I love how Lex said it sounded so 80's. That's because Eddie Van Halen was ahead of the curve and so many 80's bands were trying to replicate his sound.
For sure. These 2 should research music. They never have a clue. Brad should branch out and do a math problem solving channel. I don't think he likes music.
@@drummerboy2834 really? Drums and bass are 2 instruments that were always hard for me to grasp. I got guitar, piano, brass and woodwind right away. Natural and easy. I do have a list of fav drummers and although VH (Sammy and Dave) is in my too 5 fav bands of all time, Alex isn't a drummer in my list. I know he's badass. Why do you like him so much? Thanks.
The impact Eddie Van Halen on rock can't be understated. He was doing things no one had even considered. Due to his success, all rock bands of the time and after were influenced to one degree or another.
No, Eddie's influence on rock n roll can't be *overstated.* His impact can certainly be understated and minimized. No amount of acclaim EVH earned can be too much.
Eddie Van Halen was a phenomenon. And we lived during his time. How does it feel to have lived to see Mozart playing his music? Da Vinci and Van Gogh displaying their artwork? We know, don't we?
Yes!! I remember seeing Eddie in concert. Diver Down, 1984 and 5150 and feeling so grateful to be alive to witness this guy!! and I am totally serious!
Lex says, "Is this like the beginning of the 80's sound" and all of us who remember hearing Van Halen for the first time when they came out respond with a resounding YEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!
This was their 1st album. Eddie introduced himself by nuking the entire landscape of guitar playing. There is a fat and distinct line of before and after. He is one of the most influential guitar player of all time, so the emulation of his sound and technique was very wide spread. It's almost a half a century later and you can still hear it with the new generation of guitar players.
@@michaeldineenSG2018 I’d put Elvis as the No 1 most influential, in general, he was a huge part of the influences that created all of Rock. I’d put Eddie as the most influential guitar player, maybe even outside of Rock. The problem with placing him outside of Rock is you’re hit smack in the face with Les Paul. Even if you don’t listen to his playing, you’ve been influenced by him.
Van Halen the group was DLR in front with EVH powering the show with his incredible guitar virtuosity. 5150 was a decent attempt, but VH ceased to exist after 1984.
0:17 LEX is so on point with that statement. When this came out in 78' IT CHANGED THE GAME. IT CHANGED THE SOUND. Rock was getting stale as Punk and Disco were in full effect but when this album came out it revitalized HEAVY METAL and created the sound to come in the 80's with groups like Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Metallica, Judas Priest, etc. Jamies Crying is maybe my fav Van Halen song btw ; )
Holy shit I just realized Lex is the spirit animal (human?) with the most characteristic personalities that everybody's born with. Innocent, energetic, curious, loveable... Along the way many lose these traits but she kept ALL of them! ;D
Well she raised my spirit that’s for sure.. and she has this incredible ability to break down songs too. Looks like she is just jamming and lost in the sauce, but she’s figured out songs on the first take that I never got after hundreds of listens.
David Lee Roth worked so hard vocally on this first album and rightfully so. Without his vocal tonality it would not have happened! Roth def has a unique vocal timbre. I have never heard anyone come close to or even remotely sound close to David.
Brad...you had better listen to WHATEVER Lex says. She has a TRUE insight into what's going on. The fact that she could hear the berth of the '80's hard rock and metal in VH's "brown" sound is UNBELIEVABLE.
The reason Eddie's guitar playing on this, their first album, sounds different to you is because it WAS different. He's as innovative and influential a guitarist in 1978 to those who came after him as Jimi Hendrix was in 1967. Can't be underestimated. You hear pre-cursors of the 80s hair band/hair metal sounds because they ARE the pre-cursor to that sound. All just my opinion of course. I could be fos.
0:17 LEX is so on point with that statement. When this came out in 78' IT CHANGED THE GAME. IT CHANGED THE SOUND. Rock was getting stale as Punk and Disco were in full effect but when this album came out it revitalized HEAVY METAL and created the sound to come in the 80's with groups like Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Metallica, Judas Priest, etc
I think you called it lex. These guys could be considered one of the godfathers of the '80s sound and style. And I'm sure lots of bands got their inspiration from them. And many modern guitarists were heavily influenced by Eddie Van Halen.
I am 63 years old. I experienced the golden years of Rock. I like several bands but my favorite is Van Halen. Eddie is for me the best guitar player of all time and will be for many years to come. true legend. His work was immortalized and will be admired by many future generations.
Van Halen is a classic rock band that revived rock in the age when disco was topping the charts. The next song after this one, I’m the One” is fire. Remember, the guitar on the first album was recorded in a single take (not the first take, just a single take).
everyone has that same look when they hear Van Halen for the first time...................BOOOM IN YOUR FACE WILD ASS ROCK MUSIC!.......Van Halen Rules!
Lex is a TRUE reactor. She makes observations and connections in that unique way of hers, and I am here for it. I love the way Brad hears her out, a little confused - and amused - at first, and by the time she finishes with her thought(s), he can completely see what she means. Best couple reaction channel, in my opinion.
