Always took a back seat to Eddie but in any other band he would be THE standout. Amazing drummer, his drum sound is as distinct as Eddie's guitar sound
This lady is saying way more than she realizes she is. She has picked up on the fact that the drummer and guitarist are brothers. She got the message of the lyrics better than I ever have. You got it mam! Welcome to the world of Rock and Roll! Dive in and stay in!
You said it brother. The fact that she recognized Eddie and Alex's musical relationship was cool. Coming from a long time fan I appreciate that....made my day.
She's very astute. I just watched her reaction to a Floyd song off The Wall. She inadvertently referenced Dark Side apparently without having heard it, and likewise Pulse. I haven't watched this one yet.
This lady just proved her credibility to me by picking up on the fact that the guitarist and the drummer are working together. I don't think she knows that they are brothers and the core of the band.
I must of went through a half dozen cassettes playing this album (fair warning ) in my boom box back in the day. No joke. I kept wearing them out. I can't stress how bad ass this album is. I still got every VH cassette up till they came out with CD's to this day.
Indeed. Everyone knows the intro but the actual song is a masterpiece. These guys were on fire. The rhythm is incredible. Alex is killing on it. Mikey is doing some great lines. And Ed….damn. His guitar work is stellar. He’s doing so much here. The attitude is brutal. He’s playing to the song in every way. The solo enters with some swing and then takes off. The swells during the last verse that culminate with the string scrape against the lyric “lord strike that poor boy down….” Genius. And right after THAT, he’s doing this thing where he’s chugging away on a string while sustaining a thick chord. Not as easy as it sounds. You need some serious pick hand control to pull that off.
Man I git teary when she started talking about Eddie and Alex's connection and how well they played off each other. And she doesn't even realize they are brothers who have been doing this most of their life together. She nailed their soul and sound the first time listening !!!
Yeah, Edward (maybe without realizing it at the time) wrote music that was dependent on the drums because of his connection to his brother (and the fact that Edward used his brother for timing since his wasn't great). Having played together since children and always being close friends made a bond thicker than blood.
@@andymelendez9757 Edward himself said in a magazine interview back in the late 80s or early 90s that his sense of time when playing live wandered and he relied on his brother to keep him in step. His live playing isn't as tight as his studio work. Part of that might have had to do with his battle with alcohol during the 70s through the 90s. I saw them six times live throughout their different eras and Edward's timing was looser in concert. In the studio, there are multiple takes, edits and overdubs available. And while VH played "live" in the studio, Ted liberally used edits and overdubs while producing the VH albums at Sunset Sound. Edward's a better rhythm player than a lead guitarist in my opinion. His grooves are organic and deceptive.
As a 51 year old who grew up on this, I like the way she is actually listing to this and has something to say. Not what I think, but what she thinks. She is something
Wow. She really nailed alot about Eddie here, without knowing his body of work. The baroque energy, the nervousness, and the synergy between Alex and Eddie. Pretty cool.
@@bonzology322 So true, but I think she used the word nervous to describe the overall kinetic energy in his playing. Eddie was overflowing with confident joyful energy that was so infectious. I sure miss the maestro.
I lined up at the record store the day this came out and I just loved hearing it with you now. I almost cried when you locked on to how tight and coordinated the guitar and drums were without knowing that they are brothers, Eddie and Alex Van Halen. ❤ wonderful video
I’m very sorry, but we ran into some technical difficulties so the second video, the In-Depth Analysis, is delayed by a few hours. We are working non-stop to get it up as quickly as possible. UPDATE: it's on: th-cam.com/video/J3yNkAG7fOw/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=VirginRock Please drop your QUESTIONS ONLY as a reply to this message! Thank you!
Love your work. You are amazing! How about the Rolling Stones? One of the titans of rock music. "Give Me Shelter", "Sympathy for the Devil", or "Paint It Black" are my recommendations. Inspiration for so many who followed... Can't wait 4 your deeper dive into Van Halen - they were from a musical family by the way, which I'm sure you will pick up in your research.
When I watched your first video of you asking to watch the In-Depth Analysis I seen the length and was hesitant to be honest.After watching it ,I listened to your great knowledgeable understanding of music and it instantly became my favorite part.The technical difficulties is keeping me in suspense.Thanks for your hard work around making these videos.
This is the album that Eddie battled David Lee Roth for the essence of the band... no show tunes, no gimmicks, just Eddie and Alex doing VH things. Of course, the album did not do well commercially, which is why DLR 'won' the battle for the essence of the band but ultimately lost the war. It's not that EVH did not bring his magic to their songs for Diver Down & 1984, but in hindsight, we should have known that Diamond Dave's days in the band were numbered. Genius and creativity don't care about fame and fortune. DLR added a bit of sugar to the mixture, but in my opinion, in the end - Dave's guarantee to satisfy us with all his flavors fell short. After 1984, the setting was perfect for a hip, sandal-wearing, red-rocking beach bum with an authentic voice and an ear for both style and substance to add more layers. The laid-back approach provided the Van Halen brothers with several more blank canvases for sonic painting. Man, I was so spoiled as a fan and took all those albums for granted, not realizing just how magical and unique they are.
What you’re describing is exactly what makes David lee Roth the greatest frontman of all time. The poetic and intelligent lyrics and thoughts and experiences he brought to the band. He put the words to the music. He is to vocals what Eddie is to guitar. ❤️.
At night I walk these stinking' streets past the crazies on my block... I live my life like there's no tomorrow, all I have I had to steal. Least I don't need to beg or borrow. Yes, I'm living' at a pace that kills. DLR-After about a (1000 books and movies) about 45 minutes... No Roth, no VH. The brothers would have been in Rat Salad. Or Ed would would have been in makeup replacing Ace Frehley. EVH not exactly a man of words. Of course he is the wizard of guitar and composition. THE GOAT KING EDWARD.
I love Roth, but you are high bro. NO ONE considers Roth as good a lyricist as Eddie was guitarist. He was a great front man, but as a lyricist he don't even crack the top 25 man. He is good, but this is a gross overstatement of his regard as a lyricist. He is a B+ lyricist next to one of the greatest guitarist to ever live. There is no comparison here.
@@bonzology322 you hit it right on the head. I don’t know why so many people find that hard to believe, it’s kind of a common thing in rock. The Smashing Pumpkins were largely Billy Corgan. Going back even further, it’s been long speculated that Paul did much of the drumming on a few Beatles albums. MA probably only played on some songs, nothing very intricate.
@The Fortnight Pro i think the more intricate groove riff stuff was eddie, i can't say with any certainty though....., mike was awesome and his vox are 2nd to none
Same here bro. Fair Warning tour at age 15, went home and started playing guitar the next day. 56 now and haven’t slowed a bit. Eddie taught me a life long lesson I’m still learning. RIP Ed. May you find piece in Heaven my brother..🙏🏼
Very emotional when Eddie does that pick scrape immediately after David sings, "...Lord, strike that poor boy down!" Gets me every time! Just brilliant!!!
@@ClifHaley There is a guy here who has a channel & he completely removes the vocals in several VH songs. You should check it out & find a new appreciation for Eddie's genius. I'd love to be able to buy all their albums, sans vocals....just Eddie, Alex & Mike. Awesomeness!
I would say that a "REAL" VH fan would pick this album as their best. With the pinnacle of VH songs, Unchained! From Mean Street to One Foot Out The Door, this album is incredible. While not a commercially successful as their earlier albums, this was the first VH without covers. Eddie's guitars were amazing. Dave's lyrics and vocals on point. Alex's drum styles varied each song. And Michael's bass and vocals stellar.
Unchained is another VH Masterpiece. Eddie's use of the flanger only when he thumps on the the low E string tuned down to D between the chords is so amazing.
Agreed, she has no visual conception to equate that intro to what she's hearing. I posit she would be amazed as a musician and fascinated as an artist to see EVH do it in person.
It is not surprising that you noticed the team work between the guitar and drums since they are brothers (Eddie on guitar; Alex on drums). As younger kids it was actually the reverse, with Eddie starting on drums and Alex on guitar. They eventually got it sorted out and switched to the instruments that they excelled at the best. They grew up in a very musically oriented family. I think I remember Eddie saying that his father (a jazz pianist) was his greatest musical inspiration.
