The little things...

[Dave's PA Rental]

I think that for many of us, listening to these songs has evoked lots of long-lost memories of what it was like back in the days before iTunes or Amazon, back to when we actually went into a record store and purchased a physical record. There was a synergy in a record when listening to the songs back-to-back-to-back, instead of buying a song here-and-there for 99 cents and listening to them in a playlist on shuffle.

Last night my 48 year old brother, the guy who introduced VH to me, sent me this simple text: "On Tuesday i'm going to go buy a CD for the first time in 15 years." On Tuesday after he buys the CD and starts listening to it on his ride home, i'm sure that there will be memories and feelings that he hasn't touched in many years. Many of you will be in that same boat.

Lets make this thread the place where we jot down the little things that pop back into our minds as we listen to and experience this new Van Halen record. This record is truly epic, and many people have admitted to not being able to express how huge an impact it has on them. Myself included. Let's concentrate on the little things to help paint a big picture.

I'll start: I had forgotten what it was like as one song was finishing up, to anticipate the beginning of the next song. As each song is finishing, my mind is trying to fast-forward to the next one.

I look forward to reading what little things you all come up with...

[Momshell]

I remember the one and only time I bought a Van Halen album - actually the one day I went to the record store at age 13 with my grandparents and bought the 6-pack on vinyl. Then I went back to their house and proceeded to listen to all 6 repeatedly with my grandfather, who was dancing around the living room with me!
I'm also liking trying to figure out the lyrics to a Van Halen song, something I haven't done in almost 28 years! I love catching a Dave lyric for the first time and the feeling of pure joy in admiring his humor and genius! I'm now trying to re-listen to lyrics I've sung a million times to realize just how amazing they are. Lines like "semi-good looking", "getting funny in the back of my car", even "and the cradle will rock" are just brilliant when you think they all came from nowhere out of Dave's mind. Too many to even list!

[Zing!]

I can say one thing for sure: This is the first time in who knows how long - decades - that I've not only looked forward to the album, but the album artwork! One of the things that set Van Halen apart back in the day was their attention to detail (which is to say Dave's attention to detail). The albums always had the coolest look to the them, from the iconic first album, to the logo doing the talking on the second, to the rowdy photo on WACF, to the WTF? of Fair Warning, to the simplicity of DD, to the era defining 1984. Each Van Halen release was something special. You never knew what you were going to find inside. That's how I feel about ADKOT. Dave's attention to detail - his effort to make this release something special for the fans - is all over this record - and makes me seriously consider forking out the cash to get a vinyl copy to see it properly. Remember how lame the BOV1 album art was? This is Van Halen done right - the way it's supposed to be. It's the entire package, which is what a record is supposed to be in my opinion. It's a shame the digital age has made this art form obsolete. Who knows - maybe A Different Kind of Truth will be the record that ushers in a new era (which is to say an OLD era) of music done right!

[vandeleur]

I was 18 and it was the hay day of video juke box's and my friend knew i had been learning to play guitar for a while and i had said i was cool with all the maiden stuff i was learning but looking for a bit of a challenge and he asked me did i like Van halen and i said i hadnt heard much of him , actually hadnt heard any of them lol
He went over to the juke box put in his money and played panama .. i nearly shit .... it was like what the fuck thats not a guitar ...what am i doing .... so i bombed the machine with money watching that over and over again ... pissing off the pub clientel . The only way i can honestly discribe it was like the wizard of oz .. before its all black and white and then boom its all in techno colour .
Any how on the way home full of booze .. pubs shut at 3 in those days so the shops were open i went to woolworths and bought the 7'inch single of panama and went home with it .
Weird stuff about that day first ... i realise i was always gonna be a pedestrian guitarist at best and even more obvious although i loved the guitarist it was the crazy ass front man who resonated with me .. he wasnt like bruce or ozzy or any bodyelse i was into .. he didnt sing about serious shite he wanted me to party and fun stuff in a very tongue in cheek wink wink sort of way ...i thought shit this is the band for me ............................... er still is ...........And blood and fire when i first heard it reminded me of that feeling .

