I did not know a lot of these stories, the Randy RHoads one is the most unfortunate, Ed was a bag about Randy after he died in that horrible interview. They just comported themselves differently, Randy was more humble and mature for his age. I think if Randy lives, they become amicable and really grow to appreciate the other publicly. The hack who criticized Diary of a MAdman as lacking imagination has to be done of the most tone deaf critics of all time, that is arguaby the greatest album ever written in metal
Eddie and Alex were real A-Holes for how they treated Michael. No one in the band could ever touch the showmanship spirit of David Lee Roth. Randy Rhoads would have been a much better guitar player than Eddie but sadly never got the chance.. I do admit that Eddie would have had more flair than Randy.
I met Michael Anthony at a classic car show in Lake Havasu City, called, Run To The Sun. I didnt bring up any mention of Van Halen, just about his love for classic cars. He was the nicest dude one could talk to, humble, and down to earth.
@@kerzytibok3211 Uh.... He's really not that kinda guy..... Yeah, he'll open up about it some in interviews once in awhile, but uh... NEVER have I heard Michael bad mouth Eddie....
@@1956tojo I think Mike is all for talking Van Halen… but only the good times and even the technical aspects for those who are musician’s themselves. One would have to be super ignorant to ask Mike, “Hey man… I read where you signed your rights to the band away…. How could you just do that???” Sadly, we live in a world where there are at least a few ignorant people out there who would bring something like that up. It’s different if Mike were to talk about it on his own accord. But I can’t see him doing that with just anybody. I know it would actually make me uncomfortable to hear him speak of the bad times. What the hell would you even say in response to something like that anyways? Actually, I would tell Mike that despite all the negative events that taken place, there is no denying that with 2 Van Halen brothers in the band, it was YOU, and only you who waved the =\//-/= flag ever so high and boldly, and with such pride and conviction… than YOU And that’s a truth too. He loved being in that band. It’s a damn shame that the brothers couldn’t see it, or didn’t want to see it
Absolutely. And he was was paid handsomely for it. Anthony has a net worth of 50 million dollars for singing backup vocals and playing bass on songs he contributed nothing to the actual writing. How many, what essentially was a hired studio musician, have a net worth of 50 million dollars do you know of? So sick of people saying "EVH fucked over Michael Anthony."
@@ronnie_5150 It's not a question about how much Michael Anthony is worth! It's a matter of Eddie's lack of integrity and character he had towards M.A. You don't treat a guy you've worked with for 25 years recording and touring like a stage hand. Michael was a class act through and through. He wouldn't even say anything bad about Eddie when given the opportunity. He just politely said "use your imagination" when it came to why he was let go. Wolfie could never replace Mikey and, to me, it's sad that Van Halen ended the way it did. Led Zeppelin would never have replaced John Bonham with his son Jason. (And they probably could have.) I know Wolfie is your son but let him go out on his own and make a name for himself.
You know what? I would actually somewhat agree with you. I think EVH was trying to drive Mikey out of the band. And Mikey was the one to take the high road and not start talking a lot of shit about EVH even while EVH was talking a lot of shit about him. I guess I should say financially, he didnt get screwed over, but on a moral and just human decency level, yes they screwed him over. @@eccrawford7759
Yea, but he didn't contribute to the song writing or composition. So he shouldn't get the same. Same with Alex if he didn't contribute. Every band does this. Even the Beatles.
Why did Alex think he deserved more than Michael? I think a group's pay shouldn't be so heavily based on songwriting credits. There needs to be a better solution. Everyone in VH contributed SIGNIFICANTLY.
I loved EVH, but him and his brother's treatment of MA is the thing I hate the most about them. I don't think they really realized how beloved Michael was to the fans. It's not lost on us how big a part of their sound he was and still is. Love you Mike!
I am just glad Sammy came in during the late 80s and gave Mike the support and friend he deserved. Great bassist and the best backing vocals in the business. Without him there is no VH (having seen Wolfie perform in his place 3x, can confirm 100%) I love all the guys but I know for a fact I would have laid out Roth in under a day of being around him. Eddie I would be fine with as I am kind of similar in the melancholy and wanting to be left alone. Big fight. Cool off. Rinse repeat. But Mike and Sammy are both aces cool
Ed was so F..ing cool. I had the opportunity to work with VH for about six weeks doing sound and some tech work at a rehearsal studio. in the late 80's-early 90's (Prepping for the Monster's of Rock tour). Mike is cool AF. Sam is cool. and a great singer without LSD (lead singer disease) so chill! Alex- was cool to me as well, a regular dude- asked how I was doing, every morning. Ed - totally cool, no rock star ego. At this rehearsal studio, If there was a night where there was a studio open, I'd bring my band in... I'd keep the lights down low, so the guys couldn't see who came in (it was the kind of place where artists would wander in and out of the different studios) Ed came in, sat down, listened, had a beer, gave us a thumbs up and walked out the door. I didn't tell the guys in my band who came into the rooms when we were rehearsing. But after the bands were gone... LOL, I'd tell them. Man they lost their S.... I talked to Ed everyday he was there... just about life, cars, bikes, music in general. He was cool AF. One of my favorite memories of working there.
Apart from being a great bass player and background vocalist, Michael Anthony was a showman extraordinaire so an invaluable part of Van Halen's success...the iconic Jump video proves my point,Michael just made that video
Absolute fan of Van Halen in the Roth years.When they canned Michael Anthony, that was the biggest form of betrayal I could think of in rock history and showed the true colors of the Van Halen Brothers. They already had a load of money and to cut him out was so petty. But it also showed you what kind of person Michael Anthony is
I don’t understand why Fair Warning is always deemed a dark poor selling album. IMO It is one of the best VH albums ever. Especially from the Roth era.
Right, Eddie wanted to make darker, more serious music but butted heads with Roth. So, the new Van Halen, free from Roth's hold, proceeded to write such heavy, dark songs as, "Why Can't This Be Love", "When It's Love", and "Love Comes Walking In".
Eddie wanted to be like Journey? And asked many vocalist like Daryl Hall and Patty symth to join including many other's of that type, finally decided to get Sammy Hagar who could sing great rockin' tunes as well as the big Ballads! ❤🎸😎👍
That proves nothing, except Eddie realized Roth was right after and took his advice, ya big dope. Think. It's a fact that Eddie wanted to write dark and morose stuff when Roth said it, silly. People go through phases and cycles; news flash. Eddie has gone from drunk to sober. With your silly logic, someone is wrong to say he drank heavily, because look he was sober later. That's your foolish logic.
Please don't read Noel Monk's book about Van Halen --- the way Eddie, Alex, and Dave treated Mike is enough to make you wanna never listen to VH again!
Mike Anthony is an integral part of the early Van Halen sound. I never saw them live with Dave, but I finally saw them live with Sammy Hagar. EVH played so badly that night, that my then wife and I left early! I have been really drunk on stage, but I do not think that I ever played that badly. To be fair, it was the only show I ever saw at Brendan Bern in Jersey. The sound in thatvplace was just bad
I've always thought that when someone like Anthony (or say Kirk Hammett with Metallica) steps back and lets the more creative types direct the vision, that IS contributing... in this world of ego and legacy, taking a sideline so others can lead, is contributing... he deserves 1/4 credit for Van Halen and his backing vocals were highly underrated.
My wife was Eddie Van Halens recovery from nurse in 2011 when he had part of his tongue removed. She said he was the nicest guy ever. One of her favorite celebrity patients ( one of many). He didn't have a guitar to play on and wanted one so badly.
That is taken out of context. When your down and not with lots of people praising you, it is different. We all have our demons and we can become that guy. Eddie had people around him and gave him what he wanted. Few gave him what he needed. When he couldn't tour with hip surgery was like when ed told same he didn't care if he is having a baby. The worst voice you will hear is your own
He was a nice guy, but he had that really bad moment on radio after Randy died. I bet they woukd have become amicable toward one another if Randy had lived.
Michael was stuck in the middle of an ego sandwich... EVH on one side and DLR on the other. He's one of the most under rated bassists in rock music. Great backing vocals, incredible talent on bass and a great showman!
It's Anthony's harmonic tonality that set apart _Van Halen_ from a lot of other bands. It's why Sammy grabbed him for _Chickenfoot!_ That and his bass playing abilities, that is. Plus, he seems like a good guy on top of it.
I know Dave was part of it but I really think Eddie and Alex plotted to destroy Mike and rob him of his royalties in VH --- it was sickening to hear how they treated him like a piece of garbage
Things were all good when they started the band. The VH brothers are original members. Roth always seemed like a hired front man. It's unfortunate about Michael, but sometimes band members have irreconcilable differences. He was in VH for a long time.
@@qua7771 I always got pissed when I heard Eddie say "we only hired Roth because he owned a PA system" --- Dave was a spectacular showman and knew how to bring in a big crowd with his swagger and charisma --- that is pretty much what you need to become really famous
@@BAJARACER43X Obviously Randy didn't copy everything from Eddie Van Halen. I was turned off when Eddie said that even though I love and adore him. I hear just a little bit of Eddie in Randy but Randy definitely had his own unique style. There's no disputing that Eddie was a big influence on Randy but I believe wholeheartedly that deep down inside Eddie truly respected Randy Rhoads. How could he not?
Eddie was an incredible guitarist, no question about it, he was one of the greatest, but as a person, Eddie was incredibly controlling and a pain in the ass, to deal with and at times was very vindictive towards his former bandmates. The way he treated Michael Anthony was totally uncalled for.
one of the greatest? Not even close, good yes, an icon yes, great no. He was no Satriani, Zakk Wylde, Dimebag, and certainly no Buckethead. There are many guitarist better than Eddie Vanheadache and Randy Rhodes was one of them.
@@MasterWitchDoctor oh what a difference 5-10 years makes on perceptions, I don't consider any of the guitar slingers you mentioned as great, give me Dickey Betts, Duane Allman, Carlos Santana, Hendrix, Jeff Beck, BB King, Clapton, those and others were truly great.
Michael Anthony's backing vocals deserve more than half . His refrains are always the hook in any Van Halen song. > Honestly His backing vocals carry Chicken Foot too
@@gringo3002 That sounds like a sweet thing to find. I wonder if there is anything out there? I'm gonna see if I can find anything. Thanks for the info.
Nah. Michael was a clean singing choirboy vocalist. Only good for the high harmonies . Period. Very much a one trick pony at bass and singing actually. No soul what the f soever.
That's a bit much. Yeah, his voice was a hallmark of their sound, but there's a reason he neve sings lead, w the exception of once or twice with Chickenfoot
Valerie Bertinelli's great autobiography sheds a lot of light on Eddie's "demons". She said EVH always had to have an enemy to focus on. Dave became a big target for Eddie but she said she always liked Dave.
~~ DLR was kind of the face of the band - he wasn't just the frontman - he was also an MC - his vocal abilities were not the best - but he made up for it by really knowing how to engage & entertain a very large crowd - that said Roth's ego had become massive by 1984 - and it was rubbing the rest of the band the wrong way - so EVH was not alone in resenting him ..
