Being In Van Halen Was ‘Intimidating’ Says Gary Cherone

[katie]

When Extreme singer Gary Cherone joined Van Halen in 1996, most people assumed it would be a marriage made in hell. And y’know what? It was!

After a failed reunion with David Lee Roth, Van Halen made just one album with Cherone: the ill-fated Van Halen III. Cherone discussed his tortured time in Van halen in a recent interview with KNAC.

Highlights follow:

Q: What did you learn or take away from your experience, with regards to being in Van Halen?

Cherone: Well, looking back on the three years I spent with Van Halen I guess, if I had to do it all over again I think I would have preferred to tour with them and then put out a record… it would have been a better idea to establish myself first and then hit the studio with the band. At the time it may have looked odd on paper but it actually worked live! I made a concerted effort to do the old Van Halen tunes that Sammy was not doing. I wanted to do the deep cuts… as a live act we did songs their fans had not heard in years! I don’t, however, think we made a great record. I think there were some great ideas and some little gems but it was not a great record. I had fun but at times it was like being a stranger in a strange land.

Q: How intimidating was it to be in the band?

Cherone: It was very intimidating. Most of the time the criticism just rolled off my back, but if I had a bad night or my throat hurt… sometimes it would get to me but what are you gonna do? I will say, each night when we came into town I would hear the radio DJs take their shots at me and the band, but at the end of most of the shows the same DJs would be backstage and almost apologise to me or at the very least admit that the show was way better than they had originally thought.

Link - Classic Rock » Blog Archive » Being In Van Halen Was ‘Intimidating’ Says Gary Cherone (http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/being-in-van-halen-was-intimidating-says-gary-cherone/)

[Panamark]

Even Cheronie reckons VHIII is shit, classic ! :)

[Terry]

Van Halen 3 WAS a pretty fucking miserable record.

Weak songs, inane lyrics and it is probably the worst sounding (in terms of production) studio effort the band turned out after Dave left...although 5150 didn't sound all that hot, either.

[heartbreaker]

Van Halen 3 wasn't a good album at all and yes, I was one of the radio DJs trashing that album when I hosted my heavy metal show in Buffalo, NY in the late 90's.

HOWEVER....

I still stand by the opinion that VH3 is a better album than Balance!

[Nickdfresh]

Van Halen 3 wasn't a good album at all and yes, I was one of the radio DJs trashing that album when I hosted my heavy metal show in Buffalo, NY in the late 90's.


Which show?

[Nickdfresh]

They definitely didn't "make a great record." I do think "Without You" is one of the best post-Dave songs though...

I still wanted to kick my TV in when I watched the pansy-Ice castle video though - after what happened on MTV in 1996, they hired Gary. Fucking Ed and Al...

[DaveTheScott]

That's the only record I don't own. Haven't downloaded it. Haven't even listened to it even half way through. With Gary pretty much admitting it's a shit album, my mind's made up. I'll save my $3.99 for a long lost Stryper album. Same fucking thing.

[DavidLeeNatra]

gary who?

[damngoodtimes]

Gary's right. The live show was much better than the shitty tours they did with Sammy. The album had a few moments, but was a bit of a mess.

I very much prefer the Gary version to the Sam version.

[Golden AWe]

I think "Fire in the hole" is a good song and Van Cherone live was much better than Van Hagar.

[Vinnie Velvet]

They definitely didn't "make a great record." I do think "Without You" is one of the best post-Dave songs though...

I still wanted to kick my TV in when I watched the pansy-Ice castle video though - after what happened on MTV in 1996, they hired Gary. Fucking Ed and Al...


I concur.

What Ed and Al did in 1996 and then to release a turd like VH3 in '98 was so much worse than dumping Mike for Wolf. It still burns me when I think about "what could've been" and then what was.

[indeedido]

I don't like anything about VH III. Not the music not the vocal/lyrics, nothing. It is a horrible, horrible album. I couldn't believe there was not one decent musical note on that album. And Ed's tone was bad, real bad. Yawn, gag, snore.

[davehagarfan]

Van Halen 3 WAS a pretty fucking miserable record.

Weak songs, inane lyrics and it is probably the worst sounding (in terms of production) studio effort the band turned out after Dave left...although 5150 didn't sound all that hot, either.


I didn't mind the production so much on 3. I just thought the direction was too contrived. Ed had really lost his way in terms of what made VH so great in the first place and what we as fans liked about them. I like the cover concept of 3 and the circus, big top vibe of the live show but aside from a couple songs it's a real p.o.s. The DLR Band cd was such a breath of fresh air at the time and having to listen to Ed cry like a pussy in the press over having to "deal" with Roth and Hagar all those years.

That Howard Stern interview the band did at the time was just lunacy. Ed came off like a complete tool.

[binnie]

You see, Cherone understands his place in the grand scheme of things - why can't Hagar.

Ga y understood that he was a hired hand, that the fans wanted to hear Dave-era stuff that Spam wouldn't play, and that he had an impossible task. It takes some balls to admit that, and I respect him for it even though I've never been a fan of his vocals...

[davehagarfan]

You see, Cherone understands his place in the grand scheme of things - why can't Hagar.

Ga y understood that he was a hired hand, that the fans wanted to hear Dave-era stuff that Spam wouldn't play, and that he had an impossible task. It takes some balls to admit that, and I respect him for it even though I've never been a fan of his vocals...

