So sad to hear. Van Halen was not my cup of meat, but that guy could shred! Certainly one of the best and most influential of his generation.
Very sad to hear, one of the greats - still have their 1st one on vinyl - very influential player
RIP, EVH
RIP Eddie, Thanks for the great music...
Sad news.....RIP Edward.
So sad to hear. Van Halen was not my cup of meat, but that guy could shred! Certainly one of the best and most influential of his generation.
Agree with not my cup of tea but you couldn't get away from his music during my teen years. It was everywhere. Sad news though. Great at what he did
After Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen was the most influential rock guitarist in my lifetime.
He was probably the last great guitar hero, the last guy who did something wildly new and innovative that got the guitar-heads talking and trying to play like him while still reaching a mass audience. (I love Derek, but will he ever be a radio staple or a household name?)
Great rhythm player, great riff writer, great tone.
He also benefitted from the consistency of playing with one band with a pretty stable line-up overall, and of having some eclecticism while always being in the hard rock camp.
gutted. i can't believe it
This about sums it below in this magazine cover. When I first saw this, I thought, truer word could not have been spoke. I could write about him and VH for hours and probably run out of space and bore of everyone. But like I said above this pic below saws it all.Nuff said . RIP Great One.
Nobody rules these streets at night like me
I am the ruler of these nether worlds
On every wall and place my fearsome name is heard!
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Van Halen, particularly the first 5 albums, was possibly the best arena rock band ever (I like some of 1984 but some if it is just too pop). When I invent my time machine, seeing VH in Summer 1981 on the Fair Warning Tour will be one of my stops.
Eddie was an innovator and played with some soul, not just speed. And was a hellava background/harmony singer with Michael Anthony. Those two singing were a big part of their appeal.
I was lucky to see Eddie 5 times: 1984, the first 2 VanHagar tours, 2008 & 2015. The last two left a lot to be desired, although EVH was in great shape and was ripping it up on stage (DLR just didn't have the voice particularly in 2015 and their soundman / system was terrible both times unfortunately). The surprisingly good tour was the second VanHagar tour in 1988 when they played just 1-2 songs with keyboards....that I think were piped in.
RIP EVH.
I have to say I’m surprised at how much coverage in the media EVH’s passing is garnering. A very nice piece on the CBS evening news last night and a lot of discussion in the media this morning. The show “Q” on CBC had a very nice discussion today ending with the playing of Eruption...Also heard a great discussion on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Even my local NPR station, North Country Public Radio, just had the cool acoustic tune that opens the album VH III playing in the back ground and fade out after playing the local news..Lot’s of love for Ed and family today.. 
They just played Spanish Fly on NPR’s “The Take Away.” It sounded so good as it’s been a long time since I heard it....Still can’t believe he’s gone....
Reading the news and the endless tributes from people in the industry should leave no doubt to how incredibly huge, important and groundbreaking EVH was to rock music. I remember listening to that first album the first time and how blown away I was by it. Loved that band. 5150 forever.
As some here know, I am friends with some inside the VH Camp and I had been told that things were not looking good.
I had hoped that what I was told was wrong. It wasn't sadly.
Game changer and not only from his generation but as a player period.
Shame that drama, substance abuse and egos cost him/them so much time.
As some here know, I am friends with some inside the VH Camp and I had been told that things were not looking good.
I had hoped that what I was told was wrong. It wasn't sadly.
Game changer and not only from his generation but as a player period.
Shame that drama, substance abuse and egos cost him/them so much time.
Yeah. I was talking about the same topic last night with my wife, the lack of production of material from EVH/Vh over the years. Its a shame. Ugh....this is awful....
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
I have to say I’m surprised at how much coverage in the media EVH’s passing is garnering. A very nice piece on the CBS evening news last night and a lot of discussion in the media this morning. The show “Q” on CBC had a very nice discussion today ending with the playing of Eruption...Also heard a great discussion on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Even my local NPR station, North Country Public Radio, just had the cool acoustic tune that opens the album VH III playing in the back ground and fade out after playing the local news..Lot’s of love for Ed and family today..
I am not really surprised...I kind of expected it. The body of work speaks for it's self. Especially the Roth years. The player he was, the innovator and influenced how many?! My guess a lot of folks in the well established major networks and news media grew up with him and the band and very well aware of his impact. I am sure were fans also. Our local NBC affiliate did a piece on him. it was touching to see that and others.
I love many rock and roll bands/artist and have been influenced by many.
There are three that have been life changing and I went all "Beatle Mania "for.
ABB,Zeppelin and VH.
VH were the first, I think I was about 12 and one of my friends brought over Diver Down, and that was it for me. I know it may not be they're most popular with fans , but that was my gateway. I still love that release.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Cool read from Sass Jordan on her Van Halen experiences.
I think a really interesting question to ask about VH is what the archives will do / reveal.
For a mega-selling classic rock / hard rock band from 1978 on, all things considered, they put out very little "backwards-looking" or legacy stuff.
I mean, it took a long time for them to get into compilations or "best-ofs." They had no "odds and sods" leftover releases, and they went pretty freaking light on live albums too.
I do not think they have even gotten to the point of doing "De-luxe" albums versions with bonus tracks or outtakes or live cuts or leftovers.
But.
They are a modern band in a digital age. As compared to Hendrix or Duane-ABB, the sheer amount of pro-recorded VH stuff just must be INSANE.
Plus, Eddie was a studio rat who loved to record his own stuff, late-night.
I'm very curious to hear it.
Interesting question about material left in the VH vault...There’s a thread on this very topic over at Vhlinks.com...Apparently Irvin Azoff, Van Halen’s manager the past several years, publicly announced a few days ago that at some point moving forward he guessed Alex and Wolfgang would eventually dive into the mountains of recorded material stored within 5150...However, in VH land, who knows?
