Van Halen Diver Down Song by Song Thread

Live:

 

He’s not specific about the song, but it’s likely that one.

 

"Intruder" is a interesting piece of music, but not something one is going to revisit often. VH does a respectable job with "Pretty Woman," but it is not a song that I am particularly into (not even Roy's legendary version). I can take it or leave it, but if I hear it on the radio, I typically change the channel.

 

I love “Intruder” with its noisy, off kilter vibe. It’s like Edward trying to simulate elephant copulation to the beat of disco

“(Oh) Pretty Woman” is great and terrible at the same time. Eddie attacks it with fervor, but the song is crap and nothing EVH can do can save it.

 

I love Pretty Woman. It's a great song to begin with and Dave just sings the hell out of it...and I just love it. It's really a perfect single and so evocative of that time.

Intruder is maybe a little on the filler-ish side. Something that is great as a live thing but maybe doesn't belong on a record. You could say the same thing about Cathedral in a way though, but I like that and I like this one too. Maybe they should have stuck another original song on there instead of those two pieces. It might have been an even better record if they had. But I love this record the way it is I'm just glad that it exists. The whole classic VH period was only about six years which is amazing to think about. I wish they had done more but I'm glad for what we do have.

 

Intruder/Pretty Woman: Intruder is so angry and intense. The guitar seems to be screaming in pain in parts. Alex anchors the song with a driving unrelenting beat. Only Van Halen could transition a brutal song like Intruder into a Roy Orbison cover: And yes, Van Halen pulls it off nicely.

Pretty Woman is a rousing cover that VH makes all it's own. Eddie metalizes the guitar riff and Alex forcefully quickens the pace of the original. Basically, they rock the F out of it. The 2nd half of the song in particular is the jam. Dave's vocals are highly charismatic and playful. Best of all, the band sounds like they are having a blast which is ultimately why "Diver Down" as an album succeeds. (At least in my mind)

 

Was I unclear? I don’t like the song.

 

Love Intruder/ Pretty Woman. Pulled off with aplomb.

 

And the interesting thing is (according to Noel Monk's account), they weren't often "having a blast" at that point. Alex was sinking into alcoholism and Ed into both drugs and alcohol. There was a ton of complaining, and everyone felt worked to the bone. But they somehow intrinsically knew how to turn on the fun-VH vibe and make it all work. An almost perfect "summer" album, just a little shy of VHII in that regard.

 

EDDIE VAN HALEN Reveals Guitar 'Secrets' In New Interview

Read down a little bit, he mentions Heartbreaker

 

EVH is a notorious, pathological liar. I don't believe anything he says ever. Awesome guitar player, awful human being.

 

I think Intruder was written by Dave. Also the weird sound Eddie got from his guitar was from him rubbing beer cans on the strings

 

Nice to know

 

The first time I ever turned on MTV, "Pretty Woman" was playing. Then it was banned and I never saw it again until probably the next century.

I like their version fine but I never really seek it out.

 

Yes, I recall reading somewhere that Dave came up with it.

 

I love how Intruder contrasts against the total laid back vibe of Secrets, taking you into menace via Alex's relentless pounding with EVH just sending out bad mojo. Has such a cool, strange, howling build to the final windup--before kicking into the Pretty Woman crunch. I can't sit still for this sequence and it sounds fresh every time.

 

I like how it goes from sinister to party.

 

Intruder/Pretty Woman - VH at their best!

 

-intruder/pretty woman- I love intruder. its so noisy and out there. great stuff and fits perfectly as an intro to pretty woman. I love roy orbison. this isn't as well done vocally as roys version but VH sound like they are having lots of fun with it which is a plus

 

Thanks for pointing that out. I used to watch a ton of MTV, and I was wondering why I couldn’t remember ever seeing that video especially since it is quite a memorable video.

 

Here’s the story behind Intruder

http://www.vhnd.com/diver-down/intruder/

 

Love Intruder and like PW... would never be able to hear one without the other... been in my backbone for 36 years... watched the video for the first time since then to boot... so bad in a good way... watch it again in 2054...

 

INTRUDER/PRETTY WOMAN

Hell, this is great...an intro like Intruder leading into Pretty Woman and Dave does a really nice job of singing it

I never skip it, I enjoy it for what it is.

 

I know Ed has disowned this album, but how can he? With Cathedral? With Little Guitars (some of Ed's greatest playing)? When his dad plays on the album?

Side 2 of DD is one of VH's best!