Eddie's legendary guitar tone just draws you in. The Brown Sound. He could play anything , drunk or sober. The King is dead , long live The King. He and Mr. Rhoads are my Heros. Miss 'em both. Let me not forget to pay respect to Dimebag. Eddie was his Hero as well.
I've been a hard rock/metal/punk fan all my life, Unchained and Aint talkin bout Love are still the greatest riffs I've ever heard, along with Sabbath's National Acrobat.
Bassist Michael Anthony was definitely the secret sauce of Van Halen. He provided the high harmony backing vocals you're hearing. If you ever react to Hot for Teacher, I can assure you the video is just as entertaining as the song. RIP Edward Van Halen.
I agree 100%. Michael Anthony was the primary source of that classic Van Halen backing vocal sound on the refrains we all know and love. He made both lead vocalists David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar shine in their own unique ways.
I love Mike, but I hope she doesn't react to that song. It's so cliché. So many better songs from the Diamond Dave era. 1984 is my least favorite out of the Classic 6-Pack.
And yet he was humble enough to relegate himself to the background so Eddie and David could have the spotlight. He was an insightful and mature person who understood that Eddie and David being at the forefront was the dynamic that suited the band the best.
I love this album so much because unlike anything they did before, Eddie sounds angry and Dave sings with an edge, almost as though they captured a different mood and tone, one they didn't return to in my opinion. Every album has a signature sounds and that's what I love about this amazing legendary band.
Eddie is the architect of VHs music. His brother Alex is the pulse. Eddie grew up playing classical piano, but did not read. His musical memory was so good he could hear something and repeat it almost instantly. It took his teacher a while to realize what was going on. The house was a musical house and the family was from the Netherlands so Ed had exposure to classical composers, and show tunes. This musical soup is a big part of his timing. The show tunes especially. He was also influenced by early rock n roll. So his musical perspective is much different than the folks he influences daily. Seldom does he play a straight 4. He will swing and manipulate the pocket. Some of his solos are so fast and precise they sound like straight time, until you try to play them. Slowing things down in the computer, he’s swinging it. His melodic sensibility and ability to process notes and rhythm at lightening speed to where it comes out as organic pure rock n roll/rock is unmatched. He always stayed true to just regular ole rock. Hopefully that gives you some insight. It’s was all an extension of him. It just came out, and has influenced millions of people. RIP SAINT EDWARD
One of the best guitar intros ever. Eddie playing just off the beat a bit is part of what makes him one of the best players ever. The drummer is his brother and they had a chemistry that is just natural. It let's Eddie just freewheel around.
Apparently it always drove Alex nuts that Eddie would wander off the beat totally by feel and refused to count. So when Alex would ask him where he was coming in for example, Eddie couldn’t tell him in words, he’d just play it again and say “like this”. Lol.
Unchained is certainly a phenomenal start to diving into Van Halen’s catalog. While I could go on and on about which of their iconic tracks deserve an analysis, “Ice Cream Man” from their 1978 debut album is both incredible and so uniquely Van Halen. The first half of the song is Roth sing-talking in a Doo-Op style. So cool and in control but also having fun with it. Then the song ramps up to whatever setting exceeds overdrive. Eddie Van Halen’s fingers shred away and Roth explodes with an eruption of energy, charisma and swagger. The track perfectly encapsulates the 2 sides of Van Halen; a fun, not taking themselves so seriously effort combined with some of the finest technical rock North America has ever produced.
'Ice Cream Man' "so uniquely Van Halen" yet one of a few songs they covered so well that most people like their version over the original (You Really Got Me, Pretty Woman, ...)
Great reaction! Van Halen was a big influence to my youth. David Lee Roth was a perfect frontman for the band, giving their sound a certain swagger and playfulness. He’s known for his screams and ad-libbed quips. I’ve heard his screams described as double harmonics (?). A song that showcases his screams is from their song “Runnin with the Devil” off their debut album. Also, it should be noted their bass player, Michael Anthony, provided fantastic background vocals. Michael has a very high voice.
One thing I always loved about the original Van Halen: not only could they play bone-crushing rock and roll (with one of the few guitarists I would consider a true game-changer in rock), they almost always had a sense of humor about it. The breakdown in this...."Hey, man that suit is YOU!"....always makes me smile. Their videos were hilarious (thanks, Pete Angelus) and they were a HUGE breath of fresh air in the barren rock and roll landscape of the '80's.
It’s bizarre to me that no one else is gushing about the TONE of that bass guitar. I mean, I know that this is a vocal-focused clip, but damn, people.. seriously? The moment that first bass note hits you know you’re on a runaway train.
Something you said about the backing vocal made me think. Maybe looseness is what is missing in a lot of music. Thinking of my youth, Van Halen, the Cars, Talking Heads, etc. had a loose vibe. The lack of auto tune, the time period, whatever. Possibly why arena rock, 80s hair bands and modern music get called out for being overproduced and bands like Van Halen, Nirvana, Sex Pistols still hold respect. Either way, Van Halen had it.
@@deejay7060 Very smart and astute dudes and dudettes here! I loved how you caught that lyrical change, and I hadn't over decades of listening to this song. Kudos!
