RIP Eddie Van Halen

[Adios]

DLR was one of the supreme s in rock and roll history right up there with Glenn Frey.
It had nothing to do with Eddie playing piano other than he was preset prickly then too.

DLR rode the coattails of Eddie Van Halen. Listen to DLR's vocal tracks with no music. Not impressive.

 

[Chin Diesel]

DLR rode the coattails of Eddie Van Halen. Listen to DLR's vocal tracks with no music. Not impressive.

You won't find a large audience claiming DLR was a great vocalist.
He was a great frontman and stage presence.

 

[Deepster]

You won't find a large audience claiming DLR was a great vocalist.
He was a great frontman and stage presence.

Right. He'd do the jumps off the drum riser, karate kicks and such. He was the quintessential 80's rock star on stage and back stage.

They made Diver Down in 1982 and it was their shortest album with 5 covers out of 12 songs. A lot of people felt it was a lame effort to moneygrab on their popularity. They then took a longer time than they had to get 1984 done. Apparently Eddie was hyperfocused on getting it musically where he wanted it and I think that album clearly was what caused more rift.

DLR had a "Dave TV" weekend on MTV and came out with his "Just a Gigolo" and "California Girls" mini-LP and it disintegrated from there. They just wanted different things.

 

[huskyjawz]

From WPLR's Chaz and AJ's facebook page...

Were you at any of these shows?

Van Halen as Support

1978 - New Haven Coliseum - 10-Sep-78 - Van Halen opening for Black Sabbath

Van Halen Headliner

1979 - New Haven Coliseum - 12-Aug-79 - w/ Screams
1980 - New Haven Coliseum - 8-May-80 - w/ Rail
1980 - Hartford Civic Center - 24-Jul-80 - w/ Cats
1981 - New Haven Coliseum - 16-Jul-81 - w/ The Fools
1982 - New Haven Coliseum - 7-Oct-82 - w/ After the Fire
1984 - New Haven Coliseum - 24-Mar-84 - w/ Autograph
1984 - Hartford Civic Cetner - 29-Mar-84 - w/ Autograph
1986 - New Haven Coliseum - 26 & 27-August-86 - w/ Bachman Turner Overdrive * Recorded Live Without a Net Vide
1988 - Hartford Civic Center - 14-Oct-88 - w/ Private Life
1991 - Hartford Civic Center - 29-Oct-91 - w/ Alice in Chains
1993 - Thames River Music Center - 7-Jul-93 - w/ Vince Neil * Heavy Rain During Show
1995 - Meadows - 26-Aug-95 - w/ Our Lady Peace
1998 - Meadows - 29-Aug-98 - w/ Kenny Wayne Shepherd
2004 - Hartford Civic Center - 28-Jun-04 - w/ Silvertide
2007 - Mohegan Sun Arena - 5-Oct-07 - an evening with / no opener listed
2008 - Mohegan Sun Arena - 20-May-08 - an evening with / no opener listed
2012 - Mohegan Sun Arena - 3-Mar-12 - an evening with / no opener listed
2015 - Meadows - 11-Aug-15 - w/ Kenny Wayne Shepherd (Chaz and AJ Presents)

I was at the March 84 show in New Haven, my first concert!

 

[Husky25]

Right. He'd do the jumps off the drum riser, karate kicks and such. He was the quintessential 80's rock star on stage and back stage.

They made Diver Down in 1982 and it was their shortest album with 5 covers out of 12 songs. A lot of people felt it was a lame effort to moneygrab on their popularity. They then took a longer time than they had to get 1984 done. Apparently Eddie was hyperfocused on getting it musically where he wanted it and I think that album clearly was what caused more rift.

DLR had a "Dave TV" weekend on MTV and came out with his "Just a Gigolo" and "California Girls" mini-LP and it disintegrated from there. They just wanted different things.

"1984 (the instrumental)" and "Jump" were already developed in time for Diver Down. Van Halen had also composed another synth arrangement, which Ted Templeman turned into the "Dancing in the Streets" cover. At the end of the day, both Templeman and DLR didn't want their guitar god playing anything but guitar.