Another interesting fact about the Van Halen family is that Eddie's son, Wolfgang joined the band for their final studio album and three tours after replacing original bassist, Michael Anthony. Wolf's mother is actress, Valerie Bertinelli. I was fortunate enough to see Ed, Al, Wolf, and Diamond David Lee Roth in concert together for 3 shows. RIP to the King of Ten Fingers and Six Strings! Today marks the 2nd anniversary of his death.
Michael Anthony - the bassist - was in my opinion an underrated talent. Sort of an adopted brother to Eddie and Alex and a helluva bassist. Saw them on the 1984 tour and he was amazing.
Eddie Van Halen forced music transcribers and tab transcribers to create new notations for what he does. The intro to this song is a perfect example. Natural harmonics, tapped harmonics, slap harmonics, etc
This is still one of my all-time top favorite songs from VH I still get chills every time I listen to it.... everything about this song is just incredible...
It's always so interesting to hear someone else's opinion of Van Halen. Eddie could shred, just like alot of guitarist. But the thing that amazed me was his rymth and timing. It was second to none. RIP Eddie, we miss you.
I never considered Ed a "shredder". Shredders make noise. They just do it really fast and heavy. Edward made music. His melodic sensibilities, his feel and articulation.... Even when Ed made "noise", it was musical. Never will there be a more tasteful master of the instrument.
EVH had swing and was a much more spontaneous player than most rock guitarists at the time. Back then I felt that their heavy, stereotyped riffs had grown worn and stale. EVH's playing, on the other hand, wasn't just innovative and brilliant; it was real fun! In fact, it was EVH who got me back into playing rock again.
My introduction was hearing Runnin With the Devil on the radio. Getting to a record store asap. Got the cassette. Listened to it for a solid week. Cassette never left the player. Not a bad song on that album.
@@Stoughton48 Me too. I heard that song on the radio and knew right away that I gotta have it. I got the vinyl instead. Then heard Eruption for the first time and it blew my mind. It sounded like a classical virtuoso with electrified distortion. I was into hard rock at that time, but what makes VH stands out from the rest is how Eddie sounds through generous use of reverb and space, and his unique rhythmic swing that juxtaposes funk with aggressive tone. And top it off with DLR's quirkiness makes it so much fun to listen.
At 21:40, you mentioned them adding "a horn sound." This is why Eddie was a MASTER on guitar. The sound you are hearing is actually a guitar, not horns. Eddie uses a trick called a volume swell to get the horn effect. He turns the volume down on the guitar, strikes the cord, and then slowly rolls the volume back up to get the horn effect. Eddie was a master of using guitar effects and every part of his guitar to get cool sounds. You should check ot his solo song called "Cathedral." Eddie uses a delay pedal, and the volume swell trick to create an organ effect that is so unique that it's hard to believe it's a guitar. He moves the volume control up and down very rapidly with his right hand, while sounding out the notes on the fretboard with his left hand, and doesn't even use a pick. It is a virtuoso masterpiece of guitar. You should see him do it live on his "316" tour solo so you can actually see how he does it. It's truly amazing!! Eddie even uses a cordless drill at the beginning of the song "Poundcake" to get a super cool effect. He was the master!!!
He didn’t use a delay, he used an echo pedal for Cathedral. Two totally different pieces. In Runnin with the Devil, they were car horns that were used. They were actually the horns from everybody’s personal car including Alex’s Opel and Eddie’s Volvo.
@@dasse1588 Please cite any evidence of that. Eddie often used volume swells exactly like that and does it live when playing Mean Street. There are also no horn players listed in the liner notes for Fair Warning
The horn sound is the guitarist doing a volume swell. Eddie was a masterful technician at extracting sounds from his instrument, a masterful rhythm player and his lead never loses a lyrical element. Also an excellent keyboard player, bringing his riffy guitar sensibilities to the keys in songs like "Jump".
When I heard her say, "they brought the horns in," I was hopin' someone shared with her, that those weren't horns, that it was the master, fooling an Orchestral veteran, with what he could do with a 6 string in his hands. Gave her GREAT props for catching on to how AMAZING he was at layering. She picked up the change from, the kid kickin' it around his hood, to being the hunter to hunted before Dave even sang the lyrics. Impressive!!
I once travelled to a remote location in the middle of the Brazilian rain forest, and I found a tribe of people living under a large rock. They were wearing Van Halen t-shirts and humming dance the night away.
It's fun watching people who know quite a bit about music when they listen to Van Halen for the first time, because Eddie's and even Alex's musicianship just wows them and makes them sit back and go, "wait, that's different, that's special!"
The album, Fair Warning, is regarded as one of Van Halen's darker mood albums. They were always about parties and good times. But Fair Warning had a more foreboding flavor to it.
One of the most underappreciated parts of Van Halen is the rhythm section. Alex and Michael set this groove that Eddie just seamlessly falls into and begins to melt your brain!
I wish " Mean Streets" could have lasted another 3 to 5 minutes... That beat and groove was perfection and I wished it would last forever... A very sexy song .
Tons of swagger and menace in this one. A great song choice, there are other songs that feature more guitar wizardry and incredible drumming etc but this one really shows them as a cohesive band. Roths vocals and lyrics were always in your face. Love it
This song has an attack like no other.....like you, hearing it in a more "public" setting almost gives it a greater importance. Almost like Van Halen are our band and we're so proud the way they represent us!
Everytime I listen to this album it remindse of my friends older brother playing this song for the first time I ever heard it. I was 10. Bought the album with my paper route money a few days later
You might find it interesting Eddie and Alex were raised by a classically trained professional musician from Holland. They both started with classical piano. Ed was named for Beethoven (middle name Ludwijck, Dutch spelling) and he names his son Wolfgang after Mozart. And yeah, the drums and guitar are tight because the brothers played only with each other and started as kids backing their dad at his local gigs. 🤘🏻🎸
I love the knowledge you bring to the table, what instrument do you play ? I'm guessing violen or flute ? In rock there are many paths to venture on but I highly recommend Pink Floyd " Comfortably Numb" live, it will take you away and "Stairway to Heaven" led Zeppelin live MSG or "Since I've been Loving you" live. Great rock Songs from my youth, I'm 64 and play Classical trombone and love these great bands. ✌️
They made a success of themselves and a father who never felt appreciated for his talent and the success he had deserved from the world at large but never got because of where they had lived and some of the racism the kids got because they were part Indonesian from their mother who was Dutch and Indonesian mixed. They spoke Dutch as their native tongue but not totally accepted as Dutch like their father who was from Holland but had lived in the Dutch Indies where he met their mother there and married her.
I used to have a classical musician girlfriend. She didn't know much of the whole contemporary music scene, having grown up around the classical 'snobs' around her who didn't particularly appreciate too much of the modern music scene. I played her Van Halen (Girl Gone Bad and similar from memory) and her jaw dropped... She could see past the whole 'hard rock/metal/hair band' thing, and heard THAT rhythm guitar... "It's so BANG ON! Wow!!" Eddie ❤
EVH is in a class by himself and is dearly missed. Someone else commented that Eddie is somewhere smiling while watching this classical musician hearing VH for the first time. She clearly picked up on the connection between Eddie and Alex as well as the band’s overall sound. I really enjoyed this review. R.I.P. Eddie, you are missed…
This song is really a showcase of Eddie's mastery of the guitar. He shows he is a grand master of both rhythm guitar and lead guitar. A lot of people think Eruption is his master work of lead guitar. It might be, but this song he is also a master of rhythm guitar as well. Every phrase is right, but different than the previous one. He was simply the best.
His rhythm work is God-like. Every chord (all the overtones and harmonies within it) feels so incredibly focused and sweet, and the timing is utterly impeccable. The GOAT.
The fact that she started with what is arguably their darkest, most menacing song in their catalogue it no doubt evinces a particular response. Imagine if she had started with Beautiful Girls. It would have been a completely different first impression - lending validity to the broader range of styles and directions they mastered throughout their existence. She is brilliant in her open minded discovery - I love , love, love this!!
Exactly my thoughts on her choice of song to introduce herself to them. Wow what a way to discover VH! I kind of envy her for how she is just discovering them and now all their library is there for her to experience for the first time as we did decades ago. Watching her reaction was like living through her vicariously getting to do it all over again like it was still 1981 and I'm pressing play on the cassette for the first time. Thank you.
