I'd posit that if you didn't play air guitar to Eruption in the 80s, then you weren't a rock-obsessed teenager. ;)
It's rather a bold move to put an instrumental guitar piece just over a minute in length as the second track on a debut album, but Van Halen did just that.
The result was this:
With a Cheshire grin and acrobatic moves, Eddie Van Halen was absorbing to watch on stage. He was our generation's Jimi Hendrix. Those of us 'purists' who put Van Halen on hold during the Sammy Hagar era, couldn't deny the musicianship of 'Van Hagar' songs, we just wanted original singer David Lee Roth to at them helm singing the lyrics instead.
By the time Roth rejoined the band, I'd sort of left VH behind. However, if I catch any of the 'vintage' Van Halen songs from the late 70s/80s on the radio, then I CRANK up the volume & safely play a bit of air guitar behind the wheel.
I was so sad to hear of his passing. I wasn't a huge fan, just familiar with the stuff they played on the radio.
ReplyDeleteHe was a musical genius. I think even those who didn't necessarily dig VH, they could appreciate Eddie's playing.
DeleteI wasn't a teenager in the eighties at all. But yes, another legend lost.
ReplyDeleteBig shoes to fill, for sure.
DeleteI was definitely sad when I heard the news. Van Halen played a big role in my musical education as a teenager. I think I wrote about my experience seeing them live. I will have to look for it on the blog.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to read that post!
DeleteYou make me sad I didn't pay attention to those musicians.
ReplyDeleteAt least they can live on via YouTube.
DeleteThe only interest Eddie Van Halen ever held for me was that he married my celebrity crush Valerie Bertinelli!
ReplyDeleteShe's still a babe.
DeleteSigh. We lose so many of the people who matter. And retain others. The balance is just WRONG.
ReplyDeleteOf course, posthumously we learn more of the story of the Van Halen family & it's really illuminating. I hadn't really cottoned on to the fact that the Van Halens were rather impoverished immigrants and that Ed and his bro were biracial. It just didn't seem to be talked about much.
DeleteYesterday I heard that Van Halen played air guitar to his own music when listening to playbacks in the recording studio. That is still now excuse as far as I am concerned.
ReplyDeleteNo excuse.
DeleteI can see that clearly in my mind. Ha.
DeleteI wasn't a rock-obsessed teenager. I only know about Van Halen because of Michael Jackson's "Beat It!" Another sad loss.
ReplyDeleteThat 'Beat It!' riff brought a lot of new fans to MJs music, I like to think. Interestingly, Eddie didn't want any album credit for his work nor did he ask for any payment. He'd composed that bit of music for the track as a favor to Quincy Jones.
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