Dave always was "The GOOF" - now he's just an OLD GOOF with a boring standup schtick that only a kid raised by his great-grandparents in a trailer deep in the woods would find amusing.
I'm sure I'm not the first guitarist to ever say this, but the reason I picked up a guitar is because of both Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads. May they both rest in peace.
I have been a fan with all the iterations of the band for about 40 years. With all of the biographies and articles I have written - I think the consensus is: Eddie was a nice, shy and humble person, had a great deal of interest in helping new talent, etc, when SOBER. Unfortunately his long term struggles with alcohol, coke, etc brought out a completely different person (and all of that is well documented. So not going to rehash any of that here).
The simple fact is this...Van Halen is not Van Halen without Michael Anthony. His background vocals are so instrumental to the original VH sound that taking him out of the band was one of the worst decisions they ever made. IMHO, of course.
His backup vocals were integral to their sound, but I'm pretty sure VH still would have still been VH without him. Remember, Eddie had THE ear. He was the ultimate quality control guru. He'd have found a bass player with amazing backup vocals and it would have sounded maybe different, but just as magical. Both Michael (nicest guy in the band) and Alex were expendable and easily replaced from a talent standpoint. Only Dave and Eddie were vital cogs of the machine.
I met EVH, at the time he was very troubled and had huge issues with substances…. I never held it against him. It’s was very sad. It was great to see him be great dad and get right before the end
@@frankwebster9110 When I saw them live for the first time in 85, I then realized that Michael Anthony was behind those harmonies and those famous high pitched wails.
"Who Eddie really was" had a lot to do with whether he was sober at the time. From the way I understand it, when he was drinking, he was the world's biggest asshole. But when he was sober, he was the sweetest, friendliest, most down to earth guy. He had major insecurities, which I think led him to act out a lot when he'd been drinking.
ALL humans are a mixture of SUPER-EVIL, and SUPER-GOOD. Adolf even gave the world the VW BEETLE, arguably the best car ever, so the middle class had a reliable and affordable ride! Adolf was pro-ANIMAL RIGHTS and a vegetarian. (He hated humans!)
@@metalboy5150 was he sober when DLR left in 1985? That whole thing Eddie started on MTV about Roth told me all i needed to know. That was Eddies jealous rage because the guy that made Van Halen famous was gone and he couldnt stand it.
@@MasterWitchDoctor "The guy that made Van Halen famous?" Really? You think it was all Dave, and the rest of the band had nothing to do with it, eh? Sure, buddy. You keep living in that fantasy land.
Well I for one am glad David Lee won out early on giving me and my friends some of the best music to rock out to in my senior year of high school ever!
Van Halen is not the first nor the last band to ask a member to get less than equal pay. Whenever this happens the outcome is rarely positive. Egos are inflated, feeling get hurt-fame is not all it’s cracked up to be. It’s just a matter of time before changes occur. While starting out, starving, broke, it’s all for one and one for all. Fame hits and it’s all about me.
I heard that EVH wanted MA out and replaced by WVH because he was jealous that MA had wisely invested his money. 70 million compared to EVHs 100 Million. Apparently EVH was miffed at how close they were in net worth and never considered that MA was a smart investor. EVH was convinced MA wealth was all because of VH and wanted to punish him for it.
@@skippyhandleman1625 that's another thing I recall from Hagar's bio.... the VH brothers were dumb as shit regarding money and "planning for the future."
@@yeldarbarrow3172 possibly. I wouldn't know. I've always thought EVH might have been on the autism spectrum to be honest. I hope Hagars bio was entertaining.
I don't know what "really" went on behind the scenes with Van Halen, as I wasn't there....but for anyone to say that Michael Anthony's contributions weren't "up to par" is out of their mind....maybe he didn't write the music or lyrics....but he certainly contributed both musically, and most especially with the background vocals that played every bit as much a part of the "Van Halen Sound" as any of the contributions made by anyone else..... And quite honestly, in any interview I've seen with any member of the band....Michael Anthony has always seemed to be the one you'd like to hang out and have a beer or shots with.... seems to have no ego, and no chip on his shoulder....just a nice guy who loves what he does for a living. I'm glad that Sammy Hagar always seemed to realize all of this...and the fact that they still play together speaks volumes.
I always hated the way they treated Michael. He was just as much a member as Eddie and Alex. Why do the bassists never get the credit they deserve? It reminds me of how John Entwistle was treated. Truly underrated. I don't think van Halen would be van Halen without Michael Anthony.
To be fair he wasn't writing any songs (of course Alex wasn't either) but they could have handled it with far more grace than Noel Monk alleges in his book.
@@brentj.peterson6070 This is a common misconception. Actually Eddie WAS the lead singer of the band (Mammoth) before DLR came along. MA could sing but it is very high with limited range.
@Jay Bass is not a "background instrument." It is what drives the song, along with the drums. Go listen to any song with the bass removed and see how different it sounds. You'll quickly notice how empty it sounds.
Mike AND Sammy were both blindsided by the VH brothers, despite many years of loyalty to the band. No shortage of friction between guitarists and frontmen - look at Aerosmith - but Eddie had a serious God complex. I wish Mike and Sammy all the best.
It was his band, and this narrative is a bullsht hit piece...you play for the guy that stirs the drink, the rest of them were bit part players, loved them all but c'mon this is a ridiculous narrative.
Booze and drugs will do that..I always thought Eddie Van Halen was overrated..He was quite accomplished on the fret board but his music was a lot of noise..Didn't make a pimple on Stevie Rays or Gary Moore's tush. Obviously in my opinion..Always liked Hagar and Anthony...
@@Will_M600 Eddie also had a rough start to life int he USA. He spoke only German as a kid, was close to his family, got bullied in school. Eddie felt like an outsider and clung to his brother as if other people were threats to their family. Kids used to make Eddie eat sand at recess from the sandbox and rip up his homework. He was scarred as a kid and resentful of Americans.
First of all, Randy was a contemporary of Eddies. Randy was playing like he was before he ever met him. They both changed the way rock guitarist looked at playing. Eddie said that because Randy was making huge waves. Randy was using scales that weren’t typical used in rock music and his playing was very classical based. To me, as a guitarist, Randy was an all around better player.
@@TheDaveSharman His Opinion and Respected.,Randy didnt live to Master his craft .left a couple Stellar Albums to show where he could take his playing.Eddie Really chased that tone and just mastered incredible Guitar work.I feel your Comment
Eddie was an innovative, eccentric genius, with only a few hundred dollars, did what he wanted to do, for himself only. And in turn changed the guitar, the way people play the guitar, and the way people hear guitar. There was so much more to Eddie but I am so glad I got to see him in concert several times and witnessed his genius firsthand.
I remember reading about the beginnings of Van Halen (band), David Lee Roth's father got them their initial gigs that led to their first record deal. Roth was basically an outsider to the group. He was older than the other guys and lived in a different town, but he brought the business side. Without Roth, would Van Halen have gotten their big break? Roth was an entertainer and Van Halen, a musician. Sometimes the twain do not meet. Biting the hand of a virtuoso guitar player as a prank is about the dumbest thing I've ever heard. But then Motley Crue was never known to be a thinking man's band.
Roth really wasn't older --- it was actually Alex who was the oldest in the band --- but Dave's father did help them get gigs on the Sunset Strip and rehearse at his mansion
@@Mick_Ts_Chick Bands on tour like to prank on each other, but it should never be done at the risk of disabling someone's physical ability to play their instrument.
Thats one really dumb statement. Saying VanHalen would never make it big if they didnt have Mike Anythonys backing vocal? LOL Ediie also did backing vocals. They sounded really good after Eddie booted ol' Michael out of the band! I would safely say, it was his bass playing that got him in the band, not his backup singing. And just to let you in a secret, The band tuned their guitars down a whole step. Why you ask? Because it made it easier to sing! Thats how they were able to hit high notes. I know this because I was in a band at the time. And we learned the songs by listening to then records.
The Fred Durst story is so good. I'll note that Eddie showed up on Fred's front lawn in a Hummer from a military surplus auction and it had a gun mounted on it.
Fair Warning is a masterpiece. It took me a while to appreciate it. I do NOT know WHY it took a while, but it eventually became an all-time favorite of mine.
as a young guitarist, I always felt guilt I loved Fair Warning over VH1 and VH2. I mean, those two albums changed everyone; particularly the first album. As time went along I started realizing the real musicians and guitarist out there, say the same thing. I believe EVH at one time said it was his favorite too. (I could be mistaken on that) I seem to recall Roth (perhaps on Joe Rogan) saying the same thing about guitarists loving that album.
I met Eddie on Ventura blvd in a Mexican place called Velleros. I was playing Flamenco guitar there in 1987. Eddie was so drunk and obnoxious but we sat and drank at the bar while the band was in a private room. I loved the time with him and didn't care how obnoxious he was. When he finally left the restaurant everyone applauded but I sat there just pinching myself because I spent a couple of hours just having a good time with Eddie Van Halen. Always a great memory!
@@Darrenowsley Fascinating stuff ! Id have loved to have met him. Ive heard he was actually a nice guy too. What did you talk about all night with him ? I like your Flamenco playing on your channel by the way !
I was attending M.I. Musicians Institute and we were talking about Paul Gilbert Vinney More and Tony Mcalpine. Eddie wasn't jealous of these guys but was fans of them I showed him how to play a flamenco rumba Eddie was more interested in what I knew he took my guitar and tried to play a flamenco rhythm rather than show off. @@mackenzie77777
The media just wanted Randy Rhoads and Eddie van Halen it be a rival & it's a fan thing! Gives ppl to talk about their both awesome guitar player's hands down 💯 wii different styles of playing 🤘🤘🤘🤘🎸🎸may they both rest in peace 🎸🎸🤘🤘🤘🤘
Same with Roth vs. Hagar. VanHalen was a different band with each. In my opinion, Roths lyrics are more juvenile, while Hagars lyrics are more mature. I feel that this made the music sound more mature with Hagar. The shredder stuff sounds like what it is, a kid showing off all their tricks to try and impress us like it's some kind of competition. Art is not a completion. While I like both Roth and Hagar, If I were forced to choose, I'd choose Hagar today and Roth when I've got a little more energy to appreciate those insane guitar riffs. Now I need to JUMP off to bed because that what DREAMS are made of.
I heard it was the same solid gold Stuart tank The Penguin used in the sixties Batman episode. Same auto mechanic who recommended Hagar also told Ed he knew of a tank going up for sale in a prop auction.... 😂
IMO Randy's playing and solos had a beautiful flow to it. Eddie solos always felt to me it was about techniques that didn't always fit the song. But that's my opinion
Michael Anthony is a class act i wish him and Eddie could of patched up their relationship before Eddie passed away sad friends and brothers for all those years _
idk who to blame but it's sad and to late but losing friends no matter what differences you had you can talk it out I wish I had of after losing a couple close friends and turn the clock back a little they were a great band with Dave and with Sammy so we got the best of both worlds
No matter what. I will always love all of the guys who were part of Van Halen. They all added something special to Van Halen that can never be replaced. R.I.P. Ed and to the Greatest American Rock-n-Roll Band EVER! VAN HALEN!
