Eddie's defining solo

[Yount]

Just curious as to your thoughts on Ed's defining solo.

[Etienne]

I voted for Hot For Teacher studio recording. The solo sums up perfectly the story of the song. It seems EVH never gets out of ideas. And all makes really sense.

It's the epitome of an EVH solo.

[kwame k]

Personal feelings aside, I have to go with Eruption.........that solo changed how guitar was played and brought a strat-styled guitar to the forefront of hard rock.

It is his defining solo......if you use the criteria of influence, changing how guitar is played, the style of guitars that became popular and guitar tone that one solo changed it all.

My personal fav, on the list is DDL but I voted for Eruption.

[vandeleur]

Am with k .... Eruption started it all .. Fuck , he still plays it

[kwame k]

....and he's back to the old Eddie Van Fuckin' Halen!

[chefcraig]

I went with "Push Comes To Shove", as it contains examples of just about everything that I love about the guy's playing. But in terms of cultural significance, it would hard to top "Beat It." That little solo right there dramatically altered the landscape of so-called pop music, and was a game-changer for just about anyone that heard it.

[SNIPER]

It does not matter how killer any of Eddies' solos are. Eruption will always and forever be the most known as "Ed's defining solo" to the world. But for me out of this list it is between DDL and Push. ...I had to vote Eruption just because.

[Zing!]

I went with "Push Comes To Shove", as it contains examples of just about everything that I love about the guy's playing. But in terms of cultural significance, it would hard to top "Beat It." That little solo right there dramatically altered the landscape of so-called pop music, and was a game-changer for just about anyone that heard it.

I'll get flamed for saying this, but I have to agree. Ed's solo on Beat It is amazing.

[chefcraig]

I'll get flamed for saying this, but I have to agree. Ed's solo on Beat It is amazing.

To truly put it into perspective, consider everything that took place after it. Run DMC hooks up with Aerosmith, The Beastie Boys released Licensed To Ill, Anthrax puts out I'm The Man, Faith No More came up with what is arguably their only good album (The Real Thing), and metal bands started hooking up with rappers.

On the negative side, the combination also lead to the ghastly sound of Nu Metal and talent-free twit bands like Korn and Limp Triscuit, the latter of which contained the dubious and quite frankly questionable artistic merit of Fred Durst, a man whose one claim to fame would be introducing date-rape rock to a generation of frat-boy assholes and sadists.

"Beat It" allowed for a cultural cross-over in genres of music that followed it, good, bad or just plain awful.

[knuckleboner]

the knuckleboner's favorite? ice cream man.
most significance for rock? eruption, nothing else close.
i would disagree that beat it led to limp bizkit. (with or without beat it, rick rubin makes the move to walk this way.) but, without question, eddie's guitar helped launch michael jackson to the statosphere. having a van halen guitar on a black pop music song got it on MTV. michael jackson's career, and all of pop music that followed was the result.

[Terry]

It'd have to be Eruption.

Did Dance The Night Away even have what could be defined as a proper guitar solo? Not too sure about that track as a poll choice...

Light Up The Sky wouldn't really spring to mind as one of Ed's most memorable, either.

Eruption was a jaw-dropping display of where rock guitar was headed. Possibly more so for budding guitarists than the larger record buying public (I'd tend to agree that Beat It was very instrumental in introducing Eddie Van Halen and Van Halen to a much wider audience than they tended to reach around 1982, and this along with Jump probably broadened their audience and made 1984 such a big smash...much bigger than Diver Down). However, Eruption is just one of those defining moments in the evolution of rock guitar.

[Yount]

We're so blessed to have a choice with Ed. I had to cull the poll list down from 20, and had a very enjoyable time just going through the solos from each song one-by-one. I chose Beat It also, but really.... coulda gone with anything really. Was tempted to say DTNA; short, sweet, girl-friendly. That song should have been number 1, what a shame!

[Yount]

Did Dance The Night Away even have what could be defined as a proper guitar solo? Not too sure about that track as a poll choice...