I've listened to Mean Streets countless times since the 1980's and you just extracted more meaning from the lyrics and music on your first listen than I have in over 30 years of observation! Your level of intelligence and listening skills are way off the charts!!! My hat's off to you!!! Respect!!!
One of the notable aspects of the band was their singing. A big part of their sound was background vocals. David Lee Roth (lead singer) was baritone, Edward was 2nd tenor, and then Michael Anthony (bass player) had the most incredible 1 tenor voice I have ever heard. He didn't use his falsetto, he had/has a naturally high voice - a voice Edward said was the "highs from hell". Michael Anthony's voice is one of the biggest parts of the Van Halen sound. Listen to Jaime's Crying - that incredible high background voice is Michael Anthony. These guys have everything covered!! The best band I have ever heard!
There are no horns in this song. It's all guitar! The one time Van Halen uses any horn is the clarinet, by the father, Jan Van Halen, in his cameo appearance in "Big Bad Bill is Sweet William Now" on the Diver Down album.
I just saw Sammy H. with Michael Anthony 3 weeks ago. Sammy said what you may not know is how much Michael's vocals were raised above Dave's on the album. Then Sammy went to the side of the stage while Michael sang Ain't Talking About Love. It sounded like the damn album. It blew the roof off the Toyota Pavillion in Dallas!
If Eddie was a kid today they would put him on ADHD meds, he was a high energy person like I am, he used alcohol, and weed to be “normal”, but he was a genius at finding a “groove” and what appears nervous to you is just raw energy exploding out of him, along with a tone that he never stopped trying to make perfect. I sure miss him too, RIP Eddie.
Others have said this, but I would classify "hard rock" and "heavy metal" as two different genres. Similar, but distinct. Van Halen is typically classified as hard rock. Eddie Van Halen essentially invented his own guitar sound.
one can define these things to suit. Just as valid to call them a metal band imo - you'd have to have a very narrow technical definition to say they one thing over the other in the case of Van Halen. Sure, there are some bands where it's just obvious, like deep purple or Led Zep clearly arn't metal, and Iron maiden clearly are.
Agree, friend, but even bands like Def Leppard & Queen were mixed into genre in late '70's, early '80's before clock stuck midnight New Year's 1984, & god-awful synthesizers were introduced by of all people Eddie Van Halen with release of "Jump" single & "1984" album. Then everybody wanted to look like David Lee Roth (which no one could really pull off, hence, stopped trying after Grunge!), but wanted to sound like abomination, Sam Halen! Genre lost me completely & I went Slayer, Kreator, Destruction, etc, while Priest & Crue went Pink & Purple, & Leppard started singing bout sugar lovin'! 🤣🤣🤣 Just my observation, friend! There is obviously a difference, but at time, not so much! Rock On! 🤘😎❤
The look on her face after the song ended is classic. So interesting to see someone react to hearing this band and Eddie's talent for the first time. Thanks for doing this.
I love the way you choose your words so carefully. You articulate your experience so well. I think if I'd had you as a music teacher I could have been a rock star .
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” ~ Romans 15:13
I think besides Papa Van Halen playing clarinet in Big Bad Bill, there are no wind instruments in Van Halen, just guitar synthesis. And a power drill. And a floor broom.
Imagine waiting months for the new Van Halen album to come out to see what Eddie came up with, then hearing this beginning. What a mind blowing experience Van Halen is.
@@markfrost2707I was 18 and irresponsible, too much into partying at the time. But still had a great time lol. Btw, thank you for your service, respect and honor to you. I've always loved push comes to shove, and you're right, great EVH solo!
It was thrilling to see your reaction to this classic Van Halen. There are so many songs with classical influence/inputs. For instance, the guitar solo at 1:46 of Little Dreamer on Van Halen's first album is bursting with baroque and Bach-esque influences, yet is primal rock. Pure genius! Thanks for your voluptuous analysis of Van Halen's beautiful music!
This is so great to see somebody who is classically trained hearing this song for the first time! I love that she recognized right away the connection between the guitar and drums. We all marvel over Ed Van Halen’s soloing, but this song really highlights what an incredible rhythm guitarist he was, and how important Alex Van Halen was to the music. One of the greatest rhythm sections in rock n roll.
It was so interesting to hear her say that and not realize they were brothers. There's a swing connection they had when playing rhythm that was magnifed by blood and genes.
Watching the humbleness, fort righteousness and just plain sincere one-take reaction of a classically-trained musician to the work of artists at the other end of the musical spectrum is just BEAUTIFUL. Eddie VH was classically trained in his early years and it's wonderful how you are able to pick up on some of that in his later work. I loved this video for your honesty and spontaneity. Thank you so much.
Van Halen's outros are sometimes the best part of the songs. They would continue to jam for hours on one song. Mainly Eddie and Alex. Also, David Lee Roth always matched some great lyrics to the feeling of a song. Backing vocals by Michael Anthony are unmatched.
If you can find a live performance of Eddie Van Halen playing his gutiar, he really is amazing to watch. It will give you an idea of how he is coaxing the sounds he creates out of his guitar and may give you a deeper appreciation of electric guitar in general. Really enjoy your analysis!
I was in high school when Van Halen’s first album came out and I remember being shocked at the sound of the guitar on “Eruption.” I had heard a lot of hard rock guitar by then but nothing like Van Halen. The way he played his guitar reminded me more of an organ than a traditional guitar.
This is my very favorite VH tune. It just reeks of the danger of living in a bad neighborhood, on a "mean street." If you find you're developing an insatiable desire to don a jean jacket and drive a '78 Camaro, you'll know that their magic is starting to work its way into your system.
I loved your brilliant insight in the synchronicity between Ed and Al. As brothers and best friends who played together their whole lives, and with their natural talent, there wasnt any duo tighter and instinctively in tune with each other than them.
Women And Children First and Fair Warning changed my life. As a young teenager just learning how to play bass, I saw the VH videos on TV (1984) and then bought Fair Warning on cassette. My best friend who had started playing drums came to my house and brought Women And Children First on vinyl. Those two first listens are the most memorable of my life, and to this day I'm still blown away when I hear them.
That funky riff is easily one of my favorite Eddie things, the volume swell riff before the somebody get me doctor solo too, he had the best bridges ever
it's easily the best rock bridge ever in my opinion. he played that same section during the gene simmons tapes VH did in '76 on 'She's the Woman'. th-cam.com/video/lewo6s6c8oo/w-d-xo.html (it's at 1 min 20 seconds in)
Amy, I’m fascinated by your innocent reactions to this music. It’s as if you were released from a time capsule buried away in the 1800s and are experiencing 20th century music for the first time and trying to catch up on what’s happened for the last 100 years. There’s also a touch of witnessing the corruption of your soul (in a good way). Please keep this up! I think you’d be blown away by Talking Heads “Houses in Motion” their live version from their album “The Name of This Band is Talking Heads”. It’s a musical smorgasbord and it’s pure and raw Talking Heads.
I think it's cool she thought Eddie's volume swells in the third verse were a horn. Speaks to Eddie's ability to emulate other sounds in his playing 🤘🏼🎸RIP eVh
Mean Streets is my favorite song by Van Halen, and I think it is Van Halen's best song. I am shocked it is rarely, if ever, played on the radio. I love all of Van Halen's music.
No one ever talks about the most beautiful doppler effect he does before the riff starts........one note drops as the other climbs...its an illusion that does not exist....its like a false rainbow.....
On the way to school as a kid I would listen to this, I'm 47 on the way to my office I still have this song and unchained cranked to 10 ready to smash the day ahead. It doesn't get any better than Fair Warning.
This is by far my favorite Van Halen song. I listened to it too many times too loudly as a teenager. lol. It's amazing the volume of sound produced by 4 guys!
I'll bet she thought it was some kind of synthesizer. Imagine if you had only heard guitar played a certain way, and then you hear that intro. It's almost not conceivable.
What you have to consider is that people are only listening, and not watching at the same time. I'm sure if she actually saw him playing it live she would be dumbfounded that intro was actually coming from a guitar.
@@mwbradaThis was exactly my thought. If she actually saw him performing the intro she would have had a completely different reaction. I would have liked to see that. Her commentary was very thoughtful on what she heard.
I love that you recognize the rhythmic connection of the guitar and drums, as they're brothers and played music together their whole lives. They're the heart and soul of VH.
This is my favorite Van Halen song. The last verse is quite sad, yet, poetic. This song shows their brute force as well as their melodic breakdowns. My favorite section of the song comes at the end of the last verse when Eddie ramps it back up immediately with a pick scrape: gives me chills.
