Platinum Awarded Engineer Reacts to Van Halen - "Why Can't This Be Love"

Dennis Ward is tutor at HOFA-College, the online academy for audio engineering & music production.
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[@burnindownthehouse]

My favorite part of this song is when Sammy yells, "Wooooo!" right before the chorus. There is that small window of opportunity to fit something in there and he chose to go with a "Wooooo!" I dig it.

[@ericraymond3615]

Slick ric

[@20ameden]

He stole that idea from Dave

[@vaiman7777]

@@20ameden Yeah, Dave invented the "Woooo!" didn't he... no.

[@rifleshooterchannel208]

@@vaiman7777 I checked the patent. Turns out he actually did. 😬

[@darknsouls5319]

Yes Wooooo!!!

[@overdriveguitarchannel3403]

Michael Anthony's bass playing was incredible. His background singing was integral to the band

[@ShockMe1994]

He’s a great bass player, even if he only played what Eddie told him to.

[@edsphone6952]

especially on ""mean streets"" ....... iplaypearldrums

[@dmcguire70]

His playing on girl gone bad during the solo is amazing it sounds like he’s playing lead on the bass!

[@ronaldtravis970]

@@ShockMe1994 I don’t see Ed being to disappointed in anything Mike ever played . Or having to tell him to much. I think that comes from some of Ed’s comments when he wasn’t in to good of shape and getting along with mike and Sammy . Mike played before Ed and obviously after VH . The man can play! And to believe he had to totally be told be Ed what to play is kind of insult to the guy. Even if he would never say it . Let’s get real .

[@JetBucksley]

@@dmcguire70 you nailed it. Girl Gone Bad is their most underrated song.

[@captainspaulding2693]

Sammy has a super delicate vibrato in his delivery. Classy, tasteful and with impact. 5150 is such a great record.

[@dmcguire70]

People forget that not only was Eddie proficient on guitar and piano , he was a master composer and songwriter! Rip EVH

[@SixStringSteveDelivers]

No doubt Eddie was a groundbreaking artist, however, it's been documented that he had a difficult time arranging coherent songs. Both Roth and Hagar have said this. Listening to the VH3 album will prove this. The band went off the rails a bit and lost the lead singers that helped keep the focus on great song structure, etc.

[@realcrunchy6572]

@@SixStringSteveDelivers VHIII was a masterpiece musically. A Year To The Day and Once perfect examples

[@realcrunchy6572]

@@SixStringSteveDelivers Yeah im calling bs on that

[@jjwooten8475]

@@realcrunchy6572 I love that record.

[@dmcguire70]

@@SixStringSteveDelivers I’m sorry but I have to completely disagree with everything you just said he literally composed every single song that they ever recorded

[@AllTheTimeWasted]

Never forget Alex Van Halen's wonderful capability playing with both swing and some drag always hitting the one. He was a big part of making Van Halen danceable :)

[@Iknowthelaw13]

Such great feel and tone in those wrists

[@mindeloman]

And because the 5150 did not have a proper drum room, the entire album was recorded on a small electronic drum set.

[@gokhanersan8561]

“Sammy sings like a god.” Nuff said.

[@dennisdickie2377]

Facts, I’d pick Sam over Dave any day of the week.

[@mgrisham71]

@@dennisdickie2377 I so agree. Saw Sammy and the Circle about two years ago. Unreal .

[@LivinTheDream-lo9jo]

Right on!

[@LiquidSwords5150]

sammy doesn't think he has a good voice either........ i prefer the roth era tunes but the sammy era is dope too and sammy is definitely the superior singer no doubt

[@denisemarie7991]

I think sammy has a cooler voice. I love DLR too. Its apples and oranges to me. Different. Both good.

[@gokhanersan8561]

The breakdown is my favorite part when Eddie and Sammy scat in unison. A special moment in Rock’n’roll history.

[@georgebarry8640]

yeah...it was/is a crazy good diversion song. I still dont know what the hell is going on..but I like it!!

[@franknada8235]

Once again the Van Halen family jazz background echoes its influences there. Some unknowledgeable people without good musical background don't get how broad and fusing Eddie's (and Alex'es) musical mind worked and so can't appreciate beyond their personal taste, which is usually stuck in DLR mode. I think Eddie probably had loads of ideas that he just didn't develop, because of other reasons than purely artistical ones i.e. commercial/the musical partners etc.

