The only band Eddie Van Halen was ever a real fan of: “That’s all”
What is it to be a fan? In the modern world, fandom has grown to such an extent that active mobs are instigated the moment another star suggests their fellow musician might have some areas of improvement. Such ideas were alien to Eddie Van Halen.
He is one of the most beloved guitarists of all time and well worthy of the ultimate respect he is so often shown. But whereas artists like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck happily heaped praised on their favourite performers or celebrated the bands they loved listening to, Van Halen was a little more reserved.
Most guitarists can only dream of reaching the same heights on their instruments as Eddie Van Halen did. Although he may have admitted to not knowing too much about music theory, Eddie’s way of employing different tapping licks in his library made for a treasure trove of classic songs with his namesake band, from his tapping showcases like ‘Eruption’ to incorporating it into songs like Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’. While very few knew where it came from, Van Halen was still a child of what had come before.
When talking about his upbringing, Eddie admitted that he originally started on the drums instead of the guitar. Once his family arrived in America from Amsterdam, his brother Alex was the first to get guitar lessons, with Eddie banging away behind the kit. As soon as Alex started to develop some skill behind the kit, though, Eddie wouldn’t leave his guitar alone, finding new ways to play his favourite songs on the radio.
As opposed to his phenomenal skills when soloing, Eddie remained proud of his skills as a rhythm player, telling Rolling Stone, “Real musicians respect me more for my rhythm guitar playing than my soloing. Soloing is like pissin’ up a rope, showing off, unless you’re improvising off the melody of the song”.
While Eddie became fixated on rhythm, he was never keen on having any favourite bands. Throughout his early years in Van Halen, Eddie was more concerned with listening to anything on the radio, first learning songs like The Ventures’ ‘Wipe Out’ to get started. Though rock was getting heavier by the month in the 1960s, it wasn’t until Cream came along that Eddie started focusing on the concept of one singular band.
Instead of playing for the sake of having a hit song, Eric Clapton’s interplay with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce made for one of the most intricate groups of the ‘60s, creating psychedelic flourishes mixed with blues fury and jazzy breakdowns. While it may have been overwhelming for some, Eddie had found his calling.
When discussing his influences, Eddie was shell-shocked the first time he heard Cream, explaining, “I’ve never been much of a fan of bands outside of Cream. I was more of a fan of their interaction live. They were an example of ‘What’s the difference between jazz and rock and roll? We just play louder’. That’s all. We get 12 notes…do what the fuck you want with ‘em”.
While Cream may have opened Eddie’s eyes to what the live show could be like for a guitar player, it wasn’t until he saw Led Zeppelin that he stumbled upon his classic technique. Watching Jimmy Page perform the song ‘Heartbreaker’, Eddie started to use the same pull-off technique with both hands, making for an array of notes playing simultaneously.
Though Van Halen would start to have classics of their own in the next few years, each album was an extension of the lessons that Cream taught Eddie indirectly. Regardless of what the chorus is supposed to be, there are 12 notes to explore, and Eddie has spent more than his fair share of time exploring.
