Why Sammy Hagar didn’t give everything to Van Halen: “I was clowning around”
Van Halen has always had an undeniable quality to them. The minute Eddie Van Halen started playing guitar and used his shredding/tapping technique to not only master solos but also construct fast-paced and exciting riffs, there was never any doubt that they were going to dominate the musical stratosphere. The band initially started with David Lee Roth, but when Sammy Hagar joined in 1985, Van Halen was projected to new heights.
With Hagar at the band’s helm, they suddenly came into their stride. They managed to release a plethora of number-one albums and four multi-platinum albums over 11 years. Why was this? Yes, it has a lot to do with the fact that Hagar complemented the sound of the band in a huge way, and they were able to use that to their advantage, but it was also because of the fact he and Eddie Van Halen brought the best out of each other.
The most sufficient way to describe Van Halen’s sound is organised chaos. When you play the music, the speed of it and Hagar’s scratchy vocals give a sense of urgency that you don’t get in many other rock songs. It sounds messy and chaotic at times, but it also sounds like the band has a hold on what they’re doing throughout.
So, what is the secret to achieving this kind of music? If you ask Hagar, it all comes down to not taking everything so seriously. Given that he was coming into the band fresh and had replaced their initial lead singer, Hagar was all about creating a pleasant environment before he worried about making music. It turns out that the two went hand in hand.
“I think I write the best lyrics now than when I was in Van Halen,” he said, “I mean, some of those songs were great, but a lot of times, I was clowning around because Eddie and I were always goofing off so much.” Hagar went on to talk about the different ways he and Eddie would mess around. “Back then, Eddie and I were doing these crazy acrobatics where I would sing crazy lines, and he’d go nuts on the guitar. When I was in Van Halen, at least in the early days, it was all about having fun.”
Some might roll their eyes at this story and stand by that when you’re making music in a band, you should take it seriously; however, the results speak for themselves. Hagar helped the band reach new heights as their sound was more innovative and exciting. No doubt, engaging in those musical acrobats helped them stumble across some of the riffs and licks that flooded Van Halen’s music after Hagar joined.
It’s important that when a band is trying to break musical boundaries, they feel comfortable bringing new ideas forward, and the relaxed setting created in the group will contribute to that. Without Sammy Hagar encouraging Van Halen to feel more relaxed, we might have never gotten some of the excellent music that came about.
