Stadler's Roulette, 2.0: Singles A's and B's: We have a Champeen!

[Lowdz]

Sent.
Not sure how Stads will go on these but I’ve sent anyway

[Evermind]

I'll send something in 24 hours.

[home]

Stadler said “Sammy”, Home said… nothing.

What... Nicky Spanjaards counts as nothing? 

[TAC]

Lethean, when I saw the theme of Roth vs Hagar, I honestly had no idea what to do.

But it's just a theme.

You could send two songs with the word Diamond in them.
You could send a band with the word Red in them.
You could send a band that had two singers.

My first thought was to find a musician that played with both, and send two songs by that person, but I couldn't find anyone.

I ended up going the band with two singers route. But the general breakdown of the debate is which do you prefer, the vocalist with style and character, or the vocalist that is more technically proficient. I was lucky enough to know a band that replaced their first singer who was a distinct character with a singer that that was techncally more talented.

I think Stadler was hoping that for example, whatever two songs someone sends, it would clearly tell him who they preferred in the DLR/Sammy debate. I think that's hard to convey, honestly.

[jingle.boy]

I considered the 'diamond' vs 'red' route too... sending a song/band that had a precious gem in the name, and a band/song that had a color in the name.  Honestly, there are numerous paths to matching the theme... and also the creativity point.  I went with Sieges Even / Subsignal because instead of 1 band with 2 different leading members, I went with 1 group of leading members with 2 different bands.

[Lethean]

TAC - that explains it very well. Thank you.

I guess I've always thought of them both as "characters" so that distinction didn't occur to me, but then I'm not a fan and didn't know that that was what the debate was.

[Elite]

I didn't do a singer change, but a whole-band-except-the-singer change. Thought that was quite a fun way to do this round. Unfortunately, in this case it doesn't work if that singer's voice puts you off.

[TAC]

TAC - that explains it very well. Thank you.

I guess I've always thought of them both as "characters" so that distinction didn't occur to me, but then I'm not a fan and didn't know that that was what the debate was.

Sammy is a character for sure. And there are plenty of people that prefer the Sammy era.

And I truly hate to sound like a dink, but I think if you could've experienced the DLR years in real time, it is easy to see that the Sammy years lacked so much character compared to the DLR years. The band really became neutered at that point.

[jingle.boy]

I always felt the DLR years were more sizzle than steak.  Not that the steak wasn't great, but the pomp and circumstance of Diamond Dave cast a bit of a shadow on the music.  The Van Hagar years were more just about straight-forward hard rock 'n' roll.

[TAC]

Van Hagar was b-o-r-i-n-g.

It was nice enough and there are plenty of cool songs, but the DLR era was spontaneous, fun, and interesting. What Eddie was doing on those albums was amazing. Even Alex's playing calmed down quite a bit. I just felt that they were musically a machine. They stood alone. After Sammy joined, they were just another band.

[romdrums]

[jingle.boy]

Van Hagar was b-o-r-i-n-g.

It was nice enough and there are plenty of cool songs, but the DLR era was spontaneous, fun, and interesting. What Eddie was doing on those albums was amazing. Even Alex's playing calmed down quite a bit. I just felt that they were musically a machine. They stood alone. After Sammy joined, they were just another band.

TASTES!!

[Crow]

van halen was always meh regardless of the era 

I don't listen to hard rock like them so ignore my opinion

[The Walrus]

Like I said in the recent Van Halen poll, I had to play the Van Halen songs I wasn't sure I knew, and sure enough they're all Van Hagar songs. Doesn't sound like Van Halen at all (in a bad way). As big a cornball as he is, Roth >>> Hagar for my taste.

[TAC]

van halen was always meh regardless of the era 

I don't listen to hard rock like them so ignore my opinion

Did you say something?

[Lethean]

I agree with the winner of my roulette.

[Crow]

To be fair most of the VH I do know comes from the guitar hero game which was all DLR if I remember correctly

Not one of the GH games I played that much, to be blunt

[TAC]

Is Guitar Hero still a thing?

[The Walrus]

I'm not even 30 and I feel old as hell reading 'most of the Van Halen I know comes from Guitar Hero' 

[Crow]

Is Guitar Hero still a thing?

nope this game is like 10 years old now lol

[Stadler]

Hate quoting myself, but this is for Lethean:

So.  I love roulettes, but the part where I have to tell someone a song they love or an idea they had doesn’t work is hard for me.  I well and truly believe my opinion doesn’t mean crap, and that it’ more important that someone be passionate about their music than whether I agree with it or not.  So the good thing is I can play “good cop” and have others play “bad cop”: 

Sending songs from 1985 should net zero creativity points.

Haha.  This was a good round, for the most part.  I’m going to keep the write-ups brief, in large part because I’ve already written on the “theme” part.  I decided to give the full one point in creativity to the submission that really hit home (plus one other that was very close), and a half a point to the ones that went beyond the obvious, and for the rest?  See above.  Couple songs tested my resolve, but I tried to have an open mind and find the good where I could.

The theme for that was "Stadler graduates high school".  I graduated in 1985.   Songs from 1985 did, in fact, net zero creativity points.    But someone blew the theme out of the water and, as he said, "went deep". 

Look, I generally try to value other people's opinions, and certainly, every single person in this roulette to be someone whose opinion I do value. Some of it is limited to music, because I don't know them well enough, but others, it's clear, there's a sort of bond.  So I want to give these guys something to dig into (to the degree they want to).  Some are, some aren't, and that's fine.   Look, great songs and just sticking to the theme will likely get you into the playoffs.  But if you want to go for the gold, there's an opportunity to do it.

Even though no one got the Sammy/Dave thing, there were still people that put a lot of thought and effort in, and I hope they had fun doing it, because it was certainly appreciated by me, and so even if you didn't get a ton of points, you can go to sleep at night knowing you made someone's day better than it would have been otherwise. 

