Classical Composer Reacts to Eruption & You Really Got Me (VAN HALEN) | The Daily Doug Episode 567

#vanhalen #eruption #metalmonday
In this episode of #thedailydoug, I'm listening to Eruption and You Really Got Me from Van Halen's debut studio album.
Many folks have requested a reaction to Eruption, a vaunted guitar solo from Eddie Van Halen. But, it's a relatively short track (under two minutes). And, I read that Eruption was often included with You Really Got Me when played over the radio. So, I'm recreating the experience by listening to both songs together. And, they're both a first time reaction! I hope you enjoy!
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[@BritishRosie-es3zr]

"It's Vivaldi with his amp turned up to 11" might be the greatest summary of Van Halen in history.

[@bobravenscraft5376]

At Smithsonian Ed said 15

[@AmericanPatriot4-19-95]

Eddie was blues based and couldn't read music. I think your thinking of Randy....... HE BROUGHT THE CLASSICAL. BARELY USED A TREMOLO AND WAS CLASSICALLY TRAINED AND NEVER MISSED A NOTE. now go watch Van Halen at the US festival. They sounded like SHITE😮😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@steve.hoffman]

We mustn’t forget Michael Anthony’s backing vocals. He is severely under appreciated, and really helped make their sound on this and many other songs.

[@LuisGarcia-ee2tr]

Good point!!!!!

[@67Aquaholic]

ABSOLUTELY......his backing vocals are as much of the sound of Van Halen as is Eddie's guitar and Dave's squeal.

[@hoist8111]

Michael Anthony is Van Halen's best singer

[@zburnham]

Truth. Crazy shit like Eddie’s playing needs to be grounded in something or it’s just noise.

[@babylemonade2868]

Sure did. Well said

[@jerrypedit5383]

Live version of eruption is a must

[@TrianglesAndCircles]

Agreed

[@danrebeiz4598]

Live version is good, but the studio version is still king 😊

[@matthewdrake4385]

Absolutely

[@ericodijk]

Absolutely, especially when he started to combine it later on with the Mean Street intro. And the most iconic thing is that Eddie always ENJOYED himself so very much. Always a broad smile on stage, like he was a kid in a toyshop. He looked and made it look so effortless, yet totally impossible to reach... When he died, it really hurted.

[@matthewdrake4385]

The thing that is amazing is that Eddie never played Eruption the same way twice in concert. The version from Live Without a Net has riffs from many different songs, which shows how amazing he really was when you consider the version on the debut is under 2 mins and he would expand it in concert.

[@sethfriedman9259]

Doug you should do the whole album. Definitely one of the greatest debut albums of all time!

[@maryannturton9830]

Listened to it every day in 9th grade,and still on my playlist at 58...🎛🎸🥁🎙🎶😜

[@rothed16]

​@Maryann Turton 54 yrs old here and started really listening to them in 1982. Heard songs from this album, but really didn't listen to if from front to back till somewhere in 1984 in

[@rothed16]

​@Maryann Turton 54 yrs old here and started really listening to them in 1982. Heard songs from this album, but really didn't listen to if from front to back till somewhere in 1984 in

[@rothed16]

​@Maryann Turton 54 yrs old here and started really listening to them in 1982. Heard songs from this album, but really didn't listen to if from front to back till somewhere in 1984 in

[@jimbrown9817]

I would love to see Doug’s response to the car horn intro to ‘Runnin’ With the Devil’. He would probably be able to pitch identify it.

[@toddfrank3344]

1:42 that changed everything. Eruption was the shot heard round the world. Electric rock guitar would never be the same again.

[@dbstotty]

Well said my friend

[@quix99]

Facts. Eddie is hands down the most influential guitar player, if not overall musician in history.