@@leetroy3129, I watch Rob Squad, too. They really seem to enjoy the music, and they always connect with a song on a personal level. It makes me appreciate songs I've heard hundreds (or more) times.
I first heard the debut LP by Van Halen on a cold winter's night in Feb. of 1978. I was 22 years old at the time. My mind was blown. It was a literal jaw dropping experience.
On my 12th birthday in 1978, my older sister bought me this album, it changed my life, according to music. Before this I lived in a K-tel world. This directed me in the right direction, I thank her to this day
Please dig into anything from the "Fair Warning" album...its hits harder than all the other albums! Unchained and Meanstreet are badass as is Sinners Swing
The sounds of the 80s started coming in around 76, and by 78' a lot of the sound for hard rock / metal / glam etc was fully formed. Most of the early 80s bands had members that developed their chops in the 70s ( some in the 60s ) in other bands, or other incarnations of the same band, that just didn't go too far. That 80s rock sound , for me, really went from 77'-95' before it morphed into other genres of rock. Van Halen was, for sure, one of the early progenitors of that guitar style, simply due to what Ed could do, and did. He wasn't the only one, but he took it to another level, combining so many techniques and pushing them, into his own style. Fret tapping, which he was famous for, for instance, goes back almost 200 years. He just did it differently, to a different beat, than was done in Spanish guitar, and on electric with distortion, which made it a mind blowing sound. Being classically trained by his parents on piano made a huge difference too. One of a kind.
I was born in 74 and my father loves Motown and do wop …. My mother loved southern/ soft rock. Being exposed to that as a child made me appreciate all music. The U.S.A is unlike any other country, different parts of the country create different sounds and methods. Even the different accents change everything about the mode of the song. When a song is pure and original it will remain timeless.
Their debut album, which still kicks butt to this day, imo...Van Halen was my very first live concert during their "1980 Invasion Tour" when I was only 9 years old (my older step-brother took me to see them). RIP Eddie!
Born in 1990 but was brought up by my parents on phenomenal music from the likes of Van Halen, amongst others. My dad said it best, when they hit the scene, there was nothing else like Van Halen, it was hard rock music that you could dance to, which was extremely rare if not unheard of. RIP Eddie ❤️
Eddies guitar playing had a profound influence on the 80's hard rock music sound. As did Randy Rhoads and Michael Schenker, the former being the guitarist on the first two Ozzy solo albums and latter being the guitarist for the 70's band UFO.
@@BlueeyesofSkye Hell yeah, I always see Michael when he plays near my area. The solo in Rock bottom alone, is always worth the price of admission. Lex would definitely dig the solo.
Eddie's guitar DEF set the tone for guitar technique and stylings for the 80's! I remember hearing this in a friend's car with some buddies 1978 and it was like🤯; especially the Eruption/You Really Got Me Now dual-track with that solo; as like we just heard something revolutionary. Cheers!
"is this the beginning of the '80's sound?" was a very astute observation on your part, Lex. Many bands after Van Halen's first album tried to mimic VH's sound (most failed). VH was revolutionary and Eddie in particular was an incredible creator of sounds that nobody had heard before. RIP Eddie Van Halen...you were (and always will be) THE KING.
Without EVH there would not have been 80s metal, or even the guitar centric 80s music. Eddie designed the super strat... that changed everything, not since Hendrix did someone change what electric guitar could do. He brought finger tapping to the forefront. This album put to bed bands like the Eagles, and the Boss, all that soft guitar rock. And that opening run on the whammy bar, after 40 years of listening to it, is pure magic.
You got it Lex. He was absolutely the father of not just the entire 80s hard rock/metal sound but even into the 90s with bands like Pantera being influenced by him. Van Halen is music for all time zones, meaning it's catchy enough for the mass audience to like and it's heavy and innovative enough for the musicians and people who only like rock/metal. It's kind of hard to overstate Eddie's influence.
Van Halen exploded onto the rock scene and forever changed the way guitar players think about lead guitar, harmonics, and blues rhythm guitar. His driving blues shuffles, intense harmonics and vibrato, and his revolutionary use of two hand tapping introduced guitarists around the world to an entirely new approach to traditional blues guitar while modernizing it for the modern rock sound. Vibrato is the expressive side of guitar playing that emulates the human voice. Van Halen’s very deliberate use of vibrato with both his fretting hand and whammy bar gave him an aggressive playing style that until that time, no other player had come close to. His vibrato is not only totally under his control in terms of how wide or thin he was using vibrato, but he also used vibrato rhythmically, often matching his bends with the groove of the song in various ways in order to help make the band swing and help his guitar sing.
Two albums had a profound effect on my life this Van Halen album and Black Sabbath Paranoid! I'm 63 and still bangin' my head to these and countless others. Love it...
Yeah. I was looking for this comment or else I was going to post it myself. And it wasn’t just that it was an electric sitar, the way he played it with the intermittent trill picking (not technically trill picking, but you know what I mean), made it super interesting. The fact that she picked up on that is pretty incredible.
