Van Halen is back - with David Lee Roth

[Woochifer]

Looks like the reunion's really going to happen this time.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...-entertainment

[Dusty Chalk]

But he hasn't toured to support Strummin' with the Devil, on which he sings two tracks -- "Jump" and "Jamie's Cryin'", bluegrass style.

[Mr Peabody]

DC, were you being sarcastic? Diamond Dave blew through our town on his hillbilly tour. They actually played one of the tracks on the radio that Dave sang on, I thought it sucked.

I have mixed feelings on the reunion. On one hand, one of the original songs that was placed on the Van Halen's greatest hits album I thought was very good. On the other hand there has certainly been a lot of band drama laundried in the media over the years, on the last tour Eddie's playing received bad criticism and I don't care what a genius you might be I don't believe Wolfie can pick up a bass and be tour worthy in a matter of months. I'd bet on some finger syncing. I think this is a desperate attempt and I really hate to see one of Rock's best bands go out like this.

[ForeverAutumn]

Hmmmm. And this just after their big R&RHOF induction. Coincidence? I think not.

[Dusty Chalk]

I didn't know that he had actually toured that. Whoda thunkit?

[nobody]

It's not a value judgement, just a personal opinion thing...but, god do I hate Van Halen. I really don't know if there is another band out there that leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. Between Eddie's whiny guitar solos and David Lee Roth's spandex I don't know which is worse. I've never understood how these guys have so many fans.

[shokhead]

Same way i dont understand somebody likeBjork would have fans. They just do.Do you think DLR would still do the spandex?

[ForeverAutumn]

Do you think DLR would still do the spandex?

Oh god, I hope not!

[Swish]

It's not a value judgement, just a personal opinion thing...but, god do I hate Van Halen. I really don't know if there is another band out there that leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. Between Eddie's whiny guitar solos and David Lee Roth's spandex I don't know which is worse. I've never understood how these guys have so many fans.

They had a few good tunes in their early years (Hot For Teacher), but most of it makes me yawn while crap like "Jump" makes we wanna put a hatchet through the frickin' door. "Can you see me standing here I got my back against the record machine. Do you know what I mean?" Kill me now please.

Swish

[MindGoneHaywire]

They fit the bill of stereotypical heavy metal ridiculousness, but for me they actually do rise to the point of worthy listening. In fact, I have rediscovered them recently to an extent, and if anything, I like them better than I did when I first started buying their records 25+ years ago.

Only the David Lee Roth stuff; I never heard one song with the other guy that I thought was worth a crap, and there's plenty of crap to wade through even on the first 6, but most of those records are at least half full of good stuff.

I can fit all the U2 songs that I like onto one CDR. I can't say that with Van Halen, and that's a compliment.

I saw videos on You Tube of EVH doing Eruption. That's what, a minute and a half on the record? Several minutes on the videos. Unwatchable, unlistenable. But that minute & a half, silly as it seems, just works in a way that I'm not sure I can put into words. There were and have been so many hard rock/heavy metal guitarists who fiddled around with a few licks & were in outfits that turned out absolutely execrable music. But this guy had, difficult as it may be to believe, what is to my ears, a very good pop sensibility. Hell, I listen to Secrets off of Diver Down, and it's just gorgeous. The guy had a very interesting approach towards the guitar, beyond any of the hackers who spooted in similar musical waters, and that includes Slash so far as I'm concerned, and in spite of how much I enjoy Appetite For Destruction (that was Izzy's band, though, the way I see it). Now, I'm not much for guitar hero worship, but I think that EVH is one of the few names amongst the usual suspects, that's fawned over, who deserves the accolades.

I think the 'heavy metal' label isn't really accurate when it comes to them, but whatever you want to call them, there ain't much that's similar that I have any use for. Motorhead, AC/DC, GnR, very little else. But even those bands were way more blues-based in their song structures, and to me the further away you go from blues structures, as a generality, the less likely it is I'm going to dig the toons. But they hit, with DLR, more often than they missed, threw some fun covers into the mix, and had elements, like good vocal harmonies, that set them apart from other bands who were trying to do similar things. Meanwhile, there were moments when they did things that remind me a lot of the White Stripes, on Women & Children First in particular, I think...and that's saying something. And outside of the obvious obnoxiousness of the rock star posing, guitar cliches, and all that sort of crap, the worst thing I can say about that incarnation of the band is that the rhythm section was a little too in-yr-face.

