Saturday, May 11, 2019

American Music Icons Ahead of My Time - Van Halen

A painting of a cherub smoking


Although Van Halen is ahead of my time, I have long been a fan of every aspect of the band - the guitar (such as "Eruption"), the drums (such as "I'll Wait"), and the vocals.  I will say that my mother - one generation before me - shared her interest that led to mine.

Let's stay with "I'll Wait" -
- A track from the band's sixth studio album, 1984
- No. 13 on Billboard Hot 100

(Source - Wikipedia)

Now consider the album, 1984 -
- Released in January 1984
- Last full-length album to feature all original members*
Michael Anthony (Bass Guitar/Synth Bass)
David Lee Roth (Vocals)
Eddie Van Halen (Guitars/Keyboards/Background Vocals)
Alex Van Halen (Drums/Background Vocals)

Genres considered - 
Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Glam Metal, Synth Rock

Critical acclaim -
- No. 81 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s
- No. 2 on Billboard 200 for 5 weeks (behind Thriller)

Certification -
Diamond U.S. (10 million copies sold)
Gold UK (100,000 copies sold)
Platinum Germany (500,000 copies sold)
Gold France (381,300 copies sold)
5x Platinum Canada (500,000 copies sold)

(Source - Wikipedia)

Van Halen is an American icon in the music industry.  In fact, Van Halen's first album - Van Halen - was released in 1978 (and also certified Diamond in the U.S.).  The band is ahead of my time, but I caught on fairly quickly - in my early twenties.  Although my interest in Van Halen grew because of my mother's shared interest, I do think I would have discovered Van Halen on my own primarily because of the iconic "Eruption" solo - a performance that is one to beat.








No comments:

Post a Comment