One of the best lyrics in rock “Blue-eyed murder in a size five dress”.

@Jonno2summit

8 ай бұрын

You nailed it. Great call out!

@deejay7060

7 ай бұрын

Did u notice he changed that lyric in the 2nd verse from “size 5 dress” to “side swipe dress”??

@Jonno2summit

7 ай бұрын

@@deejay7060 Very smart and astute dudes and dudettes here! I loved how you caught that lyrical change, and I hadn't over decades of listening to this song. Kudos!

@shanomac69

6 ай бұрын

@@deejay7060 I think that you've got something wrong with your hearing bro, because it didn't change in the second verse. Look up the lyrics too, IT'S SIZE FIVE DRESS for both verses

@TheMichaelseymour

6 ай бұрын

for over 40 yrs .....i thought it was "blue eyed murder in a sci fi dress " (i like my lyric better - lol )

That opening riff makes my nads rumble. So fantastic. It makes Unchained one of my top 5 favorite Van Halen song. Its just so GOOD.

@clifhaley5150

8 күн бұрын

The entire "Fair Warning" album is my absolute favorite from their entire catalog. So damn dirty and nasty.

This song is pretty much what the original Van Halen was all about: great musicianship combined with loads of fun...

Eddie's legendary guitar tone just draws you in. The Brown Sound. He could play anything , drunk or sober. The King is dead , long live The King. He and Mr. Rhoads are my Heros. Miss 'em both. Let me not forget to pay respect to Dimebag. Eddie was his Hero as well.

This was the first LP my father (may he RIP) bought me back in 81 when i was 12... thank you dad, i still have it.

Bassist Michael Anthony was definitely the secret sauce of Van Halen. He provided the high harmony backing vocals you're hearing. If you ever react to Hot for Teacher, I can assure you the video is just as entertaining as the song. RIP Edward Van Halen.

@LordEriolTolkien

7 ай бұрын

Highly underrated and overlooked bassist and backup singer

@r.t.moo.

7 ай бұрын

I agree 100%. Michael Anthony was the primary source of that classic Van Halen backing vocal sound on the refrains we all know and love. He made both lead vocalists David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar shine in their own unique ways.

@warrenhammonds1093

7 ай бұрын

I love Mike, but I hope she doesn't react to that song. It's so cliché. So many better songs from the Diamond Dave era. 1984 is my least favorite out of the Classic 6-Pack.

@SpongeBath_ShitPants

6 ай бұрын

And yet he was humble enough to relegate himself to the background so Eddie and David could have the spotlight. He was an insightful and mature person who understood that Eddie and David being at the forefront was the dynamic that suited the band the best.

@vbxtc625

5 ай бұрын

Eddie and Michael both have much better voices than Dave. Good thing neither of them wanted to be out front.

David Lee Roth has always been a powerhouse and Eddie's playing are just simply magic... Legends...

One of the best guitar intros ever. Eddie playing just off the beat a bit is part of what makes him one of the best players ever. The drummer is his brother and they had a chemistry that is just natural. It let's Eddie just freewheel around.

The things you can’t explain is what makes music great. Van Halen the pinnacle of great rock songwriting

One of the best riffs of all time!

Unchained is certainly a phenomenal start to diving into Van Halen’s catalog. While I could go on and on about which of their iconic tracks deserve an analysis, “Ice Cream Man” from their 1978 debut album is both incredible and so uniquely Van Halen. The first half of the song is Roth sing-talking in a Doo-Op style. So cool and in control but also having fun with it. Then the song ramps up to whatever setting exceeds overdrive. Eddie Van Halen’s fingers shred away and Roth explodes with an eruption of energy, charisma and swagger. The track perfectly encapsulates the 2 sides of Van Halen; a fun, not taking themselves so seriously effort combined with some of the finest technical rock North America has ever produced.

@lmethom

7 ай бұрын

'Ice Cream Man' "so uniquely Van Halen" yet one of a few songs they covered so well that most people like their version over the original (You Really Got Me, Pretty Woman, ...)

