The Atomic Punk

[Nelskie]

Well, I figgered' that post #700 should have some substance to it. As such, I though I would reflect on something that has been stuck in my craw for quite some time. And that topic is, quite simply, the needless lambasting of Eddie Van Halen.

Following VH's less-than-monumental summer tour two years ago, every guitar critic on the planet has felt a need to cast their stone at perhaps the greatest guitar virtuoso of the past (30) years. And we're not talking your average speed-burner or techical wizard. If it were art, we would be comparing it to a Renoir, Picasso, or Michelangelo. In the realm of rock guitar, Eddie Van Halen perhaps has only one "peer" - that being Jimi Hendrix. At least as far as I'm concerned.

Certainly, a case could be made for some of the ego-associated behavior, one which many critics point out as the critical link that stands between the original VH line-up re-uniting. But one should not forget the other healthy ego in that equation - that being the colossal-sized persona of lead singer David Lee Roth. Although Eddie did achieve some great things with his music in the context of Van Halen, we should realize that he is first, and foremost, a guitar player by trade. His musicianship and skills at that level are certainly far beyond anything that the other band members could, or ever hope to provide him with. I mean really - isn't that the truth? When you are that good, it sometimes is hard to keep yourself interested. To coin a phrase - raising the bar . . . when you ARE the bar.

As for EVH's technique, there are few written descriptions that I could even hope to summon that would accurately describe it. Two words do, however, come to mind: jaw-dropping. So far and beyond anything that had come before, or after, that you're totally dumbfounded. Entranced. Stupified. And skills? All honed to such razor-sharp perfection - - stylish, savvy, and sexy all rolled into one. A babe so hot that you'd just break down and cry at the mere sight of her magnificent curves. These are the things I think about when I cue up any one of Van Halen's bevy of awesome CD's. Not only am I inspired by Eddie as a guitarist, but awestruck by the magnificence of his gift of music. Yes, it is only too often that we as fans can feel like we are justified in asking for more - and fail to absorb the beauty that already is. Van Halen certainly has a very substantial body of work, and I count myself among the many whose daily playlist always (and I DO mean always) includes something from the band. Sam-era included, cuz' there's a ton of great stuff there, too.

I recently came upon a website that had posted a rather unflattering recent photo of Eddie. To take matters further, they even went as far as transposing his head onto some sort of weird creature. Yes, the most masterful of six-string slingers now reduced to mockery. Would I be so far out of line as to say that this would never happen to a bad photo of SRV and Hendrix? Probably. Today's music fans are sickeningly fickle, which I'd suppose is the by-product of too much of that "flavor of the month" mentality, not to mention the cesspool of genre-formatted radio. Yeah Mr. DJ, right on with that new Nickelback CD!!! (*insert vomiting sounds here*)

And so, when I see all of the negative press, unflattering photos, character-bashing jabs, and whatever else, I think to myself - "what HASN'T Eddie done with a guitar isn't now widely copied?" Home-built guitars (he started that craze); tone ("Brown Sound" - it never existed before EVH); style (pretty much everything); panache' (remember the days when guitar players were ALSO showmen?); and then . . . THE SONGS! Damn! Some of that stuff is so outer-worldly heavy and cool, that it completely defies description. Let me see (and this is a very short list) - - Runnin' With The Devil; Jamie's Cryin'; Somebody Get Me A Doctor; Take Your Whiskey Home; Spanish Fly; Panama; I'll Wait; Right Now; Best of Both Worlds; Poundcake; Runaround; etc., etc., etc. Get the picture?

Van Halen were also one of the forerunners of the palatable, melodic hard rock mojo, and few bands did it better than they did. Toss in a healthy dose of Jack Daniels, throngs of scantily clad co-eds all willing in the art of public expose', an outrageous stage show, super-sonic level sound, and wrap it in a bright candy-coated shell, and there ya' have it - arena rock par excellance'. Face it, VH, in their prime, was untouchable. In the annals of hard rock, you have to consider their schtick right up there with the best - Zeppelin, The Who, The Stones, KISS, Motley Crue - all legendary bands with a keen eye for stage production.

So when we really get down to it, there is very little that Eddie, as musician, or band member, hasn't been on the cutting edge of. And we're not talking a flash in the pan here, either. Pretty much for the full duration. Van Halen broke in late '76, and I personally can't recall a time period up until the last few years (probably post "Balance") that VH wasn't one of the biggest shows out on the road. When things hit a lean period - like now - all we hear is that he's a raging egomaniac. Such a travesty.

Thankfully, the VH catalog still endures as a lofty benchmark for up-and-coming bands, not to mention a great reminder of all the wonderful things rock music can be. On a recent road-trip home, I listened to VH II front to back, and it totally brought me back in time to when that album first came out (which was several years before I even picked up the guitar). I remembered both of the times I saw the band live in Bismarck, ND, (with DLR no less!), and all of the fun I'd had with VH music providing the soundtrack. Amidst all of those great memories, I can still visualize that big, toothy, trademark EVH smile, and those lightning-fast fingers dancing effortlessly along that fretboard. Indeed, a man who loves his job. And then - the songs . . . yeah!

The world of electric guitar has changed a lot over the past half century. Through this time, only a handful of players can stake their claim as the greatest ever. Eddie Van Halen's legacy rests firmly atop this hallowed pantheon of guitarists. It is a legacy that should be respected, and revered.

And so, I tip my hat to the one, the only, the original . . . the Atomic Punk.