A lot of you guys asked for it and we WILL be recording a reaction for the full debut album, we also just wanted a tribute that specifically highlighted him. Cheers guys let it be a time to celebrate him and all the smiles he gave while tearing up that guitar! 🔥🙌🏻

That WAS a late night talkshow. David Lettermen. Paul Shaffer was the dude with the keyboards.

thank you guys. Yeah, Eddie's passing was a real hard one to take. Im 57 and you have to remember, we grew up with Eddie. We didn't have cell phones, there was no internet. We had the Radio, music was everthing to us and we were outside all day and night. We partied and listened to music and got into trouble. We had 10-speeds, skateboards and walked, some were very lucky to have cars. We went to the beach, hiking a alot, and just basically outside or over a friends house (partying) and listening to music. So, again thank you for reacting to Eddie Van Halen.

It is hard to express what it was like to put the first Van Halen record on a turntable like when my cousin and I had ZERO idea what the music was going to sound like. There was no radio play, no promo, we bought the record because we liked how cool they looked. Our jaws were on the floor with the opening track and stayed that way as we listened to both sides of the album straight through. Nobody had ever made those sounds on a guitar before so there wasn't any reference. We knew instantly that the music landscape had just shifted.

When you heard the opening of Runnin With The Devil, it sounded like an alien from outer space landing on Earth. When you heard Eruption, that thought was confirmed.

I highly recommend “ Little Guitars“ and its awesome Spanish guitar intro to do as a deep cut from Diver Down.

Everybody talks about eruption but “I’m the one” is Eddie at his finest.

Im 61 and I grew up in the Van Halen era, they were the SHIT when they first came out. You heard VH in cars, bars, parties, everywhere

To see Eddie Van Halen with a grumpy look in his face was as rare as seeing Ritchie Blackmore smiling. Love them both by the way.

Although Eddie was most known for his tapping he was a complete player and musical songwriter. His hand speed and ability to change technique mid riff was second to none. The tapping technique was first used by Flamenco platers back in the 30's. Eddie took it and created a whole new art form and changed the way rock guitar was played going forward.

Tapping was done by Flemenco players for decades before Eddie Van Halen but he brought that influence into rock music.

The “Live without a Net “ solo one of the best for me 🔥❤️

I've seen Halen 15 times starting in '81. Every new album he came out with he added another style of playing for people to figure out and try to emulate. He was the man! My condolences to Alex and Wolfgang. EDWARD! ☮️

I was 10 when I first heard Van Halen in 1978 on the radio. It's hard for people who weren't alive yet to realize just how earth- shattering the Van Halen sound was. It's hard to put into words. But everybody back in the day drew the VH symbol anywhere they could. Eddie was mythic back in the day.

Back in '79, we went to a Black Sabbath concert. We were all pumped, because they didn't come around very often. Van Halen opened up for Sabbath.. "Who is Van Halen??" Dude, we were all blown away by VH!! Nobody played a guitar like Eddie!! .. And Dave on vocals was like Fabio and Tarzan in one ... Alex and Michael Anthony laid down a heavy beat .. We all went out and bought their album asap, and the rest is history!

Van Halens first album came out when I was a senior in high school. You Really Got Me and Runnin' With The Devil were getting airplay and my buddies and I were blown away. What a great band and what a talent he was.

RIP Eddie. My stepdad's favorite band was Van Halen, so I was listening to Eddie shredding the guitar every day.

I saw Van Halen in concert and Eddie was amazing!!! I love this man!!!

When i was 13 i saw Van Halen i went with my parents it was one of my favorite shows ever. Ive also seen just about every rock/metal group you can think of. This dude was the only guitarist on the wall of a teenage drummer. He had so much fun he was smiling the whole time!

His first wife, actress Valerie Bertinelli, said that Eddie's fingers would move in his sleep like he was playing guitar.

One of the greats! RIP Eddie V!!! Only loved his guitar !!❤️❤️

The happiest concert I ever attended. Eddie never stopped smiling and the whole band looked like they were having a blast. Saw them in Toronto in '84, I think. In my top ten concerts of all time.

David Lee Roth wound up looking like Dr. Smith from Lost in Space.

So badass! Van Halen was my moms first concert in the early 80s and Eddie was her all time favorite guitar player ❤️🎸

I’m so thankful I got to see them in concert. In 1978, no one made those kinds of sounds come out of their guitars. He made his own sounds. He created his own guitar because regular guitars wouldn’t make the sounds he wanted to make. The true definition of an artist/musician. Creating cool , new rock.