One of the best riffs of all time. Absolutely amazing driving music, Van Halen set the stage and the bar for pop metal. This was their prime IMO

@fasteddie777666

7 ай бұрын

POP METAL ??????.....WTF........IF ANYTHING IS POP, IT'S THAT VAN HAGAR CRAP !!!

@claychristy7291

7 ай бұрын

Pop metal? 😂

@warrenhammonds1093

7 ай бұрын

Bro you got Van Halen mixed up with Van Hagar. Pop metal? LMAO!!!!!!

@Funrunner008

2 ай бұрын

This is hard rock

My favorite VH song of all time. That opening riff is just killer and then pounds once MA kicks in🤘🤘🤘🤘

Eddie's guitar tone on this song is unreal

@anthonychilds8193

4 ай бұрын

It still is extremely rare to hear a hard rock tone utilize a Flanger so heavily and so effectively. One of my favorite things about the firs couple of VH albums is how often you're hearing a song and realizing after the 100th time, "wait, there are not a lot of multi-tracked guitars in this song." He was getting a lot of that with several amps but but only 1 or 2 guitar tracks (I really feel like the 1st album is mostly single tracks of guitars). If I'm wrong, then kudos to the engineer/producer/mixer.

@princeofpcos9804

4 ай бұрын

@@anthonychilds8193 you're correct, the first album was almost all one guitar. Minimal overdubs for a couple solos. Being a stage-authentic album it's also DLR on acoustic guitar for Ice Cream Man.

The harmonies sound to me like a group of friends singing together at a bar when a song they all know plays on the juke box. It kind of invites the listener to sing along too, without worrying about sounding perfect.

My favorite Halen tune,hands down.

@matteoedwardes2876

5 ай бұрын

Love it too but my fav is Runnin with the devil. Going way back.

@mattj1871

5 ай бұрын

Same (Unchained)

@rothed16

5 ай бұрын

It was mine for 2 decades. It's 2nd place now to Ain't Talkin Bout Love. Not sure why/how I switched them lol. Maybe it will change back in 2034😂

One of the best intro screams of all time.

@davecerreta3417

7 ай бұрын

No doubt brother Dave had the nastiest scream back in the day

That little string drag stutter she is speaking of is some of the secret sauce riffing Eddie does in this song. Sooooooo Good!

One thing I always loved about the original Van Halen: not only could they play bone-crushing rock and roll (with one of the few guitarists I would consider a true game-changer in rock), they almost always had a sense of humor about it. The breakdown in this...."Hey, man that suit is YOU!"....always makes me smile. Their videos were hilarious (thanks, Pete Angelus) and they were a HUGE breath of fresh air in the barren rock and roll landscape of the '80's.

Van Halen is the ultimate party band. Dave was more like the MC of the party and the band was like party goers singing harmonies and playing the hell out of their instruments. Great reaction!

This is quintessential old school Van Halen. If anyone young asks about Van Halen I play them this song.

That guitar tone is a beast, the bass is deep and wide, and the drums superb as always, and Dave screams like no other

Ah, this warms my cold, jaded, cynical heart! ☺️ Van Halen has been my favorite band for close to 40 years. They just represent to me the ULTIMATE Rock N Roll band. It was great fun to listen to this through your ears and hear your take on it. Hard to decide on a recommendation for another VH song… but let me go with “In A Simple Rhyme” from the album Women And Children First. ENORMOUS vocal goodness in that one!

Great reaction! Van Halen was a big influence to my youth. David Lee Roth was a perfect frontman for the band, giving their sound a certain swagger and playfulness. He’s known for his screams and ad-libbed quips. I’ve heard his screams described as double harmonics (?). A song that showcases his screams is from their song “Runnin with the Devil” off their debut album. Also, it should be noted their bass player, Michael Anthony, provided fantastic background vocals. Michael has a very high voice.

one of the best not cut studio moments ever!! the whole "hey man that suit is you" line from Dave is golden. maybe not the best technical singer but a great frontman

Something you said about the backing vocal made me think. Maybe looseness is what is missing in a lot of music. Thinking of my youth, Van Halen, the Cars, Talking Heads, etc. had a loose vibe. The lack of auto tune, the time period, whatever. Possibly why arena rock, 80s hair bands and modern music get called out for being overproduced and bands like Van Halen, Nirvana, Sex Pistols still hold respect. Either way, Van Halen had it.

