10 Songs That Actually Got Better Live
7. Eruption - Van Halen
Most guitarists can only dream of reaching the amount of technical finesse that Eddie Van Halen achieved on "Eruption." Coming as the second on the band's debut album, the entire solo packs in tapping, tremolo picking, and every other jaw-dropping guitar technique you can think of in under 2 minutes. However, if you know anything about Van Halen, you know that is just the tip of the iceberg.
While it's relegated to just a few minutes on the studio version, "Eruption" turns the entire band into a one-man show for a couple of minutes. With the spotlight on him, Eddie tears through every lick he knows, sprinkling in little melodic pieces that would take most mortals lifetimes to actually piece together. In between the more intricate pieces, Eddie also finds time to add in some of his other instrumental passages in tandem with his "Eruption" solo, from the subtle sounds of "Cathedral" to the Spanish guitar flourishes from "Little Guitars."
After years of rewriting the book on rock guitar, it turns out Eddie himself actually prefers the live versions of his solos, going so far as to claim he fouled up the original recording of "Eruption." Eddie's first guitar showcase deserves its place in the musical heavens, but what he is still able to do in front of an audience is a divine level of musicianship.