Van Halen Diver Down Song by Song Thread

Little Guitars is definitely the standout song on this record, and a great one at that. I concur with most of Oliver's post above.

 

Yes, Ed, like Les Paul we’re innovators in regards to making the best with what they had and not being afraid to go against convention and being willing to sacrifice instruments, amplification and other gear to accomplish their goals. However, Ed is no luthier, he, also much like Les Paul, needed accomplished guitar designers, luthiers and repairmen to further refine his ideas (and sometimes had to undo a bunch of his experiments).

 

If all Diver Down did for us was provide a place for this song, then that alone would more than justify the record's existence. One of the greatest Van Halen songs, and really one of the best songs of the whole '80s. It's too bad there wasn't a video for it. If this had come out a couple of years later when they were all over MTV it would have been a giant hit.

 

That's why, in part, I think the firing of Noel Monk was actually justified (although perhaps wasn't for that reason). He ran that band in a way that provided maximum short term return for the label. He didn't really look after the maximum long term interest of the band.

Had he been doing that, he might have:

1) Eased the schedule, just a little

2) Established a little more of a foothold outside the USA

3) Gotten some kind of mediation for Ed and Dave, to work out differences

4) Most importantly - started to address the substance issues. It may have taken years, but someone needed to put their foot down and say, "this has to stop."

 

Little Guitars

I like this song and intro. Eddie uses a capo at the F# and uses conventional chord shapes and moves them thru intervals with open strings. The section that starts at :10 is cool with open strings picked tremelo with a plectrum and not fingers. Eddie hammers on the bass notes. This section was influenced by Leyenda by Albeniz which just about every classical guitar student tries to tackle. The song's guitar tuning is unusual for Eddie. The guitars are tuned up three half steps to G except for the bottom string which is tuned to F. Gives the song a different timbre than what we are used to hearing from VH. Lots of use of sus chords and a Latin tinged rhythm. Some hybrid picking. The song is kind of a pre cursor to Panama IMO.
I like the song but don't put it up there with the songs I think are great. A little to standard in the chord changes with too much ornamentation to beef it and it falls short IMO.

 

Little Guitars is hands down my favorite VH song. DLR’s lyrics have some real passion complete with vocal restraint. And Eddie is amazing as usual. Loved this song when I first heard it in the radio in ‘82.

 

Little Guitars:
First off, thank you @wavethatflag for your review!
Now onto the song....
The song is kicked off, first by the flamenco intro, then by Al laying down the beat. Eddie comes in at :05, and I'm honestly worrying a bit , cause I'm hearing borderline Van Hagar, but then Diamond Dave, at :48, saves the day with his vocal melody, performance, and lyrics, he totally makes this song, really clever wordplay, great vocal, the brief solo at 2:17 is kind of cool. This song could have sucked in the wrong hands (cough) (cough), but it's saved by a shining diamond. While still probably my least favorite on the album, it's still a very strong track.

 

Fun fact intrusion: Eddie's short-scale axe (it's a cutie) on "Little Guitars" (the song, not the acoustic prelude) rang a few pitches higher than a normal guitar, plus the lower string was down-tuned, if I recall. In other words, pre-capoed and further altered. I love the intro to the proper song and learned to replicate it on a regular guitar, though there's one chord that's a toughie to get in place....

Anyway, "Little Guitars" is a great track, another winner for DD.

 

Little Guitars is straight perfect. The outro...oh man, I'm speechless.

 

Just as a reminder, since this thread is nearing the end, you can vote for my next thread:
Feb. 2018 Song by Song Poll

 

Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now):

Now we reach Big Bad Bill, an old standard written by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen, which Dave picked up from a radio station while staying at his dad's. He then brought the song to the band and suggested to Eddie and Alex that they get their father Jan to play on the song.
The song begins with Alex brushing the drums, and Eddie, who plays a hollow body jazz guitar, while Mike is on acoustic bass, and they are more than up to capturing a By Gone era, that sort of rag time jazz feel, topped off by the Old Man on clarinet, and Dave comes in at :21 and you hear another influence on his sleeves, this is so Dave through and through, has that kind of quirky feel to it, and that kind of outside-the-box mentality that was just gone once he left. And I love Father Van Halen's solo at 1:27, you can hear a little bit of the family sound in it, and yet it feels rooted in yesteryear.
Best f---int song on the album, I said it, I adore this track, feels so different and yet still has that spirit to it.

