I am only 20 years old and I tear up as well. My dad was a roadie for Cinderella etc. He met Eddie and said he was the coolest man ever. Eddie is thee god of Rock.
We didn't lose him, he's right there on this video. Inspiring new fans and others to pick up the axe. We only lose him when others stop looking to EVH for inspiration
Dude, I was hoping someone was feeling the same way as I read through the comments. I’ve watched this performance probably 20+ times, and for whatever reason I was brought to tears this time. Love you, Eddie! RIP Legend.
Eddie belongs to the ages now. He’s taken his place with Bach, Beethoven, Mozart. Hundreds of years from now, people will listen to Van Halen and say “wow!”
I was fortunate enough to see Van Halen four times, having grown up with their incredible music. Eddie's solos were always just like this, filled with riffs from their albums, blowing away the fans every time. He was the greatest of all time and there will never be another like him. It still saddens me that he's gone, but I'm so grateful to have been lucky enough to hear his musical genius for decades. LOVE YOU EDDIE.
- Sadly for me it was just one time; they came to our town a few years back before the outbreak, and I really wanted my son to go to an amazing concert, so made arrangements to go together. He thought it was loud and the smell of pot was strong, lol, but at least I got to go see him live once before his passing, thankful for that, and am glad that my son also didn't miss the opportunity. Makes the saying "Once in a Lifetime Opportunity" have a big meaning for me.
Everyone who remembers hearing VH for the first time on the radio in 1978 had the same reaction, Asia. “NO WAAAAAY!!! What IS THIS?!?!?!!!!” EVH was a pioneer; brilliant virtuoso. RIP Eddie
He built his guitars...started with pieces when he couldn't afford what he wanted. Continued to craft guitars to get his own sound. Classically trained on the piano.
He did it all with a smile on his face. Always. Throughout the solo and the concert, there wasn't a single moment where he is not enjoying himself. For me that's the essence of playing an instrument. RIP king.
I saw Van Halen and Eddie's solo live four times....and I'm telling you, the dude is fire. When it's live and loud, it cuts right through you and stays in there. Absolutely fire
yeah, and VH used to play REALLY LOUD! They were 2nd only to KISS in early 80s as far as decibel levels.. It was ALMOST too loud.. my ears rang for 2 days after Fair Warning concert n KISS creatures of the night show. 2 days! LOUD AF! It was awesome.. Concerts arent loud anymore these days. I think restrictions have been put on them.. or I'm goin deaf
He performed that solo every show. It’s filled with bits and pieces of guitar that were from several albums. If you listen to their songs you’ll hear those pieces of his solo.
I normally would agree with this statement but his son wolfgang is just as talented for someone who was self taught a multi instrumentalist sounds just like his dad look at wolfgang playing hot for teacher with the foo fighters at Taylor Hawkins tribute show if I would have closed my eyes I would have thought it was Eddie playing
I cried watching this. And I’ve watched this solo hundreds of times. I miss Eddie’s music so damn much. There’s an empty spot in the world without him. He was a true gift to the music world
I know I feel the same way, but he left his legacy and so many damn great tunes.I am so thankful to have seen VH twice and for the music he left behind.
EVH was a true guitar pioneer. Virtually every rock/metal guitarist that came after him was influenced by him. Guitarists generations down the road will know this legend.
Eddie was doing the same thing as guys before him from Deep Purple, Judas Priest and Triumph were all doing hammer ons and such that Eddie gets credit for inventing for some reason before he was and better......not to dis Eddie, he is great, but over rated when it comes to being a pioneer. Same time this came out Rik Emmett was doing the same thing but better imho....
@@eironwyman8157 But here's the problem Chief. The other clowns that you mentioned weren't half the songwriters, that Eddie Van Halen was. Have a great day !
@@charlest.velten6983 You're mistaken. For a nobody to call Ritchie Blackmore Rik Emmett and Glen Tipton clowns shows just how little you know about music. Cheers.
I've seen this video over 50 times and I just saw Eddie thank the crowd before he ran over and sat down. I've seen other reactors to this incredible solo, but they never seem to say anything about his humble gesture. It's easy to overlook, but I think it amplifies his professionalism. A true artist and gentleman to the fans.
Eddie partied so hard this show he said in interview after he didnt recall playing this Hammered n still top flight. Sounds like a harpsichord sometimes..amazing talent..
I absolutely love seeing people react to seeing Eddie for the first time. For me there was no better guitar player to ever live and there never will be. I’m so glad that you two enjoyed this. I certainly enjoyed your reactions. Listen to more of their music. Even if you just listen to hear his guitar. I highly recommended the following songs: I’m the One, Spanish Fly/D.O.A., Mean Street, Fools, The Full Bug, Get Up, and On Fire.
Yngwie Malmsteen died and went to the Pearly Gates. He asked Saint Peter, "Eddie Van Halen isn't here, is he? There isn't room even in Heaven for both of us." Saint Peter answered, "No, Yngwie. Eddie's not here." Saint Peter gave Yngwie a tour of Heaven, the clouds, the fields, the gardens and finally, God's throne room. The throne was a massive chair of gold covered in jewels surrounded by cherubs. Above the throne, in 100' tall letters was the name, "EDDIE VAN HALEN". Yngwie was incensed. He shouted, "I thought you said Eddie Van Halen wasn't here!" Saint Peter answered, "Oh, no. That's God's throne. He just THINKS He's Eddie Van Halen."
I've been playing guitar for over 30 years now and can play a lot of Eddie's stuff. What blows my mind though is that when I'm done that probably 40 seconds of the main tapping riff from eruption, my left hand is cooked and on fire. I have no idea how he does this for 12 miuntes without a break. The man is a guitar playing machine.
I have listened to this probably over 100 times and it still amazes me every single time. We miss you King Edward!!! The real GOAT!!!! We are worse off without your music to lift us out of this world's problems!!!
Yea, he combined the fender body with the kramer neck and called it frankenstrat, as stratocaster by fender but frankenstein :D but he also had so many odd things about him, like tuning was alway off the conventional tune, his scales were his own and he had a very strict choice of mic he used in studio, along the amps, cables and guitar picks. On top, he had the philosophy of playing what sounds good to him, not what was by the book. Many times he said: You just have to play the right notes 😁
That is one of the things I respected about him most. You don't need a high priced guitar. I have built a couple guitars to find a sound I wanted. Most weren't expensive at all. Just put the pieces together. RIP Eddie!
This SOLO is based off a 2 minute solo of his called eruption. He breaks it up into parts and plays other guitar mastery in and around it. Its different to varying degrees each show The various main parts are planned but he plays them differently each performance as he makes things up as he goes.
Michael Jackson’s “Beat it” guitar solo, by Eddie Van Halen, not only was improvised, but it took one take. To this day, it remains an iconic guitar solo. 🎸
Just real quick, I just discovered your 2's channel, & I enjoy it. But just to be clear. Jimi Hendrix came a whole 10 years prior to Eddie Van Halen & many of the things Eddie utilizes, like feedback & vibrato bar groans, came from Hendrix. Hendrix was also only around for 3 years & changed music forever. He also was a great songwriter, on a whole different level than Eddie. In short both Stevie Ray Vaughn ( whose sound washeavily derived from Hendrix & Albert King) stand on Hendrix's shoulders. No knock on Eddie who clearly had a genius, but Hendrix changed the game on so many levels. I want you two to listen to Jimi's "Machine Gun " off of the Band of Gypsy album. You will have your mind completely blown.
Eddie did 2 takes and then picked what he thought was the best one... The more important thing was that Eddie changed and added to the song!!! When Michael Jackson got back to the Studio, Eddie said to Michael "I made some changes, I hope you like it"... to which Jackson said "I appreciate your passion to make my song better than it was"... MJ liked it!! AND, Eddie didn't take a penny for playing on the #1 Hit (that actually kept Van Halen's record from reaching #1)
Eddie van Halen. Could he make a guitar talk. Eddie made the "tapping" technique popular which allowed him to have two hands on the fretboard of the "gat". One of the greatest Rock guitarists of all time. RIP EvH ❤️. Your reaction is exactly how this amazing solo should be. ❤️ it!!!!!
This solo is a medley of all his instrumentals from throughout his career. Eruption is the base, it started with 3:16, cathedral, little guitars, mean streets, ect. Omg it was amazing live on that tour, but all these years later it's still amazing. Forever EVH!
MY HEART JUST FILLED WIT JOY & SADNESS ALL AT ONCE. I'm truly blessed to have seen him live 3 times. Eddie will live forever as a guitar god. It makes me happy to see both your reaction because we all need to cross bridges and look at all music.
I agree with your comment. I watch a lot of these reaction vids.. I'm sceptical sometimes but the gals reaction I think was genuine. I tear up while watching some.