[@sunshynff]

@quix99 .....WOW, that is a huge statement, hands down??? I don't know about that, and this is from me, an 80's kid who played in a high school/college cover band, and had a flying V red guitar with strips of electrical tape on it!! (red for Sammy Hagar, pre-van halen, and the tape to pay homage to Eddie). I mean if you were to say from 80's moving forward until today, I probably would be on board, but lets look at all time......... First and foremost you have to start with Robert Johnson, the greatest blues guitarist of all time and one of rock’s founding fathers from the pre-World War II Delta blues era. Then not long after in the same era you got Charlie Christian, pretty much the father of electric guitar, I mean he wasn't the first to plug in, but his style of increased volume and sustain and amplification that is more familiar with todays rock, than classic blues, put the guitar on a level playing field with customary soloing instruments like the trumpet and saxophone. Those two became huge influences for the likes of B.B. King and Chuck Berry, who were both huge influences on the likes of both Jimmys, Hendrix and Page along with Eric Clapton. Eddie had never even heard rock music in his life, only classical, until his family moved from Netherlands to Pasadena CA in 1967 when he was 12yrs old, and he was introduced to his first rock song ever, a track by Cream, featuring Eric Clapton. After that though, I have a hard time thinking of any single guitarist that more kids wanted to be like, every young guitar prodigy wanted to emulate. I mean Eddie's self-described “brown” sound, over-the-top techniques, including two-handed tapping, , and revolutionary trem-bar effects inspired a generation of aspiring guitarists who bought the one-pickup, one-volume-knob, Floyd Rose-equipped Strat-style guitars that Van Halen made famous!! No doubt he will have GOAT status well into our great grandkids lifetime, but I don't think that could be possible without mentioning those others, just my two cents though. ✌️💚

[@backtoshallabal6662]

then why are people saying rhoads did it better

[@skeezix8156]

It’s gone in phases. Link Wray brought the power chord back in the 50’s

[@chrishare9858]

23 years old, and Eddie singlehandedly changed rock guitar forever. That's what God wanted hard rock music to sound like. Pure joy.

[@nickjohnson3622]

He was actually 22 when he recorded VH I

[@tomscott4644]

For guys my age, the first time hearing Eruption was a "you know where you were when" moment. I can tell you exactly where I was and who was with me when the world changed.

[@sparkster65]

I’ll never forget it, it was the paradigm shifting moment of my life

[@RobertJohnson-bj5lk]

9:45 - The most perfect explanation of the incredible significance of “Eruption”. King Edward The First absolutely threw down the gauntlet and correctly proclaimed himself to be the GOAT guitarist in just two minutes. Every Rock radio station in the late 1970’s played these two songs as a back-to-back pair every time. Never one without the other. Greatest radio debut by any band ever. Ever. Periodt.

[@catgonz]

He was trained as a classical pianist, was winning competitions at a young age

[@nordvegfigg7746]

This was the first thing I ever heard by VH. I was sat up in bed on a lazy late Sunday morning with my GF, hungover, drinking coffee, eating toast, listening to the radio when Eruption/You Really Got Me came on. I remember jumping up and saying "WTF WAS THAT????". And my guitar playing changed forever.

[@MrYellingdingo]

Part of Eruption is actually based off Etude No. 2 by Rodolphe Kreutzer. Eddie started off on piano and never actually learned to read music before hitting it big. He's talked about it in interviews saying he used to listen to classical artists like Bach or Mozart and then just trying to reproduce that on whatever instrument he was using.

[@Emlizardo]

Their great producer Ted Templeman is the reason "Eruption" is on the album. It was a solo Eddie did in their shows, but he didn't have any intention of recording it. Templeman heard him playing it in the studio one day and basically told Eddie, THAT IS GOING ON THE ALBUM. And the rest was history.

[@michaeltammaro482]

It was an intended FILLER on the album created by Edward in '74. So he was 19 when he made that. And YES he was tapping in '74. He said so himself.

[@davidc.cassidy6837]

Eddie was the King, raised on classical piano. He was so gifted in creating music and rhythms that simply flowed beautifully. The Mozart of Rock. He is missed. RIP Eddie.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

Eddie also had a smile on all the time!

[@riveralph3687]

This album blew us all away in '78! Jaws still dropping 45 years later. RIP Eddie.

[@whatwouldhousedo5136]

The song "I'm The One" from the debut is pretty much shred guitar 101. There's just so much going on and it remains my favourite VH track of all time.

[@evh78]

Yes it’s an incredible song and astonishing performance done in a single take too. Unbelievable playing and talent. EVH is King

[@aaron199]

Super under rated song. My favorite on the album

[@Laurikiwi]

I'm the One and the solo in Ice Cream Man are up there with Eruption, totally original, unprecedented playing, game-changing album

[@commonman317]

One of the best guitar intros ever. The D.O.A. intro is right up there too.

