Brett Callwood
Van Halen
Van Halen (Warner Bros)
Dan Reed Gets in the Van: Portland funk rocker Dan Reed of the Dan Reed Network told us about his love for Van Halen’s debut.
(Warner Bros.)
Dan Reed: I’d have to say the most influential album for me would have to be Van Halen I. At the time this album came out I was focusing on wanting to be a trumpet player in my high school band. Practiced hours a day until my lips were bruised.
Then one day someone brought in VH1 and put the vinyl on the record player in band practice. That backwards airaid horn came on, descended into hell, and “Runnin’ with the Devil” blew the doors off the band hall, and my mind.
Hearing Eddie’s playing and David’s take no prisoners attitude and I was hooked for life. I literally packed up the trumpet the next day, ordered an electric guitar out of the Sears and Robuck’s catalogue and 6 weeks later the guitar arrived to the farm where I was raised, and so did my dreams of becoming a rock star.
I haven’t looked back since… and although there have been hundreds of musical masters who have influenced me along the way, I have Van Halen to thank for putting me on this trajectory.
Dan Reed Gets in the Van: The new Dan Reed Network single “Pretty Karma” is out now. The Let’s Hear it for the King album is out June 17.