My God. It's ridiculous how good these guys were in their prime. The musicianship...the stage presence...the performance...their attitude. Everything is so on point. Van Halen just sounded better than their peers. Can someone find a live version by ZZ Top that Tops This?
I had the privilege of talking quickly with Eddie in 1983. Diver Down world tour, Pretty Woman and Beat It playing a lot on the radio. Van Halen was in town and would play at night and some friends and I knew they were staying at the Plaza Hotel. Around lunch he and a security guard left the hotel and went down the avenue to a leather, boots and hats store. There I talked quickly with him, very nice people. We shook hands and he gave me a white pick and an autograph. I was 17 years old. At night, Van Halen rocked. He influenced thousands.
Noel Monk the band manager at the time said in his book that this was THE best tour of VH version 1 ever had...both in performance and just getting along. You can see it here on stage with everyone in top form and having a bitchin good time. Playing way better here than they did at the US festival. He thought this tour was the beginning of something great for the band but alas it turned into a giant coke and ego fest during the making of 1984 and then spiraling into their breakup. They should have just stayed on touring South America ..
I have always felt that this might is the greatest Van Halen cover that they never put to tape. In fact, I feel it should've been put on "Diver Down" (or even added since the record was so short) due to a number of reasons: 1) Both bands shared the same label 2) EVH and Gibbons were mutual admirers, despite having totally different styles 3) The trade off vocals between Roth and Anthony match the trade off vocals between Gibbons and Hill. 4) It's such a great rocking party song 5) It sports one of the greatest rock and roll song titles ever 5) The song fits VH perfectly.
Also both solos track at practically the same length - 50 seconds. Listen to a live version from Billy Gibbons and this version from EVH. Both solos are almost exactly 50 seconds long. They just at different times. I can't remember if ZZ Top or Van Halen gets to the solo first. Ed used a similar "song structure" for his solo and used the exact same length as Billy. He just added so many additional notes and sounds and textures in those 50 seconds.
Only Ed could take a Billy Gibbons solo and keep it similar in song structure and use the exact same length (50 seconds for solo), but make it better. Who else can do that and make the end result better than the original? Only the GOAT has those powers. I meant to say that while many other great guitarists can improve upon the original guitar solo, the end result never sounds as good as EVH.
@@sandytinkynot at all. Especially if you know all his music . You can't tell me his solos on Love Walks In sounds like his solo from Ice Cream Man or his Not Enough solo sounds anyy like Push Come To Shove...just to name a few. He has so many different arranged solos and feels and different sounding solos definitely. He just had his sound and you knew who it was when you heard the playing.
@@EazyE5150 Even David Lee Roth said Eddie only had one solo and simply played variants of it. Also DLR said he was the one who actually "structured" Eddie's solos.
@@blite13 They did some other covers so why not this.? Eddie just kills it on this tune a Billy Gibbons would have loved to had VH cover this. Billy Gibbons said that on his list of best guitar players EVH takes the first 5 spots and he would go from there.
like i said....royalties, Billy doesn't give away his songs. Billy said play a full zz top set if they want, but if they want to record a song to put on an album, it will cost ya.
@NukeCulear I like how people are saying that Wolfie blows Mike out of the water....obviously they don't watch these vids of 'yesteryear'. Dave of today is Dave, but, at the same time, not even close. Mike is what he was, Eddie is mostly what he was and so is Alex as far as playing. Dave...well that's another story. Back then he had charisma, today, he seems like a guy who never played on the big stage befoe.
There's well known version by ZZ Top in 1980 in their first visit to Europe (Germany). Billy Gibbons solo runs roughly 50 seconds from about 1:03/1:04 to about 1:53/1:54. Eddie Van Halen's cover version is roughly 50 seconds and goes from abt 1:01 to 1:51. Ed's note choices and phrasing are simply spectacular. The EVH cover of the 50-second solo is so much better than the original 50-second solo by Billy Gibbons. Frankly its not even close.