[SilvioDante]

Two things:

First, I remember getting MTV for Christmas when I was 13. Watched it night and day. It was December of 1982 and I heard those 9 magic words:

"Got me a brand new Oakland scarf right here...."

I noticed and watched that video and looked forward to seeing it again, and again, and again. I got the back catalog and I had my band.

Second, I remember why I learned to play guitar. I wanted to do THAT. I wanted to sound like THAT. I wanted a girlfriend that looked like Valerie Bertinelli. The other day I looked, as I listened, and noticed my Strat and my Marshall sitting in the corner. They are tired playing the same Zep, Van Halen and classic rock licks over and over for 28 years. They need a new sound. Now I can finally give it to them.

[relliot]

I was 13 in 1978. Kiss Alive II, Ted Nugent Double Live Gonzo, Foghat Live, Toys In The Attic, Another Mother Further (Mothers Finest) were my favorite things. Then Van Halen happened and along with it that year was first dance, kiss, stupid grope and heartache. Little things.

[vandeleur]

cool post

[moose]

1978.....late march early April
Older cousins come over, they bring some of their
albums with em.....open the lid to the big ass furniture
stereo(all Italians had one of them bad boys)
they look at me and say "listen to this".....
Needless to say the rest is fakkkkkin history,
From the into to RWTD....to the finishing note of On Fire I was like
holy fuck.....
On Tuesday I will be at HMV first thing in the
morning grab the cd's.... Come home
load it in my player and crank it to 10

Then when the vinyl arrives I will go to mum and dads
Open that old player up and play the album
the same way I listened to VAN FUCKIN HALEN
back in 1978
34 long fuckin years ago!!!!!!

[vandeleur]

Loving this thread ..... kudos to Dave's PA rental

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Never forget it, early 1978, I'm 14, go to my best friend's house, he has this album with four dudes on it...

He puts the record on, plays what turns out to be RWTD, shit that's heavy....

But then, I hear Eruption, and we stare at each other, what the fuck is THAT ??

We put the needle back to the beginning and replay it at least 10 times.... We both picked up yard rulers and commenced to air guitaring, of course not knowing what the fuck we were doing....

Eventually, played the rest of Van Halen I, and told myself, that was the best album I've ever heard....

[wiseguy]

I became friends with David Lee Roth in 1984. What I forgot was that he that he had already been delivered to me years before in the form of that red and white Van Halen album (you know the one). My brother (now 52) bought the cassette for me for my birthday and introduced me to (oh) pretty woman. I thought it was cool but only because my big brother liked it. I sold it to a friend later on because I was a BREAK DANCER and needed nothing to do with that rock music. My brother again introduced me to some older Van Halen years later, "you really got me". It clicked a bit but nothin'. I found out later on that my brother had VH 1 on cassette and he took it everywhere and the stories from his friends about how that cassette would have to play at all the parties were many. I still have that cassette and The Diver Down he bought me (I stole it back). Both have the words rubbed off due to excessive plays. In 1984 he finally convinced me that it was time to grow up (I was 15) and get a clue. I did. Van Halen was the one thing that I could own and be proud of. My brother joined the navy and I rarely saw him most of my life but I knew I always had THAT with him.
I thank my brother for what he did today because as you all know, it's not just music...it's a way thinking and living.
On Tuesday, I will be buying 2 copies of ADKOT from the record store. One will go to my mom and dads house for my brother to pick up when he is in the city next. On a sticky attached to it will be simply, "thank you".

This is a great thread as I have a zillion David Lee Roth/Van Halen "getting me through life stories."

Thanks
.

[ELVIS]

When I was 13 I won an art contest on TV which led me to a job of painting Edwards Frankenstrats and sucking the air out of Dave's cuffs and pant legs...

The next year, Van Halen's management sent me m&m's by the truck load to sort out the brown ones. I still have some left, although they turned white over the years...

As I listened to my signed gold copies of each album with Dave and the midgets over the years, Dave would tell me how Edward kept hinting at him to sleep with Valerie while Ed got wasted, in hopes of producing a future bass player so he could fire Michael Anthony...