One of mine as well. This is why I preferred the Roth era over Hagar. Roth can tell a story and was very well read. Not sure what Hagar would have done with this song.
Can’t wait until she finds “Eruption”. Always entertaining to watch someone hear it for the first time, but with her training and abilities (and being a string player herself) I’m really eager to see its impact.
I love your take on this! Great job on dissecting and breaking it down. Eddie (guitar) and Al (drums) had a special bond that no one else had and could never duplicate. I've been trying to figure out Eddie's sound and technique for 40 years and still cannot figure it out. Great job, I hope you post more early Van Halen song reviews...you have a new subscriber here!
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Can we get an amen for Alex Van Halen and his drumming. 🤟🏻🤟🏻
And a HELL YEAHHHH! lol
Oh yes. Absolutely.
AMEN
Girl Gone Bad
Always took a back seat to Eddie but in any other band he would be THE standout. Amazing drummer, his drum sound is as distinct as Eddie's guitar sound
This lady is saying way more than she realizes she is. She has picked up on the fact that the drummer and guitarist are brothers. She got the message of the lyrics better than I ever have. You got it mam! Welcome to the world of Rock and Roll! Dive in and stay in!
You said it brother. The fact that she recognized Eddie and Alex's musical relationship was cool. Coming from a long time fan I appreciate that....made my day.
She's very astute. I just watched her reaction to a Floyd song off The Wall. She inadvertently referenced Dark Side apparently without having heard it, and likewise Pulse. I haven't watched this one yet.
This lady just proved her credibility to me by picking up on the fact that the guitarist and the drummer are working together. I don't think she knows that they are brothers and the core of the band.
She knew that going in. Just sayin'
@@mainelybuds8543 You have proof of that or just talking' mad shit?
The greatest guitarist of all time at the peak of his power. Fair warning is my favourite VH album.
Agreed! This album has a moodiness in it that was unique even to Van Halen.
I must of went through a half dozen cassettes playing this album (fair warning ) in my boom box back in the day. No joke. I kept wearing them out. I can't stress how bad ass this album is. I still got every VH cassette up till they came out with CD's to this day.
Women and children first is #2, or #1.....
yeah, fair warning is my fav with vh1 (not the tv channel) in a REALLY close second
Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steve Vai, and Randy Rhodes say hello.
I love seeing how Eddie's playing blows people's minds even many years later. He was a gift and at that time, no band was better. RIP EVH
should we tell her there are no "horns", its "just" eddie and his volume knob and sustain pedals?
I loved that she picked this song . As far as I'm concerned it's one of their best ever.
Indeed. Everyone knows the intro but the actual song is a masterpiece. These guys were on fire. The rhythm is incredible. Alex is killing on it. Mikey is doing some great lines. And Ed….damn. His guitar work is stellar. He’s doing so much here. The attitude is brutal. He’s playing to the song in every way. The solo enters with some swing and then takes off. The swells during the last verse that culminate with the string scrape against the lyric “lord strike that poor boy down….” Genius. And right after THAT, he’s doing this thing where he’s chugging away on a string while sustaining a thick chord. Not as easy as it sounds. You need some serious pick hand control to pull that off.
I thought it was an interesting choice too.
It was suggested to her.
Best VH album, although 5150 is a close second.
@@danielgoldberg5357nah 1984 was their peak. 5150 was right up there, after that they really had nothing left unfortunately
Your classical education paired with your open-mindedness is refreshing.
Man I git teary when she started talking about Eddie and Alex's connection and how well they played off each other. And she doesn't even realize they are brothers who have been doing this most of their life together. She nailed their soul and sound the first time listening !!!
Yeah, Edward (maybe without realizing it at the time) wrote music that was dependent on the drums because of his connection to his brother (and the fact that Edward used his brother for timing since his wasn't great). Having played together since children and always being close friends made a bond thicker than blood.
yes! amazing that she picked up on that. Eddie even said he didn't like playing with other drummers, cause Alex was so in sync with him
SHE GETS IT!!! GO GIRL!!
@@swordmonkey6635 disagree that Ed’s timing wasn’t great. Listen to his rhythm parts
@@andymelendez9757 Edward himself said in a magazine interview back in the late 80s or early 90s that his sense of time when playing live wandered and he relied on his brother to keep him in step. His live playing isn't as tight as his studio work. Part of that might have had to do with his battle with alcohol during the 70s through the 90s. I saw them six times live throughout their different eras and Edward's timing was looser in concert.
In the studio, there are multiple takes, edits and overdubs available. And while VH played "live" in the studio, Ted liberally used edits and overdubs while producing the VH albums at Sunset Sound.
Edward's a better rhythm player than a lead guitarist in my opinion. His grooves are organic and deceptive.
As a 51 year old who grew up on this, I like the way she is actually listing to this and has something to say. Not what I think, but what she thinks. She is something
Could not have picked a better Van Halen tune for the first time. I love your reaction.
Maybe, hopefully, she'll get around to 'Light Up the Sky'.
@@mrgone658 Light Up The Sky, I’m On Fire, Atomic Punk, and on and on and on…..
She's listened to more since, I am sure . . Great assessment 👏
'Unchained'
From the first time until this, the 20,678th time, (How many beers ago?) I love this song more each time.
Wow. She really nailed alot about Eddie here, without knowing his body of work. The baroque energy, the nervousness, and the synergy between Alex and Eddie. Pretty cool.
she should so some Randy Rhoads if she loves classical music....Randy was metal's version of Ed.
Eddie was the exact opposite of nervous dude, he was supremely confident and competent on his guitar and that is exactly how it sounds
@@bonzology322 So true, but I think she used the word nervous to describe the overall kinetic energy in his playing. Eddie was overflowing with confident joyful energy that was so infectious. I sure miss the maestro.
Perfect, You nailed it!
I lined up at the record store the day this came out and I just loved hearing it with you now. I almost cried when you locked on to how tight and coordinated the guitar and drums were without knowing that they are brothers, Eddie and Alex Van Halen. ❤ wonderful video
Michael is a very underrated bassist. The man is amazing.
Yes and Stellar backing vocals.
its his vocals that made van halen songs...he never got the credit he deserves...he does the fantastic harmonies
@@shaunclifton5281 yes. his voice i think are the horns she is hearing.
Bass player? Really good. Vocals? Stellar! Instrumental to the Van Halen sound? Oh hell yeah!
Spittn' facts. Mike laid down a fat a$$ bass line on this one.
This was hard to listen to and get not get teary eyed. RIP Ed
I hear ya brother
I’m very sorry, but we ran into some technical difficulties so the second video, the In-Depth Analysis, is delayed by a few hours. We are working non-stop to get it up as quickly as possible.
UPDATE: it's on: th-cam.com/video/J3yNkAG7fOw/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=VirginRock
Please drop your QUESTIONS ONLY as a reply to this message! Thank you!
It’s OK. Worth the wait.
Love your work. You are amazing!
How about the Rolling Stones? One of the titans of rock music. "Give Me Shelter", "Sympathy for the Devil", or "Paint It Black" are my recommendations. Inspiration for so many who followed...
Can't wait 4 your deeper dive into Van Halen - they were from a musical family by the way, which I'm sure you will pick up in your research.
When I watched your first video of you asking to watch the In-Depth Analysis I seen the length and was hesitant to be honest.After watching it ,I listened to your great knowledgeable understanding of music and it instantly became my favorite part.The technical difficulties is keeping me in suspense.Thanks for your hard work around making these videos.
Looking forward to it👍👍
Curious of you analysis of Van Halen. 🤔
Love it or hate it, Van Halen was an incredibly talented and inventive band.
I personally love VH
Who could hate Van Halen?
Man you got that right!!!
Haters can __________
Eff em
That's an understatement
That rhythm section between Mike and Alex is pure excellence
Great coordination between the guitarist and drummer indeed. It's almost as if they were brothers.
😅
Almost!!…..😉
He he
A really good ensemble indeed!!
They even had the same last name.....What a coincidence
You've got to listen to this entire album (fair warning) it's a masterpiece.
I agree it’s their finest album you can really hear a different side of Van Halen
@@danielvelsor5693 I love "Sunday Afternoon in the Park" it always gets me thinking that it should be in a Crime Drama movie or TV show!