+Thomas Crosby give the guy a break I agree with you Thomas mikey was a great backup vocalist no doubt but the guys trying to stay sober its tough since you've been 13 years old being an alcoholic and trying to keep your sanity and sobriety I give ed a pass cmon but I hear ya 100% thomas
+mecha gojira69 im not exactly sure what Ed's struggles with sobriety have to do with his disrespect to Michael Anthony. I speak from experience when I say alcoholism is reason for some people's problems, not an excuse. No free pass from me.
Cant put this up against Pound Cake 2001 MTV Music Award Performance.. Plus Micheal and Sammy Eddie Alex wrote it....THey (David David Lee Lee ROth ROTH and THE OTHERS here )didnt write this...
If you watch Mick today, you still feel very satisfied if bucking up the bucks to watch them live. He may not be what he was, but he still (and the whole Stones band) put on a top quality show. Dave couldn't put on a quality show in this day and age, even if he was lipsyncing. Mick still gives the feeling of Rock and Roll, Dave gives you the feeling of awkward and no chemistry with the band. Hagar still gives a better show than Roth...get over it.
This live version of the solo by Ed and live versions by Billy Gibbons are both roughly 50 seconds in length. The difference with what they do in those 50 seconds. Billy Gibbons live version is so amateurish and boring compared to Ed's version. Its not even close. Mr. Edward's cover version destroys any version you will find by the original author Mr. William.
@@JohnWilliams-lp6jr you know it John...we gotta educate these fools... how come Van Hagar didn't have 1 Diamond certified album??? Dlr era had 2 of em!!!! The first album and 1984...ha ha nuff said
Sorry but I respectfully disagree and have a few posts below with some reasons while I feel Ed's cover version is SUPERIOR to Billy's original version. I have the exact opposite opinion of you. I dont think Ed RUINED anything Billy did and only IMPROVED from what Billy wrote. But EVH is my all-time fave and Im admittedly very biased and always Pro Van Halen in any comparison. LOL. 😂🎸🤘
he had the screams and the acrobatics ......the band took care of the rest. Dave was cool at one time but as time passed, he lost his charisma and voice. roth and co. sure soaked a lot of fans out of big dough in their last tour together, dave was unwatchable, except in a car crash kind of way.
Every cover Van Halen did, they made it their own, no exceptions.
Van Halen playing ZZ Top. I'm surprised the internet can contain this awesomeness.
Alex never gets mentioned. He's the power that drove those jams and he made it swing hard. :)
An animal
Very amazing overlooked drummer.
He's up there with Stephen Perkins from Jane's Addiction.
This should've been on Diver Down instead of Dancing in the Streets.
clintkenneda probably the best cover I've heard VH ever do
clintkenneda also better than the original imo
Good call.
To be fair "Dancing In The Street", "Jump" made not have had the same appeal without them doing this first.
Great idea much better but Ted would say no...Mikeys voice
The world should just leave music to Van Halen. They do it better than everyone
Only Van Halen can make a ZZTop sound better than the original. Wow.
Come down to Texas and say that.
ruclips.net/video/wpecBkdpiK4/видео.html&ab_channel=ConversationBomber
No way man.
ZZ top are Top😁
There was nothing better than the original Mighty Van Halen!
Well said. There will never be a band like this ever again. Thanks for all the great music.
@@angelozararis7404 Never
@@angelozararis7404 You meant Sammy....David is Dead....at soul....Pants down and your wrong I am right was his God.
I think this is one of the greatest Van Halen covers ever because it actually sounds like a Van Halen song.
Did you ever hear their cover of Zeppelin's The Rover during the Club Days?
Every cover they ever made they made it their own. Best band ever to do it.
My God. It's ridiculous how good these guys were in their prime. The musicianship...the stage presence...the performance...their attitude. Everything is so on point. Van Halen just sounded better than their peers.
Can someone find a live version by ZZ Top that Tops This?
RIP Dusty Hill. Playing this song with EVH in heaven.
I can't stop going back to this vid. It's so great on so many levels
As a hardcore Van Halen fan I can never get tired of this video
Many levels
I’m glad i’m not the only one to watch it over and over... There is something about it ...
