did y'all like keyboards on CVH?

[buckshotjenkins]

i wasn't old enough to know (b.1978!) but what did CVH fans that were into them at the time think of the keyboards ed played? i think that and the cradle is badass and i don't really like dancin', but that moog riff is killer. i really dig clavinets, and always wished ed rocked one of those...with a wah the sound is the best sound ever...check out MMW or some old funk to hear 'em. i didn't care for the synths on 1984, jump or i'll wait. did y'all groan when ya heard the keys???

[Carmine]

I liked em dude. All that you mentioned...Classic VH with Ed on keys still had the backing power from Al, Mike and of course, Daves lyrics.


Which in turn..is Kick ass music!

[Viking]

'I'll Wait ' was pretty killer.

[guitarboy5150]

ya i just love the parts to "jump" and "i'll wait"

[academic punk]

Ed says he had the music for "Jump " way back in 1980, but Dave told him that no member of their fan base want to hear him play keyboards as he was a guitar hero.

So, completely by accident, VH managed to slowly introduce keyboards into the sound, so by the time they got to "1984" the fans were more accepting of it:

And the Cradle Will Rock (WACF, the third album) was actually Ed on a distorted Wurlitzer (in concert, Mike played the keyboard parts). But it sounded like guitar, so many of the fans weren't even aware (many still aren't!), and those who were were able to say, Well it sounds like guitar, and he did overdub a cool guitar solo, so that's fine.

The first really blatant keyboards were on Sunday Afternoon in the Park (FW, the fourth album), and it was such a throwaway and sounded so menacing that that was also okay.


BY the time of DD, Ed and the band managed to incorporate them more fully, namely onto Dancing in the Streets, which also sounded kinda guitar-like (it didn't make you think Billy Joel or Elton John, you know?), and besides it was a cover that they created a whole new sound-scape for throught the Moog, so that's okay too. (plus a GREAT guitar solo).

So all this led to 1984: by this point, everyone knew Ed knew his way around the keyboards as well as guitar, and that he enjoyed playing them and incorporating them into VH's sound. So it wasn't that much of a surprise or risk of being called "sell-outs" by the long-time fans. Still, the first time I pressed play on my 1984 cassette, I cringed when I heard the first notes of the opening track.

But Jump is just a classic tune, and I'll Wait is cool too b/c Dave's voice sounds unlike anything else he's ever done on it, there's acool brdige section, and Ed's guitar solo is KILLER.

[Figs]

Re: did y'all like keyboards on CVH?

Originally posted by buckshotjenkins
did y'all like keyboards on CVH?

no

[Hardrock69]

No. I prefer to hear them as a four-piece (Guitar, Bass, Drums, Dave).

[rustoffa]

It was a moog sympathizer.

[rustoffa]

Ed saved the piano for van hagar, appropriately enough.

[SoldMySoul4RnR]

And Hager would have LOVED it!!!

[jojo2371]

classic van halen had little keys ,but what was there worked well ,although i remember being kinda disappointed seein mike play the keys for the 1st time in concert and not ed , but van hagar had soo much piano they qualified to be the lounge act at yer local holidaty inn !!!!

[FORD]

Never cared for "I'll Wait". Still don't. Didn't like "Jump" at first, but it grew on me.

[Lou]

Hey "Sunday Afternoon in the Park" and "One Foot Out The Door" ought not be left out in this conversation. A rare acceptable use of keyboards in my opinion.

[cwsmith17]

Originally posted by academic punk
Ed says he had the music for "Jump " way back in 1980, but Dave told him that no member of their fan base want to hear him play keyboards as he was a guitar hero.

So, completely by accident, VH managed to slowly introduce keyboards into the sound, so by the time they got to "1984" the fans were more accepting of it:

And the Cradle Will Rock (WACF, the third album) was actually Ed on a distorted Wurlitzer (in concert, Mike played the keyboard parts). But it sounded like guitar, so many of the fans weren't even aware (many still aren't!), and those who were were able to say, Well it sounds like guitar, and he did overdub a cool guitar solo, so that's fine.

The first really blatant keyboards were on Sunday Afternoon in the Park (FW, the fourth album), and it was such a throwaway and sounded so menacing that that was also okay.


BY the time of DD, Ed and the band managed to incorporate them more fully, namely onto Dancing in the Streets, which also sounded kinda guitar-like (it didn't make you think Billy Joel or Elton John, you know?), and besides it was a cover that they created a whole new sound-scape for throught the Moog, so that's okay too. (plus a GREAT guitar solo).

So all this led to 1984: by this point, everyone knew Ed knew his way around the keyboards as well as guitar, and that he enjoyed playing them and incorporating them into VH's sound. So it wasn't that much of a surprise or risk of being called "sell-outs" by the long-time fans. Still, the first time I pressed play on my 1984 cassette, I cringed when I heard the first notes of the opening track.

But Jump is just a classic tune, and I'll Wait is cool too b/c Dave's voice sounds unlike anything else he's ever done on it, there's acool brdige section, and Ed's guitar solo is KILLER.

Most "diehard" fans don't realize that alot of Van Halens material was written in their club days. Now yes it is true that the final material on the albums is different, but the basic songs, for the most part, were already written. Especially with jump, house of pain, the list goes on.

[cwsmith17]

And yes keyboards and synthesizers were used well before 1984!