VAN HALEN - Running with the Devil + Eruption | WIFE REACTS for FIRST TIME | COUPLE REACTION

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#vanhalen #eruption #guitar #tapping

[@greggibson33]

This album changed the earth's axis.... nothing was ever the same again.

[@jdbroders64]

I was a 14 years old Rock guy (Zeppelin, The Who, Clapton, Beck etc.) when this album came out. My head exploded. Van Halen inspired me to pick up a guitar and I've been playing ever since. Rest in peace Eddie. You will never be forgotten.

[@stevenzy]

This might be the best description I have ever heard.

[@j.c.a2872]

I was 16 yrs old when this came out and it was like nothing we'd ever heard before, literally the beginning of everything that would follow

[@MIKEYC123]

Yeah man I was 10 years old picked up this album at the local record store blew my mind next thing you know I got my Van Halen baseball shirts you know the ones LOL

[@MIKEYC123]

There is only one Diamond Dave Sammy can keep driving 55 once Dave left Van Halen cease to exist for me my opinion for what it's worth probably nothing LOL you gotta hit mean street or hot for teacher

[@rong2912]

Eddie was the second coming of Hendrix.

[@Sammy-rn9fk]

I was 18 and not allowed to listen to R/R all my life. THIS WAS MY INTRO!

[@douglasg.9271]

I remember the first time hearing eruption. I was 14 my brother was 17 and would crank up his stereo when my parents weren’t home. I went to his door, and pounded on it. He angrily opened and said “what !?” (Thinking I was going to complain) I asked, “can I come in and listen?” He smiled, and said “sure…” I got a lot of my musical taste from his album collection. ❤

[@NicknLex]

I love this! Thank you for sharing with us. This is exactly what we love to read in the comments. :)

[@michelfroggy56]

If you read the story of Terry Fox who had Cancer and lost a leg to it and decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research , Running with the Devil was one of the theme songs played by radio stations when Terry was forced to stop his endeavour about halfway through. The Cancer had reappeared and Terry eventually passed away at the tender age of 22. Each time I hear this song I think of him.

[@joebarrera9741]

ILOVE VAN HALEN PLEASE ENJOY

[@mjm5081]

🙏 ✌ ❤ Terry

[@WineSippingCowboy]

Sir Rod Stewart and Bernie Taipin wrote Don't Give Up on a Dream based in the Terry Fox story. I remember it when I was visiting Vancouver, Canada 🇨🇦 as a young boy 👦. About year 2000, I heard a Vietnamese 🇻🇳 priest talk about him in a homily. The only congregants who knew the story were me and 2 Canadians 🇨🇦.

[@crucify40]

I remember watching the HBO Special movie they made about his life. I think it was well done.

[@tonyallen9035]

This was the first rock cassette I ever owned. I was 14. I'm 55 now. I became an instant fan. RIP Edward Van Halen, the greatest guitarist to ever walk this planet!

[@rickbailey1339]

My cousin gave it to me on 8-track for Christmas when it came out.

[@richarddobson815]

Van Halen 1 was a worldwide phenomenon. It had to be. In 1978 I was living in a sleepy corner of South Africa, but I was still able to access the album and get my mind blown. I remember recording the LP onto a cassette, shoving it into my cheap car stereo and driving the deserted country roads of the Eastern Cape with 'Eruption' blasting out!

[@ronjm945]

Steve Hackett performed tapping on electric guitar in the early seventies. But with along with Eddie they didn’t create the maneuver just made it more contemporary.. Eddie was a great guitarist and musician and wish he was still among us!!!

[@bostonwhofan]

When I was a teenager there used to be a thing called "Columbia House". You would literally tape a penny to this form which you got out of the Sunday newspaper, and pick 10 albums out of a catalog which they sent to you for that one penny. The catch was, over the next year, you had to buy 10 albums at the regular price from Columbia House. When I sent in the form with the penny attached, one of the albums was the Van Halen debut. I didn't know much about VH yet, but "Running With The Devil" and "You Really Got Me" were being played on FM radio stations often. I was blown away the first time I hear "Eruption". And the rest is history. Hopefully you'll react to the VH song "Mean Street" next!!!

[@mikefetterman6782]

This song was most of the country's introduction to Van Halen. It sounded SOOOOOOO different than everything else, it gained popularity quickly. Originality is the key for success.

[@mk21965]

I graduated HS in 1978, went to college that fall and a friend introduced me to VH. Things were never the same, I saw them live 5 times, all before Sammy joined the band. Eddie was incredible and they all kicked ass. They changed what rock was and stood out in the disco era carrying the flame for hard rock and roll. So fortunate to have been there

[@bean11441]

Van Halen is (was) a party waiting for someplace to happen!

[@tudeflaming4355]

Thank you for some amazing memories! I'm 60 years old, and I remember hearing this when it was brand new and it was on top of the world for us kids. Music for most of us was a little different back then, you couldn't always just play the song that you want to hear so when something this awesome hit the radio, it got the volume blasted. The good times. Thanks again

[@scottanderson8420]

I remember when this album came out vividly. Our garage band was practicing on a week night and the lead guitar player brought this album in and said you guys got to hear this. We put on the record and we’re all blown up and impressed by Van Halen’s guitar tone and skill. Our lead guitar player went absolutely bonkers and his new mission in life was to be Eddie #2. This was our guitar players kind of music the guitar God in the spotlight, arena rock, etc. etc. The hard part as a high school cover band was nobody could mimic Eddie Van Halen for a while or very well and nobody in high school could match David Lee Roth’s energy, screams and machismo. I could play the Michael Anthony’s bass parts no problem and our drummer was great so we just couldn’t pull off the Roth vocal extravaganza. The downside for me was in high school at that time I was a jazz fusion fan mostly listening to Jeff Beck Stanley Clarke, Al Dimeola, and Steely Dan. That music was all centered around more complex, compositions, chords, structures, rhythms, and bass lines that were fun and challenging to play. Very different kind of music from Van Halen. So Van Halen has never been my favorite type of music but I remember and totally respect the change it brought about that reshaped rock music. RIP Eddie. Nick I absolutely agree with you that Van Halen’s rhythm guitar and groove sync is extremely underrated. Great reaction. 👍👍❤️❤️

[@mvunit3]

There were bands that once in a while play during lunch in front of out auditorium (Nogales High in LaPuente Calif.). Many were good, but there was a band that played a couple of VH songs, and the guitarist played them to a T. I wish I knew who the band was, and what happened to that guitarist.

[@scottanderson8420]

@@mvunit3 I knew many guitar players that flamed out trying to be Eddie V. and a few bass players that crashed hard trying to be Jaco Pastorius.🤣

[@NCNelz]

You guys need to React to “Litlle Guitars” with intro …which is Ed’s take on flamenco guitar ….this song shows how brilliant of a rhythm player he was

[@mvunit3]

Yup! Nick & Lex will have their socks blown off that Eddie was soo d@mn talented and skilled. "Spanish Fly" too!

[@padresteve619]

I was in high school, 15 years old. Usually took the bus home but one of the older kids gave us a ride crammed in the back of his light blue VW square back. Santa Ana winds, windows down, next to the ocean. Jensen 6x9’s cranking. This album was instantly etched into my memory.

[@markferrett700]

I took a year out of university and worked on a kibbutz in Israel when I first heard this and a Dutch guy I was working with said " you gotta hear this". I was blown away....Rock music was changed forever...a whole generation of guitar players were born when this came out.

[@moon4music]

I didn't want you to stop! lol, that next song is so damn good!! 😆

[@joeallegra556]

Eruption segues directly into "You Really Got Me"

[@paulburton5150]

They were recorded back to back in a single take. Amazing

[@johnknee1403]

By the way, the sound at the beginning of running with the devil that’s the band members car horns recorded then played backwards.

[@WorldWide-q8v]

Yes, this album's impact cannot be overstated. Many attribute VH with bringing rock to the forefront in radio airplay, music videos, and album sales, and that the entire 80's rock scene was everyone trying to catch up to VH. They were bombastic!

