Van Halen Fans Rule

Here's what I would have thought if I had seen the writer of this post at the Van Halen News Desk at the Van Halen concert I attended back in 1984. "Cool!!!" Music is such a powerful force and the best music crosses all boundaries. Go and read Debbie Pinkney's story. It should bring a smile to your day.

Idle Speculation or the Stuff That Runs Through My Head at Night

What if's were what was running through my mind last night. 1996 seemed to be calling me because I pondered for quite awhile what would have happened if Kiss had reformed with Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer after the 1996 reunion tour which was what was originally said to be planned. That's how I remember it. Ace and Peter joined the MTV Unplugged session and all us Kiss fans's hearts went aflutter. A wave of Kiss nostalgia was cresting as Gen X hit their twenties and, gasp, some of us would turn 30 in 1996. I would see them twice on this tour and it was the culmination for me of a lifelong love of the band. I was too young to see them with makeup back in the 70's and early 80's so I had to make do with the Japan concert broadcast on HBO and the Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park movie. 

I would see Kiss again on the Psycho Circus Tour and it wasn't all that great. Even then, I think I was wondering why they hadn't taken the makeup off and reunited with Eric and Bruce. I had really liked the Revenge album and was hoping for a followup to it, but it wasn't to be. I think it could have been great. But there was a follow up I hear you say. Now, I understand why that couldn't have happened (I guess Carnival of Souls was the followup to Revenge, but I wanted more) and I also understand why Eric later donned Peter Criss's makeup and Tommy Thayer became fake Ace. The evil Doc McGhee had become the manager of Kiss and making money had become the overriding concern. Sure, Gene and Paul have always been after the dollar too, but they still had the desire to make good music. That ended with McGhee. I guess we do have him to thank for the reunion,  but we also have him responsible for the zombie Kiss of the last 20+ years. 

My other 1996 flashback what if is the Van Halen quasi-reunion. First, the original Kiss gets back together  which was incredible. Next, we hear rumblings that David Lee Roth is back with Van Halen. Oh man was that fantastic. I was glued to the television during the MTV Video Music Awards 1996 show and everything seemed right with the world. Dave was clowning up just being Dave so I didn't think much of his behavior. Then came the post appearance interview with the Van Halen brothers and all hope was lost. A reunited Van Halen wouldn't happen on stage ever again. They got close years later with Eddie, Alex, and Dave finally putting aside their differences, but bass guitar would be handled by Eddie's son Wolfgang. While I am one of the very few that feel like Michael Anthony was the most dispensable of the original band, a Van Halen reunion without him just isn't the same. A tour of the original band in 1996 would have been an earth shattering event.

Rock and roll is full of such what if speculation. What if so many greats like Hendrix hadn't died young? I often ponder an AC/DC still led by Bon Scott for example. What if the Beatles never broke up. What if John Lennon had never moved to New York City. One can go on and on in this kind of thinking. I don't know if it's a productive use of time, but idle speculation is perhaps a nostalgic form of daydreaming. 

September 22, 1985 (Revisiting the Past)

I'm going back through what comprised my senior year of high school and first semester of college in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Come along for the ride. New posts every day or so mixed in with other things.

September 22, 1985. The first Farm Aid was held on this day. I hope it helped some farmers out. The concert featured Willie Nelson, John Cougar Mellencamp, and Neil Young among others including one red rocker Sammy Hagar who was joined on stage by Eddie Van Halen thus confirming that the David Lee Roth era Van Halen was over. I liked Hagar as a solo artist and with Montrose, but I was not too keen on a new version of Van Halen. I would get 5150 when it was released in 1986 and see them in concert, but it wasn't quite the same without Diamond Dave.

Tuesday Tunes

I'll get back to my senior year diary tomorrow. Let's have some Tuesday tunes today. This is all stuff that I've been enjoying lately. 

Nothing beats ginger fresh! Ginger Root - Holy Hell

Ginger Root is playing Nashville's Eastside Bowl on September 13th

David Lee Roth - Nothing Could Have Stopped Us Back Then Anyway

2 of my favorites collide! Wet Leg covers the Chats - Smoko

The Chats - Smoko 

Metallica - Seek and Destroy

Van Halen - It's About Time

AC/DC - Overdose

Counting Down the First Dave Era Van Halen Tracks 10-1

I've been counting down the first Dave era Van Halen tracks and now we're to the Top Ten. 

60-51 link.

50-41 link.

40-31 link. 

30-21 link.

20-11 link. 

Just before I finished these posts there's word that Diamond Dave is hanging up his performing career after his upcoming dates in Las Vegas around New Years. I hate to see him go, but he's a smart guy with lots of interests. His cartooning is really cool. I hope he writes a continuation of Crazy From the Heat as I loved that book. 

As I was doing this I learned that one of my favorite writers, Chuck Klosterman, had done a countdown of every Van Halen song over at Vulture. It's paywalled since it's New York Times so I haven't been able to read the whole article, but I noticed we shared the same number one track. It's pure coincidence, but not surprising. His favorite Sammy era song was "5150" which is also my favorite one. 

10. "Light Up the Sky" from Van Halen II. This one just cooks for me. Filled with wolves, crazy visions, and children lighting up the sky. This is one that might have been used if Van Halen had wrote all of the music for the Over The Edge film, but it was not to be.

 9. "Jamie's Cryin'" from Van Halen. This is the only track from the debut that was written in the studio. I guess it's the closest to a pop song from the debut, but still, I think the tune has a ferocious edge underneath the keening background "oh whoa whoa's." When I first started going to the roller skating rink in 6th grade I met a couple of older girls. One was named Amy and the other one was named Jamie. It turned out that Amy wasn't really older. She was faking, but Jamie was indeed a freshman in high school. They were very similar looking and I used to get them mixed up all the time, but they would still sometimes be nice enough to skate with me during the couple's only songs. So, now all these years later I always think of that older girl Jamie. And, it was cool that Tone Lōc sampled the song for "Wild Thing, but uncool that Van Halen never saw a dime from it.

