Hi Dweezil, I may have missed an update elsewhere on the site, but will the Andy Wood Balance episode be posted anytime soon? Really looking forward to Andy's comments on one of my favorite VH albums.
And as a quick follow up question: will you also create an episode for VHIII? I know it’s not a fan favorite and it is not perfect, but in my humble opinion it is very much underrated and I'd certainly be interested in a discussion!
I agree Rolf, I think VH III is an important album to talk about. IMO Gary was singing in the wrong register most of the time, the vocals on that album just didn't work. I think he is an excellent singer in the context of Extreme, but it didn't gel on VH III. But that said, Eddie poured his heart and soul into that record and his playing evolved once again. He played some really creative cool guitar all over that album. I think the way VH III was so poorly received sadly had a lot to do with Eddie not releasing any new music for so long afterwards.
Yes! I'm putting the little bits of frosting and finishing touches on the episode and I hope to have it posted soon. I do have a VH III episode planned with Blues Saraceno and James Santiago. It hasn't been recorded yet. We will go song by song though!
VHIII is the one I listen to the most. Reading Eddie's interviews in Guitar World from that period got me into the band. I hope "Once" gets the attention it deserves.
Van Halen fans often end up with preferences that relate to specific eras or even a preference for a single album. It is rare to hear a fan choose VHIII as their top choice! When I do the episode on VHIII I'd love to hear some specific questions you might have about the album. I'm going to be recording the episode in a week or so. Best, DZ
I also echo lots of Love for VH3. For me it is the 90's fair warning in that he was VERY experimental. Knowing that Alex was going through a divorce at the time and this is the album would have expected to hear as a solo album as I've heard Eddie played drums on some of the songs as well. Fire in the Hole is a great example as that song is over and EVH tears off into another riff at the end of it. His genius was his unpredictability and this album showcases it.
I would personally love an episode of the bonus tracks from both greatest hits albums.
Wow, Joe having to leave was a happy accident, in my opinion! Dweezil I’ve never heard you edit so tightly and succinctly to tell the story. This was really refreshing and I think you have a tremendously great opportunity to keep doing this, perhaps not with the Van Halen material (although I wouldn’t balk at the idea), but to have your editorial along with the audio examples right on point, I can’t think of a better way to give even more insight into Artistic greatness. And the speed and pacing it which you do it feels like a speed of thought as a listener, is much appreciated. You’re combining performance, production techniques, historical techniques and much more.
I’m sure you’re tired of hearing this, but thank you so much for doing this. Us Van Halen geeks are incredibly grateful for this podcast. You bring such a unique perspective describing each song.
I was wondering- will you eventually be discussing the tracks that were on the greatest hits records?
Dweezil, I have a question. I’ve noticed that you, Steve Vai and your father have all consistently used the name “Edward” instead of “Eddie” when referring to the man, when everyone else uses “Eddie”. I’ve always used his formal name, too, out of respect for him as a composer. I’m just curious if that the reason you three have as well, or is there another reason besides ‘because that is his name’? Thanks!
Thanks, Deeezil, this was well worth the wait! Fantastic analysis. I particularly like when you notice passages in Ed’s solos that were similarly used before in CVH. I’ve heard these songs a hundred times and never even noticed, myself.
I don’t have a bass six guitar yet, but my best guess is that Eddie used yet another one of his tuning offsets for the overdubbed bass six guitar sound both live AND on-record. This is why he sounded in-tune across the fingerboard. Tuning to straight chromatic pitch will guarantee problems. It wasn’t that Eddie was from outer-space and did things that we can’t do…he just used tuning offsets which are available for all of us to use!
Dweez makes a great observation on the “Runaround”/“Would I Lie To You” similarity…I hear it!
To the best of my understanding, it was Jerry Cantrell that got Eddie back into the wah-wah and it certainly is possible chronologically.
Thank you Dweezil, episode 16 was great. I really like the 'DVD commentary' style of you talking over the solos and song snippets, it worked out really well.
The song analysis is brilliant! such clear guidelines that are so helpful to my music research, thank you so much Dweezil and the mighty Van Halen, just inspiring and energizing stuff! F**k Yeah !!!
Another great episode Dweezil. Loved all the little bits you added to construct the album. Others might have just said, you get these songs but you gave us something on every song. Thank you!