First off Hagar wasn't a hired hand like Cherone was....


Hagar and The Sister's take on it for that matter was if you want to hear Dave go buy a ticket and see Dave....

It was equally as ballsy for Hagar even if it was petty.....to not play alot of Dave material. Which is where alot of resentment has built up towards Hagar with some fans.

I think Ed truly felt the CVH material wasn't that great back then. I don't think Ed had a fucking clue just how great it was and had the attitude that this new stuff he was doing at the time....5150 was a cut above the old Roth material. I think he was too insecure and started to believe the people that had been whispering in his ear for literally years about how Roth was a liability and a weak link. Ed believed all the bullshit

[negative]

I actually kind of like three songs on the album, Without You, One I Want and Fire in the Hole. Trouble is, the rest of the songs on the album are so bad it makes OU812 sound like Fair Warning... How Many Say I is possibly the worst song ever recorded. The album sounds like shit too, very muddy in my ears. Cherone's voice is pretty bad as well.

[heartbreaker]

Which show?

I hosted the Metal Show on WBNY 91.3 FM from 1997-99. It was Saturday nights at midnight.

[Seshmeister]

How Many Say I is possibly the worst song ever recorded.

But I think it probably crosses the line of being so fucking bad it's funny.

It brought me more pleasure than any Van Hagar song ever has. The Stern show when he let Roth hear it was very very funny...

[Nickdfresh]

I hosted the Metal Show on WBNY 91.3 FM from 1997-99. It was Saturday nights at midnight.

Buff State? :hitch:

I filled in there once or twice meself. But I was a terrible DJ...

[Seshmeister]

First off Hagar wasn't a hired hand like Cherone was....


No he was never his soul brother. Did Eddie ever promise to take up the tuba if Van Hagar split up? He did take up the pink oboe for a while right enough... :)




Hagar and The Sister's take on it for that matter was if you want to hear Dave go buy a ticket and see Dave....


Usually followed by a bunch of really pathetic schoolgirl sneering and bitching...

[Nickdfresh]

But I think it probably crosses the line of being so fucking bad it's funny.

It brought me more pleasure than any Van Hagar song ever has. The Stern show when he let Roth hear it was very very funny...

I alternate between nausea, laughter, and the urge to jam a fucking screwdriver into my ear drums...

I had never imagined Ed's voice that bad after the backing vocals on the six pack - which makes me have more respect for Anthony...

[WARF]

As miserable as Van Halen III was... it was still much better than anything Van Hagar did!

[Viking]

With the exception of Fire In The Hole, VD III blew dead bear. I think Ed must have been cleaning out the "What the fuck is this noise?" outtakes from his tape vault one evening, threw them down next to the console, and Mike Post came by the next day thinking they were the finished product. :monekyr:

[letsrock]

That's the only record I don't own. Haven't downloaded it. Haven't even listened to it even half way through. With Gary pretty much admitting it's a shit album, my mind's made up. I'll save my $3.99 for a long lost Stryper album. Same fucking thing.

They sell for about .05 cents now a days.

[BITEYOASS]

Note: In order to keep my head from exploding I will refer to the Gary/Edward mutation as [THAT ALBUM].

WTF?!?! Is it will all of you giving even the slightest praise for [THAT ALBUM]?!?! I attempted to listen to [THAT ALBUM] AND IT WAS FUCKIN HORRIBLE!!!!!

And don't even mention that song in which an inebriated Edward attempts to sing.

[heartbreaker]

Buff State? :hitch:

I filled in there once or twice meself. But I was a terrible DJ...

Yup. Buffalo State College.

I actually had a decent following of listeners there...much to my surprise! Probably because I played more hard rock/heavy metal music (uncensored) in Buffalo than anyone else at the time and did less talking on the air. And I NEVER talked over the song!

Besides, the closest thing to metal on the radio in 1997 was Marilyn Manson, "Load" era Metallica, and KORN. Nobody could hear Motley Crue, Motorhead or DLR solo cuts (like "Shyboy" and "Big Train") on the radio at all back then. One itme I even played the entire "Eat 'Em and Smile" album all the way through on the air (nonstop).

I only recorded myself on the air a few times, but on those tapes I thought I was AWFUL! If I were to do it over today, I'd be A LOT better.

I'm sure DLR would say the same about his own radio show as well.

[heartbreaker]

As miserable as Van Halen III was... it was still much better than anything Van Hagar did!

I wouldn't go THAT far...

I think that 5150 and F.U.C.K. are good albums.

Hell, I'll take "Humans Being" over most, if not all of VH3.

[Bandit02tn]

They can take VHlll and the hat :biggrin::rolleye0018: Eddie was wearing and burn it. I listened to it one time and tossed it. It was an embarassment calling it VH lll

[Terry]

As miserable as Van Halen III was... it was still much better than anything Van Hagar did!


I'd say it was different...but equally bad in its own way.

[indeedido]

I think Ed must have been cleaning out the "What the fuck is this noise?" outtakes from his tape vault one evening, threw them down next to the console, and Mike Post came by the next day thinking they were the finished product. :monekyr:

I hope to all that is Holy that THAT ain't the 10 albums in the can kind of material floating around in 5150 studio. :barf:

[lesfunk]

Is it true that "Fire in the Hole" is about Gary's piles?:mad0233: