Van Halen - Mean Street | REACTION/REVIEW

[@chrisgarcia9629]

Sir Biz, and now you know why we hardcore VH fans love the Roth era. He brought some real deal lyrics and laid them down perfectly. Brilliant music all the way around!

[@faceplantor5647]

This was not a popular song of theirs but to me this is among their best. 👊🏽⚡️

[@MikeOstrowski-iq8wf]

…..yes it was

[@clintwood9472]

When Eddie hits that nasty chord and holds it when he first lays into the main riff after the intro, at 1:03, is my favorite moment in all of rock and roll.

[@souflikar6702]

The best are never popular, to me anyway.

[@dariiofernando]

Dirty Movies

[@clintwood9472]

@dariio4882 that's such a nasty riff. I played that song over and over again.

[@FreytesVH]

The intro, the guitar riff, the bass line , the drums fills, the lyrics, the background vocals, harmonies, the guitar solo and the jamming outro make this song for me the greatest hardrock song ever recorded

[@leddygee1896]

Eddie's Guitar tone slayed everyone at the time. No one else came close... He was the mad scientist!

[@_BLACKSTAR_]

Randy Rhoads had a sweet tone too I thought.

[@tinachavez8712]

True..He did get Eddy's attention.@@_BLACKSTAR_

[@marklong2060]

Yeah - that is what I was going to say. Died too young. @@_BLACKSTAR_

[@Ednerd]

that intro was the greatest guitar work ever!!!!!!!!!!!

[@8569jimboslice]

Of all his "tapping" licks, this is my favorite.

[@LaKodiakthewolf]

Ed's rhythm chops were unmatched. Nobody could swing like him.

[@CynsingsStudios]

This is one of their best records. Very kinetic and raw

[@eriktracy8578]

Nice choice! Crunchy, heavy, and real - one my favorite VH songs 👍

[@robertcook792]

If I were going to pick one song from Van Halen that would complement them to their entirety, this would be the the showcase. It’s got everything in it. Magnificent selection and thank you for reacting to this.

[@karenmikalofsky5287]

Exactly how we all felt the first time hearing this song. Bam!

[@lathedauphinot6820]

The Van Halen family were Dutch/Indonesian immigrants. Alex and Eddie were kids when they got to Los Angeles, and they grew up in a rough part of town. This is their hardest, best album, and it’s all like this.

[@tjmasson1013]

Dude that’s one of the grimiest hardest riffs ever my fav Halen song ever. Must be cranked!

[@ronaldelliott4373]

Facts! Add two more that also bring Eddie’s raw energy, cranked. Judgement Day and Poundcake. These three belong in a box together. Definitely special. 🤘😎

[@robycip9715]

Dope /Dope /Dope Guitar/bass /drums and vocals Van Halen was on top of their game just ass kicking jam

[@a10fanatic26]

Fair Warning is their greatest album. Critique Sinners Swing and Unchained. I knew you were feeling that. They are the greatest rock band ever.

[@aldonova4082]

This is probably my favorite Van Halen song.

[@itchyandred4131]

Van Halen was fire 🔥 back in the day, I would love to see you react to their debut album cover to cover the whole thing is slappin✌️

[@JEM133]

Same as i was gonna say,that album, time,and place was epic. Hi,my name is Eddie Van Halen,,,,I play guitar.

[@yves78]

I already knew that song was gonna be up your alley. Good shit man

[@richardcranium5048]

I'd call One Foot Out The Door a must listen from this album

[@John_Locke_108]

This just might be their best song. Tight, tight, tight.

[@bradydeangelo284]

This is the best Van Halen song to play LOUD on a great stereo system.

[@waynewood4791]

It is my all time favorite song of theirs

[@roberthaines1227]

Love this song and the album it’s from. 🔥

[@snakeinthegrass7443]

Every song on this album kicks ass. I think you would really enjoy Dirty Movies, Biz!!

[@showtime4243]

That outro is epic !! rip to the ultimate guitar hero, EVH ..

[@alrivers2297]

The intro is epic too

[@leefertwayne8163]

Biz, Unchained from the same album is sick!

[@mikecaetano]

Crank it up! "Mean Street" is from their fourth album, Fair Warning, released in 1981. "Unchained" and "So This Is Love?" were the other two singles from it that got a lot of radio play back then. I was a freshman in high school. I bought the album on cassette tape and used to play it on my boom box until I upgraded to a stereo. The lines about getting a gun and raising your status came across back then less as a solution and more as a gesture towards rock star edginess wrapped around a warning about mean streets. (Also the title of a great Martin Scorsese film from 1973). There were fewer guns on the streets back then and gun violence was only beginning to become the problem that it is today. But street gangs were on the rise in the early to middle eighties and there was a lot of gang related gun violence in Los Angeles as the eighties wore on. Van Halen had their finger on the pulse of Los Angeles. For more on that see the film Boyz in the Hood from 1991 or pay close attention to the choice of colors worn in the cemetery in the video to Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day" from 1993. And for more Van Halen you haven't reacted to yet, check out "I'll Wait", "Dance the Night Away", "Everybody Wants Some!!", "Unchained", "So This Is Love?", "Fools", "Beautiful Girls", "Where Have All the Good Times Gone!", "(Oh) Pretty Woman", "And the Cradle Will Rock..." ...

