(Crossposting to both VH & Rush subs) My two favorite bands are Rush and VH. The fanbases overlap a lot. Back in the day it was not uncommon to see a lot of fans wearing T-shirts of one band at the concert of the other.
Both guitarists were in power trio settings, but their approach to chords was slightly different.
Ed was known for using 3-note chords straight across the DGB strings. The best example is "Running with the Devil"
Alex was known for using a movable barre chord with the BE strings open, example: Spirit of Radio.
(In other words, Ed used smaller chords, Alex used bigger chords)
Also, to further flesh out the sound... Ed tended to use more gain/overdrive than Alex.... whereas Alex tended to use more chorus than Ed.
Anyone have any thoughts they'd like to add?
Which song is your favourite for drums, mine would be hot for teacher but I'm interested in knowing yours.
Alex Van Halen
(May 8, 1953-)
While people tended to be most enraptured by Eddie Van Halenβs innovative guitar work and musicianship, right there with him was brother Alex behind the drums, pounding away and propelling Eddie at all times.
Born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands to jazz musician Jan Van Halen and wife Eugenia, Alex and Eddie grew up together in their native Netherlands before moving to the Pasadena, California in America when Alex was 9 and Eddie 7. Both classically trained on piano as kids, Alex began his journey on guitar and Eddie on drums before Alex began practicing on Eddieβs kit and mastering βWipe Outβ, resulting in Eddie deciding to switch to guitar. I hear that turned out okay for Eddie.
The two soon began playing together in a variety of bands all through their school years before graduating, with Alex briefly attending Pasadena City College to study music theory and composition. There, he would meet David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony, before he and Eddie started another band called Mammoth with Mark Stone on bass and Eddie on lead vocals as well as guitar. The band showed promise and were certainly great players, yet there was still that certain something missing, that little extra spice to kick it up a notch. Well, Dave would soon end up renting out amps to Mammoth, and found his way behind the mic. And then Stone would soon depart from the band and be replaced by Michael Anthony, and the Mighty Van Halen was born.
At a time when people said Metal was dead, hard rock was dead, there was Van Halen to revitalize it and give it new life. And it wasnβt any old hard rock, it was BIG ROCK. Big in hooks, in sound, in power, in showmanship, and in vibrancy. It rocked hard, it felt good, and packed so much in so little time. It was a style that many attempted and few came close to capturing, and so much of that is thanks to Alex. His drumming had the power of a heavy metal drummer, yet it danced and swung in a way that so few heavy metal drummers do, and not once was either side compromised. Every time you hear Alex, you know right away itβs him, his feel and his tone like no other.
Being brothers, Alex and Eddie had a chemistry that was immense and untouchable. The synergy they had was something that went beyond being a good listener, it was innate. And even if it may not have been what Eddie initially wanted or intended, Alex always gave Eddie what he needed. They could certainly butt heads as brothers do, but push one of them arou
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(Crossposting to both VH & Rush subs) My two favorite bands are Rush and VH. The fanbases overlap a lot. Back in the day it was not uncommon to see a lot of fans wearing T-shirts of one band at the concert of the other.
Both guitarists were in power trio settings, but their approach to chords was slightly different.
Ed was known for using 3-note chords straight across the DGB strings. The best example is "Running with the Devil"
Alex was known for using a movable barre chord with the BE strings open, example: Spirit of Radio.
(In other words, Ed used smaller chords, Alex used bigger chords)
Also, to further flesh out the sound... Ed tended to use more gain/overdrive than Alex.... whereas Alex tended to use more chorus than Ed.
Anyone have any thoughts they'd like to add?
