#big bad bill (is sweet william now)

[fuckyeahvanhalen86-95]

1982 Eddie Van Halen defends Diver Down: "They're good f**kin' songs..." (phone interview)

July 30, 1982 — a couple weeks into the tour for Diver Down, Eddie talks to Jas Obrecht for Guitar Player Magazine. Ed talks about the new album and defends all the cover songs ...

"They're good fuckin' songs, why shouldn't they be redone the way we do 'em for a new generation of people" ...

"I don't think any cover tune we've ever done sounds like the original. It takes almost as much time to make a cover tune sound original as it does writing a song. -- so fuck the critics!"

~~~

38 years later, couldn't agree more with Eddie. Diver Down is an amazing Van Halen record on par with the others that gets dogged far too often for the cover tunes. A fun, summertime Van Halen extravaganza. A big part of Van Halen was their fun, party vibe and this is their most fun, party vibe album ever recorded.

- 4 of their coolest original songs (Hang Em High, Secrets!, Little Guitars, The Full Bug)

-3 amazing & innovative Eddie instrumental pieces

- Plus a handful of fun cover tunes that were totally Van Halen-ized including Ed and Al's dad playing on a song and a Van Halen concert staple with "Happy Trails" that was played on every show from 1982-1984.

- The Mighty Van Halen

[rastronomicals]

10:39 PM EST January 5, 2023:

Van Halen - "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)" From the album Diver Down (April 14, 1992)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

File under: EP's presented as albums

[jerzwriter]

Crushed

Book: Open Heart (Post Series)

Characters: Tobias Carrick x F!MC, the David Gandy

Rating: Teen +

Warnings: Sexual innuendo, nothing big

Words: 1,245

Summary: This is sort of a follow-up to Starstruck, based on this ask by @liaromancewriter. Casey always thinks she's seeing stars - the celebrity version - and on this quick getaway with her husband, she really saw one. Now, Tobias claims he has, too. Does Casey believe him?

A/N: In my HC, Casey has a crush on David Gandy, and she insists he does not look like Ethan. (Conversely, in E/K land, Kaycee has a crush on Jesse Williams and insists he looks nothing like Tobias! lol) So that made this little ask more fun! Ironically, the Tobias & Casey edit was also made by @liaromancewriter - so this works perfectly!

Their flight was delayed…again. As much as Casey and Tobias enjoyed their little getaway, they were anxious to get home to their little girl. Tobias sensed that this latest delay was pushing his wife to her limits. So, doing what any good husband would do… he immediately offered to get her chocolate. After an appreciative kiss, he was on his way. 

After a short wait on line, he was heading back to Casey with her Snickers bar in hand, nibbling on a Kit Kat of his own, when the collision occurred. Tobias and both candy bars tumbled to the ground as the man who knocked him down struggled to stay on his feet.  

“Ah, shit!” Tobias moaned as the well-dressed man offered his hand to help him to his feet. The look of sincere contrition on the stranger’s face disarmed Tobias immediately.

“So sorry, mate!” The man stated with a distinctly British accent. “Completely my fault. I heard the announcement of a gate change after bumping my flight for the fifth time, and…” he sighed. “No matter, it’s no fault of yours, and now look what I’ve done!”

“Hey, no sweat,” Tobias grinned as he dusted himself off. “Accidents happen. There were no casualties, so we’re good.”

The well-dressed man looked down to see a scrape on Tobias’s knee and two pulverized chocolate bars.

“I think those chocolate bars would disagree with you, and look at your knee….”

“Ah, the knee is nothing,” Tobias waved. “My wife and I are both doctors. We can more than handle a little scrape. But I better get her another candy bar, or she might not be willing to help me at all.”

“Oh my, I do feel bad,” the gentleman fretted as he grabbed his wallet and handed Tobias a fifty-dollar bill. “Here, this is the least I can do. Get some sweets for your wife before you return to her. I’m a family man myself, and you know the saying, happy wife, happy life.”

“It’s really not necessary…” Tobias started… when something about the man’s smile stopped him cold. “Hey, wait a minute… I know you… you’re….”

Attention all passengers. Flight 4776, departing from gate 26 to Heathrow International Airport is boarding. Final call for all passengers on flight number 4776 to Heathrow.

“As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I’m afraid they’re playing my song.”