[@georgebarry8640]

@@franknada8235 Yeah..I think that understanding lies beneath all of the music I heard from Eddie. Given a chance...the creativity was BLINDING. The extra songs on the greatest hits have some VERY strange things going on in them...and I LOVE it. I wish DLR and them could have weathered those times..oh well. I am still counting measures in some of the Halen stuff and mesmerized that noone "fell out of time".

[@gokhanersan8561]

@@georgebarry8640 Yeah, people are stuck in 1978. I agree that "Eddie probably had loads of ideas that he just didn't develop, because of reasons related to commercial/the musical partners etc." Even in VHIII he showed song evolutions : Good Enough becoming "Dirt Water Dog."

[@gokhanersan8561]

@@franknada8235 Ed and Al saw Jan Van Halen play in jazz clubs, plus Jan would play classical at home, Chopin, etc. Their influences were broad- and it showed more and more after Fair Warning.

[@kidus9069]

Dude we need more vids like these especially of van halen

[@hofa_en]

Hi Kidus, can't promise, but we might do another one 😉 Which song would you like to hear? Best wishes

[@777jones]

In hindsight, this is an A+ pop rock tune, as good as it gets.

[@gokhanersan8561]

Well said . Has a Doobie Bros / Jackson 5 funk to it - powered by the nuclear reactor called Van Halen.

[@TheZappawizard]

Too bad it's not a good Van Halen song

[@gokhanersan8561]

@@TheZappawizard It is a great Van Halen song. Next level up from the Running with the Devil fare 70s blues rock.

[@TheZappawizard]

@@gokhanersan8561 wow, you couldn't be more wrong

[@gokhanersan8561]

@@TheZappawizard It’s not about you or me. It is about an artist who had put loads of cultural and musical capital to create a song like that. The breakdown alone is a culmination of years of musical experience and experimentation. Some listeners never got passed beyond Running with the Devil/ you really got me. Eddie was speeding into the next galaxy.

[@alvalankerofficial]

I miss Eddie still hurts

[@MikeMillerEdit]

the keys were not that much of a surprise when it came out (i'll wait & jump from 1984 kinda broke that wall down) the bass however, was WAY different than anything before. l'll add, Sammy injected the band with a big dose of harmony & melody that they really never had before, basically Mike & Ed handling harmonies. it was VERY radio-ish, and when i first heard it, thought it was the very best thing they ever did, outside of fair warning maybe. Just to give context, most kids my age thought Van Halen was finished when Roth left, and from the time the rumors started circulating that Hagar was the new singer to when the first single dropped was about 6 months. also Sammy wasn't no slouch on guitar himself lol.

[@ShadowWizard123]

The transition into the chorus is A+ in my opinion. That's the part that grabs me every time.

[@edklish3183]

Probably one of the best singers ever.

[@kristopherkrahl1597]

I remember where I was when they announced Sammy joined VH...Sammy being my favorite solo artist and VH being my favorite band, that announcement was like winning the lottery. When the first album came out alot of people were upset and unfairly blamed Sammy for bringing the keyboards and synth into the mix, they didn't like it. But it wasn't Sammy, and it shouldn't have been a surprise if you had listened to 1984. And if you really were a VH fan you'd know Eddie started playing around with them as far back as Women and Children First. And before anyone jumps in with "the only real VH is with Roth"...although I loved VH and their first 6 albums, Dave is a better frontman...but Sammy can actually sing and, in my opinion, made them sound better. Too bad they couldn't have kept it together for a few more albums.

[@tednugentlives]

Correct. Dave had to leave so Ed could take control of the production (his studio) and get the record company off his back. New management came in.

[@beatmet2355]

It’s sort of an insult to resort to critiquing the two bands as if Eddie was a sideman. Van Halen was Eddie’s and to a lesser extent Al’s, the others were just lucky enough to be along for the ride. Let’s face it, without the brothers, Roth would not have been able to launch a solo career. Sammy, of course, didn’t need them to make a living. I prefer sammy to Dave, but the early group gets most of the accolades because they were new and unique. By the time Sammy joined, they were well established and thus the later group is overlooked by the press. I couldn’t help but notice the guitar world retrospective of Eddie’s career focused almost totally on the roth era and all but ignored Sammy’s stint in the band.

