Van Halen tour cancelled, says Rolling Stone

[megoat]

DLR!

http://blogfiles.wfmu.org/DG/runnin_...0the_devil.mp3

[MegoMonk]

If Roth was so great, why did his solo career dies out so quickly? Was that Living in Paradise song he did any less MOR than Van Hagar? Otherwise, his 2 biggest hits were campy remakes of old songs, which were helped a lot by MTV airplay.
Part of the problem with the Van Hagar era was eddie's keyboards. On some songs the keyboards fit, on others they were just in the way. This trend started on the 1984 album. So, Sammy is not responsible for the cheesy keyboards.
Sammy was a better singer, but DLR was a better front man.

As far as the other two guys;
Alex kicks ***.
The bass playing on the first few VH albums was the worst in R&R history. I think they called the album "Van Halen 1" is because Michael anthony played
"1" note on the whole album. He got pretty good by the time Sammy came around. So, I was suprised that they kicked him out now.

[nvmbrsdoom5]

While it's obvious that Eddie influenced many MANY people, I don't think it's fair to dismiss Roth so easily, because he was also a tremendous influence on many bands and artists who came after him. Generally when people think of the archetypical rock frontman, they often think of people like Steven Tyler, or Robert Plant, or Axl Rose......and David Lee Roth. His voice might not be your cup of tea, or his antics, or whatever, but to try and debate his impact and influence is folly. I mean, I hate Michael Jackson but I can't sit here and try to argue or deny what an impact and influence he was on the music scene! lol

Personally my issue with the Van Hagar era was that the songs became a bit too watered down....and I don't even mean because of the keyboards, because I don't mind keys. I just preferred the bite and energy of songs like "Hot For Teacher", "On Fire", "Unchained", etc., over the stuff they did in the late '80s/early '90s. But I know that alot of people out there preferred that Hagar era stuff and found it more listenable. I don't begrudge that. Different strokes, different folks.

Anyhow, to be honest, whether you want Roth out front or you want Hagar, it winds up all being rather besides the point if Eddie can't keep his act together. He's an astounding talent but he's got so many problems, some out of his control and some of them by his own making. If he can't get healthy, physically and mentally, then VH aren't gonna last much longer. And while we all can debate and argue over other points, I think anyone here can agree that while VH can carry on with Roth, or with Hagar, or whomever else....VH cannot carry on without Ed.

[Hector]

Roth was the better frontman, Hagar the better rocker...end of story.

[huedell]

If Roth was so great, why did his solo career dies out so quickly? Was that Living in Paradise song he did any less MOR than Van Hagar? Otherwise, his 2 biggest hits were campy remakes of old songs, which were helped a lot by MTV airplay.
Part of the problem with the Van Hagar era was eddie's keyboards. On some songs the keyboards fit, on others they were just in the way. This trend started on the 1984 album. So, Sammy is not responsible for the cheesy keyboards.
Sammy was a better singer, but DLR was a better front man.

As far as the other two guys;
Alex kicks ***.
The bass playing on the first few VH albums was the worst in R&R history. I think they called the album "Van Halen 1" is because Michael anthony played
"1" note on the whole album. He got pretty good by the time Sammy came around. So, I was suprised that they kicked him out now.

Roth's solo career (for all purposes of what we're taling about here-- i.e.
filling stadiums etc.) died out around 1993 because with Vai and Sheehan
he made some unwise powerplay ego/business decisions that forced them outta
the band by 1990----when his new gunslinger guitarist was situated (JASON BECKER),
the guitarist suddenly feel under the grip of LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE
(This was about 1993) and Roth became so frustrated with the idea of "band
upkeep" it sent him in a tailspin out of the pop culture spotlight from which
he never really recovered... save for his brief flirtations with VH reunions and
his ill-fated radio show....that is, until this most recent reunion where
ROTH is now back where he belongs----in the band that he had a huge hand
in building

I have more reasons I could list...but I believe that the "band issues" thing
is the most important and most pertinent to this discussion----main reason
being that Roth shouldn't have been out of VH to begin with---they
both benefitted from the talents of each other (Dave and Ed) and when Roth
went solo it tainted his whole career---and he STILL put out a LOT of
successful material in spite of that....his first full length studio album is hailed
by MANY as a better "VAN HALEN" album than any album VAN HAGAR ever
created.

That "Living In Paradise" song is called JUST LIKE PARADISE and the reason
why ROTH can get away with that "cheesy" synth song and still have more
integrity than VAN HAGAR'S schlock is because---not only is PARADISE just a
great song to begin with----its a "party song" It's not "Love walkin' in"
its "you make me eat my heart out nightly"----it's not "Dreams are made
of..." its "She's got the stereo and big guitar" ----- the PARADISE tune
may be more "MOR" or whatever you're talking about style wise but the LYRICS
and attitude are pure ROTH regardless----and that's more
CLASSIC VAN HALEN than Eddie and Hagar could ever hope to be

Regarding Dave and his cover tune success-----Dave MADE those songs his
own---and Dave's charismatic value is so huge in the context of rock n roll
that, frankly, a song will never overshadow Dave----Dave will overshadow
the song---in my eyes he can record as many covers as he wants and I'm
not going to hold that against him.

And if you want to blame EDDIE and his KEYBOARDS for the lamness of
VAN HAGAR (instead of Hagar himself)...very good....I won't stop you....at
least we agree that its lame.

I WILL add however that if ROTH wrote lyrics and melodies with EDDIE
with EDDIE having the same intent----if they coulda worked thru it---
-it simply would have been edgier & more "VAN HALENY" music as a result--
--as it stood with Hagar doing the collaborating---the result was VAN HALEN LITE

And as far as the "other two guys"---they're cool enough---but when you're
talking "VAN HALEN magic"---all ya really need is ROTH and ED----
Mike Anthony----BTW----might have impressed you more as time went on
because as time went on ED got more pushy over Mike's basslines---and
even started recording some of them himself---so there's that.

[EMCE Hammer]

To be fair, there are some Spammy songs that have some bite. To me, they are just too few and far between. Humans Being - cool. When It's Love - get me a bucket.

I'm glad they patched things up for the sake of a tour, but I'll believe it when I see it that they can actually sit down and write songs together. The stuff from 96 was weak. CGTSNM was like a Roth B-side, and Me Wise Magic should have been a Hagar tune. I actually think Hagar would have ripped it up if he'd gotten a shot.

I've been up and down this debate a zillion times on the VH boards. At this point, I just hope Eddie's going to be OK.

[huedell]

As far as Hagar achieving something of original VH standard while in VH
---even a broken clock is right twice a day---(HUMANS BEING is a dang cool tune
actually, I agree...but ROTH could've done better in my opinion...and I'll always
present that opinion---as, again, I think ROTH and ED are a better songwriting team
than SAM and ED, period.)

Regarding the 1996 Roth-tunes, as far as I'm concerned what with what ROTH had to
battle with----
---the tunes turned out awesome----cause you know, if Ed had his way, the dude that
helps Bon Jovi and Aerosmith write their newer schlockier tunes (Desmond Child)
would've written Dave's parts and not Dave---and Dave had to fight for everything he
got inputwise during the 1996 session---unlike the old days when ED didn't
(i.e. COULDN'T) play "dictator" in VH and it was still ROTH's call on how to
proceed pretty much

At this point my hopes are that Eddie wises up and records an album with Roth--and ends
the VH legacy on a SOMEWHAT appropriate note----but the jurys' out on that

[Cosmicman]

Yeah...what Huedell said...