Van Halen help

[hefdaddy42]

Summer is not complete without Van Halen.

Absolutely! Let's get in the time machine and set it on 1981.

You can drop me off in 1886.

OK.. I'll be sure to pick you up on the way back!

[yeshaberto]

dance, dance, dance the night away

[YtseBitsySpider]

This thread should have inspired a Hagar vs. Roth poll already.

[yeshaberto]

no need, he already won many times over

[Ultimetalhead]

Damn, I haven't gone on my summer VH binge yet. Looks like that will have to happen very soon.

Also, Fair Warning is the undisputed champion Van Halen album. I still think the Hagar material was shit.

[Birch Boy]

I've only heard Van Halen and Balance, and they're both awesome. I like VH more because of all the classics that are on it (a noob would think that it's a greatest hits album, just by looking at the first four songs). I also have 1984, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, and Right Here, Right Now, but haven't gotten around to listening to them yet.

[j]

I'm not familiar with Van Halen, but obviously I know all of their singles very well and I have never liked any of them.  Does the rest of their material warrant further exploration given that premise?

-J

[KevShmev]

If you don't like any of their singles, then I probably wouldn't bother with the rest of their stuff.  Not saying all of their singles are their best songs, but I can't see someone not liking VH's most popular songs and then liking the more obscure ones.

And yep, Birch Boy, the debut does sound like a greatest hits record.  Over half of the songs on it are still regularly played on classic rock radio stations.

[Birch Boy]

It's pretty amazing what a strong debut album VH was. I don't know if another band has released a debut album with as many classics as Van Halen. Gun N' Roses' Appetite For Destruction had "Sweet Child O' Mine", "Paradise City", and "Welcome To The Jungle", but VH had at least four classics, maybe five depending on if you'd call it a classic or not.

[KevShmev]

Boston's debut trumps them all, as all eight songs are STILL played on the radio on a regular basis, 34 years later, but VH's would definitely not be far behind. 

[Birch Boy]

I've been meaning to get into Boston. So I guess as far as my music library, Van Halen has the best debut.

Also, any news on a tour soon? I've been hearing about a 2010 tour, but not anything official.

[Dublagent66]

VH w/DLR is good.  VH wo/DLR is not as good.

[KevShmev]

I've been meaning to get into Boston.

The debut is not only one of the best debut records ever, it is one of the best rock records ever.  Get it ASAP.

Also, any news on a tour soon? I've been hearing about a 2010 tour, but not anything official.

I haven't heard anything, but my interest level is nil.  EVH has turned the band into a joke, what with kicking Michael Anthony out for his son, and Roth is a shell of his former self, on pretty much every level.

VH w/DLR is good.  VH wo/DLR is not as good.

I think that is what most would say, but I wouldn't.  I like all eras of VH.

[hefdaddy42]

Also, any news on a tour soon? I've been hearing about a 2010 tour, but not anything official.

Don't know, don't care.  See Kev's post.  Van Halen without Michael Anthony is not Van Halen, it's just the traveling ego show.

[El Barto]

Also, any news on a tour soon? I've been hearing about a 2010 tour, but not anything official.

Don't know, don't care.  See Kev's post.  Van Halen without Michael Anthony is not Van Halen, it's just the traveling ego show.

You were wrong about Dave, but this is dead on. 

[Zook]

I'd recommend any of the Hagar albums because although I've never heard anything but the singles, I hate DLR with a passion. Van Halen is extremely overrated anyway.

[Ultimetalhead]

I saw Van Halen in 07, and they put on a hell of a show. It's confusing to me that someone would care so much about who's manning the bass in fucking Van Halen. The bass isn't even a remotely essential part of their music, let alone who's providing it. The kid can hold it down just as well as Anthony could, and I don't really miss the lack of his backing vocals. Just doesn't bother me I guess.

[WDADU]

I am one of the very, very, very few who thinks that the Sammy Hagar era Van Halen is better than David Lee Roth era Van Halen.

