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An unusual 13 bar solo within the fastest boogie ever written by EVH. In my mind, I still see him in the video from the early days of MTV, playing the solo in the library walking on the top of the tables.
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Hot For Teacher
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Spawning from a warm-up in the studio, this solo changed the landscape of heavy guitar forever. While other guitarists had tinkered with two-hand tapping before this solo, none had ever made a guitar sound like this.
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Eruption
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Proving that he didn't need a 100-watt modified Marshall and a homemade guitar to rip through a solo, this acoustic piece reveals the absolute mastery of his fretwork and makes a statement - "It ain't the equipment, it is the man and his hands."
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Spanish Fly
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One of the greatest outros in rock history, EVH closes side one of the 1984 album with this meandering tour-de-force of guitar work featuring all of his bag of tricks. The tone and feel here are nothing short of amazing.
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Drop Dead Legs
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From the first album, by the time you get to this 5th song, you might wonder, what next? EVH shows he is the king of swing, as he constructs a boogie more solo than song. Somehow, the song and melody come through right down to a be-bop vocal breakdown. Very unique song with unreal and otherworldly guitar work.
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I'm the One
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From Van Halen II, if there was any doubt of a sophomore jinx, this song written in the club days dispels all doubt. In a word, the solo is blazin'. So much so, that at the end of the solo, the rest of the band applauds.
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Somebody Get me a Doctor
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From Women and Children First, EVH makes the guitar take on a primal sound as he manages animalistic noises from the instrument over a tribal drumbeat from his brother. This song was reintroduced in a claymation hamburger scene from the movie - "Better Off Dead."
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Everybody Wants Some
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The band held off keyboard tunes for a long time, although not entirely true - there are keyboards on the 3rd and 4th albums, but there is no denying this song and its popularity. The solo is as well constructed as any EVH ever wrote as he jumps from C to B-flat for the guitar, and then he backs it up with a keyboard solo loaded with triads. EVH is not a one trick pony.
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Jump
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On Diver Down, EVH took a 61' strat and using chorus and delay, he hammered all the notes with his left hand while using his right hand to continuously turn the volume knob up and down never touching the strings. The piece was done in 2 takes and the volume knob froze at the end of the 2nd take due to the heat generated from turning it up and down.
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Cathedral
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From Fair Warning, this song title asks a question, and the solo is actually 4 solos that EVH used together. The tone on this one is a little cleaner, and the solo is more feel than flash as it perfectly fits a song that is both whimsical and dark, characteristic of this album.
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So, This is Love?
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Also, on Fair Warning, EVH bows to DLR's push for this song and it's reggae like vibe. EVH was listening to a lot of Allan Holdsworth and that influence is definite on this incredible solo. One of the few songs the band NEVER played live, this solo shows a more jazz-fusion side of EVH.
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Push Comes to Shove
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Solos during the Van Hagar era took on a much more polished and melodic feel. This keyboard tune from 5150, is one of the best examples of the change while more polished, the solo doesn't lose its sonic brilliance. EVH was growing into broader aspects of playing.
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Dreams
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Recorded at a time when Hagar and the band were at odds, this heavy song for a movie would be their last together before a brief reunion in 2004. The solo kicks off as a stellar 8 bar segment loaded with tapping, whammy bar dives, and harmonics before resolving into an awesome octave sliding police siren section. Near the end, EVH plays it verbatim again, why? Because - he can.
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Humans Being
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As DLR returned for 2012's A Different Kind of Truth, the second track stands out, and the solo matches perfectly the rushing train in the video. EVH allowed his son Wolfgang to construct the chording for the solo, and this pushed EVH, as he states that he had to work out the solo to make it work over what he called unusual chord progressions. The result - a solo masterpiece.
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She's the Woman
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Also, from a Different Kind of Truth, this song is as heavy as any from the past with a classic Alex Van Halen bass shuffle. The solo is unbridled, blazin' fast, synched with the bass in places, and then comes the outro! EVH never lost a step, this song proves it as DLR says in the song, "It's all happening downtown."
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Chinatown
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