Light Up The Sky wouldn't really spring to mind as one of Ed's most memorable, either.


I probably let my personal bias influence Light Up The Sky and Humans Being. Sorry I missed Jump too. But Dance the night away... yeah I know. Wasn't sure if you could call it a solo, but it's just very very memorable moment and so very tasty before the outro chorus.

So what was the big favourite in 1979 when II was released?? Surely not Spanish fly?? Outta love again?

And also... what about breaking it down into eras. Van Hagar defining solo? Van Cherone?

I'd go with maybe Judgement day (the two-handed tapping on the fretboard) or Top of the world...
and...
er, Year to the day

[Sensible Shoes]

Funny, Beat It came on the radio tonight and I got a chance to listen. Didn't blow my socks off.

[Terry]

I probably let my personal bias influence Light Up The Sky and Humans Being. Sorry I missed Jump too. But Dance the night away... yeah I know. Wasn't sure if you could call it a solo, but it's just very very memorable moment and so very tasty before the outro chorus.

So what was the big favourite in 1979 when II was released?? Surely not Spanish fly?? Outta love again?

And also... what about breaking it down into eras. Van Hagar defining solo? Van Cherone?

I'd go with maybe Judgement day (the two-handed tapping on the fretboard) or Top of the world...
and...
er, Year to the day

Far as 1979 goes, I'd say either Somebody Get Me A Doctor, DOA or Outta Love Again far as strictly solos went.

Spanish Fly was very fine, but a bit too much like an acoustic version of Eruption too be nearly as unique.

I mean, I enjoyed what Ed did on DTNA as well, but have never thought of the song as having a solo as such...but hey, that's just me being a cunt as per norm.

[Terry]

Funny, Beat It came on the radio tonight and I got a chance to listen. Didn't blow my socks off.

The Beat It solo wasn't exactly mindblowing for me, either, but I imagine for someone who hadn't heard what Eddie Van Halen was doing until Thriller was released hearing Beat It as their first exposure would be somewhat jawdropping.

[vaijuju]

Of course PUSH COMES TO SHOVE!

[So this is love]

It'd have to be Eruption.

Did Dance The Night Away even have what could be defined as a proper guitar solo? Not too sure about that track as a poll choice...

Light Up The Sky wouldn't really spring to mind as one of Ed's most memorable, either.

Eruption was a jaw-dropping display of where rock guitar was headed. Possibly more so for budding guitarists than the larger record buying public (I'd tend to agree that Beat It was very instrumental in introducing Eddie Van Halen and Van Halen to a much wider audience than they tended to reach around 1982, and this along with Jump probably broadened their audience and made 1984 such a big smash...much bigger than Diver Down). However, Eruption is just one of those defining moments in the evolution of rock guitar.

Couldn't have said it better.

[Zing!]

I should also add that other than the lick on Beat It, as far as official VH albums go, the solos on 'Bottoms Up' are hard to beat. Hands down my favorite - particularly the second that ends the song. The musical definition of BAD ASS.

[sadaist]

I voted Eruption because it is his DEFINING solo. However, Push Comes To Shove is his best in my opinion.

[Yount]

I mean, I enjoyed what Ed did on DTNA as well, but have never thought of the song as having a solo as such....

So what is it then? A tasty fill? An Eddie-supermarket-sample?

[So this is love]

So what is it then? A tasty fill? An Eddie-supermarket-sample?

DTNA has no solo in it and Ed did mention at one point that...and its somewhere in my guitar world issues that he did not consider that song relevant guitarwise...anyways my words not his words but it sums it up well...supermarket but I like it alot ...but no guitar solos in that song.

[katina]

I voted Eruption.

[78/84 guy]

Eruption isn't really a solo to me. It's a piece of music. Or a song for that matter. Hot For Teacher is everything Van Halen is. It's fun, mean, in your face & has one of Ed's top 3 solo's on it. Plus the coolest video ever on MTV !