@@fredwerza3478 You are likely hooked on Led Zeppelin reruns and dead rock stars. Drop kick the construction worker music. How many current, original bands with new records have you seen play this week?
Eddie was the most influential guitarist since Hendrix. His life was a train wreck due to drug’s & alcohol. Randy was great and very influential, he was a big contributor to the guitar world but wasn’t the game changer Eddie was.
Van Halen was a family favorite. This includes my Mom who died I. 2009. Plus my bro and me. Mom's book ends. We miss Eddie Van Halen. But are excited to see how much Wolfgang is approaching his artistry. RIP Ed and Mom. You go Wolfie. 😎💯
I met Eddie back stage once. All I can say was he was not very friendly and didn't want to shake my hand when I extended it to him. Michael Anthony on the other hand was very friendly. As me and my sister were talking to Mike Eddie approached and said "come on Mickie we gotta go" I don't hold this against Eddie...maybe he was just havin a bad day. But he could of at least been a little more cordial.
dude...can you imagine how many people wanted to shake his hand....I'm sure backstage before or after a show the last thing he wanted to be bothered with was shaking hands/ introducing himself to a stranger, etc. I used to play in a band and, while not even close to the level of EVH, and I've had my hand crushed so many times by over zealous people. It's just an annoyance. Had you just said "hey Eddie, you rock! thanks for all the great music..." whatever, you would have probably gotten a better response. When you start touching/trying to shake hands with celebrities, it crosses a line. IMO Had he extended his hand, that's different. People like you expect WAY too much. Just be thankful for the up close and personal view you got of him. JMTC
Randy and Eddie were both incredible guitarists who were leagues over others. I respect, admire and appreciate both of their individual talent, hard work and dedication to playing they possessed. May they both RIP. 🕊️
I would have to add my uninvited contribution. Eddie and Randy were both stellar guitarists! While they both shared this, I don’t believe they were the same at all! They were both individuals in their own ways!
I read that when Alex & Eddie's mom passed that Roth was the only one to attend the service for her. Mike & Sammy did not. This really bothered them, especially Mike's decision not to attend because they had always been together. Another thing is that They all had huge ego's. Except maybe Mike. Dave, Eddie, and Sammy were alike in that aspect. Lastly, knowing a few bad alcoholics, as nice as they may be when having a few, when they get into a constant booze fest day in and day out, they change. It's sad but very real. I'm afraid Eddie got like that throughout his lifelong battle with alcohol & drugs. I still love him & every member. None are perfect, but I believe they loved one another deep down.
I remember hearing about Sam and Mike not attending their mother's funeral and it really hurt them --- but I also think Sammy using the VH name to draw business to his Cabo Wabo cantina really pissed off the brothers --- they felt like they deserved 50% of those profits
That's a good point. People forget that when VH first started, their families were also pretty close. They would travel on the road together. Dave would drive down to the Van Halens house as an 19 year old kid and have to check in with their mother, who ran the household. They would play in the back shed or Ed would be noodling around in his bedroom, or something. There's a much closer chemistry between Roth and the Brothers than people realize. They're more like brothers than friends.
@@Whaddayamean13 you make a good point, which is why Dave felt it was important to attend Mama Van Halen's funeral whereas Sammy didn't --- because Dave lived near the brothers and had a closer bond to that family --- Sammy was just a hired dope and had no personal bond to the Van Halens
Alcoholics are generally _not_ 'nice' for a few - they may appear that way but it only takes that first drink, and that nasty alternate personality switches on beneath the surface, and if you know the person well you can see the indicators right from the first sip. The alcoholic may be relatively capable of suppressing/disguising that personality for a few drinks, but it's like the evil twin switches on from the moment they taste the booze, as if the 'alter' took a nap after the last binge and was just waiting to be woken at the first taste.
Early on I was a Van Halen/ Eddie fan. It was late 70’s. I looked forward to drop of Women and Children First and all following albums. However, when Randy Rhoads hit the scene with Crazy Train, Van Halen took second place to me. And I’ve never really cared how Eddie treated other people.
Michael Anthony is the best “utility guy” in rock music. Solid bass player, but his backing vocals are iconic and are as important to the original VH sound as Eddie’s guitar. They did Michael wrong.
Probably my two favorite Bands are Led Zeppelin and Van Halen...having said that, to me two very different bands and I have much more respect for Zeppelin for not only their stage and studio work but Jimmy's composition and writing skills. I think VH as good as they were, were held back by eddie never learning to read or write music. They had a great sound and lot's of catchy songs and he was certainly skilled at playing the guitar but their songs never rose to the level of great composition like Kashmere or Stairway to heaven to just name two Zeppelin mega songs.
@@kerzytibok3211 i saw both bands twice...Zep in '75 and '77 and VH in the 80's. As I said, i really like both bands but Zeppelin was just such a powerhouse band and so much better composition to their songs. Zeppelin concerts were amazing.
Among the all too rare recordings of Randy Rhoads, is the famous audio of the guitar clinic he did. In that recording he pays Eddie a very nice compliment. I believe he said EVH is fantastic.
Yes, this video is misleading . And Eddie probably was really nice to people mist of the time. He did start drinking too much from the age of 22, I thought I heard him say. But he stayed home and played guitar, while Alex went to parties, I read.
Yep this video is bullshit - Rhoads indeed had nice things to say about Eddie - in an interview he even said he wouldn't want to get near competing with guitarists like Eddie. Humble guy.
It was always said growing up the VH brothers didn't have many friends just each other. Kind of why I thought they didn't let many into their "circle" and if you "betrayed" them in their eyes you were done...I've always tried to separate the music from the person. Mike was always my overall favorite in the band. RIP Edward
Well Eddie got his wish when Dave left the band. And all he could produce was BUBBLE GUM LOVE ROCK SONGs. Dave was the king of Lyrics and arrangements. Give Dave any rift and he is making great music.
One of the differences between ed and dave....that led the separation...dave wanted songs to be more about "girls and party". Thats not a big difference than a 'bubble gum love songs". Dave's song vision is like "i have to go....i'll call u....". While Ed's song vision "i thought girls are all trash.. until i met u" (plus focus more on instrument experiment ie : synthesizers)
Eddie was loved by many of his fellow rockers. He made a handful of enemies during his neatly 50 year career but who wouldn’t? Check out the Guitar World tribute edition. Lots of great things were said about him.
Unfortunately most of the enemies he made were in his own band LOL --- he fired Dave, Sammy, Gary Cherone, and Mike Anthony --- only person he never fired was his brother LOL
@ice18 Bingham False. I have read dozens--literally--of stories over the years where Ed would gift instruments & speakers & pedals...tons of gear to musicians all over the fame & money spectrum. He literally left millions to Mr. Holland's Opus in SoCal. For high schools all over L.A. and the valley. Know something before you pop off at the mouth about people. You. Never. Even. Met.
Fair Warning. My first ever vinyl after getting a record player, and my favorite Van Halen album. Dark, brooding, introspective all wrapped in Kurekek's brutal art. What wasn't there to love and ponder?
The first album I ever bought was Styx's "Paradise Theater" in 1980 but the 2nd album was "Fair Warning" and it blew me away at age 11 --- so much raw fury and anger in those songs! I could feel the restless miscreant inside me growing stronger and bolder because of that album.
I feel like David Lee Roth was one of the first people to bring comedy and rock music together. Similar to Frank Zappa I guess? In a way. I always thought DLR should have been a comedian. He truly is a funny guy. RIP EVH.
One thing I always liked was Dave's laughing in some of the songs --- they could've easily edited that stuff out but it gave a fun vibe to the tunes, mostly about sexy girls and partying
He had a lot of Dean Martin in his performance. The I'm just here to have a good time and you have the good time with him. I also learned years later when listening to live performances by the Rat Pack Dave helped himself to a lot of Dean Martin's jokes.
"Fair Warning" was Edwards favorite album too and must be one of the FINEST Artistic musical creations of All-Time, EVER. Just goes to show many really fake "fans" Eddie had and how shallow they, and Dave were when it comes to appreciating a True Bona-fide POETIC masterpiece statement instead of just sexual innuendo and glorified T&A culture.
His guitar and equipment was probably a joy to play in Fair Warning. No real switching around things it seems if I remember correctly. Just plug and play
Noted. IMHO, he hit just the right notes to be the party rock band they were known to be. As the video mentions, EVH's attempts to do more serious, deeper kind of music more or less flopped with Van Halen fans.
Eddie and Alex were always the top dogs, and in total control from day one. They created the band, and had never played in other bands where they had to submit to other leadership. So yeah, they never really learned how to compromise! Yeah, all the stories are legendary, but it all boiled down to this!
I recall reading Alex, as the elder sibling, was the primary decision maker and generated a lot of the fuckery behind the scenes. Ed suposedly deferred to Al most of the time.
If you read Noel Monk's book you will know that Dave was pretty much in control of the band's image and sound in the early days --- it's only when Sammy joined did the brothers start to take control of the band and that's when things went to shit LOL
@@fredwerza3478 Alex certainly had more power in the band than Sammy and Mike, but I saw WAY more individual photos of Eddie on magazine covers that Alex, and WAY more individual interviews with and articles on Eddie than Alex. Again, I'm not sure how much of this was Eddie's doing and how much of this was the media's doing.
@@gringo3002 you're talking about the 90's, right? Because I agree that Eddie took all the limelight in the 90's. Saw him on a bunch of magazine covers then. But Dave was the main pitchman in the 80's.
My mechanic is the guy who told Eddie to call Sammy. His shop (Dad & Me Auto Repair) was less than a mile from my old house in Valley Glen, CA (they’re listed as being in Sherman Oaks). I lived there for years and had no idea until I had to bring the car in. He has a framed photo of EVH signed to him and he told me the story. I swear, I wanted to come back every day and ask him questions…but didn’t.
@fredwerza3478 yep. He didn’t actually do the work on my car, his guys did. But he noticed my longish hair and the DJ magnet sign on my car and asked me if I knew Van Halen. I’m thinking “Duh, who doesn’t?!!” And then he showed me the photo and told me the story. Aside from needing a new starter, it was a good day.
Eddie was troubled with addiction and from what I've read, was not a very nice drunk. Most people suffering from that are not nice people when they're constantly intoxicated but what you frequently hear is how he was such a good soul when he was sober.
The main problem with Ed's drinking is that he composed all his music while drunk off his ass --- so he just assumed drinking was good for his artistic pursuits and his net worth so he kept doing it
I never met EVH, but Diamond Dave was working as a EMS in the Bronx. His crew responded when I overdosed on Ambien, alcohol, Zoloft, and benadryl. I had no idea, even though he asked me a few questions about music, as I played guitar in a rock band at the time. He looked way different then. But as I was released from the hospital, someone told me that hey, David Lee Roth helped save your life! I said, tell him that I said thank you!
