Classical Composer Reaction & Analysis to Mean Street (Van Halen) | The Daily Doug (Episode 491)

#vanhalen #meanstreet

In this episode of #thedailydoug, I'm diving into music from Van Halen. Of course, I'm a fan of this classic American Rock band, but Mean Street is one of their songs that I haven't yet heard, and I'm pleased to be listening to it today. I hope you enjoy!

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[xmetax]

"What is Eddie doing on the guitar?"
Pretty much describes what every other guitarist said when they first heard him.

[tjcoffey]

Ed’s tone on this song is monstrous and he plays the riff with such attitude.

[Wargasm]

Eddie’s rhythm is his best playing. Amazing. Yeah, he can do fretboard acrobatics. But his rhythm groove is undeniable. Beast

[Steve.Cutler]

Fair warning is my favorite VH album. Eddie really stretched his chops out on this record. All in their prime in the DLR era!

[floorticket]

Fair Warning has been my favorite Van Halen album for decades. It's so even and unified track to track it almost feels like a concept album. There's a seriousness about it. "Hear About it Later" from said album is probably my favorite VH song of their entire catalog.

[Gregor]

This is my very favorite Van Halen album, really heavy. The playing and singing on this one are next-level from all four guys.

[robthebear]

This song is a master class in right hand technique. The intro is stuff that may have been influenced by bass slapping but had never been done the way Eddie does it. Pinch harmonics, palm muting, whammy bar, etc - this is one of the more technical VH songs, especially for the right hand. Also the dynamics between stuff that no one had ever heard vs. the standard boogie. Space age is set in tension against the past. This is Eddie's playground.

[slvbarros]

Playing VH opens your mind and expands your understanding of music, harmony, technique and creativity. Eddie's legacy of building lines, phrases and guitar riffs is even more impressive than his unrivaled solos. And it still has the dense and unique drumming of AVH, the precise bass and backing vocals of Michael Anthony and the incomparable David Lee Roth.

[Gregor]

Michael Anthony's bass is amazing to me in this, always the right fill, climb, or run-down in the right spot.

[kentmains]

A band at the absolute height of their power.

[marklynch]

This is their best DLR song in my opinion. It just has balls.

[stevemd]

You got a great ear Doug, they tuned down a half step so A flat is played like the guitar is in standard tuning, ie he doesn't play an A flat he plays an A. This was a common musical device back then, easier on the vocalist and made the sound a little heavier especially live.

[Lempersbram]

Can’t beat Eddie’s tone on this tune.
As powerful as it was 41 years ago.

[sledzeppelin]

Crank the volume when songs fade out and you'll often hear some really interesting little treats.

[Hazardteam]

05:35 The PERFECT solo. Ever. In the known history 08:28 He' literally _strikes_ the guitar strings at specific points with the tip of his finger. Sometimes, the strings don't even touch the frets, while at other times, he deliberately strikes them at certain frets in other places, and combines these hits into melodies. He also does things like 'sliding down' (or actually, up in pitch, but sometimes he varies it backwards, so it's more like 'deepening') the sounds with his other hand by grasping the guitar neck, but sometimes he only does this on certain strings or their variations, creating a sliding effect up and down while simultaneously doing the aforementioned plucking. He developed these techniques himself, as well as many others. He revolutionized modern rock guitar playing. Without him, there wouldn't be, for example, Metallica - or at least, not as we know it. That's just one example, but his influence can be heard in almost every modern genre outside of jazz, even if people aren't generally aware of it.

[jackfetter]

The groove on this song is undeniable! No one has the tone that EVH produced, even in the old days, his sound is unmistakable...

[gtrsean]

Yes, EVH was an amazing rhythm player that could swing. The Fair Warning tour was my first VH concert. July '81. My aunt Julie treated me for my 15th B-day. I'd been playing guitar for two years at that time. EVH was one of my heroes.
Saw the following Diver Down tour in the fall of '82. Then lastly with Sammy for the OU812 tour in '88. Fair Warning is my fav VH album. 🤘

[jimtatro]

Every song on the first 4 VH albums are incredible

[realdocloco]

This is my favorite Van Halen album. They really pushed their boundaries here.

[joebrumfield]

This is their best. Doesn't feel like a producer made it... the band did this.