Within a span of 2 weeks two of my favorite music legends, SPB and Edward (Eddie) Van Halen, decided to bid goodbye to this world. SPB’s struggle with COVID has been in the news, so was partially prepared I could say (no one is fully prepared for these things, we always hope there will be a miraculous turn around in the corner of our heart). But Eddie’s news came as a shocker, something out of the blue. While SPB I listen to frequently, pretty much on a daily basis, listening to Van Halen was something like once a month.

I don’t think I will have anything new to say about SPB. Whatever can be said, has been already told and written. Like crores of others from South India, grew up listening to SPB from my childhood days. With 40k songs to his credit, SPB covered all sorts of emotions for his listeners to choose from. Name the emotion, and there will be a song by SPB, joy, sadness, love, friendship, separation, pain, appreciation of beauty, adoration, anger, fear, or surprise. Fondly remember the days from first year of college when the movie Thambikku Entha Ooru movie came with the phenomenal song kadhalin Deepam Onru. We walked around in Guindy college campus mimicking Rajini from that song with hands in our pockets, dream in our eyes, smiling at nothing, and looking like a fool fallen in (imagined) love. That song is one great example of how SPB’s voice also acted elevating an excellent composition and a great scene to a level of Timelessness. I have the same challenge with SPB similar to Ilayaraja or MSV. Can never get a satisfactory playlist. I start creating one with the goal of not more than 300 best of best songs, and within few months the list goes out of control crossing the barrier and I kill the list. Now a days, I stopped creating playlists. Instead I switch between Wynk, Prime, Spotify, and Maestro apps, pick random playlists they have – get variety and get to listen to songs I never knew about. It is hard to pick SPB favorites, but would like to list a few here: Nandha nee en nila, Vaan Nila nila alla, Ilaya Nila, Nilave Vaa, Padu Nilave, Vaa Vennila Unnai, Aval oru navarasa, Engengo Sellum, Unnai Naan Parthathu (have fun watching young Kamal as a club singer), En Kanmani en Kadhali, Uchi Vagideduthu, Madhamo Aavani, Ninaithale Inikkum songs (one song has only humming), Kamban aemanthan (feel the sarcasm in SPB’s voice), Kaaki Chattai songs, Mandram vandha thendralukku, Ilami Itho itho (favorite New Year Song), Sorgam Mathuvile (IR, Kannadasan, SPB, Kamal, unshackled energy never ceases to surprise me), Varudhu Varudhu (another energetic song, Kamal and Radha do full justice to SPB and Janaki), Tholin Mele (is that Led Zep poster at the start?), Annathe Aadurar (another song with SPB at his best with his gimmicks), Raman aandalum, Madai thiranthu (there you are ready to conquer the world, world at your feet), Bunch of Rajini intro songs –Naan Autokaran, Oruvan oruvan mudhalali (the beginning gives you a high), Ballelakka (that SPB’s magic with Irattai Kilavi (doublets)), Ilamai enum poogratru, Pani vizhm malarvanam, Puthiya poovidhu, Kavithai paadu kuyile, Pennalla Pennalla, and the list goes on.

Even during Guindy Engineering college days exposure to Pop or Rock music was limited. Followed Grammy award winners as part of news but access to that music was limited except occasional cassettes from day scholars. Those were limited to Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Madonna, and Stevie Wonder. Loved Beat it song but never knew the guitar riffs came from Eddie Van Halen (his name not there on the cassette cover since he was not credited). Moved to Noida for work and thanks to my roommates, got introduced to Van Halen along with other famous rock bands. Still remember the day where we all sat mesmerized watching the video of Van Halen’s live concert (guess Concert at Oakland Stadium) (one of those days where we rent TV and video deck and do late night binge watch), it was different experience to see the crowd going wild to a high energy music. Thanks to a stint in Silicon Valley, US, and BMG mail order company, I caught up with listening to Pop and Rock bands. Even though the list of favorites is long, the ones you first listen to, the ones who pull you in, have special place in your heart which can never be replaced and Eddie Van Halen is one of those along with few others. Kept track of Van Halen releases till 1995 and post that kept going back to my favorites from his 1978-95 albums. Eddie created sounds and movements in guitar I didn’t hear from others. With no technical knowledge of music, it is hard for me to objectively reason out why I like a particular song or singer or a composition other than that I like the sound, the movement (the rise, the fall, the shifts, the glides), and it does something in me. Isn’t that enough?😀 Unlike SPB, Eddie Van Halen has only 131 songs. I would say if you get time listen to all, it is easy to get through 131 songs than 40K songs (doing simple math, it would take 139hours to get through 40K songs, 5mts each, if you listen non-stop. 131 songs would take ~11hours). It is hard to pick favorites, but would like to list a few here: Eruption (from concert. CD Version is only 1m:42s. You wonder guitar is just an extension of his fingers), Panama, Jump, You really got me, Beat it, Running with the Devil, Cabo Wabo, Can’t Stop loving you, 5150, Judgement Day, Human Beings, Run Around, Jamie’s Crying’, and the list goes on. Check out his interview with Denise Quan, you get to listen to how he got in to guitar from piano, how he went about making his own guitars and his music journey.

SPB and Eddie may have left the world. But their music will live on. Only one thing I got to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you guys.