The first is still the best.

It was either Ummmm. Late 1977.. Or early 1978?.. My brother and me were sitting in his garage listening to Jimi, trying to bang out a piss poor version of Red House on one of my old $10 acoustic guitars that I bought at a yard sale- (Yeah we thought we were cool) - after several attempts we’d concluded that if either of us were ever going to play as good as Jimi Hendrix, one of us was going to have to grow more fingers. So we begrudgingly turned off the stereo when in walks my brothers wife’s younger brother Tim. Long hair flopping in the breeze, jeans ripped at both knees wearing a “Up Yours” tee shirt and wreaking of freshly smoked doobage. Sitting on his shoulders was the biggest boom box that I had ever seen, and from which came a sound of the like that I had never heard before or since, below I shall attempt to reconstruct the entire conversation as it unfolded.
Me: “Whatcha listening to Tim?”
Tim: “ it’s a new band.”
Me: “A what?”
He turned up the volume and both my brother and me leaned forward to give it a better listen.



He looked at me and I looked back at him and we both looked at Tim and then the boom box.
My brother and me: “Who is that?”
Tim: “I tol ya.. it’s a new band.”
Just me now: “Tim you already said that.. What is the new bands name?”
Tim now smiling: “which new band?”
Must have been the doobage.
Both of us again: “The new band you’re listening too!”
Long story short, after much coaxing and me threatening to wrap my $10 Guitar around his skull if he didn’t tell us the name of the new band. Tim finally Gave up a name; “Van Halen”
While I never became a HUGE fan, of theirs I always did have a huge amount of respect for Van Halen’s contributions to the industry. And while the first few albums kicked ass, they have long since began spiraling out of control. And it was a dive that I personally believe that they have never recovered from. Shame too. The original band was loaded. Now it has become a sad excuse for a Rock & Roll Soap opera. Eddie, Alex and mike HATE Dave.. Dave leaves.. Eddie Hires Sammy.. Eddie Hates Sammy.. Sammy Leaves and Mike goes with him.. meanwhile.. Sammy and Mike team up with Joe Satriani to form the new band Chickenfoot. Thanks, but I’ll stick with the original.



~Chickenfoot?.. No foolin?~