Balance all the way!

[KevShmev]

I saw Van Halen in 07, and they put on a hell of a show. It's confusing to me that someone would care so much about who's manning the bass in fucking Van Halen. The bass isn't even a remotely essential part of their music, let alone who's providing it. The kid can hold it down just as well as Anthony could, and I don't really miss the lack of his backing vocals. Just doesn't bother me I guess.

To me, it is a matter of principle.  EVH has shown himself to be a prick of the highest order, and he has gotten enough money from me already (own all 11 VH studio albums on CD, and have seen them three times, twice with Hagar and once with Cherone).  He isn't getting anymore, especially when he finally get Roth back in the band and then ruined the chance of the original VH touring by kicking Anthony out of the band out of spite and replacing him with his teenage kid. 

Balance all the way!

Damn good CD!  "Feelin'" and "The Seventh Seal" are two of the best VH songs ever..of any era. 

[El Barto]

I saw Van Halen in 07, and they put on a hell of a show. It's confusing to me that someone would care so much about who's manning the bass in fucking Van Halen. The bass isn't even a remotely essential part of their music, let alone who's providing it. The kid can hold it down just as well as Anthony could, and I don't really miss the lack of his backing vocals. Just doesn't bother me I guess.

To me, it is a matter of principle.  EVH has shown himself to be a prick of the highest order, and he has gotten enough money from me already (own all 11 VH studio albums on CD, and have seen them three times, twice with Hagar and once with Cherone).  He isn't getting anymore, especially when he finally get Roth back in the band and then ruined the chance of the original VH touring by kicking Anthony out of the band out of spite and replacing him with his teenage kid. 

Aside from all that, there's an image that's lost.  I have little respect for MA as a bass player, but he's essential to them still being Van Halen.  Lousy solos and hammering JD is frankly far more important in a Van Halen concert than actual bass playing ability. 

[KevShmev]

Good point.  With VH, the party on stage is a lot of the charm from a live standpoint.  With the current lineup (if you can consider them current or active), it is like the Van Halen family show with a front man whom they can't stand, but is there because he just happened to be their original singer.

Say what you want about Van Hagar, but they were always having a blast on stage.  Sadly, EVH held Anthony's friendship with Hagar against him, which is why he kicked him out of the band.  It really is laughable how Eddie Van Halen has pretty much made a mockery of his own band all on his own.

[Dream Team]

dance, dance, dance the night away

That song is a guilty pleasure of mine.

[cramx3]

I used to be a huge Van Halen fan.  Not that I dont like them anymore, I just don't listen to them as much as I used to.  While the DLR era produced consistentyl better albums than Van Hagar, 5150, F.U.C.K, and Balance are really really great albums.  Also, for anyone who thinks Van Hagar sucks, you really need to see them perform live.  Hagar is such a great performer and a much better vocalist than DLR.  To really compare both eras though is pretty tough considering they dont sound anything alike.  Also if Sammy Hagar is coming to your town, I sugest checking him out.  His solo songs are all the greatest (he does have a few really awesome songs though), but the guy knows how to put on a show.  I have both Van Halen DVDs (with Hagar), two Sammy Hagar solo DVDs, and Ive seen Van Halen with Hagar live and Ive seen Sammy Hagar solo live.

[Zydar]

dance, dance, dance the night away

That song is a guilty pleasure of mine.

Perhaps my favourite VH song.

[KevShmev]

Hagar definitely has some good solo stuff.  Nothing I would call ground-breaking or a must-have, but he has plenty of good old-fashioned hard rock songs.  The time to see Van Hagar was in the 90s.  They were seemingly on tour for years in the early to mid 90s (touring on FUCK, and then on Right Here, Right Now), and they always put on a good show.  I've seen Hagar solo a few times, too, and he is good in that role, too.  The guy knows how to work a crowd, especially here in St. Louis, where he is beloved like almost no there for some bizarre reason.

