r/vanhalen

I’d like to ask something here: What is Van Halen to you?

Parts of this post may sound like rage bait to some people, but that’s not my intention. I genuinely don’t understand where Van Halen fans have gone.

First, a little about me: I’m 49 years old, from Germany, and I first heard Van Halen when “Jump” was playing on the radio. I was 8 years old and I loved that song.

The second time I consciously heard Van Halen was at my brother’s birthday party when I was 9. He’s 10 years older than me, and “5150” was playing. “Why Can’t This Be Love” burned itself into my brain.

The third time I heard Van Halen was when I asked that same older brother to make me a mixtape. It included the entire “Women and Children First” album. That tape completely blew me away and changed my musical life forever.

While everyone from my generation was first listening to Michael Jackson or Bon Jovi, I only wanted to hear Van Halen. Later, techno music exploded in Germany and everyone ran off to clubs. I only wanted to hear Van Halen. Even later, people started families and stopped caring that much about music anymore. I still only wanted to hear Van Halen.

Granted, now that I’m older I also listen to a lot of jazz and very different kinds of music. But Van Halen is still the core, the soul, of all the music I love.

Now to the point I announced earlier: Why are all Van Halen fans fighting with each other? What is this endless debate about DLR or Sam? Why does nobody talk about Gary? Wasn’t the band called Van Halen — named after the genius behind the music?

Ed himself fired Dave and replaced him with Sam. Why does nobody respect that? Ed himself fired Sam and brought Dave back. Why does nobody respect that? Okay, after that things became a bit chaotic, but Ed himself fired someone and replaced him with Gary too — why does nobody respect that either?

Ed was always the musical genius behind the music. The different singers all had their influences, and everyone is entitled to their own taste or opinion. But some of the things I read about Sam, DLR, or Gary are just tasteless.

“Sam turned Van Halen into a pop band!” Really? “Good Enough,” “Get Up,” “Source of Infection,” “Sucker in a 3 Piece,” “Poundcake,” “Judgement Day” — are those really poppier than “Feel Your Love Tonight,” “Dance the Night Away,” or “Dancing in the Street”?

The truth is that Van Halen was a massive, many-headed monster.

First there was Michael Anthony, playing bass like clockwork as the humble supporter who made it possible for everything else to happen — the very thing that made Van Halen great.

Then there was the incredible interplay between the two brothers. Al and Ed never followed Mike’s timing too rigidly, and that’s exactly what gave the music its groove, its life.

Then there was Ed again — maybe the most innovative musician since Jimi Hendrix — not just a guitar god, but even more importantly, a compositional genius.

Only after that came the singers: Dave, with that incredible voice that could send chills down your spine with just a whisper; Sammy, who took the singing to a completely different level because he could genuinely sing; and finally Gary, who was a fantastic singer but unfortunately arrived at the wrong time.

And then once again Mike, whose backing vocals created vocal harmonies in hard rock that had never existed before in that form — and probably never will again.

I think it’s wrong and unfair to always blame the singers.

So who is to blame then?

Alcohol. Drugs.

Ed was a genius on his instrument and in composition. But he was also an alcoholic and possibly addicted to other things as well. In the end, he was destroyed by the ghosts inside himself.

Don’t get me wrong — I’m writing this while listening to Van Halen, with my original Van Halen necklace hanging around my neck. But Ed sadly destroyed himself. That happens to geniuses far too often.

What I’m trying to say is this: If you truly love the music, keep your own taste, don’t let anyone change your mind — but neither DLR nor Sam nor Gary were ever the real problem.

The problem was inside the genius himself.

He created it, and he ended it.

RIP King Ed. Love you.

A stunning incredible song people don’t talk about nearly enough. Eddie was in peak creativity mode and the band missed an unreal chance to become the biggest rock band in the world again in the late 90’s.

I think people don’t know of this song or talk about it enough. It is a serious masterpiece on par with some greats and they weren’t even really trying.

I know that I am a couple of months late, but I would like to say happy 40th anniversary to 5150. That album is amazing! No fillers at all. Sammy was at peak form then. For those who have been around since March 24th, 1986 when the album came out, what are your thoughts 40 years later?

For those of you who recently discovered Van Halen, what are your thoughts on this album? And what is your favorite song off of it?

>Steak and potatoes

Yes, ok.

> a feather in a bucket

That can't be right... surely this is another lyric transcription error, right?