aka Van Hagar)
Led by the Van halen bros. the Dutch born drummer Alex Van Halen and of course the greatest guitarist in rock history since Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, who is ranked
as the #2 guitarist in rock history based on his skills.

There is also the vocal harmonies of bassist Michael Anthony and thundering
bass lines that provide the rhythm section with Alex Van Halen's powerful drums.
Eddie's finbger tapping technique on the fretboard has been innovative thiugh the
technque was originally pioneered by the likes of Canned Heat's Harvey Mandel,
Chicago's Terry Kath and Genesis' Steve Hackett, his fretboard finger tapping
technique proed to be more effective and more in the classical trained style since
he also was a classically trained pianist himself.

Let'also not forget the showmanship and baritone voice of David Lee Roth, the group's founding vocalist. This line-up produced platinum selling records and singles
and was even an opening act for pioneering heavy rock supergroup Black Sabbath in 1978. During that tour the young band outperfirmed the veteran group who were at the end of their creative edge.Eddie Van Halen's early influences were Eric Clapton during his days with John Mayall's Bluesbreaker and Cream.

Eddie's guitar playing has been influential since Hendrix and he came up with these amazing solos and plays extremely fast like a firecracker. Songs like "Running SWith the Devil", "Ain't Talk Bout Love", "Hot for teacher" ,"Ice Cream Man", "little guitars" and of course the guitar instrumental "Eruption", has been the main crowd pleasing songs on radio and on tour.Eddie's instrumental "Eruption" has been a classical influenced sound with an electirc vibe to it and its like hearing Bach's organ composition.That line-up also produced their only #1 hit single "Jump" which also has Eddie plays keyboards and proved to be a smash. The "1984" album and tour proved to be the beginning of the end of the original line-up.

After the tumultous departure from Roth and the Van Halen group in April 1985, they
hired a better singer who is a veteran singer and a great guitarist name Sammy Hagar.
Yes the Sammy Hagar of "I Can't Drive 55" fame and has been rock's premier heavy rock singer since Robert Plant and Paul Rodgers and scored with hits of #1 albums and tours and singles with "Why Can't This Be Love" "Dreams", "Summer Nights", and "Right Now" to name a few. Their music with Hagar was rocking but it had a commercial appeal and I dig both the Roth and Hagar. They both made gtreat contributions to that legacy.

Sammy's voice was powerful and had brought something to Van Halen's music.
1996 Van Halen split from Sammy Hagar and this story has become abit of drama queen
story. My only problem is Ed's drinking problems it has affacted the band and
his playing that during the 2004 reunion tour with Hagar , he was behaving erratically and even smashed his guitar to bits on stage and was being an asshole onstage. In 2007 Van Halen both incarnations were inducted to the Rock n' Roll Hall Of Fame.As you know that ex Extreme singer Gary Cherone became the frontman and their last album was a commercial flop and they parted ways with Cehrone. What acomplete disaster.

Now Ed is now clean and sober reunited with old frontman David Lee Roth and produced a great 2007-08 reunion tour. I saw their reunion show at MSG in November 2007 and I had a blast seeing something from the past it wa like going back to HS all over again. Van Halen kicjed ass onstage and represented great good time music without all the messages going down.

Van Halen doing "Running with the Devil" 1978" with Diamond Dave