As it turns out (according to Dave) It was Alex that slept with Val while Dave slept with Al's wife...

And the finak result is A DIFFERENT KIND OF TRUTH !!

[TJMKID]

First time I ever got exposed to the Mighty Halen.....

Spring 1982 ---- my aunt invites me and my sister to stay over at her house for the weekend because she got this new cable channel called "MTV". My parents lived in the boonies so no cable TV for us poor country bumkins. I was 9 yrs. old and just bought my very first album --- Styx's "Paradise Theater" and was hoping to see one of their videos. I was also into REO Speedwagon and Pat Benatar.

So I'm on the couch in my jammies getting sleepy around 11pm and all of a sudden I hear this rumble coming from the TV and I see a flashing blue light. The spotlights all focus on this crazy-looking dude with long blond hair and he screams "EVERYBODY UP" like a banshee into his microphone and launches the most insane split leap I'd ever seen. The guitarist was this skinny dude who loved to smile a lot. Blew my fuckin' mind. My young naive eyes and ears were suddenly being roasted. I didnt know the name of this band ---- but they fucking dug their claws into my soul and wouldnt let go. This was the coolest fuckin' thing I had ever seen and heard. I was a music nut now and there was no turning back.

Strangely enough, I didnt know it was VH until couple years later when my parents bought their first VCR and I recorded "Friday Night Videos" in Jan. 1984. I watched the tape and see this new video by Van Halen featuring their song "Jump". I suddenly recall it was the same band that had that crazy concert video where the singer does spectacular jumps off drum risers and the guitarist is smiling like a cherub while churning out smoking hot riffage. I loved all the posturing and preening --- this was setting the stage for 80's hard rock. These guys were the coolest dudes on the planet and my pubescent mind was reeling at how much pussy they were getting by being this cool and famous! I even thought the blond lead singer Roth was married to Valerie Bertinelli since I heard about it on the ET show earlier.

In the years that followed, I managed to buy every Roth-era VH album on cassette and fell in love with the greatest rock band on Earth. I was sad to hear Roth left the band in 1985, but I was already really into Ratt and Motley Crue so the impact of that event didnt affect me until later on as I realized how much Van Hagar sucked ass. When I was in college in the late 80's, I went to the library and started digging up old articles about Roth-era VH and I quickly saw how smart David Lee Roth was with his witty quotes and unique perspective on life and entertainment. I fell "back in love" with CVH and have never let it go since then. They are my band for life --- my heroes --- and it's gonna be like that until they spread my dusty ashes over a forest stream.

[Matt White]

1978....1o years old...playing on my Grand-Parents front lawn & listening to an old transistor radio.............

Hear "YOU REALLY GOT ME" for the 1st time.....sounded like an INVASION!!!

Brings back memories of a sunny Summer afternoon....with my siblings.....my Grand-Parents who are both in Heaven now....the Pear tress in their front yeard we climbed..which are gone....GPs house sold to some stranger......doesn't matter...DAMN GOOD TIMES!!!

[Pushcomes2Shove]

Long time lurker first time poster - First heard of VH from a family friend that was in the Navy and stationed in California. He had seen them at one of the epic backyard parties we have all heard about and told me i had to get the new album. Picked up VH II while taking a vacation out to California and drove the old people crazy with it. While traveling to Ga to visit my parents on a friday night, the local Atlanta hard rock station had a midnight preview of Fair Warning as i was hitting the city limits on S 75 jamming to Mean Street. I had just installed a new SuperTuner with a 7band Tancredi EQ with new 6x9s for the long trip. Calling Phils Records for two weeks straight before the release of 1984 and bugging the piss out of them. Six years ago i made a promise to my 12 year old son who is a VH nut that if the original lineup ever got back together i would take him. I introduced him to what is a real rock concert in Cincinnati in 2008 after they resumed their tour. This morning i got confirmation that the 4th row tickets for the Louisville show should be here on Tuesday. Last night i told my son that we were going but i couldnt get very good seats. I cannot wait to see his expression when we take our seats.