Yes I agree. Seen him live 15 times... I was at this show in Hartford Connecticut. Seen him play this on 5150 tour in 3 cities. San Diego, Los Angeles and Connecticut. Ha
I can only imagine being my 18 yr. old self in 78'..And Hearing it for the first time!.. ..I had just barely been Shot outta' my dad's Balls in 80'.. Discovered VH when i was about 13...And then it All started...😉
Us old folk been living with this solo for 40 years! love watching the younger people reaction to this. Rock on!! This has nothing on Jimmy or SRV. Totally stands on it's own!
@@hewjbacca many have compared the 2. It's unfair to judge since RR died way to early. If he had more of a body of work, more could be said. But RR is DEF top 5-10 IMO.
The part of his solo that sounded like a violin, it’s a combination of a echo effect and also using his volume knob to create that sound. One of a kind. He is the Mozart of our generation.
@@51502 Yeah, exactly. I wish I could experience that for just a moment. What a gift. What an amazing thing to live with. And I’m sure it was a burden sometimes, too. ❤️❤️❤️
This is one of the greatest musicians of all time right here. It's sad that so many don't realize that. He literally changed the way an electric guitar is played.
I’m typing this at the part where Asia is amazed that Eddie’s guitar sounds like a different kind of instrument. She is going to lose her mind when he does “Cathedral” I fought my way to the front of the pit at the Arco arena in 1992 about 30 seconds before he was about to start his solo, I was dead center too. I knew what was about to happen so I started screaming “Eddie!…..Eddie!” and pretty soon the entire stadium was chanting his name(they would have done this with or without me of course). I got to watch his solo close up and being close enough to see his fingers moving around. Good times, RIP Eddie you were one of a kind!
it's both written and free style, the guitar he's playing is what he called a Frankenstrat, he took parts from three different guitars to build the one he likes, God rest his beautiful soul.
.......and this was 1986. I saw this tour concert at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. It was off the hook- insane night. Great reaction, you both are a wonderful couple. God Bless!
I was at this performance this was August 27th 1986 New Haven Coliseum In New Haven Connecticut! This was so amazing it was epic and so loud in there I loved it. What a performance!
YO I WAS AT THAT SHOW TOO!!! i was 16 years old and still remember being blown away by the entire show! Saw Journey that year at the Cow Palace too! Talk about amazing!!
When Asia says "wow" less than 5 min into it....I've been a Van Halen fan since 1978 and I still say wow...simply amazing...If you don't get goose bumps...
Eddie uses a combination of Charvel, Fender, and Gibson gutiars. He tore all apart and combined them into his own design. Double tapping, or two handed hammer ons and hammer offs, is a style of "shredding" that started in the mid 70s and Eddie took this style(he had not heard anyone else do anything like it since Robby Krieger from the Doors did some tapping in the 60s. This was a recording that he has based this "freestyle" jam around. He started a trend that extended to almost every 80s guitar band that was out there. Nobody has Eddie's sense of melody, even though others do this very well indeed. He was original and in the same room with Hendrix, Page, SRV, Les Paul, and Chet Atkins.
I'm glad you provided this background. many people think that Eddie Van Halen invented tapping lol. this provides a much better and more nuanced interpretation of the history. he didn't invent it, but he certainly took it to interesting levels.
In my opinion, in the past ,50 years have we had such influences by Jimmy Hendricks, and then Mr. Edward Van Halen. There's alot of great guitarist, but not on these guys level, maybe Randy Rhoads. R.I.P. all of the greats playing all together up in the heavens.
I loved watching these two discover and react to this! Brought tears to my eyes watching them have a “holy shit” moment while seeing Eddie play. 😂 The looks of bewilderment and joy on Asia’s gorgeous face is absolutely priceless! Thanks for doing this video!
I've watched this solo countless times since 1986....and it never ceases to amaze me. Your reaction was the best I've seen!! EVH was a true icon, and I consider myself lucky to have been a witness to his greatness!! RIP KING EDDIE! 🤴
I grew up with Van Halen, played with Mike and his brother. Then found out my step grandfather was good friends with Eddie and Alex dad, toured in a European jazz band with him and baby set Eddie and Alex on the road when their dad passed out drunk. Years later Grandpa William came to my house, saw the posters of Eddie and Alex on my walls and was shocked. He said, are they doing good? I said, umpa, they are the biggest rock band in the world! He told me stories of them growing up and I told him stories how Eddie was known as The Greatest rock guitar player in the world then played him a few songs of theirs. My Dutch step grandfather said...Eddie always played the guitar like a piano. I said grandfather, that's the best description I've ever heard. As a musician and fan, it was one of the greatest days of my life. For him it was too because he got a glimpse into how the 2 boys he helped raise turned out. I didn't like my stepmom yet she brought that connection to us both and I Thank her for that. Love and Miss you Ed. God speed brother.
Back in the mid or late seventies when I got introduced to Van Halen and was hooked by their sound. But Eddie flat blew me and my rock listening friends away. We reacted pretty much like you guys were in the video. He inspired some of us, myself included to learn guitar. Now, over 35 years later, I still am challenged by his talent, dedication and skill. I've never been close to his level of playing. But I greatly appreciate the work and self denial that he embraced to reach that level. The finger tapping. The hammering techniques he used, the quick turning the volume up and down of his guitar's pickups( to get that stringed instrument sound), to the passion he brought to his craft, is the stuff of legends. Glad you guys enjoyed the experience! Peace!
I saw EVH on my 21st birthday in 1992. Had been listening to him nonstop for 9 yrs at that point. I still couldn’t believe what I was hearing and seeing. Completely awestruck. Never forget it. RIP my musical hero. I still get goosebumps when listening to him and don’t see that ever changing.
Pure joy!! Seen VH a few times. Eddie always had a big ass smile on while playing and never took fans there for granted. He fed us and we gave back. RIP Eddie.
He never really looked at himself that way though. He was surprisingly humble and when asked about his playing he was almost embarrassed to talk about it. It was kinda funny. He was asked one time how it felt to be the greatest guitarist alive and his response was, i dont know, go ask alex lifeson from rush. He did that a lot. If he did have an ego he never showed it in public in interviews.
You guys are finding out what weve know for years now. This man was a genius. I was mesmerized the first time I heard him play and I am still to this day.
The guitar he's playing is his own creation, made from different guitar parts, He named it Frankenstein because of this. Eddie was more than a musician, he was an innovator as well. From his guitar designs to his finger tapping style of playing.
He is playing the 5150 Kramer in 86 which was based off a early Kramer Pacer Special with a custom headstock. The Franky was a strat style guitar from Boogie Bodies/Lynn Ellsworth not a Fender
Apparently Steve Hackett of Genesis used tapping before Eddie and Eddie acknowledged that he himself was a populariser of the technique, not the actual inventor.
I too continuously tear up when I see reaction videos concerning EVH. My life was rearranged in January 1979 when I bought Van Halen one, on vinyl at 12 years of age. All my friends were in to kiss, the Eagles, Led Zeppelin, ET see., But I found this album and it completely changed my life, forever. I am truly thankful that yall shared this!!!!! BTW, that particular guitar is homemade by Eddie. Stratocaster body with extra trimmings, lol! Y’all F’N rock!
That cheeky smile he had every time he placed a guitar in his hands. At a time when Everything had been accomplished Eddie rewrote the rulebook. Stevie Ray and Eddie are completely different players both of which genuinely lived for music and rightly so can actually be classed as Great.
I’ve watched at least 2 dozen channels react to this…..never gets old! He did a variation of this at pretty much every show….it’s full of licks, riffs and techniques he’s used on the albums throughout the years, put together in various segments and some stuff he just felt like doing at the time.
So happy you were able to Rock with Eddie...the legend, RIP.... Eddie made his own guitars, he starting building his own as a teenager from parts and pieces from other guitars
So thankful they captured VH at a time when they and Eddie were at their peak in Live Without a Net. EVH was in true form that night they recorded him. His solo in 5150 during this concert was something to behold.
@@SOCOMHITMAN. EVH was knocked of the top the day Yngwie joined steeler. By 85 Eddie was a afterthought when it came to guitar. Randy Rhoads opened up the fretboard with his playing let alone Tipton from Judas Priest was playing better and faster than Eddie on the defender of the faith album. Al DiMeola and Allen Holdsworth have always been better than Eddie.
@@12floz67 I never said he was the best just pointing out they had similar playing styles and who knows where Jason Becker would of ended up if he didn't get sick at such a young age.
Would you say it was almost like being in a "Cathedral?" If you know, you know. If you don't know, check out the track list on Van Halen's "Diver Down" album. Cheers!