[@Scotty_Russell_Music]

The live without a net version of this is amazing, i loved sammys solo.

[@YY-mi9rf]

Back in the day, when I really got into music, the two albums that blew me away and made me really appreciate sound design and quality were the Def Leppard Hysteria album and this Van Halen 5150 album. It wasnt until decades later it hit me again with your Sunstorm albums that brought me that fabulous level of quality sound regarding hard rock albums. Keep up the great work!

[@5150show]

Outstanding thank you 🙏

[@arnaudchelet]

A MASTERPIECE in my WORLD !!! 😎😎😎

[@sageantone7291]

My favorite Van Halen song!

[@Dino0469]

This is definitely an OB-8 synth with a poly sync-like sound patch! I owned both Xa and OB-8 and although Jump was recorded using Xa, he switched to OB-8 just before the “1984” tour because the Xa was discontinued..his quote! He used K250 & OB-8 live the 3x I saw them in the 80’s with DLR and later Sammy!Awesome show each time!

[@hgbugalou]

This is a rare song where you can hear the talent of everyone involved from the band, to the vocals, to the mixing and production. It's just a joy to listen too.

[@sjdanthem]

Eliot Easton once said that this solo was his all-time favorite because it's a pure chordal riff - something he himself excels at.

[@illuminotme4261]

I loved this song from the first time I ever heard it. I remember a friend saying they liked " Van Halen" before the keyboards. Funny thing is I went backwards..I got into VH when it was Hagar singing and then wound up loving 1984 and Diver Down after. Good music is just good music regardless and I'm big-time in guitar but Eddie did awesome things with a keyboard!

[@neoaureus]

Michael Anthony....whoa what a bass player....

[@andreasbianconeri879]

One of my fave song...ed's guitar sound is unique in here..RIP ED 🌹

[@MegaVince09]

He’s talking about changes but for me it took 10 seconds first time I listened to this to go... Yes, they’re back!

[@rodshepard4392]

What is interesting is to see is their live performance from years ago, with Sammy playing all the guitar parts throughout the whole song including the solo section lead lines as he sings along, and Eddie is playing keyboards only..... Michael Anthony holding up the most of the vocal harmonies as usual.

[@gokhanersan8561]

It must take some courage to play those parts live on Sammy's part. But, he did it ! While singing !

[@johnnylikestobatman]

As a guitar player my initial reaction to this song YEARS ago was how melodic and incredible Sammy's voice was and how minimalistic EVH's solo sounded.

[@mariadelosangelesmarinpenu981]

Eddie Van Halen naturally one of the most incredible muscicians ever..... Sammy Hagar in his vocal work here is the top of all the vocalists..... Michael Anthony the most underrated bassist..... Alex Van Halen the genuis on drums...... Thank you for all this AMAZING VIDEO!! Congrats from Colombia!! Blessings...

[@johnwestcott5612]

Fantastic to hear Mike get some recognition. And Sam really is one of the best rock singers I have ever heard. Ed and Al are, as always, genius.

[@arnaudchelet]

AMEN !!! 😎😎😎

[@AdityaPurwanegaraBass]

This is song i listened to everyday on the way home from work

[@themadmattster9647]

Always dug the album. I like a lot of albums that have that high tech “futurist” feel from 86: Rage For Order, Somewhere In Time, Turbo, 5150, nuff said. Love the songs on 5150 that use the Steinberger especially

[@mvb819]

Ed used an Oberheim OB8 analog synth keyboard on this. The 16ths in the synth base were created using the arpeggiator function on the OB8. Live, Ed MIDI'd a Kurzweil K250 to a pair of OB8s.

[@johnconk1]

I have an OB8 and I can tell you the arpeggiator speeds up and slows down slightly. It’s slight but it’s real. In the studio it wasn’t an issue but live they used something different for the left hand sound that set steadier timing so Al would be able to stay in time with it easier

[@Dino0469]

I saw them play this live myself and yes, he used OB8 and a big K250 as a controller plus for the piano sounds on some songs! EVH was a huge Oberheim fan!