When Eruption came out, I had NO idea what he was doing. By that time, I had been playing guitar for many years, and I NEVER heard anything like it. I saw Sabbath at Madison Square Garden with Van Halen opening. I had heard You Really Got Me on the radio, but that was about it. Remember, back in the day, there was no Internet and 200 channels on television. By the time they finished their opening set, I had almost forgotten about Sabbath. I've seen VH many times since and Eddie was ALWAYS simply amazing.

Thanks for this! I clicked as soon as the notification popped up.

My first concert was in 1983 and it was Rush, I was 15. The following spring my next concert was Van Halen 1984 tour. I will always be grateful for my first two live show experiences. R.I.P. Eddie and Neil.

The nearly universal appeal of Van Halen, especially the DLR era, was that it was all a party and *everyone* was invited.

Semi-spoiler A&A: You just heard some of Ice Cream Man. That's why it's been getting requested so much!

The reason Beat It is a great song is because Eddie, not only recorded the solo, but also rearranged the entire song.

Can't wait! Jamie's Cryin, Ice Cream Man, Ain't Talkin Bout Love, Runnin With The Devil... so good.

Some of his most iconic moments took place in the absolutely stunning piece, "I'm The One". It is EVH at his very best.

Was so glad I got to see Eddie with Van Halen (with Sammy) several times in the 80s. Unbelievable shows - especially the Monsters of Rock Tour `88 (Kingdom Come, Dokken, Metallica, Scorpions, and Van Halen).

INTRUDER!!! Intro to Pretty Woman. Not super technical, but goosebumps everytime.😁

He was always in control of his instrument, never seemed challenged, and the guitar was his obedient voice. A true musician, innovator, and great person. He will be so missed.

Steve Hackett from Genesis was credited by Eddie Van Halen as inventing guitar tapping. Eddie just took it to a new level and then it really became popular.

Eddie wailing on Frankenstein! Iconic!

lol, A cigarette table. It's called an ashtray but OK. 🤣

I think Eddie was the Jimi Hendrix of my generation.. and he was a Guitar Hero like no other.. he was a great technician and composer.. and he looked cool doing it

A Great celebration to Eddie Van Halen ; the greatest innovator on guitar since Jimmi Hendrix. R.I.P

That 2nd one is from A Les Paul Tribute. I'll never forget it.

"The guy with seven keyboards" ... they mean Paul Schaffer. LOL!

Yes! Thankyou for doing this tribute to EVH. His groundbreaking finger tapping, mesmerizing guitar playing makes him a Rock God...and that smile.... need I say more?❤

I was 14 when VH’s debut album surfaced. I have never felt the same of the guitar. Then, my taste turned towards SRV. Both were the best at their genre. It has been a privilege to enjoy both of their talents.Losing both is a bummer, but SRV’s message on his marker sums it up. “Thank You... For all the love you passed our way... RIP EVH, RIP SRV.

5150 is one of the most underrated riffs in rock. Amazing track.

No head-bobbing with this video. You are both so engrossed and mesmerized by his talent. Eddie was and is and always be the most amazing guitar god. R.I.P. Eddie. We will miss you forever.

Thank you fot doing this, guys. This is amazing!

Love you both! Thanks so much for that!

My husband, Coyote, was telling me a story last night about when Eddie Van Halen played guitar for Michael Jackson's "Beat It" (for free!). Eddie had walked into Tower Records in Hollywood and they were playing "Beat It" over the P.A. system. There were two young guys checking out the records and one of the piped up, "Ugh...That dudes trying to sound like Van Halen." Eddie walked up behind them and said, "That IS me playing!" LoL! I'm sure the looks on those guys' faces were priceless!

Okay, so Eddie didn't invent tapping, but what he did do was spark creativity, challenge the mediocrity, and elevate the standards of guitar playing worldwide.Even his smile was electric. RIP EVH🎸🎸🎸🎸😎

Eddie Van Halen Tribute + @Andy & Alex bonus day = an amazing Tuesday! This was a great compilation, and yet there are still many other clips that would have been every bit as mind-blowing. He was just that good. I love that the first solo on the list was from “Ice Cream Man” which you will soon hear along with “I’m the One” when you do the full album reaction. I can’t wait! The solos (yes, plural) from I’m the One” will leave you speechless. I know I’m not the only one (no pun intended) who has been begging to hear the latter! Have a great day, guys!