[@steverobinson8214]

When this album came out you could hear the sound of a million guitar players jaws hitting the floor around the world!! Nobody had ever heard anything like it and we probably never will again! RIP king Edward

[@aaron199]

So THATS how Alex gets his snare sound. Most impressive.

[@jalewa]

Keep in mind the year this came out. Nobody had ever produced such an amazing sound like this before. It was ground breaking. There's been a lot of amazing shredders since Eddie but he was the first one to make the guitar do this. It was mesmerizing for it's time and still sounds amazing today.

[@friguy4444]

Yea. This.

[@roberttee9790]

Not many bands said "Hello World" like Van Halen.

[@briangreenspan1294]

Boston

[@jimhardiman3836]

The Doors and The Pretenders debuts are barn burners too.

[@GuyNarnarian]

Appetite for Destruction was a pretty big opening record. But VH I especially at the time of the release was mind-blowing. Plus, every song is good, which is rare for an opening album where they focused so hard on trying to get that one banger out for the radio.

[@friguy4444]

Yea! They even did it live when standing around sometimes or for the cameras to show off in four part harmony lol. "Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello.....HELLO!"

[@porflepopnecker4376]

I got to see Van Halen from the second row of a theater-sized venue (the Armadillo World Headquarters) in Austin, TX when they were still touring for their first album. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Eddie did the original album version of "Eruption" before it was the marathon it would evolve into. Every once in a while he'd look up and smile at the crowd as if to say, "I know! I can't believe I'm this good either!"

[@markwilliams6394]

I saw them in Corpus Christi with Black Sabbath but only from the 5th row. Eddie and the band were amazing. Saw them on the Van Halen 2 tour in '79 also.

[@jimbrown9817]

It was so cool to see them step up from the bar-sized and backyard venues but before they became arena sized. They out on a hell of a show no matter where and what size.

[@melissayost4888]

I’m a gigantic KINKS fan. This song is a classic. First time I heard VH’s cover I almost drove of the road. I still love both versions.

[@Peanutbutterb00b5]

Love the Kinks too, but VH really just owned Your Really Got Me - the Kinks never recovered their song as people now only really know this version…

[@timbmusician]

This was a cover that became so attached to VH that Ed once talked about going to either a Kink's or Ray Davies solo gig and hearing them intro "You Really Got Me" by saying, "We're going to do a Van Halen song now."

[@misterghee1]

Hehe😅

[@user-ni9pd2hp2l]

That’s totally true. I’m a huge Kinks fan and saw them at least 10 times starting in 1982 and most of the times Ray introduced the song as a Van Halen cover. Always got a laugh.

[@XA351GT]

The reason Ray did that was tongue in cheek He was asked once why they played a Van Halen song in the Kinks shows . He had to explain he wrote it 14 years before the VH version was recorded.

[@qbel4255]

Reminds me of when The Zutons played Valerie with Mark Ronson on rhythm guitar and introducing him as the guy who wrote this song

[@jimreeves1]

I recall the debut album being a great audtion album when I sold stereos in the 70's, but it was Runnin With the Devil that sold speakers.

[@kennethgoin628]

Ed's mom was a classical pianist, and his dad was a big band clarinet player. Yes, definite classical influence in Eddie's play. He gets the classical discipline from his mother and that undeniable "swing" from his father Jan. The biggest thing to realize when listening to the debut album is that the world had never heard anything like it before. When the album starts with the harmonized car horns in a diving decrescendo, it instantly made us go, "What's about to happen here?" Car horns fade to a thumping bass and bridge scrape that introduces the hard riff of "Runnin' With the Devil." Just about the time you're recognizing how much this "simple song" rocks, you get slapped in the face with the following track, "Eruption." Big eyes, jaw agape to the floor, barely able to breathe! The rest of the debut just handed you more and more of the unheard of, and completely unbelievable. Even the pros were like, "What's he doing there, in that spot?" Suddenly, everyone wanted to play guitar again, and just like Ed! To be alive and "in the loop" when it all came about, not only leaves a soul feeling blessed by being immersed in it, it also makes one aware of all that is missing for those who were not able to share in it. It's kind of like Star Wars in 1977. If you weren't there at the time to experience the impact and influence, it's hard to grasp how truly special it all was. Ed changed rock music and guitar play forever.