 

I always liked this song.People can have their own opinions but I wouldn`t be without Big Bad Bill!

 

Great album. I think it's a really neat change of pace from the others, and the covers are all well done, and the original tunes are classic VH. About the only thing I don't like is "Intruder", the intro to "Pretty Woman".

 

LITTLE GUITARS

Along with "Hang Em High" two under rated gems from Van halen!

 

If we are playing that game, the list of good Van Hagar songs that would have sucked with Roth singing them is really long.

 

Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now): I guess someone has to get the ball rolling bashing this song so I guess I'll be "that guy".

I totally respect VH wanting to bring in their father on the album. The band was scrambling to fill up a full album's worth of music so might as well bring in the old man to give him a moment in the sun. Great for Van Halen. Not so great for most VH fans.

This song is complete filler. Call me close minded but I have no interest in hearing a song where clarinet is the lead instrument. Dave does a decent enough job with some personable vocals, but this song has very little redeeming value for me. Perhaps the only good thing is: I appreciate the "Full Bug" more when this song finally comes to a merciful close. Zero out of five stars for me.

 

Agreed. I’ve never liked “Big Bad Bill” at all. It is cool that the Van Halen brothers got to play a song with their dad, but the song really sucks. I always skip it.

 

Little Guitars is great. The intro sounds like it is from 18th century Spain or something.

Michael Anthony is key... his thumping bass and background vocals makes the song... and of course Alex is kicking ass. Great track.

 

A pretty good look at EVH's little guitar in action at the US Festival in '83.
I noticed they take a pass on playing the solo here.



Loved "Little Guitars" when I first heard it.
I thought this and Hang Em High were the best things on the album, and was hoping anything following would be in this style.

 

Big Bad Bill is not my cup of tea but I guess it is a good take on the song, think it’s neat they had their dad on it, my least favorite song on the LP.

 

Was not a fan of Big Bad Bill when it first came out.
But this imo is one of the under-rated gems on DD.

Clearly a showcase for Jan Van Halen, (and to keep the brothers engaged with the project, the "fun" part),
he adds flourishes during the verses, and rocks a fluid solo that goes for a few bars.
The band features different instruments (hollow body guitar, acoustic bass) and playing a completely different unique style, stepping back, how can u not admire that in hindsight?

Ed's in the backline playing a jazzy chord progression with Alex's insistent, up in the mix, yet light and nimble brush work.
Has Alex put anything else to tape for VH like this?
Anyhow, Roth does a Louie Armstrong thing, but keeps it low key for him through out, especially note during the clarinet solo.
Also, I don't there's any background vocal here, another VH rarity.

I do get the sense this was pieced together a bit, not the smoothest of productions, with the solo coming in hard, while on the rest of the track the clarinet is blended in w the rest of the players behind an upfront Dave on the verses.

While I still think it's b-sides material, I think BBB also puts the spotlight again on the band's versitality, this time doing a traditional jazz cover, and well, for all to hear.

 

I absolutely love Big Bad Bill. In my opinion it's stuff like this that sets VH apart from the Quiet Riots of the world. No other band of their era/genre would have had the idea to cover a song like this in the first place, and even if they had they wouldn't have been able to pull it off like this. Only Van Halen.

 

Little Guitars - Always loved it. Classic VH

Big Bad Bill - I love it when VH throws in a curveball like this. I like their diversity.

 

I wish Van Halen would have delved into this style more often. Secrets is a top ten VH song for me.

 

I am here to call all the "Big Bad Bill" detractors closed minded. Great performance by all and sundry and a really fun song to sing along with at a party. It probably helped that I had a high school friend named Bill about whom this song could have been written (not so sure he enjoyed the singalongs as much as the rest of us ).