I had the privilege of talking quickly with Eddie in 1983. Diver Down world tour, Pretty Woman and Beat It playing a lot on the radio. Van Halen was in town and would play at night and some friends and I knew they were staying at the Plaza Hotel. Around lunch he and a security guard left the hotel and went down the avenue to a leather, boots and hats store. There I talked quickly with him, very nice people. We shook hands and he gave me a white pick and an autograph. I was 17 years old. At night, Van Halen rocked. He influenced thousands.
Noel Monk the band manager at the time said in his book that this was THE best tour of VH version 1 ever had...both in performance and just getting along. You can see it here on stage with everyone in top form and having a bitchin good time. Playing way better here than they did at the US festival. He thought this tour was the beginning of something great for the band but alas it turned into a giant coke and ego fest during the making of 1984 and then spiraling into their breakup. They should have just stayed on touring South America ..
I have always felt that this might is the greatest Van Halen cover that they never put to tape. In fact, I feel it should've been put on "Diver Down" (or even added since the record was so short) due to a number of reasons: 1) Both bands shared the same label 2) EVH and Gibbons were mutual admirers, despite having totally different styles 3) The trade off vocals between Roth and Anthony match the trade off vocals between Gibbons and Hill. 4) It's such a great rocking party song 5) It sports one of the greatest rock and roll song titles ever 5) The song fits VH perfectly.
And because they kick assss!!!
I agree they should have done this
Would have totally been great on Diver Down !!
Also both solos track at practically the same length - 50 seconds.
Listen to a live version from Billy Gibbons and this version from EVH.
Both solos are almost exactly 50 seconds long.
They just at different times.
I can't remember if ZZ Top or Van Halen gets to the solo first.
Ed used a similar "song structure" for his solo and used the exact same length as Billy.
He just added so many additional notes and sounds and textures in those 50 seconds.
Only Ed could take a Billy Gibbons solo and keep it similar in song structure and use the exact same length (50 seconds for solo), but make it better. Who else can do that and make the end result better than the original? Only the GOAT has those powers.
I meant to say that while many other great guitarists can improve upon the original guitar solo, the end result never sounds as good as EVH.
Greatest American Rock Band
This is amazing! Tight, tight band right here - Michael Anthony vocals ace, EVH wicked solo, brilliant cover...
Man... Mike Anthony is belting that shit out!! Never knew he was so capable/talented. WTH ...did they really need Dave or Ol' Red ?
I always thought that the sound of Eddie's leads sound like he is expressing the party that's going on in his soul!
Awesome comment.
All of Eddie's solos sounded the same.
Sounds good to me
@@sandytinkynot at all.
Especially if you know all his music .
You can't tell me his solos on Love Walks In sounds like his solo from Ice Cream Man or his Not Enough solo sounds anyy like Push Come To Shove...just to name a few.
He has so many different arranged solos and feels and different sounding solos definitely.
He just had his sound and you knew who it was when you heard the playing.
@@EazyE5150 Even David Lee Roth said Eddie only had one solo and simply played variants of it. Also DLR said he was the one who actually "structured" Eddie's solos.
The tone Ed got, as far as searchin' for that brown sound, he had it right here. Crisp, clear, and raunchy. Hasn't had this tone since.
stan yarbrough to me, Balance album was the best sound Ed had
No way, Fair Warning
@Frank Fuentes mean street isolated guitar track on youtube u can really hear the meanest guitar tone of all time right there.
@@saxenasThe meaning of life is in the first Power Chord of Mean Street.
@@doodlebob3758 indeed. I was enlightened.
They can make any song like it came from VH!!!!! The best live band ever!!
This is the greatest thing I've ever seen lol
What a kick-ass band!! Love 'em then, now and forever!!!
Vintage Van Halen forever
This video is pure charisma!!!
Guitar playing has never been the same since Edward Van Halen!
The Best There Ever Was.
they always bring the sunlight in
Micheal can sing Dusty’s parts of the song perfectly. Never expected this cover to be this good
Man why didn't they put this on a record. This thing SWINGS. EVH greatest Rhythm guitar player of all time
zz top wanted royalties.
