Printable View
Wolfgang Van Halen Signs Deal With Explorer1 Music Group for Solo Album
"...he's in "the final stages" of recording with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette at
Van Halen's 5150 Studios in California. "
https://www.billboard.com/articles/b...xplorer1-music
I don’t deny Wolfgang has talent. The problem is he has no stage magic. He has no charisma. Probably the best thing he could do if he hasn’t already is to learn music theory and how to compose music. He could write music scores. I don’t think he’s going to go anywhere as a performer.
What Wolfgang probably will end up being is a trust fund baby. Plenty of those and a lot of them are artists. Some very good actually.
People used to say the same thing about Paul Rodgers but he's done alright for himself. If Wolfie hooked up with an awesome guitarist and drummer like Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart he could be the next Geddy Lee. Maybe he could talk Ed and Alex into being his back up band.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nitro Express
Ed's fat kid has a DEAL!
Paul Rodgers does alright when he surrounds himself with good musicians, but he can't seem to keep a band together very long. Think "Free" was around 5 or 6 years. About the same with the original run of Bad Company. Less than that with all of their reunion tours combined. Only lasted two albums with Kristy's favorite guitar player in "The Firm" and made one record and two tours with the remains of Queen (though it was certainly better than the joke they have become with the reality show twat Lambert).Quote:
Originally Posted by cadaverdog
Think Paul still lives in the Seattle area (when not touring) and plays the local casinos on occasion with a band made up of less famous musicians from Cascadia. Got a bootleg somewhere of a session he recorded in Bob Rivers's garage back when Bob was putting out the Twisted Xmas albums and inviting all kinds of musicians to play gigs at his house.
I believe fat shaming is still acceptable here!Quote:
Originally Posted by Nickdfresh
Quote:
Originally Posted by silverfish
Funny to think that at his age his dad had just released 1984 from the same studio...
Seems like the sons of famous musicians can find initial success, but usually it's short lived. Julian Lennon put out two albums which sounded like a carbon copy of his dad, at a time when the whole world was still mourning John's assassination. Then on his third record, he quit trying to sing like his dad and instead tried to sound like 80's era David Bowie, and we didn't hear much from Julian after that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nitro Express
Jakob Dylan had a big hit with his band the Wallflowers. Ironically it sounded more like Bruce Springsteen than Bob Dylan. I think the Wallflowers are still touring, but they haven't had any other hits that I'm aware of.
Hank Williams Jr actually found success by refusing to copy his father... and then lost it by being a racist douchebag, but that could have happened to any racist douchebag (and should!)
Lisa Marie Presley had a brief recording career, but it didn't really get her anywhere so then she went into the Scientology cult and gave a big chunk of The King's money to Evil Lord Xenu & his pal Davy the Cabbage (or whatever that fucking idiot's name is)
So the odds aren't really in Wolf's favor for lasting success. Maybe that's why he's taken a Tom Scholz/Axl Rose period of time to put out this damned record? I'll certainly give it a fair listen when it comes out... but I'll probably download a pirate copy first. Not gonna buy it if it sucks. :biggrin:
Stage talent and charisma can be learned... maybe he inherited his mom’s acting genes?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nitro Express
First he needs to learn how to work...
Basically along the lines of what FORD and ZahZoo said.
Most of the kids of famous musicians don't really end up measuring up to what their parents did when they go into that same field. You get the odd exceptions here and there, but generally the rule is not so much.
And Wolfgang has been handed everything by way of his father. It wasn't a case of Wolfgang slugging it out in clubs with a band who were performing their own material. He ended up doing a competent enough job in Van Halen: far as the touring went he got better with each subsequent tour. However, it never seemed the case to me that even with that said what Wolfgang was bringing to the band was all that exceptional, or was anything beyond what any other professional rock bass player could have, or made one say "wow, clearly talent and ability are genetic!"
Wolfgang was there because he was Ed's kid and because Ed liked playing with his kid. Nothing malicious in terms of intent by saying that. It's just a matter of fact.
I'd be willing to give what Wolfgang comes up with a fair listen as well, though truth be told the kind of modern rock Wolfgang likes outside of Van Halen isn't really stuff that does much for me, so if his material sounds along those lines I tend to doubt that's gonna do much for me, either.