His tapping finales in Eruption and Spanish fly are in the style of J.S Bach, a composer from the Baroque period. Much of that music was composed for the Church and religious occasions. I imagine as a piano student the young EVH would have been exposed to some J.S Bach.
Part of this Solo is a solo named "Cathedral" where he is using the reverb of a previous note as part of the next note. It does have a very Gothic feel. Another part was from Spanish Fly, another lead in solo , as well as Little Guitars he did on a 3/4 scale Gibson Les Paul tuned to D. Had a very bright, different sound.
Late with this response. but Eddies guitar was a one of a kind that he assembled from parts by himself. In the late 70s. he was looking for a tremolo system that would keep his guitar in tune when he cranked on the whammy bar. He was not having any luck with his Ibanez Explorer. and he owned a Gibson Les Paul Jr, that would not stay in tune no matter what he did or didn't do. Even $10.000 Gibson are notorious for slipping string pitches. He was an early customer of Wayne Charvel. who had a parts and guitar repair shop in San Dimas California. Ed was from Pasedena, so he was close. The guitar his is playing here is Lovingly referred to as a Frankenstrat. The Fender strat style body. Ed assembled that guitar from an alder wood body he bought from Wayne Charvel., the brand was Boogie Bodies. And the neck was from a company named Cort. Ed was referred to an engineer named Floyd Rose, who had a new design for a floating tremolo system that was the best one currently produced. Ed met with Floyd. and he played a Floyd Rose tremolo from that point on. Properly installed. you can yank that whammy bar nine ways to Sunday, and it will not drop tuning. Ed used the whammy 36 times during the solo above. His pickup was also new and revolutionary. Ed loved the warm sound of a humbucking pickup, as used on Gibson guitar, over the single coil pickups used on Fenders. He wanted kind of a mix of the two, and he was directed to an engineer named Seymour Duncan. Duncan was dissatisfied with the current pickups on the market and started his own company to make pickups in house. After meeting with Ed, he designed a number of pickups for Ed, and they chose the one he liked best, and Eddie drilled that sucker straight into his guitar body!! Now, armed with guitar that would allow him the best use of his creativity, he quite literally changed the landscape of what an electric guitar could do. He shook up the world, so to speak. He knew he was playing at a high level, but that guitar was the instrument that allowed him to compose with no restrictions. All he was lacking was an endorsement deal with a guitar company. After a year or so of fielding offers, he went with Kramer guitars out of Neptune. Nj. Kramer promised to use a Floyd Rose system on thier guitars, and Seymour duncan pickups . Ed insisted that these be standard on the Kramers. Ed was annonced as a Kramer artist in 1983. He told the Kramer people he would make them the biggest guitar company in the world. He did. In 1986,87,and 88 Kramer was the no.1 selling guitar in the US. This to this day is the only time the best selling guitar wasnt a Fender or Gibson. Kramer tragically shut down in 1991. They handled their money like a drunken teenager. and they began producing several lines of cheaper guitars. All of thier artists went elsewere. The last hold out was Eddie, it was a sad day indeed. Eddie played Ernie Ball and his own brand, EVH guitars after that. The Gibson company bought the Kramer name and is producing a lot of the popular guitars from the 70s and 80s and they all sell well. On an ending note.....Floyd Rose tremolos. Seymour duncan pickups, and Kramer guitars all were introduced as Eddies equipment in the 80s. They were all the biggest brand in the world for years, Floyd and Seymour are still the top in thier respective fields. Eddie was the Midas of the industry. He told them all to hop in the bus, he would drive them to unimaginable success. Well, he did that for all of them. He was an innovator with the guitar in his hands. and without. He quite literally shaped the sound of pop music for decades. I met him in 1996. he was awesome to my friend and I ,and spoke to us for over a half hour at a music convention. I also got fired with that same friend the next day. As the Chef at a huge hotel, i had keys to everything. Ed was at our hotel. we opened the walk in safe to get a look at Eddies guitars, and BB Kings guitars. We knew if was all on camera. but we had to. Sorry this is so long, but with Eddie, there is never an easy answer.
Most of it is excerpts from instrumentals on their albums. He plays 316, Eruption, Cathedral which is where he makes the guitar sound like an organ or cello, opening to Mean Street where he plays drums on the guitar, a little of Spanish Fly.
A teenager, I bought their first album and was blown away by the first song: Eruption. Forever fan of Eddie Van Halen. His death hit me as hard as SRV’s. Just imagine heaven’s jam session!
The greatest solo by the greatest guitarist of the greatest band of all time! That boys and girls is how you take a song and mix it up with some of the greatest freestyling you'll ever hear. The Michael Jordan of the guitar. RIP Eddie 🤘🏻
Watching this takes me back to when I saw them. I wasn’t even a fan, I mainly went because I wanted to go to a concert. I enjoyed the show, but it wasn’t until his solo that I got it. I started listening to Van Halen after that. A lot.
Saw it seven times myself, and I swear to you that Eddie and Alex Van Halen were always great, and surprisingly even even more precise and tight on their final tour in 2015.
@@damaestro119 Wolfgang is the one that inspired his Dad to do that tour! Wolf says with his sobriety it was like he was an alien discovering himself again You saw the concert and say he was not sober so I dunno I wasn't there! but besides the point Wolfgang wrote a few of the songs - Wolf is so talented with writing and too his Dad taught him piano drums guitar well of course he would! LOLL I saw an interview where Wolf says My Dad was the worst teacher teaching me guitar .... LOL He would go so fast I would be like wait Pops slow that down LOLLL Wolf's Band Mammoth is SO DAMN GOOD! HE CAN ROCK!!! AND WRITES ALL HIS SONGS YOU MAY KNOW ALL OF THIS BUT ... DISTANCE IS BEAUTIFUL THE TRIBUTE TO HIS DAD AND "DON'T BACK DOWN" OMG IS A BANGER!!!! WE ALL LOVED EDDIE SO MUCH AND ITS BEEN HEARTBREAKING SEEING HIS POSTS ON INSTAGRAM ABOUT HIS DAD AND ALL JUST TOUCHES ME SO MUCH HAVE A GREAT DAY
I was a budding teenaged guitarist in the 80’s and Eddie Van Halen was my guitar hero! With you two paying homage to and honouring my favourite 80’s bands and movies, it’s like you’re honouring me! Thank you and keep up the good work! P.S. Asia is pretty!
This was soooo much fun to watch the reaction of peeps who witness the musical genius of Eddy for the first time! It brings you back to how you reacted when you first heard or saw EVH: in AWE! Also looks like Asia was digging more than just his playing...lol...a little VH crush!
My great uncle had perfect pitch and he could play the strings off a guitar, one day my dad told me that our uncle went to his best friends guitar shop and none other than the king Eddie Van Halen was there and he played a couple songs with my uncle and Eddie said he was a hell of a guitarist. Idk I figure someone would find that pretty cool 😎
i once met eddie, asked him "how did you get to be such an iconic guitarist" he laughed and said "drugs, booze, and a ton of luck" i also asked him who he thought was the best guitarist was, typical eddie response to that, he said "whoever im enjoying listening to at the moment"
The way Eddie smiled every time he touched his guitar is the best part for me. It was so easy for him and that guitar was his best friend!! Listening to EVH gets me emotional because of how much he still had left in him when he passed away. The greatest musician in my opinion. We will never see anyone reinvent an instrument like we saw Eddie do. RIP!!!!
7:34 - The first time I heard this part some 30 years ago I automatically thought it was a synthesizer with a sequencial control or arpeggiator of some kind. His precision was that good. His passing was a huge loss.
Man I’m so glad I got to see this guy’s on concert! One of the best concerts I’ve ever been on! Rip🙏Eddie! You left us way too soon!😢man you have to be there to feel the chills down your spine! That’s how good Eddie and the whole band was!👌😎👍he was the guitar god!
This was my first time visiting with you, I'm glad I chose this as my first view of the two of you reacting! Thank you for your reaction, it was spot on!
This guy was/is My guitar hero. He inspired me to start playing guitar when I was 12 back in 1996. I remember watching this exact concert on VHS 3+ times a day just to understand what he was doing on Guitar. I love watching reactions to this version from, "Live without a net". It takes me back to some great memories of experiencing the same thing you just did. RIP EVH. Your son Wolfgang is now Killing it with his new album. You would be Proud!
The solo always evolved and changed over the years. But, til his last concert, he played just like this. The guitar he's using is immaterial. He sounded like Eddie on any guitar. A Tele, a Les Paul, or his home-built guitars. The tone is in his hands. And, the guy neither read music, nor ever had a guitar lesson. It was truly HIS instrument.