@@deejay7060 I think that you've got something wrong with your hearing bro, because it didn't change in the second verse. Look up the lyrics too, IT'S SIZE FIVE DRESS for both verses
A deep track that shows good vocals is “Could This Be Magic?” from the Women and Children First album. It’s acoustic with Dave and Edward and it’s 4 guys having some fun! It would be interesting to hear your take!
The thing about Dave's and the backing vocals is the unbridled charisma. But right behind is Eddie's monstrous tone, Mike's rolling bass, and Alex's thundering drums. This band is the essence of "The synergy of the parts is greater than the whole."
Ah, this warms my cold, jaded, cynical heart! ☺️ Van Halen has been my favorite band for close to 40 years. They just represent to me the ULTIMATE Rock N Roll band. It was great fun to listen to this through your ears and hear your take on it. Hard to decide on a recommendation for another VH song… but let me go with “In A Simple Rhyme” from the album Women And Children First. ENORMOUS vocal goodness in that one!
one of the best not cut studio moments ever!! the whole "hey man that suit is you" line from Dave is golden. maybe not the best technical singer but a great frontman
One of the "magic sauce" of the Van Halen sound was that they could sing in 3 part harmony. Michael Anthony (the bassist) was unreal holding down the high harmonies. Also cool piece of trivia: Van Halen pretty much recorded a lot of their songs "live," all band members in the same studio room, essentially in one take. During the "talking part" you actually hear their producer Ted Templeton buzzing in over the intercom and give the "C'mon Dave, Gimmie a break".....
The harmonies sound to me like a group of friends singing together at a bar when a song they all know plays on the juke box. It kind of invites the listener to sing along too, without worrying about sounding perfect.
Van Halen is the ultimate party band. Dave was more like the MC of the party and the band was like party goers singing harmonies and playing the hell out of their instruments. Great reaction!
It still is extremely rare to hear a hard rock tone utilize a Flanger so heavily and so effectively. One of my favorite things about the firs couple of VH albums is how often you're hearing a song and realizing after the 100th time, "wait, there are not a lot of multi-tracked guitars in this song." He was getting a lot of that with several amps but but only 1 or 2 guitar tracks (I really feel like the 1st album is mostly single tracks of guitars). If I'm wrong, then kudos to the engineer/producer/mixer.
@@anthonychilds8193 you're correct, the first album was almost all one guitar. Minimal overdubs for a couple solos. Being a stage-authentic album it's also DLR on acoustic guitar for Ice Cream Man.
The guy who produced this is named Ted templeman I recommend his memoir. He talks about the first VH recording session where lead singer David Lee Roth started trying to put down a vocal track. the engineer and Ted templeman looked at each other and were like can this guy actually go on a record he's so out of key! I think it's a great lesson in learning how there is more to vocals than being in pitch, but i admit, being an old school choir boy who cant sing out of tune (haha), Roth annoys me at times! But i love him too.
Hello new subscriber is here Thanks for the reaction 😍❤ Would you like to try "NEVER ENOUGH (The Greatest Showman)" by a Filipino girl group 4TH IMPACT Have a great day.
She really loves that intro, can't blame her. The pedaling bass reminds me of ACDC and is so powerful. Another vote for Michael Anthony adding the vocal and bass magic.
Love this. Eddie would tune one if not two of his guitar strings slightly flat which ended up in the band sounding almost out of tune at moments, but it was absolutely brilliant.
It's almost the other way around. :) The chord tuning on a guitar is slightly off when tuned in standard. Eddie adjusted the B string to remedy that for his favorite chords (A formed three stringed) . We now have some guitars with true temperament necks. Eddie would have loved that.
Beth, you are my new hero for being open to reacting to this. "I'm the One" off of VH1, or "Little Guitars" with the intro, off of Diver Down, but there's plenty of songs to reveal Edward's unique sense of timing. It does switch up during the "Thought you never missed me..." part, but I'm not sure anyone can explain it with sheet music. The same with Ed's solos, this one is short, but it weaves its way through there somehow and still makes sense. Ed is imo the best rhythm guitarist rock ever had. This song is pretty straight, but he came up with more ways to drive a song than anyone before him, which I think you'll notice if you listen to some more. Hope so!
We used to crank this ridiculous on my buddies killer stereo system while doing major bong hits and drinking beer on Friday and Saturday nights back in high school in the early 80’s 😝🥳🤘
The feeling you are having in the intro is not knowing exactly where 1 is until Alex comes in with the drums and they all start riding 8th notes. I remember hearing this for the first time and feeling one in a different place than where it is from Eddie’s guitar and having the same exiting fun surprise. I’ve since been able to play this song myself years later with cover bands. The intro is still exciting even though I know exactly where one is. Also the backing vocals sound “casual” your words, because this is all pre autotune and digital editing. You could either sing or you couldn’t. Human imperfections made things sound better and made the most iconic albums stand the test of time vs beat mapped autotuned manufactured new pop. Such a great song. Fun watching you experience the song as well. 😊
Me too! They opened for Black Sabbath in Germany! My Dad was in the Army and we were stationed in Stuttgart from 1976-1979. What a show! They played their entire first album and 2 songs from there yet to be released 2nd album. Then Sabbath played for 2 1/2 hours. Awesome!!
Alt take: they were SO fkg loud in concert that Dave could probably have been singing the alphabet song and everyone would still have been none the wiser.
FOUR KEYS TO THE VAN HALEN SOUND: DIAMOND DAVE’S SCREECHING WITH WHOOPS AND HOLLERS EDDIE’S GUITAR 🎸 ALEX’S SNARE DRUM 🥁 AND MICHAEL ANTHONY’S STRATOSPHERE BACKING VOCALS!!! VAN HALEN: I SAW ALL THE TOURS WITH ROTH FROM VAN HALEN 1 IN 1978 TO 1984 AND AGAIN IN 2013! I SAW 5150, OU812, FOR UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE AND BALANCE WITH HAGAR. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER EDWARD VAN HALEN!!! RIP EDDIE
Unchained is quintessentially what vh was all about. They were THEE PARTY and David Lee Roth was the ultimate frontman/ringleader/superclown. A band like no other before or since or ever will be. The original Van Halen will forever the best. Later attempts with Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone just never reached the magic like VH fronted by Roth. Interesting story about the Van Halen brothers you should dig into.
Two suggestions for you if you’d like to hear what the mighty Van Halen was capable of in terms of vocal harmonies “Jamie’s Cryin’” and “In A Simple Rhyme”
the "mimic" you heard was eddies pick scrape-tapping the wound strings down the neck from about the neck pickup to the 12th fret.. things you learn when you spend 40+ years covering these songs.. this is still one of my favorite VH songs to play live.. this, panama, jamies cryin, feel your love tonight, aint talkin bout love, beautiful girls, pretty woman.. oh the list goes on.. i love playing VH
🎉enjoyed this massively 🎉 The intro phrase starts on the 4and beat (a push beat). It changes onto the 1 half way through phrase. Hope that makes sense. The pre choruses, they are just unique and have a very long evolving phrase. It’s very much an Edward and Alex Van Halen signature.
David Lee Roth was the perfect fit for Van Halen Over the top vocals mixed with mind blowing guitar.was perfect. Plenty of people critisize Dave's singing but for me it was the icing on the cake. Also, he was one of the wildest front men of all time and there was no end of singers trying to copy his look. It's easy to forget that they were a 70s band!
The reason for the raw "unfinished" sound is Van Halen on their early albums, did very little dubs and over tracking. These were mostly recorded live in the studio.
I will echo that this was an unexpected choice for review and analysis for the vocals, but having a starting point here is very good - right in the sweet spot of David Lee Roth era Van Halen. The Sammy Hagar era Van Halen will give you a better vocal performance to review - Dreams was suggested and I concur. I like the early VH and the Mean Streets album might be my favorite - but DLR is definitely more swagger showman than a ‘good’ vocalist.
The mighty Van Halen. David Lee Roth Vocals Eddie Van Halen Guitar/ Keys/ backing vocals Alex Van Halen Percussion Michael Anthony bass guitar backing vocals Saw them 3x both alliterations, they personify American rock and roll and EVH arguably the greatest guitarist of our time… Thanks for the reaction and review
VH, one of the greatest bands ever! I would have started with "Jamie's Cryin'" or "Runnin' With The Devil", but you really can't go wrong. VH is 3 things: EVH's warm, fat, rich tone, his complete and total mastery of his instrument, that inspired millions of guitarists. David Lee Roth's over-the-top, confident, cocky vocals and Michael Anthony's signature harmonies. This band has a distinctive sound that is almost its own genre...
My VH recos for you : "Ain't talkin' 'bout Love", "And the Cradle will Rock", "Dance the Night Away", "Panama", "Jamie's Cryin' ", "Mean Street" and "Could this be Magic"
This was great! Again, non-vocalist here (as legendary drummer Aynsley Dunbar once said, "'Sink' would be the word. I only sing in the shower."), but I always felt Dave's vocals - screams excepting - were primarily chest/throat. Definitely sounds like a lot of throat here. Interesting observations re: the background vocals as they relate to the lead vocals. The words "casual" and "relaxed" never occured to me, but I hear that now. The spoken word section was an improv between Dave and producer Ted Templeman, who can be heard through the talkback ("C'mon, Dave, gimme a break"). And that pesky pre-chorus is comprised of alternating bars of 3/4 and 4/4 (or one bar of 7). That part was usually played differently live. Dave's voice was such a critical component of the band's sound. Ironically, the Van Halen brothers auditioned and rejected him TWICE (because he apparently sucked that badly) before finally hiring him, which inspired him to work on his voice. He actually took lessons prior to recording his vocals for Van Halen's debut. Thanks, as always, for your insights.
If you like this, you’ll love the Hot For Teacher video. While Roth is an OK singer, he’s a vaudevillian at heart and that’s what makes him a GREAT frontman. Hi charisma is on full display in that video. A post-Van Halen gem is Roth’s video for his cover of the Beach Boys’ classic of (I Wish They All Could be) California Girls. (You’ve heard that one, right?)
it is so cool to see the mighty Van Halen win you over so quickly. Im a child of 1980s Los Angeles. Eddie Van Halen was my childhood hero. The reason I've been playing guitar for 40 years.
The effect on the line "Come on Dave, gimmie a break!" is supposed to mimic the communication microphone of the producer at the mixing desk talking to rhe singer in rhe vocal booth.
Of all the concerts that I have attended, (to me) nothing can compare to this as an opening song...that opening guitar riff sets the stage. Literally and figuratively.
The brown sound changed the way I play still get tears when I noodle around with some van halen jams eddie was and will always be the inspiration and dedication to all of us that play rip to God of guitar
Some other Van Halen songs to check out are Panama, Ain't Talkin bout love, Ice Cream Man, You Really got me. David Lee Roth was the singer then. Sammy Hagar also sang for Van Halen. Songs like - Finish what ya started, why can't this be love, love walks in, dreams, and can't stop loving you to name a few. Of course there are many more songs. These will introduce you to Van Halen.
The word she was having a hard time finding for the chorus vocals and background vocals is "Energy". It's not over produced to the point of losing it's essence. Van Halen is PURE energy in the music and vocals. They were a party band. They had fun, they were about fun, their music was FUN!!! The word is "Energy".
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Eddie's legendary guitar tone just draws you in. The Brown Sound. He could play anything , drunk or sober. The King is dead , long live The King. He and Mr. Rhoads are my Heros. Miss 'em both. Let me not forget to pay respect to Dimebag. Eddie was his Hero as well.
This song as an opener DESTROYED the audience...
No doubt 💯👍
Indeed !!!!!
That opening riff makes my nads rumble. So fantastic. It makes Unchained one of my top 5 favorite Van Halen song. Its just so GOOD.
The entire "Fair Warning" album is my absolute favorite from their entire catalog. So damn dirty and nasty.
I've been a hard rock/metal/punk fan all my life, Unchained and Aint talkin bout Love are still the greatest riffs I've ever heard, along with Sabbath's National Acrobat.
This was the first LP my father (may he RIP) bought me back in 81 when i was 12... thank you dad, i still have it.
Bassist Michael Anthony was definitely the secret sauce of Van Halen. He provided the high harmony backing vocals you're hearing. If you ever react to Hot for Teacher, I can assure you the video is just as entertaining as the song. RIP Edward Van Halen.
Highly underrated and overlooked bassist and backup singer
I agree 100%. Michael Anthony was the primary source of that classic Van Halen backing vocal sound on the refrains we all know and love. He made both lead vocalists David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar shine in their own unique ways.
I love Mike, but I hope she doesn't react to that song. It's so cliché. So many better songs from the Diamond Dave era. 1984 is my least favorite out of the Classic 6-Pack.
And yet he was humble enough to relegate himself to the background so Eddie and David could have the spotlight. He was an insightful and mature person who understood that Eddie and David being at the forefront was the dynamic that suited the band the best.
Eddie and Michael both have much better voices than Dave. Good thing neither of them wanted to be out front.
This song is pretty much what the original Van Halen was all about: great musicianship combined with loads of fun...
I have been a musician all my life but I am living a different life. I've loved Led Zep & Van Halen and studied all of their music.
David Lee Roth has always been a powerhouse and Eddie's playing are just simply magic... Legends...
I love this album so much because unlike anything they did before, Eddie sounds angry and Dave sings with an edge, almost as though they captured a different mood and tone, one they didn't return to in my opinion. Every album has a signature sounds and that's what I love about this amazing legendary band.
Eddie is the architect of VHs music. His brother Alex is the pulse. Eddie grew up playing classical piano, but did not read. His musical memory was so good he could hear something and repeat it almost instantly. It took his teacher a while to realize what was going on. The house was a musical house and the family was from the Netherlands so Ed had exposure to classical composers, and show tunes. This musical soup is a big part of his timing. The show tunes especially. He was also influenced by early rock n roll. So his musical perspective is much different than the folks he influences daily. Seldom does he play a straight 4. He will swing and manipulate the pocket. Some of his solos are so fast and precise they sound like straight time, until you try to play them. Slowing things down in the computer, he’s swinging it. His melodic sensibility and ability to process notes and rhythm at lightening speed to where it comes out as organic pure rock n roll/rock is unmatched. He always stayed true to just regular ole rock. Hopefully that gives you some insight. It’s was all an extension of him. It just came out, and has influenced millions of people. RIP SAINT EDWARD
The things you can’t explain is what makes music great. Van Halen the pinnacle of great rock songwriting
One of the best riffs of all time!
One of the best guitar intros ever. Eddie playing just off the beat a bit is part of what makes him one of the best players ever. The drummer is his brother and they had a chemistry that is just natural. It let's Eddie just freewheel around.
Apparently it always drove Alex nuts that Eddie would wander off the beat totally by feel and refused to count. So when Alex would ask him where he was coming in for example, Eddie couldn’t tell him in words, he’d just play it again and say “like this”. Lol.