[@d4mdcykey]

The crack wars were freakin' insane, people not around at that time don't understand how crazy it got back then, I personally saw 4 different people gunned down in the span of 1 month and we just shrugged and kept walking. Pray and spray was a near nightly thing.

[@kurtsaxton823]

My favorite out the album is Sinners swing.

[@kengunter6903]

BAD ASS SONG!!!!

[@dunnd1]

one of the best fadeouts ever.

[@eddievantrollen3459]

This song has such an amazing groove!!!

[@goldenruletv7301]

My first Van Halen show was this tour Biz. They freaking killed it & blew the roof. I was like 12 years old. Eddie was on our side of the stage most of the night, but he moved around a lot, and you could tell that he just loved performing. R.I.P. Eddie, miss that dude.

[@eddievantrollen3459]

Each member of the band on top of their game on this album!!!

[@terryconnelly484]

I'm glad you're 1 of the reactors that let's fade out play all the way Some people are Novices

[@Krust_Acean]

You should keep going and do the whole album - Fair Warning If just one song, react to Push Comes To Shove. Really good bass line.

[@6Bevilacqua]

The musicianship is what's thru the ROOF!

[@Veggamattic]

Ed being a savage.

[@steelmill]

I wish I could be transported back to that live show in 79 and start over.

[@YunieDeen13]

a kick ass rock song, by all definition , says me

[@themadcow71]

Girl Gone Bad is an underrated dirty Van Halen song.

[@ememnicholas565]

THIS is VanHalen's best song.

[@rogerdaly6326]

Once again Eddie lays down a nasty groove on this song. So much focus was on his stellar lead playing but he put down some killer grooves with a tone that was just as bad ass.

[@mattharvey968]

This whole album is worthy of a review!!🔥🔥🔥

[@rhinno1969]

Unchained at Oakland Coliseum is a great live version 🤘

[@jonvanhouten4426]

You nailed it right on the head about the alley referance. When my wife and I saw that tour, the backdrop behond the band was an alley. It looked like the band was standing in an alley pounding out this song. Very cool. Nice review.

[@joededominici681]

Gangster? You have to go with "Atomic Punk!"

[@jamesmorrison959]

Great one

[@jimmyc2895]

I was luck enough to see them in Birmingham Alabama in 83 and they rocked the place. This is their masterpiece song in my opinion.

[@Veggamattic]

This some reminds me a little of "I'm the One" from the 1st album. It's got that frantic pace.

[@VIDSTORAGE]

Everybody Wants Some and Dead or Alive are radical tracks by Van Halen ...

[@ronaldelliott4373]

Biz, gotta do “Judgement Day” and “Poundcake.” These are both with Sammy on vocals. Both songs feature Eddie’s raw energy perfectly. Time to turn the volume up my friend. 🤘😎

[@johnmcmahonBXLA]

The next track, “Dirty Movies” and “Push comes to shove” are pretty gangster. This album might be there most gangster album as a matter of fact

[@RVWeekendsRC1]

The greatest VH song ever!

[@buddystewart2020]

Always one of my fav tracks from VH.

[@joewilson4151]

best van halen song. when they were young and hungry.

[@donaldwhitt689]

I put this song in the "Atomic Punk" category. Just what I consider VH's original sound was.

[@sorryfortheinconvenience]

My fav VH album.

[@billyshead1339]

Great album. Like all of their stuff 🔥👍🏻🎸

[@dyrkeschaefer]

My favorite Van Halen track

[@gregjones861]

Biz: I love this song. It kicks ass like the Rockettes on speed. The only song by Van Halen that hits harder is House Of Pain. Their masterpiece.

[@jfender8023]

so much funk and RNB anglo kids where shocked by this side of metal meets a actual rhythm guitarist

[@purplebeard1526]

Loved the riff on this. And yeah, it had that dirt on it.

[@Gwade1944]

Awesome....I got 3 cds of VH from 1977 This song was originally called Voodoo Queen. Different lyrics but same Riff/music

[@krispykremekiller]

Rap song in a rock song - you nailed it! Gangsta rap that would come later in the decade definitely had a bit of that. Also how locked into the groove everything is including the vocal. This is one of Eddies meanest and coolest riffs. Totally locked in to his brother's drumming. My fave VH song

[@zevongrie1402]

Another song off of this album I love is Sinner’s Swing. But my two favorites I don’t think you’ve covered yet are Somebody Get Me a Doctor and On Fire. Two killer tracks.

[@alrivers2297]

Love this awesome song! Try House of Pain or Girl Gone Bad next for more kick ass songs

[@larrymenconi5287]

Couldn’t agree more , and look at when they were doin it, they’re star faded , but they had a star

[@blanebienvenu7280]

That whole Album is one of my favorites

[@blanebienvenu7280]

I want to say 1981

[@tinypurplefishesrunlaughin8052]

Way back when we thought we were little bad asses cruising the strip. Hahahaha ha ha

[@JEM133]

You mean we weren't,,,,,

[@tinypurplefishesrunlaughin8052]

@@JEM133 when ya get older reality strikes hard.

