Quote:
Originally Posted by ribbons
I definitely see what you see in Eddie there, Erica. He makes many adorable faces in that video!  Eddie’s solo is great (and technically awe-inspiring) in service of that song. As for his playing keyboards, I read on Wikipedia that he is actually a classically trained pianist. I never knew that. The “Jump” song and video and the 1984 album was HUGE at the time. I have a vivid memory of a late night at the beach with friends around a fire -- with 1984 playing on a portable cassette player. On the way home, my friend who was driving kept blasting “Panama” in the car cassette player and singing at the top of his lungs. Even though we all complained at the time that he kept playing the song over and over and we sort of had a disdainful attitude about it, I still think of hot winds coming in through the windows and the highway lines racing along whenever I hear that song…and it’s a nice memory. |
Your memories are lovely. Thank you for sharing them, Liz.
I'd much rather have your highway memory than mine! My main memory of watching highway lines racing was when I was in a friend's car in Nebraska at night after we apparently ran over a recently road-killed (unfortunately) skunk causing the car to fill up with the skunk stench. After that, we were all staring at the road because we were afraid of hitting skunks, and so I remember the midline stripes racing by on the road where it was lit by the headlights. I will try to wipe this memory from my mind and replace it with yours.
I never liked the song "Panama" much either. Too simple and blunt, somehow, and nonsensical. I just watched the video! The band certainly liked goofing around. I chuckled the most when David Lee Roth ran across stage while twirling ribbons behind him as in rhythmic gymnastics, which I've often thought of as a sort of lesser form of gymnastics...nothing against
ribbons, of course!
Gymnast doing Rhythmic Gymnastics in a competition:
David Lee Roth doing Rhythmic Gymnastics in "Panama":
Observe how at 3:11 he gallops across the stage while making a lovely ribbon spiral behind him
Quote:
Originally Posted by ribbons
Guitar envy, yes! He’s even got the Jimmy Page double-necked Gibson there. I’ll bet you looked so cute in those ‘80s pants (I forget now what they were called!). I was permanently attached to a pair of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans in the ‘80s. 
Well, I know you’re enamored of Alex’s mega-drums but your kit isn’t “meager”! It suits your purposes well – it’s not as though you need to play over a loud ‘n’ heavy rock band at full throttle. Many of the world’s greatest and most musical drummers have played on minimal kits.
Wishing you sweet dreams again, Erica…with visions of shirtless Eddie, cute ‘n’ hot Eddie, and very, very yellow Eddie (ha!) for extra sweetenin's! |
Ooo! You recognized that the double-necked guitar was a Jimmy Page Gibson right away!
I remember Gloria Vanderbilt jeans! I never had any designer jeans, but I remember my favorite pair of jeans in Junior High was lavender with white pinstripes. One time the hottest boy in school while passing by me said disdainfully, "Lavender??" and I replied, "Yeah. Lavender."
Good point about the drums. I'd have no space for a bigger set, anyway, even if I wanted one. Right now I manage to fit my drums, keyboard, computer, one guitar (soon to be 2!), electric bass, desk, two bookshelves, ~ 7 microphones and stands, two amplifiers, and a computer chair and a stool (for seated guitar or keyboard playing) all in a 12 ft x 5 1/2 ft space between a wall and a stairwell railing!
Getting to the computer is like climbing into the cockpit of an airplane made of instruments!
As for
Eddie Van Halen, I didn't know he was trained as a classical pianist! I am impressed, but I really do just get a little brother vibe about him, which is probably why I think of him as a puppy. See, here is Eddie's adorable terrier twin, playing with...an adorable boar.
If Eddie Van Halen were a Dog:
