Van Halen - Runnin' With The Devil (Official Music Video)

Legends are never forgotten. Keep rockin Eddie. 🤟

R.I.P. Eddie Van Halen. Heaven’s got another legendary guitarist/front man

For anyone who was 15 years old in 1978, when this album was released, you know the impact it made. Eddie's insane and different guitar left a lot of people not knowing what was going on. How was it possible to get those harmonics and that tapping technique? Eddie was an alien...R.I.P.

Can we recognize how funky Van Halen was? It was heavy metal, but the grooves are a MILE deep in the pocket, it had so much soul.

As a 16 year old guitarist who first heard Van Halen 1 in a friends basement in 1978, his death today marks the passing of the most influential guitar player in history. There were guitarists I liked more, but Eddie was a force of musical nature, like Mozart. You can’t know what it was like in 1978 unless you were there. The world was already full of hot shot guitar players as guitar solos were still popular and necessary in songs, if you can believe it. We were surrounded by solos. Out of an already elite atmosphere comes someone who reinvented the guitar, by borrowing, stealing and adding his own personality. This was no Berkeley grad snob with an ‘education’, but a natural innovator who could not even read music. We heard ‘eruption’ and could not even understand what we were hearing. Was it a guitar, a keyboard, voodoo magic? And this was right in the middle of disco! All the hot shots who came after: Steve Vai, satriani, malmsteen, would not have existed without VH. They added more speed and more technique, but none could match the sheer personality and songwriting chops of Eddie. I stress songwriting, and the ability to make a song memorable by the masses, not just guitar players. How many people (non guitarists) do you know that can tell you the title of one song from any of these other guitar players? VH not only wrote the most iconic hard rock riffs in history, his sense of melody and feel and tone were unmatched, and still are to this day. He is a once in a generation comet we will likely not see again. Van Halen, the band, through sheer force of talent, drive, their outsized personalities, influenced every rock band in the 80’s, creating a copycat machine of terrible bands and players who tried to be VH, or David Lee Roth, and failed. This stink of hair bands and ever accelerating , million notes a minute guitar players could only be erased by the arrival of Nirvana and grunge in 1992. Suddenly, guitar solos were passé, and I was glad to see the clone wankers go the way of the dinosaur. Today, most under 30’s don’t even know who Van Halen is or was. His music, his instrument, the guitar, and guitar solos, no longer fits in with what is cool. Real musicians with actual talent, the abilty to perform live, put on a show without backing tracks or silicone inflated buttocks, no longer matter in the “music” world. It’s now George Orwell’s 1984, with covid banning live music everywhere. You can read the book, but I’m going to listen to the last album by the original Van Halen.

Shit, here I go again, crying like a little girl over Eddies death and I’m a 54 year old man. You were the soundtrack to my youth Eddie. This world thanks you.

Im 65 and watching these old restored VH videos reminds me of how they were the mighty Van Halen from the debut album through fair warning.first saw them in '78 opening for sabbath...damn im old!!

Imagine hearing this for the first time on the radio when it was first released. That was me. It was like from another universe. The siren and bass intro. DLH’s screeching. Pounding drums. And an instant guitar god. Still gives me a rush, and I listen to this song all the time.

Did you know gene Simmons from kiss discovered van Halen in a club, he financed their first recording session back in 1977.eddievanHalen will be missed

Dave and Eddie: One of the greatest frontman/guitarist teams ever.

that first album is so powerful stands up to anything ever recorded period

August 1979. Freshman in College. Dorm mate down the hall blasted the shit out of this album. Transformative.

"I live my life like there's no tomorrow" , those opening lines right there ... RIP Van Halen

RIP Eddie. Stuck in another lockdown and here in 2021, we still miss you and your fantastic music. Keep on rocking 🤟🏻

Sitting in history class at a group table with a community tape player, listening to class lessons...when one student pulled out the school tape and put this VH in. We were 6th graders, mind blown. Life forever changed that day in Mr. Pennington class.

These rock concerts brought us all so much joy back in the day 😃😃

I just couldn't believe the news, hit me harder than I would have thought. RIP Eddie, Your music and influence on all guitar freaks will live on.

You were a God among men. Often imitated but never duplicated. Your music was and will remain a part of my life until I too meet my end. There are way too many memories to put down about what your music has meant to me over the course of my life. Tonight, I will have a drink and listen to your incredible talent and ability. RIP Eddie.... your heroes are waiting at the pearly gates \m/

I heard it so damned loud and 50 times in a row. Again and again. One of the best songs ever. I am 65 in April.....

My boyfriend used to say I was running with the devil we were 26 years he passed from COVID we both had it sick for 3 months this song reminds me of him I miss you babe