[@stevenm.6886]

I was 17, my buddy picks me up for school. I jump in his Gran Torino, he says just listen. It’s 7:30. BAM! We had never EVER heard such a thing. What is this? Now it’s cliche, we’ve all seen the tapping.But that morning was forever engrained in my soul. Thank you EVH

[@NicknLex]

You had me at Gran Torino 😍😍😍

[@davidmolina3520]

The first time I heard "Eruption" was live in '78 when they came to town. I was totally freaked out ! ... Incredible tone 🎸

[@dorkmier]

Hey Nick N Lex, this has been a lot of fun watching you two react to these. I was lucky enough to see them 8 times, 80', 84', 86', 92', 95', 07', 12' and 15'. You two should definitely watch Eruption Live Without A Net. You'll enjoy seeing how he does what he does. Still here jamming with you both. Keep up the good work.

[@robertmarcotte276]

It's about time you get into more van halen. There is one word to describe this song powerful! Thank you. I'm going to crank that sucker up in my car right now.

[@alexhamilton4084]

I was into heavy rock and metal back in the 70s and got this album and couldn’t believe anyone could play this fast and like this. Totally blown away. 😃

[@simoneemiliani5782]

By my opinion, Eruption is the most iconic guitar solo in Rock Music......miss you Eddie🎸💪😔❤

[@KarenGoike]

I was in Nursing School when this came out. Friday after clinical, go back to the dorm, hair down, put some nail polish on, crank up some Van Halen on the stereo on vinyl! Oh ya

[@GStrongRAW]

Game changing LP! Mark Anthony, such an underrated bassist!

[@johneldridge8678]

"Diamond" David Lee Roth. The best front man in the business, ever. Also, I think he had the best scream in the business, as well. Incredible. Excellent reaction.

[@gregmoran1801]

It’s so reminiscent looking at these comments. My story was that one of my pals had offered me a ticket to watch Black Sabbath at the local venue in my hometown for£1:50. I really never got Sabbath, but went anyway. My first, ‘Oh my God’ moment at far as a support band went. I went mental. Stayed for the first chord of Sabbath opening song and ran home, wrote Van Halen on my school bag in massive letters, just underneath Rush, and couldn’t wait to tell my pals at school.

[@annewoodard6803]

I saw Van Halen open for Black Sabbath in St Louis in 1978. Everyone had this album! I worked for Dave 20 years ago, he’s a riot.😁

[@iaminvictus]

Love your channel! Keep up the awesome reactions! I saw Van Halen in 1978 ( I was 16). They opened for Sabbath who were celebrating their 10th anniversary. Mostly went to see Iommi who was my guitar idol. Needless to say, Van Halen was amazing! When Sabbath came out, Ozzy was totally trashed and sounded like he was asleep lol. Audience started booing and chanting for Van Halen. It was a riot... Almost literally! :)

[@NicknLex]

Thank you so much for sharing and for your support! :)

[@kevindarrell3500]

OMG you are making me feel so old. Thank goodness you guys are listening 🤘🏻🤘🏻🔥

[@mightyV444]

I think it was in '79 when my Big Bro brought 'Van Halen I' home with him one day (I was 9, he 23), raving with excitement about this incredible guitarist who "plays without picking the strings" and stuff like that, before putting on the album: And sure enough, I was blown away, too! 😄 But my very first VH impression was actually the song 'Jamie's Crying'! Because my Brother had accidentally put on the album's B-Side! 😁 (That song then became an earworm for _all_ us 4 siblings 😊) I was just getting into learning to play instruments at that time, too! So Alex Van Halen straight away became an influence on my drumming 😀 By the way, Eddie was still using a standard Fender vibrato bridge on VH's first two albums (and possibly also on the third)! I remember ads by the German guitar company Rockinger from Hannover in 1982's muso magazines, with Eddie as the big name to make the World aware of their 'Tru Tune Tremolo': They were super-disappointed when Floyd Rose came along and snatched Eddie from them, understandably.

[@redfishradical]

I was already deep into keyboards… BUT! As a sophomore in high school we went to see Black Sabbath only to have a band we’d never heard of BLOW SABBATH OUT OF THE ARENA!! Van Halen was a THERMONUCLEAR SONIC EXPLOSION and changed the entire landscape! 👊🎉🍻

[@DanielCastillo-cn3pp]

Because of King Edward. Millions of guitars were sold.

[@michaelgray5100]

Van Halen’s first album so darn good. Love all the songs. These two stand out. My favorite song is “Ain’t talkin ‘bout Love” on their first album.

