Eddie Van Halen RIP

[Seshmeister]

We're all old, aren't we?

It's when you realize Van Halen were in their early 50s when they reformed...

[Vinnie Velvet]

I noticed this during this week. I've obviously (like all of us) been listening to so much VH this week. And a lot of fans here would be lying if they claimed they've listened only to Dave material...but I've noticed that I've dug out songs from the non-Dave albums only because I wanted to hear an Ed part I remember loving (e.g. his solo on GET UP). I listened to BLACK 'N' BLUE the other night because I just love the simple riff and the groove the band has. And it had been a while: I said out loud to my wife, "Jesus, I forgot how fucking terrible these lyrics are!!"

Rikk, brother, how ya holding up.

I'm still down about Ed's passing. This will linger for a while I think.

As for Black and Blue - I liked the groove as well. But goddman Hagar ruins it. lol

[Seshmeister]

The Prince Estate got a lil' taste of money and went OFF. The nowhere near finished book that got released proved it.

What do you think of the SOTT package?

My friend was pissed off to find out this week he is getting hit for $50 import duty ordering it from the UK.

[Matt White]

From Nuno Bettencourt's Instagram post:


"Once upon a time in Hollywood, recently, while recording the latest EXTREME album in my home studio I got a call to come down to the front of my house, that someone is asking for me. I was like, damn that's annoying as I was in the zone cutting a guitar solo to a new song called RISE. I dropped my guitar and headed down. I walk out and... I was being summoned by the one and only... Edward. As usual I got a warm hug and kiss from Eddie. Even as a God, he always made you feel important.

"He was in great spirits. A proud dad, bragging about how Wolfie's new solo album is gonna blow minds, etc... What's cool though, was the last thing Eddie talked about. He said he was super excited about reaching out to Michael Anthony to finally put the original VH lineup back together. Saying that he wanted to do one final tour and have VAN HALEN go out the way they came in...Together... Guns Blazing!

"Finally as Eddie said his goodbye, he asked about the new EXTREME album that we were recording up in the house. As we hugged, he says: 'I'll be back to listen to it when you're done,' and with a sinister raspy laugh, adds 'it better be good'.

"Finished it. Then. PANDEMIC.

"Man, I was like a kid, counting the Covid Days down to when I could blare the new EXTREME album in the studio, sitting side by side with My Hero, the GOAT, selfishly wanting to play him all the new guitar work that shamelessly, but with pride has his DNA all over my playing. I guess that moment wasn't meant to be...

"It's incredible how as a young player, your guitar chord, is the umbilical chord that intimately connects you to someone you may never meet, moreso than even someone in your own family. At the drop of a needle or the touch of a space bar. They are there for you 24/7. As Eddie was... and forever will be.

"Thank you for shaping who I am today.

"Love you, Edward. You are the ONE."

Fuckng PERFECT. My respect for Nuno just went thru the roof.

[Rikk]

I dunno.

Look at what the Prince Estate has done. Some of the releases are very, very good, and some are just meh. The Versace Experience comes to mind. Sounds like a fucking cassette. The Sign O' the Times set, though...fucking brilliant.

Does Wolfgang or whoever decide to just roll out new colors for the guitars every year?

Speaking of which...I have a Slime Green Wolfgang on the way...figured I'd pull the trigger before I can't find one.

The PURPLE RAIN and 1999 sets were brilliant too. So much good stuff. But SIGN was what I was most waiting for...

I love how each set is not TOO over-priced, has truly unreleased material, laps up all the b-sides/remixes (though I never cared much for remixes) and consistently includes video/film vault material.

[Rikk]

Rikk, brother, how ya holding up.

I'm still down about Ed's passing. This will linger for a while I think.

As for Black and Blue - I liked the groove as well. But goddman Hagar ruins it. lol

VV, so good to see such stellar comradeship in these here parts!

I'm holding up best I can. Last night, while making dinner (I HAVE NO SHAME IN SAYING THIS)...I started talking about what happened this week to my wife. She and I have lost a child, so we know pain. And I don't cry about every little thing. But I started talking about Ed dying, and then, next thing I knew, I realized tears were coming out of my eyes. She walked over and hugged me for like a minute. And I fucking cried. She stepped back and I said to her: "I loved this guy. He was a fucking hero. I met him once and he was so nice to me. Eddie Van Halen is fucking DEAD!!! How can this be?" And she hugged me again.

I cannot believe how much this has hit me.

[twonabomber]

What do you think of the SOTT package?

So far I like it. I would have liked to have Dream Factory in it's intended order and not have to piece it together myself, but that's a small complaint. I haven't been through the book yet. I still have the 12" remix maxi-singles that I bought in '87...from the same record store!

