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Rating: Eddie Van Halen is in rough waters; in addition to his long-standing drinking habit, he's been battling cancer for a while now, somewhere in his head. His energy, in the struggle against illness and for his health, is currently preventing him from continuing his great career, except for occasional "maintenance" tours in the USA.
I miss him a bit. I'm not crazy about his band's music; I feel it lacks something underneath, inside... I find it... spectacularly superficial (or superficially spectacular?). It surprises and excites me, but it doesn't stay with me; it fills my stomach but doesn't reach my blood.
However, he's an incredible talent, a natural musician, born to do what he does. It's impressive to watch him play, relaxed and smiling as he effortlessly takes on beastly improvisations (rhythmic, especially), with no need to concentrate. It is this fact that, beyond technique and speed (today there's no shortage of people more acrobatic than him), makes Edward Van Halen the most brilliant. Indeed, he is the quintessential brilliant guitarist; in all his pieces, sooner or later, he lights up, shines, amazes. Even though the other three in the band are no slouches, quite the opposite… the ear, however, is drawn to listen to him; he continually demands attention… in solo, he is so unpredictable, rich, and masterful of rhythmic scans and harmony that even in the studio he doesn't need to record rhythm guitars underneath; the two rambunctious ones on bass and drums are enough, as precise as they are loud, and the "pull" of the piece does not suffer at all.
"OU812" came out in 1988, with Sammy Hagar on vocals—endowed with a hundredth of the stage presence of his predecessor Dave Lee Roth but, unlike Roth, equipped with titanium vocal cords! He screams his throat hoarse, but his robust voice never fails him; after two hours of concert, he's still there breaking eardrums, such strength!
The first two tracks of the album are led by keyboards, which Eddie was a bit obsessed with at the time, earning him the big payoff of the mega-hit (now mega-classic) "Jump." In the second of these, "When It's Love," an almost ballad with a catchy and irresistible chorus, any possible resemblance to Toto is avoided thanks to Hagar's grating voice and Alex Van Halen's granite-like drumming—a perfect hard rock drummer without compromise. To hear some guitar upfront, you have to wait for the solo. By the third piece, "A.F.U. (Naturally Wired)," no more keyboards, and Eddie's first imperial riff arrives—a mind-blowing sound and a natural ease in transitioning from rhythm to solos, only Jimi Hendrix managed it before (and after) him. Hagar jumps in to scream the usual nonsensical lyrics with commendable fire, and at one point even goes in unison with the guitarist while he's taking the solo in the high notes. Now, the unison of the ten overdriven and cranked up Marshall amps surely lined up by Eddie in the studio, with Hagar's screams added, is a real... noise experience! I imagine how much fun the studio technician must have had (with filters, trying to kill distortions)!
The guitar is still exceptional in "Cabo Wabo," a mid-tempo track in which Hagar advertises this seaside place in Mexico where pretty girls hit on you while you're drunk on Mescal... let's face it, Van Halen's lyrics don't shine like the guitars; if nothing else, they were previously sung by a guy with a formidable poker face and fitting physique du role! "Source Of Infection" is fast-paced and features the Maestro excellently tapping on a single string. He surely took this blessed tapping technique from Paganini and Steve Hackett, but he's, excuse me for insisting, more brilliant than these gentlemen in applying it. The big brother on drums ensures the overall effect is earthquaking with vigorous double bass, the bassist doesn't miss a note; this Mike Anthony may have a chubby face, but he's a rock musician with balls! In the fast-paced traffic of the song, there's little room for good Sammy, who shouts "Yeah," "Uuuuh," "Hey!" and little else, no time for conceptual phrases!
In "Feels So Good," the keyboards return to reign supreme, for a piece of relative calm. Here Hagar professes a lack of women and entrusts his wooing message to a bottle... then he sings he will sit on the beach and wait... "Finish What We Started" features, for once, an electric guitar played with a clean tone, yet this doesn't detract from the pleasure of listening to it or the "pull" of Eddie's playing. The solo is short but surprising (and of course), original and (sigh) brilliant. There's also an acoustic guitar at work on the other channel, but just to "fill" a bit, nothing extravagant. "Black And Blue" is instead a dragged out, swollen semi-blues. Sammy is dealing with his usual women... "Let’s do it, until we're Black and Blue"... incurable, indeed in the next and last "Sucker in a 3 Piece" he takes issue with someone (whom he literally rates: 9 out of 10!) who doesn’t notice him because she only likes "suckers in three-piece suits" (translation of the title). Oh well...
The last track is a cover of Lowell George (a talented fellow drinker guitarist) with much more conventional sounds and volumes, not pushed like the rest of the record. Eddie plays a very orthodox slide here, paying homage to the great Lowell, who was quite a mover in the slide department.
Long live Edward Van Halen, an essential musician for any rocker in the world; may he soon return to make me spend money on a new CD from his band.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
03 A.F.U. (Naturally Wired) (04:28)
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah!
90 days on the road is what I need
When my axe cuts me deep, I let it bleed
On the stage, off my strings, down my face
And all over me. Yeah!
Pumpin' up for the show
Feelin' like somethin's gonna blow
S'got me all fired up
Yes I'm all fired up
Through the ice into the fire
Blowin' steam
North n' South, East n' West, right n' left
I'm always extreme
Don't like the middle squeezin' me
I don't like nothin' in between
Yes, I'm all fired up
Got me all fired up
When the rest have packed it up
I'm alive, I'm electric, inspired
I, I'm naturally wired
Wired! naturally wired, oh
Wired!
(Guitar Solo)
(Oo-I, I, I, I)
Whoo!
Oh yeah!
Ooh!
I, I, I, I'm naturally wired!
Naturally wired
Wired!
Naturally wired
Wired!
Naturally wired
Wired!
Naturally wired
04 Cabo Wabo (07:03)
(Words by Van Halen)
I've been to Rome, Dallas, Texas
Man, I thought I'd seen it all, oh
Around the world, searchin' every corner
Man, I thought I'd hit the wall, ah!
There's a sleepy town lies South of the border
You go there once, you'll be there twice
Lots of pretty girls comin' by the dozen, woo!
The white sand sure make a tan look nice
(Oooh) We crash on the beach
(Oooh) You know I wanna
(Oooh) Make love in the sea
(Oooh) We gotta try a little dance
(Oooh) So, Cabo Wabo
(Oooh) It's all right by me
(Oooh)
Come on, let me take you down
I will show you all around
(Down in Cabo)
Let me take you down
Face down in Cabo, kissin' the ground
Land's End, you'd have to see it
Ain't no picture ever say it right, no-oow-oh
Walkin' the streets doin' that ol', the Cabo Wabo, hah!
Place come to life every night, nooo!
(Oooh) I wanna crash on the beach
(Oooh) You know I wanna
(Oooh) Make love in the sea (oooh)
(Oooh) Yeah, it's all right there
(Oooh) We don't have to chase it
(Oooh) Fits paradise to a T. Woo!
Come on, let me take you down
I will show you all around
(Down in Cabo)
Let me take you down
Face down in Cabo, kissin' the ground, woo!
(Guitar Solo)
Uh-uuh
Uhhhh
Wa-ahahahah
Hey!
Wa-ahahahah
We drink Mescal right from the bottle
Salt shaker, little lick a lime, ahh
Throwin' down, down, tryin' to reach the bottom
Where the guave worm, well he's mine all mine
(Oooh) Come on, crash on the beach
(Oooh) You know I wanna
(Oooh) Make love in the sea (oooh)
(Oooh) Woo! Gonna try a little dance
(Oooh) So Cabo Wabo
(Oooh) It's all right by me
Let me take you down
I will show you all around
(Down in Cabo)
Let me take you down
Face down in Cabo, kissin' the ground. Woo! Come on
Face down (Face down)
Down in Cabo
Take me down (Take me down)
Down to Cabo. Uh!
Face down (Face down)
Down in Cabo
doin' the Cabo Wabo, ow!
Take me down (Take me down)
Down to Cabo, woo!
Come on, get it, get it, ow!
Ah-hah! Woo-hoo! Ow! Come on!
05 Source of Infection (03:58)
Take one
(One, two three, four)
Hey!
Alright!
Woo!
How 'bout 'cha now, come on!
Oh yeah!
Dig it! That's right
Is everybody ready? Let's go!
(Movin' up and down) Up 'n down
(Round and round) Oh, round and round
(Movin' up and down) In 'n out
(Round and round) Yeow!