 8. "Runnin' with the Devil" from Van Halen. A chorus of car horns, then the ominous thud of the bass, followed by Edward raking the strings between the bridge and stop tailpiece on his Ibanez Destroyer before launching into the main riff, then Dave lays down these immortal words "I live my life like there's no tomorrow, all I got I had to steal, least I don't need to beg or borrow, yes I'm living at a pace that kills." 

Running with the Devil

 7. "Little Guitars (Intro) / Little Guitars" from Diver Down. I just love this masterful piece of music from the intro down to the full song. Dave's tribute to a beautiful señorita comes off heartfelt and true while the slashing guitar notes spark with their own passion. I was thrilled when Eddie brought out the custom mini Les Paul in Nashville on the 1984 tune to perform the song. 

 6. "Mean Street" from Fair Warning. Eddie takes the bass guitar style of popping and slapping and brings it to his guitar for the introductory notes. It was yet another one of those revelatory jaw dropping moments of guitar genius from Eddie. Then Dave provides some dramatic tough neighborhood lyrics that hipped us all to the fact that Fair Warning was a darker and more dangerous Van Halen. 

 5. "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" from Van Halen. I know this is one of the easier songs to play on guitar as I had high school friends back in the day who could approximate it pretty well back then. Simple is sometimes the best though. Dave tells us we have to bleed for it if we want it. The opening riff still sends chills down my spine decades later. It's one of the songs that takes you on a journey until you stand on the precipice looking into the edge before kicking up its heels again during the almost manically gypsy or perhaps Russian sounding "Hey! Hey! Hey!" chants at the end. This song remained in the Van Halen setlist until the very end. The 4th and final single from the debut album was meant to be a punk parody, but like anything Eddie ever wrote it ended up sounding like Van Halen. The Van Halen News Desk has a good write-up on the song. 

 4. "Somebody Get Me a Doctor" from Van Halen II. Oh my! This song swaggers like a heavyweight champion after a first round knockout. The song dates from their club dates and centers on Eddie's funky riffing (parts of which remind me of ZZ Top) and Dave's stratospheric yelps. This song about being high just screams by on Van Halen II in a blink or you missed it time. When they played this one live they would extend the mid-section stop into a great bit of jamming that featured a Cream "I'm So Glad" interpolation like in this performance at Largo in 1982. 

3. "Unchained" from Fair Warning. The side two opening salvo of Fair Warning is a statement of purpose. Eddie's guitar sounds massive with bite large enough to consume universes. Dave's lyrics are unabashed confidence "here's to your thin red line...I'm steppin' over" and he's not asking for permission as it's his chance to fly. We get to hear from Van Halen producer Ted Templeman as he asks Dave to give him a break and this bit was either spontaneous or pre-planned. Either way it works for me. It is the Van Halen anthem of anthems. 

Unchained live in Oakland 6-12-81

 2. "Dance the Night Away" from Van Halen II. Van Halen brings some harmonic Calypso style to their Latin swinging most perfect of pop songs. This was written in the studio and purportedly inspired by Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way." Vocal harmonies by Michael Anthony and Eddie sweeten the honey pot and Dave keeps his yelps to a minimum. It hit number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. It should have hit number 1. How can one resist the "Oooh baby baby" part? This song was meant to be blasted from your car with the top or windows down while your hair blows in the breeze. It is the full bloom of youth captured in just over 3 minutes.

Dance the Night Away on vinyl most likely the reissue

Dance the Night Away official video 

This brings us the number 1 track cut during the original Dave era. The reason I even used the word "track" throughout this countdown is because the number 1 is an instrumental and not a song. 

 1. "Eruption" from Van Halen. How could it be anything but this track once simply marked "Guitar Solo" on the track sheet. Greg Renoff, author of the must have book Van Halen Rising, found the actual date this history changing burst of music was laid down: September 8, 1977. Ted Templeman and engineer Donn Landee were sitting in the control booth while Eddie was practicing a guitar solo for an upcoming gig. Templeman liked what he was hearing so the solo was recorded. It would slot in on the debut album between "Runnin' with the Devil" and "You Really Got Me." It begins with the heavy drums of Alex paired to a power chord from Eddie. Then Eddie proceeds to brutally attack his instrument in a display of picking and whammy bar noise thrown in too. Some frantic blues notes morph into almost classical sounding array of picked notes before getting whammy barred into submission again with an almost bass note sounding fading groan. So far this is pretty cool, but the world of guitar has yet to be changed. The landscape of guitar playing was soon to be transformed. Eddie once more starts attacking with speed until almost a minute in the notes transform into something that sounds alive as his double tapping harmonics keen and wail in a monstrous sound both beautiful and sorta terrifying. Sure, guitar players had used tapping before. Eddie himself has said he got the idea from seeing Jimmy Page doing it in concert, but Eddie took tapping into outer space. This is the moment when guitar players, both professional and amateur, heads metaphorically exploded and they had to pick their jaws off the floor. The instrumental rides these notes until collapsing into another whammy bar elephant noise before fading away through Eddie's Univox chamber. Eddie would go on to incorporate his tapping technique into many of his solos during songs and it became his trademark. "Eruption" itself was always a big highlight during Eddie's concert guitar solo spot. Whether you liked the band's music or not, "Eruption" was something that could not be ignored. 

Counting Down the First Dave Era Van Halen Tracks 20-11

I'm counting down the first Dave era Van Halen tracks.

Part one 60-51 is here. 

Part two 50-41. 

Part three 40-31.

Part four 30-21.

Now that you're all caught up lets look at the next ten tracks on my best of the first Dave era list. 

