BROTHERS Edward and Alex Van Halen were born in Holland and moved with their family to Pasadena, California, as children. Although both were trained as classical pianists, it was pop music that interested them most. Originally, it was Alex who played guitar, and Eddie who played drums. But while Eddie was out delivering newspapers, Alex would practice on his drums, and soon he had superseded his brother's ability. Not to be outdone, Eddie decided to switch to guitar.
Mike and Eddie After high school, the brothers played in various cover bands, and in the process, rented equipment from an Indiana native named David Lee Roth, who sang in a local band called the Red Ball Jets. As Eddie had never aspired to be a singer, he convinced Roth to join his band, which they then dubbed Mammoth. One particular gig found the band sharing a bill with Snake, which led to a meeting and jam session with Snake's bass player and singer, Michael Anthony. Impressed, the Van Halen brothers and Roth asked Anthony to join their band. In late 1975 or early 1976, the group discovered that there was another band called Mammoth, and while several other names were suggested, the quartet decided to use Eddie and Alex's last name, Van Halen.
From the start, Van Halen enjoyed the blessings of talent and luck. In 1976, Gene Simmons of KISS caught the band playing at a small club and offered to produce demos for them (they had no record deal at the time). Soon after, Warner Brothers' house-producer Ted Templeman who went on to oversee most of Van Halen's albums — saw the band, and convinced label executive Mo Ostin to sign them.
Van Halen's self-titled first album endures as a testament to the group's vision, and set the standard for which a new generation of hard-rocking bands would strive. Although the rhythm section was solid, it was the combination of David Lee Roth's flamboyant, sultry vocals and Eddie Van Halen's guitar playing that gave the record its shape and vast appeal. Roth strutted as much as he sang, his lyrics brimming with libido ("Feel Your Love Tonight"), braggadocio ("Atomic Punk"), and mayhem ("Running With the Devil"). And the metal edge they gave to a cover of the Kinks' "You Really Got Me," immediately distanced Van Halen from the sixties supergroups that were still dominating rock radio.
Eddie tapping Eddie Van Halen became a role model for modern guitarists, regardless of their tastes and preferences. His talent and skill were unquestioned, and he demonstrated a dazzling array of techniques, from simple riffs to extended solos filled with intricate fret work. "Eruption," an instrumental track on the first album, became his calling card as it was transformed into a lengthy showcase during concerts.
Van Halen II sounded subdued in comparison to the debut, but "Dance the Night Away" and "Beautiful Girls" proved the band capable of playing in a less insistent style. Women and Children First (1980) was somewhat experimental, using keyboards and guitars to produce percussive sounds on "And the Cradle Will Rock." Their fourth release, Fair Warning (1981), was another flourish. Vaguely prescient of urban decay and unrest, Van Halen — especially Eddie — played more urgently than on their previous two records. Roth, meanwhile, continued to pen songs like "'Dirty Movies,'" tailor-made for Van Halen's adolescent following. Diver Down followed in 1982, and was a mixed bag: five of its twelve songs were covers, ranging from Martha and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street" to the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans standard "Happy Trails." Controversy ensued after the video for "(Oh) Pretty Woman" showed David Lee Roth dressed as an ugly one. While Diver Down wasn't the band's best work, Van Halen was as popular as ever, and headlined one day of the mammoth U.S. Festival concerts in Southern California in 1983.
1984, the album, established Van Halen as the unquestioned leaders of a legion of glam-metal acts. It was a return to form, and it found the band again toying with its sound. "Panama" and "I'll Wait" are still rock-radio staples.