[@kimchi2780]

I love Van Hagar so much!

[@JohnnyBeane]

Edward played the guitar on the song but Sammy played it live on the 5150 & OU812 tours.

[@INVERTEDBUKAKI]

Hay Johnny Beane! This guy knows everything evh! Subscribe to his channel

[@AlexanderTerminator]

During the FUCK, Right Here Right Now and Balance Tours, Eddie played guitar.

[@JohnnyBeane]

@@INVERTEDBUKAKI Hey man!

[@JohnnyBeane]

@@AlexanderTerminator yup

[@user-qr7ee2cp4y]

I liked when they let sammy play guitar. He's a capable guitarist... so what if he isn't Eddie, vai, or Paul Gilbert.

[@Fugettaboutit]

Mike Anthony's vocal accompaniment....like a sword.

[@jeffreymiller9808]

Teared up watching this, still can't believe EVH is gone.

[@michaeleaster1815]

From what I've read, Edward asked Sammy to match the guitar part (the scat part) and it was very difficult to do (I'm not a singer, so I have no idea). After the 2nd time, you can hear Sammy go "whew" as though he was grateful he nailed it.

[@sw1tched]

No this is actually incorrect, Sammy hearing this section asked Ed if it would be okay if he's sang over it to Ed's surprised ... Ed being used to Dave's limited range wasn't sure he could pull it off

[@Hawkeye--bc2wt]

More Van Halen please........

[@McFlySwatter]

Every time I hear certain songs like this from Eddie Van Halen, I think to myself that he would also have been an amazing composer for movies and television, etc. “Jump” strikes me the same way. He would have been a brilliant theme song composer. Amazing talent

[@Gerardus1970]

Eddie and Alex did a musical piece for the movie Twister called "Respect the Wind". It's very tasteful.

[@falcon0351]

Love your pro views Denis...it’s a great song

[@darinb7966]

You anticipated a new sound from them every new album and man did they deliver.

[@CP-kb1du]

I remember walking to the local Record Store after watching Best of Both Worlds video buying this cassette ...still have it ...Miss Edward ... Memories

[@shelbyh6257]

"sammy sings like a god" you got a subscriber out of me for that, sir

[@graemeknowles1431]

5150 is a FANTASTIC Van Halen record. We need a new remastered deluxe edition CD of it.👍

[@novadhd]

yeah it is the best of the Van Hagar ones I think. Also F. U. C. K. is great too.

[@graemeknowles1431]

@@novadhd Need a remastered deluxe edition CD of Unlawful Carnel Knowledge as well. Brilliant album👍

[@MichaelCharles2011]

All Van Hagar albums were remastered years ago but only released in Japan for some reason. The prices on eBay are insane

[@franknada8235]

For some reason I like the OU812 most but all three are great. 5150 had the most hit melodies or billboard potential.

[@graemeknowles1431]

@@franknada8235 Yea man. When Its Love from that record is a phenomenal piece of writing and arranged track. The intro keyboards Edwards solo Sammy's vocals and the background vocals are absolutely phenomenal. Brilliant Brilliant song.👍

[@tasteapiana]

When this came out it was the freshest sounding thing that had ever hit mainstream airplay, period. Eddie, with Landee's help, had captured a sonic quality that Quincy Jones had been chasing for over a decade without ever really reaching it. Listen to the funk in the playing of those keys, hear the Stevie Wonder-esque groove laid down in that break fore and aft the solo, sheer Van Halen Bros appreciation for the hits they grew up on. Forget Sammy, anyone with a decent voice could have come off like a god in that mix. Kenny Fkn Rogers would have had panties thrown at the stage had he joined the band at that point. Leave the Dave Vs. Sammy stuff at the end of the bar with the losers, that track is a hit in any musical era for lots of solid reasons.

[@tasteapiana]

@pitfa17 The point was it would have been controversial. I specifically picked Rogers because he has a large fan base, like Hagar had his own. I'm sorry that that flew right over your head and you then chose to assume I was ignorant and berate me instead based upon your wrong assumption, but, that's two pieces of evidence that point to you needing to lay off whatever or find a new batch of meds. Good luck finding a doctor that'll not decide to put you on pain 'management' instead of anything that actually helps what causes these symptoms you (and obviously everyone around you) are living with.