I’ve been playing guitar and listening to Van Halen for almost 20 years and the fact that Lex has those insights after only after a few songs shows she has great musical instincts
Eddie Van Halen revolutionized how the electric guitar sounded and was played when Van Halen I came out. It was no longer the 70’s sounding electric guitar you are eluding to but a new sound and approach. He was singular and unique.
I saw them right after they released their 2nd album in 1979 and their first tour as a headliner. I was 14 and blown away. Still the best concert I've ever witnessed. Eddie is what really made me pursue guitar. What a brilliant player and songwriter he was. Very much missed! He reinvented the electric rock guitar.
Seen VH many times. Got to sit in the stage once, and meeting the band several times. Great Memories! Their first tour the opened for Black Sabbath. It was an incredible experience!
I love the way you 2 have chosen to post so many Van Halen songs in your vids. I think it is important that a new generation don't forget about Eddie and contribution to music. He literally changed the face of music with his musical genius/guitar playing. And of course Van Halen as a whole were an amazing group.
0:20 "It sounds 80's" Cause they're the ones who started it all ;) Edit: 1:57 Oh damn Lex even concluded what I said she's so GOD DAMN smart and funny!
It’s crazy to think Eddie was just sitting around one day noodling, not only came up with this unique opening riff, but the most unique way of using slapback delay and a flanger.
When you said it sounded 80's, it was definitely a prelude to what came in the 80's as far as rock music is concerned. It was recorded in the late 70's.
In 1978 i was 13 years old and lucky enough to see Van Halen open for Black Sabbath Never Say Die tour in San Antonio, Texas. Tickets were $7.50 Stone City Attractions and an Oz. of pot was $10.00. Growing up in the 70's and 80's was priceless.
@@toddbaker1574 glam was more punk before Van Halen. New York Dolls, T-Rex, Slade… After Van Halen hit the glam bands moved towards shredding guitars and harmonies. The business wanted the “Van Halen sound” and bands with virtuoso guitarists took over. Lots of influences, but Eddie probably had more impact on rock music in the 80’s than anyone.
Two distinct music experiences for me. One was this album when it was released. Also when Narvana never mind. They both were a new sound to me and you knew out of the gate this was something special. That's my take. I also got that with Megadeth, rust in Peace.
Sweet and Queen were 2 bands from out of the glam era already doing the elaborate harmonies before VH. Although Sweet did sound extremely punk and raw live. I think VH took their harmony cues mainly from the Beatles/Beach Boys template.
Edward & Alex Van Halen both grew up playing classical piano. Their father was a musician. He was even featured on the clarinet on Big Bad Bill (Is sweet William now)on the Diver Down album.
another astute observation Lexi, at 5:12 you're describing hearing a mandolin in the solo.. Eddie (like i'm on a first name basis with the guy) put a track of electric sitar, along the melody of the "guitar solo", that was found in the studio. pretty cool effect. and yes bongiovini had an enormous VH influence on them but so did DefLeppard, Motley Crue, White Lion, poison, etc. etc..
one of the most recognizable guitar riffs, from the great Eddie Van Halen (rest in peace). Usually not into the singing of Van Halen, I more enjoy the instrumental side of it (The drums, guitars, etc). They got countless hits.
Game changer when it came out in the 78, totally changed the trajectory of rock. Yes, this was the beginning of the glam/hair metal movement. This is more hard rock, the Hair Band movement was more popish.
"You know you're semi-good looking..." Thats my favorite line in this song. I get a chuckle every time. This song will be on the radio and I sing that line and that line only, as loud as I can, when it comes.
My drummer, my best friend rushed across the street that morning it came out. He was yelling you have to hear this!!. 45 yrs later I still play guitar.
This and "Dance the Night Away" really crystalize Van Halen down to their essence. I think you're right on about this being in there with the start of the 80s sound.
Lex has incredible instincts. Most 80’s rock guitarists either tries to copy or was influenced by Eddie Van Halen. He changed the game for rock guitar.
That intro is the earth shattering sound of Eddie changing what anyone thought was possible with the electric guitar. This 1978 record changed everything! Set the pace for the eighties, and endless guitar copycats of eddie van halen.
Damn young lady, how intuitive. I've never even heard a white guy my age notice such a prophetic indicator. You are right, that WAS the 80's sound to come. The sound that killed disco, and ushered in a wave of copy cat hair band rock acts. Eddie was the dragon slayer, Roth the white knight. You nailed it. Seriously, to pick that up was impressive to me.
Lex, you have some of the most intuitive and interesting reactions on youtube. It's always fun to see how quickly you catch on to the themes of whatever you guys are reacting to.
It was the fall semester of 1978 and a friend put this on for me. I knew electric guitar had changed forever. This was the biggest guitar album since Hendrix's "Are You Experienced?" album hit twelve years earlier - a completely different approach to the guitar. Ed (the guitarist) would go on to do the solo on "Beat It." They definitely were a major part in the music and sound of all rock and roll since.