[twonabomber]

I'm in a David Letterman group on FB. When someone dies, the admin puts together a video. This has Hagar on it, but the first part's okay

[Rikk]

Fuckng PERFECT. My respect for Nuno just went thru the roof.

The only thing I never understood about Nuno was his taste in singers. I don't care what anyone says: Gary Cherone is a wailing idiot. That III album admittedly has a lot of really good guitar-playing, but virtually every track is ruined with some freak singing about whitemen getting a tan, going on about being a red-blood heterosexual peeping at girls and liking what he sees.

Holy fuck, Watson. Someone misplaced the cocaine and replaced it with Ajax.

[Rikk]

I'm in a David Letterman group on FB. When someone dies, the admin puts together a video. This has Hagar on it, but the first part's okay

You didn't take out your lighter and sing along to NOT ENOUGH?

[twonabomber]

The PURPLE RAIN and 1999 sets were brilliant too. So much good stuff. But SIGN was what I was most waiting for...

I love how each set is not TOO over-priced, has truly unreleased material, laps up all the b-sides/remixes (though I never cared much for remixes) and consistently includes video/film vault material.

Did PR have the birthday show at First Avenue? I don't remember. Makings Of Rain is what the bootleg was called.

I have a boot of the birthday show from Detroit when Cherry Moon came out, would like to see an official release of that. 2026 for forty year anniversary...maybe they'll do 35 instead. But the movie was SHIT. Graffiti Bridge, too!

[Matt White]

As far as the VH vaults are concerned, I'd be interested in hearing the Dave 5150 demos from 1985 before the split.

Dave has said he had worked on half of the record. Alex and Mike both have said they have demos of Dave singing on what would become songs "Summer Nights" and "Good Enough".

Also, what about the 2000-01 sessions? The songs that Dave once described as "The hands fell off the clock.." way back. Or were some of those re-worked for some of the new songs on ADKOT?

Then of course there may be video footage. I think Wolf is sitting on a bunch of stuff.

We may see some released at some point.

If memory serves me right, which it might not...gonna be 53 in 4 months...I'm as old as Ed was on that 2007-08 tour :O
Hasn't Dave mentioned an aborted attempt to make a VH movie around the time of Women and Children First?!?
THAT'S the SHIT I wanna see! Break open the vault & show us ANY live footage of the Fantastic Foursome at their peak!
Even that 8mm footage of the opening night '79 from FRESNO is beyond BAD ASS! I really hope Wolfie digs thru everything...and lets the younger generation see his Dad & Uncle AL when they were in all their live glory. I really want some footage on par with that ZEP DVD from the early 2000's. People need to be reminded just how powerful The Mighty Van Halen were "Once Upon a Time'.

[Matt White]

The only thing I never understood about Nuno was his taste in singers. I don't care what anyone says: Gary Cherone is a wailing idiot. That III album admittedly has a lot of really good guitar-playing, but virtually every track is ruined with some freak singing about whitemen getting a tan, going on about being a red-blood heterosexual peeping at girls and liking what he sees.

Holy fuck, Watson. Someone misplaced the cocaine and replaced it with Ajax.

Yessir....GRATE pipes but that boy ain't right! LMAO Cherone was pretty good in Extreme...awful with VH. Just "another" singer in Dave's band...who couldn't hold a candle to DLR when it comes to lyrics.

[Rikk]

Did PR have the birthday show at First Avenue? I don't remember. Makings Of Rain is what the bootleg was called.

I have a boot of the birthday show from Detroit when Cherry Moon came out, would like to see an official release of that. 2026 for forty year anniversary...maybe they'll do 35 instead. But the movie was SHIT. Graffiti Bridge, too!

PR had the typical old VHS/Laserdisc show from Syracuse...but great to get a really good copy of that show. It's a classic.

CHERRY MOON was...I don't think it's as bad as some say. It's definitely better than GB. THAT WAS BAD!! The music from that period is amazing, though. To me, I even like the Batman stuff. It's about DIAMONDS & PEARLS that some of the material starts to sound...tired.

[Vinnie Velvet]

If memory serves me right, which it might not...gonna be 53 in 4 months...I'm as old as Ed was on that 2007-08 tour :O
Hasn't Dave mentioned an aborted attempt to make a VH movie around the time of Women and Children First?!?
THAT'S the SHIT I wanna see! Break open the vault & show us ANY live footage of the Fantastic Foursome at their peak!
Even that 8mm footage of the opening night '79 from FRESNO is beyond BAD ASS! I really hope Wolfie digs thru everything...and lets the younger generation see his Dad & Uncle AL when they were in all their live glory. I really want some footage on par with that ZEP DVD from the early 2000's. People need to be reminded just how powerful The Mighty Van Halen were "Once Upon a Time'.

I agree.

Wolf is sitting on a goldmine of stuff. In time we will see and hear it.