“Yes! Go! Go! But please take this,” Tobias attempted to hand back the money.

“No! It’s the least I can do! Get something sweet for your lady, and tell her David is terribly sorry about your knee!”

“DAVID!” Tobias gasped as the suited man disappeared into the crowd. 

Still a little flabbergasted, Tobias returned to Casey sans chocolate bar. She looked up from her book as he approached with a slight pout.

“Tobias,” she frowned. “Where’s my Snickers?”

“Pulverized,” he deadpanned.

“Huh?”

“Case… you’re never going to believe what happened. I was minding my own business, eating my Kit Kat, when some guy plowed into me.”

She looked her husband over, interrupting him when she reached his knee. “Oh my goodness!” she blurted upon seeing his knee. “Tobias, you’re bleeding!”

“Ah, that’s nothing. Just a little scrape but… the candy bars didn’t survive.”

“That’s OK,” Casey smiled, “as long as you come back to me in one piece, it’s all good.”

Still dumbfounded, Tobias stood dazed, the fifty still in his hand, and Casey was becoming concerned.

“Tobias,” she started. “Are you… OK?”

“Yeah, uh… you’re never going to believe who my assailant was.”

“Well?” She asked with a questioning brow.

“David Gandy.”

A loud snort escaped her. “OK. I had thought you’d stop teasing me about celebrity sightings. Yes, that wasn’t Harry Styles the other night.  But I did see Noah Kahan, and that’s been proven! So can you stop mocking me now?”

“I’m not mocking! I’m serious as a heart attack! He was rushing to his flight, and he slammed right into me! His flight was about to take off, so he gave me this $50 to buy you a new candy bar since he destroyed yours….”

Casey already had her phone in hand. “Tobias, dear. I love you, but what would David Gandy be doing in North Carolina? I mean, come on, he….” her voice trailed as her eyes went wide.

“What is it?” Tobias asked, leaning over her shoulder for a better look at David Gandy’s latest Instagram post.

Tobias plopped into the seat next to Casey, a satisfied smirk on his face. “I told you.”

“You’re the guy he crashed into!?”

“Yep, and he pulverized your Snickers bar.”

“Well! Where the hell is it!?”

“What? The candy bar?”

“YES!!!”

“In the trash.”

“TOBIAS! Why would you do that? David Gandy destroyed my damn candy bar… and you threw it out? I would save that for life!”

“You’re joking, right?”

“I’m not joking at all! But wait! His post says his flight was delayed again… Oh my God! I can find him! I can get another candy bar, and I’ll ask him to step on it so I can keep that one instead!”

“Yeah,” Tobias shuddered, “because that wouldn’t be weird.”

“OK,” Casey jumped to her feet. “I’m going to find him.”

But Tobias grabbed her hand, tugging him back to him before she got far.

“Uh, sweetheart… before you run off… you know that ‘hall pass list’ we always joke about… that is just a joke… right?”

Casey crossed her arms, an impish grin on her lips. “Why, Dr. Carrick? Are you telling me I’m not allowed to screw David if I find him?”

“Well, after you ask him to step on your Snickers bar, I’m sure he’ll be all turned on, but should the opportunity arise… I would really prefer it if you declined.”

“You understand that means if Shakira comes dancing over to you the second I leave… you have to say no, too.”

“Baby,” he sighed. “I don’t want Shakira. I only want you.”

“Right…. tell me you haven’t had a little Casey and Shaira fantasy run through that little mind of yours one or two hundred times?”

Casey broke into a fit of giggles as Tobias yanked her down onto his lap. 

“What are you doing?” she playfully protested.

“Using you to conceal anything that may… come up… if you keep talking like that!”

Casey wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck and plastered a kiss on his cheek.

“Take it easy, Dr. Carrick. The list is all in good fun. You are the only one that I want.”

“You sure of that? ‘Cause far as I know, his flight hasn’t taken off yet.”

“I’m very sure! But, I wish David had merch like Noah – there should be a way for me to get something out of you for this.”

“Well,” Tobias said, lifting the fifty-dollar bill. “You could get fifty dollars of something on David?”

“He really gave this to you?” she asked, eyes full of wonder.

“He did.”

“So… he touched this?”

“That’s kind of how it works, Casey.”

Casey took the bill from his hand and held it against her chest momentarily before carefully placing it in her purse.

