MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND and this past week Eddie Trunk had another one of his Top 20s and THIS time he went to......
VH aka VAN HALEN
EDDIE, ALEX, DAVE, and MICHAEL
I can't think of a time as a youth, pre-teen, teenager where my life wasn't consumed by VAN HALEN. They are just IT....they emcompass EVERYTHING that was ROCK N' ROLL in the late 70's / early 80's. I had the posters (see Memorial day and above and below) and the necklace and made sure to see them 4x in my life with one time being backstage.....
From the iconic sounds coming from Eddie's guitar that every kid tried to replicate to the thumping bass of Michael Anthony THIS band in a roundabout way started the HAIR BANDS of 80s. Lead by one of the most gregarious front-men in history, David Lee Roth, whose vocals were only enhanced by one of the best rhythm sections in history, they blazed a trail that STILL hasn't been matched to this day.
EDDIE TRUNK'S TOP 20
So without further ado I give you MY Top 20
and YES I have THREE Van Hagar tunes, so sue me but you will agree they are the 3 best....
AND cause I said so
20 LOVE WALKS IN
(Sammy song #1 of 3)
"Some kind of alien
Waits for the opening"
Waits for the opening"
19 INTRUDER
(The intro to Pretty Woman from Album Diver Down is a classic in my mind and one of the best instrumentals by VH outside of Spanish Fly, Secrets and Eruption but you knew that and you might as well watch Pretty Woman to see when MTV ruled)
18 EEVERYBODY WANTS SOME
(Do I even intro this? Better Off Dead...that is all)
"Look, I'll pay you for it, what the fuck?"
17 ATOMIC PUNK
(Classic from VH 1 not VH-1)
"I am the ruler of these nether worlds"
16 LITTLE GUITARS
(This one has a special place in my heart as I vividly remember standing backstage watching Eddie play this at the young age of 13 circa 1982)
'You say you're lonesome, just getting by
But you turn your eyes from me
Be sure you're hurting long before you fly 'cause, you've got me"
But you turn your eyes from me
Be sure you're hurting long before you fly 'cause, you've got me"
15 TOP JIMMY
(Top Jimmy cooks...that is all)
"They don't remember the place, but they remember the face,
And now everybody want to go"
And now everybody want to go"
14 THE DREAM IS OVER
(Sammy song #2 of 3)
(Sammy song #2 of 3)
"Oh, we're the lost generation
I hold fate from a string"
13 D.O.A.
(The first song from II to appear is the blistering DOA)
"They found a dirty faced kid in a garbage can"
12 HEAR BOUT IT LATER (Live 1981)
(Again with the LIVE MTV video)
11 SOMEBODY GET ME A DOCTOR
(Second and def not last II song....another smoker)
(Second and def not last II song....another smoker)
THE TOP 10
10 RUNNIN WITH THE DEVIL
(The VERY FIRST impression you had of VH as this is the FIRST song FIRST album...so THAT!!! and the video is so fucking cheesy its good....fuck you Kanye)
9 ROMEO DELIGHT
(Best album cover and back art EVER....period)
"I'm takin' whiskey to the party tonight
"I'm takin' whiskey to the party tonight
And I'm lookin' for somebody to squeeze"
8 AND THE CRADLE WILL ROCK (German TV 1980)
with a bonus of "You Really Got Me" from VH I
with a bonus of "You Really Got Me" from VH I
(more CHEESE....AHHH lip sync...fuck you Drake)
"Well, they say it's kinda frightnin'
How this younger generation swings
You know it's more than just some new sensation"
"Well, they say it's kinda frightnin'
How this younger generation swings
You know it's more than just some new sensation"
7 DREAMS
(Sammy song #3 of 3 and I think we all saw this video and were taken aback)
"We'll get higher and higher
Straight up we'll climb
We'll get higher and higher
Leave it all behind"
Straight up we'll climb
We'll get higher and higher
Leave it all behind"
STOP WATCH and LISTEN
d
6 SO THIS IS LOVE? (Live 1981 Oakland)
(Another Fair Warning classic simply because of the RIFF and THIS video and another coming up are WHY Van Halen one of the best LIVE bands EVER...PERIOD....thanks to MTV when it was cool)
"Got me on pins and needles"
TOP 5
5 PANAMA
(The FIRST good song on 1984)
"Don't you know she's coming home with me?
You'l lose her in the turn"
4 LIGHT UP THE SKY
(FIRST song second side of album....for those of us who had that luxury)
"Come see your children, yea
They're lightin' up the skies
Won't recognize them anymore"
They're lightin' up the skies
Won't recognize them anymore"
3 UNCHAINED (Live 1981)
(VIDEO VIDEO VIDEO...WOW captures VH in a nutshell and THIS could be easily my 1 or 2 also)
"Change, nothing stays the same
Unchained, and ya hit the ground running'
2 AINT TALKING BOUT LOVE
(FOUR songs into Van Halen 1 and you are STILL BLASTED...WOW)"I heard the news baby
All about your disease
Yeah, you may have all you want baby
But I got somethin' you need, oh yeah"
All about your disease
Yeah, you may have all you want baby
But I got somethin' you need, oh yeah"
And Numero Uno is.....
is....
is....
is....
1 MEAN STREET
(Fucking MEAN STREETS....FIRST song into arguably my favorite VH album next to II....its the blistering intro...the blusey riff, the heavy pounding bass, the lyrics...CLASSIC and HAD TO BE #1)
Try not to let the 1981 Italian fake performance ruin the song....geez
"At night I walk this stinkin' street past the crazies on my block
And I see the same old faces and I hear that same old talk"
And I see the same old faces and I hear that same old talk"
OK SO WHAT YA THINK?
some history
FAIR WARNING Album Cover taken from this...see if you can find the pics from album cover
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND of racing etc
I will leave you with this.....next top 20 is either RUSH or AC/DC from Eddie Trunk...sure
Watch this version of DREAMS where they play Whiskey to celebrate 15th anniversary of first gig
Have a good MEMORIAL DAY