[@Rob-dp3vr]

sh1t album with sh1tty singing and lyrics. It made no impact. Was a downgrade from the previous VH music. A complete disappointment. Hagar ruined the band. Thank God he was only temporary and got the boot.

[@gokhanersan8561]

It seems like I am not the only one that caught that Jacksons-5 funk in this song. Yep, Quincy chased and finally captured this sound 3 years down the road on Back on the Block. Just listen to his version of Birdland on that record. This sound must have also influenced Hysteria, which is always "celebrated" for it high-tech vision. Guitar-knuckleheads, on the other hand, love to "diss" the phenomenal sound of 5150. What a shame !

[@GearZombie]

I love the cymbals being heard. Modern production is so homogenized. VH drum mixes always sounded authentic with our without electronics! Turn em up so we can hear everything!

[@jml-rj5re]

The centering with minimum width on the reverb sounds like a Mick Jones thing. Lou Gramm (Top 5 rock era vocalist IMO) had a penetrating voice that was powerful, clean, and didn't need much reverb. That gave space for keyboards and guitar. Alex Van Halen's drumming is monstrous vs. Foreigner so it's best to keep the vocals "in their lane."

[@klimpster]

IMHO this is Van Halen’s best sounding song, hands down.

[@bryceneal3136]

Finally someone talks about the Simmons drums, on the 1984 album Alex used a Simmons kick drum on most of the songs.

[@demonicsweaters]

Alex's drums sound so insanely good on this record

[@demonicsweaters]

FYI, Alex was already using a Simmons kick on 1984 and Simmons toms on about half of it.

[@Dan-C-71]

In the “Live Without a Net” concert video Alex completely rocks on the song “5150”.

[@demonicsweaters]

@@Dan-C-71 totally, I used to watch that VHS repeatedly as a kid

[@grandrapids57]

I bought this on LP when it came out, then CD, then download... and listening to an engineer walk me through it brings a new level of enjoyment and understanding to it. Thanks for this video.

[@andylong7759]

The cymbals are Paiste, which have a lot of high-end sizzle. That's why they are so prominent in the mix.

[@keviningles5580]

This was a close to a super band as it gets

[@Gratefulman1965]

I was thirteen when Van Halen erupted in 1978. The one thing I always noticed about Eddie and all that he did was that he really had to practice restraint in his approach to any instrument he played. A good example is the lead riff on the track I’ll wait from 1984 album. When that solo comes to its zenith it’s almost palpable to me that Eddie was working really hard to control his exit on that solo. He could have just gone ape shit for a bit longer but he held back and that track and solo are one of my personal favorites of Ed’s genius. The man would have been right at home with the masters From centuries ago and something tells me he spends time with them now. Absolute genius.

[@amilcarvalenca3381]

5150 is the best Van Halen album for me.

[@dgen73]

I love love love Ed's guitar tone on the 5150 record, Al's Simmons drums sound amazing as well.

[@pcallas66]

It was probably mastered on analog tape as well, which makes it even warmer.

[@MrScottdrummer]

Dude, your right on and 100% right on the drums all electric but snare and cymbals real. Eddie was a genius.

[@davidaustin6271]

Enjoyed your comments. Ed was a true genius. Ed and Al were unbelievable. Thanks for your thoughts.

[@TheRockinDonkey]

I love the sound of Simmons drums from that period of time. There's just something about it. I know most people prefer acoustic drums, but there's something about the consistency and precision of that Simmons drum sound. If I'm not mistaken, Frank Beard used Simmons drums on ZZ Top's Afterburner recordings as well, and I love the way that album sounds. It's got a very similar vibe to 5150. I think those two records were my favorite records in 1986.

[@julioerit]

Also Phil Collins on Genesis' Invisible Touch album, a great sound!

[@TheRockinDonkey]

@@julioerit That is a near perfect record

[@collinjamesguitar]

I think the Afterburner record was all Fairlight. Probably used Simmons samples though!

