New Tattoo

Call me mainstream, call me a sucker, call me a fanboy, but I really dig that new Van Halen song Tattoo.  Maybe it's because I'm in an LA mood and these kick-ass old school rockers smack of some local flavor.

Legendary guitarist, Eddie Van Halen, has the unique and profitable ability to combine musical virtuosity with catchy hooks along with infectious rhythms.  There may be an undeniable formula involved in their rock song alchemy, but it just seems to work so well every single time. 


Most hard rock bands fall into the common trap of shredding for the sake of shredding and completely miss the mark of musicality in their overly technical wank fests.  The concept of "serving the song" is not lost on EVH.  His recorded guitar parts, tasteful chord changes and solos are always well thought out and arranged to raise the interest of a section or increase the excitement of the moment.  He's groovy and flavorful, while periodically reminding the listener of how impossibly skilled he is with every last tap-tap-tap-wiedly.



When it comes to another element of the VH success story, I can only think of three words: David Lee Roth. He brings an increased level of pompousness and attitude, or what I like to call "pompitude" to his role as Van Halen frontman.  It ought to be noted that there is a distinct difference between "Lead Singer" and "Front Man."  I am a stickler when it comes to these terms as I consider a front man to be much more of a performer.


A frontman captivates audiences with his antics and generally carries the show with his personality. DLR fills this role perfectly as he is a complete jackass and the consumate showman.  Whereas a lead singer is generally in a band that carries them (i.e. Van Halen; Gary Cherone Era).

When it comes to DLR's vocals, he brings a campy playfulness to their songs while Eddie truly adds artistic depth to the music.  Think that's a stretch?  Listen to "Tattoo" a few more times and you'll hear that it goes beyond a superficial rock song about some Tramp Stamp Sally, but rather there is a blatant underlying self referential theme about Van Halen's ability to stick around.  These guys have such a long history with AND without each other, and are well aware that they are inextricably linked.

There is a dynamism and duality in the lyric vs the music in "Tattoo" which actually brings out a, dare I say it, significant range of emotion from pride, to humor, to nostalgia, to melancholia.

The music of Van Halen and their iconic imagery is etched in rock history. They remind us of this in the screaming pinched harmonics, blistering runs, swooshing dive bombs and half spoken jackassery in this latest tune in their 40 year old arselal of rock.