Folks don’t give Michael or Alex their due! I asked my brother once who the best rock drummer ever was. Thinking he would say Bonham.....nope. Alex Van Halen he says. He believes that Alex can play anything John could, but John could not play everything Alex could. I agree! Bonham had the groove feel and Alex has the groove....swing feel. No rock drummer swings like Alex. Great post....thank you!
Just made that comment today to another musician. Both Alex and Ed swing like no one's business! They came from that with their dad being a professional swing musician. Mike Anthony is the perfect compliment to Al's playing. He provides the rock solid backbone that no one notices...but you WOULD notice it if it wasn't there. He's solid, he swings and he's got endurance for miles!
I can identify with Michael Anthony. It like looking through your family’s photo album and there’s only two pictures of you in it. One when you were born and one when you were in little league.
I used to not be able to really hear the difference of the bass, when you hear this, then hear the version with no bass, then the normal song, you start to realize how great Micheal anthony really was.
Those first 6 albums were a sum of their parts. Yes, Eddie’s guitar playing changed the world, we all know that, but it wasn’t Eddie by himself. Alex, Mike, and Dave all made these albums what they were. We’ve heard Eddie himself say that Dave pushed him to do things here and there. Without any one of these guys these albums, these songs as we know them don’t exist. Greatest band ever for me.
Yep. The first four albums particularly were the band firing on ALL cylinders. After that it became Eddie trying to control everything. Even playing the bass on some tracks, the backing vocals dissipated, the guitar solos got longer, the intros drawn out. Still great music, but doesn't match up to the band when it was a fully united group.
Like I said a million times to alot of different people, michael did whatthe song needed, when he needed to busy, he walked and layed down song funkier stuff,but when it wasnt called for he was a rock amd stayed where he needed to, you dont have to play bass like billy Sheehan or flea or les claypoolto be a great bass player, just like guitar players there are different kinds of bass players. Michael Anthony is a good bass player and just because he didn't play bass like eddie played guitar doesnt mean he sucks. Big fan of Mr. Anthony.
@@BassPlayerCenter if they wouldve had a billy Sheehan type player on bass in van halen it wouldnt have been the same, it wouldve been to much goin on, I mean michael and alex held it down solid AMD I dont think Alex's playing wouldve had some of the groove or swing to it if it was like I said a billy Sheehan type bass player, I hate the fact that it git as ugly as it did with michael Anthony, all because basically he stayed cool with sammy and wanted to play when van halen hadnt done anything in awhile. I dont know man people are weird.
Two drummers don't get the credit they deserve, as compared to Bonham. Carmine Appice for being the originator and a contemporary of Bonham and AVH for taking it all further by providing the undeniable swing and swagger that set VH apart from every other hard rock band from the 70s-today! No one can take away Bonham's greatness and deserved accolades but Alex has brought something equally unique to rock drumming and that is SWING! I'd say, in many cases, his swing is on par with legend Ian Paice. It's the SAME kind of magic. Can you imagine anyone other than Paicey in DP?Nope! Al's influence and significance are monumental! Listen to AVH and Louis Bellson back to back and you start to get the picture! The FEEL they provide is where it's at! Nicko McBrain is another "swinger" that comes to mind. These swingin' rockers are a unique breed and need to be studied! To realize the vital contribution of any musician to a band, all one needs to do is take that person out of the equation to see how essential they ar to the whole! This happened to VH twice...first with DLR and then with Michael Anthony. No one swung as hard as the original VH firing on all cylinders! Party music! Metal you could dance to! RIP EVH!
@@sethhoffsommer353 Well said! The Louie and Alex comparison is spot on. And as far as Niko....never even connected the swing aspect. I almost feel ashamed.....lol
@@SuperGaleford making a single handed 16th groove with that kinda bassdrum underneath it swing like that ain't special? lol This is actually one of the hardest things to do as a drummer, Alex Van Halen kept it in the pocket.
This band was a perfect playground for a rhythm oriented bassist, like Mikey. Eddie wrote great songs so a lot of credit must go to him. Mike’s talent does shine through. There’s no denying it. He’s a wonderful player.
When I was young I respected the fact that I got this and it spoke to me; I felt cool because this is my music and a lot of people would never get this. I didn’t have a lot going for me as a teenager and there were a lot of people down on me, so I needed that.
Oh yeah, VH makes you feel good. Can't help but get up and do something when they're on. Especially because nearly all of their songs sound different from one another.
A lot early Van Halen songs had funky R & B flavour to them. Covering KC & The Sunshine Band and the Ohio Players in the club days might have rubbed off.