[@chiefsohcahtoa3285]

Takes me back to my high school days cruising the streets at night in a Firebird with the T-tops off and the windows rolled down.

[@chiefsohcahtoa3285]

@@dingleberrysnigglefritz Had some Jensen Triax's.

[@tinypurplefishesrunlaughin8052]

@@chiefsohcahtoa3285 yeah the blue ones! Good tones!

[@montbob100]

one of their heaviest songs

[@kurtsaxton823]

This came off by far the best Van Halen album, try Sinners swing off the same album.

[@jasonbarlow8263]

Love the reaction

[@loudog2326]

You have to Listened to there Debut Album, ( Van Halen, released in 1978 ) It's what opened The Flood Gates of a different Era of Guitar Playing and Music in General !!

[@joehartmann9353]

The late great Eddie Van Halen with some of his best guitar work.

[@WorldWide-q8v]

The ending could and should have gone on for 30 minutes of jam. One of the tightest, fiercest grooves in rock history. I've thought that since 1980. Rock on!

[@mikebozik]

Right on with the Hip Hop analogy! I felt like the vocals / lryics had that type of flow. 😊

[@rdr61]

Take your Whiskey Home !!!👍

[@snakeinthegrass7443]

OH YEAH!!

[@maryannturton9830]

Wow,I gotta get my albums out! I forgot how much I loved You Can Take Your Whiskey Home!

[@maryannturton9830]

This is a mad gritty VH song! Give a listen to You Can Take Your Whuskey Home!🥃Also,switch it up and Listen to Big Bad Bill,a real fun,jazzy,40's sounding big band styled tune.Eddie and Alex's dad does a jaunty clarinet solo, and David Lee Roth is in prime form! 😚🎙🎶

[@denisem6790]

Summer '81 great times - love Mean Street! only track with the name of this album. somebody said Fair Warning !!!!

[@darktoadone5068]

How about those cymbals almost at the end of the song? He put the pang pang of them thangs!!!

[@gilbertorodriguez5344]

Hell YEA ,CHECK OUT VAN HALEN,🎼DROP DEAD LEGS🎼🤌🎩🎸🎶🎶🎶☮️✌️

[@robertwalker1803]

When they could control David Lee Roth,they were fire….

[@kristinnorgaard6238]

DLR is a lyrical genius - Ted Templeman

[@megA_t.6532]

Back to the beginning...with 'running with the devil'

[@MrThumbs63]

Take Your Whiskey Home

[@angelozararis8096]

No matter how many times you listen to this song. Eddie van halen you are so so missed by millions

[@jimbusby8298]

Good Stuff

[@mikeanderson163]

Great review. How about Atomic Punk. That song is fire

[@victorwaddell6530]

Van Halen was on the edge of being a Punk Rock band on this album . Mean Streets is a n underrated VH album .

[@thrillcity]

Biz, what you just listened to is Van Halen fans "secret weapon". Through the years, the VH FANS kept Mean St. and Fair Warning( the album that opens with Mean St.) a secret, so that the radio DJ's wouldn't overplay it like they did other VH songs. So we're trusting you to keep it on the down low LOL. Their 1st album was VH "rookie of the year" album. But this album Fair Warning.... is VH in their prime( their "MVP" album, which announced to ALL the other bands...."To get out of the way")!! This album is known to some as the "EDDIE" album, because they took him off his leash and let him rip through the whole album.

[@soundrevolver886]

Best VH album

[@joebarrera9741]

Easily their Best Song Ever...EVH

[@arktos298]

Welcome to Los Angeles...

[@tilemonkee5510]

Ooh yum yum VH!!😂❤❤

[@supertal244]

Great job on picking this one. I know you love AC/DC - they are incredible, but I think the Mighty Van Halen is the greatest. You need to do some off the 2nd album. Try Your no Good and Beautiful Girls - that’s a cool and fun song. Dave is at his Best. There will never another band like them again! Your reactions are the best!

[@keithcring8011]

Ohh. Thought it was Mean Tweets for a minute.

[@danallshaw1131]

The first four albums should be in the Smithsonian museum.😎🎸 You might dig D.O.A. I think it's on VH2.

[@richlawson8252]

Biz check out Hear about it later, another jam on that album

[@marrkhicks]

By far their best tune

[@stevedaniels623]

🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@MikeOstrowski-iq8wf]

Please Biz🙏🏻 do some album reviews song by song off any of their first 5 albums 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Alex Van Halen - Drummer Edward Van Halen - Guitar Michael Anthony - Bass David Lee Roth - Singer 🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️

[@SunnyDaizeTakeonit]

Dave lee Roth was the voice of Summer. The Greatest Frosty .

[@robertmarcotte276]

Ask Sammy to sing this song and tell me u get the same results and response. I don't frigging think so.