20. "Secrets" from Diver Down. I know some of you are scratching your head and wondering how a little known song from Diver Down made it all the way up to 20 or perhaps, like me, you also really like this mellow romantic one. News Flash: This song was originally proposed to go on Fair Warning by Eddie. Which just blows my mind as I've always felt Fair Warning was just one more song away from being the best album in their catalog. I might have to make a playlist with the song added to Fair Warning. 

19. "Everybody Wants Some!" from Women and Children First. Tribal drums. Dave improvising lyrics. Eddie making dinosaur sounds. This is a song that would have probably been in my Top Ten when I was in high school, but I've grown a little bit tired of it over the years. Yet....even though I've heard it so many times, it still hits the Top Twenty since it is such a badass weird tune. 

18. "Panama" from 1984. This should have been the second single off of 1984 instead of "I'll Wait." Strategically placed right after "Jump" on 1984, this propulsive tune showed everyone that the old rocking Van Halen was alive and well with keyboards not taking the spotlight all the time. The music video is fantastic too. Eddie must really love the tune as he went on Letterman and played it as a straight instrumental. The Dave patter in the middle is perfect as was Eddie's miked up Lamborghini Miura S.

 17. "Romeo Delight" from Women and Children First. "I'm takin' whiskey to the part tonight and I'm lookin' for somebody to squeeze." This song has it all. Heartbeat bass from Michael Anthony. Slam bang guitar stun work. Dave working the jive talk while Alex works the hi-hat. This one is sheer adrenalized mirth. 

16. "Girl Gone Bad" from 1984. I have to admit. I didn't dig this song initially. Then I saw Van Halen on the 1984 Tour and my mind was opened. This song is just an instrumental marvel showcase of Eddie and his bag of virtuosity. Here's a live instrumental version for your pleasure. 

15. "And the Cradle Will Rock..." from Women and Children First. Actually the first time keyboards show up on a Van Halen song as the main riff is actually a Wurlitzer played through a MX flanger into a 100-watt Marshall. Michael Anthony would play this part when played live. Dave delivers some teen rebellion lyrics worthy of Shakespeare. This song has adolescent appeal that should last forever. 

14. "Outta Love Again" from Van Halen II. Drums and bass take center stage on this funky romp. Dave lets loose some of those patented high wire yells which were such a part of the first two records. Eddie almost does some chicken picking on the solo and I really dig his playing on the verses. 

13. "Jump" from 1984. Why not follow the first keyboard appearance up with the most notable (or perhaps notorious) one in Van Halen's history a few songs down. We were treated to stories about this song well before the 1984 album was released. We knew it had caused an uproar within the group. We were also very curious to hear it. It was neat, but I didn't pay as much attention to it as I did "Panama", "Top Jimmy", "Drop Dead Legs", and "House of Pain." Then the video came out and, even though I didn't have cable TV at this time, I saw it often somehow. The song began to grow on me with its succinct breezy vibe. It wouldn't be the Eighties without it. It is the highest charting single in the band's history whether with Dave, Sammy, or Gary. I also have to confess, this one was in my Top Ten when I originally started these posts, but the more I thought about it a Top Fifteen spot is fine. It is my highest spot for a 1984 track. 

12. "In a Simple Rhyme" from Women and Children First. It's my favorite song from Women and Children First! Eddie played a 12 string Rickenbacker electric on this song which dates back to their club days. I love Alex's percussive assault while Michael's bass percolates throughout. There is a very Led Zeppelin feel at times. 

11. "Hear About it Later" from Fair Warning. Melodic opening and then Dave yowls while Eddie serves up some sort of flanged confection of stinging metal notes throughout. And man, when the song hits around the 2:25 minute mark and Dave says you can try him at home the song just hits the stratosphere for me. The guitar drops out completely until coming back in with a berserk solo that melds right back into the you can try me at home part. 

Ten more tracks to go. Stay tuned. 

Counting Down the First Dave Era Van Halen Tracks 30-21

I'm counting down my the first Dave era Van Halen tracks. Part one is here. Part two is here. Part three is located at this link. If you're all caught up let's not waste anymore time. 

30. "Feel Your Love Tonight" from Van Halen. Van Halen should not be considered a "hair metal" act as they pre-date this culmination of the Sunset Strip metal scene. Did they influence it? Hell yeah. Every guitar player wanted to incorporate some of Eddie's technique and style. Every frontman tried to cop some of Dave's style which was his own take on Jim Dandy. Whether a conscious nod to the metaphysical poetry of Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress"  or not, I dig the "use it up before it gets old" line. This particular song is a blueprint of it all right down to the isolated guitar and vocal bits near the end.

29. "Drop Dead Legs" from 1984. Lots of cool curlicue guitar lines on this AC/DC inspired languid paced stomper. Goofball lyrics from a leering Dave (love the mention of cartoon character Betty Boop) end about 2 and a half minutes in and a long squawking guitar interlude plays the song out with Alex sounding great on the drums too. 

28. "D.O.A." from Van Halen II. "I'm a spark on the horizon." Love that line, plus the idea of being a "dirty faced kid in a garbage can" definitely appealed to my teenage sense of alienation in the early 80's. The guitar tone is mega crunchy too with a great dive bombing solo. This tune was on their Warner's demo, with different lyrics. 

27. "Fools" from Women and Children First. This one dates back to their club days when it was titled "I Live With Fools" and is in the same vein as "D.O.A.". It's another dose of alienation set to a shuffling roar.  Echoes of The Who, Hendrix, and Zeppelin abound, but it's not really derivative nor is it in a shiny new package. There's a grunginess with this song and "D.O.A." that makes them stand out. 