[vandeleur]

Losing our virginity stories cool .,, when was the last time you did something for the first time

[hain23x]

1981 my sister had a tape with the name "April Wine" written on it. I put it in her stereo and proceed to have my head blown off for about 30 mins.

Fast forward a couple of weeks later and I see that April Wine is playing on Mtv's Saturday night concert. I watch the whole thing and never hear one song from that tape
I go bitching to my sister about it and she laughed and said "that tape is labeled wrong. That was."Fair Warning" by Van Halen.

From that moment on, Van Halen was my favorite band

[ZahZoo]

Early February 1978... I'm 19 and working to clean up Studio A for a recording session that afternoon at the Record Plant in Sausalito, Ca after some marathon jam/party the night before. In strolls my best friend and bass player with a record in his hand. He goes... "remember all that shit we've been hearing about that party band down in southern California?" Yeah sure, what do ya know? Hands me the record and says... "Check this shit out."

We head off into the control room and I throw the record on a turn table and pipe it to the main monitors. Out blasts Runnin With the Devil... were like ok, that's pretty cool. As the song is finishing my buddy says... "crank this next one up!!" So I slide the volume up to about 8... Out blasts Eruption... all I can think is What the Fuck is that..?

While this is going we had the doors open and soon everyone in the place was coming into the control room and asking who the hell is that? Played the album at least 3 times that afternoon. On the way home I swung by Tower Record and grabbed a copy. That night my landlord threatened to evict me for playing loud music past midnight. I was hooked from that day on...

[AccidentalAngel]

The little things...

Remember the complete silence in the room after 4 or 5 songs and getting up to turn your vinyl over....

[Dave's PA Rental]

Then when the vinyl arrives I will go to mum and dads
Open that old player up and play the album
the same way I listened to VAN FUCKIN HALEN
back in 1978
34 long fuckin years ago!!!!!!

This is the stuff, right here.

Thanks for embracing this thread. Such good stories...

[fourthcoming]

I was lucky enough to have all older kids growing up on my block when I was a young tike. First time I heard VH was 1979...I was six years old and the only thing I knew about music was Kiss because they were marketing the piss out of themselves at that point. We had a kid on our block who was 12 years old and already big and intimidating. My friends were all a few years older than me and as we're riding our banana seat bicylcles by this kids house he pretty much orders us into his garage. His sister was listening to Michael Jackson "off the wall" untill he kicked her out and proceeded to put VHII on the record player. I was six so what the hell did I know....the only thing I remember from that day was hearing "Dance the night Away" and I remember my friends and I being told by the older kid "If you wanna be cool you gotta walk like Danny Zuco from Grease, and listen to Van Halen". Luckily my parents were pretty hip and still young. I went home and asked my pops to buy me VHII which he gladly did. The only other record I had was Kiss: Dressed To Kill which my mom bought me a few months before and my dad couldn't stand Kiss so he was happy with me listening to VH. I remember hearing that album constantly not cuz I always played it, I was six friggin years old....but cuz my parents wore that shit out.

[johneric8]

Man where do I start? For me Van Halen changed my life! Born in 68 I was of the perfect age to be influenced by them. I was a child with a severe issue with hyperactivity and ADD, in fact I was one of the first kids ever on Ritilan! Okay, I remember listening to van halen on my turntable because a friend loaned me the record this was most likely in or around 81. When I heard eruption it started a fire in me I couldn't put out. I had my dad who was a guitar player get me a guitar so I could play that way. After about a year of practicing my ass off we discovered I was an amazing guitar player! I ended up going through school from that point on with ton's of confidence in myself and it helped me settle down and be able to focus! I actually got through school because of Van Halen. That music stirred something up in me that had healing powers.