“What are you doing with that?” he asked.

“Framing it. The second we get home!”

“I’m hoping you’ll hug Sammy first?”

“Of course.  Then… this is being framed. Oh, what wall should we put it on?”

“You’re not serious?”

“Oh, I’m serious, baby.  Serious as a heart attack.”

Tagging in reblog.

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

[doyourememberrocknrollradio]

Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) (2015 Remaster) · Van Halen

[mostly-sketchy]

“Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now, Married life done changed him somehow, He's the man the town used to fear, Now they all call him Sweet Papa Willy Dear” It seems that Anasui is typically associated with Van Halen’s “Pretty Woman” cover from their album Diver Down, but how about I raise you one better-- I hope everyone has a nice day today, regardless of the holiday!💝 Do Not Repost

[darklingichor]

Spare, by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

Let's get the obvious out of the way

I'm from the US, I've never really followed the royal family much. Though I'm about a year older than Prince Harry, so I grew up knowing about Princess Diana. I always liked her, thought she did the world so much good with the short time she had on it, and was shocked at the tragedy when she died.

My perspective on the monarchy is that, as an institution, and as a concept, it is outdated, and (from what I understand) is a drain on the British people. But, I don't feel like I can opine on that very much considering that I don't know enough, and don't live with it as a presence in my contry.

It goes without saying that the royal family has a massive amout of privilege and money.

I know the old saying that money can't buy happiness, isn't really true. Money helps because most people would be happier if they didn't have to worry about how their bills, family, and needs were going to be taken care of.

Taking all of this into consideration, I can't be angry at the princes for the life they were born into. I can't say that if I were born into money and such, that I would simply give it all up for ideological reasons. It's easy to insist that I would be like Siddhartha, or that I would fight to make things fair. But I don't *know* that. Especially considering that there seem to be a maze of rules to navigate.

Am I envious that these guys never had to worry about how they were going to pay for college, or about student loans, or do the "Shit, rent is due, but I had to go to the doctor" shuffle? Yeah!

But the flipside if that is that I never had to worry about whether or not my friends or anyone I may have wanted to date would have to be "approved" of by a committee, lead by my grandma. I didn’t have to worry about everything I did being photographed. All because of shit I couldn't control. I'm not going to go into any money stuff here.

So, now that all of that is out there, onto the book.

It's an interesting read. I don't know what I was expecting when I started it, but I was hoping it wouldn't be a gossip filled expose, I always feel sort of grimy when something I am reading takes that kind if turn. For the most part, I don't feel like this book is like that, what it is, is the memoir of a person born into an impossible family business, dealing with grief and expectations. It's a very human story.

I know that one of my friends expects this book to be nothing but Prince Harry bad mouthing all the other royals, and I figure that a least some other people might expecting the same thing. You don't really get that either. There is a fair amount of tension between the brothers, as they grew older. Not surprising considering royal succession added to the typical big brother little brother dynamic. There were serious disagreements and at least one fight, but I never got the feeling that the reader was suppose to walk away thinking that Prince William was a bad person. The same can be said about hhis father. Later in the book there are some unflattering things reveled about Charles and Camilla, but to me, it felt less like malicious gossip, and more like hurt resignation at the way his father reacted to certain things.

There is a lot of sweet remembering about Queen Elizabeth. It's clear that Prince Harry loves his family, and this book was not meant to be a club to swing at them. The real villains of royal life is the press. US tabloids are bad, paparazzi in any country is simply a gathering of worms, but the British press always struck me as more predatory and cruel on the whole. I mean yeah, Prince Harry did some epically stupid stuff. He addresses these things. He was dumb, uninformed, and he deeply regrets them, but the press won't let it go. Worse, they pursued him even into a war zone, risking the life of him and the people he served with, and for what? No good reason at all.

It's baffling that people would risk life and limb, theirs and others, for a story. It's not like they were looking for a hard hitting story, either, just gossip, this all sounds familiar, right?

Diana and the press looms large. Diana is a huge presence in this book, and understandably so. Prince Harry didn't process his mother's death until he was well into adulthood, and part of it was because the protocol of the royal family not showing emotion. Between the press and the rules and regulations of being royalty, what I kept thinking all while listening to this book was: They aren't allowed to be human. Then you add in the age old tradition of palace intrigue, with a modern twist (fewer daggers and poisonings, more newspapers) and each member of the family acting like an entity unto themselves, I can totally understand the decision to step back from royal duty.

