  I've posted this on the VHSTRUNGOUT board,  but it's too good not to hit in the blog for permanent record.  Everyone's complaining about Eddie Van Halen losing the " classic"  sound,  and they're complainign worse about the new Van Halen songs.
Here's my response IMHO,  This is a thread I've thought long and hard on responding to.  The point remains,  there never WILL be another Eddie Van Halen.  Can people imitate him?  Yes.
 I've sat here for the past week,  every nite,  for hours,  listening to lazertronic work out pieces of Van Halen songs that nobody else i've ever heard ( and I've heard a LOT of guitar players)  could ever figure out.
 Is he good?  Yeah.  Hell Yeah.  Is he Eddie Van Halen.  No.  I tell you this for a reason (
it will work out in a second)  The statement someone made on here works both ways.  Two unique things define Eddie Van Halen.  The first is the fact that he could,  in fact,  pick up ANY guitar,
 plug it into ANY combination of ANY rigs,  adjust two knobs,  and SOUND like Eddie Van Halen.  The " sound"  is Eddie.
 On the flipside,  as good as Jon ( Lazertronic)  is,  if we picked him up,  transplanted him to 5150,
 in front of Eddie's rig,  with Eddie's guitar in his hands,  playing eddie's lick,  as good or better than anyone else,  it wouldn't be eddie van halen Again.  The "
sound"  is pure eddie"  The fact that even a great guitar player like Jon couldn't replicate ( imitate,  yes,  replicate no)
 the sound is the other " defining"  characteristic of " eddie"  And I'm not by ANY means putting Jon Down.  I've seen a lot of Van Halen covers,
 and tributes,  and he's by far the best guitar player I've seen of any of them that supposedly do it,  professionally,  but my point is,  regardless of the rig,  regardless of the guitar,
 regardless of the " sound"  some people think he's trying to get away from,  it's STILL EDDIE,  and that's what we need to appreciate folks,  that a man that could've died is back there playing music again.
 That a man that has enough money in his pocket to have walked away from this business 20 years ago,  is still doing it,  and is still doing it for the fans.  He's not doing it for the money,  and damned be sure ( someone's got a doctor wife on one of these threads to confirm it)
 he's NOT doing it for his health.  It's all for us,  and people are spending FAR too much time analyzing and criticizing the music he IS making instead of enjoying the music for what it is. VAN FUCKIN HALEN!  People can say they don't like the new track.  I disagree.
 Does it sound like " classic"  van halen?  Not ENTIRELY.  BUT.  Does it sound like the direction the band was headed in when they left off with "
Humans Being"  Yes.  It's just the progression of time,  and this is a band that said they " Picked up where they left off"  and having said that,
 I think the song represents that.  Personally,  I think the sound is very MUCH there,  you just have to listen for it.  All most of us are hearing is the tone of the first six chords that relays throught the entire song. listen to the "
music"  beneath it.  It's there.  I promise you.  Let's leave the note- by-
note analysis of the Van Halen songs to Eddie,  and let's all,  as fans,  not as people on a message board,  not as web designers,  not as bootleggers,
 not as Sammy's " RedHeads"  or Roth's " army"  or the " mad mikey"
 fan club. not of any anything but fans,  sit back,  pop open a cold one,  relax,  and enjoy this while it lasts,
 because we never know when the opportunity for us to see him,  hear him,  or admire him may not be there,  and when we're talking TRUE musicians,  TRUE men among men,  Like we are Eddie.
that's what we need to appreciate.  Don't Hate. Appreciate.  There.  I'm off my soap box,  out of breath,
 tired,  and going to bed.  Nite all!