26. "Dirty Movies" from Fair Warning. Dave's lyrics about a prom queen turned porn actress are a delight.  "Daddy's little sweetie after some damn rainbow" is just genius. Then there is the music behind the lyrics. It's mysterious at the beginning then becomes this funky masterpiece with the guitar punctuating with horn like stabs along with some deft scratching deep in the mix (I believe Tom Morello was taking notes). Drum and bass are badass too. This is a song that may work its way into my personal top 10 one day. It just continues to sound better and better over the years. 

25. "You Really Got Me" from Van Halen. Van Halen's first top 40 hit (making it to 36) was rushed out as the first single from their debut album because the band Angel was planning to put out their version of the Kinks classic. Eddie would have preferred to have Van Halen's first single to have been an original, but it wasn't to be. Still, the Van Halen version is kick ass with Eddie's tapping making a brief appearance and the weird interlude in the middle always reminded me of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." "You Really Got Me" was featured prominently in one of my favorite childhood films Over The Edge. 

24. "Hang 'Em High" from Diver Down. This is an old tune originally titled "Last Night" on the Warners demo. Dave reworked the lyrics and it became a Wild West epic. Instead of being just another boring relationship tune the song became a bit enigmatic which I dig. It's a rather demented boogie with Eddie firing on all cylinders. If you use the web version of this site you can check out the original version.

Last Night

23. "I'm the One" from Van Halen. This one swings with a galloping boogie beat. Then breaks down for some barbershop quartet vocals right in the middle. The Van Halen News Desk has a really great write up on the sheer thrill of this track. 

22. "So This is Love?" from Fair Warning. Hey, it's another swinging tune. This was the fourth single from Fair Warning, but it didn't chart. I love the sunny verses followed up by the questioning chorus. It's a fun tune and the band shot a video for it in a dinosaur park somewhere in Europe.

So This is Love?

21. "Hot For Teacher" from 1984. It's another fourth single. This one did actually chart hitting 56. It was the last single released by the original band. The ending of the tune was from older song "Voodoo Queen." Note: "Voodoo Queen" became "Mean Street" except for the ending. This song is a drummer's delight with Alex's double kick introduction. It reminds me a lot of Billy Cobham's "Quadrant 4", and not just the drums, but the boogie fried guitar too. I would be the Van Halen brothers were familiar with it. I was a senior in high school by the time the video became popular and I can assure, the song was a hit with the younger teachers in my high school. 

That's it for now. Tracks 20-11 will be coming along at some point in the future. Until then, happy trails.

Counting Down the First Dave Era Van Halen Tracks 40-31

I'm counting down my the first Dave era Van Halen tracks. Part one is here. Part two is here. If you're all caught up let's not waste anymore time. 

40. "Dancing in the Street" from Diver Down. One of the many cracks in the camp of Van Halen. "Dancing in the Street" is a song that Dave wanted to cover, but Eddie won with "(Oh) Pretty Woman" instead. When "(Oh) Pretty Woman" became a hit and a whole album was needed "Dancing in the Street" reentered the picture. Which was fine, except that Ted Templeman took a Mini-Moog piece Eddie had been working on and it's this synth piece that percolates throughout the song which really makes it fresh and takes it to number 40 on my list. 

39. "Where Have All the Good Times Gone?" from Diver Down. It's the second time Van Halen plunders the Kinks back catalog (we'll get to "You Really Got Me" later) and I love it. It works well as a mid-tempo album opener and its placing at 39 is more a product of my own nostalgia for the song than musical quality. 

38. "House of Pain" from 1984. "House of Pain" was an older track that had never made it on to a proper Van Halen album. A version of it had been recorded with Gene Simmons before Van Halen got their deal with Warner Bros. That version had the car horns that would later be used on "Runnin' with the Devil." It's one of those galloping stompers of a song that fades out leaving you wanting more. 

37. "Bottoms Up!" from Van Halen II. This boogie, party anthem extolling the joy of alcohol is fun and the sort of track that showcased the humorous side of Van Halen which really set them apart from most hard rock and metal. 

36. "Take Your Whiskey Home" from Women and Children First. This song was a leftover from Van Halen's club days. Eddie wasn't too keen on doing it, but everyone else wanted to do it. The mid-tempo tune fits in well on Women and Children First. 

35. "Loss of Control" from Women and Children First. File this was in the bonkers section. The Van Halen News Desk says this one pokes fun at the punk rock scene. 

34. "Atomic Punk" from Van Halen. A rarity in the Van Halen catalogue; this song has no backing vocals. It's just sheer adrenaline veering on white noise as Dave relates how he rules the streets in what appears to be either a dystopian sci-fi future world or perhaps some darker fantasy land. Eddie's palm scratching of the strings was yet one of the many interesting sounds he was to share with us over the years. 

33. "Beautiful Girls" from Van Halen II. It was originally performed as "Bring on the Girls" during the band's club days as it made for a perfect accompaniment to the wet t-shirt contests that usually part of the night's festivities. The song's title was changed and toned down due to label pressure, but the gleeful decadence still shines through. 

32. "Women in Love..." from Van Halen II. The double tracked harmonics at the beginning by Edward are genius. Then comes the slow burn. I really like Alex's understated thuds in this one. Just perfect. Then Dave provides the twist that his woman is leaving him for another woman. Dave is generally all about the braggadocio, so it's neat when he's almost vulnerable.

31. "On Fire" from Van Halen. Dave hangs ten on our sonic wave. Even though it's the last song on Van Halen's debut, it does not come off as an afterthought. The heavy metal clanger with Dave screaming his head off leaves one wanting more. More of whatever it was we just heard. 

That's it for this post. I'll be come at some point counting down 30-21. Until then, happy trails.

Counting Down the First Dave Era Van Halen Tracks 50-41

I'm counting down my the first Dave era Van Halen tracks. The first part can be found here.  If you're all caught up let's not waste anymore time. 

