Van Halen: In Search of the Baaad Chord Van Halen: In Search of the Baaad Chord by Rob Patterson, Creem, July 1978    NEW YORK- "I sure feel sorry for Mr. and Mrs. Van Halen having to listen to that being rehearsed in the basement..." -random reaction to Van halen's New York debut at the Palladium 3/25/78.    Face the facts, kiddos, when it comes to heavy rock and roll- y'know, the kind of stuff that sounds like a herd of dinosaurs engaging in some prehistoric S&M- a little bit of calculated outrageousness goes a long way.    So along come Van Halen, led my two dutch siblings on guitar and drums who grew up in Pasadena, and fronted by one David Roth, who struts and screeches emit a crotch splitting intensity the likes of which haven't been seen since Jim Dandy Magrum invented his now passe cock-walk. They look just like a bunch of kids from California offstage, but under the spotlight, become 50,000 watt denizens riffing their way out of a suburban hell. Got some good songs and an admirable version of "You Really Got Me," surely one of the ten most covered songs of all time, the requisite bone cruncher chords, thundering rhythm and cat o'nine tails leads. y'know - the basics.    "People always say 'you go beyond rock-you start with rock and then grow'," said roth in his gravelly sing-song. "We don't see it that way. That's why the album is just guitars, drums, and singing. Each song sounds different, with the same exact set-up all around."    That also means keeping the songs short and on target. "We've gota short attention span," said Roth. "It's like too many people try and a 20-minute tune. You gotta really know your music, ya know... you gotta be really good!"    For example, the now almost interminable Led Zep shows? "Ah yes!" responds Roth. "A week with Led Zeppelin... tonight!" Including, I might add, a day with John Bonham. "When we talk about other rock and rollers, they been on the road and had too many hotel meals, and start to think old. And it comes out in the music. Or maybe they think since they're older they gotta slow down and mature now, and it becomes something other than rock and roll. It maybe cool, it may be great, but it's not rock and roll."    That does not preclude musical finesse. "We all know enough about music to communicate when we write songs. If you know a little something about music, it's a lot easier to say: 'Try a seventh chord, it might sound baaaad.' It sure beats 'Try da next fret up... no, dat ain't it... try da next one.' And after all, the whole purpose is to sound baaad."    Yet these young rockers (average age-22) are more smart than bad. After gaining their chops on the backyard barbecue circuit, the band started renting halls and putting out their own shows. Their planning included logistics (a push-pin map in the basement of places played and to be played) and advertising (their last production was announced by flyers at 41 high schools, and drew 3,100 rockers at five bucks a head. That, my friends, ain't chicken feed), all without a manager. "At the point where most bands are cryin' 'cause they haven't got a manager, or the agent isn't paying enough attention to them, we were out hoofin' it."    Persistence paid off, and it took only one Van Halen set at the Whiskey to get Warners' pres Mo Ostin to come backstage offering to sign the band. With the Bugs Bunny boys now handling their first true heavy act since Black Sabbath, the push is on.    But for Van Halen, it all boiled down to the question Roth asked me at the opening of the interview:   "So Rob..." he asked with friendly sneer, "do you like heavy rock and roll?" To email the article you just read above to someone else {click here} .

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