Van Halen 1984 documentary thread

[DFVH5150]

I got my copy in 1989. Bought it from some dude in Canada. Maybe it was a classified ad in a magazine or something. I'll never forget when I got it. I had never seen professionally shot VH except for the few music videos we all saw.

Romeo Delight was my favorite song at the time. I couldn't believe they opened with it. It was magical. My friends and I probably watched it a couple hundred times.

Mine was at a downtown Pittsburgh record store in '93. Didn't even know such things existed and shit my pants there right in the store.

[thechefs2003]

Thanks for all the time and effort you put in to it! Very well done sir!

[Hangman]

Just watched Episode 1 and 2. Very intertaining. Those 40 minutes felt like 5. Just flew by. Great job! Can't wait for episode 3.

[smithtone]

Alan - thank you! Thoroughly enjoyed these first two episodes and can’t wait for the next ones! Am I the only one who had no idea there was a keyboard part in So This Is Love? That blew my mind! I was 14 when Fair Warning came out and I must have listened to that song 100,000 times and never heard them. Very subtle-

[I Coulda Hada VH]

Ep2 of my Van Halen documentary is now available. Watch it before it gets taken down.

In 4 days, this show will be 40 years old. Where have all the good times gone?

Fantastic job on episodes 1 and 2, Alan!

[Bugs Meanie]

Enjoying the hell out of this. The half-assed books & docs over the years about Van Halen where I have learned nothing have jaded me. I figured this would be another one. I almost didn't even want to watch this, even for free. I'm glad I did. Alan proved me wrong.

Alan has provided excellent content. I learned a lot and completely appreciate the "receipts" he provided for his pursuit of material that isn't widely known.

Alan, please don't stop at 1984

[Brett]

Hopefully the annoying Van Halen Machine doesn’t force Alan to take any of it down. Because it’s extremely well done and very informative. And by far the best documentary I’ve seen from that era of the band.

[CaboChris]

Just saw the first episode. That was exceptional.

If only they realized just how passionate VH fans are....

[Sam Vs. Dave]

Oh, some good little humorous parts too with the cartoon speech bubbles and whatnot. Favorite so far is the mountain lion roaring to DLR's shriek. Good stuff!

[James in New York]

In 4 days, this show will be 40 years old. Where have all the good times gone?

Fantastic job on episodes 1 and 2, Alan!

Just watched part 2, excellent Alan!

Forty years, wow, Coulda! Amazing!!

[YankeeRose]

I just watched both parts of the documentary. The first part was my favorite. I enjoyed hearing about Ed, Vai & Frank Zappa jamming together in Frank's studio. Also how it led to Ed getting the idea to build 5150 Studio at his house. It was funny that Lindsay Wagner hated the loud noise so much from 5150, that Ed had to buy her place so she would stop complaining.

I am not a big fan of Van Halen's performance at the US Festival, mainly because Roth forgot so many words when he was drunk/high. . You should have added what Noel Monk said about it in his book. He wasn't a big fan of VH's performance. I did learn that David Bowie got paid the same as VH for it, that isn't talked about much.

I did find it funny that The Clash got on the nerves of the people that ran the US Festival so much with their whining and complaining, that they posted how much they got paid behind them as they were playing.

[Michaels]

FYI Here are the episode titles that will kind of give you an idea. But I do go into substories in each episode.

EP1: Building 5150 Studios
EP2: The Road to the US Festival
EP3: The Making of the 1984 Album
Ep4: The 1984 Tour
EP5: Van Halen Breaks Up.

EP 6: Return of the Red Rocker ?

[I Coulda Hada VH]

EP 6: Return of the Red Rocker ?

Come on, Kari. Give us a break.

[Raldo]

Alan - thank you! Thoroughly enjoyed these first two episodes and can’t wait for the next ones! Am I the only one who had no idea there was a keyboard part in So This Is Love? That blew my mind! I was 14 when Fair Warning came out and I must have listened to that song 100,000 times and never heard them. Very subtle-

I had no idea either.

[Jedi McFly]

Loved both episodes - thanks so much for these Alan! Looking forward to the rest!