I discovered Van Halen the last day of school my 3rd grade yr. A radio slave, I tuned in to Panama just after the solo. When I heard that body lick I was changed forever. And it was that whole BAND that made that magic. Mike and Al were such backbone. I was too young but, man to have been able to hit the Fair Warning tour, shit. I could only meditate through their recordings and bootlegs and stuff but the sound they had live was so amazing and so killer it was incomparable. If I could hit the time machine just once, I would go back to those yrs so I could've experienced Van Halen at that time. During the early 80's Michael Jackson and Van Halen were the most popular acts in the world. The sheer magnitude, and energy, the world will never see that ever again. 😞
Was listening to Alex' amazing isolated drumming, then i saw this video. So tight and groovy! Makes you appreciate the song more, having the focus on mostly Eddie's guitar parts when regularly listening to the original album. Great stuff!
Mickey used a pick during most of the DLR era, then started using his fingers during the Sammy era. Not all the time but you can hear the high end growl from the pick and the P bass. SVT amps and a mountain of 8-10 cabs when live you can hear that classic Fender "growl"...ya get a hard on when you're in it!!
This is an R&B song with rap disguised as a hard rock song. Listen to that groove by the bass and drums, (and the way DLR spits lines in the full song) and tell me it's not, lol!
It may sound easy, but most drummers couldn't play this groove like this for 3 minutes if their lives depended on it. This is far more difficult than any of the stuff someone like Neil Peart did.
MIke is a real good bass player, a real team player. With all due respect, Eddie played bass on a Sammy Hagar solo album ,and it didn't really impressed me. The tone was to bright and a little bit aggressive.
@@fandangodrive4310 Which would have been a mistake imho.And I'm a HUGE Billy Sheehan fan BUT... We'll never know..Could Eddie have shared the spotlight with a bass shred master??? Would have been interesting
I guess I’m the only one who really wasn’t impressed by this early drum track. It’s solid but really rudimentary and I guess I never realized how much the crash cymbals were included...holy moly, how many bars of crash cymbals?!!!
Wolf might be a more talented bass player, but he doesn't mix as well with Eddie in the sound. Ed sounds like a freight train and so does Wolf on the bass, naturally. Mike's tone is more smooth and a good contrast for Eddie on the lead. That's why A Different Kind of Truth (while a great album with well written songs) sounds WAY to powerful.
No Van Halen without Michael Anthony. Pick, finger, slap he could do it all. And those background vocals.
As if no one else could do those things. Oh wait; many could.
Folks don't give Michael his due. Crying shame, he's a ROCK.
Agree
Folks don’t give Michael or Alex their due! I asked my brother once who the best rock drummer ever was. Thinking he would say Bonham.....nope. Alex Van Halen he says. He believes that Alex can play anything John could, but John could not play everything Alex could. I agree! Bonham had the groove feel and Alex has the groove....swing feel. No rock drummer swings like Alex. Great post....thank you!
Just made that comment today to another musician. Both Alex and Ed swing like no one's business! They came from that with their dad being a professional swing musician. Mike Anthony is the perfect compliment to Al's playing. He provides the rock solid backbone that no one notices...but you WOULD notice it if it wasn't there. He's solid, he swings and he's got endurance for miles!
@@timothyhammonds it's Eddie ..I don't care what any book says
I can identify with Michael Anthony. It like looking through your family’s photo album and there’s only two pictures of you in it. One when you were born and one when you were in little league.
Personal opinion, Michael Anthony never really got the credit he deserves. There are quite a few songs where you can he’s absolutely shredding.
You just don't realize how good Michael Anthony is an Alex Van Halen to do you hear them by their selves they're both incredible
That’s Ed on bass.
Themselves.
@@LOZi175how do you know that Eddie is playing the Bass on the recording
I used to not be able to really hear the difference of the bass, when you hear this, then hear the version with no bass, then the normal song, you start to realize how great Micheal anthony really was.
Those first 6 albums were a sum of their parts. Yes, Eddie’s guitar playing changed the world, we all know that, but it wasn’t Eddie by himself. Alex, Mike, and Dave all made these albums what they were. We’ve heard Eddie himself say that Dave pushed him to do things here and there. Without any one of these guys these albums, these songs as we know them don’t exist. Greatest band ever for me.
Yep. The first four albums particularly were the band firing on ALL cylinders. After that it became Eddie trying to control everything. Even playing the bass on some tracks, the backing vocals dissipated, the guitar solos got longer, the intros drawn out. Still great music, but doesn't match up to the band when it was a fully united group.
Collective genius
Great commentary, I agree the chemistry between these guys generated that sound more than anyone contribution.
Let’s see what Dave, Alex, Mike & Sammy do now that Eddie isn’t hogging up the spotlight.
Yeah, that’s what I thought. Nothing.