If you listen from the player on the page from your bundle you should be able to hear the complete episode. If you own 5150 then would would listen from the 5150 page and same for the Right Here Right Now bundle owners, you'll need to listen from that player. If you own either bundle and still cannot hear the complete episode, make sure you are logged in. If you still can't hear the complete episode I'll help you get to bottom of it with support. Please try those things first.
While we're patiently waiting for part 2 of the Satch episode, I thought I'd contribute a fun bit of geeking out for the whole community here: I was just listening to the Jennifer Batten episode where she's talking about Panama and mentions the fun harmonic choices Eddie makes on that song that are "not normally in rock".
(disclaimer: next bit is written as fingered in Eb tuning, so the notes sound a half step lower than I'm calling out)
She talks about the FM7b5, which I love but there's more that Jennifer and Dweezil didn't touch on that I think is one of the coolest things: the chromatic walkup during the breakdown (starting at "She's blinding, I'm flying"...).
You'd think it's just chromatic power chords but no, instead he plays E5, F, D/F#, G, E/Ab, A5, and then--my favorite--a chord that sounds like a Bb6b5 (because he hits the E on the bottom) but (I think) is actually an inverted Gm6/E before he hits the B5 (V chord). vi-V-i, what a way to get back to E! What made him think of that?
@Dweezil--maybe a fun bit of geekery to explore in a future bonus episode?
I totally agree…the walk-up part is amazing and not at all what it appears on casual listening. The tuning is also one of the most unusual in the catalog which was never repeated again:
I’m of the opinion that Ed used the Frankenstein to record the ‘1984’ album version of “Panama” and I have lately begun to theorize that the condition of that guitar at the time of the recording might have led to this unusual (even for Ed) tuning offset.
The FRT-5 Floyd Rose bridge on it at the time was not installed in the proper position and regardless of what neck he was using, the intonation would have been off and extremely difficult if not impossible to adjust with any great accuracy as a result of the placement of the bridge. I think this is part of why the guitar was retired shortly after the recording of ‘1984’. Tom Anderson repaired the bridge placement on the Frankenstein in 1985 which would have likely made the guitar work much better intonation wise, but by that time Eddie was well into the Kramer endorsement and the 5150 Kramer became his new main guitar.
At any rate, I think the VERY whacky tuning offset on what was likely the Frankenstein on the ‘1984’ recording of “Panama” might very well have been at least partially a result of this botched FRT-5 bridge installation.
Allen, thanks for this! I tried this tuning and it sounds way more in tune than when I was tuned to A440 and then dropping to Eb standard using the Fractal's virtual capo. :-)
And if you have a Peterson Strobo HD series strobe tuner, you can download all of the Van Halen tuning offsets that I’ve found and notated directly to your tuner with ease!
Looking forward to hearing what else is coming with the rest of the RWTD series… I’ll admit it’s been frustrating having to wait for such a time but it’s more the fact these interviews have been so glorious that we all selfishly just want more.. it’s been an amazing insight with your own anecdotes as well as the other great guitarists that have been graced by his presence..
I get it but I'm not giving up! You'll soon see why things have been taking longer than expected. There's more to the story than just a long editing process.
Dweezil, this series is simply the best! I have already gotten so much out of your thoughtful discussion and analysis, and I look forward to everything you do in the future. This was money well spent for me even if you never release another ep—although I know you will! All the best. -JP
Hi Dweezil, I may have missed an update elsewhere on the site, but will the Andy Wood Balance episode be posted anytime soon? Really looking forward to Andy's comments on one of my favorite VH albums.
And as a quick follow up question: will you also create an episode for VHIII? I know it’s not a fan favorite and it is not perfect, but in my humble opinion it is very much underrated and I'd certainly be interested in a discussion!
I agree Rolf, I think VH III is an important album to talk about. IMO Gary was singing in the wrong register most of the time, the vocals on that album just didn't work. I think he is an excellent singer in the context of Extreme, but it didn't gel on VH III. But that said, Eddie poured his heart and soul into that record and his playing evolved once again. He played some really creative cool guitar all over that album. I think the way VH III was so poorly received sadly had a lot to do with Eddie not releasing any new music for so long afterwards.