I wore out my cassette back then........
This is the album that Eddie battled David Lee Roth for the essence of the band... no show tunes, no gimmicks, just Eddie and Alex doing VH things. Of course, the album did not do well commercially, which is why DLR 'won' the battle for the essence of the band but ultimately lost the war. It's not that EVH did not bring his magic to their songs for Diver Down & 1984, but in hindsight, we should have known that Diamond Dave's days in the band were numbered. Genius and creativity don't care about fame and fortune. DLR added a bit of sugar to the mixture, but in my opinion, in the end - Dave's guarantee to satisfy us with all his flavors fell short. After 1984, the setting was perfect for a hip, sandal-wearing, red-rocking beach bum with an authentic voice and an ear for both style and substance to add more layers. The laid-back approach provided the Van Halen brothers with several more blank canvases for sonic painting. Man, I was so spoiled as a fan and took all those albums for granted, not realizing just how magical and unique they are.
@@tomsawyer5902 amazingly said. Makes sense now
This isn't metal, this is rock n' roll at it's peak!
VH predates heavy metal by several years
Hard rock, not heavy metal..
Sunset strip Van Halen and Motley Crue
Whatever genre it's called, it's VAN HALEN
@@tomstevens7452 Gazzariries The Roxy The Wiskey and of course the dinning room at The Rainbow
What you’re describing is exactly what makes David lee Roth the greatest frontman of all time. The poetic and intelligent lyrics and thoughts and experiences he brought to the band. He put the words to the music. He is to vocals what Eddie is to guitar. ❤️.
At night I walk these stinking' streets past the crazies on my block...
I live my life like there's no tomorrow, all I have I had to steal. Least I don't need to beg or borrow. Yes, I'm living' at a pace that kills.
DLR-After about a (1000 books and movies) about 45 minutes...
No Roth, no VH. The brothers would have been in Rat Salad. Or Ed would would have been in makeup replacing Ace Frehley. EVH not exactly a man of words. Of course he is the wizard of guitar and composition. THE GOAT KING EDWARD.
I love Roth, but you are high bro. NO ONE considers Roth as good a lyricist as Eddie was guitarist.
He was a great front man, but as a lyricist he don't even crack the top 25 man. He is good, but this is a gross overstatement of his regard as a lyricist. He is a B+ lyricist next to one of the greatest guitarist to ever live. There is no comparison here.
Michael Anthony is being overlooked. His bass playing on this track is stellar
I think maybe that's Ed.
So tight. Then he keeps the melody, then back to tight in the pocket. Fantastic
Rumor is it was Edie playing bass
@@bonzology322 you hit it right on the head. I don’t know why so many people find that hard to believe, it’s kind of a common thing in rock. The Smashing Pumpkins were largely Billy Corgan. Going back even further, it’s been long speculated that Paul did much of the drumming on a few Beatles albums. MA probably only played on some songs, nothing very intricate.
@The Fortnight Pro i think the more intricate groove riff stuff was eddie, i can't say with any certainty though....., mike was awesome and his vox are 2nd to none
Eddie is the reason I've played guitar for 34 years now. Alex is the reason I should be playing drums.
Same here bro. Fair Warning tour at age 15, went home and started playing guitar the next day. 56 now and haven’t slowed a bit. Eddie taught me a life long lesson I’m still learning. RIP Ed. May you find piece in Heaven my brother..🙏🏼
And Dave is the reason you sing and dance around your room.😃
I absolutely loved Alex's drumming on the intro to Pretty Woman
Poor Mike, never gets the respect he deserves. His bass playing holds this piece together. He’s great, not to mention his vocal harmonies.
YUP1 Mike's "in-the-pocket" grove is what made the song (all VH's Songs) move and gave EVH the foundation to thrive.
Yea Ed played good bass on this. Mike didn't play shit on albums.
Yeah he's really kicking ass, blister time - I know I used to be rock bassist.
THIS
INDEED!!
Very emotional when Eddie does that pick scrape immediately after David sings, "...Lord, strike that poor boy down!" Gets me every time! Just brilliant!!!
fuckin goosebumps every time
@@patrickolee27 For sure!
@@patrickolee27 same brother....goosebumps every 'goddamnitbabyiaintlyintoyaimonlygonnasayitonemoreTIME....aaaah yeahhhh'
Greatest rock band in history
Amen
Eddie is known for his solos, but his rhythm with his brother(on drums) is where he truly shines.
Totally agree. So much more gold is to be found if you just pay attention to the verses, chorus, and bridges in VH songs and not just the solos.
Rhythm king that Eddie!
It was explained that his rhythm parts just swing which what sets him apart and makes the parts feel so good.
It has been said, and not just by me, that Eddy was the greatest rhythm player ever.
@@ClifHaley There is a guy here who has a channel & he completely removes the vocals in several VH songs. You should check it out & find a new appreciation for Eddie's genius. I'd love to be able to buy all their albums, sans vocals....just Eddie, Alex & Mike. Awesomeness!
I love that Eddie fooled her into thinking his guitar was a horn. Wait until you hear his horse and elephant impersonations
Lol
That genuinely made me laugh.
Eddie makes Seagulls fly out of his guitar too!! Check out his work in the 316 Solo… The MAN can make a whole zoo come out that GUITAR!!!
@@troywhite7178 At the very end of 'Atomic Punk', he ends with "...the tail end of the Godzilla's scream"
I would say that a "REAL" VH fan would pick this album as their best. With the pinnacle of VH songs, Unchained! From Mean Street to One Foot Out The Door, this album is incredible. While not a commercially successful as their earlier albums, this was the first VH without covers. Eddie's guitars were amazing. Dave's lyrics and vocals on point. Alex's drum styles varied each song. And Michael's bass and vocals stellar.
my fave VH solo is on this album...when push comes to shove. Listen to it again
WACF didn't have covers either. I agree FW remains my favorite VH project.
Would be in my top 5.
Agree with your statement. 100 percent.
Unchained is another VH Masterpiece. Eddie's use of the flanger only when he thumps on the the low E string tuned down to D between the chords is so amazing.
The rhythm lick under the solo is why Eddie is out of this world astounding. When you get it, you'll get it.
His rhythm is the least talked about part of his playing, but it's the best damn part. The timing and character is so sick. They'll never be another.
I think if she saw with her own eyes how he played that introduction on the guitar she'd know how truly talented this guy is.
It's one of my favorite tapping riffs of his. Never could fathom how he played it, until I saw it on "Live Without a Net".
Agreed, she has no visual conception to equate that intro to what she's hearing. I posit she would be amazed as a musician and fascinated as an artist to see EVH do it in person.
@@mwbrada Agreed 100%. With guys like EVH in particular, you have to see "how" they are playing a particular lick or song to truly see the genius
@@vinceblak4425 and the fact he's doing it with a light up smile the whole time
How talented he WAS. It was a sad day when Eddie passed
It is not surprising that you noticed the team work between the guitar and drums since they are brothers (Eddie on guitar; Alex on drums). As younger kids it was actually the reverse, with Eddie starting on drums and Alex on guitar. They eventually got it sorted out and switched to the instruments that they excelled at the best. They grew up in a very musically oriented family. I think I remember Eddie saying that his father (a jazz pianist) was his greatest musical inspiration.
That's true and the Van Halen brother's father played clarinet on the song Big Bad Bill.
Alex is an incredible drummer. Power to spare.
Another interesting fact about the Van Halen family is that Eddie's son, Wolfgang joined the band for their final studio album and three tours after replacing original bassist, Michael Anthony. Wolf's mother is actress, Valerie Bertinelli. I was fortunate enough to see Ed, Al, Wolf, and Diamond David Lee Roth in concert together for 3 shows. RIP to the King of Ten Fingers and Six Strings! Today marks the 2nd anniversary of his death.
Michael Anthony - the bassist - was in my opinion an underrated talent. Sort of an adopted brother to Eddie and Alex and a helluva bassist. Saw them on the 1984 tour and he was amazing.
@@patmcgroin6916 Anthony is underrated, his role in this was crucial he had to kind of underplay but still nail that groove. Just exactly perfect.
Eddie Van Halen forced music transcribers and tab transcribers to create new notations for what he does. The intro to this song is a perfect example. Natural harmonics, tapped harmonics, slap harmonics, etc
THE "Innovator". ☝️
This is still one of my all-time top favorite songs from VH I still get chills every time I listen to it.... everything about this song is just incredible...