[@cindya9572]

The live version of the Eruption solo from the 1986 "Live Without a Net" concert is the one to see. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmrVXoGuqr6msMk You can see how Eddie engages with the audience and it's obvious he loves what he's doing. It's a 13 minute solo and every minute is jaw dropping. It contains Eruption, and bits from 316, Cathedral, Mean Street, Spanish Fly, and maybe a few others merged together.

[@jacekjackson6903]

100% agree

[@grilledspaghetti]

Cathedral is the real mind blowing solo for me. I play guitar since 1985, and even though I've never tried playing Eruption on its own I can hear it and know exactly what he's doing and know with practice I could pull it off. Cathedral is just..... different. The syncopation of delay, fingers and volume knob is like learning a whole other instrument.

[@billinorlando2887]

But its all his instrumentals thrown together. All the hacks on YT always title it as Eruption

[@akfreed6949]

US Festival live solo is way better .

[@rogerbiggerstaff3293]

​@@akfreed6949 Agreed! That's the ultimate version.

[@danhurley2274]

"Eruption" & "You Really Got Me" never get old! I have been listening to these great tracks for the better part of 45 years and they still sound amazing.

[@crabapplez1742]

Just goes to show that The Kinks are so awesome that multiple bands were covering there music. Love Van Halen!!!

[@JohnSmith-mx8wp]

You remind me of a co-worker many years ago. Loved the Kinks, hated Van Halen (referred to them as Van Headache lol), only because they covered his beloved band's hit song.

[@LuisGarcia-ee2tr]

VH was one of the greatest bands, with the great Eddie and that huge guitar, which left an important mark on hard rock history. IMHO the first lineup was the best, with Roth. Unforgettable. RIP Eddie. Your music will always be present in our minds and hearts.

[@lancemorrison8496]

In the Sunset Sound interview videos they play the tape from this session and the band played the whole thing- Eruption into You Really Got Me- live in one take! The band didn’t even know they were recording and we’re just rehearsing for a live gig. Blows my mind that Ed just played Eruption like that and NAILED it. Hearing some other basic tracks from this era it’s apparent how great the whole band was as a unit.

[@mikefetterman6782]

Eddie pieced together a strat with Gibson humbuckers, and a Charvel neck. He made several variations over the years and painted them uniquely using strips of tape.

[@gabrielbrouwer]

Boogie body and neck, they made the bodies and necks for Charvel back then.

[@kmoecub]

The body and neck were both Charvel seconds.

[@scottdunn2178]

@@kmoecub Lin Ellsworth sold the body for $50 (had a knot in it) and the neck for $80. Charvel were making bodies for Boogie Bodies and Dimarzio at the time.

[@vernhoke7730]

The version from "Live Without A Net" with Sammy Hagar is a must watch. I highly recommend it.

[@Godlobber]

When David Lee Roth was in Van Halen they would tune the instruments down a 1/2 step, which is why you hear A flat instead of A, because it was easier on David Lee Roth's voice.

[@TrianglesAndCircles]

That is a precious nugget. Wow! I never knew.

[@joex9865]

They didn't "tune" to any specific note. From song to song, the tuning varies. Eddie detuned the b string on Running with the devil such that the major triads would be tuned to the natural third as opposed to the equal tempered third. Eddie truly understood music

[@joex9865]

Also, many of the early acdc albums had varying tuning

[@SylviusTheMad]

@@joex9865 Eddie was an outspoken critic of traditional guitar tuning. He thought it was dumb.

[@Godlobber]

@@joex9865 Yes I know that, Night Stalker in particular comes to mind.

[@sebastianschilling7337]

Michael Anthony’s bass sound is so unique. It is incredible how clear he sounds considering that he was playing along one of the greatest guitar players in rock history. To be the bass player in VH and still come out sounding like that, shining on his own and helping to put the pieces together, goes to show how great he is.

[@Peanutbutterb00b5]

The great thing about Eddie, Michael and Alex was that they all had fantastic timing … Michael’s work on Running With the Devil is almost robotic that he is so steady on his timing…

[@jsleeio]

Alex's snare is also pretty much unique. Rick Beato has a great video about it

[@jimave]

I remember hearing this the first time when I was in junior high school and it blew me away. I didn’t know what or who it was but I loved it. Eddie became my favorite guitar hero! I saw Van Halen 5 times and Eddie was a master! RIP Eddie.

