Over the years, much has been said about Eddie Van Halen's proficiency with the ax. Some say he is the reincarnation of Hendrix, some say he's better than Hendrix, some say he's the best thing since Hendrix, and some invariably say he's nowhere near as good as Hendrix. Whatever position one holds, there is a common point for agreement - Eddie Van Halen is an innovator. And like Jimi, many a teenager idolized him and wanted to follow in his footsteps. And I was one of those teenagers. Take the debut album from Van Halen, the self-titled, Van Halen, or Van Halen I as it sometimes referred to as. It introduced young boys to two things - the need to make a fool of yourself as you twirl your arm around and around playing air guitar, with the windows wide open for the neighbors to see, and premature arthritis. The legendary guitar solo "Eruption" had the same inspiring influence on young minds as professional wrestling; the difference being that Eruption didn't kill or maim its imitators. Nor did it attract lawsuits like Ozzy Osbourne's "Suicide Solution" supposedly did.
But air guitar solos aside, the rest of the album shows that it isn't just a record filled with songs wannabe guitar heroes can show off to. "Running With the Devil", the Kinks' classic "You Really Got Me", and the random and quirky "Ice Cream Man" make this the quintessential rock/pop metal album. My personal favorite, the very metallic, "I'm the One." A
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