There is another story where Templeman tried to replace DLR (rumored with Sammy Hagar, of all people) in 1977, but warmed up to him during the recording of Ain't talkin' 'bout Love. Interesting that they teamed up years later against Van Halen's musicianship.

It is rumored also that DLR was put off by Eddie marriage to Valerie Bertenelli, because it interfered with the band's party/booze all night image. Basically, Van Halen was maturing and wasn't going to compromise on 1984. Both "Dancing in the Streets" and 1984 seemed to contribute to the first break up.

 

[sledog]

Eddie almost singlehandedly rescued rock from the throws of disco in the late 70s. His innovative squeals, roars, and pinched harmonics became icons in the language of rock and took creativity from the control room back to the stage. Eddie was a techie. He initially modified a Marshall amp with a variac voltage regulator, along with a variety of effects, to create his ‘brown’ sound. One knew it was his distinctive sound. His melodic riffs led not to what one might think what was sequentially coming next in a traditional sense, but with a fragment from the left field bleachers. Clearly the Stravinski of rock. I remember, at a gas station in the day with the radio playing Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’, the gas pumper knew it was Eddie’s solo. How many knew at the time that he was on the cut? You knew he would be really big! I had the fortune to chat w him several times, and found him informal and friendly. He became a legend. RIP

ps - pix file too large to add.

 

[billythekid]

There is another story where Templeman tried to replace DLR (rumored with Sammy Hagar, of all people) in 1977, but warmed up to him during the recording of Ain't talkin' 'bout Love. Interesting that they teamed up years later against Van Halen's musicianship.

Very interesting article in LA Magazine about Templeman discovering Van Halen and signing them to their record deal. Also touches on the topic of contemplating replacing David Lee Roth.

 

[Husky25]

Years ago, Van Halen suggested that the "Brown Sound" referred to the drums.

Speaking of Alex...Sincere Ts & Ps to him as well. Setting aside the personal toll, Eddie contributed some to other artists. Alex Van Halen almost exclusively played with his brother.

 

[Deepster]

Eddie almost singlehandedly rescued rock from the throws of disco in the late 70s. His innovative squeals, roars, and pinched harmonics became icons in the language of rock and took creativity from the control room back to the stage. Eddie was a techie. He initially modified a Marshall amp with a variac voltage regulator, along with a variety of effects, to create his ‘brown’ sound. One knew it was his distinctive sound. His melodic riffs led not to what one might think what was sequentially coming next in a traditional sense, but with a fragment from the left field bleachers. Clearly the Stravinski of rock. I remember, at a gas station in the day with the radio playing Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’, the gas pumper knew it was Eddie’s solo. How many knew at the time that he was on the cut? You knew he would be really big! I had the fortune to chat w him several times, and found him informal and friendly. He became a legend. RIP

ps - pix file too large to add.

He supposedly would boil his guitar strings to get the “brown” sound.

And his hook from “Jamie’s Cryin” was on Tone Locs “Wild Thing” which was also another chart topping single he didn’t get a ton of credit for.

 

[Husky25]

He supposedly would boil his guitar strings to get the “brown” sound.

And his hook from “Jamie’s Cryin” was on Tone Locs “Wild Thing” which was also another chart topping single he didn’t get a ton of credit for.

“I want my guitar to sound like Al’s snare…..Warm, big and majestic.”

He went on to describe his brother’s snare drum as having a sound that is “brown”. In Eddie’s mind, this was the perfect word to describe Alex Van Halen’s warm snare tone – (“I’ve always thought Alex’s snare drum sounds like he’s beating on a log” said Eddie).

 

[superjohn]

You won't find a large audience claiming DLR was a great vocalist.
He was a great frontman and stage presence.

He was a great frontman and total weirdo, they got too pop old man rock with Hagar but Hagar's voice absolutely blows away Diamond Dave's.