Amid all of this very heavy subject matter, there are some very interesting stories where he was happy. His love of nature in general and Africa in particular lead to many loving descriptions of land, animals, and people.

As nasty as war is, his telling of his time in the military made it very clear he found what he was meant for when he joined the army. He doesn't sugar coat it, and he isn't gleeful about the horrors of war, but he found a place and work that he fit into. It is of little surprise that he chooses to fight for the people and animals of Africa, as well as the for wounded veterans.

And there are funny stories, in most of them, he us laughing at himself.

Guess I have to say something about Megan Markle. I honestly know very little about the Dutchess other than she's married to Prince Harry and she use to be an actress. She seems cool, It is clear that he is goofy in love and its nice to read about a happy loving relationship, after all the drama that surrounded his parents' marriage.

It's well written. The audiobook is read by Prince Harry, and he does a good job.

I'm glad I read it.

[mikeladano]

#1099: "Can you play it a little louder?" - An Uncle Paul Story, aka "Big Bad Bill Is Sweet William Now"

[cerentari]

Big Bad Bill Is Sweet William Now - Ry Cooder

[icarusthelunarguard]

This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter.

Aries 

Reminding you that you shouldn’t take legal advice from a Horrible-Scope, but… Sheet music from 1926 and earlier is Public Domain. Meaning if you wanted to write the Next Big Musical Hit, you’ve already got 75% of the work done for you! “Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)” was originally written in 1924, so you can do your best Crappy Van Halen Impersonation and still be legal. Get out that six string and don’t bother tuning it up.

Taurus 

Why is there Something rather than Nothing? Don’t look at us that way, it’s an interesting question. Is this the only Universe? Do we live in the only Cosmos, or is there an infinite number of nearly identical parallel Universes to this one. And where are they parked? This week ask if you’re allowed to take a driving test with automatic parallel parking systems.  

Gemini  

You need to learn the difference between musical groups with the same name. The song, “Radioactive” from 1985 was done by The Firm, not to be confused with the group who did the song, “Star Trekkin’” from 1987 called “The Firm”! See, it’s like SOOOOO confusing.  

Cancer Moon-Child 

Your high school Language Arts teacher would be both proud and horrified at you. You’ve been directly responsible for coining a new meme-expression, completely by accident mind you. Your lacklustre B-Minus grade average never hinted at this outcome in your formative years. At your next school reunion just remind everyone that you were inspired by a god who reminded you that “All words are made up”.  

Leo 

The modest Slinky began in 1945 and across its lifetime it’s humbly helped shape children’s imagination ever since. It’s been used as a classroom teaching tool, a portable and extendable radio antenna in wartime, and even flew on Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985 for astronaut Margaret Rhea Seddon to demonstrate its behavior in zero gravity during a telecast to the world. This week remember - humble beginnings can turn into long-term impact.

Virgo 

Are you familiar with the Matryoshka Doll? You might better know it as the Russian Nesting Doll. This week you’re going to need to buy a specific tool for a specific job that needs to be done… but you’ll discover after you’ve bought it that you’ll need another tool to help set up the original tool. This week make sure you think through what you need to buy for yourself. 

Libra 

You want to impress with flash but don’t have a lot of cash? Just remember this: A cut and polished one carat cubic zirconia stone will cost $20, and two carat about $30. A one carat diamond will start at $1,800. Truth be told, in a casual situation nobody will be able to tell the difference. So this week, Fake It before you Make It.

Scorpio 

Did You Know that… Back in the old iPod days, Apple had to BREAK the randomizer function on the devices. It’s true! A true randomizer could have, theoretically, played the same song several times in a row. Depending on the size of your collection it wouldn’t be easy, but possible. They intentionally wrote a routine to make sure that didn’t happen. This week don’t leave things to random chance, because they could happen over and over again, and you’re too old and crotchety to have to deal with that now.  

Sagittarius 

Visible light is just a specific frequency of electro-magnetic energy - the same kind of energy that sends music to your car to listen to. So imagine this - if we could actually SEE what we call “Radio Waves” we might be able to literally see WiFi signals bouncing around our houses or office buildings. This week send a tweet of appreciation to Commander Geordi La Forge, while Twitter is still functional.   