Hi Rolf,
Yes! I'm putting the little bits of frosting and finishing touches on the episode and I hope to have it posted soon. I do have a VH III episode planned with Blues Saraceno and James Santiago. It hasn't been recorded yet. We will go song by song though!
VHIII is the one I listen to the most. Reading Eddie's interviews in Guitar World from that period got me into the band. I hope "Once" gets the attention it deserves.
Hi Matt,
Van Halen fans often end up with preferences that relate to specific eras or even a preference for a single album. It is rare to hear a fan choose VHIII as their top choice! When I do the episode on VHIII I'd love to hear some specific questions you might have about the album. I'm going to be recording the episode in a week or so. Best, DZ
I also echo lots of Love for VH3. For me it is the 90's fair warning in that he was VERY experimental. Knowing that Alex was going through a divorce at the time and this is the album would have expected to hear as a solo album as I've heard Eddie played drums on some of the songs as well. Fire in the Hole is a great example as that song is over and EVH tears off into another riff at the end of it. His genius was his unpredictability and this album showcases it.
I would personally love an episode of the bonus tracks from both greatest hits albums.
Wow, Joe having to leave was a happy accident, in my opinion! Dweezil I’ve never heard you edit so tightly and succinctly to tell the story. This was really refreshing and I think you have a tremendously great opportunity to keep doing this, perhaps not with the Van Halen material (although I wouldn’t balk at the idea), but to have your editorial along with the audio examples right on point, I can’t think of a better way to give even more insight into Artistic greatness. And the speed and pacing it which you do it feels like a speed of thought as a listener, is much appreciated. You’re combining performance, production techniques, historical techniques and much more.
Please consider this for future episodes.
I’m sure you’re tired of hearing this, but thank you so much for doing this. Us Van Halen geeks are incredibly grateful for this podcast. You bring such a unique perspective describing each song.
I was wondering- will you eventually be discussing the tracks that were on the greatest hits records?
Thanks, man!
Dweezil, I have a question. I’ve noticed that you, Steve Vai and your father have all consistently used the name “Edward” instead of “Eddie” when referring to the man, when everyone else uses “Eddie”. I’ve always used his formal name, too, out of respect for him as a composer. I’m just curious if that the reason you three have as well, or is there another reason besides ‘because that is his name’? Thanks!
Thanks, Deeezil, this was well worth the wait! Fantastic analysis. I particularly like when you notice passages in Ed’s solos that were similarly used before in CVH. I’ve heard these songs a hundred times and never even noticed, myself.
I don’t have a bass six guitar yet, but my best guess is that Eddie used yet another one of his tuning offsets for the overdubbed bass six guitar sound both live AND on-record. This is why he sounded in-tune across the fingerboard. Tuning to straight chromatic pitch will guarantee problems. It wasn’t that Eddie was from outer-space and did things that we can’t do…he just used tuning offsets which are available for all of us to use!
Dweez makes a great observation on the “Runaround”/“Would I Lie To You” similarity…I hear it!
To the best of my understanding, it was Jerry Cantrell that got Eddie back into the wah-wah and it certainly is possible chronologically.
Thank you Dweezil, episode 16 was great. I really like the 'DVD commentary' style of you talking over the solos and song snippets, it worked out really well.
Thanks Joe! I hadn't planned on doing that but Joe had another interview to do so I ended up doing that out of necessity. Glad you enjoyed it.
The song analysis is brilliant! such clear guidelines that are so helpful to my music research, thank you so much Dweezil and the mighty Van Halen, just inspiring and energizing stuff! F**k Yeah !!!
"Pat Boone, Debby Boone, Johnny Winter" LOL
Loving this episode. Pleasure Dome has always been my favourite song from this album, great to hear you dissect it Dweezil!
Thank you so much for this dweezil!!!
Another great episode Dweezil. Loved all the little bits you added to construct the album. Others might have just said, you get these songs but you gave us something on every song. Thank you!
When I first heard In and Out, I immediately thought “Eddie’s been listening to Satriani”!
Yea! thanks! it is here!
I agree with Dr. pooper. The latest Satriani episode is not 5150 bundle.
Fixing the issue right now!
See the new episode in the right here right now section but not here in 5150.