[@scottmacdonald1826]

I'd just turned 16 when this came out. A buddy of mine got it (he always got the newest and best stuff). I still have my vinyl. It was was, and still is, pretty amazing stuff.

[@johnmavroudis2054]

Steve Hackett should have got a lot more credit for introducing tapping into rock... but can't deny Eddie's talent. If you want to hear Hackett's tapping at its best, check out Hackett's first solo album, "VOYAGE OF THE ACOLYTE"... The song "Shadow of the Hierophant" is a brilliant song with Hackett's sublime guitar work and tapping. He did it earlier than that (listen to the song "The Musical Box"). I remember buying this debut Van Halen album when it first came out... and blasting it on my car speakers on the way to high school. Superb.

[@davehess1019]

I was 12 going on 13 and I was blown away, I fell in love with Van Halen that day and I have never looked back, he was my idol, my hero, Eddie is The Master, The King R.I.P. EVH

[@williamreiser3118]

I was 17 years old with this album.Was released smoke in columbia gold Put the headphones on, put the record out of the turntable and drifted away.The sound of that first Van Halen album just blew me away.Finally a band That wasn't right and all about love and wish

[@scuppernog1]

I was fortunate enough to see them in West Texas on their first headlining tour. Their second album was about to be released so they played most of both albums. When they took the stage David comes running across the stage wearing sheep skin chaps, a fringed red leather vest with no shirt and a giant white cowboy hat. He was running around the stage with a huge Texas flag on a pole. We knew then that we going to get a hell of a show and we were right. One of the best rock shows I ever saw.

[@williamreiser3118]

Tell you what guys at 16 years old.In 1978, these guys were touring O.P.Ening up for big name groups And that was the last time they opened for anybody.You know why?Because they were so tight on stage.So high energy so kick ass Yes they blew away the headliners

[@dsfddsgh]

You play Eruption you have to also play You really got Me those two songs just go together like We will rock You and We are the Champions despite being separate songs.

[@garylagstrom3864]

FOUR KEYS TO THE VAN HALEN SOUND: DIAMOND DAVE’S SCREECHING WITH WHOOPS AND HOLLERS EDDIE’S GUITAR 🎸 ALEX’S SNARE DRUM 🥁 AND MICHAEL ANTHONY’S STRATOSPHERE BACKING VOCALS!!! VAN HALEN: I SAW ALL THE TOURS WITH ROTH FROM VAN HALEN 1 IN 1978 TO 1984 AND AGAIN IN 2013! I SAW 5150, OU812, FOR UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE AND BALANCE WITH HAGAR. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER EDWARD VAN HALEN!!! RIP EDDIE My favorite Van Halen tour shirt is from this tour-Fair Warning. The band on the front with Worldwide Tour on top and 81 with a circle ⭕️ around it on the bottom and world tour 81 on the back with the VH LOGO and Van Halen written in the logo! My second favorite Van Halen tour shirt after Fair Warning in 81. Band on the front World Vacation Tour 79 on the back.

[@timwhitnell7145]

Nick and Lex, I am 61 now but I was 15!! when VH's debut album was released. I bought it not long after and still have the original LP. It blew my frickin' mind. I had never heard anything like Eddie's playing. I still think Jimmy Page overall is the best rock guitarist ever and the king of the riff but Eddie, Alex Lifeson and Angus Young are right there with him. The first three are also very underrated rhythm guitarists; Malcolm Young, Angus's brother, might be the best rock rhythm player ever. You can't fake physiological responses so I will tell you without a lie that when Eruption started on your reaction, despite the fact I have heard it many, many times, I got chills and even started to tear up a little later. They are separate reactions, one for the genius musicianship and the other thinking of Eddie no longer being with us. Nick, you are correct when you say that almost all VH songs, at least with David Lee Roth, my much preferred lead singer of the band, are memorable. There are so many Roth VH tunes you need to react to but start with the bluesy Ice Cream Man from the debut. Other great Roth/VH songs are Beautiful Girls (Dave is so cheeky), D.O.A., Dance the Night Away, Bottoms Up, And the Cradle Will Rock, Unchained, Mean Street, Cathedral/Secrets, Intruder/(Oh) Pretty Woman, Little Guitars (intro and main song of the same name) and the seldom heard but outright supreme rocker The Full Bug. Can't wait to hear/see you react to some of these. Enjoy.

