4 Classics From Van Halen’s “Van Hagar” Era

If you want to kick a hornet’s nest in Van Halen corners of the internet, weigh in on the Sammy Hagar vs. David Lee Roth debates. This isn’t that type of discussion, but if you seriously thought Hagar was ever going to top “Panama”, well… But Hagar wrote many top jams with Van Halen, and the list below looks at some classic moments from the “Van Hagar” era.

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“Summer Nights”

Eddie Van Halen continued to innovate during Hagar’s run with the band. On “Summer Nights”, he played a Steinberger guitar, which gave him the ability to transpose the song’s key on the fly. It opens with Eddie’s blissful arpeggios before he manipulates the guitar’s technology to shift the key he’s playing in. The riff sounds like an apex predator one minute, yet immediately changes course into gushing cascades of notes. Without getting into the technical details, the Steinberger guitar allowed Eddie to use the tremolo system like one would use a capo. Meanwhile, Hagar sings a summery pop hook atop the guitar mastery.

“Love Walks In”

The world’s greatest rock guitar player surprised everyone when he delivered his band’s biggest song, “Jump”. A Van Halen hit wasn’t shocking in 1984. But a Van Halen keyboard hit was. Eddie continued his new wave curiosity on 5150. “Love Walks In” opens with a beautiful synth riff and foreshadows Hagar’s earnest hook. This is the kind of song the band could never have recorded with David Lee Roth. You might think that’s a good thing. However, “Love Walks In” remains a Van Halen classic.

“When It’s Love”

Another love song played on a synthesizer. Van Halen’s keyboard tracks often layer in Eddie’s guitars, but leave plenty of space for his brother Alex’s drumming. Alex gets understandably overshadowed by Eddie’s two-handed tapping, but he also plays his instrument unlike anyone else. The drumming here saves “When It’s Love” from falling victim to its schmaltzy vibe. Which, for some, might be too much. Especially with the glossy keyboards and layered “Na, na, na” backing vocals. But the chorus highlights the band’s secret weapon: Michael Anthony’s voice.

“Runaround”

Unlike other Los Angeles hard rock bands, Van Halen wasn’t losing commercial steam in the 90s against the rise of alternative rock. They didn’t chase trends and continued just being … Van Halen. This banger appears on For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, and you probably don’t need me to show you the acronym of its title. The album opens with “Pound Cake”, which Eddie begins with a power tool. But “Runaround” also features a breakdown spoken word bit, similar to “Panama”. It’s tough to match Roth’s rock talk, but it gives Eddie a moment to turn down the volume so you can hear the programmed bass synth below the groove.

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