“I think of all the education that I missed
But then, my homework was never quite like this!”
I came across this piece of school work tucked away in a scrapbook of many concert reviews over the years! I wrote this back in Februrary/1981 when I was in Grade 8!
Now, if you have been following this blog for any amount of time you all know how much of gamechanger of Van Halen’s Woman & Children First was in my world when I purchased it back in January/81!
Less than a month later I composed this quick little writeup which is hilarious as I had no idea how much partying VH did which I guess I should have picked up on especially since I cut and pasted that top picture of there rehearsal studio that looks like the ultimate party shack! Is that a great shot or what…!
So here it is in my own word’s a quick little history of Van Halen.
Enjoy!
Seriously I think this is the best thing I have ever written!
Half Arsed Rock Reviews 
B+ Derek.
Have a good weekend and remember to be on time Monday morning for a change.
Your teacher
Mr. Boppin.
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I’ll try and report on time Mr. Boppin!
HAHA
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Hell I didn’t actually know Michael Anthony was born in Chicago!
Dude, how is that you kept this? THIS IS A TREASURE.
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Well,my younger sister and brother are 8 and 10 years younger than me and by the time they got to Grade 8 they had the teacher that I had in Grade 8. Mr. Camlin (teacher) who gave this to my sister when she reached Grade 8! It blew my mind that it survived and that Mr. Camlin had held onto it! haha..
So when I saw it this morning I was like…
The world needs to see this! haha
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WOW…that is a cool story. Rock history right there. Well researched with impeccable handwriting.
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Sue just said the same thing! As I got older the handwriting got sloppier!
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Mine too, I don’t even write in cursive anymore. People can’t read my notes. I was lucky that in grade 6 or so, my dad got a computer so I was able to do stuff and print it. And then the teacher forbade me from using a spell checker and said I had to do it myself. So I said “OK” and continued to use the spell checker!
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At work, I’ll sometimes make notes and then look at them the next day and go “Whut?”. It’s sloppy but back in the day I could rock a page and a half of Halen and make it look respectable!
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I remember grade school writing. A buddy and I got into fountain ink pens and calligraphy for a bit.
My writing looked good for a while.
Then high school I said screw it and went to printing.
Hah.
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I’m bad about that now. I half print/half write now all the time!
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Diver Down was the first album I bought with my own money in 1982. So VH had a big impact on us around the same age.
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That’s awesome Bop! I like hearing stories from others on how certain albums impacted listening habits that we still have decades later!
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I an probably the only person in the world that calls Diver Down their favourite VH record. It’s all for sentimental reasons.
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Nothing wrong that brother! Any of those Roth Halen albums you cannot go wrong!
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This is grade A + stuff Man. Go to the top of the class
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HAHA…thanks Man! I must have done alright as the teacher didn’t toss it out and years later gave it to my sister!
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That is some fabulous penmanship Deke – I love these old handwritten gems!
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I was waiting for your comment, Geoff! Pretty amazing that it’s that old and still in decent shape.
VH should use it in there next promo package when they put together there next tour!
haha.
I’ll let em use it for free!
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and although it looks like it was written in pen (rather than pencil), i’m delighted you found somethin’ to write on!
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HA!
Well played! 100% and in ink!
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Yes interesting home work
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Solid report! Grade 8 Deke putting us all to shame!
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Yeah I fluked with this one
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