[@bmac1205]

I remember I first hear this on WXPN, a college station, before it was big, and I was just amazed.

[@johnprice6066]

I got this album from a friend of mine for Christmas 1978... It was a game changer.

[@johnstarace8369]

I was 16 when this album came out, I had just starting to play guitar 6 months before and I was literally blown away by Eddie’s guitar playing. Even though he wasn’t the first to finger tap (which Eddie always said, he did not invent finger tapping) he took the skill and turned it on its head, and then spun it around, flipped it over. Eddie’s contribution to the electric guitar was his unwavering attention to the electric guitar and the things that could be done with it. He took the electric guitar and literally squeezed every sound it could make out of it, then he’d take that sound, or that skill he learned, or whatever he discovered he could do with it and would bring it to its maximum potential. It’s like Eddie looked at the guitar and said to himself, what can I do with this thing to make it do something no one else has done. For someone who never took a lesson on guitar he mastered the instrument to its highest potential. RIP Eddie, If there’s a stage in heaven I’m sure on it 24/7 playing guitar. Stay Cool 😎 and… \m/ Stay Metal \m/

[@masapell]

God I wish I could have heard and appreciated this album when it came out!! It must have been mind blowing!

[@_PL_]

Regarding Yngwie not having memorable songs like VH does, you guys should check out the first album of Malmsteen's first band, Alcatrazz - No Parole From Rock 'N' Roll (1983). It's loaded with catchy, melodic hooks (sung by Graham Bonnet, of post-Dio Rainbow fame) and memorable riffs. Hiroshima Mon Amour and Island in the Sun would be great ones to start out with.

[@mvunit3]

If you look to the Left of screen, on top of the "Shelf" . . . you will see it there :). Nick is a HUGE fan of that album (see their "Unboxing" video, I believe its #7). Very moving moment 🥲.

[@_PL_]

@@mvunit3 The unboxing vid you mention where he got emotional was about Rising Force, Yngwie's first solo album, which Nick says inspired him to learn guitar. But yeah, now that you point it out, I can see what looks like the first Alcatrazz CD behind Rubber Soul. Thanks for the info.

[@mvunit3]

​@@_PL_ Yes, those are from me :). Actually it may have been Unboxing #8 that I got him the Alcatrazz album (and "Disturbing the Peace" with Vai), he got a "bit" emotional, but not like receiving the Yngwie debut 😉. Heck, it made ME cry . . . I'm not crying YOUR'E crying!

[@MonsterSound.Bradley]

In 1978 this LP album (CD's don't come out until '82) exploded and I, like many others, started to learn tapping. Eddie made it popular like you said. In 1980 I took my Strat to the guitar techs at Steve's Music in Toronto and asked if they could put a Floyd Rose system on my guitar. They said yes, but only if I signed a waver that if the neck broke while they did the nut replacement/cut, they would not be responsible. And it's still as solid as ever. 🤘😎👍🍁

[@bmac1205]

If half the viewers who watched this subscribed, this lovely couple would be getting their YT Plaque!

[@MacPro8CoreMan]

There no Floyd Rose when this was recorded in 1977. This album saved Rock music from Disco and Punk. Perhaps the most important debut album in Rock history. It was important to Van Halen to make music you could dance to in order to draw the girls in.

[@jflago]

Imagine when the other guitarists in rock at the time heard this for the first time!

[@TheColdrush22]

Oh man, "Unchained" live 1981 at the Oakland Coliseum, is huge and shows off the absolute energy. (BTW: "I am a Viking", "Evil Eye" "Black Star", I'll See the Light Tonight", are all great and memorable Yngwie songs). VH has been one of my favorite bands since 1980 (yep, and old here), and is the reason that I started playing guitar, and that is why while I love that people love his live "Eruption", it always is a little disappointing because it isn't Eddie at his best or cleanest playing. Don't get me wrong it is great and for non-guitarists I love seeing heads explode, but to guitarists it's a little different. I think you would both really appreciate "Little Guitars" by VH. Also if you like Al DiMeola I would love to hear you check out Al, Paco DeLucia, and John McLaughlin Live in San Francisco. My guitar teacher in Jr High and High School was Captain Beefheart guitarist Bill Harkleroad, aka, Zoot Horn Rollo (you should check out the history of Beefheart's Trout Mack Replica and then check out that album, btw), and he made a cassette tape for me of the Live in San Francisco album when I was a kid and it is still one of my favorites.