@sethcashman1011

8 ай бұрын

" Maybe looseness is what is missing in a lot of music." Totally agree.

@keithferris9574

7 ай бұрын

It's absolutely a huge missing element today, by design unfortunately.

One of the "magic sauce" of the Van Halen sound was that they could sing in 3 part harmony. Michael Anthony (the bassist) was unreal holding down the high harmonies. Also cool piece of trivia: Van Halen pretty much recorded a lot of their songs "live," all band members in the same studio room, essentially in one take. During the "talking part" you actually hear their producer Ted Templeton buzzing in over the intercom and give the "C'mon Dave, Gimmie a break".....

@BigTimeRushFan2112

6 ай бұрын

one break...comin' up!

legendary guitar tone. The intro is amazing.

Love your eye-popping reaction at 12:21 to Eddie's guitar! Fascinating evaluation of the song. Thank you!

We used to crank this ridiculous on my buddies killer stereo system while doing major bong hits and drinking beer on Friday and Saturday nights back in high school in the early 80’s 😝🥳🤘

Beth, you are my new hero for being open to reacting to this. "I'm the One" off of VH1, or "Little Guitars" with the intro, off of Diver Down, but there's plenty of songs to reveal Edward's unique sense of timing. It does switch up during the "Thought you never missed me..." part, but I'm not sure anyone can explain it with sheet music. The same with Ed's solos, this one is short, but it weaves its way through there somehow and still makes sense. Ed is imo the best rhythm guitarist rock ever had. This song is pretty straight, but he came up with more ways to drive a song than anyone before him, which I think you'll notice if you listen to some more. Hope so!

@johnjanovsky

8 ай бұрын

I’m The One has everything that’s great about early Van Halen. Ed’s ripping guitar, harmonies, and bop shoo be doo wahs!

Light Up The Sky is a great vocal song from them, even background vocals are sweet.

Roth killed it in the studio but in concert he was all over the place. Thankfully the band was always on point

Eddie is the architect of VHs music. His brother Alex is the pulse. Eddie grew up playing classical piano, but did not read. His musical memory was so good he could hear something and repeat it almost instantly. It took his teacher a while to realize what was going on. The house was a musical house and the family was from the Netherlands so Ed had exposure to classical composers, and show tunes. This musical soup is a big part of his timing. The show tunes especially. He was also influenced by early rock n roll. So his musical perspective is much different than the folks he influences daily. Seldom does he play a straight 4. He will swing and manipulate the pocket. Some of his solos are so fast and precise they sound like straight time, until you try to play them. Slowing things down in the computer, he’s swinging it. His melodic sensibility and ability to process notes and rhythm at lightening speed to where it comes out as organic pure rock n roll/rock is unmatched. He always stayed true to just regular ole rock. Hopefully that gives you some insight. It’s was all an extension of him. It just came out, and has influenced millions of people. RIP SAINT EDWARD

First concert I ever went to was VH. Eddy's guitar playing was other worldly.

@MikeR-ci1pq

8 ай бұрын

Me too! They opened for Black Sabbath in Germany! My Dad was in the Army and we were stationed in Stuttgart from 1976-1979. What a show! They played their entire first album and 2 songs from there yet to be released 2nd album. Then Sabbath played for 2 1/2 hours. Awesome!!

Roth era VH is party rock on a 10 scale. It’s best described as perfectly imperfect.

Been listening to the song for 40 yrs! Never thought about it too much or disected it. It just kicks ass!

This is my favorite song by Van Halen. I have been a fan as a teen in the ‘70’s.