50. "Spanish Fly" from Van Halen II. This little acoustic tapping showcase came about after Eddie picked up an old acoustic at producer Ted Templeman's home. Templeman was surprised at how well Eddie's technique applied to an acoustic. Eddie would incorporate the instrumental into his electric guitar solo spot when on tour. 

49. "Sunday Afternoon in the Park" from Fair Warning. Wickedly mean sounding synth instrumental perfectly in line with the darker tone of Fair Warning. 

48. "Could This Be Magic?" from Women and Children First. I probably should rate this higher, but we're already entering hallowed ground. Everything from this point on is so great. This tune is the result of Ted Templeman handing Eddie Van Halen a bottleneck and asking him to play slide guitar. Dave accompanied Eddie on acoustic guitar, Nicolette Larson provided harmony after the guitar break, and the sound of rain falling could be heard as the studio doors were opened. "I see lonely ships upon the water...better save the women and children first." It's funny and evocative, and, dare I say, almost poignant. 

47. "You're No Good" from Van Halen II. The slow boil opener of Van Halen's second album was a cover suggested to them by Ted Templeman. They had done it live back in their club days, but Eddie had forgotten it. Templeman hummed the main riff and Eddie took it from there. Linda Ronstadt had a smash hit with her version in 1975, but the Van Halen version is its own little thing. I really enjoy Dave's screams on it. 

46. "Little Dreamer" from Van Halen. Similar to "You're No Good", but a Van Halen original song. This mid-tempo tune shows off Dave's singing chops. Dude had swagger for days and even had pipes back then. 

45. "(Oh) Pretty Woman" from Diver Down. This cover of the old Roy Orbison chestnut was supposed to buy them some time in 1982. When it turned into their biggest hit at the time peaking at number 12, they were asked to provide a full album and Diver Down was born. "Happy Trails" was the b-side of the single which was initially released without the (Oh) in the a-side's title. Dave had wanted to record "Dancing in the Street", but Eddie chose "(Oh) Pretty Woman" instead. The seeds of destruction of my favorite group were taking root. Can't fault the music though. Despite Dave forgetting whole lines this was so glorious to hear coming over the airwaves.

44. "Top Jimmy" from 1984. This ode to local Los Angeles cult band Top Jimmy and the Rhythm Pigs rocks like a mofo. Eddie played a Ripley stereo guitar which allowed for all of the strings to be panned individually. Put your headphones and you can really pick up on the weirdness. 

43. "The Full Bug" from Diver Down. The acoustic intro and the harmonica are courtesy of Dave. Some feel this is the best song ever by Van Halen. It's a great stomping bluesy rocker. 

42. "Push Comes to Shove" from Fair Warning. Dave wanted to cash in on the reggae sound, but instead we get this very intriguing ballad. Eddie's guitar line in the verses does have that reggae saunter, but Michael Anthony's bass is more funk with Alex's insistent drumbeat matching that vibe. I absolutely love Eddie's hornlike solo bits. I've heard that those parts are very Allan Holdsworth like. 

41. Sinner's Swing from Fair Warning. Overt F-bomb! Insistent chugging rhythm. An unhinged Eddie first take solo. This song is a blast. Amazing to think I can find 40 more tracks from the original Dave era of Van Halen I like more. They were just so amazing. Stay tuned for 40-31 up in a few days. 

Counting Down the First Dave Era Van Halen Tracks 60-51

I am still compiling my list of movies that played the Martin and Cinema theatres in Murfreesboro, so I decided in the meantime to provide a few blog posts for you on the first David Lee Roth era Van Halen. If I count "Little Guitars (Intro)" with "Little Guitars" and also include the unlisted instrumental "Growth" I come up with 60 tracks total. So I'm going to do a countdown of all of them until we reach my favorite one. You're welcome to disagree as long as you're polite about it. Music is subjective after all. This list itself is not set in stone. I will probably change my mind as I am writing. Today we'll cover 60-51. 

60. "Happy Trails" from Diver Down. It's a throwaway. It's fun, but it's one of the very few first Dave era Van Halen tunes that wouldn't have been missed if never recorded. It was the b-side of the "(Oh) Pretty Woman" single. If that single had flopped, it may never have made it on an album.

59. "I'll Wait" from 1984. This is probably the first controversial one on this list, but I can't stand this song. If not for the fact that the band made a real effort on it, I would have placed it at 60 instead. Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers was brought in to help with the lyrics, but then got left off the credits. If I was him I would have wanted it to stay that way. The lyrics were inspired by a Calvin Klein print ad of a woman wearing men's underwear and the lyrics are terrible  (Dave should never be singing about "heartbreak in overdrive") and I don't enjoy the strident synth tones on this one. Eddie's guitar solo is the best part and I do like the chugging bass synth notes, but even those good points can't save it for me. It was the second single from 1984 and somehow made it up to number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Apparently Dave and producer Ted Templeman didn't like the song and wanted it dropped, but Eddie and engineer Donn Landee fought for its inclusion. 

58. "1984" from 1984. The first of many instrumentals that are near the bottom of the 60 tracks. Just because it's 58 doesn't mean it's bad. In this case it just means it's boring noodling. It's just Eddie whetting the appetite letting you know there will be keyboards on the album. 

57. "Growth" from Women and Children First. "Growth" is not listed, but it comes after the last song "In a Simple Rhyme" ends. It fades out on the vinyl and cassette versions, but the full 15 seconds are heard on the compact disc. The intent was to possibly begin the next album with this instrumental, but that didn't happen. It was played in concert and a full length version was done live with Sammy Hagar in 1986. It's not much, but it was a neat way to end a record and intrigued the hell out of my friends and I way back in our high school days. 

