Monday Metal (Bereavement Supplemental)

We've noted previously that we think Eddie Van Halen was the best guitar player ever. He was classically trained but played like he wasn't classically trained, manic but within boundaries. 

Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth were an utterly unique rock duo, a hard rock, even heavy metal band but with a Los Angeles touch. Van Halen was glitzy and glamorous but hard as hell. They were also a tight band in the studio and on stage.

We've always been an apostate and preferred Van Halen with Sammy Hagar, another LA guy. We feel Eddie really got to show his chops without Roth hogging the stage. The two versions of Van Halen are different bands, but held together by Eddie. 

Our favorite Roth albums are Van Halen I, a debut just as good as Led Zeppelin's (look for Runnin' with the Devil and Little Dreamer) and Van Halen II (with country-western level harmonies). Hager era 5150 was the first album we bought with our own money. When we saw this, we were hooked: