Diamond Dave still a true gem Diamond Dave still a true gem Land of the free, home of the Dave Remembering 1996 — From welcome back ... to 1-800-See-Ya By Dave Clark Driving down the highway making the journey from Point A to Point B a familiar voice helps guide me home. In between the new songs by Creed and Days of the New — don't ask me which one is which — there's a raspy growl that pushes me to drive a little faster. "PANAMA! PAN-A-MA-HuH!" It's the song that has serviced a million road-trips and almost made me flunk my driver's education test (I started paying more attention to the singer than the teacher). I look down and I realize I'm flyin' at 20 miles per hour over the speed limit, wind blowing through my hair on the way to "Panama" via Memory Lane. Through the ups-and-downs of my own life, David Lee Roth still remains my spiritual cheerleader. I'm seeing a lot of Dave this week on VH-1 and MTV. One station's video timeline of Van Halen takes us to the beginning, the wild-eyed glory days through the band's extremely boring present. Another program features a mix of VH songs with classic live bits featuring Dave at his very best. On MTV it's video award time again. Their usually static mix of teen-oriented shows and brand spankin' new videos by bands-I-couldn't-give-a-shit-less-about is suddenly forsaken for award show specials and "favorite moment" programs. Comedian Dennis Miller takes the snotty, English boys in Oasis to task after a predictably shitty performance at the 1996 Video Music Awards. Oasis reminded us why the world needed a Van Halen in 1978 and why we need one now in 1999. As the host that year a suprized Miller, after 10 years of Sammy Hagar jokes, then introduces the suddenly mighty Van Halen with Diamond Dave in tow. We all know how this story ends, but for just a moment, basking in a final standing ovation together, four Pasadena boys are again united arms around each other as they did at the end of each incredible concert. Like a Phoenix coming out of the ashes they were triumphant and glorious. For the first time in just over a decade the picture of Van Halen I saw on TV matched the one in my head. On that night comedian Chris Rock was one of the many members of the audience who had risen to their feet, cheering the fellas on. The magic was back. No sight since Pamela Anderson's volleyball-sized boobs had inspired an entire generation of former and current juvenile delinquents to jump-up out of their seats unanimously and cry "Fuck yeah!" to the heavens. Rock remarked sometime after there there were no cool white guys in rock anymore. His example of a cool white guy? David Lee, of course. He knows. We knew. Why didn't they? Upon closer inspection it's easy to see that forces beyond Dave's control had been set into motion long before they took the stage. The forced grin on Eddie's face, the nervous on-stage laughter of Alex Van Halen. Only Mike and Dave looked as if they were living in the moment, runnin' with the devil once again. In retrospect that reunion was something too magical to expect, too magnificent to last more than two songs. A few days later, chaos. An open letter from Dave. The dream is dead, Part 2. As I watched clips following the debacle I saw Edward and Alex Van Halen struggling to explain Dave's second exit from the band. They throw some heavy insults his way and when asked for a response, Roth is nowhere to be found. I think back to when I had interviewed Dave just two years before. "People see me up there smiling, having a good time and that's fine. But underneath that smile — I'm playing to win." His retort came in the form of the biggest celebration of bombast and uninhibited Daveness in half a decade. It was his latest and greatest, the self-titled "David Lee Roth Band" c.d. with Bettie Page pouting forth. Next to Van Halen's first effort with the man that replaced him, Roth's songs sparkled with the humor and energy we expect from him. Slam dunk? Unquestionably. Finally this summer Dave took to the stage this summer with a boisterous cry... "Are you ready to r-r-r-r-rumble!?!" Sure are. Been waiting for you big daddy. He lights up the sky with 60 minutes of the best music anyone has ever committed to tape. I was there. I know the truth. There's still no bigger voice in rock'n' roll than David Lee Roth. Sure he's one of rock's most celebrated personalities, but the guy can sing his ass off too. After three years I look back on the MTV Awards with a changed perspective. Would he have lasted with the Halens? Never. He's grown beyond them and has continued to write songs that can only be described by using Roth's own definition — Big Rock. Given the current climate it's easy to see why Dave's gone the independent route. Would we accept a tattooed Masta D or Snoop Doggy Dave raging in some dark room, piercings here, there and everywhere? Hardly. In a climate where negativism reigns, Diamond Dave is still chasing that rainbow, the one that leads to the place we all want to go; with a drink in our hands, our toes in the sand, and a beautiful girl. Roth is gearing up for a second assault on our eyes, ears and ethics right now, later this year. My advice? Hitch a ride. Roth has found something just like Paradise before and I think he's still got the map. I just hope we all still have the guts to follow him there. One thing is for sure, it's always a Hell of a ride. I can't wait to sign up. Clark is a newspaper reporter in Michigan, a former juvenile delinquent and a DLR fan forever. 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