[@collinjamesguitar]

BTW I absolutely LOVE Afterburner

[@kevinkaatz883]

Was in 10th grade when this hit. I like both Sammy and Dave, so theres no complaint outta me

[@humbuzztube]

The solo guitar break was using an octave box ... interesting how Eddie melded his guitar sound with the synth here...

[@bottomlinebassin2001]

You're right on about Alex's snare being the basis of his signature sound, but it's the centerpiece of this song to me. It's a Ludwig Supraphonic 6.5x14 tuned up by his drum tech John Douglas.

[@brianhardcastle5373]

Going to see him one last time next month in Atlantic City

[@tomasrusso2285]

That synth sound is so enveloping, eddie was the real deal

[@steves.4720]

I understand that Al mic'd the heads of the Simmons so you hear the synthesized sound of the bass and toms combined with the strike of his sticks and I assume the bass beater hitting the rubber head surfaces - the combo sounds awesome. Really adds a nice percussive pop to the Simmons tone.

[@progmanjum]

Kudos for praising MA...and you didn't even mention his vocals.

[@JimAndMisc]

KEEP DOING THESE!!! Thought you stopped doing these... Saw your Devin Townsend video and was so happy someone started doing this kind of view from a engineers perspective!!!

[@hofa_en]

Hello Jim, thanks a lot for your kind words! It's always motivating reading comments like yours. I think we'll have many more to come - stay tuned! 🙂 Best wishes from Karlsdorf, Germany

[@jamesdean8022]

Might get slammed for this but I dig both eras of VH. Dave's vaudeville/cabaret/perpetual teenager style was cool when I was a kid but Sammy brought a new level to the band and it worked. This song, Poundcake, Right Now, FWYS etc...all good shit man and the band really amped up. This dude nailed it, the bands sound matured, was fuller with Sam. I didn't care for Gary in the band but some of the shit on that album is ok. DLR/Van Hagar...its all good shit.

[@teotammivuori3209]

If ur a guitarist wanting to experiment the synth sound of best of both worlds do this to your effects chain: (noise gate) - big muff (or equiv.) - chorus - flange - (dual) phaser - stereo chorus - output to mono. Then plug in your active headless (cos it's 80's). Keep muted all strings with your left palm near the missing head (if right handed). Then tap a string down with right hand fingers between the frets. Hold the string down for the desired note length. There should be a powerful evolving synth like tone that resembles the sound on the best of both worlds. U can also do bendings and portamento quite easily. Close your eyes and imagine You're a keyboardist and your guitars neck is a vintage obie8. When you get the melody You'll realize that it's quite easy to play that on the guitar neck. On keyboards, on the other hand, the fingerings of this melody are not as natural as they are on guitar neck. Eddie was always a bit obscure when asked about any of his signature sounds. I would guess that the synth was actually - or in some point of songwriting - a guitar, played a little differently and with a peculiar effects chain. Yes, I know there's a video of Eddie playing this on keyboards, but there are some erratic and humanized nuances in that sound ie. bends, velocity changes on attacs, sudden portamento time changes, that the supposed keyboard, the ob-8, didn't have at that time. Or the player had to do serious knob and pitch bend fiddling with the other hand in the same time when the other hand does a melody that extends well beyond palm width. It doesn't matter whether my guess is right or wrong. The point is that You can and You should follow Eddie's creative experiments with sounds. When You do, You could find the positive energy and joy he filled his music with. Respect the memory of him having fun experimenting with your guitar and effects! There's no right way, but there are many fun ways🤘😀

I love this song to pieces. I also made a cover for my channel playing all instruments on it, and it's so intricate and difficult to get right, it's a beautiful piece of music.

[@roberthurless4615]

By this time Eddie was using a Soldano SLO amp. The chorus sound is actually two Eventide H3000 harmonizers set to slightly different detuned pitches which you can get in the Eventide MicroPitch Delay pedal.

[@TheMilford]

Oberheim OB-8, In split mode, using mono/sync on top and bottom. the bass is done using the onboard arpeggiator (that’s how we know it’s not the OB-Xa (no arp) They panned the top synth because the main rhythm guitar is on the right. Love the Simmons BTW.

[@Bendini20_gaming]

Love this. So much! I wish you would do Love Walks in. Such a great melody with all instruments involved.

