one more from the bass player
from vhstrungout (yes I've been to the linx and found it there)
While many people view Van Halen as being a tale of two bands, it's safe to say that they are o_ne-of-a-kind.
Yielding two eras of different, yet strikingly similar sounds, the band is now entering its fourth decade of existence with a reunited lineup that has seen the return of former frontman Sammy Hagar and a rediscovered zest from days of old.
Van Halen is back o_n the road for the first time since 1998 and will be playing a rare Montana show at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman Sunday, November 14.
The road Van Halen has traveled has primarily featured the voices of David Lee Roth and Hagar, along with o_ne album that had former Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone behind the mike. There have been some bumpy moments along the way and sometimes bitter, sometimes amicable, the splits have been well publicized over the years.
Touring with Hagar for the first time in ten years, the group feels rejuvenated and ready to put the ugliness behind them.
"We're having a great time," said bassist Michael Anthony in a phone interview from a tour stop in Alberta. "You really don't realize just how much you miss it until you get out here and start playing again."
Van Halen began their journey back in 1978 with the release of their self-titled debut. The lineup included Roth, Anthony and the Van Halen brothers, Alex o_n drums and Eddie o_n guitar.
Over the next six years, the band amassed legions of fans behind six albums, culminating with "1984" and the hit songs "Jump," "Panama," and "Hot For Teacher."
What happened next was a shock to fans around the world, as the band parted ways with Roth and joined forces with Hagar. That marriage would last for the next ten years and produce four studio albums and hit tunes like "Poundcake" "Right Now" and "Why Can't This Be Love."
Hagar and the band parted ways after the release of 1995's "Balance" and again Van Halen was left without a voice.
"We're bigger than the biggest soap opera, this band," Anthony said with a laugh. "As many times as you probably hear this, it is like a marriage. You have your ups and downs and you just go with it. You just try to move forward and not stagnate at all."
"That's exactly what happened ever since Dave left the band and Sammy entered, then Sammy left the band. Unfortunately you always hit a couple roadblocks and a couple unforeseen things and you just deal with them as they come."
One unforeseen blemish in particular was the 1998 album "Van Halen III" and vocalist Cherone. The third frontman in the band's history wasn't welcomed by audiences and the group disbanded shortly after the album's release.
"You could say he was o_ne of those bumps in the road," Anthony said. "You know, a lot of the material that we had and even some of it that didn't end up o_n that CD was some really good material, I thought."
While fans weren't sure whether the band was broken up, or taking a break, years went by without a new album leading people to believe it was over.
Hagar went o_n a solo tour with Anthony's help, while the rest of the group remained dormant.
"When we were o_n this hiatus or break, or breakup or whatever, Eddie was dealing with a lot of his personal stuff and I went out ... and did some shows with Sammy o_n his tour that he did with Roth's band and we'd always talk about the band and all the good times and we can't let it end this way."
The reunited Van Halen came to be because of a simple phone call from Hagar to Alex Van Halen.
"I think eventually, Sammy just, he picked up the phone, he was in the L.A. area, and he called Alex," Anthony explained. "And purely not to do with anything musical, but to even just have some kind of closure, where we could at least shake hands and say 'hey, it was great while it happened.'
"And it turned into this."
Hagar has always been the best man for the job with numerous advantages over the other vocalists, according to Anthony.
"First off, being the charismatic person that he is," Anthony said of Hagar. "He's a great musician. When he first joined the band, being a guitar player himself, that is, he really understands music and he has a great voice and it's just a great combination. He actually helped take this band to a higher plateau musically when he joined the band."
Debating o_n how to approach the reunion, the band members decided to record three new songs and release a greatest hits album spanning Van Halen's entire history, minus Cherone. The final product is a double-CD called "The Best Of Both Worlds."
"We didn't want to go back in and do a full studio album, because Van Halen is a live band," Anthony said. "But we didn't want people to think 'well are they coming back out to grab the quick buck and do this reunion tour?'"
Picking the best of both singers wasn't an easy task, according to Anthony.
"It was just, obviously the hard choice of trying to pick which songs to try to do," he said. "Trying to get the o_nes that were more radio friendly and the other, kind of more underground Van Halen songs. But, I think we did a pretty good rounded job there."
The future of the band is still up in the air while the group figures out what direction they want to go in.
"We haven't actually set any really long term plans right now, 'cause we just wanted to get out and play and make sure that everything's comfortable out here, which it is," Anthony said. "We're having a great time. So, I'm sure o_nce the tour wraps up, we'll probably wait until then and then all get together and see what's going to happen next."
"We're taping every show and videoing every show, so you never know what could come out next year."
Montana Van Halen fans are getting a rare chance to see the band in Big Sky country, and Anthony is excited to hit a market they don't usually come to.
"I personally cannot remember doing a show in Montana," Anthony said. "I'm sure we must have played out there somewhere. (I'm) looking forward to it."
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Damn! Did Davy Baby fuck his girlfriend, too?
That's ANOTHER killer quote, Scotty! I gave you 5 already, too.