The recs are solid. But, all that said, I always loathed their general fan base, and I can't imagine going to see them in their prime, let alone now. It just seems like a freakshow.

[tentoze]

It's not a value judgement, just a personal opinion thing...but, god do I hate Van Halen. I really don't know if there is another band out there that leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. Between Eddie's whiny guitar solos and David Lee Roth's spandex I don't know which is worse. I've never understood how these guys have so many fans.

Co-signed.

[Mr Peabody]

MGH, you sound like an old fart What Rock audience isn't a freak show? Hence, the Moshpit. VH is old enough to be White Stripes daddy, who sounds like who? I have to laugh when people talk like White Stripes, Jet & Wolfmother are the latest craze when they sound like they just flew out of the 70's. I just flew out of the 70's myself, so I equally enjoy Sammy. 5150 & OU812 were both good.

I have to agree that no matter how pathetic Eddie becomes his talent was a real force that set R&R on it's ear when VH hit. I also, feel Slash is over rated as a guitarist. What do I know though, I can crank most of the VH albums up all the way through.

[Dusty Chalk]

Unapologetically: I like them. I like their heavy metal posturing, I like their Beach Boys harmonies, I like their pop sensibility -infused songwriting. I like their rif***e, I like their solos, I like the doof-doof basslines.

The only thing I don't like is "Jump". I hate the fact that they're so in love with the sound of the synth, that they make a whole song out of it. I listen to synthpop, and I've heard better. Much better.

Maybe because it's been overplayed.

[shokhead]

They fit the bill of stereotypical heavy metal ridiculousness, but for me they actually do rise to the point of worthy listening. In fact, I have rediscovered them recently to an extent, and if anything, I like them better than I did when I first started buying their records 25+ years ago.

Only the David Lee Roth stuff; I never heard one song with the other guy that I thought was worth a crap, and there's plenty of crap to wade through even on the first 6, but most of those records are at least half full of good stuff.

I can fit all the U2 songs that I like onto one CDR. I can't say that with Van Halen, and that's a compliment.

I saw videos on You Tube of EVH doing Eruption. That's what, a minute and a half on the record? Several minutes on the videos. Unwatchable, unlistenable. But that minute & a half, silly as it seems, just works in a way that I'm not sure I can put into words. There were and have been so many hard rock/heavy metal guitarists who fiddled around with a few licks & were in outfits that turned out absolutely execrable music. But this guy had, difficult as it may be to believe, what is to my ears, a very good pop sensibility. Hell, I listen to Secrets off of Diver Down, and it's just gorgeous. The guy had a very interesting approach towards the guitar, beyond any of the hackers who spooted in similar musical waters, and that includes Slash so far as I'm concerned, and in spite of how much I enjoy Appetite For Destruction (that was Izzy's band, though, the way I see it). Now, I'm not much for guitar hero worship, but I think that EVH is one of the few names amongst the usual suspects, that's fawned over, who deserves the accolades.

I think the 'heavy metal' label isn't really accurate when it comes to them, but whatever you want to call them, there ain't much that's similar that I have any use for. Motorhead, AC/DC, GnR, very little else. But even those bands were way more blues-based in their song structures, and to me the further away you go from blues structures, as a generality, the less likely it is I'm going to dig the toons. But they hit, with DLR, more often than they missed, threw some fun covers into the mix, and had elements, like good vocal harmonies, that set them apart from other bands who were trying to do similar things. Meanwhile, there were moments when they did things that remind me a lot of the White Stripes, on Women & Children First in particular, I think...and that's saying something. And outside of the obvious obnoxiousness of the rock star posing, guitar cliches, and all that sort of crap, the worst thing I can say about that incarnation of the band is that the rhythm section was a little too in-yr-face.

The recs are solid. But, all that said, I always loathed their general fan base, and I can't imagine going to see them in their prime, let alone now. It just seems like a freakshow.

Wow! Thats some sour sh$t.

[Dusty Chalk]

I like their rif***e...

Was supposed to read: I like their riffage.

[BradH]

Unapologetically: I like them.

That's good that you're unapologetic. No one should apologize for liking some music. That's an attitude I can respect.