Capricorn 

There’s something we’ve always wanted to tell you, Capricorn, and here it is… We’re gettin’ pretty fed up with you. Week after week we gave you a nicer ‘Scope than Aquarius, and don’t think they didn’t notice. But you?! You just squandered all the good stuff that came your way. So you know what? We made sure that $2B Powerball never made it to you. And you know what else? We’re going to make sure you never win more than $5 in any lottery, ever! Because it’ll be a long-term loss if you try to buy a coffee with your WiNnInGs. STOP GAMBLING!

Aquarius 

An interesting philosophical question was asked recently. “For Halloween, do groups like GWAR, KISS, Ghost B.C. and Mortiis get dressed up in 80’s Yuppie clothing?” While you spend the week considering that, all your half-price chocolate was stolen out of your freezer. Thanks for the 3Musketeers! Talk to you next week!  

Pisces 

If you're on a highway and Road Runner goes beep beep, just step aside or you might end up in a heap. Road Runner, Road Runner runs down the road all day. Even the coyote can't make him change his ways. Road Runner, the coyote's after you. Road Runner, if he catches you you're through…. Now that THAT earworm is in your head, call your G.P. and schedule a physical. You’re older than you want to admit to.

And THOSE are your Hobble-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Discord.

[rastronomicals]

12:42 PM EST December 24, 2023:

Van Halen - "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)" From the album Diver Down (April 14, 1992)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

File under: EP's presented as albums

[fuckyeahvanhalen86-95]

Van Halen had more than their share of contradictions.

They began life as a party band but were also home to one of rock's most inventive musicians in guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who spent countless hours toiling in isolation perfecting both his craft and instruments. Their fun-loving music, videos, fashion sense and personalities served as the template for a generation of bands, yet they were also at the center of two of the nastiest breakups in rock history.

So, yeah, things could get weird around Van Halen sometimes. They had an unparalleled gift for blending hard-rock chops and pop smarts and a knack for staying creatively ahead of their peers. Bold and sometimes strange musical experimentation played a role in that success, as you'll note in the below chronological look at the 10 Weirdest Van Halen Songs.

"IN A SIMPLE RHYME/GROWTH" (1980 - WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST)

Van Halen's first two albums were comprised of songs written during their club-performance days. On 1980's Women and Children First, they took advantage of their chance to write new material, expanding their palette and exploring more complex arrangements. One of the clearest and most distinctive examples is the LP's closing track, "In a Simple Rhyme." It's a poppy, progressive and somewhat weird rock song that sounds like Rush attempting to write a romantic ballad. After the song's gentle fade-out comes another surprise: a 30-second instrumental featuring a brontosaurus-sized guitar riff. According to The Van Halen Encyclopedia, the plan was for "Growth" to be expanded into a full song that would kick off the band's next album. That didn't happen, but they would occasionally play the song at their concerts, including a 1986 version featuring both Eddie Van Halen and Sammy Hagar on guitar.

"SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN THE PARK/ONE FOOT OUT THE DOOR" (1981 - FAIR WARNING)

After sneakily replacing his guitar with an electric piano on Women and Children First's "And the Cradle Will Rock...," Eddie Van Halen dove deeper into synthesizers with the following year's Fair Warning, using an inexpensive Electro-Harmonix micro-synthesizer to come up with "Sunday Afternoon in the Park." It's a funky and creepy two-minute instrumental that sounds like George Clinton's idea of a John Carpenter film score. The tempo switches to a hyperactive electro-boogie for the conjoined "One Foot Out the Door," as David Lee Roth tries not to get caught with somebody else's wife. It's all topped with one of Van Halen's fiercest guitar solos, which fades out too quickly.

"BIG BAD BILL (IS SWEET WILLIAM NOW)" (1982 - DIVER DOWN)

One of the main sources of friction between David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen was over the latter's use of keyboards. Roth feared it would upset the band's fans, who wanted only to see Van Halen in "guitar god" mode. (As "Jump" and the band's string of keyboard-based '80s hits proved, Roth was wrong.) But it was Roth who suggested that Van Halen's father, Jan, play jazz clarinet on the band's cover of the 1924 Milton Anger and Jack Yellen song "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)" on 1982's covers-heavy Diver Down. "He was nervous as shit," said Van Halen, recalling his dad at the recording session. "We're just telling him, 'Jan, just fuckin' have a good time. We make mistakes! That's what makes it real.' I love what he did."