The really funny part of this was I had refused to get out of my bed, and Mr. Roth was at the foot of my bed just asking me a few things. They sent up more cops, where there where like 8 of them, and I still refused to move. Then the police sent up the last 4, so now there are 12 cops there, and the one taking charge was like 6'7", and asked my now ex wife is he dressed, which I was. He said where are his shoes, and she pointed to them. This dude just gave me the look, and said, Mr Edwards, are you ready to go? Easy or hard, the choice is yours!!! This was a cop using the Booty Warrior line years before the Booty warrior said it. I never put on a pairbof shoes faster! I got into that wheelchair and said, ok let's go! I cannot lie...this saved my life. I would had died if not being in the hospital. When I told the attending what I took, and was able to drive home, the doctor looked at me and said, you were able to drive home???? You better get a lottery ticket, because you should had passed out before you got home! 6 Ambien!!! And Benedryl??? You are blessed sir
@@vinceedwards3978 Dave talked about his EMT days a few times when he was on Howard Stern --- he mentioned that sometimes a kid would recognize him and have a shocked look on his face when he realized Diamond Dave was treating him LOL
@@fredwerza3478 Trust me, I was so out of it, there is no way I would had realized that day. After they gave me two pints of the charcoal shake, something I don't even wish on my ex wife, and I really do not like here, and had me on fluids until my vitals stabilized then someone told me. His hair was quite short then.
Saw VH for their final show at the Hollywood Bowl. They were just as good as seeing them at Gizzaris when they were just starting out. One of the best live bands ever.
Genius always has its critics, he wasn't just a guitar player, he was an innovator and an inventor with over 50 patents, many credited him for getting into guitar, I don't play, but the first VH note I heard was from Eruption when I was 13 back in 79' and my love for VH tunes hasn't wavered, having seen them 8 times, 4 with Dave and 4 with Sammy, but it's always Ed's guitar.
I was in a band on Capitol Records in the middle 80's. Our manager set up a dinner at his Beverly Hills home for our guitar player, Eddie, and Jeff Beck. It did not go well. Eddie arrived late and drunk, referred to an Aretha Franklin song (on the radio) as Nword music (our guitar player is black) and was generally an a-hole throughout the evening. Meanwhile, Jeff Beck was a perfect gentleman. I was surprised when EVH died how many gushed about what a nice guy he was.
Amen Joe. It’s hard enough to be in a garage band much less famous and everyone wanting something from you. I’ve never been famous but I’ve been in many garage bands with guys who had enormous egos. All I ever wanted to do was jam a have fun.
The raw songs from their first album was cutting edge for the time. Right about 1984, the bands song got tired and had run its course. I liked what Sammy brought to the table for this band. Mikie is one of most underrated Bass players on the planet. Be brings high noted back up voices. Also, the harmony between Mikey and Sammy was really good. Sammy IMO, opened up Eddie to sounds and more piano/keyboards. Two lead guitarists playing in one band either can be a good thing or a bad thing in terms of ego. Either way, we go to VH concerts to see Eddie.
Thoughts on Eddie Van Halen?
My monkey needs milk
Great guitarist. And he lived in my home country (the Netherlands), so that is really cool.
His early albums are really good and some of my favourite.
Great player, troubled, addict. Struggled getting along with anyone for long.
I did not know a lot of these stories, the Randy RHoads one is the most unfortunate, Ed was a bag about Randy after he died in that horrible interview. They just comported themselves differently, Randy was more humble and mature for his age.
I think if Randy lives, they become amicable and really grow to appreciate the other publicly.
The hack who criticized Diary of a MAdman as lacking imagination has to be done of the most tone deaf critics of all time, that is arguaby the greatest album ever written in metal
Eddie and Alex were real A-Holes for how they treated Michael. No one in the band could ever touch the showmanship spirit of David Lee Roth. Randy Rhoads would have been a much better guitar player than Eddie but sadly never got the chance.. I do admit that Eddie would have had more flair than Randy.
So wrong how they treated Michael Anthony. Good guy, great bassist and incredible background vocals that helped make their songs so much better.
He has a net worth of 50 million dollars, didn't write ANY of the songs, and still was getting royalties.
That's life.
And it was Michael who always hit the high notes when singing. Van Halen needed Michael Anthony more than he needed them.
I would 100% agree with you about his contribution to backing vocals. No other band had that unique sound. @@stanleybroniszewsky8538
@@ronnie_5150 lol that has nothing to do with the fact that the way they treated him was crap
I met Michael Anthony at a classic car show in Lake Havasu City, called, Run To The Sun. I didnt bring up any mention of Van Halen, just about his love for classic cars. He was the nicest dude one could talk to, humble, and down to earth.
Luckily you didn't bring up Van Halen --- Mike woulda had some "not nice" things to say about Eddie and Alex LOL
@@kerzytibok3211Maybe... But I doubt it. Mike had WAY too much class.
@@screwyootube1he probably would have said there they are clashing over the music creativity.
@@kerzytibok3211 Uh.... He's really not that kinda guy..... Yeah, he'll open up about it some in interviews once in awhile, but uh... NEVER have I heard Michael bad mouth Eddie....
@@1956tojo I think Mike is all for talking Van Halen… but only the good times and even the technical aspects for those who are musician’s themselves. One would have to be super ignorant to ask Mike, “Hey man… I read where you signed your rights to the band away…. How could you just do that???”
Sadly, we live in a world where there are at least a few ignorant people out there who would bring something like that up. It’s different if Mike were to talk about it on his own accord. But I can’t see him doing that with just anybody. I know it would actually make me uncomfortable to hear him speak of the bad times. What the hell would you even say in response to something like that anyways?
Actually, I would tell Mike that despite all the negative events that taken place, there is no denying that with 2 Van Halen brothers in the band, it was YOU, and only you who waved the =\//-/= flag ever so high and boldly, and with such pride and conviction… than YOU
And that’s a truth too. He loved being in that band. It’s a damn shame that the brothers couldn’t see it, or didn’t want to see it
I've always liked Michael Anthony. Seems like a down-to-earth guy who had the underrated role of hitting all the high notes for Van Halen.
Kind of the Ringo of the band
@@mikelin2703 he wasn't under rated
Michael Anthony's backing vocals are one of the Van Halen trademarks.
Absolutely. And he was was paid handsomely for it. Anthony has a net worth of 50 million dollars for singing backup vocals and playing bass on songs he contributed nothing to the actual writing. How many, what essentially was a hired studio musician, have a net worth of 50 million dollars do you know of? So sick of people saying "EVH fucked over Michael Anthony."
100% true
Lmao
@@ronnie_5150 It's not a question about how much Michael Anthony is worth! It's a matter of Eddie's lack of integrity and character he had towards M.A. You don't treat a guy you've worked with for 25 years recording and touring like a stage hand. Michael was a class act through and through. He wouldn't even say anything bad about Eddie when given the opportunity. He just politely said "use your imagination" when it came to why he was let go. Wolfie could never replace Mikey and, to me, it's sad that Van Halen ended the way it did. Led Zeppelin would never have replaced John Bonham with his son Jason. (And they probably could have.) I know Wolfie is your son but let him go out on his own and make a name for himself.
You know what? I would actually somewhat agree with you. I think EVH was trying to drive Mikey out of the band. And Mikey was the one to take the high road and not start talking a lot of shit about EVH even while EVH was talking a lot of shit about him. I guess I should say financially, he didnt get screwed over, but on a moral and just human decency level, yes they screwed him over. @@eccrawford7759
I saw no reason to give Michael Anthony any less - he's a musician through and through
Yea, but he didn't contribute to the song writing or composition. So he shouldn't get the same. Same with Alex if he didn't contribute. Every band does this. Even the Beatles.
Why did Alex think he deserved more than Michael?
I think a group's pay shouldn't be so heavily based on songwriting credits. There needs to be a better solution. Everyone in VH contributed SIGNIFICANTLY.
I loved EVH, but him and his brother's treatment of MA is the thing I hate the most about them. I don't think they really realized how beloved Michael was to the fans. It's not lost on us how big a part of their sound he was and still is.
Love you Mike!
Eddie was a great musician, but it seems that his ego and alcoholism created many problems. May he finally be at peace.
That was the Dutch greed in full effect.
I felt so bad for Michael Anthony. He was unnecessarily done dirty by the Van Halen brothers.
Mikey’s getting the last laugh cause he’s still here and Eddie is not and primarily caused his own demise
@@johnwebb167 and jams with Sammy in 2 different bands
I am just glad Sammy came in during the late 80s and gave Mike the support and friend he deserved. Great bassist and the best backing vocals in the business. Without him there is no VH (having seen Wolfie perform in his place 3x, can confirm 100%)
I love all the guys but I know for a fact I would have laid out Roth in under a day of being around him. Eddie I would be fine with as I am kind of similar in the melancholy and wanting to be left alone.
Big fight. Cool off. Rinse repeat. But Mike and Sammy are both aces cool
@@johnwebb167 true 😞
Bass and drums are the instruments that make a band.
Ed was so F..ing cool. I had the opportunity to work with VH for about six weeks doing sound and some tech work at a rehearsal studio. in the late 80's-early 90's (Prepping for the Monster's of Rock tour). Mike is cool AF. Sam is cool. and a great singer without LSD (lead singer disease) so chill! Alex- was cool to me as well, a regular dude- asked how I was doing, every morning. Ed - totally cool, no rock star ego. At this rehearsal studio, If there was a night where there was a studio open, I'd bring my band in... I'd keep the lights down low, so the guys couldn't see who came in (it was the kind of place where artists would wander in and out of the different studios) Ed came in, sat down, listened, had a beer, gave us a thumbs up and walked out the door. I didn't tell the guys in my band who came into the rooms when we were rehearsing. But after the bands were gone... LOL, I'd tell them. Man they lost their S.... I talked to Ed everyday he was there... just about life, cars, bikes, music in general. He was cool AF. One of my favorite memories of working there.
David Lee Roth Van Halen will always be my favorite. Summertime, party songs, drank alot of beer and smoked alot of joints to early V.H.
Respect to Sammy Hagar for defending Michael Anthony against EVH's greed and jerk behavior.
Why did Alex think he deserved more than Michael?? 🤔
@@BoltRMhis name was Van Halen
@@MikeJones-oe3do That alone means almost squat. Fortunately, he was a great drummer, but Michael is great on bass with superior vocals.
the more I read the more it sounds like EDDIE was a real ASSHOLE.
Apart from being a great bass player and background vocalist, Michael Anthony was a showman extraordinaire so an invaluable part of Van Halen's success...the iconic Jump video proves my point,Michael just made that video
Absolute fan of Van Halen in the Roth years.When they canned Michael Anthony, that was the biggest form of betrayal I could think of in rock history and showed the true colors of the Van Halen Brothers. They already had a load of money and to cut him out was so petty. But it also showed you what kind of person Michael Anthony is
I don’t understand why Fair Warning is always deemed a dark poor selling album. IMO It is one of the best VH albums ever. Especially from the Roth era.
Album sales aren't necessarily an indication of quality. A lot of people don't seem to realize that.