[@lowreztv]

Mick Jones has said his addition as a "Producer" was mostly to help Sammy expand his vocals within the songs, he was brought in by the label, not the band. This is mostly a self-produced album by veteran recorder Landee and EVH.

[@neilswan8015]

Alex using electric drums on this album changed the sound too....i kinda dig them

[@CP-kb1du]

Live Without a Net ..

[@TimObert]

He played them on 1984 too

[@neilswan8015]

@@TimObert really? On all songs or maybe just a few?

[@TimObert]

@@neilswan8015 Donn Landee said that the bass drum on the album was Simmons, and use some rototoms as well. Eddie had said in an interview when F.U.C.K. came out that he was happy Al went back to all acoustic drums, and said Al had to use Simmons drums prior because Eddie hadn't initially built the area of the studio big enough for the regular drum set.

[@neilswan8015]

@@TimObert thanks for the info

[@EdMonet]

Thank you for your insights Dennis. I used to drive with this cassette in my Saab in '86 and I have always loved it. You are right on with your assessment. What made Eddie great is what made Jimmy Page great. Everything in the production serves the song; The guitar solo in this is very modest, but it serves the piece. And Sammy doubling the bridge with his vocals is just jaw dropping. You have a great ear....

[@tomgreen6397]

I love his break downs on recording production. I always learn new techniques and the balance of spacing. Amazing! Thanks for doing these videos. 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@JohnnyBeane]

The keys are tilted to the left because Edward's guitar was always on the left.

[@Jedizen07]

Great video! A couple of notes: 1.) Edward NEVER doubled his guitar. The guitar solo for " Why Can't This Be Love " was ( supposedly ) the first use of an early version of the Eventide Harmonizer ( it was allegedly borrowed from Frank Zappa-Musician Magazine in an early 1986 VH interview stated that Edward had used an Eventide for one song ). In a 1985 interview, Edward stated that he mainly used his Marshal Plexi 100 Watt for most recordings ( until the " For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge " era where he used a 100 Watt Soldano, according to a 1992 Guitar World interview with his tech, Matt Bruck ) 2.) Alex's kit was a Simmons except for the snare and Paste symbols. The reason for this kit was due to the size of their studio ( at that time in 1986 ) which was much too small for a full size drum room which could accommodate a larger kit. 3.) In the " 5150 Demos " bootleg, you can hear Sammy had laid down most of his vocals in ONE take ( in " Get Up, " you can hear Michael harmonize with Sammy at the end. . .in the FIRST take ). In fact, most of the studio performances on " 5150 " were first take band tracks ( I did an interview with Sammy when he was promoting his first book-He claimed that most of those cuts were indeed first takes. He also said " Best Of Both Worlds " was edited down from a longer length, which one can hear on that boot ). Awesome video!!

[@hofa_en]

Hello David, thanks a lot for your notes, really appreciate it! Happy to hear you enjoyed the video 🙂 Best wishes from Karlsdorf, Germany

[@Jedizen07]

@@hofa_en You're welcome! I don't know if the following will help but Dweezil Zappa is doing a set of podcast celebrating each Van Halen album. He'll eventually get to " 5150 " soon. These podcasts are on his website ( dweezilzappa.com ) and do cost money ( previews of the podcasts are sponsored by Premier Guitar Magazine so you can hear some really tasty insights into the band's music deom Dweezil and his guests, which focus on the music end but do include some engineering insights from Dweezil. ). Hope all is well in Germany. Aiming to get back to Europe one day! Cheers!

[@hofa_en]

@@Jedizen07 Sounds good! Thanks a lot for the info, I'll have a look! Stay safe & best wishes from Germany

[@johnconk1]

Actually Ed used Eventide as far back as Fair Warning. First the 909 and then the 949 on 1984 and 5150. OU812, FUCK and Balance were the H3000.

[@johnconk1]

On 1984, Al used Simmons kicks and floor Tom’s, roto toms, real snare and Paiste cymbals. On 5150 he swapped out the Roto toms for Simmons toms. They didn’t add the drum room onto 5150 until 1990, but used a full acoustic kit in the main room on OU812, so there was room for a full kit but had Gobo’s surrounding it. Ed’s Marshall cabinet was mic’d up in a storage cabinet and Mike went direct on some things..