Unchained is certainly a phenomenal start to diving into Van Halen’s catalog. While I could go on and on about which of their iconic tracks deserve an analysis, “Ice Cream Man” from their 1978 debut album is both incredible and so uniquely Van Halen. The first half of the song is Roth sing-talking in a Doo-Op style. So cool and in control but also having fun with it. Then the song ramps up to whatever setting exceeds overdrive. Eddie Van Halen’s fingers shred away and Roth explodes with an eruption of energy, charisma and swagger. The track perfectly encapsulates the 2 sides of Van Halen; a fun, not taking themselves so seriously effort combined with some of the finest technical rock North America has ever produced.
'Ice Cream Man' "so uniquely Van Halen" yet one of a few songs they covered so well that most people like their version over the original (You Really Got Me, Pretty Woman, ...)
Great reaction! Van Halen was a big influence to my youth. David Lee Roth was a perfect frontman for the band, giving their sound a certain swagger and playfulness. He’s known for his screams and ad-libbed quips. I’ve heard his screams described as double harmonics (?). A song that showcases his screams is from their song “Runnin with the Devil” off their debut album. Also, it should be noted their bass player, Michael Anthony, provided fantastic background vocals. Michael has a very high voice.
One thing I always loved about the original Van Halen: not only could they play bone-crushing rock and roll (with one of the few guitarists I would consider a true game-changer in rock), they almost always had a sense of humor about it. The breakdown in this...."Hey, man that suit is YOU!"....always makes me smile. Their videos were hilarious (thanks, Pete Angelus) and they were a HUGE breath of fresh air in the barren rock and roll landscape of the '80's.
My favorite VH song of all time. That opening riff is just killer and then pounds once MA kicks in🤘🤘🤘🤘
It’s bizarre to me that no one else is gushing about the TONE of that bass guitar. I mean, I know that this is a vocal-focused clip, but damn, people.. seriously?
The moment that first bass note hits you know you’re on a runaway train.
Something you said about the backing vocal made me think. Maybe looseness is what is missing in a lot of music. Thinking of my youth, Van Halen, the Cars, Talking Heads, etc. had a loose vibe. The lack of auto tune, the time period, whatever. Possibly why arena rock, 80s hair bands and modern music get called out for being overproduced and bands like Van Halen, Nirvana, Sex Pistols still hold respect. Either way, Van Halen had it.
" Maybe looseness is what is missing in a lot of music."
Totally agree.
It's absolutely a huge missing element today, by design unfortunately.
This lady knows when she hears something good. This tune rocks.. This whole album is awesome. Enjoy my dear.
This song is so crunchy. It is my favorite VH song.
Excellent live band!so much fun and wicked talented!their energy and love of just playing and sharing their music was incredible !
Saw them play live 16 times from 1979 (VH II) through the reunions with Sammy Hagar! I think she needs to listen to VH I, and VH II also.
If you want to hear the Sammy Hagar era, play the album 5150. Song “Summer Nights” and “5150”
One of the best lyrics in rock “Blue-eyed murder in a size five dress”.
You nailed it. Great call out!
Did u notice he changed that lyric in the 2nd verse from “size 5 dress” to “side swipe dress”??
@@deejay7060 Very smart and astute dudes and dudettes here! I loved how you caught that lyrical change, and I hadn't over decades of listening to this song. Kudos!
@@deejay7060 I think that you've got something wrong with your hearing bro, because it didn't change in the second verse. Look up the lyrics too, IT'S SIZE FIVE DRESS for both verses
for over 40 yrs .....i thought it was "blue eyed murder in a sci fi dress " (i like my lyric better - lol )
This is my favorite song by Van Halen. I have been a fan as a teen in the ‘70’s.
One thing seems universal about people experiencing the Mighty VH for the first time…a big smile on their faces!
A deep track that shows good vocals is “Could This Be Magic?” from the Women and Children First album. It’s acoustic with Dave and Edward and it’s 4 guys having some fun! It would be interesting to hear your take!
Vocal coach ignoring DLR and totally grooving to Eddie. I think she was even blushing a the first pause. Welcome to Van Halen my dear.
That guitar tone is a beast, the bass is deep and wide, and the drums superb as always, and Dave screams like no other
The thing about Dave's and the backing vocals is the unbridled charisma. But right behind is Eddie's monstrous tone, Mike's rolling bass, and Alex's thundering drums. This band is the essence of "The synergy of the parts is greater than the whole."
The secret to Dave's vocal takes were a cheeseburger and a joint.
That little string drag stutter she is speaking of is some of the secret sauce riffing Eddie does in this song. Sooooooo Good!
Ah, this warms my cold, jaded, cynical heart! ☺️ Van Halen has been my favorite band for close to 40 years. They just represent to me the ULTIMATE Rock N Roll band. It was great fun to listen to this through your ears and hear your take on it. Hard to decide on a recommendation for another VH song… but let me go with “In A Simple Rhyme” from the album Women And Children First. ENORMOUS vocal goodness in that one!
My favorite Halen tune,hands down.
Love it too but my fav is Runnin with the devil. Going way back.