"HOT FOR TEACHER" (1984 - 1984)

The final single of David Lee Roth's first tenure with Van Halen was the sorta weird "Hot for Teacher." How many hit songs can you think of that start with a 30-second drum solo, followed by an extended guitar solo? Roth doesn't appear until more than a minute into the song, speaking to his "classmates," rather than singing, as Eddie Van Halen suddenly shifts to chicken-pickin' rhythms. A traditional verse-and-chorus structure finally appears, but the band never stays in one place for long, blending speed-metal riffs with high school humor and a big Broadway-worthy chorus. It was all too perfect to last: Soon after the song's release, everything went to hell.

"INSIDE" (1986 - 5150)

"Man, what kind of crap is this?" That's the opening question Sammy Hagar asks on the closing track of his first album as Van Halen's new singer. After using the first eight songs on 5150 to establish the new lineup as a commercial and artistic force, Van Halen cracks open the fourth wall and directly if obliquely addresses the controversy that ensued after Hagar was hired to replace Roth. Over a thumping synth-rock groove, Hagar gets meta about what he's learned from his new bandmates: "Now me, look, I got this job not just being myself," he says. "I went out I brought some brand new shoes, now I walk like something else." He gets more serious as the song goes on, hitting some wild vocal heights while singing about feeling the need for "something special, someone new, some brand new group to sink my teeth into."

"MINE ALL MINE" (1988 - OU812)

After proving they could use keyboards to craft hit pop singles and ballads, Van Halen took a more serious step with the opening track of 1988's OU812. Clocking in at over five minutes, the complex "Mine All Mine" treads near jazz-fusion territory and showcases a new lyrical depth that almost drove Hagar past the breaking point. "It was the first time in my life I ever beat myself up, hurt myself, punished myself, practically threw things through windows, trying to write the lyrics," he told writer Martin Popoff in 2010.

"PLEASURE DOME" (1991 - FOR UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE)

For the most part, 1991's For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge marked a return to straightforward guitar rock for Van Halen. The hit single "Right Now" was the only song to feature keyboards; almost everything else follows a Standing Hampton-on-steroids formula. But the seven-minute "Pleasure Dome" takes a weird turn into progressive rock, with the Van Halen brothers and Michael Anthony daring each other to go deeper into King Crimson-style madness. Hagar's cosmically themed vocals are fine but seem almost beside the point. When the band performed the song live, it was usually instrumental.

"STRUNG OUT" (1995 - BALANCE)

Ever wanted to hear Eddie Van Halen destroy a piano? According to the Van Halen Encyclopedia, while renting composer Marvin Hamlisch's beach home in 1983, Van Halen "threw everything he could find into the piano and raked various items across the strings, including ping-pong balls, D-cell batteries and even silverware." Supposedly, there are hours of tapes documenting this, but Eddie Van Halen mercifully selected the best 90 seconds for inclusion on the band's final album with Hagar.

"CROSSING OVER" (1995 - BALANCE [JAPAN IMPORT])

Van Halen released only one non-album B-side, and it was a pretty strange one. In 1983 Eddie Van Halen composed "David's Tune," a tribute to a friend who died by suicide, handling all the instruments and vocals. After joining Van Halen in 1985, Sammy Hagar was eager to flesh out the track, but Van Halen kept "Crossing Over" in the vaults for nearly a decade, until the death of the band's manager, Ed Leffler. A full-band take was recorded and then blended with the guitarist's original version, which can be heard in the left channel of the released recording. The sonic effect is otherworldly, a perfect match for the song's subject matter.

"HOW MANY SAY I" (1998 - Van Halen III)

Van Halen III is the most criticized album of Van Halen's career, and much of the scorn is directed at the closing "How Many Say I," which features Eddie Van Halen on his only lead-vocal performance. The piano-based track is reminiscent of a late-era Roger Waters ballad and is an odd creative choice for the band, which was in the process of introducing its third singer, Gary Cherone. "They forced me," Van Halen told Billboard at the time. "Don't be shocked when you hear the vocal." "Maybe we were being too artsy-fartsy," Cherone later admitted to Rolling Stone. "But I thought it was great."