One of my favorite bands growing up and i have quite a few favorites cause i listen to all types of music. But Eddie could make a guitar talk like no other. He had all of us who grew up in the golden age of rock playing air guitar non stop. RIP Eddie....we all miss you.
The Frankenstrat changed how players and builders looked at guitars. Eddie was known for his playing, but he was also known for his guitar tone. People have been trying to copy it since the moment he burst onto the scene.
Eddie was the first at many new things and a true legend . I was lucky enough to catch Van Halen twice live in the 80,s and Eddie was just RED HOT both times they were SO good ! Just awesome to see younger generations discover this man and his many talents .. RIP Eddie you will be missed Sir ! Great reaction !
Eddie played the lead on Michael Jackson's hit song "Beat It". Jackson's manager brought Eddie in to help Jackson cross over into the mainstream pop-rock scene. Its a great lead track to an already well written song. Give it a listen.
Eddie didn't just play in "Beat It" he rewrote it and changed the whole song and gave it a rock feel. He also was never mentioned. He wanted to keep it a secret. But everyone knew his unique style.
I saw the documentary Hired Gun, and the guitar player for Toto said that he played the solo on Beat It. I thought to myself "Nope. At that time, EVH was the only guy making a guitar sound like that."
Steve Lukathur wrote the Riff to beat it and Drummer Jeff Porcaro helped peice the track together after the original was destroyed, members of Toto played on multiple MJ tracks. Steve was a close friend of Eddie who he thought along with Michaels manager would give the song a new dynamic. Steve thought the track would never be a hit. The story is Eddie done the solo in 2 takes and was initially for free with no credits on the album. The takes were destroyed and Steve , Jeff helped peice them back together, Steve had to record the solo for the original release and then Eddie's was used once repaired.
The replies about Eddie’s and Luke’s involvement on “Beat It” are all out of wack. Steve has told the story of recording that track in multiple interviews. One is here: ruclips.net/video/zwWfm-EY4aU/видео.html. In summary, the basic tracks for the song were recorded to one 24-track master, along with a pilot vocal from MJ. No solo was recorded as they had every intention of Eddie playing the solo. A rough 2-track mix of the basic tracks were bumped to another synchronized 24-track tape, which was a work tape used for overdubs. When Eddie was brought in to record the solo, he suggested rearranging the song so he could solo over a section with more chord changes. Quincy Jones and MJ agreed, but rearranging the song required cutting the tape. Eddie recorded two versions of the solo, but since the tape had been cut, it no longer synched with the master tape because the SMPTE code on the sync track no longer matched. Quincy Jones told Luke and Jeff Porcaro that they needed to “bail him out” on this one. Porcaro created a click track for himself, then re-recorded the drums - in only one or two takes according to Luke. Luke then recorded the main electric rhythm guitar track, which originally had a pretty hard edge. He then recorded the bass, and added the electric guitar fills you hear at the end of the intro, and before Eddie’s solo. Paul Jackson added a third, clean rhythm guitar, and keyboards were added by Greg Phillinganes and others. After hearing what they had done, Jones thought the track had too hard an edge and asked Luke to dial back the distortion so it would be more palatable for R&B and pop radio. So Luke re-recorded his guitar parts. And yes, Eddie did receive credit on the album, but has always said he agreed to do the solo for free.
@@patrickcampbell2471 Hey Patrick, great detail in the reply, and the link was a great watch. Did Eddie originally gain credit for the solo or was it later ? Seems to be quite a few stories out there that no credit was received on the release of the single and that Eddie didn't really mind. This is where I originally got the info. Thanks again fir reply.
The more I listen to this, the more I tear up, realizing even more that we have lost a true rock-god, a game-changer. RIP Eddie.
Ain't that the truth
So true bro!
I am only 20 years old and I tear up as well. My dad was a roadie for Cinderella etc. He met Eddie and said he was the coolest man ever. Eddie is thee god of Rock.
We didn't lose him, he's right there on this video. Inspiring new fans and others to pick up the axe. We only lose him when others stop looking to EVH for inspiration
Dude, I was hoping someone was feeling the same way as I read through the comments. I’ve watched this performance probably 20+ times, and for whatever reason I was brought to tears this time. Love you, Eddie! RIP Legend.
Eddie belongs to the ages now.
He’s taken his place with Bach, Beethoven, Mozart.
Hundreds of years from now, people will listen to Van Halen and say “wow!”
Preach on!
Yes he is...and yes they will....Peace!
He literally has his guitar sounding like part of an orchestra 🤘🤘🤘
I'm Thankful to God that I'm alive to have enjoyed his music since 1978.
I literally thought this same thing. It sounds like a orchestra piece. 🖤✨
I was fortunate enough to see Van Halen four times, having grown up with their incredible music. Eddie's solos were always just like this, filled with riffs from their albums, blowing away the fans every time. He was the greatest of all time and there will never be another like him. It still saddens me that he's gone, but I'm so grateful to have been lucky enough to hear his musical genius for decades. LOVE YOU EDDIE.
3 times for me, 2nd time I was about 10 feet from the stage when he sat down and just played his heart out. RIP EDDIE ,you are sorely missed!!
- Sadly for me it was just one time; they came to our town a few years back before the outbreak, and I really wanted my son to go to an amazing concert, so made arrangements to go together. He thought it was loud and the smell of pot was strong, lol, but at least I got to go see him live once before his passing, thankful for that, and am glad that my son also didn't miss the opportunity. Makes the saying "Once in a Lifetime Opportunity" have a big meaning for me.
Everyone who remembers hearing VH for the first time on the radio in 1978 had the same reaction, Asia. “NO WAAAAAY!!! What IS THIS?!?!?!!!!” EVH was a pioneer; brilliant virtuoso. RIP Eddie
First album, first song...Runnin with the Devil!!! Probably still my favorite VH song
Beautiful Girls was the first song I remember and was HOOKED after that. Big personalities with big talent.
We ALL reacted the same way! That’s why I like these reactions…in this case it transports me back to 1978 and what I felt the first time hearing it!
@@josephwirtz8352 I think I would have got in a car crash if i first heard it on radio back in the day Must have shattered everyone's 1978 minds!
He built his guitars...started with pieces when he couldn't afford what he wanted. Continued to craft guitars to get his own sound. Classically trained on the piano.
He did it all with a smile on his face. Always. Throughout the solo and the concert, there wasn't a single moment where he is not enjoying himself. For me that's the essence of playing an instrument. RIP king.
Well said!
Well, If I could play a guitar that well, I would be smiling and laughing all the time too.
He was on another level ...the Greatest of All Time. He actually blew everyone's minds in 1978 when we first heard Eruption.
Of all time??? Really?
Maybe and that’s a big maybe top 10 greatest of all time and that’s being generous.
@@12floz67 yep. No doubt.
@@12floz67 Which guitar players were better in your view?
@@jakenelson328
Allen Holdsworth, Al DiMeola, John McLaughlin.
Yes The Greatest of All Time everybody else is just a bunch of Bee Atches.
I saw Van Halen and Eddie's solo live four times....and I'm telling you, the dude is fire. When it's live and loud, it cuts right through you and stays in there. Absolutely fire
yeah, and VH used to play REALLY LOUD! They were 2nd only to KISS in early 80s as far as decibel levels.. It was ALMOST too loud.. my ears rang for 2 days after Fair Warning concert n KISS creatures of the night show. 2 days! LOUD AF! It was awesome.. Concerts arent loud anymore these days. I think restrictions have been put on them.. or I'm goin deaf
You are so lucky to have had that experience
I saw them 3 times in the '80-'84 era. Incredible is too weak if a word to describe the experience.
1. Eddie built all his guitars
2. He created those sounds on his own
3. Greatest rock guitarist ever
4. He’s not from earth
Jimi Hendrix is awesome too I think Eddie Van Halen studied a lot of Jimi Hendrix music 🎵
Dont forget, he was blackout drunk during this solo.
@@dennymerritt4961highly doubtful
@@dennymerritt4961 Well he was not blackout drunk obviously but he was drunk said so himself in an interview and that he doesn't even remember it.
All true 👍
All of Eddie's guitars end up in heaven because he played the hell out of them.
Yes!!!!!
Awwwwww I LOVE THIS STATEMENT.
Good one!!!
Perfect comment, perfect saying. I love it
Good point .
He performed that solo every show. It’s filled with bits and pieces of guitar that were from several albums. If you listen to their songs you’ll hear those pieces of his solo.
yeah, eruption,
cathedral,
and mean street, to be exact
Kicks the solo off with 316 (Wolfie’s birthday)
Never the same way though.
I am, without fail, absolutely mesmerized every time I watch this guitar solo.
Legendary !!! Never be another like him. RIP EVH.