[@kbusby4824]

As a young teen, I was fortunate to see VH on their 1980 World Invasion tour. Had row four on the floor but was up against the crush barrier all night. Really fantastic concert. DLR was quite the showman. The highlight was when EVH flicked his guitar pick at me. Awesome memory of a memorable band. RIP EVH.

[@EddieReischl]

A lot of suggestions in the chat for "I'm the One" as a follow up VH reaction, which would be good. I'm thinking "Little Guitars" with the acoustic intro myself.

[@theother1281]

Van Halen were the first rock band I ever saw live, on that first tour supporting Black Sabbath. Wonderful memory.

[@Dan-C-71]

They also covered the Kinks on Diver Down with “Where Have All the Good Times Gone”. Eddie was a classically trained pianist as well.

[@jomojojo6603]

In case everyone didn't know... Van Halen tuned down half a step. So, this song was played in A.(It just comes out as Ab)

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

Thanks for that tip--it explains the looseness of the guitar sound. Van Halen and Eddie NEVER sounded tense.

[@johndboran]

Guitar players were floored when Ed died. I found myself asking "why didn't he quit drinking and smoking? We would have had him a lot longer!!!" Makes me sad.....

[@omni-man4624]

Stop, some RStars are in the 27 club. EvH was in hs 60s!

[@genboomxer]

1978 was junior year of HS. I remember the morning when I woke up to this on my clock radio. It was the only thing we talked about for weeks at school.

[@owlperchedsilo3745]

45 years after i first heard Eruption, it still sounds fresh.

[@michaelschey1084]

Imagine hearing this for the first time after that amazing opening of Run With The Devil.

[@ManchurianCounterweight]

David Lee Roth was like a perfect, vat-grown hard-rock frontman, it really does not get any better as a rock or metal entertainer. I was lucky enough to see VH when I was in jr high, on their 1984 tour and it did not disappoint. Every song was filled with David Lee antics, from karate moves to sword work, to all the crazy jumps and stage moves, and just his personality, his banter with the crowd. He was funny, and super duper charismatic. The whole show was just epic, and I don't think it could get much better in the hard rock genre.

[@wm-nu1yf]

I saw them in 2012 with Roth. It was disappointing. Roth talked through the songs more than he sang. If William Shatner snorted a truckload of coke and then did a cheesy Las Vegas lounge act cover show of Van Halen songs, I imagine the results would be similar. Never got to see them with Hagar, but I imagine Hagar would put on a far superior show.

[@PuppyMonsters]

By the time I was old enough to go to concerts, Dave had left the building as far as Van Halen went, but I did see him during his solo Skyscraper tour. What a showman. Just born to be an entertainer.

[@CharlesBronson1977]

@@wm-nu1yf You must be a milennial or Gen Z-er. Roth is a fucking God. Go listen to their first 6 albums with him. Even their worst one, Diver Down, is superior to anything they put out with Hagar. They became a pop band with Hagar. They were the biggest band on the planet with Roth from 1978 to 1984 and had two albums that sold over 10 million copies with him (Their debut album and 1984). Go back to your parents' basement.

[@Axe_Slinger]

Early on they labeled DLR a "cheap, generic copy of Jim Dandy" the singer from Black Oak Arkansas because he behaved in a very similar way!

[@ChicagoJ351]

I also saw them on the 84 tour. When they were in Chicago. Our seats were blocked by a wall of amps, so we couldn’t even see the stage. They gave us new seats, but way in the back. Sucked, but still was able to see the show.

[@mikewoodrow5878]

Doug, yes you picked up the Vivaldi-esque composition in Eruption. When he was younger, he was trained classically as a pianist. He was actually the drummer, originally (he and Alex switched their instruments). Peace from Toronto

[@Jay-iq5zu]

How is it Vivaldi-esque? Genuinely curious. I wanted Doug to expand on that.

[@XA351GT]

Both Eddie and Alex were pianists

[@EddieReischl]

@@Jay-iq5zu For me, the hammer on/pull off part reminds me of the fast violin part towards the end of "Spring". A sequential pattern that ascends and then goes back down and the end.

[@Jay-iq5zu]

@@EddieReischl Ahhh. Thank you! I never would've made that connection but the progression is very similar!