@@blite13 They did some other covers so why not this.? Eddie just kills it on this tune a Billy Gibbons would have loved to had VH cover this. Billy Gibbons said that on his list of best guitar players EVH takes the first 5 spots and he would go from there.
like i said....royalties, Billy doesn't give away his songs. Billy said play a full zz top set if they want, but if they want to record a song to put on an album, it will cost ya.
@@blite13 They paid Ray Davies for You Really got me and Where have all the good times gone so.......
Great live vocal from Diamond DAVE,best I’ve ever heard!!
Off the internet? I hadn't thought that possible. Off youtube, maybe. It is one of Top's best songs made even better by the musicianship of VH.
Van Halen should of recorded this song! Great version.
I WISH this made it on Diver Down
El poderoso Van Halen!!!!
Van Halen ruled the world…
Dr. Rockso!
there's two versions of the same song on youtube, but this one is LOUDER!!!
Classic Top done Oh So Righteously. Damn fine. This Texan is smiling. R.I.P. Eddie.
Their last few yrs of being a heavy metal band. It was never the same for DLR or VH after 1985.
I MISS THE DAYS WHEN DAVE REMEMBERED THE WORDS.
I'm enjoying the singing so much I forgot an EVH was about to start. Remarkable!
Michael Anthony clearly is an integral part of the VH sound. Duh! Do the right thing and bring this fine gentleman back into his rightful place.
Van Halen makes any song better by covering, and the original is monster!
And fuck Ed for saying Mike can't sing. He sounds AWESOME on this!
Mike Anthony's vocal abilities were absolutely key in the VH sound. Imagine 'Dance the Night Away' without his harmonies, for example.
I don't recall him saying that. He did say that both were part of the sound, which is true.
Classic ear candy. RIP BB.
Sounds fookn tight !. Best band in the Universe!.
Wow__ "Van Halen"___ playing ZZ top song... that's sounds real good by Eddie Van Halen __[ R.I.P.__ Eddie ]
Eddie is king. Never will anyone even come close
That was fucking great.
Kick ass cover
Cover of a ZZ Top song when ZZ was REALLY good....the 70's.
Another one of my favorite videos of Eddie blowing out his guitar... Miss ya already...
I FUCKIN LOVE THIS VERSION!!!
Dave actually sounds really good here.
For Dave.
💫✊💫
i like it
Grade A cover of a legendary tune!
I feel bad for all those bands back in the day going up against this in Battle of the Bands or having to follow them back in their club days :)
Wau!
thank u sooooo much
@NukeCulear I like how people are saying that Wolfie blows Mike out of the water....obviously they don't watch these vids of 'yesteryear'. Dave of today is Dave, but, at the same time, not even close. Mike is what he was, Eddie is mostly what he was and so is Alex as far as playing. Dave...well that's another story. Back then he had charisma, today, he seems like a guy who never played on the big stage befoe.
There's well known version by ZZ Top in 1980 in their first visit to Europe (Germany). Billy Gibbons solo runs roughly 50 seconds from about 1:03/1:04 to about 1:53/1:54.
Eddie Van Halen's cover version is roughly 50 seconds and goes from abt 1:01 to 1:51.
Ed's note choices and phrasing are simply spectacular. The EVH cover of the 50-second solo is so much better than the original
50-second solo by Billy Gibbons. Frankly its not even close.
VH & Aerosmith, my picks for greatest American rock bands of all time 🇺🇸
They played this a lot in the club days.
That was a fucking awesome
Nice cover men
RIP ED!
Damn Michael Anthony sounds good . . They should have let him sing more songs
I picture David And Micheal enjoying the ladies and the life more than the Halen's.
Great vid man.
Eddie is the greatest!!!!
I'm betting Dusty Hill was proud of this performance.
Mighty VH at height of their powers. ..
Kickass van Halen, bring micheal back so Dave don't have to sing so high
RIP DUSTY OF ZZ TOP & EDDIE VH. 👍 🎸💗
Michael Anthony has always been the best part of VH vocals!
RIP EDDIE!
So, raise your hand if you gave ZZ Top a watch for Dusty Hill before coming over here for another tip of the cap to EVH.