[cramx3]

Kev,

I know what you mean about Hagar being so loved.  He really has a large crowd of die hard fans who love him.  You really notice this by watching his DVDs and seeing all the stuff people through on stage.  I always saw him as kind of like a Jimmy Buffet of Rock'N'Roll.  That beach bum type of guy who has a lot of die hard fans.

[LCArenas]

Ah, Van Halen... It has been a while since the last time I heard them. Gonna hear some F.U.C.K., VHII and Fair Warning right now.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I "Summer Nights".

[hefdaddy42]

I saw Van Halen in 07, and they put on a hell of a show. It's confusing to me that someone would care so much about who's manning the bass in fucking Van Halen. The bass isn't even a remotely essential part of their music, let alone who's providing it. The kid can hold it down just as well as Anthony could, and I don't really miss the lack of his backing vocals. Just doesn't bother me I guess.

To me, it is a matter of principle.  EVH has shown himself to be a prick of the highest order, and he has gotten enough money from me already (own all 11 VH studio albums on CD, and have seen them three times, twice with Hagar and once with Cherone).  He isn't getting anymore, especially when he finally get Roth back in the band and then ruined the chance of the original VH touring by kicking Anthony out of the band out of spite and replacing him with his teenage kid. 

Aside from all that, there's an image that's lost.  I have little respect for MA as a bass player, but he's essential to them still being Van Halen.  Lousy solos and hammering JD is frankly far more important in a Van Halen concert than actual bass playing ability. 

True, but also, the background vocals cannot be ignored.  they have always been an essential part of the VH sound.

[hefdaddy42]

BTW, I just listened to Van Halen III this morning, for the first time in at least 10 years.  God, it was awful.  There were interesting things going on here and there, but overall, yuck.

[KevShmev]

  the background vocals cannot be ignored.  they have always been an essential part of the VH sound.

Very true.  Actually, I remember reading that on that last tour they did with Roth, they piped in the background vocals from the original VH albums, so it was like, "Yeah, we don't want Michael Anthony around anymore, but we are still gonna use his essential background vocals."  Lame.

BTW, I just listened to Van Halen III this morning, for the first time in at least 10 years.  God, it was awful.  There were interesting things going on here and there, but overall, yuck.

Boooo!  

But honestly, it hasn't aged that well for me, but I still think it is a solid CD.  I was pretty crazy over it when it first came out, but time hasn't been that kind to it.  But I still think that "Once" is one of their best songs ever, and there are three or four other very good VH songs on it.

[hefdaddy42]

I think the next time I do the Van Halen survivor, I will include III (I haven't the last two times).

[KevShmev]

The problem with III was that it was experimental.  A lot of VH fans were already gonna not like it because it had a singer that wasn't Roth or Hagar, but then they made it a bit too out there (by their standards), and boom, there came the backlash.  I mean, to be honest, the average VH fan doesn't want the band experimenting or trying to be different; they want them doing their usual fun, partying music.  III was not that.  Throw in a new singer, and it was easy to see why it flopped, generally speaking.

[hefdaddy42]

The problem with III was that it was experimental.  A lot of VH fans were already gonna not like it because it had a singer that wasn't Roth or Hagar, but then they made it a bit too out there (by their standards), and boom, there came the backlash.  I mean, to be honest, the average VH fan doesn't want the band experimenting or trying to be different; they want them doing their usual fun, partying music.  III was not that.  Throw in a new singer, and it was easy to see why it flopped, generally speaking.

I guess.  But then again, there is also the fact that it just isn't very good.  But it wasn't Cherone's fault.  I thought he sounded pretty good on it.  But it just felt weird.  I mean, the Hagar era definitely had a different feel than the DLR era, but it still sounded like Van Halen.  This doesn't.

[Birch Boy]

Aerosmith is playing near me in three places in August, but I can't find anyone to take me With all you guys talking about how good Sammy Hagar is live, I wanna go even more now because Sammy Hagar & The Wabos are opening. Now I have more motivation to find a ride, so hopefully I'll get there.