Edward Lodewijk “Eddie” Van Halen (born January 26, 1955) is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 . Eddie Van Halen is widely known for his innovative performing and recording styles in rapid guitar playing, tapping, and high frequency feedback; he is also known for energetic and acrobatic stage performances. The All Music Guide has described him as “undoubtedly one of the most influential, original, and talented rock guitarists of the 20th century.”
By the third album, the group became known simply as ‘Utopia’ and settled into a four-person lineup of Rundgren (guitar, vocals), Kasim Sulton (bass, vocals), Roger Powell (keyboards, synthesizers, trumpet, vocals) and Willie Wilcox (drums, vocals).
Like the Beatles, Utopia rotated lead vocals and shared writing credits, although Rundgren was a predominant influence. One distinctive feature of Utopia was its stylistic breadth, which ranged across psychedelic/progressive 1970s rock, soul-pop, blues, ‘stadium rock’ and heavy metal. Another was the band’s unabashed optimism, as evidenced by its name.
During that era, one knew a Utopia show wasn’t actually over until the band played Just One Victory (which Rundgren himself referred to as “the national anthem of Utopia”) from Rundgren’s seminal 1973 release A Wizard, A True Star.
Talking Heads was an American rock band formed in 1974 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison. Auxiliary musicians also frequently made appearances in concert and on the group’s albums. The new wave musical style of Talking Heads combined elements of punk rock, avant-garde, pop, funk, world music and art rock. Frontman and songwriter David Byrne contributed whimsical, esoteric lyrics to the band’s songs, and emphasized their showmanship through various multimedia projects and performances. Critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine describes Talking Heads as being “one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the ’80s, while managing to earn several pop hits.” In 2002, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Four of the band’s albums appeared on Rolling Stone magazine’s 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and the Channel 4 100 Greatest Albums poll listed one album (Fear of Music) at number seventy-six. Their concert film Stop Making Sense is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of the genre.
Squeeze are an English band that came to prominence in the United Kingdom during the New Wave period of the late 1970s, and continued recording successfully in the 1980s and 1990s. They are known in the UK for their hit songs “Cool for Cats,” “Up the Junction,” “Tempted,” “Labelled With Love,” “Black Coffee In Bed,” “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell),” and “Hourglass.” Though not quite as commercially successful in the U.S., “Tempted”, “Hourglass” and “853-5937” were all American chart hits for Squeeze, and the band have a dedicated following there and continue to attract new fans. All of Squeeze’s hits were written by band members Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford.
The group formed in Deptford, London in 1974, and first broke up in 1982. Squeeze then reformed in 1985, and broke up again in 1999. The band has reunited for tours through the United States and United Kingdom in 2007 and 2008. Squeeze confirmed during an interview at the V Festival in 2008, that they plan to write a new record of material in 2009, during and after another tour of the United States.