Rik Emmett from Triumph could play like this. Listen to Rock and Roll Machine
I normally would agree with this statement but his son wolfgang is just as talented for someone who was self taught a multi instrumentalist sounds just like his dad look at wolfgang playing hot for teacher with the foo fighters at Taylor Hawkins tribute show if I would have closed my eyes I would have thought it was Eddie playing
I cried watching this. And I’ve watched this solo hundreds of times. I miss Eddie’s music so damn much. There’s an empty spot in the world without him. He was a true gift to the music world
I practice every morning early. I'm crying now
I know I feel the same way, but he left his legacy and so many damn great tunes.I am so thankful to have seen VH twice and for the music he left behind.
I cry almost every time I hear him knowing he is gone forever
You've cried?? Big baby
@Cool Rush oh damn it you’re one of those
EVH was a true guitar pioneer. Virtually every rock/metal guitarist that came after him was influenced by him. Guitarists generations down the road will know this legend.
Eddie was doing the same thing as guys before him from Deep Purple, Judas Priest and Triumph were all doing hammer ons and such that Eddie gets credit for inventing for some reason before he was and better......not to dis Eddie, he is great, but over rated when it comes to being a pioneer. Same time this came out Rik Emmett was doing the same thing but better imho....
@@eironwyman8157 But here's the problem Chief. The other clowns that you mentioned weren't half the songwriters, that Eddie Van Halen was. Have a great day !
@@charlest.velten6983 You're mistaken. For a nobody to call Ritchie Blackmore Rik Emmett and Glen Tipton clowns shows just how little you know about music. Cheers.
@@charlest.velten6983 The second you called Ritchie Blackmore a clown was the moment your opinion became irrelevant.
I wasn't!
But, then again, I don't play guitar... [SNIFFLES]
I've seen this video over 50 times and I just saw Eddie thank the crowd before he ran over and sat down. I've seen other reactors to this incredible solo, but they never seem to say anything about his humble gesture. It's easy to overlook, but I think it amplifies his professionalism. A true artist and gentleman to the fans.
Eddie partied so hard this show he said in interview after he didnt recall playing this Hammered n still top flight. Sounds like a harpsichord sometimes..amazing talent..
JUST FREAKIN MESMERIZING!!
Eddie was always smiling, he loved what he did and he was the best at it!! Thanks you guys! Love your reactions. ❤️
I absolutely love seeing people react to seeing Eddie for the first time. For me there was no better guitar player to ever live and there never will be. I’m so glad that you two enjoyed this. I certainly enjoyed your reactions. Listen to more of their music. Even if you just listen to hear his guitar. I highly recommended the following songs: I’m the One, Spanish Fly/D.O.A., Mean Street, Fools, The Full Bug, Get Up, and On Fire.
And also the songs You really got me, Dance the night away and I can't wait to feel your love tonight.
The definition of a “guitar hero”, he was truly a master of his craft. RIP Eddie
This is sooooo good. What a talent! RIP Eddie!
Rest in peace, Eddie. God wanted to learn guitar from the best.
❤
Yngwie Malmsteen died and went to the Pearly Gates. He asked Saint Peter, "Eddie Van Halen isn't here, is he? There isn't room even in Heaven for both of us."
Saint Peter answered, "No, Yngwie. Eddie's not here."
Saint Peter gave Yngwie a tour of Heaven, the clouds, the fields, the gardens and finally, God's throne room. The throne was a massive chair of gold covered in jewels surrounded by cherubs. Above the throne, in 100' tall letters was the name, "EDDIE VAN HALEN".
Yngwie was incensed. He shouted, "I thought you said Eddie Van Halen wasn't here!"
Saint Peter answered, "Oh, no. That's God's throne. He just THINKS He's Eddie Van Halen."
Blasphemy
I've been playing guitar for over 30 years now and can play a lot of Eddie's stuff. What blows my mind though is that when I'm done that probably 40 seconds of the main tapping riff from eruption, my left hand is cooked and on fire. I have no idea how he does this for 12 miuntes without a break. The man is a guitar playing machine.
Cocaine fueled speed playing just like SRV.
I’m pretty sure he had good strong twitch muscles and played all the time!
Me too..I know the notes and how he's doing it..but to.actually do.it like Eddie at that speed and accuracy for that amount of time..amazing....
Eddie doesn't play the guitar....he IS the guitar!!!
That's Eddie giving the guitar a lesson
Kudos to you two for reaching across genres with an open mind. 👍
Hell Yes !!!
I have listened to this probably over 100 times and it still amazes me every single time. We miss you King Edward!!! The real GOAT!!!! We are worse off without your music to lift us out of this world's problems!!!
He actually constructed his own guitars by mixing different types of components together to get the sounds he wanted.
the greatest
Yea, he combined the fender body with the kramer neck and called it frankenstrat, as stratocaster by fender but frankenstein :D
but he also had so many odd things about him, like tuning was alway off the conventional tune, his scales were his own and he had a very strict choice of mic he used in studio, along the amps, cables and guitar picks. On top, he had the philosophy of playing what sounds good to him, not what was by the book. Many times he said: You just have to play the right notes 😁
That is one of the things I respected about him most. You don't need a high priced guitar. I have built a couple guitars to find a sound I wanted. Most weren't expensive at all. Just put the pieces together. RIP Eddie!
Putting the humbucker pickup out of a Gibson in it (invented by Seth Lover) and wiring it to one knob was genius.
This SOLO is based off a 2 minute solo of his called eruption. He breaks it up into parts and plays other guitar mastery in and around it. Its different to varying degrees each show The various main parts are planned but he plays them differently each performance as he makes things up as he goes.
Part of it is from the "Strings solo" off 5150 album also.
Cathedral is in there as well as the opening to Mean Street.
yes, based on Eruption but also Cathedral and bits and pieces of other material like the opening to Mean Street.
Some Spanish Fly & 316 in there as well
Thanks Proffessor...
A true master of harmonics amongst the other very creative sounds he played. A true legend.
Eddie Van Halen was one hell of a guitar player. You are missed dearly.
RIP Eddie we Love you.
Michael Jackson’s “Beat it” guitar solo, by Eddie Van Halen, not only was improvised, but it took one take. To this day, it remains an iconic guitar solo. 🎸
Eddie did it for FREE
🙏😢⭐➕💖🎸
Just real quick, I just discovered your 2's channel, & I enjoy it.
But just to be clear. Jimi Hendrix came a whole 10 years prior to Eddie Van Halen & many of the things Eddie utilizes, like feedback & vibrato bar groans, came from Hendrix. Hendrix was also only around for 3 years & changed music forever. He also was a great songwriter, on a whole different level than Eddie. In short both Stevie Ray Vaughn ( whose sound washeavily derived from Hendrix & Albert King) stand on Hendrix's shoulders.
No knock on Eddie who clearly had a genius, but Hendrix changed the game on so many levels. I want you two to listen to Jimi's "Machine Gun " off of the Band of Gypsy album. You will have your mind completely blown.
Eddie did 2 takes and then picked what he thought was the best one... The more important thing was that Eddie changed and added to the song!!! When Michael Jackson got back to the Studio, Eddie said to Michael "I made some changes, I hope you like it"... to which Jackson said "I appreciate your passion to make my song better than it was"... MJ liked it!! AND, Eddie didn't take a penny for playing on the #1 Hit (that actually kept Van Halen's record from reaching #1)
No he did two takes and picked the best one
Literally (CHILLS) every time I hear him. A legend is gone, but not forgotten.
Eddie van Halen. Could he make a guitar talk. Eddie made the "tapping" technique popular which allowed him to have two hands on the fretboard of the "gat". One of the greatest Rock guitarists of all time. RIP EvH ❤️. Your reaction is exactly how this amazing solo should be. ❤️ it!!!!!
This solo is a medley of all his instrumentals from throughout his career. Eruption is the base, it started with 3:16, cathedral, little guitars, mean streets, ect. Omg it was amazing live on that tour, but all these years later it's still amazing. Forever EVH!
I was very honored to have watched his solo at a show live
It’s heart wrenching to know he’s gone
We’ve truly lost a national treasure
RIP Eddie VanHalen! Once you know his sound you can recognize his music everywhere! Great reaction!
MY HEART JUST FILLED WIT JOY & SADNESS ALL AT ONCE. I'm truly blessed to have seen him live 3 times. Eddie will live forever as a guitar god.
It makes me happy to see both your reaction because we all need to cross bridges and look at all music.
I agree with your comment. I watch a lot of these reaction vids.. I'm sceptical sometimes but the gals reaction I think was genuine. I tear up while watching some.
I was blessed to see him in 78 and in 86 Sammy and Dave there is no Comparison!!!
