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Van Halen Appreciation thread


BigDHornfan

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I went back and listened to the whole 5150 album yesterday. Say whatever you want about Sammy sucks, keyboards suck, Van Hagar sucks etc etc etc. I get it.

But Eddie has some serious legit guitar work on that album. Go back and check it out. It doesn’t get near the credit that it should.

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7 hours ago, tbone_ said:

I went back and listened to the whole 5150 album yesterday. Say whatever you want about Sammy sucks, keyboards suck, Van Hagar sucks etc etc etc. I get it.

But Eddie has some serious legit guitar work on that album. Go back and check it out. It doesn’t get near the credit that it should.

Is there a version with only Eddie's guitar playing and the rest removed?

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The challenge with Van Halen is that their music was PERFECTLY tuned to the inner vibe of any 13-17 year old boy dreaming of emerging from his dorky basement bedroom and laying wood to the plastic fantastic girl of his dreams.

You're cool. No, you're really cool. She's totally gonna wanna fuck you. Ease back...between my legs. Etc.

They had a great sound, immense presence, and lyrics about dry humping. 

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Fair Warning, in general, and Unchained, in particular, were peak Van Halen. Not saying there weren’t other good songs on other albums — have you seen Junior’s grades? — but the debut and Fair Warning stand far above everything else, especially the keyboard nonsense. Imo. 
 

Summer between junior and senior year of high school. Season tickets to Six Flags and all the high school girls that implies. Money to burn from a summer job. 455HO GTO. Looked old enough to buy beer with no issues. Maybe that skews my perception, but, damn, this album, though. 

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My annual rant about Alex Van Halen's drum sound incoming:  I swear they put a flange on it.  Cardboard boxes with a flanger.  Give me a fucking break.  He's not a bad drummer but he has the absolute #1 worst drum sound of all time.

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  • 1 month later...
My annual rant about Alex Van Halen's drum sound incoming:  I swear they put a flange on it.  Cardboard boxes with a flanger.  Give me a fucking break.  He's not a bad drummer but he has the absolute #1 worst drum sound of all time.

Every time I hear VH now I think about this. Honestly, it doesn’t sound that bad to me. Just sounds like Van Halen’s drums.
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1 hour ago, tbone_ said:


Every time I hear VH now I think about this. Honestly, it doesn’t sound that bad to me. Just sounds like Van Halen’s drums.

I just googled it to see if I could get an example of this and, naturally, it's a bunch of drummers trying to recreat his sound.  To me, the snare sounds really hollow and loose, the bass drum is fairly tight (just a touch of flub), and the toms sound like they're getting more of a room mic.  Lots of decay on the cymbals and high hat.  I don't hear a flange or comb filter type sound though.  I don't find it offensive, but I wouldn't call it one of my top drum sounds either.  My description is from my recent listen to "I'll Wait" of 1984. 

 

I only saw them live twice (both with Sammy).  I don't remember anything too distinct about the drums in a live setting.  Anyway, don't care, saw Eddie play Eruption from the 8th row.

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I only saw them live twice (both with Sammy).  I don't remember anything too distinct about the drums in a live setting.  Anyway, don't care, saw Eddie play Eruption from the 8th row.


Only time I saw them live with Dave I was so drunk I pissed on the floor at Reunion Arena. So that experience is no help.
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2 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

 


Only time I saw them live with Dave I was so drunk I pissed on the floor at Reunion Arena. So that experience is no help.

Sounds like you were in the right frame of mind to me.

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Since nobody cares about the Wolf thread, here's Wolf's latest video.

 

He apparently also has Mom's acting chops and comic timing as well as Dad's musical talent.

And Sam Elliott is in it.

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  • 1 month later...

So this is super interesting and hilarious.

I love watching the Charismatic Voice because she's fucking hot as hell, but also because she has some really great insights into music.

What's great about this is, while DLR will never be mistaken for being an opera singer (like she is), she really points out the details of his singing that make him a great vocalist.

also hilarious because a former boyfriend of hers would apparently play this song every day when she came home from teaching

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I've heard all the horror stories about DLR in the studio, he couldn't sing anything, whatever.  I saw him live in 1979 and he fucking killed.  Maybe he just isn't comfortable in a studio situation, but he can definitely sing, and certainly sing in the most perfect manner imaginable for that band.

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