Van Halen tour cancelled, says Rolling Stone

[huedell]

AW---There was no way that the first VAN HALEN album would be able to be
done justice to comparatively in follow-ups----it was just too groundbreaking for
anything that followed it to be more than footnotes-----so your post is well-taken--
-to me any way

With that being said...1984 was a solid attempt to do as such

1984----was INDEED a departure for VH and quite groundbreaking in that hard rock bands
weren't known for adding synths to their formula at that point in time-----
but soon afterwards----many other bands did it and it became a staple of the late-mid
80s hard rock----to be used (& abused!)

Unfortunately for guys like you & I (there are alot of us!) that was the beginning
of the end of the edginess of VH----- and of that genre in general,

---however while Roth was THERE he put his stamp of primalness on even the
most "candy" "poppified" VH stuff----and when Roth left VH, it was like taking a
big stain outta your favorite worn-in pants----and what you're left with are pants
that look right off the assembly line-
---truly the end of the pioneering, forefront of party hard rock bands: VAN HALEN

After that (with Sammy) they were VAN HALEN in name only.

[theantiquetiger]

After that (with Sammy) they were VAN HALEN in name only.

Eddie was (is) Van Halen, no matter who the front man is. He is the talent and brains behind the band.

If you compare Roth's solo career and Hager's solo career, there is no comparison. Hager is alot more talented, making "Van Hager" a better band than Roth's Van Halen. The earlier music may have been better than the mid-80's stuff, but the band was better with Hager.

I think this is one of the reasons Eddie separated himself from Roth.

[Goblin19]

I gotta agree with Huedell. After Roth, Van Halen became just another band, losing their edge. I also think they were the founders of the party rock that dominated the 80's (for better or worse).

[Cosmicman]

Maybe your definition of "talent" is based off some kinda AMERICAN IDOL type
sterileness? I dunno----but thems' some pretty big words to say about the man
that along with Ed helped lead VH thru 6 multi-platinum albums and established a
band so that Hagar could have something to build his "older & safer" VH off of
----oh yeah---Roth also helped VH establish---not only the band----but basically
created the whole party hard rock genre...

Hagar (one "g") era VH might as well be 80s Journey or Bad English
or some other vanilla middle of the road schlock---and while that may be
passable music in some circles (hey I love me some "Open Arms") --- its like
nails on a chalkboard for the fans of the ROTH lineup(s) who appreciate the
VAN HALEN band for the vibe it was built on which was 97% Roth, 97% Ed
and two percent the other guys (fawning over Mikey's angellic backing vox
withstanding----take it down a notch already---its just some high backing
vocals for cripes' sake)

If Roth ever exits VH again it'll be one of the worst travesties in rock history
just as it was the few times before (if you count 1996 and the times in the
early 2000s when they tried to make it work)

Loving "Hagar VH" and hating "Roth VH" is like loving an apple tree for this
seasons' leaves and hating the apples----you can do that---it just doesn't
make much sense

Oh---and---by the way---

I agree---Internet misinformation is a bad thing.

I've heard this may be cancelled too---but as fas as I know---there's no
confirmation yet

Rock on kids.

Thank you for beating me to the punch. I was getting ready to rip into this guy until I saw how you handled it.

For someone to say they liked the Hagar lineup over David Lee Roth's version is like saying you'd rather listen to a Monkees record over The Beatles.

[EMCE Hammer]

Eddie was (is) Van Halen, no matter who the front man is. He is the talent and brains behind the band.

If you compare Roth's solo career and Hager's solo career, there is no comparison. Hager is alot more talented, making "Van Hager" a better band than Roth's Van Halen. The earlier music may have been better than the mid-80's stuff, but the band was better with Hager.

I think this is one of the reasons Eddie separated himself from Roth.

I've always thought you're a good guy, antiquetiger, but your post above makes me suspect that you are suffering from the effects of repainting too many Hotwheels in an unventilated space:-). I respect Sammy, but his solo catalog is utterly forgettable. Take away 'I can't drive 55' and it gets weak in a hurry. DLR is arguably the best frontman ever, certainly top 5. Hagar can't even sniff that. Solid guy; average material with VH. Almost none of it had any bite compared to the Roth stuff.

[huedell]

Eddie was (is) Van Halen, no matter who the front man is. He is the talent and brains behind the band.

If you compare Roth's solo career and Hager's solo career, there is no comparison. Hager is alot more talented, making "Van Hager" a better band than Roth's Van Halen. The earlier music may have been better than the mid-80's stuff, but the band was better with Hager.

I think this is one of the reasons Eddie separated himself from Roth.