[So this is love]

I wonder what Ed, Dave and the gang think when they read these threads...and I suspect some of them are even posting in here...lol...love you all

[Zing!]

I wonder what Ed, Dave and the gang think when they read these threads...and I suspect some of them are even posting in here...lol...love you all

Dave's gotta be someone here, right?

My vote is GAR.

[fryingdutchman]

Eruption isn't really a solo to me. It's a piece of music. Or a song for that matter. Hot For Teacher is everything Van Halen is. It's fun, mean, in your face & has one of Ed's top 3 solo's on it. Plus the coolest video ever on MTV !

Agreed. "Eruption" stands alone as a composition in its own right.

[ALMOSTsaved]

Although it's not listed I think "Little Dreamer" is quite amazing.

[binnie]

Eruption is the most defining.

HFT is my favourite.

(I actually really love the music in Humans Being.......)

[vandeleur]

i aint heard much van hagar except for hearing the inital album that came out ...shudder ...but have heard humans being . I have to say i like some of ed's guitar work on it and liked the pacing of the song .. tho the chorus seemd a bit lame and sammys voice just blurgh

[CROWBAR]

Eruption isn't really a solo to me. It's a piece of music. Or a song for that matter. Hot For Teacher is everything Van Halen is. It's fun, mean, in your face & has one of Ed's top 3 solo's on it. Plus the coolest video ever on MTV !


Agreed. "Eruption" stands alone as a composition in its own right.

I agree that Eruption isn't really a solo as much as an instrumental piece of music. Defining? You betcha! But not a solo per se. When I think of guitar solos, I'm thinking within the context of a particular song. With Ed, it's really difficult to pick just one. I'll get back with ya.

From this list, Push Comes to Shove is the tastiest.

[Terry]

So what is it then? A tasty fill? An Eddie-supermarket-sample?

I suppose the tapped harmonic part could be considered a solo, although really it's just the same chords in the verses and chorus, only with the individual notes singled out during the tapped harmonics.

I'd consider it more of a thematic tapped harmonic interim (which, by definition, is brief) than a proper solo. Certainly not a fill. By way of comparison, the run Ed throws in Beautiful Girls after the first chorus that is played while Roth says "woooo, c'mere, honey, c'mon, c'mon" would be a tasty fill. Mad Dog 20/20 would be an Eddie Supermarlet Sample.

[FORD]

You have to remember that Eruption wasn't even going to be on the album. Ed was playing it to "warm up" in the studio and Ted Templeman said "whoa, what the fuck is this. Warm up?? Are you fucking kidding me? This is going on the record!"

Wise move from the producer. And yeah, Eddie's had many other great solos since then. Even that 30 seconds he gave to the one-gloved pedobear. But Eruption is the one that made the world sit up and take notice. Spanish Fly wasn't bad either. That one actually gets the attention of classical music fans who ain't even into rock n roll all that much.

[loucap81]

His signature solo is Eruption. No way around that.

But as far as my favorite solo, I'm going to go with an option not listed, and that is the guitar solo he performed during the 1984 tour. For me that was the highlight of the 1984 shows. He came up with new material that to my knowledge never appeared on any album and it's shame it's been kinda "lost" other than the bootlegs. The "new" material I'm talking about goes from 0:08 to 2:30 on this video. (The guitar solo for 1984 could get as long as 15 minutes, and the person on YouTube uploaded it in two parts). How the hell is he even playing the guitar at that angle?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbhO9l5gqG4

[fourthcoming]

I always loved the way Ed tears into the first note of his solo on Outta Love Again......not for anything, the solo on China Town is pretty mean too. Quick question.....Humans Being?

[vanshipman]

I agree that Eruption is pretty much the greatest solo guitar ever recorded by Eddie or anyone else for that matter, but I'm gonna go with the solo from Sinners Swing! It's a face melter and has that falling down the stairs and landing on your feet factor that Eddie is so fond of.