Same (Unchained)
It was mine for 2 decades. It's 2nd place now to Ain't Talkin Bout Love. Not sure why/how I switched them lol. Maybe it will change back in 2034😂
one of the best not cut studio moments ever!! the whole "hey man that suit is you" line from Dave is golden. maybe not the best technical singer but a great frontman
One of the "magic sauce" of the Van Halen sound was that they could sing in 3 part harmony. Michael Anthony (the bassist) was unreal holding down the high harmonies.
Also cool piece of trivia: Van Halen pretty much recorded a lot of their songs "live," all band members in the same studio room, essentially in one take. During the "talking part" you actually hear their producer Ted Templeton buzzing in over the intercom and give the "C'mon Dave, Gimmie a break".....
one break...comin' up!
The harmonies sound to me like a group of friends singing together at a bar when a song they all know plays on the juke box. It kind of invites the listener to sing along too, without worrying about sounding perfect.
Van Halen is the ultimate party band. Dave was more like the MC of the party and the band was like party goers singing harmonies and playing the hell out of their instruments. Great reaction!
You have a beautiful smile and when you really like a song I never get tired of that smile 😁
legendary guitar tone.
The intro is amazing.
Love your eye-popping reaction at 12:21 to Eddie's guitar! Fascinating evaluation of the song. Thank you!
Eddie's guitar tone on this song is unreal
It still is extremely rare to hear a hard rock tone utilize a Flanger so heavily and so effectively. One of my favorite things about the firs couple of VH albums is how often you're hearing a song and realizing after the 100th time, "wait, there are not a lot of multi-tracked guitars in this song." He was getting a lot of that with several amps but but only 1 or 2 guitar tracks (I really feel like the 1st album is mostly single tracks of guitars). If I'm wrong, then kudos to the engineer/producer/mixer.
@@anthonychilds8193 you're correct, the first album was almost all one guitar. Minimal overdubs for a couple solos. Being a stage-authentic album it's also DLR on acoustic guitar for Ice Cream Man.
Ohhh that opening riff... sooo classic EVH....as much as I love DLR, those Michael Anthony harmonies are just brilliant, as always...
The guy who produced this is named Ted templeman I recommend his memoir. He talks about the first VH recording session where lead singer David Lee Roth started trying to put down a vocal track. the engineer and Ted templeman looked at each other and were like can this guy actually go on a record he's so out of key! I think it's a great lesson in learning how there is more to vocals than being in pitch, but i admit, being an old school choir boy who cant sing out of tune (haha), Roth annoys me at times! But i love him too.
Hello new subscriber is here Thanks for the reaction 😍❤
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Been listening to the song for 40 yrs! Never thought about it too much or disected it. It just kicks ass!
Light Up The Sky is a great vocal song from them, even background vocals are sweet.
She really loves that intro, can't blame her. The pedaling bass reminds me of ACDC and is so powerful. Another vote for Michael Anthony adding the vocal and bass magic.
That mimic you mentioned it a foot pedal Eddie was using called a phaser.
Love this. Eddie would tune one if not two of his guitar strings slightly flat which ended up in the band sounding almost out of tune at moments, but it was absolutely brilliant.
It's almost the other way around. :) The chord tuning on a guitar is slightly off when tuned in standard. Eddie adjusted the B string to remedy that for his favorite chords (A formed three stringed) . We now have some guitars with true temperament necks. Eddie would have loved that.
One of the best intro screams of all time.
No doubt brother Dave had the nastiest scream back in the day
Beth, you are my new hero for being open to reacting to this. "I'm the One" off of VH1, or "Little Guitars" with the intro, off of Diver Down, but there's plenty of songs to reveal Edward's unique sense of timing. It does switch up during the "Thought you never missed me..." part, but I'm not sure anyone can explain it with sheet music. The same with Ed's solos, this one is short, but it weaves its way through there somehow and still makes sense.
Ed is imo the best rhythm guitarist rock ever had. This song is pretty straight, but he came up with more ways to drive a song than anyone before him, which I think you'll notice if you listen to some more. Hope so!
I’m The One has everything that’s great about early Van Halen. Ed’s ripping guitar, harmonies, and bop shoo be doo wahs!
One of the best riffs of all time. Absolutely amazing driving music, Van Halen set the stage and the bar for pop metal. This was their prime IMO
POP METAL ??????.....WTF........IF ANYTHING IS POP, IT'S THAT VAN HAGAR CRAP !!!
Pop metal? 😂
Bro you got Van Halen mixed up with Van Hagar. Pop metal? LMAO!!!!!!
This is hard rock
We used to crank this ridiculous on my buddies killer stereo system while doing major bong hits and drinking beer on Friday and Saturday nights back in high school in the early 80’s 😝🥳🤘
Van Halen was also a visual show. I would recommend seeing the live Oakland 1981 version of Unchained.
This is quintessential old school Van Halen. If anyone young asks about Van Halen I play them this song.
Facts.
Greatest rock tune ever written. It’s got it all.
Also the vocals are called gang vocals. It’s not supposed to be perfect. It’s rock n roll.