@@bassfishingwiththeantichri2921
Alex and Mikey are locked in like kung-fu death grip. This is thrilling.
Like I said a million times to alot of different people, michael did whatthe song needed, when he needed to busy, he walked and layed down song funkier stuff,but when it wasnt called for he was a rock amd stayed where he needed to, you dont have to play bass like billy Sheehan or flea or les claypoolto be a great bass player, just like guitar players there are different kinds of bass players. Michael Anthony is a good bass player and just because he didn't play bass like eddie played guitar doesnt mean he sucks. Big fan of Mr. Anthony.
It bothers me when people infer that EVH could've played with ANY bass player and it would've sounded just as good. I don't believe so
@@BassPlayerCenter if they wouldve had a billy Sheehan type player on bass in van halen it wouldnt have been the same, it wouldve been to much goin on, I mean michael and alex held it down solid AMD I dont think Alex's playing wouldve had some of the groove or swing to it if it was like I said a billy Sheehan type bass player, I hate the fact that it git as ugly as it did with michael Anthony, all because basically he stayed cool with sammy and wanted to play when van halen hadnt done anything in awhile. I dont know man people are weird.
Well said!
@@JDSquire thank you
@@BassPlayerCenter He surely adapted well to a radical change in singers!
To this day John Bonham gets all rock drummin credit. I think a few people(100,000,000) skipped/missed out on Alex Van Halen. 💯
Full on agree! Imop Alex all day long!
Two drummers don't get the credit they deserve, as compared to Bonham. Carmine Appice for being the originator and a contemporary of Bonham and AVH for taking it all further by providing the undeniable swing and swagger that set VH apart from every other hard rock band from the 70s-today! No one can take away Bonham's greatness and deserved accolades but Alex has brought something equally unique to rock drumming and that is SWING! I'd say, in many cases, his swing is on par with legend Ian Paice. It's the SAME kind of magic. Can you imagine anyone other than Paicey in DP?Nope! Al's influence and significance are monumental! Listen to AVH and Louis Bellson back to back and you start to get the picture! The FEEL they provide is where it's at! Nicko McBrain is another "swinger" that comes to mind. These swingin' rockers are a unique breed and need to be studied!
To realize the vital contribution of any musician to a band, all one needs to do is take that person out of the equation to see how essential they ar to the whole! This happened to VH twice...first with DLR and then with Michael Anthony. No one swung as hard as the original VH firing on all cylinders! Party music! Metal you could dance to! RIP EVH!
@@sethhoffsommer353 Well said! The Louie and Alex comparison is spot on. And as far as Niko....never even connected the swing aspect. I almost feel ashamed.....lol
Alex is an amazing percussionist but this isn’t special at all.
@@SuperGaleford making a single handed 16th groove with that kinda bassdrum underneath it swing like that ain't special? lol
This is actually one of the hardest things to do as a drummer, Alex Van Halen kept it in the pocket.
This is so hot it should've been released as its own stand alone single.
Share it!
This is such an awesome bass line. Michael Anthony is so underrated.
Mike's sound, claness and precision are too much cool and together with Alex's drumming is unbeatable.....
Most underrated bassist ever! Michael Anthony was amazing.
This band was a perfect playground for a rhythm oriented bassist, like Mikey. Eddie wrote great songs so a lot of credit must go to him. Mike’s talent does shine through. There’s no denying it. He’s a wonderful player.
When I was young I respected the fact that I got this and it spoke to me; I felt cool because this is my music and a lot of people would never get this. I didn’t have a lot going for me as a teenager and there were a lot of people down on me, so I needed that.
When I heard VH in 1980.....I knew they would be the soundtrack of my life. Stranded on deserted island material.
Oh yeah, VH makes you feel good. Can't help but get up and do something when they're on. Especially because nearly all of their songs sound different from one another.
Love Alex's snare on this. Everything is awesome!
That’s some damn cool bass playing. Can hear how he filled out the spaces between Eddie’s licks
I love the 1970s funky groove. I never noticed until hearing this.
Yeah. Definite R&B influence.
A lot early Van Halen songs had funky R & B flavour to them. Covering KC & The Sunshine Band and the Ohio Players in the club days might have rubbed off.
Ted Templeman knew what he was doing.
That drum and bass groove is so so good
I discovered Van Halen the last day of school my 3rd grade yr. A radio slave, I tuned in to Panama just after the solo. When I heard that body lick I was changed forever. And it was that whole BAND that made that magic. Mike and Al were such backbone. I was too young but, man to have been able to hit the Fair Warning tour, shit. I could only meditate through their recordings and bootlegs and stuff but the sound they had live was so amazing and so killer it was incomparable. If I could hit the time machine just once, I would go back to those yrs so I could've experienced Van Halen at that time. During the early 80's Michael Jackson and Van Halen were the most popular acts in the world. The sheer magnitude, and energy, the world will never see that ever again. 😞
Damn is that funky
Yep
The funk makes think of a 70's Huggy Bear strutting down the street.
