#rock and roll garage

[fuckyeahvanhalen86-95]

When Van Halen was formed in 1973 by the brothers Alex and Eddie Van Halen, Heavy Metal music already existed for a few years and was already showing the musicians from that era that they could really play loud and experiment with heavy riffs and vocals. Although the American band had a sound which was more close to Hard Rock, Eddie always shared his love for Metal. When the band was still in the bar circuit they even used to cover many famous Heavy Metal groups.

During his career that lasted until his death in 2020 at the age of 65, Eddie Van Halen talked a lot about other artists. He even named who in his opinion is the father of Heavy Metal.

THE FATHER OF HEAVY METAL ACCORDING TO EDDIE VAN HALEN

The opinion that Black Sabbath was the band that created Heavy Metal is almost unanimous. The reason is that they were really the first ones to combine heaviness and lyrics that really could send shivers down the spines of listeners at the time. Eddie Van Halen’s opinion was the same, since he told Rolling Stone in 2011 that the father of Heavy Metal music was the Black Sabbath co-founder and guitarist Tony Iommi.

He mentioned the British guitarist when he was being asked about his influences. About him, Eddie said: “He was the father of heavy metal in my mind.” He was then asked if Iommi inspired him to “tune down” his guitar. The Dutch-American guitarist replied: “Well, that was more because it was easier on the singer.”

HE CONTINUED:

“And on top of that, if you listen to our first batch of records, I never tuned to anything. I never tuned to a piano or a tuning machine. So I always would just pick up my guitar and the bass player would tune to me. So we were always in the cracks (between piano keys). I’ve found that most of the things that I’ve stumbled onto were all accidents, you know?” Eddie Van Halen said.

Tony Iommi is the only member of Black Sabbath who was part of all the eras of the band. So he appeared on every record the band ever made. Known also as the “Riffmaster”, Iommi continues to be one of the most influential guitarists in the world. He curiously had to adapt his guitar playing and sound after he lost the tips of his fingers during the last day of his work in a factory in Birmingham.

HE USED TO COVER BLACK SABBATH IN THE EARLY DAYS AND WOULD EVEN SING THE SONGS

Both guitarists were really good friends, they first met each other when Van Halen was Black Sabbath’s opening act back in the late 70s. As any guitarist of that era, Iommi was really impressed by what Eddie could do with the guitar. Van Halen used to perform many Black Sabbath tracks in the bar circuit before they got their first record deal. In some occasions Eddie himself would occupy the vocals.

In 2013, Guitar World made one interview with Eddie and Tony Iommi side by side to talk about their careers. The Van Halen guitarist recalled Sabbath’s influence, saying: “We played just about every Black Sabbath song. I used to sing lead on every Black Sabbath song we did. Things like ‘Into the Void,’ ‘Paranoid,” and ‘Lord of This World,’” Eddie said.

Curiously, Eddie Van Halen almost appeared on a Black Sabbath album. Back in the 90s he was in England and went to visit Iommi in the studio while he was recording Sabbath’s 1994 album “Cross Purposes.” Eddie was invited to play a guitar solo in the song called “Evil Eye” but his part didn’t end up in the record. Iommi recalled that an interview with Rolling Stone, saying that he just couldn’t reproduce the guitar solo Van Halen composed for the track. That forced him to make a new solo so that he finish the song.

During the same conversation, Iommi praised the late Eddie saying that he kept improving his guitar skills throughout the decades. He also said that likes to think about him as an inventor. The main reason was because he always wanted to come up with something new. So reason he kept working on his own guitars and amplifiers to get the sound that he wanted.

[grungybill]

Fur Dixon & Lux Interior, The Cramps

[possible-streetwear]

[meetmeinthesandbox]

I miss the Cramps.

[killcityarchive]

The Velvet Underground posing with their newly acquired Vox Super Beatle amplifiers, 1967

[haveyouheardthisband]

[teenfreakout]

Mick Ronson pre-David Bowie playing guitar in the proto-spiders band The Rats, 1968

[postpunkindustrial]

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

Halloween Season: Shock Rock!