I was able to see Van Halen live in Billings Montana in 1985. There is nothing in this world like hearing Eddie Van HERO TO THE GODS!! play live. We were all into ACDC, and Motley Crue. But when we heard Eddie play… we were forever changed. His playing, and sound, was unmatched then, and even now! Lex is so right about them being “ Godfathers” to next gen. But just to say I saw Eddie play, is forever!!
Van Halen was my fav back in the 80's, David Lee Roth was SOO good lookin back then and he was all over my walls and ceiling, I think you guys would get a kick out of listening to BiG BallS by Ac/Dc
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Yes, Lex. The 80s was basically 90% of guitarists trying to sound like Eddie Van Halen.
For sure! When someone would start tapping...oh look, he's doing his "Eddie"
Van Halen begat the 80s, at least the rock part. Madonna was pop Queen, MJ pop king.
Dam straight, my favorite guitarist, and in my opinion the greatest of all time. What a really great band.
"This is the 70s? It sounds like the 80s!".....Exactly, Lex. This is why the 80s sounds like the 80s.
@@chriswildhaber35 Best Frontman....Best Hard Rock Harmonies....Van Halen was so good, they made keyboards sound "rock". Legends.
I love how Lex said it sounded so 80's. That's because Eddie Van Halen was ahead of the curve and so many 80's bands were trying to replicate his sound.
Van Halen created the eighties.
@@billwong553 I second this!
Lex is really developing her ear for guitars and is able to recognize the intent and energy of the playing. I love it!
Everyone started doing his hammer down on the guitar neck to get some of those sounds.
Yeah, most of the 80s was people trying to be Van Halen or ac/dc
Eddie Van Halen is the reason millions of people picked up a guitar
For sure. These 2 should research music. They never have a clue. Brad should branch out and do a math problem solving channel. I don't think he likes music.
Including me!
@@ourworld1466 me too brotha. 5150 changed my brain.
Alex is the reason I picked up drum sticks 🙏🏾
@@drummerboy2834 really? Drums and bass are 2 instruments that were always hard for me to grasp. I got guitar, piano, brass and woodwind right away. Natural and easy. I do have a list of fav drummers and although VH (Sammy and Dave) is in my too 5 fav bands of all time, Alex isn't a drummer in my list. I know he's badass. Why do you like him so much? Thanks.
" Sounds 'godfather of the 80's' "
Lex's analysis is always on point.
The impact Eddie Van Halen on rock can't be understated. He was doing things no one had even considered. Due to his success, all rock bands of the time and after were influenced to one degree or another.
Not just rock bands for instance Eddie VH was recruited by MJ to record some stuff that was huge.
AMEN!!
If not directly... the bands you were emulating in the 80s, were trying to do what Eddie was busy inventing
No, Eddie's influence on rock n roll can't be *overstated.* His impact can certainly be understated and minimized. No amount of acclaim EVH earned can be too much.
True Icon R.I.P. Eddy
Eddie Van Halen was a phenomenon.
And we lived during his time.
How does it feel to have lived to see Mozart playing his music?
Da Vinci and Van Gogh displaying their artwork?
We know, don't we?
God’s honest truth right there.
Yes, Sir, we sure do know! Lucky devils we are!!
Dam straight.
Blessed to see Eddie live .
Yes!! I remember seeing Eddie in concert. Diver Down, 1984 and 5150 and feeling so grateful to be alive to witness this guy!! and I am totally serious!
Lex says, "Is this like the beginning of the 80's sound"
and all of us who remember hearing Van Halen for the first time when they came out respond with a resounding YEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!
This was their 1st album. Eddie introduced himself by nuking the entire landscape of guitar playing. There is a fat and distinct line of before and after. He is one of the most influential guitar player of all time, so the emulation of his sound and technique was very wide spread. It's almost a half a century later and you can still hear it with the new generation of guitar players.
It is most definitely still with us. Probably forever as far as rock guitar is concerned.
Edward Van Halen is the most influential musician of the 20th century hands down. His ripple effect would touch millions and still does.
First song i ever heard was..... eruption /girl you really got me ( was a combo on the radio) i was freakin hooked after eruption! That was late 70s
One man revolutionized an instrument and multiple genres of music while another inspired him to do it. Who is greater?
@@michaeldineenSG2018 I’d put Elvis as the No 1 most influential, in general, he was a huge part of the influences that created all of Rock.
I’d put Eddie as the most influential guitar player, maybe even outside of Rock. The problem with placing him outside of Rock is you’re hit smack in the face with Les Paul. Even if you don’t listen to his playing, you’ve been influenced by him.
That song was killer Live, the whole audience would be screaming the Hey-Hey-Hey parts and it was pretty awesome.
David Lee Roth was underrated for his vocal ability but he was the ONLY vocalist who could have pulled off his style
Credit studio magic for what you hear.
@@HardRockMaster7577 beg to differ. Dave's voice was surprisingly similar to the records during live shows in the early tours. No studio magic.
Van Halen the group was DLR in front with EVH powering the show with his incredible guitar virtuosity. 5150 was a decent attempt, but VH ceased to exist after 1984.
@@HardRockMaster7577 No. David sounded pretty much the same on stage.