Second part of the story is an example of how I remember 1984. I knew Q102 was going to play Jump for the first time on the radio and I was at school. I was sitting on my ass in athletics with my headphones on and fm tuner rearing to go. The anticipation of just possibly hearing the tune was almost too much for me to take.. This is what I remember the most the anticipation and the wait! Finally when it played I was confused because of the keyboards but just like Tattoo I eventually learned to love it because it was my boys! Unless you lived through it I can understand people not getting it but Van Halen was the best band around hands down. They were the best players, best songs, best looking, best attitude, most entertaining. They fucking had it all, and everybody wanted to be them or with them.... Still haven't seen any band come close...

[Onofrio]

I was a 14 turning 15 in 1991 when I went Van Halen crazy. I remember getting the six pack one by one over the course of two years ( 15 bucks for a CD is hard to come by at 14!) and when I'd get a new one I'd put the headphones on in my bed and just get blasted into space every night. Pick apart the new songs, "listen to that breakdown! the drums in that one are killer! is that a guitar? what's Dave saying here?" And that is one of my favorite things to do. And I haven't got to do it in about twenty years. And now, all of a sudden, at age 35, I get to do it again. The other night, listening to the album straight through for the first time while once again wearing headphones in my bed, I heard how China Town ended I just erupted into a cross between maniacal laughter and childlike giggling. "listen to that breakdown! the drums in that one are killer! is that a guitar? what's Dave saying here?" I am in Fucking Heaven.

[Dave's PA Rental]

Second part of the story is an example of how I remember 1984. I knew Q102 was going to play Jump for the first time on the radio and I was at school. I was sitting on my ass in athletics with my headphones on and fm tuner rearing to go. The anticipation of just possibly hearing the tune was almost too much for me to take.. This is what I remember the most the anticipation and the wait! Finally when it played I was confused because of the keyboards but just like Tattoo I eventually learned to love it because it was my boys! Unless you lived through it I can understand people not getting it but Van Halen was the best band around hands down. They were the best players, best songs, best looking, best attitude, most entertaining. They fucking had it all, and everybody wanted to be them or with them.... Still haven't seen any band come close...

The anticipation of hearing it on the radio...yes!

[sadaist]

I am in Fucking Heaven.

Woot! Room on these Van Halen clouds for everyone. Grab a couple cold ones, that cute angel over there is winking at YOU my boy! And PLAY IT LOUD & PROUD!

[Dave's PA Rental]

...once again wearing headphones in my bed, I heard how China Town ended I just erupted into a cross between maniacal laughter and childlike giggling. "listen to that breakdown! the drums in that one are killer! is that a guitar? what's Dave saying here?" I am in Fucking Heaven.

Yup! The "maniacal laughter and childlike giggling" is something that many of us are experiencing...

Very well said brotha!

[Momshell]

I am totally loving this thread! Thanks Dave's PA rental!! I've been caught giggling as well - my kids keep asking me "what's so funny about that?" Hopefully with all of my teachings they'll get it someday too!

[george]

ah the memories..

I grew up in the DC area and my first VH show was Diver Down at the Capitol Center. Was only 13 years old and lucky enough to go with my brother and his friends. No idea what I was in for... my ears and brain were in overload. The before show, the show and after show were insane. I wish I had pictures..

My first, very first, exposure to VH was in my parents basement looking at and listening to VH2. I vividly recall the pictures of DLR, EVH, MA and AVH that were on the record. For some reason I didn't believe the sounds Ed was getting out of his guitar were coming from a guitar. I remember arguing with a friend that "no way that can be a guitar!!". Oh how was I wrong. Eruption - I had no idea WTF that was.. it was just awesome..

I wasn't the best kid in high school ... I found myself in military school for a year. I brought my guitar, AMP and all of my favorite tapes (complete VH 6 pack as well as other bands). This school had some rough characters - like who should be in military school anyway? A bunch of goody two shoes? This was not my experience. I had guys from NYC, NJ and the rest of the country that were some rough mother fuckers. I remember rap being something a lot of the guys from NYC and NJ were into and my guitar amp was something they wanted to beat the shit out of me to use to rap into. I could really only play the rhythm parts of YRGM, Ain't Talkin' 'Bout and the full song Dance the Night Away and these thugs could hear me in my room practicing. One night they came in, all fucked up on "love boat", and in the mood to beat a white boy and steal his amp. I had VH cranking when they came in and I think that was the only thing that saved my white ass... they were totally into VH and wanted to keep listening to Ice Cream Man. They told me to play it and I said I couldn't (no idea what drop D was a the time - that song confused me for a long time) and they said they wouldn't "take me for bad" (steal my amp) because they wanted to hear this white boy play that song. Thank you VH for saving my bacon that night. They never really messed with me after we hung out and listened to VH that night.

whew - never told that to anyone before...

