Vanhalen.

[steve56]

Forgot just how good this band was listened yesterday to some tracks.

[shock the monkey]

Van Halen from '78 to '84 is arguably the greatest band of all time. Led Zep were basically done, the Rolling Stones were parodies, Kiss were breaking up, Aerosmith were strung out and Van Halen filled the void. Only AC/DC and later Iron Maiden were even close during this period.
British music pretty much sucked in the punk/new wave/fashionista times. The Yanks showed us how it should be done .

[steve56]

78 was when i 1st heard them on Alan Freemans rock show and was taping direct from radio noted down Vanhale by mistake i still have the C90.

[Steve R]

To describe Van Halen as "arguably the greatest band of all time" is an overstatement of Homeric proportions.

They weren't even the best band at that time. Indeed there were many better bands at the time - British ones too. Whitesnake and UFO, for example, were better bands, of course.

As for Eddie, with his one-dimensional sound and his, quite literally, one-dimensional technique; he has to be the most overrated guitarist since Hank Marvin.

[Arginald Valleywater]

First album is superb. At the time "tapping" on the neck of the guitar was still fairly experimental. Jazz guitarists used the style but made annoying twiddly noises, not structured solos built into catchy tunes.

However drink, drugs and messy divorces got in the way and the quality plummetted.

[Steve R]

It should be noted that Eddie only began to utilise the tapping technique because he was physically unable, due to lack of the necessary technique, to reproduce the musical figures in his head, by conventional means.

[The Last Word]

Sadly (and very much like The Cars) they have the one song curse. Meaning whenever the DJ announces Van Halen are up next, or whatever, you know it's going to be Jump, and not some of their better work. Jump's superb follow up Panama, for instance, which to these ears is superior all round.

[shock the monkey]

"They weren't even the best band at that time. Indeed there were many better bands at the time - British ones too. Whitesnake and UFO, for example, were better bands, of course"

Whitesnake made a great album, the problem was it was spread over six of them and then they sold out to make the hateful "1987". UFO took the brass ring and threw it down the toilet leaving only SITN as an acknowledged 'great' album, with "Lights Out" and "Obsession" and the only real stand out from their studio output.
Looks like you are confusing fact with opinion, like for some reason your opinion is anymore more valid than mine. Tsk. Tsk.
Oh, and Eddie as a guitarist? I think later Whitesnake guitarists like John Sykes and Vivian Campbell were ever so slightly influenced by him (sarcasm mode off)

[stripeysydney]

You lot really sound like ex-gammer school boys... from the late 80s to the mid 90s I reckon.

[Toyboy001]

Was there a better Rock video than 'Hot for teacher'? Love that video, all my school fantasies in one !grin!