The underrated parrots are in the comment section of every g*dam* video.
Their whole first album was the 80s style in the late 70s. Jamie's Crying is another one that shows the harmony they have.
0:17 LEX is so on point with that statement. When this came out in 78' IT CHANGED THE GAME. IT CHANGED THE SOUND. Rock was getting stale as Punk and Disco were in full effect but when this album came out it revitalized HEAVY METAL and created the sound to come in the 80's with groups like Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Metallica, Judas Priest, etc. Jamies Crying is maybe my fav Van Halen song btw ; )
Van Halen and The Cars were the bands that really brought the "80s sound" to life at the end of the 70s.
Elliot could get some cool sounds for sure. He was way under rated. The question has always been "are the Cars New Wave or Rock N Roll"?
@@arcnevada545 And the answer is "yes".
Holy shit I just realized Lex is the spirit animal (human?) with the most characteristic personalities that everybody's born with. Innocent, energetic, curious, loveable... Along the way many lose these traits but she kept ALL of them! ;D
She has a great way about her and a super smile
Not being negative but we were all that way once. Goes away as we get older. How far away for her, who knows, but, I promise it will be diff.
Well she raised my spirit that’s for sure.. and she has this incredible ability to break down songs too. Looks like she is just jamming and lost in the sauce, but she’s figured out songs on the first take that I never got after hundreds of listens.
@@waynethera2712 - I have told her that a long time ago.
Lex is definitely 150% lovable. But I could also see myself being good friends with Brad, too. They are both solid people who are good for the soul.
David Lee Roth worked so hard vocally on this first album and rightfully so. Without his vocal tonality it would not have happened! Roth def has a unique vocal timbre. I have never heard anyone come close to or even remotely sound close to David.
"You know you're semi-good looking" OUCH! Snappy little diss. One of my faves. More people should use it. 😁
The ole backhanded compliment.
o i do frequently
@@SirWrecksy You know that's a semi-good comment.
Kidding!
Just a three dressed up as a nine - Trooper
Me and my sister used to joke with each other saying “you’re pretty… pretty UGLY” lol
Brad...you had better listen to WHATEVER Lex says. She has a TRUE insight into what's going on. The fact that she could hear the berth of the '80's hard rock and metal in VH's "brown" sound is UNBELIEVABLE.
agreed!
Absolutely.
Lex actually gets it, pretty much every time.🤘
What is “brown sound?”
The reason Eddie's guitar playing on this, their first album, sounds different to you is because it WAS different. He's as innovative and influential a guitarist in 1978 to those who came after him as Jimi Hendrix was in 1967. Can't be underestimated. You hear pre-cursors of the 80s hair band/hair metal sounds because they ARE the pre-cursor to that sound. All just my opinion of course. I could be fos.
No, you are not fos on this one. Or, if you are, then so am I.
Your spot on
You are correct AD, I had never heard heavy guitar 🎸 playing like this before, it was a first for sure!!
Fact
"This came out in '78, did this inspire the 80's sound?" Sometimes Lex is so in tune with Music it's ridiculous!!
Great reaction guys!!🤘🏻🤘🏻
0:17 LEX is so on point with that statement. When this came out in 78' IT CHANGED THE GAME. IT CHANGED THE SOUND. Rock was getting stale as Punk and Disco were in full effect but when this album came out it revitalized HEAVY METAL and created the sound to come in the 80's with groups like Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Metallica, Judas Priest, etc
I think you called it lex. These guys could be considered one of the godfathers of the '80s sound and style. And I'm sure lots of bands got their inspiration from them. And many modern guitarists were heavily influenced by Eddie Van Halen.
Everything I learned about songwriting was from EVH...just 20 years too late to make any money from it.
Yeah all the boring 80s bands..
I am 63 years old. I experienced the golden years of Rock. I like several bands but my favorite is Van Halen. Eddie is for me the best guitar player of all time and will be for many years to come. true legend. His work was immortalized and will be admired by many future generations.
Same here
Possible the best debut album in history......literally shocked the rock world
Van Halen is a classic rock band that revived rock in the age when disco was topping the charts. The next song after this one, I’m the One” is fire. Remember, the guitar on the first album was recorded in a single take (not the first take, just a single take).
It's never about Lex knows about the music but how it makes her feel. And she is usually 100% on the money. What a rare and beautiful talent.
everyone has that same look when they hear Van Halen for the first time...................BOOOM IN YOUR FACE WILD ASS ROCK MUSIC!.......Van Halen Rules!
Lex is a TRUE reactor. She makes observations and connections in that unique way of hers, and I am here for it. I love the way Brad hears her out, a little confused - and amused - at first, and by the time she finishes with her thought(s), he can completely see what she means. Best couple reaction channel, in my opinion.
They are good reactors. Love watching Lex bop! LOL! I also enjoy watching the Rob Squad. A couple named J and Amber.
@@leetroy3129, I watch Rob Squad, too. They really seem to enjoy the music, and they always connect with a song on a personal level. It makes me appreciate songs I've heard hundreds (or more) times.