LOVE THAT BELL. Such an underrated album. Funky and nasty.
Groovy lil tune. Don't forget the background vocals
this is awesome ...........great practice track for guitarists
So good! Thanks so much. And Alex's amazingly funky kick-drum pattern on the off-beats. What an amazing rhythm section!
I hear that now, never really thought about it like that.
The timing is perfect.
Nothing to say but excellent
Was listening to Alex' amazing isolated drumming, then i saw this video. So tight and groovy! Makes you appreciate the song more, having the focus on mostly Eddie's guitar parts when regularly listening to the original album. Great stuff!
This is so cool...wow!!..to hear just these two like this is amazing.THANK YOU!👍
Estos 2 la fuerza motriz de van halen
Two reasons why I bought these early VH albums
I like how he slipped the intro from 'She's the Woman' in at the end of the solo.
Man these two were a wrecking crew of a rhythm section.
I love that slide down during the breakdown, just to walk back up into the verse.
Michael is a bad dude
Mickey used a pick during most of the DLR era, then started using his fingers during the Sammy era. Not all the time but you can hear the high end growl from the pick and the P bass. SVT amps and a mountain of 8-10 cabs when live you can hear that classic Fender "growl"...ya get a hard on when you're in it!!
This is obviously a Music Man plucked with fingers.
The lick right before the second verse was always my favorite...
This is an R&B song with rap disguised as a hard rock song. Listen to that groove by the bass and drums, (and the way DLR spits lines in the full song) and tell me it's not, lol!
Man, Michael is a good player!
Man this is amazing damn bad ass rhythm.
So good! Mike was so important to their sound. Love Alex's snare sound!
Great rhythm section
As simple as it sounds I can tell you that playing the kick drum on the upbeat (the "e" and "ah" 1/16 notes) is very difficult.
Everybody knows that snare sound
So distinctive
That's all Ted!
It may sound easy, but most drummers couldn't play this groove like this for 3 minutes if their lives depended on it.
This is far more difficult than any of the stuff someone like Neil Peart did.
Satch has talked about how great MA's bass playing is... pretty good recommendation imho.
MIke is a real good bass player, a real team player. With all due respect, Eddie played bass on a Sammy Hagar solo album ,and it didn't really impressed me. The tone was to bright and a little bit aggressive.
Ooooh that pocket ...
Did Michael Anthony even play bass on this album? I have always heard its actually Eddie in the recordings. Even Dave said that begun on this album.
It's interesting to think about. Where did Dave say that?
@@Iknowthelaw13 That has been rumored for years any VH fanatic knows that. This was around the time Ed wanted Billy Sheehan in the band.
@@fandangodrive4310 Which would have been a mistake imho.And I'm a HUGE Billy Sheehan fan
BUT...
We'll never know..Could Eddie have shared the spotlight with a bass shred master???
Would have been interesting
Love it
How about running with the devil bass and drums.
I'm surprised this has never been used as a sample in hip-hop.
DON'T GIVE THE CRAPPERS ANY IDEAS!
I little bit of everything in this song.
Anyone else yell “Dance, baby” in the breakdown on behalf of Roth?
Great snare sound on this……
She's the woman peeks it's little head at 2:41.
IN THE POCKET!
They seriously stiffed Michael Anthony in the mixes of all those early albums.
Yes, the bass on this album is very articulate and punchy.
Opening by EVH..So yes gutair. Bass is a guitar. I do like this all the same :p
The Rythem section in the Mighty VH is Thee BEST. Don't care who sings it's the Van Halens
that snare tho . . .
Mikes bass was never loud enough for me, they needed to emphasize it more
I Fucking Love It!
What’s that playing at the beginning?
The Greatest guitarist of all time Eddie Van Halen
(no guitar)
I guess I’m the only one who really wasn’t impressed by this early drum track. It’s solid but really rudimentary and I guess I never realized how much the crash cymbals were included...holy moly, how many bars of crash cymbals?!!!
0:42
They’ve both done this before...
Ahhhh.. that bass guitar and fat ass snare Ludwig Supraphonic
Wolf might be a more talented bass player, but he doesn't mix as well with Eddie in the sound. Ed sounds like a freight train and so does Wolf on the bass, naturally. Mike's tone is more smooth and a good contrast for Eddie on the lead. That's why A Different Kind of Truth (while a great album with well written songs) sounds WAY to powerful.
Great insight
Bad ass band ever....
R.I.P. EVH...
🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