Ohhh that opening riff... sooo classic EVH....as much as I love DLR, those Michael Anthony harmonies are just brilliant, as always...

Van Halen was also a visual show. I would recommend seeing the live Oakland 1981 version of Unchained.

In my humble opinion the best and my favorite album in the catalog !

The feeling you are having in the intro is not knowing exactly where 1 is until Alex comes in with the drums and they all start riding 8th notes. I remember hearing this for the first time and feeling one in a different place than where it is from Eddie’s guitar and having the same exiting fun surprise. I’ve since been able to play this song myself years later with cover bands. The intro is still exciting even though I know exactly where one is. Also the backing vocals sound “casual” your words, because this is all pre autotune and digital editing. You could either sing or you couldn’t. Human imperfections made things sound better and made the most iconic albums stand the test of time vs beat mapped autotuned manufactured new pop. Such a great song. Fun watching you experience the song as well. 😊

She really loves that intro, can't blame her. The pedaling bass reminds me of ACDC and is so powerful. Another vote for Michael Anthony adding the vocal and bass magic.

This is one of my favorite Van Halen albums, it sounds so RAW and amazing.

On Fire is the song that you should check out. Roth's vocals are top notch.

@ericfisher1203

7 ай бұрын

agree. best song on that record

@kenkonwick6660

7 ай бұрын

But Michael's scream at the end is what makes the vocals memorable

Two suggestions for you if you’d like to hear what the mighty Van Halen was capable of in terms of vocal harmonies “Jamie’s Cryin’” and “In A Simple Rhyme”

@lexusguy9127

7 ай бұрын

My 2 number one favorties.

The harmonies reflect a bunch of talented, fun-loving, (wasted) dudes! 👍

This lady knows when she hears something good. This tune rocks.. This whole album is awesome. Enjoy my dear.

Vocal coach ignoring DLR and totally grooving to Eddie. I think she was even blushing a the first pause. Welcome to Van Halen my dear.

Thank you again! I wish you could have been there waaaay back then , we were all at the record store waiting to buy the album! It was a great time!

@toddmiller1753

7 ай бұрын

Thank you soooooo much, you have a fan for life ! I really enjoy listening to you. You have so much knowledge and you enjoy the 80s.!!

"I need to find a way to express what I'm hearing." Heh! You and my parents back in the day! 🤣🤣🤣

🎉enjoyed this massively 🎉 The intro phrase starts on the 4and beat (a push beat). It changes onto the 1 half way through phrase. Hope that makes sense. The pre choruses, they are just unique and have a very long evolving phrase. It’s very much an Edward and Alex Van Halen signature.

Great analysis Bethany !! Try out Dreams. Different pace totally. Love your channel. Keep it up 👍👍

Now that's a Jam!

The effect on the line "Come on Dave, gimmie a break!" is supposed to mimic the communication microphone of the producer at the mixing desk talking to rhe singer in rhe vocal booth.

the "mimic" you heard was eddies pick scrape-tapping the wound strings down the neck from about the neck pickup to the 12th fret.. things you learn when you spend 40+ years covering these songs.. this is still one of my favorite VH songs to play live.. this, panama, jamies cryin, feel your love tonight, aint talkin bout love, beautiful girls, pretty woman.. oh the list goes on.. i love playing VH

You can find a live version of this tune where Alex VH lights his gong on fire, pure rock n roll insanity.

One thing seems universal about people experiencing the Mighty VH for the first time…a big smile on their faces!

That's funny. I was trying yesterday to search if you'd reacted to David Lee Roth, and now here it is. Thank you!

You have a beautiful smile and when you really like a song I never get tired of that smile 😁

They were a live band massive high energy you have to do a live video.

That mimic you mentioned it a foot pedal Eddie was using called a phaser.

Greatest rock tune ever written. It’s got it all.

You should do I'm The One next. It's a deeper cut, but its easily their most metal song and it features a vocal surprise 2/3 through.

so when dave was talking at the end of the video. you was smiling. you evern loved it. thats what we love. its amazing. its us

One of my favorites. That riff is pristine.

