Eddie Van Halen doesn’t seem to make mistakes in the studio very frequently. Half the time, it seemed as though the magic was channelled from his brain to his hands, and the occasional misplayed note was merely a minor annoyance in comparison to the iconic licks he composed. Like the rest of us, Eddie was still only human, and as Van Halen’s career came to an end, he put his limits to the test live while recording the song “Learning to See.”
The majority of fans would count themselves fortunate if they had heard any new music from the group in the ensuing years during the final ten years of their existence. Though there had been occasional rumours of new music, the band didn’t reunite to record a new album with David Lee Roth on A Different Kind of Truth until 2012, when Michael Anthony was no longer with them.
However, Van Halen always has two sides to him. The band limited their greatest hits from the Sammy Hagar era to the album “The Best of Both Worlds.” The best-of collection included three brand-new songs for fans to enjoy in addition to being one of Anthony’s final Van Halen-related endeavours.
A hard rocking experience may not be implied by a song like “Up For Breakfast.” However, “Learning to See” is more in line with Eddie’s recent work. He uses his skill to create guitar layers instead of just showboating.
That is not to say that he was getting any easier at playing. Eddie said that “Learning to See” was the hardest song he had to perform every night. He told Brad Tolsinki, “I have to replicate with one guitar what took six guitars to record.” To get it as close as possible, I have to make ten effects adjustments to the song. And most of the time, I come pretty damn close.
It’s a real effect that comes through when you listen to the song on headphones. If there was one thing Eddie had learned from his years behind the boards, it was how to make the stereo image as big as he wanted. This mix features brief guitar snippets that vanish instantly. It is so good that it would make Brian Wilson blush when compared to any other band.
Even though there was a creative spark, this was also one of Eddie’s worst times. The guitar icon had been going through a bit of a wilderness phase where he wasn’t taking care of himself. This resulted in many of the sessions getting delayed. He would labor over different parts for hours on end until he deemed them finished. This was in addition to getting the old group back together.
Even though “Learning to See” seems like it was put together by a studio madman, the song is captivating the entire way through. Eddie created a guitar orchestra when he played this piece. The fact that he managed to make it sound halfway decent live is a work of genius. Most people could learn every piece of the musical puzzle and manage it okay.
