One time I overheard David seriously talking to my mum about dogs and all things domestic. Seemed weird, considering Alex was having a drink-off with one of our guys at the same time.
—Phil Collen
Van Halen is American Rock ‘n’ Roll. When we were in Hollywood cutting our second album in 1983, I ran into David Lee Roth at the Troubadour, surrounded by a bevy of slammin’ babes and holding court like the star that he is. “Someday …” I thought. “Someday that will be us.” Van Halen gave all of us something to strive for: the pure sonic rock that they defined. And the babe thing wasn’t bad either.
—Jack Blades
The year was 1983 and the VH boys were scheduled to headline a three-day festival in Devore, California, called the US Festival. This concert was the BIGGEST / BADDEST rock ‘n’ roll show to be put on since Woodstock, and to show their power and dominance the VH boys came up with the brilliant idea to replicate the photograph of the marines at Iwo Jima raising the American flag after they conquered the Japanese.
We originally set out to do the photo about seven blocks from my studio in Hollywood, alongside of the 101 freeway in the side of a hill by the John Anson Ford Theater, and shot about two rolls of film. The problem was that when we looked at the Polaroids, we thought that the camouflage uniforms blended too much into the side of the mountain, so we had to find another location. We finally ended up on Forest Lawn Drive, right across from the Forest Lawn Mortuary and Mount Sinai Mortuary, next to the 134 freeway, and I took a very low angle with my camera so there would be nothing but sky behind them. We shot about two rolls of film and we nailed the picture perfectly!!!!!
—Neil Zlozower
In 1983 at the US Festival I watched what I thought at the time was the greatest rock band in the world. Van Halen. There wasn’t anything they did that didn’t make my jaw drop during their whole set. This was a real turning point in my view as a manager.
—Doc McGhee
The first time I heard “Eruption” I thought, “I HAVE to learn that!” Eddie was a HUGE influence on me and my playing. Of course, I had to buy a Kramer guitar, use white and black tape, and make my own Eddie-style guitar. Every Van Halen song I hear takes me to a different place or brings up old memories. It doesn’t matter what mood you are in, throw in a Van Halen CD and it’s gonna make ya wanna go through a wall. For guitar players, it makes you wanna learn something new. Eddie started a huge guitar revolution.
—Nick Catanese
Van Halen’s first record was the first post-KISS-era band to really get me inspired. I felt like, “Hey, I can actually do that.” It opened my eyes to what a great rock band could really be because everyone in the band was killer in their own way and had their own cool vibe. In fact, they inspired me to move to Los Angeles in 1983, which would become the impetus for my professional music career. Incidentally, playing the “Runnin’ with the Devil” bass line early one morning from my apartment in Hollywood turned out to be an odd sort of audition for my next bass gig!
—David Ellefson
Last summer on tour, I got pulled up on Hatebreed’s bus to watch a Van Halen video. It pretty much changed my life. David Lee Roth forgot the words and still outperformed most modern frontmen. Eddie played like he knew he was gonna be fucking your girlfriend later that night. Needless to say, I was sold.
—Zacky Vengeance
I was David Lee Roth for Halloween a few years ago and I will be him again probably this year too. Why? Because he is my idol. Since I was about five years old, I’ve recognized him as the God of Hard Rock, and he will not be topped. He is the quintessential bleach-blond California macho ladies’ man who will tear it up onstage in pink assless chaps and show everyone how it’s done. Bar none, the tops.
—Allison Robertson
When the band first decided to shoot the video for “Jump,” there were a lot of scenes that were shot around Pasadena and Los Angeles that were supposed to be in the video. Then they went to a soundstage and shot the live performance footage. When the band looked at the performance footage, they thought it was SO STRONG that they decided to use the whole live shoot for the video, and then later used a lot of the L.A. and Pasadena footage for the “Panama” video.
—Neil Zlozower