56. "Cathedral" from Diver Down. This was a great lead in to the next song "Secrets" on Diver Down and was an interesting innovative instrumental from Edward. Manipulation of the volume control combined with tapping with some echo and chorus effects make for a nice slice of classical style sounds. I dig it, but there's better solo Eddie to come. 

55. "Intruder" from Diver Down. This instrumental was one of necessity. The music video for "(Oh) Pretty Woman" turned out to be longer than the song so the band came up with "Intruder", or well Dave claims he sat down at the synthesizer and came up with it. It's cool. The little stutter step repeated riff right before "(Oh) Pretty Woman" begins is killer.

54. "Tora! Tora!" from Women and Children First. This ominous sounding lead in to "Loss of Control" evokes Black Sabbath and features some tape reversed whammy bar abuse from Eddie while Dave screams like a banshee. 

53. "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) from Diver Down. Dave said he heard this Big Bill Broonzy song on the radio one night and thought it would be a fun cover song. Eddie's and Alex's father Jan Van Halen was brought in to lay down some clarinet and a good time was had by all. It's in the vein of "Ice Cream Man" so it fits. Dave really hams it up on the vocals too. 

52. "One Foot Out the Door" from Fair Warning. I probably should consider "Sunday Afternoon in the Park" and "One Foot Out the Door" as one track, but I'm not. The same synth line from "Sunday Afternoon..." picks up speed and runs through "One Foot...", but let's consider "One Foot..." a stand alone tune. Dave ranting about how he's got to leave quick because the woman's husband is coming home is funny. Eddie's guitar solo is a masterpiece of technical chops. My only real complaint is the brevity of the song, but, then again, that may be the point. Dave's got to get out quick. No time for sticking around. 

51. "Ice Cream Man" from Van Halen. Yes, that is Diamond Dave playing the acoustic guitar on this cover of John Brim's "Ice Cream Man". Open E tuning I believe. It's a fun and goofy tune of double entendres which somehow just seems to fit perfectly on the debut album. Van Halen is often referred to as a party rock band and moments like "Ice Cream Man" illustrate this well. 

That's all for today. Stay tuned for my rankings for 50-41 soon. If you can't wait a few days you can always visit the Van Halen News Desk which had been indispensable help in compiling my list with all of the extra factoids I might have forgotten or missed. 

Fair Warning 40 Years Old

Forty years ago this monster slab of rock and roll arrived. I want to know what they were thinking at Warner Bros since "Hear About It Later" was not issued as a single from Fair Warning. I think that tune would have been a smash hit even with the 45 second instrumental beginning. The bridge (or is it considered the chorus) of the song is pure pop heaven. I love this record, but wish side two just had one more song on it. 

"Hear About It Later" from Fair Warning

"Hear About It Later" live in Oakland

"Hear About It Later" vocal track

"Hear About It Later" guitar track

Van Halen 1984 Tour Nashville Memories

Those sounds from my adolescence still sound amazing to me all these years later. It's the sound of electricity in the air. Fast cars and the wind blowing feathered hair while your speakers blow......musing as I often do on the mighty Van Halen....party anthems with soul. 

Photo from inside the trailer I was living in around this time. 

I know exactly where I was 37 years ago. I was at Municipal Auditorium to see the mighty Van Halen on their 1984 tour. The Gonz's mom took us to Nashville and dropped us off. Autograph was the opening band and they didn't make it through their set. Chants of Eddie rang out loudly and bottles rained down on the stage. I felt bad for Autograph, but it didn't keep me from joining in after an empty whiskey bottle rolled against my right foot. I picked it up and chucked it at the stage in the direction of the drums. 

There was a commotion either before Autograph or right before Van Halen came on when the crowd noticed Valerie Bertinelli was there. I didn't see her, but the word went around down the front of the stage like the telephone game. The Gonz and I were about 10 rows deep in just about center stage. There were no floor seats so we stood the entire night and I don't recall either of us leaving once we had our spot staked out. The Gonz had got to see Elvis play Murphy Center when he was in primary school, but I had never seen a big rock concert before. The closest had been seeing Kiss on HBO. 

We had spent most of the afternoon wondering what songs would be played that night. I think the Gonz even wrote out prospective setlist's. This pre-internet era was one of endless speculation and wonderment. We both worshipped at the altar of Edward Van Halen and the Gonz especially was excited since he had been playing guitar for a year or so by this time. Both of us had been concerned about all the talk of keyboards before 1984 came out, but once the album was released we were onboard with wherever Dave and the boys wanted to go. 

I'm in a Van Halen group on FB and John Watts posted some amazing photos from the show that night (0r were they?...as it turns out the photos may have been from the July Evansville, Indiana show) and he has given me permission to share them. He had smuggled his camera in and he ended up on the floor not that far away from me. I was thrilled to see the photos. Here's the view well before the show began. The Gonz and I would have already been in the crush of people near the front. 

The lights dimmed and then....Edward Van Halen in the spotlight, then there was Dave making that legs outstretched leap from the drum riser as the  riff from "Unchained" tore the roof off. My favorite band then and now was live in person. We were close enough to the stage that not only could you hear the sound you could feel it. Bass tones vibrated right through our bodies. The temperature inside Municipal rose into a swelter even though it was still winter. Alex Van Halen (who was an absolute beast) kicked into the drum intro for "Hot For Teacher" and the frenetic boogie charged the atmosphere even higher and boom...just 2 songs in and we get a drum solo at the end. Van Halen didn't need to play "On Fire" for us to know they were blazing, but that was next, which was awesome because part of our pre-concert setlist pondering was how many older tunes we'd get. 

Michael Anthony pounded out the bass intro to "Runnin' With The Devil" and it didn't matter if Dave screwed up any of the words as we all were singing along. The Nashville stop was their 3rd night in a row of playing after gigs in Louisville, KY on the 9th and Knoxville the night before. I later ended up learning guitar myself and have played shows in clubs for awhile and for these guys to go out night after night and play with so much energy is just insane. It's no wonder the Dave era imploded after this tour. I was just so lucky to get to see this tour. 

