Van Halen: You Really Got Me

Here is a respectful and spirited cover of the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me.” David Lee Roth looks exceptionally fit in his cartoon-like performance. The guitar solos are downright naughty and as sexy as Roth’s body movements. The bratty scream, originally heard on the Kinks’ original, is aped perfectly when the chord moves up a step and they belt out beautifully, “Oh Yeeeeeeaaaahhhhh.!” The Kinks pronounced the word “me” in “…you really got me” in two syllables, something like “mayuh.” Van Halen chooses the “mee” pronounciation. Rufus Wainwright, to the annoyance of a few, loves to pronounce “me” like “may” when he sings. Clearly, “may” projects better, but does sound a bit weird.