Just checked on the admin side and the file shows as processing. I'll keep an eye on it. I may need to re-upload it.
Hello Everyone, I just posted part 2 of Joe Satriani! So sorry for the delay in production. I hope you enjoy the episode.
Just got to hear the preview. Episode number 16 does not appear in my bundle order. The only option is buying it, but I've payed for it. Right?
If you listen from the player on the page from your bundle you should be able to hear the complete episode. If you own 5150 then would would listen from the 5150 page and same for the Right Here Right Now bundle owners, you'll need to listen from that player. If you own either bundle and still cannot hear the complete episode, make sure you are logged in. If you still can't hear the complete episode I'll help you get to bottom of it with support. Please try those things first.
While we're patiently waiting for part 2 of the Satch episode, I thought I'd contribute a fun bit of geeking out for the whole community here: I was just listening to the Jennifer Batten episode where she's talking about Panama and mentions the fun harmonic choices Eddie makes on that song that are "not normally in rock".
(disclaimer: next bit is written as fingered in Eb tuning, so the notes sound a half step lower than I'm calling out)
She talks about the FM7b5, which I love but there's more that Jennifer and Dweezil didn't touch on that I think is one of the coolest things: the chromatic walkup during the breakdown (starting at "She's blinding, I'm flying"...).
You'd think it's just chromatic power chords but no, instead he plays E5, F, D/F#, G, E/Ab, A5, and then--my favorite--a chord that sounds like a Bb6b5 (because he hits the E on the bottom) but (I think) is actually an inverted Gm6/E before he hits the B5 (V chord). vi-V-i, what a way to get back to E! What made him think of that?
@Dweezil--maybe a fun bit of geekery to explore in a future bonus episode?
I totally agree…the walk-up part is amazing and not at all what it appears on casual listening. The tuning is also one of the most unusual in the catalog which was never repeated again:
1st string: Eb +35.7 cents
2nd string: Bb +30.9 cents
3rd string: F# +28.6 cents
4th string: C# +39.0 cents
5th string: Ab +30.0 cents
6th string: Eb +29.7 cents
I’m of the opinion that Ed used the Frankenstein to record the ‘1984’ album version of “Panama” and I have lately begun to theorize that the condition of that guitar at the time of the recording might have led to this unusual (even for Ed) tuning offset.
The FRT-5 Floyd Rose bridge on it at the time was not installed in the proper position and regardless of what neck he was using, the intonation would have been off and extremely difficult if not impossible to adjust with any great accuracy as a result of the placement of the bridge. I think this is part of why the guitar was retired shortly after the recording of ‘1984’. Tom Anderson repaired the bridge placement on the Frankenstein in 1985 which would have likely made the guitar work much better intonation wise, but by that time Eddie was well into the Kramer endorsement and the 5150 Kramer became his new main guitar.
At any rate, I think the VERY whacky tuning offset on what was likely the Frankenstein on the ‘1984’ recording of “Panama” might very well have been at least partially a result of this botched FRT-5 bridge installation.
Allen, thanks for this! I tried this tuning and it sounds way more in tune than when I was tuned to A440 and then dropping to Eb standard using the Fractal's virtual capo. :-)
Thanks Benjamin, I’m glad the offset was useful…I’ve found it makes a huge difference. For more information on Eddie’s use of tuning offsets, please check out my forum thread on the subject here: https://www.vhlinks.com/vbforums/threads/62695-Van-Halen-tunings-with-Peterson-strobe-tuner-reference
And if you have a Peterson Strobo HD series strobe tuner, you can download all of the Van Halen tuning offsets that I’ve found and notated directly to your tuner with ease!
Looking forward to hearing what else is coming with the rest of the RWTD series… I’ll admit it’s been frustrating having to wait for such a time but it’s more the fact these interviews have been so glorious that we all selfishly just want more.. it’s been an amazing insight with your own anecdotes as well as the other great guitarists that have been graced by his presence..
I officially give up....lol
Hi John,
I get it but I'm not giving up! You'll soon see why things have been taking longer than expected. There's more to the story than just a long editing process.
Dweezil, this series is simply the best! I have already gotten so much out of your thoughtful discussion and analysis, and I look forward to everything you do in the future. This was money well spent for me even if you never release another ep—although I know you will! All the best. -JP