Sammy Hagar Claims New Van Halen Record Is 'All Old Stuff'

[cramx3]

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/sammy-hagar-claims-new-van-halen-record-is-all-old-stuff-20111121

He really tells ya how he feels, I always loved Sammy.

[BlobVanDam]

I love Sammy Hagar (and am a huge Van Hagar fan), but this doesn't sound like typical Sammy to me. He's always been a straight shooter, but this comes across as passive aggressive, when Sammy is usually such a laid back guy who doesn't speak crap about anyone.

Since he's a third party, he really doesn't have any inside info, so the title of that article is misleading, and false. He's wrong about the new album being old stuff. They listened to old demos as part of the writing process from what I've read, but nowhere is it said that they are simply reusing any of them or aren't writing new material.

I am extremely optimistic about the new VH album, as the few things VH have written since VH3 have been great. I love Hagar, but the Chickenfoot albums are just sterile and uninteresting, and I'm dying for some real VH.

[Orbert]

Since he's a third party, he really doesn't have any inside info, so the title of that article is misleading, and false.

This.  Typical Rolling Stone bullshit.

[rumborak]

I am extremely optimistic about the new VH album, as the few things VH have written since VH3 have been great.

I haven't been keeping up with Eddie, but I remember a friend of mine playing a soundtrack album by Eddie (for some semi-porn movie, IIRC), and it was really bad actually. I would love to hear some good stuff from him for sure, as he was THE guy who got me into guitar playing.

rumborak

[black_biff_stadler]

Nearly-shaven head: check
Very good at guitar: check
Got into guitar because of EVH: check

Rumborak is Tom Morello.

[BlobVanDam]

I am extremely optimistic about the new VH album, as the few things VH have written since VH3 have been great.

I haven't been keeping up with Eddie, but I remember a friend of mine playing a soundtrack album by Eddie (for some semi-porn movie, IIRC), and it was really bad actually. I would love to hear some good stuff from him for sure, as he was THE guy who got me into guitar playing.

rumborak

I've never heard of that, but I just checked into it. Not really the best situation to judge songwriting, although that's pretty funny.
Even though his recent live performances have been on the sloppy side, I think he's still got it in him to deliver in the studio. If they managed an album with the quality of the new tracks on The Best of Both Worlds compilation, I'd be more than happy, and I would think they've put more time into such an important studio album than for just a best of.

[hefdaddy42]

I love Sammy Hagar (and am a huge Van Hagar fan), but this doesn't sound like typical Sammy to me. He's always been a straight shooter, but this comes across as passive aggressive, when Sammy is usually such a laid back guy who doesn't speak crap about anyone.

Sorry, I didn't get anything passive/aggressive or negative in any way in that interview.

I am extremely optimistic about the new VH album

Can't imagine why, given their recent history.  But giving Michael Anthony the golden toe was the unforgivable sin, for me.  At one time VH was my favorite band, but Eddie's descent into lunacy over the last 20 years has made me lose all respect for him and the band.

At least I've got all the old music.

[BlobVanDam]

I love Sammy Hagar (and am a huge Van Hagar fan), but this doesn't sound like typical Sammy to me. He's always been a straight shooter, but this comes across as passive aggressive, when Sammy is usually such a laid back guy who doesn't speak crap about anyone.

Sorry, I didn't get anything passive/aggressive or negative in any way in that interview.

I am extremely optimistic about the new VH album

Can't imagine why, given their recent history.

Musically speaking, they've given me no reason not to be. Their most recent songs on TBOBW are great, from live clips and recent songs I know they're all capable of a good performance, and Eddie being a crazy douche makes no difference to me, aside from kicking out Michael Anthony. And as much as that sucks, and as much as I'll miss his great backup vocals, it won't detract from their ability to deliver a great VH album.

[hefdaddy42]

If you say so.

[BlobVanDam]

Hey, I wasn't trying to convince you to agree with me, just explaining my pov.