[Lethean]

That's cool Stadler - and I got the part about people using creativity to try to interpret the different themes.  I was just wondering what that specific thing was that you had in mind for the Sammy/Dave thing - I was curious especially since I was participating in a way.  I think TAC explained that part pretty well for me (unless of course you think his explanation was wrong ). 

[Stadler]

That's cool Stadler - and I got the part about people using creativity to try to interpret the different themes.  I was just wondering what that specific thing was that you had in mind for the Sammy/Dave thing - I was curious especially since I was participating in a way.  I think TAC explained that part pretty well for me (unless of course you think his explanation was wrong ).

Nope, he nailed it. 

And for your benefit, not every round has that.   This one doesn't; though given my natural curiosity and genuine affection for many of the people in the roulette, it'd be a bonus to learn something, but I respect everyone's right - especially on the interwebs - to not be airing their dirty laundry in a poorly run (no, Stadler, it's not poorly run!) roulette. 

In the three playoff rounds, though, who knows!  Got to step up your game!

[TAC]

Van Hagar was b-o-r-i-n-g.

It was nice enough and there are plenty of cool songs, but the DLR era was spontaneous, fun, and interesting. What Eddie was doing on those albums was amazing. Even Alex's playing calmed down quite a bit. I just felt that they were musically a machine. They stood alone. After Sammy joined, they were just another band.

TASTES!!

I understand (not really) how someone might prefer the Sammy era. It's pretty safe and down the middle. But I would be truly shocked if any of those people were actually around for the DLR era.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Van Hagar was b-o-r-i-n-g.

It was nice enough and there are plenty of cool songs, but the DLR era was spontaneous, fun, and interesting. What Eddie was doing on those albums was amazing. Even Alex's playing calmed down quite a bit. I just felt that they were musically a machine. They stood alone. After Sammy joined, they were just another band.

TASTES!!

I understand (not really) how someone might prefer the Sammy era. It's pretty safe and down the middle. But I would be truly shocked if any of those people were actually around for the DLR era.

I prefer the Sammy era, and I was indeed not around during the DLR era.

[Lethean]

Van Hagar was b-o-r-i-n-g.

It was nice enough and there are plenty of cool songs, but the DLR era was spontaneous, fun, and interesting. What Eddie was doing on those albums was amazing. Even Alex's playing calmed down quite a bit. I just felt that they were musically a machine. They stood alone. After Sammy joined, they were just another band.

TASTES!!

I understand (not really) how someone might prefer the Sammy era. It's pretty safe and down the middle. But I would be truly shocked if any of those people were actually around for the DLR era.

I prefer the Sammy era, and I was indeed not around during the DLR era.

Wasn't jingle?  And Indiscipline? 

[jingle.boy]

I'm 4 years TAC's junior.  I caught the tail end of DLR era. Initially, I thought Van Hagar was a dud and toast, but then when I started really listening to that version of VH after OU812, I just found the writing to be more ... intelligent?  I dunno, I just felt the DLR era had a lot of laziness.  Too many covers (2 on Diver Down), some totally uneventful tunes (Happy Trails), and more than a few duds.  I just thought song-for-song, the Hagar era was far more consistent.  Didn't have the highs/hits of the Roth era, but there aren't many songs of the Hagar albums that I don't like.  There's lots from Roth era that I couldn't give 2 shits about.

[TAC]

I'm 4 years TAC's junior.

Really? You look pretty rough for 30!

[King Postwhore]

I'm 4 years TAC's junior.

Really? You look pretty rough for 30!

Your cell phone case on your belt gives your age away.

[TAC]

I'd put it in my front pocket but there's um...no room.


I hate having shit in my pockets. My wallet is literally a 1/2 inch thick.

[wolfking]

My wallet is the opposite and I have to hold it or get my girlfriend to carry it in her bag.

[TAC]

 

[Stadler]

I'm 4 years TAC's junior.  I caught the tail end of DLR era. Initially, I thought Van Hagar was a dud and toast, but then when I started really listening to that version of VH after OU812, I just found the writing to be more ... intelligent?  I dunno, I just felt the DLR era had a lot of laziness.  Too many covers (2 on Diver Down), some totally uneventful tunes (Happy Trails), and more than a few duds.  I just thought song-for-song, the Hagar era was far more consistent.  Didn't have the highs/hits of the Roth era, but there aren't many songs of the Hagar albums that I don't like.  There's lots from Roth era that I couldn't give 2 shits about.

But here's why TAC is right as rain:  in real time, it wasn't "lazy" it was cool as shit. Get in, kick ass, and get out.   I don't think I was at a party my senior year or freshman year of college that didn't have SOME Van Halen on at some point.  "Have you seen Junior's grades?" sounds dopey now, but it was cool as crap then.  We even had, during a "talent show", a band come out and mime to two Van Halen songs for no other reason than the "singer" could do the split thing, and he and the light guy did the whole "C'mon Dave, gimme a break"... "One break, comin' up!" thing.   

Ozzy and Rush were guy bands.  Def Leppard and Bon Jovi were more... female friendly.   There wasn't a guy in my high school that didn't think Ozzy, Bruce or Rob would kick Jon (no one spelled it with no 'h' then) and/or Joe's ass.    VH was almost unique in that they appealed to BOTH.   Chicks wanted to be with Diamond Dave, and guys wanted to BE Diamond Dave.   I get it though; Dave is a little like a pineapple; sweet as wine when fresh, but goes stale quick and isn't good when soggy and brown.

[The Walrus]

Can confirm. One band my parents 100% agree on is Van Halen. 

[TAC]

Seriously who didn't have one of these scribbled on the brown bag text book cover?