Yes I agree. Seen him live 15 times... I was at this show in Hartford Connecticut. Seen him play this on 5150 tour in 3 cities. San Diego, Los Angeles and Connecticut. Ha
The guitar solo was part of every Van Halen show. He played it night after night after night and it was incredible to experience in person.
imagine hearing this sound for the first time I the 70’s. It was great being a teenager in that era.
me in the 80s it was RIDICULOUS!!!
I can only imagine being my 18 yr. old self in 78'..And Hearing it for the first time!..
..I had just barely been Shot outta' my dad's Balls in 80'..
Discovered VH when i was about 13...And then it All started...😉
Us old folk been living with this solo for 40 years! love watching the younger people reaction to this. Rock on!! This has nothing on Jimmy or SRV. Totally stands on it's own!
Gonna mention 1 name for you and ask you this, Does this person belong in the same conversation with EVH, Randi Rhodes????
@@hewjbacca many have compared the 2. It's unfair to judge since RR died way to early. If he had more of a body of work, more could be said. But RR is DEF top 5-10 IMO.
Yeps agree. 60 yo here. We were so lucky to live in the days of the most awesome music and musicians !!
Yep, I was 16 in 79' and wow! Van Halen was the band!
God bless all the young ones just now finding our generations legends.
@@stevenkile8569
Randy was a better all around guitarist. His solos made sense and the way he structured his music and solos were brilliant.
The part of his solo that sounded like a violin, it’s a combination of a echo effect and also using his volume knob to create that sound.
One of a kind. He is the Mozart of our generation.
Can you even imagine being that gifted at anything? ANYTHING? What that must feel like in your soul. Rest In Peace, Ed. Forever. ❤️❤️❤️
No wonder he was always smiling
@@51502 Yeah, exactly. I wish I could experience that for just a moment. What a gift. What an amazing thing to live with. And I’m sure it was a burden sometimes, too. ❤️❤️❤️
This is one of the greatest musicians of all time right here. It's sad that so many don't realize that. He literally changed the way an electric guitar is played.
You know that's fucking right. King Edward
YES
The greatest rock frontman of all time was named David Lee Roth and he called Edward "the King of Ten Fingers and Six Strings" !!
Uh…..I think most people realize it. Anyone whose opinion is worth caring about that is! 😉.
I’m typing this at the part where Asia is amazed that Eddie’s guitar sounds like a different kind of instrument. She is going to lose her mind when he does “Cathedral”
I fought my way to the front of the pit at the Arco arena in 1992 about 30 seconds before he was about to start his solo, I was dead center too. I knew what was about to happen so I started screaming “Eddie!…..Eddie!” and pretty soon the entire stadium was chanting his name(they would have done this with or without me of course). I got to watch his solo close up and being close enough to see his fingers moving around. Good times, RIP Eddie you were one of a kind!
it's both written and free style, the guitar he's playing is what he called a Frankenstrat, he took parts from three different guitars to build the one he likes, God rest his beautiful soul.
This guitar is not the Frankenstrat. This is the Kramer 5150. Completely different guitar.
.......and this was 1986. I saw this tour concert at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. It was off the hook- insane night. Great reaction, you both are a wonderful couple. God Bless!
I was at this performance this was August 27th 1986 New Haven Coliseum In New Haven Connecticut! This was so amazing it was epic and so loud in there I loved it. What a performance!
@@kevinhazlett7303 So you were at the Live Without A NET recording? Awesome....!! I saw them Halloween Night and NOV 1st.
@@thesoultransferprotocol721 no Net recording what a great tour ! I had great seats perfect up close view of Eddie it was awesome
YO I WAS AT THAT SHOW TOO!!! i was 16 years old and still remember being blown away by the entire show! Saw Journey that year at the Cow Palace too! Talk about amazing!!
Saw them on this tour at Kemper Arena in KC MO May 31 1986 on my birthday
When Asia says "wow" less than 5 min into it....I've been a Van Halen fan since 1978 and I still say wow...simply amazing...If you don't get goose bumps...
Its awesome to see the younger generation appreciate this music !
Eddie TAPPED into the universe and therefore we can all feel it. Love both of you! ❤
I've listened to Van Halen for years, I take him for granted, this. Reaction was enlightening 👏👏👏👍
Welcome to the 80 s it was a blast growing up with the best rock band
That entire concert he played this solo at was 100% flawless. Amazing reaction guys
Eddie uses a combination of Charvel, Fender, and Gibson gutiars. He tore all apart and combined them into his own design. Double tapping, or two handed hammer ons and hammer offs, is a style of "shredding" that started in the mid 70s and Eddie took this style(he had not heard anyone else do anything like it since Robby Krieger from the Doors did some tapping in the 60s. This was a recording that he has based this "freestyle" jam around. He started a trend that extended to almost every 80s guitar band that was out there. Nobody has Eddie's sense of melody, even though others do this very well indeed. He was original and in the same room with Hendrix, Page, SRV, Les Paul, and Chet Atkins.
I'm glad you provided this background. many people think that Eddie Van Halen invented tapping lol. this provides a much better and more nuanced interpretation of the history. he didn't invent it, but he certainly took it to interesting levels.
The Frankenstrat 🤘🏼
In my opinion, in the past ,50 years have we had such influences by Jimmy Hendricks, and then Mr. Edward Van Halen. There's alot of great guitarist, but not on these guys level, maybe Randy Rhoads. R.I.P. all of the greats playing all together up in the heavens.
@@chriswildhaber35 Prince, Tom Morrello,Slash,...Zakk Wylde.
Glad you mentioned Robbie Krieger!! He is often forgotten but an amazing musician from an early amazing band!!!
I loved watching these two discover and react to this! Brought tears to my eyes watching them have a “holy shit” moment while seeing Eddie play. 😂 The looks of bewilderment and joy on Asia’s gorgeous face is absolutely priceless! Thanks for doing this video!
I've watched this solo countless times since 1986....and it never ceases to amaze me. Your reaction was the best I've seen!! EVH was a true icon, and I consider myself lucky to have been a witness to his greatness!! RIP KING EDDIE! 🤴
At 9 minutes 10 seconds he starts to play a little bit of cathedral I still say one of the best pieces he ever did
Cathedral was always my favorite part of the solo watching him live. It’s just a beautiful piece of music
I totally agree with you
I grew up with Van Halen, played with Mike and his brother. Then found out my step grandfather was good friends with Eddie and Alex dad, toured in a European jazz band with him and baby set Eddie and Alex on the road when their dad passed out drunk. Years later Grandpa William came to my house, saw the posters of Eddie and Alex on my walls and was shocked. He said, are they doing good? I said, umpa, they are the biggest rock band in the world! He told me stories of them growing up and I told him stories how Eddie was known as The Greatest rock guitar player in the world then played him a few songs of theirs. My Dutch step grandfather said...Eddie always played the guitar like a piano. I said grandfather, that's the best description I've ever heard. As a musician and fan, it was one of the greatest days of my life. For him it was too because he got a glimpse into how the 2 boys he helped raise turned out. I didn't like my stepmom yet she brought that connection to us both and I Thank her for that. Love and Miss you Ed. God speed brother.
Back in the mid or late seventies when I got introduced to Van Halen and was hooked by their sound. But Eddie flat blew me and my rock listening friends away. We reacted pretty much like you guys were in the video. He inspired some of us, myself included to learn guitar. Now, over 35 years later, I still am challenged by his talent, dedication and skill. I've never been close to his level of playing. But I greatly appreciate the work and self denial that he embraced to reach that level. The finger tapping. The hammering techniques he used, the quick turning the volume up and down of his guitar's pickups( to get that stringed instrument sound), to the passion he brought to his craft, is the stuff of legends. Glad you guys enjoyed the experience! Peace!
I was 18 when Van Halen released their first record.
No one had heard anything like it. Incredible artist…
so sad he’s not here anymore. RIP
I saw EVH on my 21st birthday in 1992. Had been listening to him nonstop for 9 yrs at that point. I still couldn’t believe what I was hearing and seeing. Completely awestruck. Never forget it. RIP my musical hero. I still get goosebumps when listening to him and don’t see that ever changing.
Pure joy!! Seen VH a few times. Eddie always had a big ass smile on while playing and never took fans there for granted. He fed us and we gave back. RIP Eddie.
Eddie has a structure and he has what he calls special moments that happens...🤯
He is the G.O.A.T. (IMO)
Never be another like him.
He never really looked at himself that way though. He was surprisingly humble and when asked about his playing he was almost embarrassed to talk about it. It was kinda funny. He was asked one time how it felt to be the greatest guitarist alive and his response was, i dont know, go ask alex lifeson from rush. He did that a lot. If he did have an ego he never showed it in public in interviews.