In my humble opinion the best and my favorite album in the catalog !
The feeling you are having in the intro is not knowing exactly where 1 is until Alex comes in with the drums and they all start riding 8th notes. I remember hearing this for the first time and feeling one in a different place than where it is from Eddie’s guitar and having the same exiting fun surprise. I’ve since been able to play this song myself years later with cover bands. The intro is still exciting even though I know exactly where one is. Also the backing vocals sound “casual” your words, because this is all pre autotune and digital editing. You could either sing or you couldn’t. Human imperfections made things sound better and made the most iconic albums stand the test of time vs beat mapped autotuned manufactured new pop. Such a great song. Fun watching you experience the song as well. 😊
First concert I ever went to was VH. Eddy's guitar playing was other worldly.
Me too! They opened for Black Sabbath in Germany! My Dad was in the Army and we were stationed in Stuttgart from 1976-1979. What a show! They played their entire first album and 2 songs from there yet to be released 2nd album. Then Sabbath played for 2 1/2 hours. Awesome!!
Roth killed it in the studio but in concert he was all over the place. Thankfully the band was always on point
Alt take: they were SO fkg loud in concert that Dave could probably have been singing the alphabet song and everyone would still have been none the wiser.
On Fire is the song that you should check out. Roth's vocals are top notch.
agree. best song on that record
But Michael's scream at the end is what makes the vocals memorable
You can find a live version of this tune where Alex VH lights his gong on fire, pure rock n roll insanity.
FOUR KEYS TO THE VAN HALEN SOUND: DIAMOND DAVE’S SCREECHING WITH WHOOPS AND HOLLERS EDDIE’S GUITAR 🎸 ALEX’S SNARE DRUM 🥁 AND MICHAEL ANTHONY’S STRATOSPHERE BACKING VOCALS!!!
VAN HALEN: I SAW ALL THE TOURS WITH ROTH FROM VAN HALEN 1 IN 1978 TO 1984 AND AGAIN IN 2013! I SAW 5150, OU812, FOR UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE AND BALANCE WITH HAGAR. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER EDWARD VAN HALEN!!! RIP EDDIE
The harmonies reflect a bunch of talented, fun-loving, (wasted) dudes! 👍
Unchained is quintessentially what vh was all about. They were THEE PARTY and David Lee Roth was the ultimate frontman/ringleader/superclown. A band like no other before or since or ever will be. The original Van Halen will forever the best. Later attempts with Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone just never reached the magic like VH fronted by Roth. Interesting story about the Van Halen brothers you should dig into.
Two suggestions for you if you’d like to hear what the mighty Van Halen was capable of in terms of vocal harmonies “Jamie’s Cryin’” and “In A Simple Rhyme”
My 2 number one favorties.
the "mimic" you heard was eddies pick scrape-tapping the wound strings down the neck from about the neck pickup to the 12th fret.. things you learn when you spend 40+ years covering these songs.. this is still one of my favorite VH songs to play live.. this, panama, jamies cryin, feel your love tonight, aint talkin bout love, beautiful girls, pretty woman.. oh the list goes on.. i love playing VH
🎉enjoyed this massively 🎉
The intro phrase starts on the 4and beat (a push beat). It changes onto the 1 half way through phrase. Hope that makes sense.
The pre choruses, they are just unique and have a very long evolving phrase. It’s very much an Edward and Alex Van Halen signature.
They were a live band massive high energy you have to do a live video.
David Lee Roth was the perfect fit for Van Halen Over the top vocals mixed with mind blowing guitar.was perfect. Plenty of people critisize Dave's singing but for me it was the icing on the cake. Also, he was one of the wildest front men of all time and there was no end of singers trying to copy his look. It's easy to forget that they were a 70s band!
The reason for the raw "unfinished" sound is Van Halen on their early albums, did very little dubs and over tracking. These were mostly recorded live in the studio.
You should do I'm The One next. It's a deeper cut, but its easily their most metal song and it features a vocal surprise 2/3 through.
Thank you again! I wish you could have been there waaaay back then , we were all at the record store waiting to buy the album! It was a great time!
Thank you soooooo much, you have a fan for life ! I really enjoy listening to you. You have so much knowledge and you enjoy the 80s.!!
I will echo that this was an unexpected choice for review and analysis for the vocals, but having a starting point here is very good - right in the sweet spot of David Lee Roth era Van Halen.
The Sammy Hagar era Van Halen will give you a better vocal performance to review - Dreams was suggested and I concur.
I like the early VH and the Mean Streets album might be my favorite - but DLR is definitely more swagger showman than a ‘good’ vocalist.
Well said. I 100% agree.
I'll 2nd the well said. Sammy was the better vocalist but Dave had that swagger and was the best fit as frontman for VH.
DLR's voice and his persona was perfect for Van Halen.
I can hear Dave, lol...
"I don't know about this analysis stuff. I just rock out as hard as I can while throwing a hell of a party."
The mighty Van Halen.