And Unchained might be their best song...I saw them on this tour. General admission! Craziest show I ever went to!
Because it is darker and did not sell as good as other albums ;)
You have to separate data from emotion. Album sales is simply data. How "good" it is is a matter of opinion and is more emotive.
Hear About It Later is a very underrated song from Fair Warning in my opinion
Right, Eddie wanted to make darker, more serious music but butted heads with Roth. So, the new Van Halen, free from Roth's hold, proceeded to write such heavy, dark songs as, "Why Can't This Be Love", "When It's Love", and "Love Comes Walking In".
Hager somehow infected Eddie
@@ontplates
Do some research before you say dumb things like that.
I feel at that point Van Halen had a sound they had to somewhat keep he was kinda trapped in to it I would have been pissed
Eddie wanted to be like Journey? And asked many vocalist like Daryl Hall and Patty symth to join including many other's of that type, finally decided to get Sammy Hagar who could sing great rockin' tunes as well as the big Ballads! ❤🎸😎👍
That proves nothing, except Eddie realized Roth was right after and took his advice, ya big dope. Think. It's a fact that Eddie wanted to write dark and morose stuff when Roth said it, silly. People go through phases and cycles; news flash. Eddie has gone from drunk to sober. With your silly logic, someone is wrong to say he drank heavily, because look he was sober later. That's your foolish logic.
In the middle of all of Van Halens conflict and Drama you have to ❤️ Michael Anthony.
he took it on the chin and walked away, that to me spells gentleman.
Legend, Mr Pocket
Yet Eddie said he taught Michael every note to play on their albums, because he said Mike couldn't play that well.
Please don't read Noel Monk's book about Van Halen --- the way Eddie, Alex, and Dave treated Mike is enough to make you wanna never listen to VH again!
Mike Anthony is an integral part of the early Van Halen sound. I never saw them live with Dave, but I finally saw them live with Sammy Hagar. EVH played so badly that night, that my then wife and I left early!
I have been really drunk on stage, but I do not think that I ever played that badly. To be fair, it was the only show I ever saw at Brendan Bern in Jersey. The sound in thatvplace was just bad
I've always thought that when someone like Anthony (or say Kirk Hammett with Metallica) steps back and lets the more creative types direct the vision, that IS contributing... in this world of ego and legacy, taking a sideline so others can lead, is contributing... he deserves 1/4 credit for Van Halen and his backing vocals were highly underrated.
100% agree... I would also say that he deserves 1/4 for his backing vocals alone. The VH sound would absolutely NOT be the same without it.
Gotta love Mike, truly a humble soul. Keeping it classy, Mr. Anthony.
My wife was Eddie Van Halens recovery from nurse in 2011 when he had part of his tongue removed. She said he was the nicest guy ever. One of her favorite celebrity patients ( one of many). He didn't have a guitar to play on and wanted one so badly.
That is taken out of context. When your down and not with lots of people praising you, it is different.
We all have our demons and we can become that guy. Eddie had people around him and gave him what he wanted. Few gave him what he needed. When he couldn't tour with hip surgery was like when ed told same he didn't care if he is having a baby. The worst voice you will hear is your own
He was a nice guy, but he had that really bad moment on radio after Randy died.
I bet they woukd have become amicable toward one another if Randy had lived.
Unless you smoke pot....
Tumour, I guess
I have no doubt that he was a nice guy outside of the music industry! And feel bad about all the health problems he had to endure!
Michael was stuck in the middle of an ego sandwich... EVH on one side and DLR on the other. He's one of the most under rated bassists in rock music. Great backing vocals, incredible talent on bass and a great showman!
And Alex. The "brothers" were shitty to everyone. Great music, shitty humans to the core.
It's Anthony's harmonic tonality that set apart _Van Halen_ from a lot of other bands. It's why Sammy grabbed him for _Chickenfoot!_ That and his bass playing abilities, that is. Plus, he seems like a good guy on top of it.
I know Dave was part of it but I really think Eddie and Alex plotted to destroy Mike and rob him of his royalties in VH --- it was sickening to hear how they treated him like a piece of garbage
Things were all good when they started the band. The VH brothers are original members. Roth always seemed like a hired front man. It's unfortunate about Michael, but sometimes band members have irreconcilable differences. He was in VH for a long time.
@@qua7771 I always got pissed when I heard Eddie say "we only hired Roth because he owned a PA system" --- Dave was a spectacular showman and knew how to bring in a big crowd with his swagger and charisma --- that is pretty much what you need to become really famous
Eddie and Randy's playing styles were nothing alike. Both were awesome, and unique.
Beautifully said.
Ed was quoted as saying RR copied everything he ( Ed ) did, maybe its just me I dont hear any VH in RR
@@BAJARACER43X Obviously Randy didn't copy everything from Eddie Van Halen. I was turned off when Eddie said that even though I love and adore him. I hear just a little bit of Eddie in Randy but Randy definitely had his own unique style. There's no disputing that Eddie was a big influence on Randy but I believe wholeheartedly that deep down inside Eddie truly respected Randy Rhoads. How could he not?
Sorry both is great, but have feeling less than Malmsteen and Buckethead check their discographies comparativ
Exactly. Aside from playing electric guitars with skill and speed they played almost completely different music.
Eddie was an incredible guitarist, no question about it, he was one of the greatest, but as a person, Eddie was incredibly controlling and a pain in the ass, to deal with and at times was very vindictive towards his former bandmates. The way he treated Michael Anthony was totally uncalled for.
Typical alcoholic behaviour. Projected self induced PTSD.
Totally agree. He lost a lot of older fans from his treatment of Mike.
@@johnmarshall3903 absolutely and his treatment of Dave and Sammy and other people.
one of the greatest? Not even close, good yes, an icon yes, great no. He was no Satriani, Zakk Wylde, Dimebag, and certainly no Buckethead. There are many guitarist better than Eddie Vanheadache and Randy Rhodes was one of them.
@@MasterWitchDoctor oh what a difference 5-10 years makes on perceptions, I don't consider any of the guitar slingers you mentioned as great, give me Dickey Betts, Duane Allman, Carlos Santana, Hendrix, Jeff Beck, BB King, Clapton, those and others were truly great.
Michael Anthony's backing vocals deserve more than half . His refrains are always the hook in any Van Halen song. > Honestly His backing vocals carry Chicken Foot too
Michael and Eddie's backing vocal were great....couldn't agree more.
Probably not on any of the songs on A Different Kind of Truth...
For real! His screaming intro to Highway Star cover is awesome, even live! He could have been a front man if he wanted to be!
@@neilsnow7973 Reportedly, he sang lead (and played bass) for a trio called Snake before Van Halen. I don't know much about Snake.
@@gringo3002 That sounds like a sweet thing to find. I wonder if there is anything out there? I'm gonna see if I can find anything. Thanks for the info.
Michael Anthony was the best singer in Van Halen BY FAR. Those guys had no idea how good he was and how integral his voice was to their sound.
As was his bass playing!
He made the Roth albums great. I love his backing vocals on Women In Love. I always sing along with him on that one.
Nah. Michael was a clean singing choirboy vocalist. Only good for the high harmonies . Period. Very much a one trick pony at bass and singing actually. No soul what the f soever.
That's a bit much. Yeah, his voice was a hallmark of their sound, but there's a reason he neve sings lead, w the exception of once or twice with Chickenfoot
Smoking too much of the crack. 😂
Valerie Bertinelli's great autobiography sheds a lot of light on Eddie's "demons". She said EVH always had to have an enemy to focus on. Dave became a big target for Eddie but she said she always liked Dave.
OMG not only was I given his name, i do this as well. OMG I wish I could break free from this man.
~~ DLR was kind of the face of the band - he wasn't just the frontman - he was also an MC - his vocal abilities were not the best - but he made up for it by really knowing how to engage & entertain a very large crowd - that said Roth's ego had become massive by 1984 - and it was rubbing the rest of the band the wrong way - so EVH was not alone in resenting him ..
You takes things in life way to personal, by your own admission. @@billyz5088
Dave always was "The GOOF" - now he's just an OLD GOOF with a boring standup schtick that only a kid raised by his great-grandparents in a trailer deep in the woods would find amusing.
@@billyz5088 that sums it up.. Roth was toast by the late 80's and Edward was A God until the end.
I'm sure I'm not the first guitarist to ever say this, but the reason I picked up a guitar is because of both Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads. May they both rest in peace.
You Are Phenomenal 🤩🤩🤩🤩 Rock On!
I can't believe Randy got on that plane knowing the pilot was gacked out of his mind on coke!
Actually, both Eddie Van Halen as well as Randy Rhodes couldn't shine Ritchie Blackmore's shoes. His talent was miles ahead of both of them.
@@stanleybroniszewsky8538 I would agree with you on the music theory side, technique maybe not...
@@stanleybroniszewsky8538*Rhoads.
I have been a fan with all the iterations of the band for about 40 years. With all of the biographies and articles I have written - I think the consensus is: Eddie was a nice, shy and humble person, had a great deal of interest in helping new talent, etc, when SOBER. Unfortunately his long term struggles with alcohol, coke, etc brought out a completely different person (and all of that is well documented. So not going to rehash any of that here).
eddie really treated mike wrong
But brought back has been DLR.
Why is it everybody's fault except Eddie? I heard EVH bust on Dave, Sammy, Gary and Mike every time VH had a major personnel change.
The media really treated all the members other than Eddie wrong. Ok, maybe not Dave when he was in the band the first time.
I’m 100% in agreement…!!!??
The Van Halen brothers were cutthroat backstabbing s.o.b.'s. RIP Eddie. Alex, get a life.
I met Ed once on the mean streets of Malibu, he was really nice and even put his arm around me.
@@EricFarmer01 lucky u.
The simple fact is this...Van Halen is not Van Halen without Michael Anthony. His background vocals are so instrumental to the original VH sound that taking him out of the band was one of the worst decisions they ever made. IMHO, of course.
His backup vocals were integral to their sound, but I'm pretty sure VH still would have still been VH without him. Remember, Eddie had THE ear. He was the ultimate quality control guru. He'd have found a bass player with amazing backup vocals and it would have sounded maybe different, but just as magical. Both Michael (nicest guy in the band) and Alex were expendable and easily replaced from a talent standpoint. Only Dave and Eddie were vital cogs of the machine.
No, the simple fact is this, without EVH they are nothing, never would have even been looked at as a band, Van Halen 1 doesn't happen.
@@rip2889you’re probably right all the rest we’re along for the ride with Eddie leading them and he knew it but it also made Eddie a to to deal with
I met EVH, at the time he was very troubled and had huge issues with substances…. I never held it against him. It’s was very sad. It was great to see him be great dad and get right before the end
I love Eddie, DLR, Hagar...all of them. But Michael Anthony was always my favorite. I even own a replica of the JD bass.
Cool guitar indeed👍
He was definitely essential to VHs sound. Not the same without his high harmonies in the vocals!
@@frankwebster9110 When I saw them live for the first time in 85, I then realized that Michael Anthony was behind those harmonies and those famous high pitched wails.