Roth QUIT Van Halen...Eddie did not "seperate" himself from Roth

And ROTH quit because Eddie (Mr. Brains) stopped working on the new VH album

antique---with all respect, you do not know of which you speak----
ROTH (not Eddie) wrote all the lyrics and melodies to classic VH---

ROTH (not Eddie) was the one who convinced the early VH lineup
to play further from their desired style---aping BLACK SABBATH sludgey vibe,
to a more danceable musically melodic sound that defined VH

ROTH (not Eddie) was the one who designed merch (T-shirts, program
booklets, etc.) along with album covers to give the right tone to VH's
specific vibe

ROTH (not Eddie) creatively plotted and directed VH videos breaking
ground for the whole music video industry as he did so.

ROTH even affected Eddier's overall tone early on by convincing Ed to play
with a richer sound (eventually known as the "brown sound") as to not "scare
away the women" with uncomfortable tones and pitches Eddie was used
to showing off his talents with

As far what you're saying about Hagar making the band more talented---
and that making them a better band? That's the flimsiest argument
for the superiority of Van Hagar I can imagine---- this ain't
an AMERICAN IDOL perfection rating system contest----its rock n roll

VAN HALEN with ROTH used to be one of the best rock bands of all time---
with HAGAR---as MIke so eloquently said earlier----they were forgettable
-----just one in a million riding of the past glories that ROTH was so
instrumental in helping and GUIDING Eddie to build

[Mikey]

There will come a day,
When youth will pass away,
What will they say about me?
When the end comes I know I was just a gigolo,
Life goes on without me

[Adam West]

I guess for me the difference is apparent if you buy Van Halen's "Best of Both Worlds". The songs flip back and forth between David Lee Roth and Hagar and I constantly find myself skipping past the Hagar Van Halen songs to listen to the classics when Roth was around.

[Mikey]

One of my fav Van Halen songs of all time was/is Running With The Devil ...........

I heard Halen-1 (the album) for the first time back in high school and thought is was the coolest song ever......
Actually, I thought Halen-1 itself was the coolest album ever.

When Roth left a few years later and they got Hagar, I just scoffed and totally forgot about them.

I'm sure a younger generation loves Sammy because he's THEIR guy from their generation --- and that's totally cool .......

But I can't think of anyone who went through the Roth years--- RIGHT FROM THE START--- who doesn't think Roth is THE MAN.

Eddie himself, I think is a bit over-rated.....
He plays killer guitar, but if it wasn't for Roth, I don't think Eddie would have went far to begin with.

[Meule]

You guys are letting yourselves get suckered in by theantiquetiger, he's just playing you like fools. He's done it before and he's doing it again

[theantiquetiger]

You guys are letting yourselves get suckered in by theantiquetiger, he's just playing you like fools. He's done it before and he's doing it again

No, I replied 2nd in this topic stating I like Hager's Van Halen better. All I got to say, Roth's Van Halen - zero #1 albums, Hager's Van Halen - all four albums #1, so there are alot of closet Hager VH fans.

I do like Roth's VH, but I think the music, & the vocals (not lyrics) are better. I feel it is better music. (I am not talking merchandise, videos, promoting)

Now, I will add, that "Running with the Devil" is my favorite song by them.

[huedell]

Why is it about album sales?

Album sales are very much based on fads and trends.

The important thing involved in this debate is LONGEVITY

What you don't understand antique is that regardless of who had more #1 albums---
you will hear at least DOUBLE the amount of Roth-era VH on classic rock radio across
the country compared to Van Hagar...also note that a VH tour with ROTH will outsell a
VAN HAGAR tour EVERY TIME from now on (and most likely would have since the
mid-90s)...

Why?

Because a HUGE chunk of Hagar fans----they're not "in the closet"----they are GONE---
Van Hagar was a PASSING thing----VAN HALEN-----"ROTH" VAN HALEN is the REAL thing.

And the fact that you believe that the Van Hagar music is of higher quality---fine---you
and I have a different way of judging quality music...and we can leave it at that

But remember---SOLO ACTS' NUMBERS ASIDE----the "Roth in VH" fan base (and
appreciation) has been steadily GROWING since 1997 or so----while the VAN HAGAR
fanbase has been steadily shrinking.

[thunderbolt]

No, I replied 2nd in this topic stating I like Hager's Van Halen better. All I got to say, Roth's Van Halen - zero #1 albums, Hager's Van Halen - all four albums #1, so there are alot of closet Hager VH fans.

I do like Roth's VH, but I think the music, & the vocals (not lyrics) are better. I feel it is better music. (I am not talking merchandise, videos, promoting)

Now, I will add, that "Running with the Devil" is my favorite song by them.

So you equate talent with record sales? Seems like I've heard this before somewhere. It was a discussion about Billy Joel. Four number one albums just means there a LOT of dumbasses out there that like the MOTR schmaltz that Van Hagar churned out.

[Zemo]

There is no doubt that VH became a tame watered down sound with Hagar at the front. I just saw them on Valentines Day in Orlando and they blew the friggin roof off the Amway Arena.

D.O.A & Atomic Punk baby! Nuff said

[Mikey]

Van Halen's like Doctor Who and James Bond ......

Every few years their lead man regenerates