Gary Moore is close.
Prince is pretty high up there as well.
You guys are finding out what weve know for years now. This man was a genius. I was mesmerized the first time I heard him play and I am still to this day.
It’s like experiencing your first Christmas morning on a loop. EVH is that amazing.
Gives me chills. EVH I will forever miss you. Thanks for all the great music.
RIP Eddie. One of a kind. He made the guitar talk. So many things he did with a guitar nobody could come close
The guitar he's playing is his own creation, made from different guitar parts, He named it Frankenstein because of this. Eddie was more than a musician, he was an innovator as well. From his guitar designs to his finger tapping style of playing.
It's a fender Stratocaster he named it frankenSTRAT he was very innovative in technique and equipment.. He once said he gets shocked a lot. Lol
best amps I have ever played. dude was a tone chaser
Frankenstrat
He is playing the 5150 Kramer in 86 which was based off a early Kramer Pacer Special with a custom headstock.
The Franky was a strat style guitar from Boogie Bodies/Lynn Ellsworth not a Fender
Apparently Steve Hackett of Genesis used tapping before Eddie and Eddie acknowledged that he himself was a populariser of the technique, not the actual inventor.
I too continuously tear up when I see reaction videos concerning EVH. My life was rearranged in January 1979 when I bought Van Halen one, on vinyl at 12 years of age. All my friends were in to kiss, the Eagles, Led Zeppelin, ET see., But I found this album and it completely changed my life, forever. I am truly thankful that yall shared this!!!!! BTW, that particular guitar is homemade by Eddie. Stratocaster body with extra trimmings, lol! Y’all F’N rock!
That cheeky smile he had every time he placed a guitar in his hands. At a time when Everything had been accomplished Eddie rewrote the rulebook. Stevie Ray and Eddie are completely different players both of which genuinely lived for music and rightly so can actually be classed as Great.
I’ve watched at least 2 dozen channels react to this…..never gets old!
He did a variation of this at pretty much every show….it’s full of licks, riffs and techniques he’s used on the albums throughout the years, put together in various segments and some stuff he just felt like doing at the time.
So happy you were able to Rock with Eddie...the legend, RIP.... Eddie made his own guitars, he starting building his own as a teenager from parts and pieces from other guitars
This by far best solo off all time...will never be a guitar GOD like my man EDDIE VAN HALEN
Never!!!!!!!!!!
So thankful they captured VH at a time when they and Eddie were at their peak in Live Without a Net. EVH was in true form that night they recorded him. His solo in 5150 during this concert was something to behold.
The only other person I've seen play like Eddie and sound like Eddie is Buckethead. Both amazing guitarist R.I.P EVH.
@@SOCOMHITMAN.
EVH was knocked of the top the day Yngwie joined steeler. By 85 Eddie was a afterthought when it came to guitar. Randy Rhoads opened up the fretboard with his playing let alone Tipton from Judas Priest was playing better and faster than Eddie on the defender of the faith album. Al DiMeola and Allen Holdsworth have always been better than Eddie.
@@12floz67 I never said he was the best just pointing out they had similar playing styles and who knows where Jason Becker would of ended up if he didn't get sick at such a young age.
Unparalleled. He was so in the zone, at times it sounds like sacred music played in church.
Would you say it was almost like being in a "Cathedral?"
If you know, you know. If you don't know, check out the track list on Van Halen's "Diver Down" album.
Cheers!
Its titled Cathedral. They were raised Catholic. But Rock ruled his life to the end of his time on Earth. RIP Eddie.
His tapping finales in Eruption and Spanish fly are in the style of J.S Bach, a composer from the Baroque period. Much of that music was composed for the Church and religious occasions.
I imagine as a piano student the young EVH would have been exposed to some J.S Bach.
Part of this Solo is a solo named "Cathedral" where he is using the reverb of a previous note as part of the next note. It does have a very Gothic feel. Another part was from Spanish Fly, another lead in solo , as well as Little Guitars he did on a 3/4 scale Gibson Les Paul tuned to D. Had a very bright, different sound.
Late with this response. but Eddies guitar was a one of a kind that he assembled from parts by himself. In the late 70s. he was looking for a tremolo system that would keep his guitar in tune when he cranked on the whammy bar. He was not having any luck with his Ibanez Explorer. and he owned a Gibson Les Paul Jr, that would not stay in tune no matter what he did or didn't do. Even $10.000 Gibson are notorious for slipping string pitches. He was an early customer of Wayne Charvel. who had a parts and guitar repair shop in San Dimas California. Ed was from Pasedena, so he was close. The guitar his is playing here is Lovingly referred to as a Frankenstrat. The Fender strat style body. Ed assembled that guitar from an alder wood body he bought from Wayne Charvel., the brand was Boogie Bodies. And the neck was from a company named Cort. Ed was referred to an engineer named Floyd Rose, who had a new design for a floating tremolo system that was the best one currently produced. Ed met with Floyd. and he played a Floyd Rose tremolo from that point on. Properly installed. you can yank that whammy bar nine ways to Sunday, and it will not drop tuning. Ed used the whammy 36 times during the solo above. His pickup was also new and revolutionary. Ed loved the warm sound of a humbucking pickup, as used on Gibson guitar, over the single coil pickups used on Fenders. He wanted kind of a mix of the two, and he was directed to an engineer named Seymour Duncan. Duncan was dissatisfied with the current pickups on the market and started his own company to make pickups in house. After meeting with Ed, he designed a number of pickups for Ed, and they chose the one he liked best, and Eddie drilled that sucker straight into his guitar body!! Now, armed with guitar that would allow him the best use of his creativity, he quite literally changed the landscape of what an electric guitar could do. He shook up the world, so to speak. He knew he was playing at a high level, but that guitar was the instrument that allowed him to compose with no restrictions. All he was lacking was an endorsement deal with a guitar company. After a year or so of fielding offers, he went with Kramer guitars out of Neptune. Nj. Kramer promised to use a Floyd Rose system on thier guitars, and Seymour duncan pickups . Ed insisted that these be standard on the Kramers. Ed was annonced as a Kramer artist in 1983. He told the Kramer people he would make them the biggest guitar company in the world. He did. In 1986,87,and 88 Kramer was the no.1 selling guitar in the US. This to this day is the only time the best selling guitar wasnt a Fender or Gibson. Kramer tragically shut down in 1991. They handled their money like a drunken teenager. and they began producing several lines of cheaper guitars. All of thier artists went elsewere. The last hold out was Eddie, it was a sad day indeed. Eddie played Ernie Ball and his own brand, EVH guitars after that. The Gibson company bought the Kramer name and is producing a lot of the popular guitars from the 70s and 80s and they all sell well. On an ending note.....Floyd Rose tremolos. Seymour duncan pickups, and Kramer guitars all were introduced as Eddies equipment in the 80s. They were all the biggest brand in the world for years, Floyd and Seymour are still the top in thier respective fields. Eddie was the Midas of the industry. He told them all to hop in the bus, he would drive them to unimaginable success. Well, he did that for all of them. He was an innovator with the guitar in his hands. and without. He quite literally shaped the sound of pop music for decades. I met him in 1996. he was awesome to my friend and I ,and spoke to us for over a half hour at a music convention. I also got fired with that same friend the next day. As the Chef at a huge hotel, i had keys to everything. Ed was at our hotel. we opened the walk in safe to get a look at Eddies guitars, and BB Kings guitars. We knew if was all on camera. but we had to. Sorry this is so long, but with Eddie, there is never an easy answer.
Most of it is excerpts from instrumentals on their albums. He plays 316, Eruption, Cathedral which is where he makes the guitar sound like an organ or cello, opening to Mean Street where he plays drums on the guitar, a little of Spanish Fly.
Eddie built that guitar, it's called the Frankenstrat, because it was a hodge-podge of different guitars put together.
thats not THE Frankenstrat
That is the Kramer 5150 guitar, not the Frankenstrat.
NOT THIS ONE BUT YES HE BUILT MANY!!
Thanks for doing this song it brings back memories I was a 14 year old kid in 1978
A teenager, I bought their first album and was blown away by the first song: Eruption. Forever fan of Eddie Van Halen. His death hit me as hard as SRV’s. Just imagine heaven’s jam session!
Still can't believe he's gone. I loved watching Sammy and Ed love each other like brothers in this era. Great choice and excellent reaction!
The greatest solo by the greatest guitarist of the greatest band of all time! That boys and girls is how you take a song and mix it up with some of the greatest freestyling you'll ever hear. The Michael Jordan of the guitar. RIP Eddie 🤘🏻
I have to disagree slightly. MJ was the EVH of baskeyball, not the other way around. 😁
I can't count how many times i've seen this amazing solo. glad you finally reacted to this. EVH is greatly missed. there has been no one like him.