Hard to believe all those high vocals were not Auto-Tuned --- it was just pure talent in those days
@@fredwerza3478 Indeed!
Michael Anthony was a great bass player & had a great tenor voice for those high harmonies.
Great guitarist yes, but what Ed did to Mikey obviously showed who he really was.
"Who Eddie really was" had a lot to do with whether he was sober at the time. From the way I understand it, when he was drinking, he was the world's biggest asshole. But when he was sober, he was the sweetest, friendliest, most down to earth guy. He had major insecurities, which I think led him to act out a lot when he'd been drinking.
ALL humans are a mixture of SUPER-EVIL, and SUPER-GOOD.
Adolf even gave the world the VW BEETLE, arguably the best car ever, so the middle class had a reliable and affordable ride!
Adolf was pro-ANIMAL RIGHTS and a vegetarian. (He hated humans!)
@@metalboy5150 COCAINE was even worse for EVH.
Cocaine turns the nicest people into total A-holes.
@@metalboy5150 was he sober when DLR left in 1985? That whole thing Eddie started on MTV about Roth told me all i needed to know. That was Eddies jealous rage because the guy that made Van Halen famous was gone and he couldnt stand it.
@@MasterWitchDoctor "The guy that made Van Halen famous?" Really? You think it was all Dave, and the rest of the band had nothing to do with it, eh? Sure, buddy. You keep living in that fantasy land.
Well I for one am glad David Lee won out early on giving me and my friends some of the best music to rock out to in my senior year of high school ever!
Most of us who grew up in the crazy 80's owe a debt of gratitude to David Lee --- that band provided a soundtrack to all the good times back then
Michael Anthony was a huge part of the sound...
Van Halen is not the first nor the last band to ask a member to get less than equal pay. Whenever this happens the outcome is rarely positive. Egos are inflated, feeling get hurt-fame is not all it’s cracked up to be. It’s just a matter of time before changes occur.
While starting out, starving, broke, it’s all for one and one for all. Fame hits and it’s all about me.
RUSH toured for 40 years partly because they immediately decided on equal cuts made hundreds of milliona
Look at the Eagles. Henley and Frye alienated several people along the way, Don Felder is of course the most well known.
Michael Anthony suffered the most. A great singer and bass player who is better off without them. 🤘✌️🇦🇺
I heard that EVH wanted MA out and replaced by WVH because he was jealous that MA had wisely invested his money. 70 million compared to EVHs 100 Million.
Apparently EVH was miffed at how close they were in net worth and never considered that MA was a smart investor. EVH was convinced MA wealth was all because of VH and wanted to punish him for it.
I always thought that after Sammy, they should simply had Mikey sing,.. Check out Mean Streets from the 1998 Australia tour.
@@skippyhandleman1625 that's another thing I recall from Hagar's bio.... the VH brothers were dumb as shit regarding money and "planning for the future."
@@yeldarbarrow3172 possibly. I wouldn't know. I've always thought EVH might have been on the autism spectrum to be honest.
I hope Hagars bio was entertaining.
MA was the best singer Van Halen ever had. That is not to take away from Sammy, but Michael was a trained vocalist.
I don't know what "really" went on behind the scenes with Van Halen, as I wasn't there....but for anyone to say that Michael Anthony's contributions weren't "up to par" is out of their mind....maybe he didn't write the music or lyrics....but he certainly contributed both musically, and most especially with the background vocals that played every bit as much a part of the "Van Halen Sound" as any of the contributions made by anyone else..... And quite honestly, in any interview I've seen with any member of the band....Michael Anthony has always seemed to be the one you'd like to hang out and have a beer or shots with.... seems to have no ego, and no chip on his shoulder....just a nice guy who loves what he does for a living. I'm glad that Sammy Hagar always seemed to realize all of this...and the fact that they still play together speaks volumes.
I always hated the way they treated Michael. He was just as much a member as Eddie and Alex. Why do the bassists never get the credit they deserve? It reminds me of how John Entwistle was treated. Truly underrated. I don't think van Halen would be van Halen without Michael Anthony.
To be fair he wasn't writing any songs (of course Alex wasn't either) but they could have handled it with far more grace than Noel Monk alleges in his book.
Mike's vocals made their sound unique and awesome. Eddie couldn't sing like that. Mike was the best singer before Sam came on board.
@@brentj.peterson6070 This is a common misconception. Actually Eddie WAS the lead singer of the band (Mammoth) before DLR came along. MA could sing but it is very high with limited range.
@@Jay-XL5 And I believe it worked out fine as Pete is a songwriting genius.
@Jay Bass is not a "background instrument." It is what drives the song, along with the drums.
Go listen to any song with the bass removed and see how different it sounds.
You'll quickly notice how empty it sounds.
Mike AND Sammy were both blindsided by the VH brothers, despite many years of loyalty to the band. No shortage of friction between guitarists and frontmen - look at Aerosmith - but Eddie had a serious God complex. I wish Mike and Sammy all the best.
I think all fans of the VH/Hagar era feel cheated by the VH brothers. Missing out on all that music 🎶 🎵
dude went through life being told nothing other than he was the best at what he did :/ think it was inevitable
It was his band, and this narrative is a bullsht hit piece...you play for the guy that stirs the drink, the rest of them were bit part players, loved them all but c'mon this is a ridiculous narrative.
Booze and drugs will do that..I always thought Eddie Van Halen was overrated..He was quite accomplished on the fret board but his music was a lot of noise..Didn't make a pimple on Stevie Rays or Gary Moore's tush. Obviously in my opinion..Always liked Hagar and Anthony...
@@Will_M600 Eddie also had a rough start to life int he USA. He spoke only German as a kid, was close to his family, got bullied in school. Eddie felt like an outsider and clung to his brother as if other people were threats to their family. Kids used to make Eddie eat sand at recess from the sandbox and rip up his homework. He was scarred as a kid and resentful of Americans.
First of all, Randy was a contemporary of Eddies. Randy was playing like he was before he ever met him. They both changed the way rock guitarist looked at playing. Eddie said that because Randy was making huge waves. Randy was using scales that weren’t typical used in rock music and his playing was very classical based. To me, as a guitarist, Randy was an all around better player.
2 different styles both incredibly brilliant
The similarities are superficial. Incredibly superficial.
Sorry, completely disagree
@@TheDaveSharman His Opinion and Respected.,Randy didnt live to Master his craft .left a couple Stellar Albums to show where he could take his playing.Eddie Really chased that tone and just mastered incredible Guitar work.I feel your Comment
Agreed! Well said.
Eddie was an innovative, eccentric genius, with only a few hundred dollars, did what he wanted to do, for himself only. And in turn changed the guitar, the way people play the guitar, and the way people hear guitar. There was so much more to Eddie but I am so glad I got to see him in concert several times and witnessed his genius firsthand.
Eddie was great but he didn't invent tapping.
No, but he incorporated it into his solos in a prominent manner previously never seen before.
He didn't change much at all.
@@uiu510
What? You have to be kidding - he basically single-handedly invented shred guitar.
@@patmccormick9972 nobody really heard tapping in rock music until EVH came along
Who doesn't want to point a gun at Fred Durst?
I remember reading about the beginnings of Van Halen (band), David Lee Roth's father got them their initial gigs that led to their first record deal. Roth was basically an outsider to the group. He was older than the other guys and lived in a different town, but he brought the business side. Without Roth, would Van Halen have gotten their big break?
Roth was an entertainer and Van Halen, a musician. Sometimes the twain do not meet.
Biting the hand of a virtuoso guitar player as a prank is about the dumbest thing I've ever heard. But then Motley Crue was never known to be a thinking man's band.
Roth really wasn't older --- it was actually Alex who was the oldest in the band --- but Dave's father did help them get gigs on the Sunset Strip and rehearse at his mansion
Mick Mars was the only member of that band who ever had a lick of sense. Damn, biting is so childish and idiotic! 🙄
@@Mick_Ts_Chick Bands on tour like to prank on each other, but it should never be done at the risk of disabling someone's physical ability to play their instrument.
@@JohnHoulgate So right!
If I got bit by any member of MC I would be worried about STDs, worms and possibly rabies.@@Mick_Ts_Chick
Fair Warning is one of their best albums...
Van Halen never would have been Van Halen without Michael Anthony's distinctive backing vocals.
Thats one really dumb statement. Saying VanHalen would never make it big if they didnt have Mike Anythonys backing vocal? LOL
Ediie also did backing vocals. They sounded really good after Eddie booted ol' Michael out of the band! I would safely say, it was
his bass playing that got him in the band, not his backup singing. And just to let you in a secret, The band tuned their guitars down a whole step.
Why you ask? Because it made it easier to sing! Thats how they were able to hit high notes. I know this because I was in a band at the time.
And we learned the songs by listening to then records.
Yea pretty much sums it up.
(SHINE ON 💎)
🎼☮️👊🇨🇦
@@garychambers5850 Sweet. Thanks for the reply!
I wouldn't go that far the band wouldn't be great but Michael's background vocals do add to that classic sound
His vocals are definitely underrated and overlooked when people talk about them. They played a HUGE part in those songs, think of "Best of Worlds."
The Fred Durst story is so good. I'll note that Eddie showed up on Fred's front lawn in a Hummer from a military surplus auction and it had a gun mounted on it.
Eddie probably read some of Fred Durst's lyrics, that was the real reason why he pulled a gun to his head.
Now that's an intelligent answer! Durst was a douche!
😂😂😂
Or heard Fred play guitar.
Fred Durst seemed to try extra hard at being a douche --- typical Florida guy 😂😂
Fair Warning is a masterpiece. It took me a while to appreciate it. I do NOT know WHY it took a while, but it eventually became an all-time favorite of mine.
same here. realized how good it was by just sitting and listening to the whole album
as a young guitarist, I always felt guilt I loved Fair Warning over VH1 and VH2. I mean, those two albums changed everyone; particularly the first album. As time went along I started realizing the real musicians and guitarist out there, say the same thing. I believe EVH at one time said it was his favorite too. (I could be mistaken on that) I seem to recall Roth (perhaps on Joe Rogan) saying the same thing about guitarists loving that album.
Their last great hard rock album.
It was EVH pushing real rock, not pop. It shines. I still like the pop stuff, but FW was superb.
Fair Warning is definitely my favorite Van Halen album!!!
I met Eddie on Ventura blvd in a Mexican place called Velleros. I was playing Flamenco guitar there in 1987. Eddie was so drunk and obnoxious but we sat and drank at the bar while the band was in a private room. I loved the time with him and didn't care how obnoxious he was. When he finally left the restaurant everyone applauded but I sat there just pinching myself because I spent a couple of hours just having a good time with Eddie Van Halen. Always a great memory!
Great story ! May I ask what was Eddie doing that was so obnoxious ?
@@mackenzie77777 just loud everyone was just uptight and stupid
@@Darrenowsley Fascinating stuff ! Id have loved to have met him. Ive heard he was actually a nice guy too. What did you talk about all night with him ? I like your Flamenco playing on your channel by the way !
