The Official Hard Rock / Classic Metal Music Discussion and Memorabilia Thread!

[bl5150]

Boy it is hard to separate those better VH albums.

My initial reaction was to tie FW and 1984 as well but I decided to try and be decisive 

[BlobVanDam]

Boy it is hard to separate those better VH albums.

My initial reaction was to tie FW and 1984 as well but I decided to try and be decisive 

I tried, but it's hard for me to compare them. On one hand, FW is a consistent album of hard rockers, with some of the best deep cuts of any VH album. 1984 has a couple of clunkers for me, and it's a shorter album, but the best songs are among my favourite songs of all time, so it's a bit more over the map for me.

[bl5150]

I know  ........................   I had multiple ties in the Best Of years and tbh when I did my Top 50 albums and was deciding on which VH album to feature I think I had 1984 at second in line.

If you get a chance (and want to) ,let us know your top 10 songs too.

[wolfking]

Forgot about this which has slipped under the radar.  Blackwelder with Ralf Scheepers.  Listening to a few tracks, pretty safe power metal, but solid enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI4jpEtFDqc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiLa3x7v8Ds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLaLkt4exAY

[bl5150]

Forgot about this which has slipped under the radar.  Blackwelder with Ralf Scheepers.  Listening to a few tracks, pretty safe power metal, but solid enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI4jpEtFDqc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiLa3x7v8Ds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLaLkt4exAY

There's too many of these half assed "super groups"/project bands around and the quality reflects that .......Empires of Eden is another with Scheepers.  Blackwelder is the better from the little I've heard.

The new Pyramaze will be interesting.  I've heard a couple of tracks and it's good but it has that mega loud production as usual and a very definite "modern metal" edge that I wasn't expecting.  I'll be interested to see how it's received here.

[wolfking]

I had a listen to a couple of those Empire of Eden tracks and yeah agree, pretty generic and safe.  Decent enough but nothing new or refreshing. 

I'm interested in that Pyramaze too, it sounds promising.  I thought it was out already, must have been thinking of something else.

[jjrock88]

DLR albums

1) Fair Warning
2) VH1
3) VH2
4) 1984
5) ADKOT
6) Women & Children First
7) DD

Songs

1) I'll Wait
2) Unchained
3) Ain't Talking About Love
4) On Fire
5) Atomic Punk
6) Light Up the Sky
7) Outta Love Again
8) Somebody Get me a Doctor
9) Cradle Will Rock
10) Panama

[bl5150]

That's interesting jj............a key song at #1.  Some VH fans seem to take great pride in saying that Jump and I'll Wait  are some sort of disgrace to the band's name and so forth.  I totally disagree and actually with One Foot Out The Door I suppose I have their first significant key track (depends if you count the guitar /key combo of Cradle).  Dat solo 

Cool to see more love for Light Up The sky and On Fire........and Outta Love Again.

Nice list.

[BlobVanDam]

That's interesting jj............a key song at #1.  Some VH fans seem to take great pride in saying that Jump and I'll Wait  are some sort of disgrace to the band's name and so forth.  I totally disagree and actually with One Foot Out The Door I suppose I have their first significant key track (depends if you count the guitar /key combo of Cradle).  Dat solo 

If I were to make a list, Jump would very likely be my #1. I also dig the synth, and don't think those songs deserve the hate. Jump still rocks for a song that's mostly keyboards.

[bl5150]

I used to drive people nuts  as a little fella (yes , I've been doing that for a long time) rewinding Jump to the start of the solo section over and over and saying "Check this out...........that's the same guy playing the guitar and key solos  "   

[BlobVanDam]

I used to drive people nuts  as a little fella (yes , I've been doing that for a long time) rewinding Jump to the start of the solo section and saying "Check this out...........that's the same guy playing the guitar and key solos  "   

Fun key solo to play too. One of the few songs I can fully play on keyboard.

