Van Halen 1984 Song-By-Song Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Zoot Marimba, Feb 4, 2018.

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  1. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    THIS GUY'S GOT THE RIGHT IDEA
     
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  2. SizzleVonSizzleton

    SizzleVonSizzleton The Last Yeti

    Agreed.

    I've never believed Eddie's outright dismissal of Hendrix being an influence. It seems impossible that any guitarist who got started when Eddie did could go right past Jimi. One thing in particular that seems similar is the use of (and desire to modify) equipment to achieve new sounds.

    And though I'm a novice guitar player on my best day, they seem very similar (and unique) in their ability to jump between lead and rhythm within a song in a seamless fashion. That really set Eddie apart to me and something nobody from the 80's wave was either interested in or capable of. I'm guessing it was partially natural in that there was a never a rhythm guitar player and Van Halen benefitted by having a producer in Ted Templeman who only occasionally had Eddie add a rhythm track on the early albums. That gives early Van Halen a lot of breathing room.

    As you said about them being a 70's group, Van Halen are an odd band in that part of their timelessness for me is that they're kind of between generations and therefore almost without a home. Post Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin but yet pre the L.A. scene that they so obviously influenced. And since they caused that wave and then rode it while still riding high with 1984 and those big flashy videos I think they get discounted.
     
  3. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    Jump rocks!
     
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  4. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    Excerpt from a 1982 Guitar Player interview. Eddie plays the Jump demo over the phone for Jas Obrecht.

     
  5. Oliver

    Oliver Bourbon Infused

    Was not a fan of Jump when it came out-I was in Jr High and squarely in the hard rock realm like Sabbath, Deep Purple, Zeppelin, and previous VH albums. "Jump" was like "huh?". I think I probably appreciate it more now from a songwriting perspective-it is a helluva hook no doubt. I don't usually play it but if it comes on the radio on the rare occasion I listen to the radio I'll listen to it and enjoy.
     
  6. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    So what does that say about me at 51 and I still hate it?

    Don’t answer that. Nothing good. I know.
     
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  7. Oliver

    Oliver Bourbon Infused

    I try not to be judgmental :laugh:
     
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  8. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I’m just a stubborn, opinionated old fart. I’ve reconciled with that.

    I know what I like.
     
  9. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    I love that sus 4 chord at the end of the verse chords first heard at :06.
    The break starting at 2:16 is great. Shifts to B flat. I love how at 2:23 Eddie foreshadows the keyboard riff that will follow. He is brilliant at giving a song cohesiveness with little tricks like that.
    Awesome how Eddie repeats the G chord in his right hand at 2:46 and then the bass descends chromatically underneath. Shades of his classical studies. A brilliant pop based tune and one of my favorites from VH. The vocal melody is really fine as well.
     
  10. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    I don't know why he says there is no Hendrix influence considering he takes stuff right from Hendrix solos at times.
     
  11. BDC

    BDC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tacoma
    I remember some guitar players back in the day calling Eddie an Alan Holdsworth ripoff...
    I've never really compared, and even it was true to some degree, Eddie brought it to a different genre.
    I'd rather listen Roth/Schenker most of the time over Eddie, but I wouldn't call either more innovative. I might argue they are better players if I was into arguing...Might concede though on rhythm playing....Eddie is great and under rated as a rhythm guitar player.

    Since I'm on a roll, I'll piss some people off a little more and say I consider "Diver down" a better album LOL.
     
  12. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I love Schenker, Roth, Marino, and whomever else but none are better than Edward. Different styles and approaches, but none are better IMO.
     
  13. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    I agree.
     
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  14. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Diver Down is absolutely a better album than 1984. No question in my mind about that.
     
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  15. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

  16. SizzleVonSizzleton

    SizzleVonSizzleton The Last Yeti

    Okay, I guess I'm the designated driver tonight.

    "Who likes to get high in here???" - David Lee Roth

    These three guys Dave, but I'll make sure they get home safe!:cool:
     
  17. Oliver

    Oliver Bourbon Infused

    Don't forget me too :wave:
     
  18. The Slug Man

    The Slug Man Forum Resident

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Very true. At the time, they were neither fish nor fowl. You could say something similar about, say, Cheap Trick or the Police, even though all 3 of those bands sound nothing like each other.
    They sort of bridged was best about the 70s with what was going to best about the 80s.

    1984 seems like when they were finally able to cash in (in a "good" way) on all the goodwill they'd built up the previous 6 years and expand the base beyond the more hardcore metal crowd (or should I say, "into" the growing MTV world). Sort of like Metallica in 1991, but not really.

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: When people ask the difference between hard rock and metal, I always point to DLR-era Van Halen and say, if it's heavier/harder than VH, it's metal. If it's even slightly lighter, it's hard rock.
     
  19. SizzleVonSizzleton

    SizzleVonSizzleton The Last Yeti

    David Lee Roth is owed a ton of respect for taking stuff like this and turning it into gold. One of Eddie's main problems is his belief that he's 95% of the equation.
     
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  20. benzo

    benzo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ft. Worth, Tx, USA
    That's probably not dust...
     
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  21. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Listening to that other singer makes me nauseous
     
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  22. Standoffish

    Standoffish Smarter than a turkey

    Location:
    North Carolina
    How I found this album

    I was 12 at the time, and I don't think I'd ever heard VH before. MTV introduced me to this album (remember when they actually played music videos?). Loved the "Jump" video, loved the album when I got it. DLR seemed like the coolest guy. And re-watching the video I'm reminded by how athletic DLR was back in the day.

    1984

    A good intro that gives you an idea of the direction the band was taking. Not much else to say.

    Jump

    This was the song that took Van Halen from being successful, to shooting them into the stratosphere. It was all over MTV. It's an inane song, with nonsense lyrics and a repetitive sound. I'm still fond of it, but only for nostalgic reasons.

    Sidenote: I always hated the album cover art. I detest cigarettes, and it's a little kid smoking. I know it's supposed to be cheeky, but...blechh.
     
  23. SizzleVonSizzleton

    SizzleVonSizzleton The Last Yeti

    I think the keyboard stuff on 1984 proves that Dave could have continued to write around the growth Eddie wanted to show. I think as a band they were already losing much of their looseness and swagger but there's no reason they couldn't have continued to be quality writing mates.

    That said, I don't believe they broke apart because of anything musical.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 5, 2018
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  24. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    Diver Down a better album than 1984?
    Yeah right. Yeah sure.
    Well.....maybe. Both are great IMO.
    All I know is IMO, 1984 has one of the best boogie tunes of all time.
     
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  25. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    Funny you mentioned those three. I worship at the Schenker altar. I always thought Roth and Marino were boring. :hide:
     
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