[richard-nixon-official]

anyone else have a song that they either listen to 45 times in one day or go 3 months without listening to it at all

[punk-chicken-radio]

van halen - big bad bill (is sweet william now)

-ax and TOS

[liptonsbabe]

Chains of a family [B.W]

Bill Weasley x Grant! Reader

Chapter 1, Chapter 2

Summary: Molly knows about the reader’s relatives and she’s not so sure to put her trust in a girl that had just betrayed her own family

Word count: 1.9K

Warnings: Swearing

A/N: Hi! i’m so happy that you guys liked this thing! thank you so much for your support and, again, if you want to keep reading this let me know. Same note as ever, english not my mother language, so tell me if something’s is wrong.

Chapter 2: Not your family

The next morning turned out to be quieter than you imagined.

You slowly got out of bed and looked at everything around you noticing how quaint Bill's old room was. The ceiling was lined with grainy wallpaper with stacks of photographs of Quidditch players hanging from the reeds that moved from side to side, simulating the playing field; the right side of the room had a huge hole behind the small stool that tried to hide it, and from that hole a small garden gnome was sleeping peacefully with a small piece of cloth on top of his head. You stood up, walking towards the huge window that gave you a beautiful view of the Weasley's garden that at that moment was covered by a thin layer of drizzle that had fallen during the night.

Molly's fruit trees gleamed under the faint rays of the sun and you saw how a doxy from between the leaves poisoned Mrs. Weasley's apples, causing them to fall from the tree branches in a thick black mass with a foul smell coming out of it. You shook your head, excited to witness a very different way to wake up.

Even though several minutes have passed since you woke up, the house continued to remain in a strange silence that made you think that the family had decided to leave the burrow with the intention of buying more supplies or something like that. You knew that Bill wasn’t at home precisely for his obligations within the Order, so you didn’t worry about looking for him around the room, so you decided that a better option was going down to the dining room and know what was happening.

As you went down the spiral staircase, you cursed in a whisper when you forgot to put on your slippers before leaving the bedroom cause the floor was so cold that you slipped a couple of times. Back in the days, when you were still welcome in your parents' house, you had many servants who did all the things for you - putting on your shoes as soon as you woke up was one of those things - but now that your life had changed so much, you assumed that you would have to adapt and start taking care of your own needs.

Your curious eyes roamed the walls covered in family photos that caused a big warmth in your chest. In each of those photographs, all of Molly's children appeared along with their father, smiling for the camera and sending effusive greetings. A pic was hanging at the fireplace were Molly and Arthur were carrying a small white bundle crying his lungs out. You assumed it was Bill as his parents seemed too young back then and even as a small baby, you could recognize those tantrum features anywhere.

A giggle escaped your lips when you noticed a funny sequence from that same photo in which, even with Bill crying in his mother's arms, his father tried to carry him for a moment to calm him down, however the baby's cries didn’t stop. The baby was so annoyed that he ended throwing up  the milk ration that he must have had before the photo session on his father's neat shirt.

You laughed because you knew that William's impertinence was something he had carried with him for several years now.

"Bill hates those photos." You jumped in your place scared to see Molly standing behind you. Your cheeks turned red “He says that it’s embarassing but i think that’s nonsense. He was an adorable baby”

"he was," you answered, looking anywhere but into Molly's shrewd eyes. "but I guess displaying them in the fireplace isn’t the right thing to do."

“Is it not?

"No, they should be at the front door where everyone can see them”

Molly giggled as you watched the sequence of photos over and over again. A silence settled between you, but surprisingly it was not an awkward silence, but one that was allowing you to create a bond that neither of you expected. Mrs. Weaslsey brought up a rag, wiping it around the corners of the photo from the dust.

"Arthur and I had to save up for months to take those pictures," she mentioned wistfully, "we just had Bill and it seemed like a good idea to welcome him into our family with a gesture like that. Arthur was new in the ministry and wasn't earning too much, but we had that quirk and decided we could afford to skip certain things to pay for the pictures. It cost us ten galleons and it still took us four months to gather them”

“Oh” You didn't know what to say, but you just kept looking at the photograph feeling a bit uncomfortable. You never had those problems at home because your family was insanelly rich thanks to the inheritance in life that your grandfather Tim had left to his son and later to his grandchildren. Even the descendants of your grandfather's servants came to work in your house, reason enough for you and your siblings to grow up with no sense of responsibility other than your own wishes. Molly sighed remembering those times when life seemed to be easier.