[@kayleeharper8034]

Motley - Tommy Lee had the loudest drums on record especially his snare hits and cymbal sounds. Tommy Lee and Alex ruled the 80's drum world!

[@CNCChazz]

That was a cool analysis, thank you

[@eriksmit1804]

Great analyses ...great song. Thanks for sharing!👍🏽

[@jimmyjennings4089]

You never realize what gose into music but its cool hearing it from a professional, thanks bro.

[@hofa_en]

Hello Jimmy, you're very welcome 🙂 Take care & best wishes from Karlsdorf, Germany

[@indydude3367]

My main gripe with 5150 is that it has no bottom. Mikey was always getting screwed.

[@sd80mac]

5150 and OU812 suffer from that, sadly.

[@cmikesmith664]

Especially OU812.

[@foley15136]

Al went back to regular drums on the next record. He said that he “just wanted to try his hand at them”.

[@RTOneZer0]

5150, the seminal album of the 80's.

[@trebleboost7]

That is groove. Yes indeed.

[@playAgainMe]

thank you Dennis as a wannabe home recording enthusiast ... this insight was great. I remember listening to this album in my friends VW with the sound bouncing off the exposed metal interior through a pair of good 6x9s

[@andigisler]

It's NOT 'guitar on one side, reverb on the other' on the first albums. It's guitar on one side and reverb on BOTH sides. But of course our ears notice the reverb on the 'empty' side much more. EMT Plate at Sunset Sound, I think.

[@johnconk1]

Brilliant song...

[@CallousCoder]

I love these videos! And I live this song! Recently covered (after his death). It’s a great synth song. And I love the Hagar years because Michael Anthony’s awesome vocals were pushed more. And you could really hear, how important his backing vocals were. And are of course in their current incarnation.

[@mikeralston777]

that hissing crash cymbal in "Unchained." It sounds like he's just smashing the crash cymbal during the choruses.

[@TheZappawizard]

That is exactly what he is doing

[@swordmonkey6635]

Alex's drum set had a "real" floor tom and a Simons pad tucked in right above and in front of it leaving enough of the floor tom's head to be hit. He had real octagons (rarely used) too. But as you said, most of his drums were electric pads. Neal Peart integrated Simmons pads into his kit just before this too. Alex's drum rolls across the pads are a signature sound of the 5150 album.

[@chasebeavers]

"1984" and "5150" were all Simmons drums, with a real snare. 5150 studio didnt have a room big enough for acoustic drums at the time.

[@swordmonkey6635]

@@chasebeavers I was referring to what Alex used on the 5150 tour.

[@adamh111169]

@@chasebeavers 1984 was Simmons kick, roto toms, real floor Tom..😊

[@johnconk1]

They did OU812 in the same room with all acoustic drums but had Ed’s Marshall cabinet mic’d in a storage closet and Mike’s bass D.I.’d. Ed kept his Marshall head in the control. That’s where he recorded all his guitar parts in front of the board with the monitors cranked...in 1990 they added the drum room...

[@johnconk1]

1984 was real snare, Roto Toms, Paiste cymbals, Simmons floor Tom’s and kicks. You can hear the Simmons floor Tom’s at the end of Girl Gone Bad...

[@SergeSeeTube]

song still fantastic in 2021

[@MusicTherapyLaz]

Great analysis! Great song! I totally agree that the Alex snare is worth the extra noise of the symbols... and the reverb on Sammy's voice .. freakin' amazing sounding... like a plate reverb with a chamber reverb on how it was trailing off... and YES... Michael is a totally underrated drummer! EVH was on fire on that album with his creativity in the studio and in keyboards. His work with synths was no less unique than how he tinkered with guitars, amps and effects to get his "own sound"... a genius in do many ways! 🎸😎❤️EVH

[@orlandomendes3616]

Master Dennis! Congrats! Great video.

[@DavesArtRoom]

If you read Greg Renoff’s book, Van Halen Rising and especially Ted Templemens book, you will see or read that Alex started to play Simmons drums on 1984. Templemen even shows an interesting pic in the studio during 1984, with Ed and Al, and you can see Alex has all Simmons drums except maybe for as you said, the cymbals and the snare.