A deep track that shows good vocals is “Could This Be Magic?” from the Women and Children First album. It’s acoustic with Dave and Edward and it’s 4 guys having some fun! It would be interesting to hear your take!

DLR's voice and his persona was perfect for Van Halen.

The reason for the raw "unfinished" sound is Van Halen on their early albums, did very little dubs and over tracking. These were mostly recorded live in the studio.

The thing about Dave's and the backing vocals is the unbridled charisma. But right behind is Eddie's monstrous tone, Mike's rolling bass, and Alex's thundering drums. This band is the essence of "The synergy of the parts is greater than the whole."

Your smile at the beginning tells me everything I need to to know about the music I grew up with. 😊

This was great! Again, non-vocalist here (as legendary drummer Aynsley Dunbar once said, "'Sink' would be the word. I only sing in the shower."), but I always felt Dave's vocals - screams excepting - were primarily chest/throat. Definitely sounds like a lot of throat here. Interesting observations re: the background vocals as they relate to the lead vocals. The words "casual" and "relaxed" never occured to me, but I hear that now. The spoken word section was an improv between Dave and producer Ted Templeman, who can be heard through the talkback ("C'mon, Dave, gimme a break"). And that pesky pre-chorus is comprised of alternating bars of 3/4 and 4/4 (or one bar of 7). That part was usually played differently live. Dave's voice was such a critical component of the band's sound. Ironically, the Van Halen brothers auditioned and rejected him TWICE (because he apparently sucked that badly) before finally hiring him, which inspired him to work on his voice. He actually took lessons prior to recording his vocals for Van Halen's debut. Thanks, as always, for your insights.

"Mean Street" off that same album is well worth a listen.

6 a.m. in the morning and this blaring out the windows. Good times and good friends 40+ yrs ago.😎🎸🎸🎸

I just want to spend one night with you "The vocalyst" listening to music ...you get me

Great review!

This is awesome like when my kids discovered rock on guitar hero. It’s like opening presents on Christmas Day watching her reaction

Roth sounded damned great in the studio. 100% unique.

My VH recos for you : "Ain't talkin' 'bout Love", "And the Cradle will Rock", "Dance the Night Away", "Panama", "Jamie's Cryin' ", "Mean Street" and "Could this be Magic"

I'm from California and we love Van halen ......thanks for the video

I'm glad you picked this one early in your Van Halen trip. This was made early in their career, and gives you a good feel of them before they became huge and IMHO, too commercial. I have seen them live four times, from their first tour to the last one with David. Cheers

FOUR KEYS TO THE VAN HALEN SOUND: DIAMOND DAVE’S SCREECHING WITH WHOOPS AND HOLLERS EDDIE’S GUITAR 🎸 ALEX’S SNARE DRUM 🥁 AND MICHAEL ANTHONY’S STRATOSPHERE BACKING VOCALS!!! VAN HALEN: I SAW ALL THE TOURS WITH ROTH FROM VAN HALEN 1 IN 1978 TO 1984 AND AGAIN IN 2013! I SAW 5150, OU812, FOR UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE AND BALANCE WITH HAGAR. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER EDWARD VAN HALEN!!! RIP EDDIE

The brown sound changed the way I play still get tears when I noodle around with some van halen jams eddie was and will always be the inspiration and dedication to all of us that play rip to God of guitar

I'm a EE/math guy -- this music is great for engineering. It's adrenaline feel-good - almost college-band sounding at times - as though made by a group of friends "jamming" (with serious talent and great care for what is being produced). I think the non-ensemble voicing (I guess is the term) adds a lot to that not stuffy feel. David Lee Roth is an interesting character all the way around (I heard he was even an EMT - definitely experiencing life). I agree with you totally about Triumph and definitely Rush. I love Early Music and Baroque, but this is the music I listen to regularly. Thanks for your great channel ... Subscribed ... Cheers ...