I just tried to make my top 10 of the DLR era, and that is damn hard. I could just as easily have made a top 10 with 10 completely different songs, and still have been happy with it. In no particular order at all, here's what I came up with-

Jump
Unchained
Panama
Hot for Teacher
Somebody Get Me a Doctor
Jamie's Crying
Sinner's Swing
Mean Street
Dancing in the Street
She's the Woman

[bl5150]

I could just as easily have made a top 10 with 10 completely different songs, and still have been happy with it.

Yeah - there's probably only 3 or 4 untouchables in my list.  We had Mean Street in common too 

Interesting to see the Dancing In The Street cover..........I considered You Really Got Me very carefully myself.

Ed's pissed to this day that he was talked into using that Moog riff for a cover version.   The solo in that is classic Ed too.   It's not really flashy but it's got that classic cheeky vibe to it - he talks to me more in that diving harmonic at the start of it than most guitarists do in a career.

[BlobVanDam]

I could just as easily have made a top 10 with 10 completely different songs, and still have been happy with it.

Yeah - there's probably only 3 or 4 untouchables in my list.  We had Mean Street in common too 

Interesting to see Dancing In The Street ..........I considered You Really Got Me very carefully myself.

Ed's pissed to this day that he was talked into using that keyboard riff for a cover version.   The solo in that is classic Ed.   It's not really flashy but it's got that classic cheeky vibe to it - he talks more to me in that diving harmonic at the start of it than most guitarists do in a career.

For most bands I wouldn't give covers a thought, but VH always managed to put their own unique take on them, especially in the case of the non-rock stuff.
That keyboard riff is a large part of the groove for that song that I love, so I'm glad it got stuck in there. That combined with the drum pattern and the funky bass makes it a song that's always fun to listen to.

I'd say the top 3 or 4 songs I listed are the sure things, the rest I could change my mind on, because there are so many other strong contenders. I only listed one song from VH1, so that gives you some idea of how tough it was to cut songs.

[jjrock88]

Van Halen is a band that I wonder about, if the original line up had stuck together all these years, what kind of output they would have done.

I could never fully get in DLR solo or Van Hagar

That Blackwelder is solid

[TAC]

Album Ranking:

1. Van Halen
2. Fair Warning
3.1984
4. Van Halen 2
5 Diver Down
6 Women and Children First
7 A Different Kind Of Truth


As far as songs go I tend to go for some deep cuts .  Choosing 10 songs is almost impossible for me where this band is concerned but here's my attempt.   Apologies to just about everything else.

Top Ten Songs

Light Up The Sky
On Fire
Atomic Punk
Little Guitars
Secrets
One Foot Out The Door
Mean Street
Romeo Delight
Girl Gone Bad
Ain't Talkin 'Bout Love

I go:

1. Van Halen
2. Fair Warning
3. Women And Children First
4. Van Halen II
5. 1984
6. A Different Kind Of Truth
7. Diver Down

Top 10 tracks:
Light Up The Sky
Atomic Punk
On Fire
I'm The One
In A Simple Rhyme
Fools
So This Is Love
The Full Bug
Unchained
Honeybabysweetiedoll

[jjrock88]

Honeybabysweetiedoll is a great tune!

[TAC]

Honeybabysweetiedoll is a great tune!

No doubt.

I remember the first time I heard the album I looked at that song title and thought WTF?
Then I got hit by a freight train.

[TAC]

DLR albums

1) Fair Warning

Songs

1) I'll Wait
2) Unchained
3) Ain't Talking About Love
4) On Fire
5) Atomic Punk
6) Light Up the Sky
7) Outta Love Again
8) Somebody Get me a Doctor
9) Cradle Will Rock
10) Panama

Just seeing this now.
That's an interesting pick for #1, JJ.

Loving the love for Atomic Punk and Light Up The Sky, two of my favorites as well.

[jjrock88]

I've always found "I'll Wait" to be one of the catchiest songs I've ever heard, not just from VH. Excellent song

[TAC]

I've always found "I'll Wait" to be one of the catchiest songs I've ever heard, not just from VH. Excellent song

It's the last VH song I'd expect to see on YOUR list.