"So when Bill asked me to remove it from the fireplace, I refused. He doesn't know how hard it was to raise that money, but I think he has nothing to be ashamed of, he was too adorable!

"I don't doubt it for a second, Mrs. Weasley."

"You can call me Molly," she said, walking back to the kitchen where you continued watching the way the pans moved back and forth preparing breakfast. You were not very good at cooking - in fact, you had never cooked before- however, that didn’t stop you from offering your help. So you took a pan, placed it on the stove, and decided that you would find a way to make a good mountain of strawberry-filled pancakes just like your dear nanny did. Molly observed you carefully. "I think that now that you are living with us it is appropriate to have a more cordial treatment.My son told me a lot about you”

“Just the good things, i hope”

“Kind of” You stopped mixing ingredients to look at her carefully” He told us a bunch of marvelous things about you and how you two met. Actually, what worries me the most is what he didn’t tell us”

And there was the recrimination you were waiting for. You were aware that it had to arrive sooner or later, however, you would have been grateful that it did it when Bill were by your side to give you the opportunity to defend yourself properly. You cleared your throat uncomfortably, knowing that what Molly needed to hear from your own lips was which family you came from. You continued your task with the pancakes, turning out as bad as you expected.

"I'm sorry it turned out this way, Mrs. Weasley."

"Molly," he corrected.

"Molly" you smiled slowly "But believe me when I tell you that it was me who asked William not to mention anything about my last name or where I come from. I know that in this case, with the war above our heads, it is necessary to be certain of the people who enter your family and I apologize for that, it's just ... Bill is very important to me” Molly's eyes narrowed “Since we met ... I have found a home in him and well, all that feels when someone is in love. "Mrs. Weasley shook her head, understanding the feeling." I have experienced the rejection before. When people know that Tom Riddle is my family ... they run away in fear, curse my family and even walk away from us, as if sharing a blood bond makes us as evil as he is.

“And it’s not like that?” Molly asked with a hand on her neck. She didn’t want to be like the others and judge you without knowing the full story, just as she had promised Bill the night before that she would, but it was so difficult not to remember the death of his brothers by Voldemort’s hands and to pretend nothing had happened in the past. You sighed because the eggs you cracked on the bowl got mixed with their own shell “ I've heard of the Grants before, they're all Death Eaters, including your siblings!”

“It is difficult to have to choose a side  when you don’t have your own convictions”

"And you have it?"

You looked at Molly in pain. Of course you expected those reactions from Bill's mother, she was within her right to be upset that her oldest son never told her that he was in a relationship with a girl who seemed to have the most fucking powerful and evil wizard in the world as a great-uncle. No, Molly wasn't mad, she was deadly angry, she felt like she was bursting!

Her hands became fists and without knowing how, you found yourself between the wall and Molly's big arms from one second to the other. The pancake batter was forgotten, as was the woman's promise to treat her son's girlfriend in a good way.

"How is it possible ..." Molly questioned in an agitated voice, pressing your arms against the wall, "... that a single deer leaves the nature of its own herd?" How can you ensure that one rotten apple even in a gold container doesn’t rot the others?”Your breath caught at the questions of the woman in front of you. Once again, you were aware that your presence wouldn’t be good news to them, but at least you hoped they understood your motives before judging you “Explain to me, (Y/ N) Grant, when have you seen a pig away from his equals?”

Your words caught in your throat at Molly's fierce question. Bill had talked a lot about the temper of his mother. Even if she could be really grumpy at times, she was in general a very sweet, pleasant and maternal woman with everyone; however, you didn’t fit into that generality because it seemed that the woman was determined to kill you with her own hands.

"If my presence bothers you so much, then you shouldn't have let Bill and I to stay here."

“He's my son! All I want for him is to be happy, and that's why I don't understand what he managed to see in you”

"Maybe the same thing you saw in your husband." Molly's lips twitched in anger, but you didn't stop. You hoped that she would at least understand what your words meant, because that would make it easier for both of you to try at least get along better, even if Molly seemed not to want to do it under any circumstances. How is it that this haughty little girl dared to compare herself with her dear and wonderful husband? "I'm sorry, but I don't think this conversation is going to take us anywhere."

"If someone betrays his own family ..." Molly stopped you before you walked out the front door. The others got down the stairs, seeing the scandal formed in the kitchen “The rest of us can't expect too much, can we?

Your eyes blured.