Right there with you! Every damn time!
It's always so interesting to hear someone else's opinion of Van Halen. Eddie could shred, just like alot of guitarist. But the thing that amazed me was his rymth and timing. It was second to none. RIP Eddie, we miss you.
I never considered Ed a "shredder". Shredders make noise. They just do it really fast and heavy. Edward made music. His melodic sensibilities, his feel and articulation.... Even when Ed made "noise", it was musical. Never will there be a more tasteful master of the instrument.
Eddie started on drums. That might explain his rhythms and such.
Ed could drop a guitar and it would be grooving and musical. RIP brother Eddie 🙏🏼
EVH had swing and was a much more spontaneous player than most rock guitarists at the time. Back then I felt that their heavy, stereotyped riffs had grown worn and stale. EVH's playing, on the other hand, wasn't just innovative and brilliant; it was real fun! In fact, it was EVH who got me back into playing rock again.
I'm always jealous of people who hear VH for the first time. I'll never forget, and I'll never duplicate that feeling...
I hear yah
Love watching people react to hearing Van Halen for the first time
Every single song I went through I said holy fuck
But we can enjoy them react to it!
My introduction was hearing Runnin With the Devil on the radio. Getting to a record store asap. Got the cassette. Listened to it for a solid week. Cassette never left the player. Not a bad song on that album.
@@Stoughton48 Me too. I heard that song on the radio and knew right away that I gotta have it. I got the vinyl instead. Then heard Eruption for the first time and it blew my mind. It sounded like a classical virtuoso with electrified distortion. I was into hard rock at that time, but what makes VH stands out from the rest is how Eddie sounds through generous use of reverb and space, and his unique rhythmic swing that juxtaposes funk with aggressive tone. And top it off with DLR's quirkiness makes it so much fun to listen.
At 21:40, you mentioned them adding "a horn sound." This is why Eddie was a MASTER on guitar. The sound you are hearing is actually a guitar, not horns. Eddie uses a trick called a volume swell to get the horn effect. He turns the volume down on the guitar, strikes the cord, and then slowly rolls the volume back up to get the horn effect. Eddie was a master of using guitar effects and every part of his guitar to get cool sounds. You should check ot his solo song called "Cathedral." Eddie uses a delay pedal, and the volume swell trick to create an organ effect that is so unique that it's hard to believe it's a guitar. He moves the volume control up and down very rapidly with his right hand, while sounding out the notes on the fretboard with his left hand, and doesn't even use a pick. It is a virtuoso masterpiece of guitar. You should see him do it live on his "316" tour solo so you can actually see how he does it. It's truly amazing!! Eddie even uses a cordless drill at the beginning of the song "Poundcake" to get a super cool effect. He was the master!!!
No. They had a horn section
He didn’t use a delay, he used an echo pedal for Cathedral. Two totally different pieces. In Runnin with the Devil, they were car horns that were used. They were actually the horns from everybody’s personal car including Alex’s Opel and Eddie’s Volvo.
@@dasse1588 Please cite any evidence of that.
Eddie often used volume swells exactly like that and does it live when playing Mean Street.
There are also no horn players listed in the liner notes for Fair Warning
@@dasse1588 no horn section. All guitar.
Don't forget his great creation, 'Frankenstein', which what he named his guitar and set up because it was pieces of everything.
The horn sound is the guitarist doing a volume swell.
Eddie was a masterful technician at extracting sounds from his instrument, a masterful rhythm player and his lead never loses a lyrical element.
Also an excellent keyboard player, bringing his riffy guitar sensibilities to the keys in songs like "Jump".
yup. his dynamics were something to pay attention to.
Yep!
When I heard her say, "they brought the horns in," I was hopin' someone shared with her, that those weren't horns, that it was the master, fooling an Orchestral veteran, with what he could do with a 6 string in his hands.
Gave her GREAT props for catching on to how AMAZING he was at layering. She picked up the change from, the kid kickin' it around his hood, to being the hunter to hunted before Dave even sang the lyrics. Impressive!!
You beat me to it by 6 months. 😂
Correct.....I was laughing as she talked about how "they added this 'horn' into the song...😅😅
I once travelled to a remote location in the middle of the Brazilian rain forest, and I found a tribe of people living under a large rock. They were wearing Van Halen t-shirts and humming dance the night away.
Still praying for Yes - Close to The Edge 🙏🙏🙏
It's fun watching people who know quite a bit about music when they listen to Van Halen for the first time, because Eddie's and even Alex's musicianship just wows them and makes them sit back and go, "wait, that's different, that's special!"
The album, Fair Warning, is regarded as one of Van Halen's darker mood albums. They were always about parties and good times. But Fair Warning had a more foreboding flavor to it.
And a lot of people think it's their best album because it's so different from the rest of their catalog
My fav VH album.
@@CheetahSnowLeopard mine as well.
Great reaction. I always considered Van Halen to be hard rock more than metal.
Van Hagar perhaps?
It's a band that straddles the line, is it hard rock or hair metal, by the standards of 1980 or today?
You can make both cases...
They are definitely a Hard Rock band, but back in the day that’s what Heavy Metal was
Pop rock. Not even close to metal.
@@luisnunes3863 It's Hard Rock with metal flavoring. 😁
One of the most underappreciated parts of Van Halen is the rhythm section. Alex and Michael set this groove that Eddie just seamlessly falls into and begins to melt your brain!
Man... Eddie just continues to blow my mind and I've heard this song 1000 times. His timing was just unbelievable. 😢
I wish " Mean Streets" could have lasted another 3 to 5 minutes... That beat and groove was perfection and I wished it would last forever... A very sexy song .
The song is exactly as long as the writer required. Its a little longer on live recordings; live 1981 Charlotte NC.
Mean street riff came from another song pre 1977, was pretty weird hearing it but really cool at the same time
Completely agree..
Tons of swagger and menace in this one. A great song choice, there are other songs that feature more guitar wizardry and incredible drumming etc but this one really shows them as a cohesive band. Roths vocals and lyrics were always in your face. Love it
" Swagger & Menace." A perfect description. I like it. 👍🏻
@@billygreenville59 sounds like a cocktail.
True dat.
Heard the song a million times and still gives me chills
Bro, I was literally going to say the same thing! True professional musicians right there...
This song has an attack like no other.....like you, hearing it in a more "public" setting almost gives it a greater importance. Almost like Van Halen are our band and we're so proud the way they represent us!
Everytime I listen to this album it remindse of my friends older brother playing this song for the first time I ever heard it. I was 10. Bought the album with my paper route money a few days later
The intro is my ringtone, go figure! ;-)
and its not even close to being the best off of FW....side 2 baby!!!!
Wow. She picked up on Eddie and Alex in sync. Awesome. RIP EVH the GOAT
The way she picked up on EVH and Vivaldi. Especially during the solo where he went modal for a sec, there is indeed a Baroque moment in there.
You might find it interesting Eddie and Alex were raised by a classically trained professional musician from Holland. They both started with classical piano. Ed was named for Beethoven (middle name Ludwijck, Dutch spelling) and he names his son Wolfgang after Mozart. And yeah, the drums and guitar are tight because the brothers played only with each other and started as kids backing their dad at his local gigs. 🤘🏻🎸
Boom! On point!
I love the knowledge you bring to the table, what instrument do you play ? I'm guessing violen or flute ? In rock there are many paths to venture on but I highly recommend Pink Floyd " Comfortably Numb" live, it will take you away and "Stairway to Heaven" led Zeppelin live MSG or "Since I've been Loving you" live. Great rock Songs from my youth, I'm 64 and play Classical trombone and love these great bands. ✌️
@@darrelhernandez3559 uh, what? I play rock guitar. And yes I’m rathe familiar with Floyd and zeppelin. 👍🏻
It's Lodewijk
They made a success of themselves and a father who never felt appreciated for his talent and the success he had deserved from the world at large but never got because of where they had lived and some of the racism the kids got because they were part Indonesian from their mother who was Dutch and Indonesian mixed. They spoke Dutch as their native tongue but not totally accepted as Dutch like their father who was from Holland but had lived in the Dutch Indies where he met their mother there and married her.
Mean Street is my all-time favorite Van Halen song!
😊❤
Mean Street is my 2nd favorite, behind Me Wise Magic, but what a cacophony.