[@TheCocoaDaddy]

Love it! Van Halen I is a kick-ass album, end of story! Each time I hear it, I always get pumped up!!!!!!

[@ricktreat]

The first concert I ever saw was Van Halen opening for Black Sabbath. I was surprised how many people went home after Van Halen left the stage.

[@jhouck1969]

Van Halen's debut came at the height of disco and was like a flamethrower at the time. It's an awesome album, and it's unsurprising that it went diamond as quickly as it did. But I think that also was a clear sign that disco was on its way out.

[@squidly2112]

Man, you have no idea how many times I played this when I was in Jr. High/High School .. OMG .. classic!!!

[@crusheverything4449]

Oh, I have a pretty good idea! It was the same for me and my friends. We were all trying to learn guitar by ourselves and the first VH album was an absolute earthquake! I’ll never forget being frozen in awe while listening to that record for the first time. At the end of Side 1, we all just sat there, dumbfounded, like, “WTF just happened?!!” It was repeated after Side 2. I’m sure there are thousands upon thousands who had that same experience, many of whom were inspired to learn guitar and probably an equal number who threw theirs into a wood chipper! 😆 R.I.P. EVH. So sorely missed…

[@Kylora2112]

The Frankenstrat is a "Partscaster" (Eddie bought aftermarket parts to piece a guitar together). It originally had a standard Fender Strat bridge (replaced by a Floyd Rose) and a humbucker from an old Gibson ES-335. The combination of a Fender look and feel with a chunky Gibson tone from the pickup was just as innovative as his playing (before Eddie, Strats were only really seen with single-coil pickups, which are great for smooth and bright sound, but not so great for high-gain rock...sure, Yngwie does it, but he uses really high output pickups made to his specs). Now, humbucker-equipped Strats are a standard instrument.

[@kellypickle]

Dude that was exactly what it felt like. A shot across the bow.

[@kevinchuvala4104]

Remember my brother learning eruption on guitar soon after the album came out. Jamie's cryin was one of the first song I heard from them on the radio in 78/79. Ed's so innovative on guitar. Vinyl records King of the industry then. 🎸🎼. Eddie Van Halen changed guitar playing forever. Practice practice practice and he shined⭐

[@davidpeters44]

Insane debut, I remember when this was all over the radio rock stations, teenage years.

[@bobschenkel7921]

Of course, when Eddie was playing "Eruption" live in concert it usually went for five to eight minutes every night. Live is always a little more free flowing. Saw them once, on the Diver Down tour, and Eddie tore it up, big time.

[@frankswarbrick7562]

I'm sure others will say this, but this album deserves a full album review. One of the top debut albums of all time. My older sister got this album (cassette; natch) in maybe 1980 when I turned 11 and was just getting my own musical taste. This album was definitely an influence on that! I think it likely I heard the VH cover of YRGM before I ever heard the original.

[@michellebell5092]

Yes , the album is probably the greatest debut album, and that particular five minutes ….. wow just superb. Groundbreaking activity .many jaws dropped when they heard it, they still do.

[@ryant3600]

One thing a lot of people didn't realize that Eddie was an innovator. He built a lot of the gear he used throughout his entire career. There is now a EVH brand guitar and Amp/cabinet company. He was also a classically trained piano player.

[@GNXXRAY]

The Frankenstrat is a Fender Strat pieced together with items Eddie liked. He added the Floyd Rose bridge and the guitar uses a Gibson PAF bridge humbucker. It has no other Gibson pieces on it. He later played mainly Kramer Strat bodied guitars and had various Frankenstrat versions. He built one with a Kramer one piece maple neck and then later, added another with the now famous Kramer reverse hockey stick neck. I saw all the guitars on Display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Niagara Falls Canada in the early 2000’s. The display was a 360 degree glass cabinet so you could view the guitars from all sides.

[@JoeyArmstrong2800]

I'm not a huge VH fan but there's no denying that debut album is just a Rock n Roll classic.

[@ericwilliams1031]

Short and sweet. No one had heard that kind of playing on a rock album before. That's why it blew up so big. Eddie pioneered the guitar sound of the 80s before the 80s.

[@squidly2112]

"You Really Got Me" - The Kinks, was released in 1964. Van Halen did a very tasty remake for sure.