Unchained is quintessentially what vh was all about. They were THEE PARTY and David Lee Roth was the ultimate frontman/ringleader/superclown. A band like no other before or since or ever will be. The original Van Halen will forever the best. Later attempts with Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone just never reached the magic like VH fronted by Roth. Interesting story about the Van Halen brothers you should dig into.

Kudos to you on learning about THE MIGHTY VAN HALEN !!!!!!!!!!! iTS A WONDERFUL WORLD WHEN YOU HAVE A LITTLE VAN HALEN IN YOUR LIFE !!!!!!!!!!!!

Some other Van Halen songs to check out are Panama, Ain't Talkin bout love, Ice Cream Man, You Really got me. David Lee Roth was the singer then. Sammy Hagar also sang for Van Halen. Songs like - Finish what ya started, why can't this be love, love walks in, dreams, and can't stop loving you to name a few. Of course there are many more songs. These will introduce you to Van Halen.

Just discovered your channel and I am enjoying your breakdown of these songs and vocal efforts. I've seen some Eddie and Chris and Styx so far. Anyway, not sure if anyone else mentioned it and I don't have time to go thru all 499 comments (which makes me #500), but it's the "producer" who speaks in this, Dave's talking to him in the lyrics and, then the "producer" asks Dave to give him a break for busting his balls.....so they break! Killer stuff, likely my all-time favorite VH song.

Very lovely smile. ☺

I love her facial reaction to Diamond David Lee Roth 😎

@andrewharty3874

4 ай бұрын

Yes exactly 😎👍 2:36

@andrewharty3874

4 ай бұрын

YES

@silvanorossi6416

3 ай бұрын

She got Diamond Dave fever 😂

This song still gives me goosebumps

Love this. Eddie would tune one if not two of his guitar strings slightly flat which ended up in the band sounding almost out of tune at moments, but it was absolutely brilliant.

@shining235

Ай бұрын

It's almost the other way around. :) The chord tuning on a guitar is slightly off when tuned in standard. Eddie adjusted the B string to remedy that for his favorite chords (A formed three stringed) . We now have some guitars with true temperament necks. Eddie would have loved that.

Hello new subscriber is here Thanks for the reaction 😍❤ Would you like to try "NEVER ENOUGH (The Greatest Showman)" by a Filipino girl group 4TH IMPACT Have a great day.

@sparbeep1087

8 ай бұрын

"NEVER ENOUGH (The Greatest Showman)" by 4TH IMPACT I will put the link here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/anapj6WEdc2wm5M.html

You are smart. We were angry. We still are. Live hearing your educated analysis.

The mighty Van Halen. David Lee Roth Vocals Eddie Van Halen Guitar/ Keys/ backing vocals Alex Van Halen Percussion Michael Anthony bass guitar backing vocals Saw them 3x both alliterations, they personify American rock and roll and EVH arguably the greatest guitarist of our time… Thanks for the reaction and review

Trey “So this is Love” the live 1981 version fair warning tour. In California, they recorded 4 songs that night and all were amazing.

I would recommend you listen to either "Women in Love" or "Beautiful Girls" next. Keep the Van Halen reactions coming!

The word she was having a hard time finding for the chorus vocals and background vocals is "Energy". It's not over produced to the point of losing it's essence. Van Halen is PURE energy in the music and vocals. They were a party band. They had fun, they were about fun, their music was FUN!!! The word is "Energy".

Fun to watch. This is my fav VH album. First heard it back in the mid eighties, and this band (Eddie) was my turning point at a very young age. Not that long ago after listening again with the ears of experience, I realized how drunk Dave was in these sessions. Curious if you picked that up?

VH, one of the greatest bands ever! I would have started with "Jamie's Cryin'" or "Runnin' With The Devil", but you really can't go wrong. VH is 3 things: EVH's warm, fat, rich tone, his complete and total mastery of his instrument, that inspired millions of guitarists. David Lee Roth's over-the-top, confident, cocky vocals and Michael Anthony's signature harmonies. This band has a distinctive sound that is almost its own genre...