#14

They’re one of those bands that my dad was always listening to when I was a kid so from about the age of seven I loved Van Halen. To a kid in rainy Rochdale they just seemed otherworldly.

1 Like
#15

A monster in his field. Rest in peace Eddie.

1 Like
#16

I remember finding a 1985 Van Halen calendar at a music stall on Rochdale market and pestering my mum to let me buy it. The bloke running the stall let me have it because a) Dave Lee Roth had already left. And b) it was August.

2 Likes
#17

People sometimes ask me what the first song I remember hearing was. It’s still this. It’s always this. It will always be this.

My parents told me about some time in my formative years that I heard this song on the radio, and started jumping on my parents bed. Apparently I jumped off so violently and hit my eye socket on the corner of my mum’s dressing table, that I had to be taken to hospital

8 Likes
#18

Used to have a tape with the first two albums, one on each side, copied off a schoolmate’s older brother’s record collection. Listened to it way too much.

Very sad news indeed.

#19

image

the frankenstrat was fucking cool eh

11 Likes
#20

Eruption seemed amazing to me back in the day. Very sad news

2 Likes
#21

love the intro to this (video hasn’t aged well)

#22

A maestro. May he RIP

#23

RIP to the GOAT shredder.

first 6 albums are classic and I love plenty of the rest of the catalog.

my fav vh song

#24

This is fucking shit news. Debut is a classic and really a peerless talent. RIP big man x

#25

Very sad. Like others have said I bloody love their debut album and other selected songs too.

#26

welcome!

#27

Dreadful news. Van Halen blew my tiny ten year old mind. There was a real joy to the playing that you didn’t get with most the other po faced metal gurners. Big fan of that “OH SHIT!” face Eddie would pull when he looked down and saw what his hands were doing.

2 Likes
#28

Yeah I was going to put something like that.

One of my earliest memories of them was being how surprised they seemed to just be happy playing. In the Jump video, Eddie’s just grinning throughout

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#29

Radio played their cover if You Really Got Me this morning. I had forgotten how amazing that is.

#30
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#31

sad news , didn’t know he was ill.

Not normally the sort of music I go for but there’s no denying Eddie’s jaw dropping ability and that first album is just absolutely thrilling. just belting pop songs.

this live bootleg from Hammersmith odeon '78 (the entire first album basically) is incredible…

#32

I spent a lot of time playing this when I was learning to play (it’s much easier than the Kinks version😀)

Might see if I can still play Eruption I can’t, I barely could then

That first album has that same tight af band in a room playing together vibe as the first RATM album. RIP Eddie

2 Likes
#33

Gene was on BBC this morning and mentioned this
:fire:

2 Likes