[chaoticdesertdweller]

[ornithorynquerouge]

Fun House - The Stooges

[fuckyeahvanhalen86-95]

Van Halen was formed in Pasadena, California in 1973 and in 1978 released their self-titled album that was the start of a very successful career that made them one of the most influential Hard Rock bands of all time. Over four decades they released 12 studio albums and have sold an estimated amount of more than 80 million records worldwide.

Their songs became real Rock and Roll anthems and keep inspiring countless musicians and fans. The late Eddie Van Halen, that sadly died at the age of 65 back in 2020, talked a lot over the years about the band’s songs. Even revealing which track was one of his favorites.

THE VAN HALEN SONG THAT EDDIE SAID WAS ONE OF HIS FAVORITES

Van Halen was one of the few bands that were lucky enough to be successful with two different lead singers. They first achieved fame with David Lee Roth on vocals and then when he left the group Sammy Hagar joined them and they continued to make praised and succcessful records.

Especially in the late 70s, 80s and early 90s the band released albums that gave them multiple hits on the charts. So it’s often difficult for fans to point which are some of their favorite Van Halen songs. But the late legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen could easily name which were the ones he liked the most. He revealed in an interview with Forbes in 2009 which was one of the tracks he loved.

“One of my favorite songs of ours is ‘Drop Dead Legs.’ Whether it’s a hit or not, to me I love that song,” Eddie Van Halen song. Featured on the band’s “1984” (1984) album, “Drop Dead Legs” wasn’t released as a single at the time. Because that record had other biggger hits like “Jump”, “Panama” and “Hot For Teacher”. It was the last album of the band with David Lee Roth on vocals until “A Different Kind of Truth” (2012), recorded when he re-joined the band decades later.

THE TRACK WAS INSPIRED BY AN AC/DC HIT RELEASED A FEW YEARS BEFORE

Just like Van Halen, AC/DC is one of the groups that were able to continue to be successful with new singer. Brian Johnson joined the band in 1980 after the tragic death of Bon Scott at the age of 33.

His first album with the band was “Back In Black” which became their most successful record. Which also is one of the best-selling albums of all time. It sold an estimated amount of more than 50 million sold copies worldwide.

Eddie Van Halen was a huge fan of AC/DC and he revealed in an interview with Guitar World back in 2014, that the title-track “Back In Black” was the inspiration for “Drop Dead Legs.”

“That was inspired by AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black’. I was grooving on that beat. Although I think that ‘Drop Dead Legs’ is slower. Whatever I listen to somehow is filtered through me and comes out differently. So ‘Drop Dead Legs’ is almost a jazz version of ‘Back in Black’. The descending progression is similar. But I put a lot more notes in there,” Eddie Van Halen said.

“1984” was the last album to feature all four Van Halen classics members. The bassist Michael Anthony wasn’t part of their last reunion, being replaced by Eddie’s son Wolfgang Van Halen. Alongside Van Halen’s debut album, “1984” is one of their best-selling albums. Both records sold an estimated amount of more than 10 million copies worldwide.

THE GUITAR SOLO WAS INSPIRED BY ALLAN HOLDSWORTH

The British jazz fusion and Progressive Rock guitarist Allan Holdsworth, who known for his work with the band U.K., was one of Eddie Van Halen’s favorite guitarists. They had the opportunity to get to know each other and the musician continued to inspire Eddie.

According to the Dutch-American guitarist, the solo of “Drop Dead Legs” was inspired by Allan. “That ride out solo was very much inspired by Allan Holdsworth. I was playing whatever I wanted like jazz. A bunch of wrong notes here and there. But it seemed to work,” Eddie Van Halen said.

Curiously, it wasn’t the first Van Halen solo that was inspired by Holdsworth. Eddie had said that the solo in the song “...And The Cradle Will Rock”, released on Van Halen’s 1980 album “Women and Children First” was also inspired by him. Eddie loved the musician’s work so much that he helped him to get a record deal in the early 80s with Warner Brothers. At the time the musician was selling his equipment to be able to take care of his family.

[grungybill]

Poison Ivy, The Cramps

[possible-streetwear]

[meetmeinthesandbox]

Lux!

[killcityarchive]

Syd Barrett, 1969

[haveyouheardthisband]