That is what I've always liked about Eddie's his smile the way he makes it look like fun

You brought up seeing them live and how no one was playing like that back then. You are absolutely right. However, if you saw them live before they signed a record deal, you wouldn't have seen what Eddie was doing on guitar. David Lee Roth used to make Eddie turn his back to the audience. He knew they were gonna make it and didn't want any one else stealing their sound before they did. I was 12 when this album came out. My dad was a drummer in a popular rock band in Boston, I grew up in a musical household. Van Halen's first album blew my mind. I had heard all the metal classics, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper and guitar genius' like Hendrix but Eddie was like nothing before. RIP man.

Thanks guys for this short clip of Eddie's greatest moments amongst so many more. Cheers.

TIL: I was today year's old when I found out that Eddie Van Halen played with Tony Levin, Bill Bruford and Jan Hammer. Hey, in 1988 I was busy raising an 11 month old daughter so I have an excuse for missing it. But somebody out there amongst you is fired for not telling me this existed. Thank you Andy & Alex for finding this!

I think when you listen to the first VH album you will recognize some stuff you didn't realize you knew. Also the track that will unexpectedly grab you will be "Ice Cream Man".

Thank You for that guys...it brought tears to my eyes.

Wish you could have seen them in early 80s live. Unbelievable!

To quote another KZfaqr (not a reactor, though): 'He didn't care for the factory made guitars...he preferred to customize his axes to find something fresh and exciting. To Eddie, perfection was "boring," and believed that "mistakes were the most exciting element" of making music. Let's pause a moment to ponder on that. Because it's one of the most important teachings that Eddie Van Halen has left us. Perfection is boring, mistakes were the most exciting element of making music. In a world of brain dead, fast food, auto tuned, cookie cutter, sample driven music, Eddie's philosophy reigns over us like a spirit in the night. I pray that we all truly contemplate his wisdom.'~Professor of Rock kzfaq.info/get/bejne/e8tpq5B1up2qeKc.html

His techniques were so far advanced when they first came out back in 1978, and largely remained so. NOBODY could play guitar like Eddie Van Halen. He was the rock guitar JESUS. *Also, don't forget his riffs and his TONE were also mind boggling!

Thank you guys for doing this. I’m going through all the Van Halen videos now.

Eddie gave the guitar more personality than anyone. It became another lead singer in their band. FYI, The prettiest electric guitar intro ever is on Van Halen 2, “Woman in Love”!

Yeah hard to find anyone who enjoyed their craft more than he did. A true master loved every minute of it.

One of Eddie’s closets friends and mentors was the legendary Les Paul. He used a lot of Les Paul’s techniques and took them to another level.

Great to see you guys truly discovering the magical genius and creativity of EVH!

Long Live the King of Six Strings and Ten Fingers! Thanks for paying tribute, guys.

About tapping. Deep Purple's Richie Blackmore claims to have seen Canned Heat's guitarist, Harvey Mandel using tapping onstage at the Whiskey a Go Go in 1968. In the 19th century, the great violinist Paganini was known to strike specific notes on the neck of his violin. My guess is the technique was known to a lot of jazz and especially blues guitarists since, I don't know, the 1920s?, the 1800s? These cats never got recorded or mentioned in history, so there you go. We've got Eddie on tape, vinyl, and the cloud for the ages. 👍👍

Andy is right: guitar tapping existed as a part of a classic Genesis prog-rock song, Return Of The Giant Hogweed, and apparently there are a lot of guys who did some of it even earlier than that. Steve Hackett wrote it into a couple of songs as early as 1972 in Genesis, and Eddie worked out how to incorporate it into soloing, including as a showpiece for unaccompanied guitar.

For me Eddie Van Halen is unquestionably the most influential guitarist of all time....nobody has made more people learn to play than him....we are starting to lose the icons,they are getting to that age now....as far as i'm cocncerned they can bring on the apocalypse when Ozzy goes

The last clip is part of the definitive Eddie solo in my opinion, and should be watched in it's entirety. It's flawless.

Dudes, I am seriously in tears. The world lost a great artist! Enjoying your videos, just found them today. First one was the "Boston - More Than a Feeling" video. Thank you for sharing :-)

Pete Townshend tribute to EVH: “It’s completely tragic that we have lost him". “He was not just an innovative and stylish player with great taste, he was also a laidback virtuoso showman who just blew us all away every time. Every shredder today has lost their Master Teacher and Guide.” “As he got older he became more generous and amusing and self-effacing about his enormous gifts. He shared so many tricks through guitar workshops, online and on TV shows. Immense talent. The Great American Guitar Player. I was hoping he might be President one day,” Townshend says.

