Van Halen, My All Time Favorite Band!
Since the late 70's Van Halen has been making great music. The first time I heard Van Halen was with my friend when his older sister played "Running With The Devil" and from that moment on I was hooked on the heavy guitar and screaming vocals. I quickly became a fan. Is there any other guitar player who can match the pure energy of Eddie Van Halen? I think not.
Don't get me wrong, I love Eric Clapton, Hendrix and many other great guitarists, but there was something about Eddie's sound that spoke to me. He took guitar to the next level at the time. Along with his penchant for great writing, he took us on a fun party ride that I am transported back to every time I listen to those classic first few albums.
With some help from the powerful vocals of David Lee Roth, along with Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony, they wrote the songs that gave birth to the metal sound that still is carried on today. Other bands, especially of the glam-hair metal era took a lot of their cues from Van Halen.
Many people ask me what my favorite band is of all time. I have thought about this a lot because I appreciate so many kinds of music and musical styles. I have come to the conclusion that for me it has to be the original line up of Van Halen! What can I say, they were, and still are fun personified. No band did it like them and no band had as much fun as they did!
The first albums, Van Halen and Van Halen II, Women and Children First, and Fair Warning produced some of the greatest hard rock songs of all time: "Jamie's Crying", "You Really Got Me", "Dance The Night Away", and "Beautiful Girls." I am just getting tired typing all the wonderful music that they made. Almost every song holds some wonderful memory for me.
If you are not familiar with the original line up and are a fan of rock music take the time to go and listen to the pioneers of fun, heavy music. You will not be disappointed!