[King Postwhore]

I've also read online that they are old songs but hey, they haven't released any songs since 1998 so any song Eddie wrote in 1999 is old!

I kid!  I kid!

I did hear that they are old VH songs from the Dave era.  I will buy it.

[TAC]

At least I've got all the old music.

[cramx3]

I love Sammy Hagar (and am a huge Van Hagar fan), but this doesn't sound like typical Sammy to me. He's always been a straight shooter, but this comes across as passive aggressive, when Sammy is usually such a laid back guy who doesn't speak crap about anyone.

Sorry, I didn't get anything passive/aggressive or negative in any way in that interview.

I am extremely optimistic about the new VH album

Can't imagine why, given their recent history.  But giving Michael Anthony the golden toe was the unforgivable sin, for me.  At one time VH was my favorite band, but Eddie's descent into lunacy over the last 20 years has made me lose all respect for him and the band.

At least I've got all the old music.

I'm surprised you don't notice his passive aggressive and negativity toward VH. I think it stems a lot from what happened with Mike Anthony. That seemed to have really bothered him and I totally agree with it.

I'll definitely check out the album, but I can't say I'm highly anticipating it. I didn't think the new songs from TBOBW were that good. It's about time was a good song, that's about it.

[rumborak]

Yeah, it will be a "limbo" album for me, meaning I will not buy it unless I have heard stuff off it that convinces me.

rumborak

[El Barto]

I got a passive aggressive vibe.  That said,  none of it actually sounded like a problem to me.  If they are re-recording original DLR era material,  that would be fucking awesome.  And,  there are plenty of guitarists that right great guitar bits but can't write complete songs.  I certainly wouldn't hold that against EVH. 

[black_biff_stadler]

Just found this interesting and funny bit in the VH wiki:

Van Halen had a notable effect on the modern rock music tour with their use of the concert technical contract rider. They were one of the first bands to use contract riders to specify a "wish list", a practice now used throughout the music industry. Van Halen pioneered this because they had extensive requirements including power availability and stage construction details. The band's demands were not limited to technical issues; their now-infamous rider specified that a bowl of M&M's, with all of the brown M&M's removed, was to be placed in their dressing room.[58] According to David Lee Roth, this was listed in the technical portion of the contract not because the band wanted to make capricious demands of the venue, but rather as a test of whether the venue had actually read and honored the terms of the contract, as it contained other requirements involving legitimate safety concerns.[59]

On earlier tours, inadequate compliance by local organizers to the safety requirements of the rider had placed members of Van Halen's road crew in danger which was occasionally life-threatening. Because of these incidents, the band developed the M&M's demand as a means of checking whether the venue was properly honoring the terms of the contract to their satisfaction. Subsequently, if the bowl was missing, or if there were brown M&M's present, they had reason to suspect that the venue might not have honored legitimate technical and safety concerns within the contract. As a result, the band would be within their rights to inspect the technical side of the performance prior to going on stage, and/or request the venue redo their work properly

[Orbert]

I read an interview with David Lee Roth a while back where he explained that, and thought it was pretty interesting.  Many people had heard about the ridiculous demands that Van Halen had in their contracts, the most famous being the bowl of M&M's with brown ones removed, but everyone thought it was just self-indulgence and rockers doing it because they could.  When DLR explained that it was actually a test to see if they'd actually read the contracts, it made a lot of sense, actually.

He went on to cite an example where they'd been booked to play some basketball arena.  The floor was that semi-solid stuff that basketball courts are made of, or maybe it was the layer underneath, I don't remember.  Anyway, when they brought in their tons of equipment and started setting it all up, it began sinking into the floor.  That's when they decided they needed some kind of "trick" to see if the venue/promoter had actually read the contracts and complied with them, and came up with the brown M&M's clause.

[cramx3]

Yea I had definitely heard of the M&M stories, but like most, thought it was just crazy musicians being crazy musicians... well that actually sounds pretty smart and creative.