Now, much older and hopefully wiser. Really looking forward to the new VH. I'm getting chills listening to the new tunes. The shit wakes me up at night!!

[slimdon]

During the summer of 1978 I turned 6. I had two older brothers that got me into rock n' roll at a very young age. However, my neighbour's oldest brother used to hang out in his bedroom all day painting and making those old fuzzy black light posters (he was a wicked artist). He used to crank 'Feel Your Love Tonight' repeatedly everyday, and with the sunshine squinting my eyes, I'd look over from my backyard up to his second story window and think, "That's the coolest sound ever."

I've been hooked ever since. I can vivdly remember me and my bro's hanging in the back of my parents van listening to 'Beautiful Girls' on his tapedeck while going camping with our folks. I recall my buddy getting 'Women And Children First' and hangin' out in his basement playing spoon hockey listening to that record for hours on end.

Those little things wound up being pretty monumental in shaping my life as a rock n' roll drummer.

[Zing!]

Remember back in '84 when 'Jump' was climbing the charts and timing your day so you could tune in to Kasey Kasem's countdown to see how much it had climbed on the charts. And then one week it was at like #3 and you would pace around the room as Kasem dragged out the suspense - but you KNEW it had to be #1 - unless it dropped a bunch of spots and you missed it - but no... the number one single in the land: Van Halen, with Jump! I was so excited and so happy for 'my band' that it's hard to put into words. They were kings of the world and I just knew that they were going to rule the universe in 1985...

Another one: Remember stealing every role of mom and dad's tape (didn't matter what kind - just so it was sticky!) to plaster your room with Van Halen posters? I had every square inch covered except for the ceiling, and I even had some on the ceiling (that's where Michael Anthony's poster went, because I didn't want to waste prime real estate on the bass player). Sadly, only have one of the posters left - the one of Ed in the tiger striped pants with his 5150 guitar turned up like a piano. It's a little worse for wear and tear, but it's still hanging. It's now up in the Garage Majal as we speak.

Just one more: Remember carrying a boom-box everywhere you went? My first introduction to Van Halen was one of my older brothers saying they would bring a boom-box on the bus after a high school track meet. They were a great team and won a lot - so their tradition was to blast a song called 'Happy Trails' out the window of the bus as they left each meet. It was by some guy with long blond hair called Van Halen. They would play it over and over, everyone singing at the top of their lungs: "Bum ba dee da, bum ba dee da, bum ba dee da..." until the coaches got sick of it and would tell them to turn it off. I finally snuck into his room to swipe the cassette tape and listen to this song for myself. Just like that I was hooked.

I keep thinking we need to open a thread over in the PicturePalooza dedicated to stuff like this. There's got to be tons of pics of Roth Army members at VH concerts, wearing VH t-shirts, rooms with VH posters, hell - I have one of a Eddie Van Halen guitar birthday cake from the 80's in a box somewhere.