I was attending M.I. Musicians Institute and we were talking about Paul Gilbert Vinney More and Tony Mcalpine. Eddie wasn't jealous of these guys but was fans of them I showed him how to play a flamenco rumba Eddie was more interested in what I knew he took my guitar and tried to play a flamenco rhythm rather than show off.
@@mackenzie77777
I think thtnfair warning is one of their best DLR era albums. Just absoloutely love Mean Streets.
I always thought "Hear About It Later" was the best song on that album --- but "Sinners Swing" has such a nasty groove to it
The media just wanted Randy Rhoads and Eddie van Halen it be a rival & it's a fan thing! Gives ppl to talk about their both awesome guitar player's hands down 💯 wii different styles of playing 🤘🤘🤘🤘🎸🎸may they both rest in peace 🎸🎸🤘🤘🤘🤘
Complete different style.
Maybe they wanted to create something like the Beatles vs. Stones thing
Same with Roth vs. Hagar. VanHalen was a different band with each. In my opinion, Roths lyrics are more juvenile, while Hagars lyrics are more mature. I feel that this made the music sound more mature with Hagar. The shredder stuff sounds like what it is, a kid showing off all their tricks to try and impress us like it's some kind of competition. Art is not a completion.
While I like both Roth and Hagar, If I were forced to choose, I'd choose Hagar today and Roth when I've got a little more energy to appreciate those insane guitar riffs.
Now I need to JUMP off to bed because that what DREAMS are made of.
The Fred Durst story has gone so urban legend now, there are telling of that story that Eddie drove a tank to Fred’s house.
I heard it was the same solid gold Stuart tank The Penguin used in the sixties Batman episode.
Same auto mechanic who recommended Hagar also told Ed he knew of a tank going up for sale in a prop auction.... 😂
Probably should have Durst is a douchebag anyway.
I heard EVH actually fired an ICBM at Durst.
Jealousy is a powerful emotion.
@dv8322
6:01 had Randy lived on, the landscape of rock guitar would have taken on a massively greater high level.
IMO Randy's playing and solos had a beautiful flow to it. Eddie solos always felt to me it was about techniques that didn't always fit the song. But that's my opinion
Michael Anthony is a class act i wish him and Eddie could of patched up their relationship before Eddie passed away sad friends and brothers for all those years _
It was likely in Ed's court to have approached Mike first
Doubt they were ever that close to begin with. Eddie and Alex pretty much treated Michael as nothing more than a prop.
idk who to blame but it's sad and to late but losing friends no matter what differences you had you can talk it out I wish I had of after losing a couple close friends and turn the clock back a little they were a great band with Dave and with Sammy so we got the best of both worlds
@@funkster007 I'm just saying it's sad I'm not looking for a argument that's it but glad he has Sammy to hang and play in a band again
So weird the grudge Ed had against MA
No matter what. I will always love all of the guys who were part of Van Halen. They all added something special to Van Halen that can never be replaced. R.I.P. Ed and to the Greatest American Rock-n-Roll Band EVER! VAN HALEN!
Not better than The Jesus Lizard or Bad Religion.
@@markpreston6930 keep smoking that crack.
Not better than Helmet or Naked Raygun. Van Halen records are loaded with shit filler. Their hits are dated and sound ancient.
@@markpreston6930 you sound totally clueless
@@fredwerza3478 You are likely hooked on Led Zeppelin reruns and dead rock stars. Drop kick the construction worker music. How many current, original bands with new records have you seen play this week?
Eddie was the most influential guitarist since Hendrix. His life was a train wreck due to drug’s & alcohol. Randy was great and very influential, he was a big contributor to the guitar world but wasn’t the game changer Eddie was.
Eddie should’ve gone a step further with Fred Durst and we would all be better off
🤣🤣
That woulda been the coolest headline of the 90's --- "Guitar legend EVH kills Fred Durst" LOL
Van Halen was a family favorite. This includes my Mom who died I. 2009. Plus my bro and me. Mom's book ends. We miss Eddie Van Halen. But are excited to see how much Wolfgang is approaching his artistry. RIP Ed and Mom. You go Wolfie. 😎💯
Sorry for your loss
Eddie in charge of Fair Warning. Roth in charge of Diver Down.
The former ranked among VH fans as one of their best, the latter their worst.
Little Guitars, The Full Bug, and Secrets are real gems though.
Diver Down half the album was remakes of other 🎵! Worst Van Halen album ever!
I met Eddie back stage once. All I can say was he was not very friendly and didn't want to shake my hand when I extended it to him. Michael Anthony on the other hand was very friendly. As me and my sister were talking to Mike Eddie approached and said "come on Mickie we gotta go" I don't hold this against Eddie...maybe he was just havin a bad day. But he could of at least been a little more cordial.
Even if this is a true story. What's the point in gossiping about the wrongdoings of EVH?
@@alpachino7663 Tell that to all the people who’ve written books about both he and Al’s wrongdoings and shortcomings
dude...can you imagine how many people wanted to shake his hand....I'm sure backstage before or after a show the last thing he wanted to be bothered with was shaking hands/ introducing himself to a stranger, etc. I used to play in a band and, while not even close to the level of EVH, and I've had my hand crushed so many times by over zealous people. It's just an annoyance. Had you just said "hey Eddie, you rock! thanks for all the great music..." whatever, you would have probably gotten a better response. When you start touching/trying to shake hands with celebrities, it crosses a line. IMO Had he extended his hand, that's different. People like you expect WAY too much. Just be thankful for the up close and personal view you got of him. JMTC
"everyone else was great, EVH and Alex were awful humans" what a load of horse manure.
@@autkWhat a load of truth, deal with it, they were assholes.
Randy and Eddie were both incredible guitarists who were leagues over others. I respect, admire and appreciate both of their individual talent, hard work and dedication to playing they possessed. May they both RIP. 🕊️
This is true!
I would have to add my uninvited contribution. Eddie and Randy were both stellar guitarists! While they both shared this, I don’t believe they were the same at all! They were both individuals in their own ways!
Totally different styles and tone. Both are legends. Also, Randy played live leagues above EVH live. The proof is in the recordings.
Eddie stayed the same his whole career. His gear changed but his style never did.
I read that when Alex & Eddie's mom passed that Roth was the only one to attend the service for her. Mike & Sammy did not. This really bothered them, especially Mike's decision not to attend because they had always been together. Another thing is that They all had huge ego's. Except maybe Mike. Dave, Eddie, and Sammy were alike in that aspect. Lastly, knowing a few bad alcoholics, as nice as they may be when having a few, when they get into a constant booze fest day in and day out, they change. It's sad but very real. I'm afraid Eddie got like that throughout his lifelong battle with alcohol & drugs. I still love him & every member. None are perfect, but I believe they loved one another deep down.
I remember hearing about Sam and Mike not attending their mother's funeral and it really hurt them --- but I also think Sammy using the VH name to draw business to his Cabo Wabo cantina really pissed off the brothers --- they felt like they deserved 50% of those profits
That's a good point. People forget that when VH first started, their families were also pretty close. They would travel on the road together. Dave would drive down to the Van Halens house as an 19 year old kid and have to check in with their mother, who ran the household. They would play in the back shed or Ed would be noodling around in his bedroom, or something. There's a much closer chemistry between Roth and the Brothers than people realize. They're more like brothers than friends.
@@Whaddayamean13 you make a good point, which is why Dave felt it was important to attend Mama Van Halen's funeral whereas Sammy didn't --- because Dave lived near the brothers and had a closer bond to that family --- Sammy was just a hired dope and had no personal bond to the Van Halens
Alcoholics are generally _not_ 'nice' for a few - they may appear that way but it only takes that first drink, and that nasty alternate personality switches on beneath the surface, and if you know the person well you can see the indicators right from the first sip. The alcoholic may be relatively capable of suppressing/disguising that personality for a few drinks, but it's like the evil twin switches on from the moment they taste the booze, as if the 'alter' took a nap after the last binge and was just waiting to be woken at the first taste.
Early on I was a Van Halen/ Eddie fan. It was late 70’s. I looked forward to drop of Women and Children First and all following albums. However, when Randy Rhoads hit the scene with Crazy Train, Van Halen took second place to me. And I’ve never really cared how Eddie treated other people.
RIP Randy Rhoads. He was taken much too young.
Michael Anthony is the best “utility guy” in rock music. Solid bass player, but his backing vocals are iconic and are as important to the original VH sound as Eddie’s guitar.
They did Michael wrong.
And yet according to Eddie --- Mike didnt even know how to play bass --- man, Ed could be a real dick sometimes
Well said, He was an "ok" bass player (good enuf) , but his vocals and persona were a big part of the band and that has value.
Fair Warning is one of my favorite albums...the guitar work is SO innovative, yet raw. I just love it, still.
Eddie's rhythm guitar on the lead to Mean Streets is mind blowing.
Their "slowest selling album to date" is easily my favorite.
EVH is a legend and deserves to be.
I personally like Women and Children First as much as Fair Warning.
One Foot Out The Door is one of their finest moments!!..
It was Ed's favorite for many years . He fought Teddy Templeman to keep cover tunes out .
The only reason Fair Warning is the lowest seller is because it didn't have any radio hits on it --- but that's why most VH fans love the album
Fair Warning is the only Roth-Era album I like end to end.
Eddie was a talented guitarist & singer but where is he now,heaven or hell. What will a man profit if he gains the whole world but loses his soul.
Probably my two favorite Bands are Led Zeppelin and Van Halen...having said that, to me two very different bands and I have much more respect for Zeppelin for not only their stage and studio work but Jimmy's composition and writing skills. I think VH as good as they were, were held back by eddie never learning to read or write music. They had a great sound and lot's of catchy songs and he was certainly skilled at playing the guitar but their songs never rose to the level of great composition like Kashmere or Stairway to heaven to just name two Zeppelin mega songs.
I like both Led Zep and Van Halen but I think Van Halen was a much better live band --- I've seen so many concert clips of Jimmy playing really sloppy
Held back by Eddie. That's a brilliant observation. Far too stupid for words. .
@@derhandtrommler I noticed you didn't address my specific point.
@@kerzytibok3211 i saw both bands twice...Zep in '75 and '77 and VH in the 80's. As I said, i really like both bands but Zeppelin was just such a powerhouse band and so much better composition to their songs. Zeppelin concerts were amazing.
I address literate points made by literate people Sparky, You made a fool of yourself.@@stevefowler2112
Geddy Lee...Rush is my all time favorite band. It hurts to see that man knowing Rush is done.
Among the all too rare recordings of Randy Rhoads, is the famous audio of the guitar clinic he did. In that recording he pays Eddie a very nice compliment. I believe he said EVH is fantastic.
Yes, I have heard that clinic to. You are right. He did speak well of his playing. Randy was a class act.
Yes, this video is misleading . And Eddie probably was really nice to people mist of the time. He did start drinking too much from the age of 22, I thought I heard him say. But he stayed home and played guitar, while Alex went to parties, I read.
Yep this video is bullshit - Rhoads indeed had nice things to say about Eddie - in an interview he even said he wouldn't want to get near competing with guitarists like Eddie. Humble guy.