David Lee Roth Vocals
Eddie Van Halen Guitar/ Keys/ backing vocals
Alex Van Halen Percussion
Michael Anthony bass guitar backing vocals
Saw them 3x both alliterations, they personify American rock and roll and EVH arguably the greatest guitarist of our time…
Thanks for the reaction and review
VH, one of the greatest bands ever! I would have started with "Jamie's Cryin'" or "Runnin' With The Devil", but you really can't go wrong. VH is 3 things: EVH's warm, fat, rich tone, his complete and total mastery of his instrument, that inspired millions of guitarists. David Lee Roth's over-the-top, confident, cocky vocals and Michael Anthony's signature harmonies. This band has a distinctive sound that is almost its own genre...
My VH recos for you : "Ain't talkin' 'bout Love", "And the Cradle will Rock", "Dance the Night Away", "Panama", "Jamie's Cryin' ", "Mean Street" and "Could this be Magic"
That's funny. I was trying yesterday to search if you'd reacted to David Lee Roth, and now here it is. Thank you!
"Dreams" from the 5150 album with Sammy Hagar for some total contrast from this one. Personally I love both songs.
This was great! Again, non-vocalist here (as legendary drummer Aynsley Dunbar once said, "'Sink' would be the word. I only sing in the shower."), but I always felt Dave's vocals - screams excepting - were primarily chest/throat. Definitely sounds like a lot of throat here. Interesting observations re: the background vocals as they relate to the lead vocals. The words "casual" and "relaxed" never occured to me, but I hear that now. The spoken word section was an improv between Dave and producer Ted Templeman, who can be heard through the talkback ("C'mon, Dave, gimme a break"). And that pesky pre-chorus is comprised of alternating bars of 3/4 and 4/4 (or one bar of 7). That part was usually played differently live.
Dave's voice was such a critical component of the band's sound. Ironically, the Van Halen brothers auditioned and rejected him TWICE (because he apparently sucked that badly) before finally hiring him, which inspired him to work on his voice. He actually took lessons prior to recording his vocals for Van Halen's debut.
Thanks, as always, for your insights.
I cannot imagine what it’s like to hear DLR’s hammy glammy vox for the first time in 2023. 😂
Mean Street is my all-time favorite Van Halen album. Look into more songs on the record. You’ll not be disappointed!
"Mean Street" off that same album is well worth a listen.
This is one of my favorite Van Halen albums, it sounds so RAW and amazing.
If you like this, you’ll love the Hot For Teacher video. While Roth is an OK singer, he’s a vaudevillian at heart and that’s what makes him a GREAT frontman. Hi charisma is on full display in that video.
A post-Van Halen gem is Roth’s video for his cover of the Beach Boys’ classic of (I Wish They All Could be) California Girls. (You’ve heard that one, right?)
The best singer in Van Halen was always Michael Anthony, who played bass and sang backing vocals.
Mikey's tenor vocal harmonies were a huge part of the Van Halen sound.
This is a huge overstatement. He had great backing vocals; very important to VH early sound. Silly to call him the best VH vocalist. Silly.
David vocalist.
@@dusty3913 yeah. It's usually silly to use the word "best," anyway.
@@dusty3913 Most technically skilled, then.
6 a.m. in the morning and this blaring out the windows. Good times and good friends 40+ yrs ago.😎🎸🎸🎸
it is so cool to see the mighty Van Halen win you over so quickly.
Im a child of 1980s Los Angeles. Eddie Van Halen was my childhood hero. The reason I've been playing guitar for 40 years.
Kudos to you on learning about THE MIGHTY VAN HALEN !!!!!!!!!!! iTS A WONDERFUL WORLD WHEN YOU HAVE A LITTLE VAN HALEN IN YOUR LIFE !!!!!!!!!!!!
Roth sounded damned great in the studio. 100% unique.
The effect on the line "Come on Dave, gimmie a break!" is supposed to mimic the communication microphone of the producer at the mixing desk talking to rhe singer in rhe vocal booth.
Of all the concerts that I have attended, (to me) nothing can compare to this as an opening song...that opening guitar riff sets the stage. Literally and figuratively.
The brown sound changed the way I play still get tears when I noodle around with some van halen jams eddie was and will always be the inspiration and dedication to all of us that play rip to God of guitar
One of my favorites. That riff is pristine.
Some other Van Halen songs to check out are Panama, Ain't Talkin bout love, Ice Cream Man, You Really got me. David Lee Roth was the singer then. Sammy Hagar also sang for Van Halen. Songs like - Finish what ya started, why can't this be love, love walks in, dreams, and can't stop loving you to name a few. Of course there are many more songs. These will introduce you to Van Halen.
The word she was having a hard time finding for the chorus vocals and background vocals is "Energy". It's not over produced to the point of losing it's essence. Van Halen is PURE energy in the music and vocals. They were a party band. They had fun, they were about fun, their music was FUN!!! The word is "Energy".
so when dave was talking at the end of the video. you was smiling. you evern loved it. thats what we love. its amazing. its us
Fair Warning is my favorite VH album and I can listen to it top to bottom any day of the week
VH Songs: Dreams, Humans being, Right now, with Samy Hagar, and Light up the Sky and The full bug, with D. L. Roth.
🇨🇱