[@kenf1ott]

Spot on with the classical references. Eddie was a classically trained and contest-winning pianist in his youth and spoke in interviews about transposing classical runs by Debussy to the guitar. His father was a musician and plays on their song "Big Bad Bill" you may enjoy that one as well.

[@EddieReischl]

If he reacts to "Little Guitars", I wonder if he'll hear the same Debussy influence that I do at the beginning and at the end of the acoustic intro.

[@backtoshallabal6662]

was he like randy

[@brettteeter3461]

How could you have never heard Eruption before?! Mind-boggling…

[@thecornerkid402]

I once read an article that said “David Lee Roth’s style is more like a vocal strut than just singing.”

[@tacklejunkie6887]

One of, if not the best debut albums in rock history. You should do one of your full album listens for this one. Absolutely groundbreaking for it's time.

[@TrianglesAndCircles]

I remember this on the radio. I was like What? So this was the first cassette I bought with my allowance.

[@paulbyrne7617]

Along with Guns and Roses, one of the best debut albums ever. As previously suggested a listen to the whole album is a must.

[@TheMerryPup]

I was unknowingly lucky enough back in the day to see Van Halen open for Black Sabbath at MSG in July of 1978. A friend of mine had a pair of tickets he couldn’t use and offered them to me so I and another friend went to the show. They killed it and I regret never seeing them again after that.

[@mattblatchley2061]

this was really fun, thanks!

[@fumes1541]

Watch Eddie's live solo from "Live Without A Net"

[@GrampsD63]

Glad to see you were as blown away as we were back in '78. I'll never forget the first time puttin' on the cans and letting the needle drop on this monster.

[@lauries7650]

I truly enjoyed your reaction ~ you looked positively delighted! It made my day. You mentioned that you wanted to hear more of Eruption. The Live Without A Net live version is considered the greatest of all time guitar solos. Guaranteed fastest 15 minutes of your life 🙂 Eddie's guitar technique will blow your mind. Add to that, he never learned to read music! He was classically trained on the piano. He turns that guitar into many different instruments. It's hard to explain ~ it must be witnessed. Keep up the good work!

[@ronstewart6362]

That band in my Humble opinion is the Greatest Rockband ever. The DLR years were incredible.

[@tomtompkins7546]

I just have to give you props for having a copy of marillion in the background. I saw them in 1988 in Cincinnati, Ohio for their American tour. Misplaced childhood was one of my favorite albums of the 1980s.

[@0PsychosisMedia0]

Got to see the live version..it's longer and more involved but mostly you see him in the process of doing it and it's amazing!

[@JakeBourne13]

When Eruption would play on the radio I would damn near blow my speakers outta my car. Pure joy is what it brought me.

[@daclackster]

Long time VH fan and Doug's dancing just made this song infinitely more enjoyable!

[@DannyD714]

i saw them on that summer of '78 tour with black sabbath and boston at anaheim stadium in california. one of the best outdoor shows i've ever seen. van halen did a sky dive into the stadium...or so we were led to believe. in 2003 i won tickets from los angeles radio station KLOS to see boston which included going to the sound check and a meet and greet with lead singer brad delp. we talked about the anaheim show and i asked if van halen really did the sky dive into the stadium. he asked, "do you really want to know?" and i said yes. he just smiled and shook his head. even so it's still a great moment in my early concert going years.

[@orphy6869]

And with those two tracks, the music world was changed FOREVER!

[@rogerdaly6326]

Doug if you do the live version from Live Without A Net its Eruption with 5 or 6 other pieces interweaved. On every album or just about every album Eddie always did a little solo guitar track. I won this album on the boardwalk of Seaside Heights NJ for 25 cents when i was 13. Life changing expierience.

[@cutterslaw]

Saw them play this live when they opened for Black Sabbath in Oxford in 1978. Blew everyone's mind. Nobody was playing like Eddy at that time. Brilliant! Thanks for reviewing this track..

[@armandourso1526]

Explosive ! Blew my mind 40 years ago … Hugs from Brazil 🎉

[@adamwade1808]

You have to remember in 1977-78, hard rock was almost dead- disco ruled the charts, soft rock, adult rock, country rock, singer songwriters, southern rock were all that was played, least where li grew up. Punk Rock had just started, and new wave was just starting to gain traction. THEN VAN HALEN RELEASED their debut album! and blew the rock world away. I was a fan from the first time i heard Eruption- and i was really impressed when i learned later this was one guy plying one guitar! RIP Eddy VanHalen

[@ironjehoshaphat2764]

Van-Halen is my most favorite band! Alex and Eddie's father was a clarinet player for a symphony in the Netherlands before they moved to the Pasadena area. One tune, I don't remember right off the top of my head, has his father playing the clarinet.