I love how genuinely startled she was. Her face became so flushed. A classical musician listening to another classical musician.
you're not kidding! she almost cried!
@@rmo5582 She sure did. It was actually a moving moment.
A classical musician listening to a prodigy.
If she heard Unchained or Panama her top would fly off 🤑
I used to have a classical musician girlfriend. She didn't know much of the whole contemporary music scene, having grown up around the classical 'snobs' around her who didn't particularly appreciate too much of the modern music scene. I played her Van Halen (Girl Gone Bad and similar from memory) and her jaw dropped... She could see past the whole 'hard rock/metal/hair band' thing, and heard THAT rhythm guitar... "It's so BANG ON! Wow!!"
Eddie ❤
The way she’s fascinated with the outro confirms my ear wasn’t wrong about that part and that it’s just fkn awesome 🤘🏼
I agree the ending where Eddies guitar is just screaming and crying fading out is so fcking unbelievable to this day.
EVH is in a class by himself and is dearly missed. Someone else commented that Eddie is somewhere smiling while watching this classical musician hearing VH for the first time. She clearly picked up on the connection between Eddie and Alex as well as the band’s overall sound. I really enjoyed this review. R.I.P. Eddie, you are missed…
This song is really a showcase of Eddie's mastery of the guitar. He shows he is a grand master of both rhythm guitar and lead guitar. A lot of people think Eruption is his master work of lead guitar. It might be, but this song he is also a master of rhythm guitar as well. Every phrase is right, but different than the previous one. He was simply the best.
His rhythm work is God-like. Every chord (all the overtones and harmonies within it) feels so incredibly focused and sweet, and the timing is utterly impeccable. The GOAT.
I rate this higher than Eruption. Its more creative and has a more bad ass tone.
This is better than eruption imho
How about Nine inch nails…
The production of this song (and this whole album, really) amplifies Eddie's mastery. The hard, as well as the slow panning on this track are genius.
The fact that she started with what is arguably their darkest, most menacing song in their catalogue it no doubt evinces a particular response. Imagine if she had started with Beautiful Girls. It would have been a completely different first impression - lending validity to the broader range of styles and directions they mastered throughout their existence. She is brilliant in her open minded discovery - I love , love, love this!!
Exactly my thoughts on her choice of song to introduce herself to them. Wow what a way to discover VH! I kind of envy her for how she is just discovering them and now all their library is there for her to experience for the first time as we did decades ago. Watching her reaction was like living through her vicariously getting to do it all over again like it was still 1981 and I'm pressing play on the cassette for the first time. Thank you.
This woman being startled by the drumming of Alex Van Halen is one of the cutest things I've seen.
I've listened to Mean Streets countless times since the 1980's and you just extracted more meaning from the lyrics and music on your first listen than I have in over 30 years of observation! Your level of intelligence and listening skills are way off the charts!!! My hat's off to you!!! Respect!!!
One of the notable aspects of the band was their singing. A big part of their sound was background vocals. David Lee Roth (lead singer) was baritone, Edward was 2nd tenor, and then Michael Anthony (bass player) had the most incredible 1 tenor voice I have ever heard. He didn't use his falsetto, he had/has a naturally high voice - a voice Edward said was the "highs from hell". Michael Anthony's voice is one of the biggest parts of the Van Halen sound. Listen to Jaime's Crying - that incredible high background voice is Michael Anthony. These guys have everything covered!! The best band I have ever heard!
Amazing band
There are no horns in this song. It's all guitar!
The one time Van Halen uses any horn is the clarinet, by the father, Jan Van Halen, in his cameo appearance in "Big Bad Bill is Sweet William Now" on the Diver Down album.
I just saw Sammy H. with Michael Anthony 3 weeks ago. Sammy said what you may not know is how much Michael's vocals were raised above Dave's on the album. Then Sammy went to the side of the stage while Michael sang Ain't Talking About Love. It sounded like the damn album. It blew the roof off the Toyota Pavillion in Dallas!
@@tstanf what do you mean that "Michael's vocals were raised above Dave's on the album"?
Excellent verbage on your description.. they were truly a force and in my opinion the best ever!!
Oh, my fave Van Halen song to check out is 'Unchained'. If you want to see Eddie at his absolute peak, watch 'Eruption' from 'Live Without a Net'
Have to say Fair Warning is the Most Underrated Van Halen album, incredible listening experience every time 🥁🎸💕
fav
Only underrated by those who do not know. It’s my fav.
Nah, most van halen people and all guitar nerds will tell you its' by far their best album. Legendary stuff.
Only a newbie that never heard it would say it's underrated.
Fair Warning is legion!
If Eddie was a kid today they would put him on ADHD meds, he was a high energy person like I am, he used alcohol, and weed to be “normal”, but he was a genius at finding a “groove” and what appears nervous to you is just raw energy exploding out of him, along with a tone that he never stopped trying to make perfect. I sure miss him too, RIP Eddie.
One of the greatest electric guitar tones ever recorded. Wow, he's been gone two years.
Others have said this, but I would classify "hard rock" and "heavy metal" as two different genres. Similar, but distinct. Van Halen is typically classified as hard rock. Eddie Van Halen essentially invented his own guitar sound.
one can define these things to suit. Just as valid to call them a metal band imo - you'd have to have a very narrow technical definition to say they one thing over the other in the case of Van Halen.
Sure, there are some bands where it's just obvious, like deep purple or Led Zep clearly arn't metal, and Iron maiden clearly are.
Agree, friend, but even bands like Def Leppard & Queen were mixed into genre in late '70's, early '80's before clock stuck midnight New Year's 1984, & god-awful synthesizers were introduced by of all people Eddie Van Halen with release of "Jump" single & "1984" album. Then everybody wanted to look like David Lee Roth (which no one could really pull off, hence, stopped trying after Grunge!), but wanted to sound like abomination, Sam Halen! Genre lost me completely & I went Slayer, Kreator, Destruction, etc, while Priest & Crue went Pink & Purple, & Leppard started singing bout sugar lovin'! 🤣🤣🤣
Just my observation, friend! There is obviously a difference, but at time, not so much!
Rock On!
🤘😎❤
Van Halen is Heavy Metal. Anyone saying otherwise must be under 30 years old.
@@gpgpgpgp1000 lol. I’m 49. They most certainly are not a metal band my dude. But you do you.
Totally agree, sometimes the border is hard to find, but to me Van Halen is more hard rock then metal.
The look on her face after the song ended is classic. So interesting to see someone react to hearing this band and Eddie's talent for the first time. Thanks for doing this.
I love the way you choose your words so carefully. You articulate your experience so well. I think if I'd had you as a music teacher I could have been a rock star .
One of the greatest introductions in music history.
Heavy Classical: R. Wagner and Siegfried's Funeral Music th-cam.com/video/Uka8ykFDw2U/w-d-xo.html
brought tears to my eyes to hear someone outside the fanbase refer to Van Halen using the word 'special'. Loved this.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” ~ Romans 15:13
The horn you noticed on the song was actually Eddie Van Halen using the volume knob on the guitar to do volume swells.
I think besides Papa Van Halen playing clarinet in Big Bad Bill, there are no wind instruments in Van Halen, just guitar synthesis. And a power drill. And a floor broom.
Eddie knew how to use and amp. His ability to ride that feedback was second to none.
I thought it was funny when she mentioned a horn too. I guess if you come into it not knowing Eddie was the Guitar God, you might think that.
Remember when we all thought, and Eddie purposely bamboozled us, that the intro to "...And the Cradle Will Rock" was guitar instead of keyboards!
Volume swells along with a delay effect.
Imagine waiting months for the new Van Halen album to come out to see what Eddie came up with, then hearing this beginning. What a mind blowing experience Van Halen is.
I did, and it was
I was 19 and in the Army....this album (Fair Warning) has my favorite Eddie solo..."when Push Comes To Shove"
@@markfrost2707I was 18 and irresponsible, too much into partying at the time. But still had a great time lol. Btw, thank you for your service, respect and honor to you. I've always loved push comes to shove, and you're right, great EVH solo!
Lived it. You’re right
I wish there was a way for someone to make another one from his vault of archived tracks.
God, I love this song... You made me smile watching you enjoy my world...