RIP, King Edward! Your music still live on forever.

His Solo from the Hot For Teacher video is one of my favorites

There is an interview he did a few years back in front of a live audience where Eddie explains that he and his brother Alex would go to see all the concerts at the LA Forum and he saw Jimmy Page doing tapping with one hand on Heartbreaker and he started to experiment doing it with 2 hands. The rest is history.

I love the part where the drums come in. It's got such a funky kick ass groove to it. I'd rewind it on my CD over and over.

A fine tribute to a one of the greatest. Well done, thanks.

Morning A&A family! THANK YOU A&A!!!!! Much love and respect always!!!

I saw them twice once in 83 in el paso , and then years later with sammy in the woodlands just north of houston GREAT SHOWS!!!!

Got to see him live in 1981. General admission! Craziest show I've been to.

I had to keep wiping tears watching such fun and awesomeness.

Great show

Awesome! Thanks Dudes!

Andy's fast rap at the beginning cracks me up!

Stumbled upon you two by accident through Jamal - you guys are great! I enjoy your reactions to our “old fogie’ music, lol! New subscriber - here’s hoping you make it to 100k soon.

Nice review guys.

Thanks for doing the tribute, guys. Those clips were fun! The last one was from “Live...Without A Net”, which was a concert video of their first tour with Sammy Hagar for the “5150” album, circa 1985. One of the things that really shows in that concert, as well as the first album, is what a phenomenal rhythm player Eddie was. Just extraordinary musicality. Eagerly awaiting the debut album reaction! Peace to you both!

Eddie Van Halen has such a beautiful smile!!!!!

Brilliant guys, Eddie is Epic on his own. Godspeed!

he really is so talented and he loved what he did he knew he was good im happy your doing this to remember him by R.I .P EDDIE we love you i had the best memeries with his music i was in high school best time of your life thank god for music i can live without ever watching another movie but i can not live without music in my ears

The solo from live without a net 1986 is probably his best because it was filmed for the video and the sound is perfect as well as the solo

Happy Tuesday good people. 💛

EVH popularized. Tapping has been around for a long time in more then just guitar. Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840) used similar techniques on the violin(tapping with the bow). Various musicians have been suggested as the originators of modern two-hand tapping. While one of the earliest players known to use the technique was Roy Smeck (who used a tapping style on a ukulele in the 1932 film Club House Party). Electric pickup designer Harry DeArmond developed a two-handed method as a way of demonstrating the sensitivity of his pickups. Blues/Rock performers seemed to pick up on the style in the late 60's. Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple), claimed to see Harvey Mandel (Canned Heat), use the technic on stage in 1968. But yes, without a doubt EVH perfected and popularized tapping.

Having all these moments cut short was absolutely painful! RIP, Eddie.

I was fresh out of High School in 1978 and just enrolled at Texas Tech University in Lubbock Texas, when on a hot August 3rd night I heard this incredible band live and on stage at the Memorial Coliseum. It was an awesome show, and they just started to headline their own tour with opening act Rick Derringer. Derringer was a gun slinger too before EVH, but after 1978 there was a new King of Guitar!

I was in 11th grade when they release their first album. Van Halen was a big inspiration for us in our high school years.

That last one was from the Live Without a Net concert video. The whole thing is available on KZfaq. You guys should watch it in full. Great sound quality and Eddie is at the peak of his powers. Sammy and the band are great, too, even if you are a Roth snob :).

A good example of pre-Van Halen tapping is Brian May from Queen on the song It’s Late. But Eddie is the one who developed the style in a way far more involved and extreme than anyone before him.

Thanks, guys. I saw Eddie in that very era, and my local band totally borrowed his cigarette on the bent wire on the head stock thing--in any way we could. He would just stick it on there and smoke it when he was done with Eruption. None of us smoked, and we still put lit cigarettes on stuff when we could just to mimic that whole "coolness." And his pick tossing has become a standard for many since. Eddie changed how we thought of and heard guitar from that point on. He was a master. No one actively tried to sound like Clapton, Townshend, Page, etc. after that--Eddie pushed to a new level of sound, speed, technicality, and clarity.