We here at the VHND simply cannot imagine a world without Van Halen, but entering the realm of fantasy for a moment, perhaps we could briefly entertain the notion of a Bizarro World version of the band – you know, one where instead of unleashing unparalleled blistering rock on an unsuspecting public, the alternate universe Van Halen dazzled the masses with … gulp … smooth jazz!
Now, normally we prefer Van Halen in all its balls-to-the-wall glory, but for anybody who might be entertained by an emasculated rendition of “Running With the Devil” — cleverly set to live footage from the band’s epic US Festival performance of the song — check out this effort by Los Angeles-based musician Andy Rehfeldt.
We’re still not sure just how well “Running With the Devil” translates to this format – for example, a smooth jazz version of “Secrets” might be the ultimate in sublime – but what do we know? So, we’re throwing it out to you — tell us what you think of this! Also, which Van Halen song do you think offers the greatest smooth jazz potential?