It was always said growing up the VH brothers didn't have many friends just each other. Kind of why I thought they didn't let many into their "circle" and if you "betrayed" them in their eyes you were done...I've always tried to separate the music from the person. Mike was always my overall favorite in the band.
RIP Edward
Well Eddie got his wish when Dave left the band. And all he could produce was BUBBLE GUM LOVE ROCK SONGs.
Dave was the king of Lyrics and arrangements. Give Dave any rift and he is making great music.
One of the differences between ed and dave....that led the separation...dave wanted songs to be more about "girls and party". Thats not a big difference than a 'bubble gum love songs".
Dave's song vision is like "i have to go....i'll call u....". While Ed's song vision "i thought girls are all trash.. until i met u" (plus focus more on instrument experiment ie : synthesizers)
Eddie was loved by many of his fellow rockers. He made a handful of enemies during his neatly 50 year career but who wouldn’t? Check out the Guitar World tribute edition. Lots of great things were said about him.
Ya. This is really puffed up nonsense.
About his PLAYING but not the !an himself. He did nothing for anyone else but EVH
Unfortunately most of the enemies he made were in his own band LOL --- he fired Dave, Sammy, Gary Cherone, and Mike Anthony --- only person he never fired was his brother LOL
@@fredwerza3478
I can't really argue with that.
@ice18 Bingham
False. I have read dozens--literally--of stories over the years where Ed would gift instruments & speakers & pedals...tons of gear to musicians all over the fame & money spectrum. He literally left millions to Mr. Holland's Opus in SoCal. For high schools all over L.A. and the valley. Know something before you pop off at the mouth about people. You. Never. Even. Met.
eddie was a genius most genius are hard to get a long with
Fair Warning may not have sold as much but was one of their best albums. Destroys Diver Down and 1984.
Agreed!
DD was mostly covers but 1984 was a great album --- "Drop Dead Legs" is one of the coolest songs ever
This video should be called “I’m going to talk about EVH while showing as many pics of David Lee Roth as possible.”
Fair Warning. My first ever vinyl after getting a record player, and my favorite Van Halen album. Dark, brooding, introspective all wrapped in Kurekek's brutal art. What wasn't there to love and ponder?
The first album I ever bought was Styx's "Paradise Theater" in 1980 but the 2nd album was "Fair Warning" and it blew me away at age 11 --- so much raw fury and anger in those songs! I could feel the restless miscreant inside me growing stronger and bolder because of that album.
my favorite VH.
They didnt like him because he was the greatest. I've been playing guitar for 35 years. HE IS THE GREATEST
Eddie wanted deeper darker lyrics so he goes with Sammy who wrote almost all commercial love songs lol
I always thought Van Hagar was just Journey with a better guitarist LOL
Hagar is by far a better singer.
@@1848revolt Haggard has a really boring voice --- DLR had the whiskey-stained voice that made those VH party songs come alive
@@fredwerza3478 no ty. All those ridiculous squeals dlr does and his hyper antics I hate. Couldn't stand that creep.
@@1848revolt those amazing whistle screams by DLR sold millions of albums and got him an endless supply of hot women for 20 years
I feel like David Lee Roth was one of the first people to bring comedy and rock music together. Similar to Frank Zappa I guess? In a way. I always thought DLR should have been a comedian. He truly is a funny guy. RIP EVH.
One thing I always liked was Dave's laughing in some of the songs --- they could've easily edited that stuff out but it gave a fun vibe to the tunes, mostly about sexy girls and partying
He had a lot of Dean Martin in his performance. The I'm just here to have a good time and you have the good time with him. I also learned years later when listening to live performances by the Rat Pack Dave helped himself to a lot of Dean Martin's jokes.
"Fair Warning" was Edwards favorite album too and must be one of the FINEST Artistic musical creations of All-Time, EVER. Just goes to show many really fake "fans" Eddie had and how shallow they, and Dave were when it comes to appreciating a True Bona-fide POETIC masterpiece statement instead of just sexual innuendo and glorified T&A culture.
His guitar and equipment was probably a joy to play in Fair Warning. No real switching around things it seems if I remember correctly. Just plug and play
DLR was so into himself, ,he never made an effort to sing like a professional, going through the motions, never made an effort to really hit the mark
Noted. IMHO, he hit just the right notes to be the party rock band they were known to be. As the video mentions, EVH's attempts to do more serious, deeper kind of music more or less flopped with Van Halen fans.
Eddie and Alex were always the top dogs, and in total control from day one. They created the band, and had never played in other bands where they had to submit to other leadership. So yeah, they never really learned how to compromise! Yeah, all the stories are legendary, but it all boiled down to this!
It was Dave's drive and lyrics that pushed the band as much as anything else.
I recall reading Alex, as the elder sibling, was the primary decision maker and generated a lot of the fuckery behind the scenes.
Ed suposedly deferred to Al most of the time.
If you read Noel Monk's book you will know that Dave was pretty much in control of the band's image and sound in the early days --- it's only when Sammy joined did the brothers start to take control of the band and that's when things went to shit LOL
@@fredwerza3478 Alex certainly had more power in the band than Sammy and Mike, but I saw WAY more individual photos of Eddie on magazine covers that Alex, and WAY more individual interviews with and articles on Eddie than Alex. Again, I'm not sure how much of this was Eddie's doing and how much of this was the media's doing.
@@gringo3002 you're talking about the 90's, right? Because I agree that Eddie took all the limelight in the 90's. Saw him on a bunch of magazine covers then. But Dave was the main pitchman in the 80's.
My mechanic is the guy who told Eddie to call Sammy. His shop (Dad & Me Auto Repair) was less than a mile from my old house in Valley Glen, CA (they’re listed as being in Sherman Oaks). I lived there for years and had no idea until I had to bring the car in. He has a framed photo of EVH signed to him and he told me the story. I swear, I wanted to come back every day and ask him questions…but didn’t.
That's a pretty cool story!
So Claudio was your mechanic?
@fredwerza3478 yep. He didn’t actually do the work on my car, his guys did. But he noticed my longish hair and the DJ magnet sign on my car and asked me if I knew Van Halen. I’m thinking “Duh, who doesn’t?!!” And then he showed me the photo and told me the story. Aside from needing a new starter, it was a good day.
@@cgoebbert I bet! it's a smaller world than we tend to believe.
@@cgoebbert damn that is a cool story --- wasn't Claudio in Sammy's music video for "Cant Drive 55" ??
Eddie was troubled with addiction and from what I've read, was not a very nice drunk. Most people suffering from that are not nice people when they're constantly intoxicated but what you frequently hear is how he was such a good soul when he was sober.
The main problem with Ed's drinking is that he composed all his music while drunk off his ass --- so he just assumed drinking was good for his artistic pursuits and his net worth so he kept doing it
EDDIE VAN HALEN IS THE WORLD BEST HARD ROCK MASTER LEAD GUITARIST IN USA, EUROPE & THE WORLD. RIP EVH.
I never met EVH, but Diamond Dave was working as a EMS in the Bronx. His crew responded when I overdosed on Ambien, alcohol, Zoloft, and benadryl. I had no idea, even though he asked me a few questions about music, as I played guitar in a rock band at the time. He looked way different then. But as I was released from the hospital, someone told me that hey, David Lee Roth helped save your life! I said, tell him that I said thank you!
The really funny part of this was I had refused to get out of my bed, and Mr. Roth was at the foot of my bed just asking me a few things. They sent up more cops, where there where like 8 of them, and I still refused to move. Then the police sent up the last 4, so now there are 12 cops there, and the one taking charge was like 6'7", and asked my now ex wife is he dressed, which I was. He said where are his shoes, and she pointed to them. This dude just gave me the look, and said, Mr Edwards, are you ready to go? Easy or hard, the choice is yours!!!
This was a cop using the Booty Warrior line years before the Booty warrior said it. I never put on a pairbof shoes faster! I got into that wheelchair and said, ok let's go!
I cannot lie...this saved my life. I would had died if not being in the hospital. When I told the attending what I took, and was able to drive home, the doctor looked at me and said, you were able to drive home???? You better get a lottery ticket, because you should had passed out before you got home! 6 Ambien!!! And Benedryl??? You are blessed sir
I wish Dave talked more about his EMT years in NYC --- he mentions a few anecdotes but that's about it
@@fredwerza3478 I am glad you even acknowledge this. Because I had no idea of what went on that day, and how really funny it was
@@vinceedwards3978 Dave talked about his EMT days a few times when he was on Howard Stern --- he mentioned that sometimes a kid would recognize him and have a shocked look on his face when he realized Diamond Dave was treating him LOL
@@fredwerza3478 Trust me, I was so out of it, there is no way I would had realized that day. After they gave me two pints of the charcoal shake, something I don't even wish on my ex wife, and I really do not like here, and had me on fluids until my vitals stabilized then someone told me. His hair was quite short then.
Saw VH for their final show at the Hollywood Bowl. They were just as good as seeing them at Gizzaris when they were just starting out. One of the best live bands ever.
I'm assuming you meant Gazzarri's.
Genius always has its critics, he wasn't just a guitar player, he was an innovator and an inventor with over 50 patents, many credited him for getting into guitar, I don't play, but the first VH note I heard was from Eruption when I was 13 back in 79' and my love for VH tunes hasn't wavered, having seen them 8 times, 4 with Dave and 4 with Sammy, but it's always Ed's guitar.
Ironically fair warning is my fave VH album.
Eddie is my hero he was a guitar genius and I’m a guitar I rescpect so many others such as Terry kath for instance to Steve vai but Eddie is a legand
What kind of guitar are you?
I was in a band on Capitol Records in the middle 80's. Our manager set up a dinner at his Beverly Hills home for our guitar player, Eddie, and Jeff Beck. It did not go well. Eddie arrived late and drunk, referred to an Aretha Franklin song (on the radio) as Nword music (our guitar player is black) and was generally an a-hole throughout the evening. Meanwhile, Jeff Beck was a perfect gentleman. I was surprised when EVH died how many gushed about what a nice guy he was.
I met Eddie in my backyard...he was looking for my Sister,..seemed like a great guy !!!
Being in a band is like being Married,,,it's not easy
And it's an exponentially more difficult marriage with alcoholism involved.
Amen Joe. It’s hard enough to be in a garage band much less famous and everyone wanting something from you. I’ve never been famous but I’ve been in many garage bands with guys who had enormous egos. All I ever wanted to do was jam a have fun.
There is no genius without a touch of madness
So true
The raw songs from their first album was cutting edge for the time. Right about 1984, the bands song got tired and had run its course. I liked what Sammy brought to the table for this band. Mikie is one of most underrated Bass players on the planet. Be brings high noted back up voices. Also, the harmony between Mikey and Sammy was really good. Sammy IMO, opened up Eddie to sounds and more piano/keyboards. Two lead guitarists playing in one band either can be a good thing or a bad thing in terms of ego. Either way, we go to VH concerts to see Eddie.
I always thought sammy was better than roth as the frontman for van halen roths ego was just to much for me