And two days ago Eddie had the balls to say Mikey is no singer
Thomas Crosby Yeah - no offense to Wolfie but VH NEEDS MIKE ANTHONY BACK.
+Thomas Crosby He also said Mikey can't play bass... just listen to the bass on this.. Nails it.
jerry boogaloo
Yup
+Thomas Crosby give the guy a break I agree with you Thomas mikey was a great backup vocalist no doubt but the guys trying to stay sober its tough since you've been 13 years old being an alcoholic and trying to keep your sanity and sobriety I give ed a pass cmon but I hear ya 100% thomas
+mecha gojira69 im not exactly sure what Ed's struggles with sobriety have to do with his disrespect to Michael Anthony. I speak from experience when I say alcoholism is reason for some people's problems, not an excuse. No free pass from me.
Cant put this up against Pound Cake 2001 MTV Music Award Performance.. Plus Micheal and Sammy Eddie Alex wrote it....THey (David David Lee Lee ROth ROTH and THE OTHERS here )didnt write this...
Michael , Sammy and Eddie DID NOT WRITE THIS
THIS WILL ALWAYS BE THE REAL VAN HALEN
Make drl the front man for zz top now 💥
Mikey at 2:02 wtf.
c'est vrai que le bassiste comme voix était top
Why doesn't VH throw this in their set list for the 2015 tour??
+Isaac M. Because no Mikey?
If you watch Mick today, you still feel very satisfied if bucking up the bucks to watch them live. He may not be what he was, but he still (and the whole Stones band) put on a top quality show. Dave couldn't put on a quality show in this day and age, even if he was lipsyncing. Mick still gives the feeling of Rock and Roll, Dave gives you the feeling of awkward and no chemistry with the band. Hagar still gives a better show than Roth...get over it.
Come back Michael
Are you going to cry?
Fast ass shit.
When Pablo Escobar's best is driving the train!
@blite13 before he was very wasted alot of drug and alchool!!! that why he was very enterning
First.
I wonder if Billy has seen this...
GO MIKEY!! sorry Wolfy, Ya gotta start singing
This live version of the solo by Ed and live versions by Billy Gibbons are both roughly 50 seconds in length. The difference with what they do in those 50 seconds. Billy Gibbons live version is so amateurish and boring compared to Ed's version. Its not even close. Mr. Edward's cover version destroys any version you will find by the original author Mr. William.
oh yeah dave can't sing ha ha im telling ya if you heard halen in their early touring days you would laugh so hard at van hagar trust me.
I did Dave was the shit,and van Halen ruled the world
Preach that shit
@@JohnWilliams-lp6jr you know it John...we gotta educate these fools... how come Van Hagar didn't have 1 Diamond certified album??? Dlr era had 2 of em!!!! The first album and 1984...ha ha nuff said
Anthony sounds better than Roth...gunna see the original in April...
Michael Anthony is a better vocalist than DLR
Eddie just couldn't help himself. Playing a great blues/rock song and played 100 notes and used tapping. Talk about killing the grove.
Sorry but I respectfully disagree and have a few posts below with some reasons while I feel Ed's cover version is SUPERIOR to Billy's original version. I have the exact opposite opinion of you. I dont think Ed RUINED anything Billy did and only IMPROVED from what Billy wrote. But EVH is my all-time fave and Im admittedly very biased and always Pro Van Halen in any comparison. LOL. 😂🎸🤘
David Lee Roth was 100X gayer that Rob Halford.
Screwed up the lyrics big time...
I did it better ,...same year...
Roth sounds awful
he had the screams and the acrobatics ......the band took care of the rest. Dave was cool at one time but as time passed, he lost his charisma and voice. roth and co. sure soaked a lot of fans out of big dough in their last tour together, dave was unwatchable, except in a car crash kind of way.
Everyone looks cool except Mike Anthony as usual.
MA is very cool.....
Mikey’s should stick to playing bass and never sing.....jeez...
@Bass mike that's right you tell that.... by the way the mighty Van Halen is coming new music and tour
Lmao you came back 2 years laters just to type this?