I first heard the debut LP by Van Halen on a cold winter's night in Feb. of 1978. I was 22 years old at the time. My mind was blown. It was a literal jaw dropping experience.
On my 12th birthday in 1978, my older sister bought me this album, it changed my life, according to music. Before this I lived in a K-tel world. This directed me in the right direction, I thank her to this day
Montrose 1974, UFO 1972
RUSH 2112 side #1
Please dig into anything from the "Fair Warning" album...its hits harder than all the other albums! Unchained and Meanstreet are badass as is Sinners Swing
Mean Street!
I think it’s their best album!
Their BEST. The first 4 albums were all good but FW was the pinnacle.
Absolutely!!!
my favorite vh album
The sounds of the 80s started coming in around 76, and by 78' a lot of the sound for hard rock / metal / glam etc was fully formed. Most of the early 80s bands had members that developed their chops in the 70s ( some in the 60s ) in other bands, or other incarnations of the same band, that just didn't go too far. That 80s rock sound , for me, really went from 77'-95' before it morphed into other genres of rock. Van Halen was, for sure, one of the early progenitors of that guitar style, simply due to what Ed could do, and did. He wasn't the only one, but he took it to another level, combining so many techniques and pushing them, into his own style. Fret tapping, which he was famous for, for instance, goes back almost 200 years. He just did it differently, to a different beat, than was done in Spanish guitar, and on electric with distortion, which made it a mind blowing sound. Being classically trained by his parents on piano made a huge difference too. One of a kind.
I was born in 74 and my father loves Motown and do wop …. My mother loved southern/ soft rock. Being exposed to that as a child made me appreciate all music. The U.S.A is unlike any other country, different parts of the country create different sounds and methods. Even the different accents change everything about the mode of the song. When a song is pure and original it will remain timeless.
Their debut album, which still kicks butt to this day, imo...Van Halen was my very first live concert during their "1980 Invasion Tour" when I was only 9 years old (my older step-brother took me to see them). RIP Eddie!
Born in 1990 but was brought up by my parents on phenomenal music from the likes of Van Halen, amongst others. My dad said it best, when they hit the scene, there was nothing else like Van Halen, it was hard rock music that you could dance to, which was extremely rare if not unheard of. RIP Eddie ❤️
Eddies guitar playing had a profound influence on the 80's hard rock music sound.
As did Randy Rhoads and Michael Schenker, the former being the guitarist on the
first two Ozzy solo albums and latter being the guitarist for the 70's band UFO.
They need to react to some UFO.
Love any reference to Randy!
Jesus, you nailed my three kings. Live “Rock Bottom” - UFO would be an interesting reaction. The solo in that tune my personal favorite
@@BlueeyesofSkye Hell yeah, I always see Michael when he plays near my area. The solo in Rock bottom alone, is always worth the price of admission.
Lex would definitely dig the solo.
@@thejudge3715 They need to do Rock Bottom by UFO
This Riff is so simple but so beautiful
Eddie's guitar DEF set the tone for guitar technique and stylings for the 80's! I remember hearing this in a friend's car with some buddies 1978 and it was like🤯; especially the Eruption/You Really Got Me Now dual-track with that solo; as like we just heard something revolutionary. Cheers!
Lex is the most intuitive music critic I’ve EVER heard.
"is this the beginning of the '80's sound?" was a very astute observation on your part, Lex. Many bands after Van Halen's first album tried to mimic VH's sound (most failed). VH was revolutionary and Eddie in particular was an incredible creator of sounds that nobody had heard before. RIP Eddie Van Halen...you were (and always will be) THE KING.
Without EVH there would not have been 80s metal, or even the guitar centric 80s music. Eddie designed the super strat... that changed everything, not since Hendrix did someone change what electric guitar could do. He brought finger tapping to the forefront. This album put to bed bands like the Eagles, and the Boss, all that soft guitar rock. And that opening run on the whammy bar, after 40 years of listening to it, is pure magic.
One of my favorites by Van Halen! And that opening guitar riff by Eddie really gets the blood pumping!
This is my favorite Van Halen song that opening riff is awesome It sounds like no other Van Halen song
Same, first time I heard it, it blew me away.
You got it Lex. He was absolutely the father of not just the entire 80s hard rock/metal sound but even into the 90s with bands like Pantera being influenced by him. Van Halen is music for all time zones, meaning it's catchy enough for the mass audience to like and it's heavy and innovative enough for the musicians and people who only like rock/metal. It's kind of hard to overstate Eddie's influence.
Well said!
Van Halen exploded onto the rock scene and forever changed the way guitar players think about lead guitar, harmonics, and blues rhythm guitar. His driving blues shuffles, intense harmonics and vibrato, and his revolutionary use of two hand tapping introduced guitarists around the world to an entirely new approach to traditional blues guitar while modernizing it for the modern rock sound. Vibrato is the expressive side of guitar playing that emulates the human voice. Van Halen’s very deliberate use of vibrato with both his fretting hand and whammy bar gave him an aggressive playing style that until that time, no other player had come close to. His vibrato is not only totally under his control in terms of how wide or thin he was using vibrato, but he also used vibrato rhythmically, often matching his bends with the groove of the song in various ways in order to help make the band swing and help his guitar sing.
