Van Halen

The technique in question was *tapping*, that two-handed movement on the fretboard that Eddie Van Halen popularized until it became his signature. During recording, the guitarist used this resource in his solos, but what ended up drawing attention was Eruption, a track that wasn’t even planned in the original tracklist. According to Ted Templeman, Eddie played it as warm-up before sessions, and the producer, upon hearing it, insisted on recording it. The result is a 90-second solo that, decades later, remains a must-listen for any guitarist wanting to understand how innovative sound is built. To promote the album, Eddie even played the solos with his back to the audience, as if the trick of his fingers was a sleight of hand only he could see.

Beyond Eruption, the album includes covers that are not mere replications: You Really Got Me, by The Kinks, sounds here with a faster rhythm and a solo that gives it an unexpected twist. Also notable are Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love and Runnin’ With the Devil, tracks that, along with the rest of the album, ended up influencing bands that would come later, such as Mötley Crüe or Kix. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at position 415 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and in 2006, You Really Got Me appeared in the video game Guitar Hero II, as a nod to its legacy. The cover, by the way, was shot on the stage of the Whisky a Go Go, that Los Angeles venue where the band used to play before recording.