It was thrilling to see your reaction to this classic Van Halen. There are so many songs with classical influence/inputs. For instance, the guitar solo at 1:46 of Little Dreamer on Van Halen's first album is bursting with baroque and Bach-esque influences, yet is primal rock. Pure genius! Thanks for your voluptuous analysis of Van Halen's beautiful music!
This is so great to see somebody who is classically trained hearing this song for the first time! I love that she recognized right away the connection between the guitar and drums. We all marvel over Ed Van Halen’s soloing, but this song really highlights what an incredible rhythm guitarist he was, and how important Alex Van Halen was to the music. One of the greatest rhythm sections in rock n roll.
When somebody says "It sounded like rocks are falling down on my head", you know that the rhythm section is on fire!
Hahaha. I'm listening to her listening and read your comment. Right after reading it she stops and says what you mentioned! Omg. Lol. Awesome!
Refer to Sunset Sound recording channel: Edward played bass on this.
It was so interesting to hear her say that and not realize they were brothers. There's a swing connection they had when playing rhythm that was magnifed by blood and genes.
I heard the connection between Alex and Eddie Van Halen was so strong that they were brothers.
I’ve always thought the Album Cover describes the “scene” you find in this song
Watching the humbleness, fort righteousness and just plain sincere one-take reaction of a classically-trained musician to the work of artists at the other end of the musical spectrum is just BEAUTIFUL. Eddie VH was classically trained in his early years and it's wonderful how you are able to pick up on some of that in his later work. I loved this video for your honesty and spontaneity. Thank you so much.
Definitely love the subtly raised eyebrow in appreciation of Eddie's unexpected crescendo.
Van Halen's outros are sometimes the best part of the songs. They would continue to jam for hours on one song. Mainly Eddie and Alex. Also, David Lee Roth always matched some great lyrics to the feeling of a song. Backing vocals by Michael Anthony are unmatched.
Just say it. Eddie Van Halen hands down, was a f'ing GENIUS. HE wrote ALL the music.
When Van Halen hit the scene in the late 70s, they changed music. That's due in large to the revolutionary guitar playing of Eddie Van Halen.
David Lee Roth was the ultimate frontman too. Perfect combination and the rhythm section simple kicks ass.
If you can find a live performance of Eddie Van Halen playing his gutiar, he really is amazing to watch. It will give you an idea of how he is coaxing the sounds he creates out of his guitar and may give you a deeper appreciation of electric guitar in general. Really enjoy your analysis!
The drummer and guitar player working together? She really knows what she knows. She is not just faking this. This is great
I was in high school when Van Halen’s first album came out and I remember being shocked at the sound of the guitar on “Eruption.” I had heard a lot of hard rock guitar by then but nothing like Van Halen. The way he played his guitar reminded me more of an organ than a traditional guitar.
This is probably my favorite VH song and, imo, one of the greatest rhythm guitar performances ever. I'm loving this...
This is my very favorite VH tune. It just reeks of the danger of living in a bad neighborhood, on a "mean street." If you find you're developing an insatiable desire to don a jean jacket and drive a '78 Camaro, you'll know that their magic is starting to work its way into your system.
I loved your brilliant insight in the synchronicity between Ed and Al. As brothers and best friends who played together their whole lives, and with their natural talent, there wasnt any duo tighter and instinctively in tune with each other than them.
Women And Children First and Fair Warning changed my life. As a young teenager just learning how to play bass, I saw the VH videos on TV (1984) and then bought Fair Warning on cassette. My best friend who had started playing drums came to my house and brought Women And Children First on vinyl. Those two first listens are the most memorable of my life, and to this day I'm still blown away when I hear them.
Amen sister, I played drums at an early age until @ 12 when I 1st heard Van Halen 1, and since that day I’ve played guitar, and that was 40 years ago
Romeos Delight
Women and Children First.
That riff Eddie plays right before the guitar solo with his Phaser effect is one of my favorite things he ever played.
Yes!
Oh yeah, mine as well.
That funky riff is easily one of my favorite Eddie things, the volume swell riff before the somebody get me doctor solo too, he had the best bridges ever
Here is a treat for you: (if you haven't already found it before now) th-cam.com/video/WltDS7gPO-s/w-d-xo.html
it's easily the best rock bridge ever in my opinion. he played that same section during the gene simmons tapes VH did in '76 on 'She's the Woman'. th-cam.com/video/lewo6s6c8oo/w-d-xo.html (it's at 1 min 20 seconds in)
Amy, I’m fascinated by your innocent reactions to this music. It’s as if you were released from a time capsule buried away in the 1800s and are experiencing 20th century music for the first time and trying to catch up on what’s happened for the last 100 years. There’s also a touch of witnessing the corruption of your soul (in a good way). Please keep this up! I think you’d be blown away by Talking Heads “Houses in Motion” their live version from their album “The Name of This Band is Talking Heads”. It’s a musical smorgasbord and it’s pure and raw Talking Heads.
I think it's cool she thought Eddie's volume swells in the third verse were a horn. Speaks to Eddie's ability to emulate other sounds in his playing 🤘🏼🎸RIP eVh
Mean Streets is my favorite song by Van Halen, and I think it is Van Halen's best song. I am shocked it is rarely, if ever, played on the radio. I love all of Van Halen's music.
She’s literally getting drunk off the music. It’s amazing . Her face says it all. Perfect breakdown
It's good to see a bright new face commenting on music.
What do you expect from a classical harp player!
13:35 they are both brothers who have played together since they were young boys :-)
Roth is so underrated for his lyrical content. Great song writing
Pretty much every member besides Eddie is overlooked as a top 10 great
Yes indeed even his solo work is of the chain.
Roth sings this one dirty too....it does the music justice
Best Frontman EVER !!!!
their best album. fair warning.
No one ever talks about the most beautiful doppler effect he does before the riff starts........one note drops as the other climbs...its an illusion that does not exist....its like a false rainbow.....
It's actually overtones crossing. One from the feedback changing and one from a harmonic Eddie touches.
On the way to school as a kid I would listen to this, I'm 47 on the way to my office I still have this song and unchained cranked to 10 ready to smash the day ahead. It doesn't get any better than Fair Warning.
Agree.
This is by far my favorite Van Halen song. I listened to it too many times too loudly as a teenager. lol. It's amazing the volume of sound produced by 4 guys!
What's amazing is she has almost no reaction to the brilliant, truly innovative tapping of the guitar intro. Arguably one of EVH's finest moments.
Because she hasn't a clue. Who is she anyway?
I'll bet she thought it was some kind of synthesizer. Imagine if you had only heard guitar played a certain way, and then you hear that intro. It's almost not conceivable.
What you have to consider is that people are only listening, and not watching at the same time. I'm sure if she actually saw him playing it live she would be dumbfounded that intro was actually coming from a guitar.
I noticed this as well, it’s not just random harmonics and tapping
@@mwbradaThis was exactly my thought. If she actually saw him performing the intro she would have had a completely different reaction. I would have liked to see that. Her commentary was very thoughtful on what she heard.
I love that you recognize the rhythmic connection of the guitar and drums, as they're brothers and played music together their whole lives. They're the heart and soul of VH.
This is my favorite Van Halen song. The last verse is quite sad, yet, poetic. This song shows their brute force as well as their melodic breakdowns. My favorite section of the song comes at the end of the last verse when Eddie ramps it back up immediately with a pick scrape: gives me chills.
One of mine as well. This is why I preferred the Roth era over Hagar. Roth can tell a story and was very well read. Not sure what Hagar would have done with this song.
My favorite part is the fade solo. Wish it would just keep going. Saw a live version where he takes it a few measures further. Cool AF!
Funny thing, Van Halen was an opening act for Black Sabbath in their first tour… and VH blew them away…
yep
They blew everyone away so.
That would have been a great show to see.
... and i was there....
They opened for Kiss early on, also.
Can’t wait until she finds “Eruption”. Always entertaining to watch someone hear it for the first time, but with her training and abilities (and being a string player herself) I’m really eager to see its impact.
Van Halen redefined electric guitar. There is pre and post and the difference is real. The same with Hendrix.
This is also a very dark song for Van Halen, maybe their darkest. Most of their songs are much different in tone. A party rock feel.
I love your take on this! Great job on dissecting and breaking it down. Eddie (guitar) and Al (drums) had a special bond that no one else had and could never duplicate. I've been trying to figure out Eddie's sound and technique for 40 years and still cannot figure it out. Great job, I hope you post more early Van Halen song reviews...you have a new subscriber here!