[@mikefetterman6782]

Dave, then Sammy, and finally Gary Cherone was the THIRD singer for Van Halen (he was from the band Extreme). He made on album with them in the 90s.

[@mvunit3]

Funny too that Bettencourt is a HUGE Eddie Van Halen fan.

[@sixslinger9951]

I first heard Van Halen as a kid in 1978 when a neighbor kid played eruption out his window. I didn't think it was a guitar when I first heard it. NOTHING was like it at the time and really still nothing matches it. I saw VH the following summer in 79. incredible time to be alive.

[@EddyMetal60]

I was 15 when this came out, and it rocked my world. It changed rock music forever.

[@penelopehornswaggle102]

I first heard this when I was 12 or 13. It was so fun to hear this and all the 70s music at such a young age because it stays with you and we can remember it so much better.

[@davehess1019]

Eruption turned a lot of heads, guitar players and us fans were blown away, guitar players were saying, how do we compete with that, how do you even do what he's doing.

[@davehess1019]

they didn't record this album in individual booths, they recorded this album in one large room, all together playing it live, that's the way they wanted to record it

[@bostonwhofan]

After David Lee Roth (DLR) left Van Halen for the first time, he went to school to train to become an EMT. DLR eventually became an EMT in New York City. I always wondered what it would have been like to be a pedestrian in NYC who tripped over a curb and broke their leg, and then when the ambulance showed up.....out jumps David Lee Roth! I think I would probably have just had a heart attack and died. BTW, DLR is a 3rd degree black belt in either judo or karate.

[@Nightrelic]

This is one of those albums, if you were around when it came out, you know where you were and what you were doing when you first heard it. It was so different from anything else out there. Eddie Van Halen’s guitar work just grabbed you. Roth’s screams too. I was at a German Club party. I don’t remember how I ended up there. I was not in the club. The teacher was pretty. I ended up in the other room with an upper class-man where the turntable was. He was putting a record on and explained he’d just gotten it and it was going to blow my mind. I was thinking, yeah right. But then, he was right. Mind totally blown.

[@johnanderson290]

Great reaction Nick ‘n Lex! 🔥🎶 Van Halen’s hooks were the best. So catchy, so memorable, so fun and infectious! There’s so many good songs, but I’ll recommend Drop Dead Legs from 1984, the last album with David Lee Roth. It’s got a killer groove, killer lyrics, and an absolute killer outro section with a face melting guitar solo.

[@kenmohan2637]

I remember my first restaurant work experience at 14 and this record had just hit and was in constant rotation in the kitchen shortly after it’s release. We all thought this was the best lead guitar playing we had ever heard.

[@Embur12]

There is a live version of Eddie playing eruption livev and a bunch of his other classical riffs in about a 10 minute jam session mid concert. It's worth reacting to.

[@johnnieangel99]

Love The Diamond Dave era. Much more of what rock music was shaped on. hard rocking guitars thundering bass and kick ass drumming.

[@SolarTiger]

wore the cassette out while me and the fellas painted haze grey on a few masts on US Navy ships in Mayport, Fla...helped with the drudgery...nod to the twidgets of Desron 12🎲

[@kdm71291]

The thing about Eddie was that he could do it all; he could be as technical as anybody but was more inventive than just about anyone…..he spent thousands of hours getting the guitar to do what he heard in his head….including customizing/building guitars and tweaking amps etc. Eddie made sure his guitar work fit into the song but make no mistake, he did grandios solos, too……like the the 13 minute version of “Eruption” from their live concert video when Sammy Hagar was lead singer, “Live, Without A Net”…..at the time of this video it seems as though you haven’t seen it, so I highly recommend you do!

