Who doesn’t want to be special, have an extraordinary talent? To impress others, but above all to make yourself feel like you’re not unnecessarily thrown into the world.
Eddie Van Halen was one of those privileged people whose virtuosity was so clear that words can hardly be found for it. “Exceptional guitarist”, yes, but that also applies to a few others, and only Jimi Hendrix actually plays next to (or just above) Van Halen.
Edward Lodewijk Van Halen died on October 6th, 2020, he would have been 69 years old on January 26th. Time to celebrate him again. Among the “greatest guitarists of all time”, Eddie was only ranked 8th by the US ROLLING STONE in 2011, and 4th in 2023 – behind Jimmy Page, Chuck Berry and Hendrix. It would certainly have been okay for him (he has now left Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck and BB King behind him), but there may be a misunderstanding in the choice – don’t confuse the musician with the song.
People still tend to turn up their noses at hard rock. It was the second track on the debut “Van Halen” (1978) that made Eddie Van Halen immortal: “Eruption”. 1:42 minutes, and even if you have no idea what tapping is, you’ll hear it: Nobody had played like that before.
Maybe things would have been different for Eddie if he hadn’t hired showman David Lee Roth in 1974. A rock band needs someone to step forward, and Eddie wasn’t that. He just wanted to play: “I’m not in it for the fame, I’m not a rock star – or at least just because that’s the situation. For me it’s all about the music, never about anything else.”
Nobody drinks because they are happy
For many years he struggled with alcoholism and other health problems while being very hardworking: playing the solo on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” (1982), collaborating with everyone from Roger Waters to Frank Sinatra, building his own guitars, and inspired thousands of guitarists.
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Okay, sometimes he frustrated her too, because of course he was unavailable. But why was happiness apparently unattainable for him? Nobody drinks for decades because they are so happy. “I found the simple life ain’t so simple/ When I jumped out on that road,” says “Runnin’ With The Devil,” the first song on the debut.
The titles already indicate that rousing melodies, but not philosophical masterpieces, are to be expected here: “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love”, “Atomic Punk”, later “Hot For Teacher” and “Jump” (on “1984”) ). Things weren’t much different with Sammy Hagar (“Why Can’t This Be Love”) and Gary Cherone – the best thing about Van Halen, despite all the hits, was always Eddie. Who soon put on a permanent grin to hide his shyness. He wanted to give the world his music, but nothing more. The spotlight was often too bright for him. And then talent doesn’t make you happy per se; it can also be exhausting. Always have to prove yourself and never give up. And what if your fingers don’t want to do it anymore?
I once interviewed Eddie Van Halen in 1995. When I asked him to sign something for my best friend, he asked if he also played the guitar. Yes why? “Tell him to practice. And practice. And practice. That’s all.”