VAN HALEN NEWS DESK

Down covers Van Halen’s “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love”

September 13, 2009 41 Comments

Video footage of DOWN performing the VAN HALEN classic “Ain’t Talking About Love” Friday, September 11, at the Nokia Theatre in New York City:

Filed Under: Van Halen

Phil

I’m confused, it Down short for System of a down? Or is that the skedouche Anselmo that used to front for Pantera? Either way, not the greatest rendition, but nice of them to tackle it.
Dave from Tasmania

Could be just the audio but does that sound like they were all tuned down too far to anyone else here?
Jeff

pretty bad when he has to apologise at the end!!
Really shouldn’t attempt the song if they don’t even know the basic structure of it.
dlr

Sounds like they played it in a different key maybe to accomodate the vocal range???
MA=VH

Phil, that didn’t look like System of a Down to me. Have to assume it’s Anselmo.
CrashDavis

Down is a band started by Anselmo when Pantera broke up … excellent band. VH cover? Not so much.
Keith

Utter Crap, why do we need this ? So are we gonna see every band that does a VH cover ?
Fair Warning

That was cool. I love Down- and all the bands that these guys come from- COC, Crowbar, and Pantera. Sludge Metal!
Rocko

Pantera was the only thing that Phil Anselmo was good at. Down and Superjoint Ritual is not as cool as Pantera.
Skutch

I’m surprised he’s still alive.
Matt

Actually Down was formed in the early 90′s, before Pantera broke up. It was just a bunch of friends jamming that turned into something else. Check out Stone the Crow, great song!

As for it sounded down-tuned, well of course it is, but it wasn’t to accomodate Phil…they’ve just always tuned down. Makes for some heavy riffage.

This was clearly just a one off jam. You can see the guitarist laughing at himself for not knowing the little the solo. Was decent to watch nonetheless and great to hear a Pantera/Down crowd singing along to Van Halen! There’s some respect there!
frattz5150

one of the easiest vh songs to play and they fuck it all up. fuck u phil!! RIP dimebag
Pete

I hate it when weak bands cover THIS SONG…the song rocks, but it was deliberately written to be simple. (Eddie was making fun of punk music which he viewed as simplistic.)

Anyway, this song makes it possible for even the weakest guitarist to play VH…that’s why they all choose it.

Great song, but weak bands covering it make me ill…
SirFrankenberry

To me it seems the guitar player started the whole thing.
If you are gonna start a VH cover (especially one THAT EASY) in front of a large crowd, you had better be able to back it up. Looks like Phil and the drummer were the only ones
who knew the entire song.
alexandre

Van halen covering bands is always great (you really got me, pretty woman, won’t get fooled again, rock and roll) but bands covering Van Halen …
Dimebig

WALK ON HOME BOY!!! That was pretty dis…”RE!”…”SPECT!”…ful. Phil, please fire that horrible guitar player who made a mockery of Ed’s song. –Dime would have torn that up.
Patrick

It beats the Velvet Revolver version at the RRHOF ceremony…..but that isn’t saying much.

Dimebag is spinning in his grave.
http://www.murr-vegas.com Drew Collins

Why do bands always pick this song? Not that there are easier VH songs to do, but it seems to me that any professional band could pick something better. What’s wrong with butchering “Dance The Night Away”? That one is really easy. I used to play “Everybody Wants Some!!” in an old cover band. The hardest part of that tune was letting our drummer know when to play in 3/4. Seriously, I saw a clip of John Mayer playing “Panama” on one of those $30,000 Frankenstrats. Even a guy of his talent still didn’t get it right. You either know the music, or you’re just trying to pay respect the best you can. I’d rather hear someone who gets it. That’s respect.
justin

if i made a video of my band doing a van halen cover and put it on youtube… would i see it up on the vhnd the next day….? And they really messed this song up hahaha especially at the end but im guessing it was more of a spontaneous thing then a planned song.
Remember the Prom Queen

Please, VHND dot com, share every garage band’s cover of a VH song!

No, seriously, get a clue!
Karl

Wow, that was mister charisma up front there! Piss poor.
Skutch

I could play this song better when I was 14.
pushtoshove

You fuckers are all whiny frustrated guitar players…..” How many guitar players does it take to screw in a light bulb…Four. One to screw it in and the other three to say’ I could do it better’ “
D.O.A. 5150

It sucked.
TheTruthHurts

So…um…will Ed get his lawyers to sue them since they’re playing his stuff? LOL.
Greg

Total shit.
http://none Ducky / Dirty Duck

Kind of makes you wonder why the fuck some people become musicians. I mean If you cant play “Aint talkin’ bout love” why the fuck did you pick up a guitar man?

And to the guy who posted the comment: Phil is still alive?”
I hear ya man….was thinkin’ the same thing.

Saw his pathetic ass on a VH1 behind the music on pantera about 4 years ago. He looked and sounded like the biggest jerk off…
I know there are two sided to every story but….

Also I have no respect for anyone who dabbles in heroin.
You do that shit you’re a loser…..period.
Skutch

pushtoshove, just because I’m a frustrated guitar player doesn’t mean it didn’t suck.
KTC5150

Dimebag is rolling over in his grave….
evans5150

Dear Down,

Please don’t do that again.

Thanks,

evans5150
pushtoshove

HaHa….Touche’ Skutch…..( I get frustrated too-And I could’ve played it better also ) ……… ;’].
RickieVanWhalen

Such a great and simple song. Too bad it is way too complicated for this dopey band. Look at the guitar player after the solo. He knows he sucks.
SirFrankenberry

dAVE:
that was some funny shit. LMAO.
Bocephus

Good stuff.

Koodo’s to Down.
mjc

i honestly have never heard of this band.But that was complete garbage.
http://none Ducky / Dirty Duck

Growing up listening to bands with names like Van Halen , Black Sabbath, Led Zepplin, Thin Lizzy, Rolling Stones etc,
I always feel that the bands name should have some power to it. Is it me or do a lot of bands today have the lamest names? Why would you want to name a rock band: Down?
Where’s the creativity man? I just dont get it….
Ted

That was… shitty.
http://none tj

What the hell was that??
Jim

Once again, a band does a van halen cover and uses 2 or more guitarists to play the song and still can’t get close to the quality of play that Ed does himself.
JK47

Relax people.DOWN just threw this in at the end of the set as a surprise to the fans and have a little fun.NOT meant to be a perfect rendition. And for the record, DOWN has been around since the early 90′s and is a very well respected metal band.If you don’t know anything about the band,don’t be an idiot,keep your mouth shut.
VHIII_1998_

screw you Phil Anselmo! I have sung that song better, Drunk at karioke in a dive bar…