[hambon4lif]

I'll be holding my own personal ceremony Tuesday night in honor of my father. He's the one who nicknamed me 'Hambone' when I was four-years-old, and he's also the one that introduced me to Van Halens first album when I was eleven. It's difficult to put into words how I felt when I heard it, but it became a part of my soul. Then around 1980, I was thumbing through a Circus magazine and saw an amazing two-page pic of Roth doing a flying leap off the drum riser, and it looked as bombastic and outrageous as their music sounded. That was it! I was fuckin' gone! There was no turning back! I wanted to be "Lil' Diamond Dave" and do that leap off of the roof of houses. Do you remember the kid on your block who always drew a crowd by yelling "Hey! Watch this!" and always ended up in the fuckin' hospital? That crazy little bastard was me!
My father knew how to get me to reach my potential by creating the "Van Halen Incentive Program". He would buy me Van Halen albums, posters, and merchandise, but only on the condition that I maintain my grades and stay in the Honor Roll. My grades slipped once and he took all that shit away from me until I brought them back up. It was the worst fucking twelve weeks ever. But it was one hell of an excellent plan. I knew what he was doing. Looking back at it now, that plan paid off big time, and I'm forever grateful to him. Not only for understanding my Van Halen jones, but for using it like a mechanical rabbit at a dog race. It was discipline. You wanna be the boss? You gotta pay the cost.

I lost my father in 2006 to cancer, but on Tuesday night, there's going to be a fith of Jack and a shotglass, and before I even press play, I'll have a moment of silence, knock back a shot, and whip that fucking volume knob up so him and everyone else we've lost along the way will be able to hear it, too.

"This one's for you"

[don don]

The little things...it brings so, so many memories back. My one and only brother who is twelve years older than me is flying in from Phoenix to go to the Louisville show. I'm down in Tennessee so this is as much a brotherly reunion as new era in Van Halen. But it goes much deeper than that. He is the reason I've been a fan. I was born in '68 so I grew up with his musical influence. He was into Sabbath and Zeppelin. But when I was ten and getting ready to go skating, he kept playing this record which I initially thought was noise because I was so big into KISS back then. But the more I listened while getting ready for the skating rink, the more I was hooked starting with the obligatory, obnoxious sound of that most famous Mercedes horn in history, blasting RWTHD. Then as I'm recovering, Eruption blows out the rest of my "hesitation." I've never been the same. Thank you Van Halen for the memories of you, and my only brother.

[sadaist]

One memory of mine. My VH album covers had pin holes in the corners from being up on the wall. I was young & didn't take very good care of my vinyl. Some albums became a little warped. Some so bad that the needle might pop off into another groove now & then. So....I taped a couple quarters on top of the needle head to weight it down so 'Top Jimmy' wouldn't skip. Luckily the intro for Hot For Teacher was hard to tell if it skipped or not. We'll never know for sure........

[Sensible Shoes]

Back just after my senior year of college, 1979, the girls and I were headed out to the beach club on lake Erie. They were hot, I did not believe I was. We got drinks and headed out to the sand. Just then, the club's speakers started blasting this killer guitar and then there was this voice of a very BAD guy who screamed and taunted women. It was not just amazing, it was HOT. Towards the end, the singing gave way to talking and growling at some fictional girls on the beach, who walked away, and caused some more catcalls.

I raised my head high in that little black bikini and believed for a while that I was a "beautiful girl".

I called the local radio station to find out "who was that band?" They told me and I went out and bought VHII the next day.

[JJtheVagPounder]

Three years ago I was separated from my wife. It was tough times. I just wanted to drink and really had no ambition. You ever felt like all you want to do is sleep all the time? That’s called depression. Anyway, I moved in with my aunt for a minute and I met this dude. We hit it off and talked about music a lot and he asked me if I dug Van Halen. I told him that I like them but really only ever listened to the radio stuff. I used to be the Metallica megafan. I don’t know, maybe I’ve always been just a little angsty. He made a deal with me: He would give Monster Magnet (great band, I highly suggest it) a chance if I would give Van Halen a chance at the title. Ok.

I listened…..and listened…..and listened some more. Hey, there is so much more to this band. This is great. Then, and this is what solidified it, he gave me Crazy From The Heat to read. I read that fucking book like four times in a two month period. It was just so interesting and Dave, oh Dave, it was the role model you wish you always had. Be smart. Live life. Stay frosty. From that day on I cannot live without Van Halen or Dave. It really is a lifestyle. I listen to very little else, not even Metallica even though Lars is the greatest drummer ever. He told me himself.