[@shawnok1]

Doug, your descriptions of Van Halen & specifically Eddie are priceless. Spot on! Excellent content

[@robbiemillar704]

I was learning the guitar from age 10 and at the age of 14 my brother introduce me to this album. Wow! Then on September 19th 1979 my first concert was Van Halen. They played most of their first two albums. Every album they had featured a guitar solo of some sort and a cover song. Check out the live version of eruption that I've seen so many people react to. It encapsulates every solo off of every album... And just shows Eddie having the best time. Huge influence. Thanks for the Memories of hearing this for the first time.

[@TheSkydogsguitar]

I'm 58 and I've played guitar for 46 of those years. In that time, I've had a lot of favorite guitarists (Allman, Howe, Gilmour, Barre, Page to name a few) but I've finally decided that after all this time, Eddie Van Halen was the greatest guitarist of the rock and roll era.

[@bstaff1901]

The first time I heard this was on a school bus on my way to school in 7th grade. Our bus driver Bill use to listen to 93.3 WMMR, a Philly rock station. When we got school there were a few kids who had heard it on their way and we were all saying, “Did you hear that?!?!” And “What was it?”

[@alintampa]

One of my top three bands. those first six albums have 30 +songs that I enjoy listening to. Pink Floyd and iron maiden are my two other favorites

[@TimE_5150]

Doug, it is great to see and hear someone else discover and enjoy the musical genius of Van Halen that I was fortunate enough to grow up on and use as the backing tracks of my life!!

[@robbrandtBSA]

You really have to watch a live version of eruption to appreciate what he's doing with the finger tapping

[@supertal6074]

Michael Anthony's voice is a big factor in the Van Halen sound. Eddie said he had highs from hell! What a band - the best ever!!!!

[@jimmyboy131]

He said Mike is the "piccolo from hell!"

[@richiebell4953]

My first concert [and I was hooked]with my DAD who took me way back in the 1981 Fair Warning tour! It was TOO WILD for a 14-year-old rocker-BEST guitar playing, naked women, and drugs EVERYWHERE!! I mean David Lee said, "I see it, I smell it, share the damn wealth!"And a SHOWER of joints flooded the stage from the audience!! They were picking them up and sniffing them and lighting them up!

[@marceloscachetti698]

Ed Van Halen foi único neste mundo. Fez o solo de Beat it com Michael Jackson, líder de uma das maiores bandas de rock da história, e um mistério para qualquer guitarrista de como tocar naquela velocidade. Parabéns pela escolha. Van halen Forever!🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@jmm1817]

That was a great reaction Doug thanks a lot I love how you articulated the songs Eddie and the band

[@johnkruton9708]

As a perennial beginner guitar player I’m totally blown away by his own take on guitar. Tuning down 1/2 steps, tuning some strings “flat” or “sharp”? To sound better when playing the power chord shred style swing stuff he does so well. The swing with his rhythm guitar and how he makes all the noises and harmonics not just embellishments but part of the whole song. When you listen to covers by others you expect to hear them and are slightly disappointed when you don’t but totally understand ! 🎉

[@johngayer7136]

Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love is the next one you should check out and my favorite song on the album and my favorite Van Halen song. The album came out my sophomore year in high school. The music from those years stay with you the rest of your life. Younger folks sometimes don't know what you mean when you say "Side one of Van Halen is the best." Vinyl's back and more kids understand now. With 10,000,000+ sold a used copy should not be hard to find, and affordable. Great Work Doug, Thanks

[@tigrom01]

Classical music is always the best influence

[@metalmark1214]

The best version of Eruption is the 13:06 minute live version.

[@stefanosavraamides9565]

I liked seeing you dancing and enjoying the music! Van Halen were a powerhouse of Hard Rock music and there influence still exists today!

[@qhl5579]

Later he heavily expanded the length of Eruption with more solos that occurred on subsequent albums. It's a must hear after this. The video is Eruption live at the Net.

[@rogerdaly6326]

Live Without A Net

[@qhl5579]

Ty