Watching this takes me back to when I saw them. I wasn’t even a fan, I mainly went because I wanted to go to a concert. I enjoyed the show, but it wasn’t until his solo that I got it. I started listening to Van Halen after that.
A lot.
And everytime I'm like
" Please stop it, this can't be true"
Only one EVH!! Amazing 👏
Saw it seven times myself, and I swear to you that Eddie and Alex Van Halen were always great, and surprisingly even even more precise and tight on their final tour in 2015.
Man...I saw it once! Never will forget it! You are so lucky to see it 7 times!!
I saw it twice, too bad the last time he was wasted but still was impressive!
@@damaestro119 Wolfgang is the one that inspired his Dad to do that tour! Wolf says with his sobriety it was like he was an alien discovering himself again You saw the concert and say he was not sober so I dunno I wasn't there! but besides the point Wolfgang wrote a few of the songs - Wolf is so talented with writing and too his Dad taught him piano drums guitar well of course he would! LOLL I saw an interview where Wolf says My Dad was the worst teacher teaching me guitar .... LOL He would go so fast I would be like wait Pops slow that down LOLLL Wolf's Band Mammoth is SO DAMN GOOD! HE CAN ROCK!!! AND WRITES ALL HIS SONGS YOU MAY KNOW ALL OF THIS BUT ... DISTANCE IS BEAUTIFUL THE TRIBUTE TO HIS DAD AND "DON'T BACK DOWN" OMG IS A BANGER!!!! WE ALL LOVED EDDIE SO MUCH AND ITS BEEN HEARTBREAKING SEEING HIS POSTS ON INSTAGRAM ABOUT HIS DAD AND ALL JUST TOUCHES ME SO MUCH HAVE A GREAT DAY
I was a budding teenaged guitarist in the 80’s and Eddie Van Halen was my guitar hero! With you two paying homage to and honouring my favourite 80’s bands and movies, it’s like you’re honouring me! Thank you and keep up the good work! P.S. Asia is pretty!
the Guitar GOD!! he is so clean when playing. The best part is that this song runs into the next song on the album and is fire!
This was soooo much fun to watch the reaction of peeps who witness the musical genius of Eddy for the first time! It brings you back to how you reacted when you first heard or saw EVH: in AWE! Also looks like Asia was digging more than just his playing...lol...a little VH crush!
The sounds he makes with a guitar I have never heard anyone else able to make
My great uncle had perfect pitch and he could play the strings off a guitar, one day my dad told me that our uncle went to his best friends guitar shop and none other than the king Eddie Van Halen was there and he played a couple songs with my uncle and Eddie said he was a hell of a guitarist. Idk I figure someone would find that pretty cool 😎
i once met eddie, asked him "how did you get to be such an iconic guitarist" he laughed and said "drugs, booze, and a ton of luck" i also asked him who he thought was the best guitarist was, typical eddie response to that, he said "whoever im enjoying listening to at the moment"
Very 😎 cool! What a great memory for your uncle 😛
The way Eddie smiled every time he touched his guitar is the best part for me. It was so easy for him and that guitar was his best friend!! Listening to EVH gets me emotional because of how much he still had left in him when he passed away. The greatest musician in my opinion. We will never see anyone reinvent an instrument like we saw Eddie do. RIP!!!!
Never will there be another Eddie. Just amazing what he can do with a guitar. We miss you Eddie. I’m so glad you guys are enjoying this
7:34 - The first time I heard this part some 30 years ago I automatically thought it was a synthesizer with a sequencial control or arpeggiator of some kind. His precision was that good. His passing was a huge loss.
Man I’m so glad I got to see this guy’s on concert! One of the best concerts I’ve ever been on! Rip🙏Eddie! You left us way too soon!😢man you have to be there to feel the chills down your spine! That’s how good Eddie and the whole band was!👌😎👍he was the guitar god!
This was my first time visiting with you, I'm glad I chose this as my first view of the two of you reacting! Thank you for your reaction, it was spot on!
This guy was/is My guitar hero. He inspired me to start playing guitar when I was 12 back in 1996. I remember watching this exact concert on VHS 3+ times a day just to understand what he was doing on Guitar. I love watching reactions to this version from, "Live without a net". It takes me back to some great memories of experiencing the same thing you just did. RIP EVH. Your son Wolfgang is now Killing it with his new album. You would be Proud!
Yes, I saw him do this live twice. Amazing in person. I can hear the entire thing live in my mind
The absolute master. Saw them live two times and when you saw him play live, it was absolutely magical. There will never be another.
The solo always evolved and changed over the years. But, til his last concert, he played just like this. The guitar he's using is immaterial. He sounded like Eddie on any guitar. A Tele, a Les Paul, or his home-built guitars. The tone is in his hands. And, the guy neither read music, nor ever had a guitar lesson. It was truly HIS instrument.
Think he did OK for himself after his brother took the drums from him
One of my favorite bands growing up and i have quite a few favorites cause i listen to all types of music. But Eddie could make a guitar talk like no other. He had all of us who grew up in the golden age of rock playing air guitar non stop. RIP Eddie....we all miss you.
He made that guitar out of other guitar parts mad genius
Yes, the best solo ever recorded! My opinion.
The Frankenstrat changed how players and builders looked at guitars. Eddie was known for his playing, but he was also known for his guitar tone. People have been trying to copy it since the moment he burst onto the scene.
I love hearing you rave about him. Yeah,,,,he's awesome and so are you guys! I don't think I've ever been more impressed with a guitarist.
Eddie was the first at many new things and a true legend . I was lucky enough to catch Van Halen twice live in the 80,s and Eddie was just RED HOT both times they were SO good ! Just awesome to see younger generations discover this man and his many talents .. RIP Eddie you will be missed Sir ! Great reaction !
Eddie played the lead on Michael Jackson's hit song "Beat It". Jackson's manager brought Eddie in to help Jackson cross over into the mainstream pop-rock scene. Its a great lead track to an already well written song. Give it a listen.
Eddie didn't just play in "Beat It" he rewrote it and changed the whole song and gave it a rock feel. He also was never mentioned. He wanted to keep it a secret. But everyone knew his unique style.
I saw the documentary Hired Gun, and the guitar player for Toto said that he played the solo on Beat It. I thought to myself "Nope. At that time, EVH was the only guy making a guitar sound like that."
Steve Lukathur wrote the Riff to beat it and Drummer Jeff Porcaro helped peice the track together after the original was destroyed, members of Toto played on multiple MJ tracks. Steve was a close friend of Eddie who he thought along with Michaels manager would give the song a new dynamic. Steve thought the track would never be a hit. The story is Eddie done the solo in 2 takes and was initially for free with no credits on the album. The takes were destroyed and Steve , Jeff helped peice them back together, Steve had to record the solo for the original release and then Eddie's was used once repaired.
The replies about Eddie’s and Luke’s involvement on “Beat It” are all out of wack. Steve has told the story of recording that track in multiple interviews. One is here: ruclips.net/video/zwWfm-EY4aU/видео.html. In summary, the basic tracks for the song were recorded to one 24-track master, along with a pilot vocal from MJ. No solo was recorded as they had every intention of Eddie playing the solo. A rough 2-track mix of the basic tracks were bumped to another synchronized 24-track tape, which was a work tape used for overdubs. When Eddie was brought in to record the solo, he suggested rearranging the song so he could solo over a section with more chord changes. Quincy Jones and MJ agreed, but rearranging the song required cutting the tape. Eddie recorded two versions of the solo, but since the tape had been cut, it no longer synched with the master tape because the SMPTE code on the sync track no longer matched. Quincy Jones told Luke and Jeff Porcaro that they needed to “bail him out” on this one. Porcaro created a click track for himself, then re-recorded the drums - in only one or two takes according to Luke. Luke then recorded the main electric rhythm guitar track, which originally had a pretty hard edge. He then recorded the bass, and added the electric guitar fills you hear at the end of the intro, and before Eddie’s solo. Paul Jackson added a third, clean rhythm guitar, and keyboards were added by Greg Phillinganes and others. After hearing what they had done, Jones thought the track had too hard an edge and asked Luke to dial back the distortion so it would be more palatable for R&B and pop radio. So Luke re-recorded his guitar parts. And yes, Eddie did receive credit on the album, but has always said he agreed to do the solo for free.
@@patrickcampbell2471 Hey Patrick, great detail in the reply, and the link was a great watch. Did Eddie originally gain credit for the solo or was it later ? Seems to be quite a few stories out there that no credit was received on the release of the single and that Eddie didn't really mind. This is where I originally got the info. Thanks again fir reply.