Van Halen: You Really Got Me
Hit on the head with a musical sledgehammer
I have a lump in my throat.
The recent release of Alex Van Halen’s book, Brothers — also a heart-tugger, as it explores the siblings’ relationship before Eddie’s tragic passing in 2020 — led me to revisit the self-titled album that started it all.
Throat, meet lump.
1978. Eighth grade. I remember EXACTLY where I was. My friend Bob’s older brother had a slick new turntable, and he’d just ripped the shrink-wrap off an album by a brand new band none of us had heard of.
He’d also recently gotten some new speakers, so he wanted to show them off. No parents home, so the volume was waaaay up.
Remember the snappy, scratching sounds the turntable needle would make when landing on the disc? It was, in the days before cassettes and CDs, an integral preface to the experience — almost a countdown …
After the requisite clicks… a slowed-down car horn? Pretty nifty — and then, a simple bass “thrum” count-in:
Bomp.
Bomp.
Bomp.
Bomp.
Bomp.
Bomp.
Bomp.
Bomp.1
— leading to the riff that plowed over a generation.
Can you hear it in your head?
“I live my life like there’s no tomorrow.
All I got, I had to steal.
Least I don’t need to beg or borrow.
Least I’m living in a…
PLACE.
THAT.
GIVES...”2
Then, before you could recover from the thunder that preceded it …
A track called Eruption …
WHAT.
THE.
F&^%?!?!?!?!?3
That was it. I was sold.
Yes, I listened to the rest of Side One, but then I was on my bike and off to the Inner Sleeve record store4 to get my copy.
When I got there, I’d completely forgotten the name of the band. All I had was “Von” or “Van.” Mr. Sleeve knew what I was talking about (as always) and retrieved a copy of the LP for me.5
You Really Got Me Now
Van Halen’s debut eventually reached No. 19 on the Billboard 200 and sold over ten million copies in the United States. Eddie Van Halen’s supernatural all-over-the-guitar technique never got old — and he married, at least for a while, Valerie Bertinelli.
Lead singer David Lee Roth became, and remains, an utterly (and somewhat morbidly) fascinating individual that I would never, ever want to meet in person. Still, once he left the band, I stopped buying Van Halen albums — it’s a very strange phenomena. I’ve seen Van Halen live with vocalist Gary Cherone (1996) and then with Roth during one of his return stints in 2008.6 I’d have a beer with Cherone; I’d pass on a brew with Roth even if he was buying.
I have nothing against Sammy Hagar, who took over vocals from 1985 to1996; however, as much as I was and am in awe of Eddie Van Halen’s astounding chops, I’ve never had much interest in the band minus Roth.7
Very odd…
If you’re an any-era VH fan, grab a copy of Alex’s book. You won’t be disappointed.
And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an Eruption to revisit…
Yes, that’s the correct number of “bomps”
I’ll be honest and admit I thought one of the lines was “I got no love, no love in Korea…” . Then “…no love in career.” The actual lyric is, of course, “…no love you’d call real.”
I believe there is at least an 85% likelihood that any person my age, upon hearing Eruption for the first time, cursed out loud.
The Inner Sleeve famously provided a nice quality… inner sleeve with each purchase. “Mr. Sleeve” (Mike Capista… I never knew his real name) would place a copy of the handwritten receipt in the sleeve’s inner circle cut-out. I had albums in storage with the dated receipt still tucked in the sleeve, so I knew the exact date certain treasured records entered my life — all lost, unfortunately, in the Great Flood of 2008)).
Mike also priced everything so it came to a full dollar amount after taxes - no pennies and nickels to deal with. Inner Sleeve has had at least three different locations in Wausau, and evidently still exists.
Also, it should be noted that Mr. Sleeve heroically steered me away from the SELF PORTRAIT album and to BLOOD ON THE TRACKS when I bought my first Bob Dylan vinyl.
This would be far from the last time Mr. Sleeve would help shape my musical tastes (see above).
Roth had three stints with Van Halen: 1974-86, 1996, and from 2006 to 2020 (when they disbanded).
But, as I said, morbidly fascinating. I’m seriously considering reading the new tome about his very odd life, DLR Book: How David Lee Roth Changed the World.
Thanks John. As always love your story telling turning the way back machine to 1978. I was a junior in high school, a little older than you, and still recall the music of Van Halen pleasantly filling my head with crisp, tight, masterful blends of musicianship, vocals, and cool lyrics. I'm eager also to read Alex's story. Look forward to learning more about your David Lee Roth perspectives! I also just learned that Dave Lee Roth invited Alex and Ed's dad to play the clarinet on the song....'Big Bad Bill' from 'Diver Down.'