[@davebochenek6898]

I was 18 when this broke the waves. I was into my Zep and Rush and Floyd and Genesis. I was an art rock junkie but the change was already evident in the direction rock was heading with New Wave and Punk already breaking. Zeps writing was changed as well as Rush heading out of their epics. But that was exactly when the Van Halen bomb dropped and put a little halt to the sudden shift. This album was so refreshing after disco finally being buried and hard rock bands shifting for survival. Interesting note...Eddie actually was a drummer and Alex played guitar. Thank God they lost interest in their original instruments and flipped! This album will always be my fav! Thx for doing it guys!❤

[@andrewgarin2486]

I was 8 years old in '78 and bought the album for my older 14 year old brother. He was so happy to get the album because all of his friends were saying it was sooo cool. We would listen to it very loud downstairs playing pool before supper! Even my mom loved it❤❤❤

[@danlrusso]

In answer to your question, I didn't hear Eruption until I was 15 years old in 1980. Not sure what I was listening to at 13 in '78 but I actually heard songs from Women And Children First as my introduction to Van Halen and I loved the raw, gritty and distortion sounds on that album. So after buying WACF, I bought the first album and when Eruption played the first time I was speechless as I NEVER heard sounds like that before. So, THEN I had to get an electric guitar ; yep I am turning 60 next year but was one of the adolescents you referred to who was launched into the guitar world by the master EVH. But here is where providence or fate was ready to work another mighty change in my life. When I bought my electric guitar all ready for hard rock and heavy metal, the salesman threw in for free a copy of Guitar World magazine and lo and behold who was on the cover that month but Pat Metheny. I had never heard of him, never heard his music but here I was the 15 year old lover of rock and I read the article on Pat. Just from the way he talked about music made me go out and buy New Chatauqua and when the needle hit that record I had his music enter my heart and soul and I have never looked back. I thirsted for every Metheny piece that he created and I feel like my world was opened toward creative rock guitar with EVH and the world of jazz through PM. Love them both so dearly for the audio wallpaper they brought to my senses.

[@mattpobursky850]

It was 1978... I was working with my buddy Kurt in his auto shop and we were rocking out to the radio while we were working. All of a sudden Eruption/You Really Got Me came on. My jaw dropped and I said to Kurt - "Who the hell is THAT?". I can see that day as if it were today. There's only a handful of songs that have had that effect on me, that are literally etched in my mind.

[@ricardojanet686]

In 1978 I bought this LP at 15 years old, now I'm 61 and still remember that first listen with my brother ... it was electric!! Playing it at full volume earn us both our first and only dad scold because he heard it really loud from the garage. Now you can imagine the volume we had in our room with the door closed ...🤯🤯🤯!!!

[@danlrusso]

Nick, great call on doing the studio version of Eruption first. Brilliant because that sound is insane and a work of art.

[@NicknLex]

It really is!

[@mjdaniel8710]

I graduated in '81 and the first 2 albums were at all the good parties back when I was in high school

[@diverdown631]

V.H. 1 dropped like a bomb. My best friend vacationed in California and brought back their album before they broke on the eastcoast and played it for me the second he saw me, and he was so hyped I thought he was exaggerating, boy was I wrong.

[@moon4music]

I was 17 years old when this came out, and this album was so amazing to me back then. I got into hard rock because of this band. I love David Lee Roth's singing in this album.

[@davehess1019]

the first time I heard this it was on a cassette tape, 1978, right after it was released

[@davehess1019]

I am so glad Lex was finally introduced to Eruption, Eddie has an incredible solo on the song One Foot out the door from the Fair warning CD, on that same album there's an incredible bass solo by Michael Anthony named, Sunday afternoon in the park, also on the Fair warning album, The One foot out the door guitar solo is as impressive as Eruption, it will blow you away, the song Amsterdamn is an incredible song of Eddie's genius guitar work

[@steved1135]

Nice. No lie, this album changed my life. God I miss Eddie. Naturally, everyone talks about his soloing, but his rhythm playing is genius.

[@flyingardilla143]

Van Halen, Gilmour, Page all are great guitarists because they do what serves the song best.

[@melissadambro8873]

You should have shown Alexa him playing Eruption live - I saw it in 1995 in Memphis. Amazing performance!

[@hasltisl]

I was 22 when the first Van Halen album came out. I gave up on the guitar. 😂

[@NicknLex]

noooo!!

[@rodjohnson2632]

I saw Van Halen on their 1st tour in July 1978, at the Oakland Coliseum "Day on the Green". It was about 5 months after their debut album was released. I think this was their 1st Bay Area appearance. The headliner bands, Aerosmith, Foreigner, and Pat Travers were fine, but the bands with the lowest billing, AC/DC opening the day, then Van Halen, stole the show. I can't remember for sure but I think Van Halen played every song from their 1st album. It got so much radio play in the prior months, the crowd was familiar with every song, and eagerly awaited each one. They played them all as good or better than the studio recordings.

[@mvunit3]

Man . . . I WISH I saw Pat Travers back then with Pat Thrall, and VH too! Never saw either live :(.

[@kevinmarshall854]

I was just a young man (11years old) and no one had ever heard anything like what Eddie did on this album and Eddie changed music history forever!!! And now the new generation has to just listen and watch the videos of what we got to witness everytime that this took the stage. I still prefer the live performance from their 'without a net' tour. It has not only 'ERUPTION' but also 'CATHEDRAL and some insane "Eddie tapping'.

[@steverakes6182]

Me and my buddies bought this album on 8-track in our high school book store back in the day and it changed our lives. Later that year (1979) they came to our small town, they played the entire first album and the second which wasn't even out yet, that ticket is framed and hanging in my bedroom. It was Van Halen from then on baby.

[@AW11-e4h]

This is when everything changed 🤘🤘

[@billc.5861]

I was a Junior in high school when this album hit First time ever hearing VH and this song was at my buddies house. He put it on and ran into the room and said everyone be quiet and just listen. Very cool. Saw them a few months after that at the Oakland Colosseum were they were one of the opening acts along with AC/DC for a Aerosmith show.

[@ChrisLegner-qp1yh]

First time I heard this was as a teen getting up at 4AM for my summer golf course job. Even on first listen, it felt like new musical territory. Nothing sounded like this at the time.

[@theplanetruth]

Hooooooolleeeyyyyyyyy moley!!!

[@Emlizardo]

"Eruption" was a solo Eddie would perform live, but he didn't have any intention of including it on the album. Producer Ted Templeman heard him messing around with it in the studio and essentially told him, THAT IS GOING ON THE RECORD. And the rest was history.

[@davehess1019]

Eruption was never suppose to be on the album, it was Eddie warming up in the studio and the engineer heard him and started recording him, the producer walked into the recording studio and said are you recording this, and the engineer said way ahead of you, you're not going to believe what you're about to hear is what the engineer said to the producer, the producer demanded that Eruption be on the album.

[@NicknLex]

omg what an amazing story!!! Thank you!!

[@davehess1019]

@@NicknLex you're welcome

[@mvunit3]

WOW! . . . no really! Wow! I never knew that.

[@davehess1019]

@@mvunit3 yeah, right after Eddie past away there was an interview with the engineer, the producer, and the studio techs and they all talked about the time when Van Halen 1 was recorded and stories about the whole recording session and the stories were incredible, they talked about how they were blown away with Eddie's talent and they never heard anything like him before, it's on KZbin, they listening to studio recording outtakes, they all said that when they heard him the first time that Eddie was going to take over the guitar world, actually there are a bunch of different table interviews of producers, engineers and other people who assisted with the recording of Van Halen album's back in the early days

[@mvunit3]

@@davehess1019 I'll have to find that! Thank you :).

[@grega8586]

I was 15 when this album came out... EVH was an innovator. This album was on the turntable a lot at my friend's house (conveniently across the street from our high school). While the techniques he used on this album seem commonplace now, most of us had never heard them before. #nicknlexrequest Be Bop Deluxe - Axe Victim ...a first cut from a first album 🙂

[@penelopehornswaggle102]

I can remember all the words after 45+ yrs. ❤

[@penelopehornswaggle102]

Now I have to go find "You really got me" and play it.😂

[@floydcarver4338]

VH opened for the Rolling stones in the louisiana superdome. I was in 9th grade playing guitar. When they played they blew everyone away. We said what was that. My God .I sold my Gibson les paul. Got a strat. From boogie bodies. Then theirvalbum came out. Everything changed

[@jonfazzone5125]

I was lucky enough to see Van Halen after they released their 2nd album. They were everything you said you think they would be times 10. Yes Eddie played within the context of the song as part of the band. That separated him from Vai & Y

[@simulcop]

3 singers.. Gary Cherone (from Extreme) was on VHIII