Diver Down always gets put down as the worst original Dave era record, but I always loved it almost as much as the rest so I was thrilled to see Eddie get the miniature Les Paul out and play "Little Guitars" which was my favorite tune from that album. I would sometime make mix tapes made up of the original Dave era and that song always made the cut. It was tunes like "Little Guitars" that made Van Halen so different from other hard rock/heavy metal bands. It is truly sublime with great lyrics from Dave showing off a rare romantic/mystical side. 

"Cathedral" followed with Eddie deploying the tray under the guitar which was a nifty invention. "House of Pain" followed and it rocked. Then Michael Anthony brought out the Jack Daniels bass and everyone went crazy since if you either live in or happen to be in the great state of Tennessee you better love Jack Daniels whiskey which is made in Lynchburg. His bass solo was okay and it was expected, but I kinda wish we had gotten more songs instead of the bass, drum, and Dave solos. Another one of my mix tape favorites was up next: "Jamie's Cryin'" is just a perfect pop tune. How about a break from this review of the concert to listen to it. 

if you don't see a video click on web version at the bottom of this post

The 1984 tour stage was cool with an catwalk that ran above and behind the drums. There was keyboards on each side and this is where Eddie and Mike went to play "I'll Wait" which was interesting, but was the one tune I could have done without. I stand corrected; maybe more bass or drum solos would have been better than "I'll Wait.". It was okay as "Everybody Wants Some" was next. Some keyboard indulgence can easily be excused in the wake of this behemoth (or show we say mammoth) song. Dave shared an almost x-rated story about Alex and some larger groupie during the middle and we all had a laugh. I believe it was after this that Dave performed his solo which was some choreographed sword dance. It was cool, but it did leave us scratching our heads. 

Years later I would see videos of Eddie and Alex jamming parts of "Girl Gone Bad" on the previous tour, so perhaps it wouldn't have been as big of a surprise when the whole band tore through the tune. Suddenly, a song that was not much of a favorite on 1984 showed all its glory to us. It was back to the keyboards for "1984" and "Jump" had become a surprise mega-hit and I don't believe it ever came out of Van Halen's setlist even during the Sammy Hagar years. It was a vindication for Eddie who had been pushing the music for years. Dave's lyrics were always great. If you get a chance to read Ted Templeman's book you'll find out much Dave brought to the table beyond being the master of ceremonies at their shows. 

The moment that lots of people were waiting for was next: the Edward Van Halen guitar solo which delivered and then some. "Eruption" was mind altering when it came out on Van Halen's debut album. You get way more than just that in an Eddie solo. When he started playing the intro to "Mean Streets" the Gonz's smile shattered into millions of little smiles as he picked his face off the floor. I can't emphasize enough this was the pre-internet days and neither of us had seen Van Halen in concert before so we didn't have a clue how he had played that intro on the Fair Warning album. 

It's odd that I can still remember feeling like when the band went into "(Oh) Pretty Woman" the night was almost over which made me sad. I never wanted the concert to end. "Panama" was the last one before the encores. "You Really Got Me" ended with Alex setting the gong on fire which was cool. If you want a feel for what the Nashville show was like beyond the photos you can (as of today's post) still see a boot of the entire later Montreal show on YouTube. The Nashville setlist doesn't note that the band played the short instrumental known as "Growth" that night, but they did before launching into "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love." Our ears would ring for days, but it was great. I bought a baseball jersey shirt which my children now take turns wearing and I bought the tour program which is in a box somewhere. 

My oldest wearing my 1984 tour shirt several years ago.

Before the decade was over I'd be the singer in a band with the Gonz and his younger brother and we'd go back to our old high school and play for the entire student body. I don't know if we ever performed "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love" live, but I know we used to practice the song. I later learned to play guitar and led a few bands that played local clubs, but I could never play like Edward Van Halen. Sure, I can do some finger tapping and other tricks, but Eddie was more than the tricks. His music along with Dave's words was the soundtrack of my youth and it never fails to pick me up if I feel down. So here's to 37 years ago which will soon turn to 38, 39, and on to 40 years back. As long as I'm alive I will celebrate that evening in 1984 when I first saw Van Halen live and remember the absolute elation of that night. Thanks to John Watts for sharing his photographs. 

My ticket stub from the concert.

It was 43 years ago today.....VH debut album

Van Halen's debut album was released on February 10, 1978. Rock and roll would never be the same again. An entire sub-genre was birthed from this dynamite slab of wax. I loved Van Halen from the moment I heard them. I have a big post coming up tomorrow on seeing them in concert in 1984. So, for now just some videos visible if you're looking at the web version of this post. 

Live in Nashville 1978

Monday Music Old Music Ads version

My first big time rock concert! It was incredible. Eddie lives forever in my heart.

 

A couple of department store music ads from December 1980. The first is from Clarks and the second one is obviously from Kmart. Clarks usually had a great record selection and was a stand alone store. 

Sunday Showcase Review October 29, 1978

This week's Sunday Showcase review is from the October 29, 1978 Tennessean. The late great Hoyt Axton and the very recently departed Helen Reddy would both be in concert soon in Nashville so they graced the cover. I wonder who the special surprise artist was at the Hoyt Axton Halloween concert?

Hoyt Axton and Linda Ronstadt 

Helen Reddy on The Muppet Show 1978

Halloween is right around the corner and this Sunday Showcase from 1978 has quite a few Halloween related items. Let's make like Grady on Sanford and Son and check out a little television. Public television station WDCN channel 8 was out for blood with airings of The Haunting and Great Performances Count Dracula.

The Haunting trailer

Channel 17 would be showing the movie Munster, Go Home! on Tuesday night. I was probably watching this back then as I loved The Munsters television show.