It’s so cool that I am a recent Davesciple (Dave and disciple, get it?). Like this dude said the other day, I never had to live through that horrible period of terribleness, a few years of waiting is all. It’s really cool though to see one of the long time sufferers get their time. When Tattoo came out we sat in his house drinking beers while it was on repeat for hours. When Dave’s video diary came out we shared it with everyone, if they wanted to listen or not. It’s just been a non stop party.

This guy turned into my best friend. No, not just a friend. A brother. We can talk about anything even though the conversation usually goes back to “Want to watch a concert?” “Uh, yeah. Duh.” I think his conversion of me was what bound us so closely together. Well, that and we both are creatives. If it wasn’t for him I probably wouldn’t have dove into school or much else. I have a lot to thank that guy for. He totally helped me get back on track and oh, look who came back, my wife. I very much believe that wouldn’t have happened if I never met him or opened my eyes to the glory of Dave. It’s definitely made me a better person.

I know this thread is titled “The Little Things…” but for me there really isn’t a little thing. Van Halen has been the soundtrack to a better life. And while things suck here and then and especially right now, all it takes is a little Dave and I can hold it together better than before. I thank my buddy all the time but you can never do it enough, ya know?

VAiN? Fuck yo couch…







...And thanks for the laughs.

[Zing!]

Loving the hell out of this thread. I could bore you to death with endless VH stories. Soundtrack of my life, that's for sure. Went to to my 20 year class reunion a couple years ago and the question I got asked the most by everybody was: "You still love Van Halen?"

[Zing!]

so cool that I am a recent Davesciple (Dave and disciple, get it?)... if I never met him or opened my eyes to the glory of Dave. It’s definitely made me a better person.

I know this thread is titled “The Little Things…” but for me there really isn’t a little thing. Van Halen has been the soundtrack to a better life. And while things suck here and then and especially right now, all it takes is a little Dave and I can hold it together better than before. I thank my buddy all the time but you can never do it enough, ya know?

I get it - and I'm out of thank you's for today. This damn thread used 'em all up! Great post!

[ashstralia]

first girl, first car, first job...=VH=.

before i had a car, the job was a 70 minute train ride and walk... i had a walkman and the cassette tape with FW on one side and WACF on the other.

i looked forward to the commute every single fucking day. and the cradle WILL rock, baby. i say; ROCK ON!!!

[Texas Outlaw]

1978, cannot remember the date but I seem to think it was around October or November and I'm 15 years old. I'm in a local pizza joint playing pinball with some friends and a jukebox is playing when all of the sudden there's this car horn sound and then this really heavy bass line and this monster song comes on. I let go of the pinball machine, turned to a friend of mine and asked, "Who in the fuck is this?" to which he replies "New band called Van Halen". I walk away and go to the jukebox and see what the selection is. The next day I ride my bike to Eucalyptus Records in Vallejo California and I buy my first Van Halen album. Bought each successive one the day that it came out up until Dave quit and then I lost interest.

I'm buying a new one this coming Tuesday.

[sadaist]

Mom finally saved up enough to buy me my 1st guitar. We drove to Music Music and she had $125 for me to get one. They had a wall of Hondo guitars that looked like Fenders. Mom said pick 1. I immediately chose the red & white one for EVH. She also was able to pay for 2 lessons to start me out.

First lesson was in a tiny room. 2 small drum stools and 3 walls floor to ceiling of speakers & knobs. LOUD. He taught me how to tune. He said come back next week and we'll make sure your tuning is still good. Pick a song you want to learn & bring it in.

So all week I wanted the perfect song that i JUST HAD to learn. 2nd lesson comes & we sit down. He checked my tuning & all was great. he say....so, you pick a song to learn? I was grinning from ear to ear. Yep I sure did. And I slid the cassette out of the inside pocket of my black members only jacket & handed it to him. He was probably thinking "Smoke On The Water" or something similar. He pops the tape in & hits play to see what this wide eyed grinning kid wants to learn....


The song starts and his face just kinda sunk and he sighed a bit. Got his job cut out for him he does.


AINT TALKIN BOUT LOVE!