The Van Halen song that tried to rip off AC/DC
The music of Van Halen seems to exist in its own unique lane. Throughout the band’s run with David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, Eddie Van Halen’s guitar skills were unmatched, including featuring the first time a guitarist had utilised both hands on the fretboard to create a symphony of notes in rapid succession. While Eddie’s guitar playing may have been singular to him, he also found himself cribbing notes from his contemporaries.
Then again, Eddie never claimed to be the most eclectic music fan in the world. Given that he was a working musician throughout most of his career, Eddie usually listened to his original music rather than spotting any up-and-coming new talent, remarking that Peter Gabriel’s 1987 album So was one of the last records he ever bought.
Part of the appeal of Eddie’s playing was how much it tapped into rock’s roots. Instead of blending different genres under one roof, Eddie was proud to be a rock player, only listening to mentors like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton to guide him towards whatever he wanted to hear from his instrument.
Much like Eddie was paving the way for uncut rock and roll in America, AC/DC was doing the same thing from down under. While the Young brothers were never looking to be the most original rock and roll band in the world, their way of incorporating bits and pieces from rock and roll’s past, like Chuck Berry and Little Richard, was unparalleled on songs like ‘Back In Black’.
When it came time for Van Halen to branch out on their later records, though, Eddie took a few pages out of AC/DC’s playbook on the album 1984. While most fans see the record as the moment where the band decided to pivot towards an electronic-tinged with various keyboard effects, Eddie would take inspiration from AC/DC when working on the song ‘Panama’.
Discussing the origins of the song in the book Eruption: Conversations with Eddie Van Halen, the guitarist said that ‘Panama’ was his excuse to write what he thought would be a riff suitable for The Young Brothers, recalling, “The guys asked me to write something with an AC/DC beat, and that ended up being ‘Panama’. It really doesn’t sound that much like AC/DC, but that was my interpretation of it”.
Although Eddie may have admitted to not quite nailing it, the cornerstones of AC/DC’s sound are woven into the song’s fabric. Even though the song might have a few little Van Halen mannerisms, the four-on-the-floor drum beat, alongside the stabs of different chords, feel like they are ripped out of Malcolm Young’s playbook.
Outside of the central riff, the song is a perfect showcase for Eddie’s rhythm guitar playing, which is usually overlooked when talking about the greatest parts of his sound. Rather than focusing on the flashy solos, all of the power is in the groove, as Eddie plays dead straight up the middle while adding different syncopated parts here and there.
While Eddie may have been off the mark in making an AC/DC song, ‘Panama’ certainly captures the spirit of what songs like ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ were aiming for. Then again, there’s a good chance even The Young Brothers couldn’t play something as intricate as Eddie.