Munster, Go Home! trailer

This photo of Esther Rolle and Kristy McNichol grabbed my eye as I didn't recall that two of my favorite television stars had performed together. Summer of My German Soldier was a television movie about a young Jewish girl in the US during World War II, Patty played by Kristy, who falls in love with an escaped German POW in the state of Georgia. The movie was based on a book, which was set in Arkansas, of the same name by Bette Greene. Perhaps I saw this back then, but if I did I don't remember. In case you are wondering, yes, over 425,000 German soldiers were interned in the US during World War II with most of those being held in camps located in the rural South, Southwest, and Midwest. The movie is on YouTube so I may have to watch it sometime.

It's hard to believe David Cassidy has been gone for almost 3 years. The premiere episode of David Cassidy - Man Undercover was coming to NBC on November 2, 1978. It would only air 10 episodes. It was really not too bad of a show, but it was up against Kristy McNichol on ABC's Family and the Top 30 Barnaby Jones starring Buddy Ebsen on CBS. 

David Cassidy - Man Undercover

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus would be coming to town from November 15 through November 19. The "Greatest Show on Earth" has been defunct since May 21, 2017, but it was once a major piece of pop culture. 

1978 Circus Ad

Another defunct item: Hickory Hollow Mall was still in its infancy in 1978 and they were inviting everyone to a "Scare In" for Halloween. Spiderman, Darth Vader, the Great Pumpkin, and over a dozen costumed characters will be there. Plus there was going to be a magic show along with MONSTROUS SAVINGS! I lived in Murfreesboro, so Hickory Hollow Mall is the one Nashville mall I spent the most time in and remember the best. 

Cajun's Wharf restaurant was getting into the Halloween spirit with a costume contest which would be judged by a panel of DJ's from your favorite radio station. There would be a shrimp eating contest too. 

One radio station missing from the Cajun's Wharf ad is WLAC which was Top 40 at this time. Perhaps they were too busy with their haunted house to judge a costume contest. I used to listen to WLAC late at night back in 1978 under my bedcovers on a fairly large transistor radio that had a glowing dial.  

The Priest Lake Jaycees haunted house was always a big attraction during the 70's and into the 80's. 

The Harlem Globetrotters would be coming to Nashville on November 10th and 11th. The Seventies era Globetrotters will always be the ones I remember the best. Curly Neal and Meadowlark Lemon were my favorites.

promo for an Indiana appearance 1978

Let's pause before moving on to the musical portion of this Sunday Showcase review  for this message from Audio Systems. 

The Wiz touring company was coming to Nashville on November 14, 15, and 16th. Exit/In has a great schedule with Leon Redbone, Tom Waits, Barefoot Jerry, and Eddie Henderson all appearing this week. Sound Seventy's fall concerts list is awesome and we'll look at these in more detail below.

Player were riding high in 1978. "Baby Come Back" had hit number 1 on the Billboard charts after being released in October 1977. Exile has "Kiss You All Over" in the current Top 10. Both of these bands along with The Winters Brothers would be playing at Austin Peay November 2nd.

Player live 10-8-1978 

Exile live on The Midnight Special 1978

The upcoming Black Sabbath show with special guests Van Halen would become the stuff of legend later. Van Halen played, but Sabbath had to cancel after Ozzy went missing. The Van Halen news desk has a great write up on this wacky situation. Some lucky fans got to see Van Halen twice in less than a month after the show was made up. I'm including YouTube links to both Van Halen and Black Sabbath's shows so if you've got a few hours to kill crank them up. If you are not seeing the embedded videos make sure you are looking at the web version of the blog. 

Van Halen live in Nashville 1978

Black Sabbath live in Nashville 1978

Queen would play on November 22, 1978 at the Municipal Auditorium on their Jazz Tour. I've always really enjoyed the Jazz album and it would have been a blast to see this concert. The setlist I found is great.

Queen Nashville Setlist from November 22, 1978

 1. We Will Rock You

 2. Let Me Entertain You

 3. Somebody To Love

 4. If You Can't Beat Them

 5. Death On Two Legs (Dedicated to...)

 6. Killer Queen

 7. Bicycle Race

 8. I'm In Love With My Car

 9. Get Down, Make Love

10. You're My Best Friend

11. Now I'm Here

12. Spread Your Wings

ACOUSTIC 

13. Dreamers Ball

14. Love of My Life

15. '39

16. It's Late

17. Brighton Rock

18. Fat Bottomed Girls

19. Keep Yourself Alive

20. Bohemian Rhapsody

21. Tie Your Mother Down

ENCORE

22. Sheer Heart Attack

23. We Will Rock You

24. We Are The Champions

25. God Save The Queen

Queen live in Chicago a few weeks after Nashville 1978

It's crazy to think Bob Dylan had never played a concert in Nashville before 1978, but it's true. Tickets would be limited to four per person. 

Bob would play a 29 song set at Municipal Auditorium on that December 2nd night. I was too young to see him then and I don't think I knew much about him other than "Like A Rolling Stone" at this point, but I would get to see him live twice during the 80's. 

Bob Dylan live in Nashville 1978

Nick Gilder sits atop the Top 10 Records in Nashville for the past week with "Hot Child In The City." I remember it being very popular among my fellow elementary school peers back then. I thought it was sung by a woman at first. I'll post a few of my favorites from this Top 10 below including the number 1 tune and that will be it for this week. I'll probably do this again next week. I had planned on doing these until the end of the year, but 2020 has just about done me in mentally and physically so I'm running on fumes. 

no one knows who she is or what her name is

Linda Ronstadt on roller skates

I have a Scottish friend who knew Gerry back in the day

nothing like a scratchy 45 with the original stereo mix

Bonus Material

October 31, 1978 front page of the Tennessean