Yeah but that takes work, I doubt Wolfie has that work ethic as he is obese and would never be allowed in any touring band if his last name wasn't Van Halen...Quote:
Originally Posted by ZahZoo
Naw. Arron Spelling called it stardust. Not everyone has it. Wolf doesn’t have it. Sure you can improve your star power with work. Even if Wolf lost all the weight and made himself look better it ain’t happening. He probably already has signs of heart disease and even diabetes. He’s been overweight his whole life. What Wolfe will be is a trust fund kid with some musical skills. I saw him play live. He was no Michael Anthony but he didn’t suck either but lot’s of great musicians out there who have to get a day job.Quote:
Originally Posted by ZahZoo
Yup. It’s a hard business. Hard to break in and hard to keep it going. You have to keep coming up with good material or you are a one hit wonder and the public are fickle. The next big fad might pull the rug out from under you. Most people who go into show business will have to transition out of it. Very few make a life long career of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by FORD
What makes you say that?Quote:
Originally Posted by twonabomber
I refuse to let this place fall victim to the PC brigade.Quote:
Originally Posted by cadaverdog
That, and I'm not fat any more so I am enjoying shitting on people who are :D
Not being a dick isn't the same as being PC.Quote:
Originally Posted by twonabomber
Sound about right for this place.Quote:
Originally Posted by twonabomber
Tori Van Halen?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nitro Express
If the kids last name wasn't VH, He'd probably have a hard time getting a job answering Emails for Explorer 1 music, never mind anything else. I realize he'll never hurt for money to live. but I can't help wondering it the kid has other interests he'd been better at, but his father pushed him into play guitar (either by example, or otherwise). By, and large kids of very successful musician are never that hungry/talented, and tend to be entitled besides having a last name that opens doors..
[QUOTE=Seshmeister;1942406]Tori Van Halen?
Beverly Hills 5150
Who knows. I really don’t know how proficient Wolfie’s music skills are. I have a high school buddy who produces music scores and has done really well. My wife’s nephew did the band thing for awhile and then became a sound engineer. He’s made enough to buy a new home. Wolfie might be able to make a living in music but not at the level his dad did. Oh well. At least he’s not a train wreak riddled with drug addiction. His obesity will bite him on the ass though. Diabetes is the biggest killer in the US now and people who have been inactive and fat their whole lives rarely lose the weight and shape up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Igosplut
He can play an instrument no doubt but can he write a good song which really does not always mean you can compose. You see all these little kids playing classical master works but seldom do any have actual composing skills. Knowing how to use big words in a sentence does not mean you can write a good story. Honing natural skill means you have great craft, but you have to be able to create which is what defines being an artist... there are lots of brilliant song writers who cannot play half as good as him
The best I can tell is that he's a solid bassist and probably rips guitar. But writing? Who knows? I'm sure he can get work and beer money as a studio musician if nothing else, not for the money but just to keep his retirement stash topped off. Fronting a band is a different world...
Lazy, bloated sacks of protoplasm that they doubtless are.Quote:
Originally Posted by twonabomber
"I'm not fat! I have problems with my glands!!"
Yeah, yeah. Put down the fucking potato chip bag and run those "glands" around the fucking block, Tubbo.
You know what irks the fuck out of me? Going to the supermarket and seeing seriously overweight people (at least 50 lbs or more) in their oversized motorized carts that take up more than half the aisle puttering around and reaching up with their Nifty Nabbers to get another bag of Fatty Salty Crispies or Crispy Salty Fattys snack packs.
Honestly, America has become a fat nation. Fat and stupid. And these people are happy to be both. Proud of their ignorance, with no self-discipline in terms of their eating habits. Just countless numbers of citizens who have said "fuck it".
DUDEQuote:
Originally Posted by Terry
I saw that guy at the store today. He's in the motorized cart with the big ass basket on the front, and he's got FOUR packs of the tall Pepsi bottles on the plastic hanger laced around the outside of the basket. I'm thinking damn, that's why you're in that thing in the first place. And I could be wrong, but that's what it looks like. Didn't look at the rest of the cart, I was trying to get out of there.
There's an older guy that shows up to my gym around 3 am. Heavy guy, got braces on both knees. But he gets on that treadmill and he's up there for more than 45 minutes. I'm sure the doc told him "you gotta do SOMETHING." Better than a lot of people are doing.
Now...have I done everything the right way? No. Had I gone into it full hardcore I would have lost more weight in less time, but I was trying to keep some sense of normalcy. A bunch of small changes, no converting to a crazy diet. Guys at work will get pizza and say "oh, you can't eat that!" and that's not the case. I just don't eat the whole pizza in an hour any more :D
Truth be told?Quote:
Originally Posted by twonabomber
I could stand to lose 25 pounds.