Crank it! Blow out!
Uh! Ouch!
Help me
Now flip on over
Oh baby, you know that I like it
(Woop! Woop! Woop!)
(Movin' up and down) She choked the chain
(Round and round) She got the hook
(Movin' up and down) Can't get away
(Round and round) Ohhhhh!
Fever starts to climb, reaching 105°
I need another shot o' your love
Love! Love is the source (of infection)
Love! Love is the source (of infection)
Hey, Eddie!
Say what?
Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about
Wax it on down
Woo!
Ready, set, go!
Oh yeah
Woo!
That's right!
Love, love is the source (of infection)
Love, love is the source (of infection)
Love, love, love, love is the source (of infection)
(Guitar Solo)
Love, love is the source (of infection)
Love, love is the source (of infection)
(Guitar Solo)
Love, love is the source (of infection)
Love, love, love, love is the source (of infection)
07 Finish What Ya Started (04:20)
(One, two, one, two, three, four)
Come on, baby
Ow..
Wha-oh-a-wha-oh-wha-oh
Uh!
Oh, if you wanna see other guys
Baby, I could let it slide
You wanna lover, you want a friend
Mama I can be both of them I got the tools, to satisfy-uh
Just walk away
If I fall shy at all
Uh!
Come on baby, finish what ya started
I'm incomplete, huh!
That ain't no way to treat the broken-hearted
I need some sympathy!
I like to look at the long run
I like to take each step, one by one
Right on time, you will arrive
By keepin' the dream alive
It's alive
And it's kickin'
Inside of me
So come on baby, please
Come on baby finish what ya started
Oh! I'm incomplete uh!
That ain't no way to treat the broken-hearted
Ow! Come on and finish me!
(Guitar Solo)
(Baby come on)
(Come on baby, you say yeah)
(Baby come on)
(Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, bay-yeah!)
Uh!
Now come on baby
Please
Oh baby, come on
(Come on baby finish what ya started)
Ahh
(That ain't no way to treat the broken-hearted)
Oh, oo-ow-oo-ow-oo-ow!
(Come on baby finish what ya started)
Whoo! Gimmee. Ah!
(That ain't no way to treat the broken-hearted)
Mmm, mmm-hmm
(Baby come on)
Ah. Take each step baby, one by one
(Baby come on)
Yeah. Come on
(Baby come on)
I got the tools. I'll satisfy ya
Come on baby
(Baby come on)
Wow-oo-ow-oo-ow! Yeah
(Baby come on)
(Baby come on)
(Baby come on)
So come on baby
(Baby come on)
So come on baby
(Baby come on)
Yeah!
Uh, come on!
(Baby come on)
Now, come on!
Baby come on)
Uh, come on!
08 Black and Blue (05:24)
Hey!
Ooh, slip n' slide, push it in, uh!
A-Bitch sure got the rhythm
Holdin' back, yeah I got control
Oh, hooked inta her system
Don't draw the line
(Oooh ooh ooh) Honey I ain't through with you
Uh! The harder the better
Do it til we're black and blue
Well you never know when love will come
Hey! Better get it while you got it
Little bit o' everything, ooh, even when it hurts
Uh! Sure feels good, wow! Uh!
Don't draw the line
(Oooh ooh ooh) Honey I ain't through with you, woo!
Uh! The harder the better
Do it til we're black and blue
Yo mama! Hey!
(Black and blue) Got ta, got ta, got ta make it right
Ow! Come on baby, good
(Black and blue)
(Guitar Solo)
Whoa!
Ow!
Yeah!
(Oooh ooh ooh) Don't draw the line
(Oooh ooh ooh) Honey I ain't through with you
(Oooh ooh ooh) Uh. The harder the better, we'll do it til we're
(Oooh ooh ooh) Black and blue, ow!
Don't draw the line
(Oooh ooh ooh) Baby I ain't through with you
Uh, harder the better
We'll do it til we're black and blue
Yeah, the wetter the better
We'll do it til we're black and blue, ow!
Uh!
(Whuh! Whuh! Whuh! Whuh!)
Do it til we're black and blue
Yeah!
Ow!
Now, come on baby!
Wetter the better!
Let's do it 'til
We're black and blue! Uh
Come on baby
Oh
Uh
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