"...but it's definitely something special."
Yes, he was. Eddie was not only an amazing guitarist, he created and built his entire sound.
Two albums had a profound effect on my life this Van Halen album and Black Sabbath Paranoid! I'm 63 and still bangin' my head to these and countless others. Love it...
Love Diamond Dave. Showmanship was excellent! Stage presence above most as a lead singer. E.V.H.always brings it! 1 of my top 5 classic 🎸 rock bands.
The "mandolin" sound was an electric sitar doubled over the guitar for the solo section. That's why it sounds so unique.
Yeah. I was looking for this comment or else I was going to post it myself. And it wasn’t just that it was an electric sitar, the way he played it with the intermittent trill picking (not technically trill picking, but you know what I mean), made it super interesting. The fact that she picked up on that is pretty incredible.
Please more VH1..."I'm the One" will get you Eddie's tone and technique very memorably.....a true electric guitar solo lovers delight! 🎸
I’ve been playing guitar and listening to Van Halen for almost 20 years and the fact that Lex has those insights after only after a few songs shows she has great musical instincts
Eddie Van Halen revolutionized how the electric guitar sounded and was played when Van Halen I came out. It was no longer the 70’s sounding electric guitar you are eluding to but a new sound and approach. He was singular and unique.
I saw them right after they released their 2nd album in 1979 and their first tour as a headliner. I was 14 and blown away. Still the best concert I've ever witnessed. Eddie is what really made me pursue guitar. What a brilliant player and songwriter he was. Very much missed! He reinvented the electric rock guitar.
Ed started out as a pianist. The fact that she said he sounds like a piano was on point.
Seen VH many times. Got to sit in the stage once, and meeting the band several times. Great Memories! Their first tour the opened for Black Sabbath. It was an incredible experience!
You guys DEFINITELY need to react to MORE classic Van Halen!! You'll REALLY LOVE them and appreciate their awesome talent on every level!!
I love the way you 2 have chosen to post so many Van Halen songs in your vids. I think it is important that a new generation don't forget about Eddie and contribution to music. He literally changed the face of music with his musical genius/guitar playing. And of course Van Halen as a whole were an amazing group.
Would love to see you guys react to Van Halen's "Mean Street". Would love to see Lex get down with that wicked riff!
And Hear About It Later
Poundcake
Lex is such a hard rocker at heart. You can see it in her face and gestures all the time. Awesome. Great job guys
EVH was a big influence on guitarists that came after him so it's not surprising a lot of the hair metal bands of the 80's sound the way they did.
Lex nails it again. Wow. And she's rocking the metallica shirt!
0:20 "It sounds 80's"
Cause they're the ones who started it all ;)
Edit: 1:57 Oh damn Lex even concluded what I said she's so GOD DAMN smart and funny!
Shrewd observation from Lex though. She'll soon be an expert on guitar tones through the ages!
It’s crazy to think Eddie was just sitting around one day noodling, not only came up with this unique opening riff, but the most unique way of using slapback delay and a flanger.
When you said it sounded 80's, it was definitely a prelude to what came in the 80's as far as rock music is concerned. It was recorded in the late 70's.
In 1978 i was 13 years old and lucky enough to see Van Halen open for Black Sabbath Never Say Die tour in San Antonio, Texas.
Tickets were $7.50 Stone City Attractions and an Oz. of pot was $10.00.
Growing up in the 70's and 80's was priceless.
One of the greatest riffs ever RIP EVH
Lex is a unique and free spirit… she gets it.. please Don’t ever change
Lex: "He plays it different than an electric guitar sounds"
Everyone in the 70's after hearing Eddie for the first time: "Yes"
This is from the first Van Halen album, a masterwork from the band. They were young and hungry, and it came through in the recordings.
Van Halen’s first album changed music dramatically. It has an 80’s sound because hair metal and glam rockers emulated Eddie’s style.
Hair metal yes but glam was pre VH
@@toddbaker1574 glam was more punk before Van Halen. New York Dolls, T-Rex, Slade… After Van Halen hit the glam bands moved towards shredding guitars and harmonies. The business wanted the “Van Halen sound” and bands with virtuoso guitarists took over. Lots of influences, but Eddie probably had more impact on rock music in the 80’s than anyone.
Two distinct music experiences for me. One was this album when it was released. Also when Narvana never mind. They both were a new sound to me and you knew out of the gate this was something special. That's my take. I also got that with Megadeth, rust in Peace.
Sweet and Queen were 2 bands from out of the glam era already doing the elaborate harmonies before VH. Although Sweet did sound extremely punk and raw live. I think VH took their harmony cues mainly from the Beatles/Beach Boys template.
@@Itelkner is Queen glam? I think of glam as more androgynous with makeup and leather pants. Queen just had an eccentric singer who was gay.
Edward & Alex Van Halen both grew up playing classical piano. Their father was a musician. He was even featured on the clarinet on Big Bad Bill (Is sweet William now)on the Diver Down album.