It doesn't give me any sense of superiority to see these obese people grocery shopping, loading up their baskets with flat-out junk food (sodas, chips, ice creams, etc.).
It's just...what the fuck? Over the last 20 years, I've seen more and more middle-aged people doing this. Bad enough when these people are pushing their carts around doing it: when you're unable to walk and are using a motorized scooter and a grabber to grocery shop...I dunno, maybe junk food is working against you at that point(?)...however you arrived at that point, or whatever the circumstances were that brought you to that point?
That guy at your gym who shows up early? Hey, fuck me, you're right: that guy is trying. May be too late for him, but he hasn't thrown in the towel yet. He's going down with a fight.
Gluttony, combined with laziness and a lack of self-control? How understanding am I supposed to be about that stuff? I'm not pointing at these people and publicly shaming them. They're free to do what they want. They're free to expect me not to point at them and publicly shame them. They're not free to expect me not to mentally consider them willfully ignorant.
It's like, fuck, man...if you're gonna kill yourself, do it quick and bypass the slow suicide via Twinkie.
I don't pay attention to the morons in the food section... What's chaps my hide is never finding decent skirt steak for making fajitas!!
I hear that Van Halen kid is putting out an album...
I heard that, too...Quote:
Originally Posted by ZahZoo
On a more important note, let me know how that skirt steak fajita quest turns out.
I was down 40 in September, back up 10 from there because I go to the gym and look at the recumbent bike and go "eh..." I haven't been doing much cardio, I want to ride outside. Couple weeks back on the bike outside and I'll be good. The little cardio I am doing, I am only 22 seconds off pace so it's not too bad. Can only watch so much local news and HGTV while riding inside...Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry
My friend is snottier about heavy people than I am. I am more "if I could do it, anyone can."
I go up and down about 10-15 lbs every year. I've been hovering at the same range - about 25 lbs above what a doctor would say was my ideal weight - for a decade.Quote:
Originally Posted by twonabomber
I get a slightly more than fair amount of exercise on a consistent basis year after year. For me, mostly it's my diet. Erratic in that I'll binge on some junk stuff here and there, then do a few weeks of fish/rice/veg. Plus, in the winter I find it difficult to keep as hydrated as I do in the summer.
At least I'm not tubby like Wolfgang Van Halen. Hey, had you heard he has a solo album deal? His first release will be mostly comprised of 30 second snippets he submitted unsolicited to McDonald's in hopes of them being used for background music in Big Mac commercials...
So this is how Wolfie's record contract thread turned into a weight watchers meeting...
:D
Well to be fair the people discussing it are about 20 years older than Wolfgang and have to work for a living rather than being a multi millionaire rock musician.
Yeah. If I had that kind of free time and unlimited resources...
He's been working on this thing for how long?
And with Val being on Jenny Craig maybe it's one of those meetings instead of Fat Oprah's Weight Watchers :D
I think it's a bit...off to even call Wolfgang's future record a "solo" album. Dunno if he is labelling it as such, but...well, without 100% recall of his entire discography off the top of my head, hasn't his recorded output been basically limited to the ADKOT album? Half of which was re-recording 35 year old demo tracks? Along with playing bass on a couple of Tremonti albums, the Tokyo Dome album and playing some drums on a Clint Lowery album? Not exactly a body of work that lends itself to calling what Wolfgang is about to do "going solo": it's not like he was in some legendary band from the ground floor and played on several classic albums to where him going solo in and of itself actually means something on paper...does that make sense?
None of the stuff he has been involved with up until now gave me the particular impression that Wolfgang is much other than a capable rock bass player. To be fair, it may well be that this upcoming album will display a facility with songwriting Wolfgang hasn't been able to previously cultivate given the nature of the group dynamics of the various projects he has been involved with. I'll be somewhat interested to hear what he can come up with. I don't necessarily feel just because he is Ed's kid and had a big foot in the door that somehow precludes him from coming up with something good on his own: nepotism will get one in the door, but the proof will be in the music.
Newsflash, I share the same birthday as Wolfgang: March 16th.
I saw some celebrities born on this date thing (a bunch of millennials I never heard of) but there he was, spawn of EdVal!:metalbang:
I hope it sounds good. I want to hear something that sounds good. Music that sounds good is good. I want good.