Can't Get This Stuff No More - Eddie Van Halen Dead

[Eggchaser]

65 from throat cancer. 2020 just keeps on taking.

[diggedy derek]

Absolutely tragic. He probably inspired as many people to pick up a guitar as anyone who ever lived.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Well, shit. RIP Eddie.

[Snake Plissken]

That's a bugger. RIP.

[Patrick Thistle]

He had that iconic look of smoking while playing, then putting the cigarette in a holder on the end of his guitar while he shredded it with some rapid fingerwork.

This is a musician passing that has united the generations. My mum liked Van Halen as much as I did.

[Flynnie]

The van Halen family came from the Netherlands with fuck all. They only got to sail to America because Jan van Halen joined the ship’s band and arranged for passage in lieu of pay, and nobody spoke any English. There’s not exactly a Dutch ghetto in LA to find your feet in. They lived in one room for a while. Yet within 20 years, the kids were rock icons. Not a bad rags to riches story.

[elguapo4]

Sorry to hear that ,RIP. I was never a fan of that end of the rock spectrum, but Van Halen were always entertaining and had a few great tunes.

[Ray de Galles]

Devastated by the news, it's almost impossible to take in. As Derek says, Eddie inspired a huge amount of people to play guitar and Van Halen are far more influential on decades of popular music than most people will ever give them credit for.

I feel absolutely privileged to have seen Van Halen proper (well, without Michael Anthony) on their 2012 reunion tour and it was one of the most joyous gigs of my life.

[Ray de Galles]

Just too hard to pick VH's best song but it probably has to be something from the debut. 'Ain't Talkin 'Bout Love' is actually on the list of my eight Desert Island Discs that I always carry in case I am rushed in to record an episode of the show.

My favourite Eddie solo (and this may seem like heresy) is from 'Hot For Teacher', it's looser and funkier than a lot of the other (absolutely amazing ones) and I love it ;

Just totally knocked sideways by his death, have Dave and Alex made any comment yet?

[Incandenza]

Runnin' With the Devil/Eruption/You Really Got Me/Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love to open up your debut album. Talk about making a statement.

[gavc23]

I’ve not heard anything from Alex or Dave, but Sammy Hagar has been saying that right (and nice things).

[Eggchaser]

It's very nice of 2020 to give me a birthday present, but it's rather too in keeping with the other gifts it's been handing out this year.

[Hot Pepsi]

As we discussed on that other thread, he and his brother on the drums are what really set VH apart. Not to besmirch the bass or the vocals, of course.

He also played guitar on MJ's “Beat It.”

[Jah Womble]

RIP. Eddie could really play. (The ciggie tucked into the guitar head while rocking out is an old sixties trope, however.)

We’re gonna have to watch who we discuss here on Music - they’re dropping a bit too soon thereafter just lately.

[Ray de Galles]

As we discussed on that other thread, he and his brother on the drums are what really set VH apart. Not to besmirch the bass or the vocals, of course.

He also played guitar on MJ's “Beat It.”

I've not seen this other thread but would contend that it's the meshing of all the four talents in VH (including Michael) that made the band so great, so special. Van Hagar illustrated that very well.

Anyway, not really the time for such a discussion.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Very sad. RIP EVH.

Would it be heresy to confess that my favourite Van Halen track is Why Can't This Be Love?

[Ray de Galles]

That's like saying your favourite Wimbledon player is Dean Lewington.

[ember]

I had the 12" of Why Can't This Be Love; it had a sticker on the front proclaiming "Featuring Eddie Van Halen solo"....

[Nocturnal Submission]

That's like saying your favourite Wimbledon player is Dean Lewington.

Yeh, I know.

I realise that it marks me out as a wrong 'un.

[Cal Alamein]

Just too hard to pick VH's best song but it probably has to be something from the debut. 'Ain't Talkin 'Bout Love' is actually on the list of my eight Desert Island Discs that I always carry in case I am rushed in to record an episode of the show.

'Ain't Talkin 'Bout Love' is one of their best.

Got this sent to me this afternoon - 'Ain't Talkin 'Bout Love' - just the guitar. A guitar into two pedals (left on the whole song) and an amp. no overdubs. no retakes. no edits.

https://youtu.be/lBZVEpKoB-A

He left this earth the greatest living hard-rock guitar player bar absolutely none.

[Patrick Thistle]

I quite liked Jump and the 1984 album. Panama was a great song.

Running with the Devil though, what a great first album first song that was.

[Hot Pepsi]

'Ain't Talkin 'Bout Love' is one of their best.

Got this sent to me this afternoon - 'Ain't Talkin 'Bout Love' - just the guitar. A guitar into two pedals (left on the whole song) and an amp. no overdubs. no retakes. no edits.

https://youtu.be/lBZVEpKoB-A

He left this earth the greatest living hard-rock guitar player bar absolutely none.

I think that only works if you don’t count Jimi Hendrix as hard rock.

[Uncle Ethan]

1978 was quite a year for me. Van Halen a massive part of it. This is such sad news. You Really Got Me and later Dance the Night Away are faves, Eruption too, but hard to choose.

[Cal Alamein]

I think that only works if you don’t count Jimi Hendrix as hard rock.

For clarification, I wrote: He left this earth the greatest living hard-rock guitar player bar absolutely none.

I'll give Hendrix the #1 hard-rock guitarist of all time.

[Hot Pepsi]

I see. I didn’t know how to interpret *living* in the context of his departure.