If you dig Eddie's guitar playing/sound, listen to the VH song "I'm the One" off of this same album...he smokes it!!
I'm down with csbrown
I was always more partial to Atomic Punk myself; but great suggestion still.
Amazing recommendation. Probably his finest studio performance of all time(imho).
Yeah we were still running 8tracks when this came out. It was also 1of my 1st cassette tapes when those came out.
The greatest guitarist to ever walk the earth.
Totally agree, to my man E.V.H. Rest in Peace my friend hope your up there jamming with all the great artist.
Listening to this with headphones in 1980 at 10 years old was fkng awesome. Took me away to another dimension....
"Is this the beginning of the 80's sound?"
Yes! That's one discerning comment! Er.. question.
another astute observation Lexi, at 5:12 you're describing hearing a mandolin in the solo.. Eddie (like i'm on a first name basis with the guy) put a track of electric sitar, along the melody of the "guitar solo", that was found in the studio. pretty cool effect. and yes bongiovini had an enormous VH influence on them but so did DefLeppard, Motley Crue, White Lion, poison, etc. etc..
one of the most recognizable guitar riffs, from the great Eddie Van Halen (rest in peace). Usually not into the singing of Van Halen, I more enjoy the instrumental side of it (The drums, guitars, etc). They got countless hits.
Game changer when it came out in the 78, totally changed the trajectory of rock. Yes, this was the beginning of the glam/hair metal movement. This is more hard rock, the Hair Band movement was more popish.
“Bye Bye Love” by The Cars also came out in 1978 and is another great pre-80’s song with the 1980’s sound
"You know you're semi-good looking..." Thats my favorite line in this song. I get a chuckle every time. This song will be on the radio and I sing that line and that line only, as loud as I can, when it comes.
Hardest working couple on RUclips! ✌ ☮
Yeah, they are pretty damn good!
My drummer, my best friend rushed across the street that morning it came out. He was yelling you have to hear this!!. 45 yrs later I still play guitar.
You've got to hit the track "I'm The One", it's the finest example of Eddie's riff magic imo
This and "Dance the Night Away" really crystalize Van Halen down to their essence. I think you're right on about this being in there with the start of the 80s sound.
Lex has incredible instincts. Most 80’s rock guitarists either tries to copy or was influenced by Eddie Van Halen. He changed the game for rock guitar.
1978. I still have this vinyl record in my library. Great sound.
This sound effect you hear on the guitar is called a phaser pedal
Nice catch
It's pretty safe to say that you're a guitarist
@@karlsmith2570 since 1989
@@ZacCostilla awesome
I play both guitar and bass, though I lean more towards bass lately
I've been off work sick for several days. I'm about to OD on you two.
I can't get enough. You are wonderful.
That intro is the earth shattering sound of Eddie changing what anyone thought was possible with the electric guitar. This 1978 record changed everything! Set the pace for the eighties, and endless guitar copycats of eddie van halen.
It came out late in the 70s but the sound literally ushered in the 80s heavy rock sound that bands would imitate for at least ten more years.
Damn young lady, how intuitive. I've never even heard a white guy my age notice such a prophetic indicator. You are right, that WAS the 80's sound to come. The sound that killed disco, and ushered in a wave of copy cat hair band rock acts. Eddie was the dragon slayer, Roth the white knight. You nailed it. Seriously, to pick that up was impressive to me.
Lex, you have some of the most intuitive and interesting reactions on youtube. It's always fun to see how quickly you catch on to the themes of whatever you guys are reacting to.
Mean Streets is a must react to by them.
It was the fall semester of 1978 and a friend put this on for me. I knew electric guitar had changed forever. This was the biggest guitar album since Hendrix's "Are You Experienced?" album hit twelve years earlier - a completely different approach to the guitar. Ed (the guitarist) would go on to do the solo on "Beat It." They definitely were a major part in the music and sound of all rock and roll since.
Eddie and Diamond Dave. A perfect pairing.
The guitar in song always makes me want to cruise down the interstate with a smile on my face
It's (late) 70s but sounds 80s, because they basically invented the 80s rock sound.
I was able to see Van Halen live in Billings Montana in 1985. There is nothing in this world like hearing Eddie Van HERO TO THE GODS!! play live. We were all into ACDC, and Motley Crue. But when we heard Eddie play… we were forever changed. His playing, and sound, was unmatched then, and even now! Lex is so right about them being “ Godfathers” to next gen. But just to say I saw Eddie play, is forever!!
Van Halen was my fav back in the 80's, David Lee Roth was SOO good lookin back then and he was all over my walls and ceiling, I think you guys would get a kick out of listening to BiG BallS by Ac/Dc
I saw Van Halen supporting Black Sabbath in ‘78 at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, U.K. They blew the gig away!
David Lee Roth is one of the greatest front men of all times. Vocally not so much but his showmanship is unparalleled.
Kind of like Kiss in that way. Musically average but showmanship level 1000000000000
quite literally one of the most iconic riffs... EVER Respect & Peace