And the cradle will rock

When professional athletes reach a certain age, they acknowledge (even if somewhat begrudgingly) that they are past their prime and that it is time to move on. Not so with aging rock stars – they just keep on going, prancing around like teenagers and wearing lipstick and eyeliner. There is nothing wrong with old musicians – in some genres age is actually an asset, adds an air of maturity and sophistication – but in rock n roll some of these old hags can be downright pathetic.

One rocker breaking this trend and aging gracefully is Eddie Van Halen. Check out this clip of Van Halen from back in the day:

You Really Got Me

Eddie was the man – young, long hair, thin – he had it all (true, Dave’s moves do look a little silly - but this was very cool back then).

Now look at this:

Eruption

Eddie is a middle-aged rocker now – but notice, he is not jumping around like a goofball – he is acting the part of a senior statesman of rock n roll, tastefully displaying his talents in a musical display of bravado. He is still the king on guitar and he is clearly still a virtuoso – and isn’t that just how it should be?

I think there are more then a few rockers out there who could learn a thing or two from Eddie – leave the theatrics for the youngsters.

August 21st, 2007 Heavy Metal