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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