[jjrock88]

There isn't one song from the DLR era that I don't enjoy

[bl5150]

I've always found "I'll Wait" to be one of the catchiest songs I've ever heard, not just from VH. Excellent song

It's the last VH song I'd expect to see on YOUR list.

In A Simple Rhyme is one of the last I would've expected on yours     But yeah - I'm like JJ .....I pretty much like them all.

I like your list too Tim and obviously at the very top we're pretty much the same for albums and songs.  Fools is one I didn't expect to see either .  I used to love playing that as a kid - "I'm and sick and tired of golden rulessssssa" 

So This Is Love, I'm The One, The Full Bug and Unchained were all very close to my Top Ten.


Today's shirt is a very well loved 1979 tour shirt . I normally wouldn't wear a shirt of this vintage so heavily but I have a mint one in one of those frames I posted a while back , so what the hell.

[jjrock88]

That shirt looks very worn/loved

[TAC]

In A Simple Rhyme is one of the last I would've expected on yours     But yeah - I'm like JJ .....I pretty much like them all.

I like your list too Tim and obviously at the very top we're pretty much the same for albums and songs.  Fools is one I didn't expect to see either .  I used to love playing that as a kid - "I'm and sick and tired of golden rulessssssa" 

So This Is Love, I'm The One, The Full Bug and Unchained were all very close to my Top Ten.

I've always loved In A Simple Rhyme.
Love the line:
"Ain't life grand when you finally hit it"...

And Fools is so badass.

[TAC]

Are you F'n kidding me?
https://bravewords.com/news/kiss-meets-scooby-doo-blu-ray-dvd-artwork-revealed

[jjrock88]

Oh good more money for Gene

[bl5150]

I may be the only old fart around getting his 7 yo son into KISS but he would love that     And it has to be better than most of the kid flicks I sit through .

[Lowdz]

I may be the only old fart around getting his 7 yo son into KISS but he would love that     And it has to be better than most of the kid flicks I sit through .

Heard about this a few months ago. My kids can't wait.

[Lowdz]

I've always found "I'll Wait" to be one of the catchiest songs I've ever heard, not just from VH. Excellent song

It's the last VH song I'd expect to see on YOUR list.

I love this song.

[wolfking]

That's probably one of the smartest things I've seen to introduce an entire new generation into your music.

[TAC]

IIRC, didn't Gene lend his voice in the original Scooby Doo series?

[King Postwhore]

Scooby Doo- "Ru Ro!"

Gene- "Well all right".

[bl5150]

New Satriani album Shockwave Supernova due 24th July - features Marco Minnemann and Mike Keneally.

Today's shirt



I just started a bit of a wardrobe tidy (the missus will be happy with DTF for that) and the good news is I won't even need to dip into my collection in storage to make it through the 2 VH weeks 

I stumbled onto something interesting while I was there - I'm not sure if this is  or        This is a self designed/made shirt that I took to a local printer. I couldn't get many VH shirts locally so I decided I'd do it myself.   I'm guessing it was done when I was around 14 yo (so 1988) and I've used a play on words from Ain't Talkin' Bout Love .  I didn't notice until a while later that they'd stuffed up the spelling on "Talkin'" 

[jjrock88]

How many rock shirts do you have in total Brent? And how many VH?

[bl5150]

How many rock shirts do you have in total Brent? And how many VH?

I'll get back to you     We'll see how long I can keep this going without doubling up.

A big guess would be 100-110  shirts - of those I have 15-20 Van Halen in my wardrobe and another 6 in frames + at least another 15-20 vintage ones in storage.  Then there's the jackets etc...I have posted.

The only bands where I reckon I could fill out their Top 10 week with shirts would be VH, KISS, and maybe Savatage.  Like TAC plenty have been thrown out over the years but I have managed to hang on to most of my faves despite badgering to "create room"