But, wow, they really suck. I'm talking black-hole-at-the-center-of-the-galaxy suck. Always did. Buncha phony Kiss 2.0 imposters, anyway.

Just keepin' it real.

[Mr Peabody]

Oh MAN!! I am laughing my @ss off. Keeping it real?? And you refer to Kiss?!

[MindGoneHaywire]

A few too many green M&Ms in this thread, or not enough brown ones, or whatever the hell that was all about.

Brad, I'm sure you've heard the stuff, but somehow I am compelled to cook up a VH comp.

They remind me ot the White Stripes on a few cuts, very few, but it was a resemblance I didn't remember & didn't expect. The White Stripes, who I've been listening to a lot over the past five years, as opposed to VH, who I haven't listened to all that much over the past 25 or so, until this past year. So, yeah, they remind me of the White Stripes, and I said it that way for a reason.

Thanks for the tip on the noo bands being derivative. I don't care. If they have good toons, so what. I'd rather hear something unoriginal that I like, than something original that I don't. I'll be sure to let my teenaged nephews know that before Jet there was AC/DC, and so on. But they'll hear the Saints, Radio Birdman, & the Hoodoo Gurus too if I have anything to say about it. In the meantime, the new sensations are new to them, and eventually they'll hear the originals. That someone thinks Jet is original doesn't bother me all that much. It's nice to know, but if a kid digs it, that's great & they don't need a rock history lesson. When the time comes they'll get one from me, that's for damned sure. But hell, I'm not even sure they like the Australian stuff. I do think they like Jet though. Don't know if they've heard Wolfmother. But I did turn them on to New Zealand's D4 a few years ago, though.

I don't think VH sucked with DLR overall, though at times they sure seemed to try (Jump, et al). I don't get the KISS-bashing (or GFR for that matter, though my appreciation of both of these is limited), but VH was light-years ahead in just about every category I can think of, more interesting, more fun. And then they imploded. The stories that came out after the US Festival involving some brouhaha with the Clash, including some pretty obnoxious rock star behavior, & the ultimate in rock snobbery....ugly stuff.

The people who embrace that are not the people I want to spend two hours in an arena with if I can avoid it, and I'm likely younger than most of the people who will comprise the audiences on this run (not that I care if someone thinks I'm an old fart...I don't feel old, anyway).

The songs hold up. The music was innovative, interesting, & works on many levels. I just have no desire to be anywhere near this tour. And I'd feel that way even if it didn't seem ill-conceived & destined to present some measure of logistical failure, at some point, most likely on the performance end.

Rock on.

[Dusty Chalk]

Buncha phony Kiss 2.0 imposters, anyway.

It might sound like Kiss to someone who hates rock'n'roll, but I hear differences, anyway.

[kexodusc]

I liked DLR Van Halen for what it was at the time - About as much as I liked Poison and Skid Row when I was younger. The difference is VH has more substance and isn't as silly to listen to today. It's hard/pop rock when I listen to it - I can't really call it metal - but whatever. Comparing them to Kiss or anyone else is just nonesense. Similarities exist between any two groups if you try hard enough, but that one's a stretch. Actually, I don't think Kiss could keep up musically with VH. I rank them right up there with Motley Crue - somewhere ahead of AC/DC and Cheap Trick, but behind Zeppelin and Judas Priest (as if Turbo Lover isn't the greatest rockin' tune ever!)

Didn't Eddie Van Halen come up with the riff for Michael Jackon's "Beat It"? That's wicked!

[Dusty Chalk]

I think that was Slash.

[Mr Peabody]

Dusty, in case that wasn't a joke, it was Eddie who played on Beat It.

[bobsticks]

Dusty, in case that wasn't a joke, it was Eddie who played on Beat It.

Yup, Eddie did Beat It and Slash did somethin' else...

...and who can forget ol' chrysanthemum-head himself, Stevie Stevens on Dirty Diana,

[BradH]

Oh MAN!! I am laughing my @ss off. Keeping it real?? And you refer to Kiss?!

I think VH was every bit as phony. Absolutely.

[Dusty Chalk]

Yeah, I have a hard time keeping track:

Slash: Black or White;
Steve Stevens: Smooth Criminal;
EVH: Beat It;
...apparently he's even had Carlos Santana play for him...