Michael Anthony is never mentioned in the bass player community.

[Nitro Express]

We started a new band and as usual, we are a bunch of guitar players. One is a good singer, one plays drums well, but no bass player. I toyed around with bass in the past and know how to finger pick from years of classical guitar lessons. So I ended up the bass player. LOL!

I always maintained someone in my ancestory banged a slave in the woodshed because in many ways I think and groove like a black dude. LOL! So bass is pretty natural so I've been doing lots of research and talking with people and of course all the greats from: Bootsy Collins, Jack Casady, Geddy Lee, John Entwistle, and even John Taylor of Duran Duran come up constantly in conversations and internet posts.

Who never comes up at all is Michael Anthony of Van Halen. Nobody ever says they were influenced by him and even in a thread of the nicest bass players people have met Mike wasn't mentioned. Kind of sad. LOL!

So I stood up for Bass Player and said he indeed was the nicest bass player I ever met which is the truth. LOL!

[MAX]

Sorry to say it and join said bandwagon but you know (as a fellow musician) his bass lines were always less than climactic. Regardless, it will never diminish nor take away the FACT that his role in VH was a perfect fit.

Again and I'll reiterate what you've posted as the title of the thread... Just look at the RNRHOF (even though we all know what a fucking joke it is) closing thingy... They didn't even give the dude a bass to play during the finale. They just stuck him in the back row, let him play a tambourine and let him be happy with it.

It's like this...

RNRHOF: Here, go slap on this tambourine.

MA: I play bass.

RNRHOF: Eh, shutup and pick up all the friggin' batons when the show's over...

What I'm sayin' 'tis his fills were fine for VH but as a bassplayer, there was never anything spectacular. Nice guy or not.

Sorry but it's the truth. The only noteworthy thing about his bassplaying history is the Jack Daniels bass and that's about it. Fuck, his live solos were terrible and a total filler. Seriously, stomping on the bass, playing the theme to Bonanza and shootin' Jack does not a live solo make.

[Fuct Jup]

All of the bass players I know laugh when the name Michael Anthony comes up. I think he had a great backing vocal, but not a great musician, and probably not the perfect fit.
I think the Van Halen fans base would have been bigger if they had better bass in the music. For the most part, VH fans are guitar players. They had a few songs that the average person on the street could name, but its all guitar rock. If there was more music there, VH would have had more success.

[MAX]

Originally posted by Fuct Jup
All of the bass players I know laugh when the name Michael Anthony comes up. I think he had a great backing vocal, but not a great musician, and probably not the perfect fit.
I think the Van Halen fans base would have been a lit bigger if they had better bass. For the most part, VH fans are guitar players. They had a few songs that the average person on the street could name, but its guitar rock. If there was more music there VH would have had more success.

Sorry but I disagree cos MA's a great musician IMO, just not any virtuoso, which was also fine in VH. Having a Billy Sheehan or a Jeff Berlin would've been overkill. MA was great in his role. Regardless, he's definitely the most replacable member of the core four. I know certain fuckbrained sheep will disagree regarding the certain commercial SUCKcess they had replacing Roth when he bailed... However, that's a different story cos the entire vibe and sound of the band changed. It was no longer Van Halen.

That's why I KNOW they'll sound BEYOND stellar with Wolfgang or (insert any other bassplayer) henceforth. Sure, the backing vox are still a mystery but at the end of the day, only the folks queer for Haganthony will shive a shit when DLR, EVH and EVH tear through Unchained and the likes.

I think about seein' The Punks, how their bassplayer (Joe) lacks the MA bitchsqueal backing vox as well and yet nobody seems to gives a rat's ass. Yet, the same cumstains say how the Punks sound more like CVH than this tour will? Go fucking figure?

Plus, it doesn't help MA's case that his prick has been permanantly stuck up Hagar's fatass since 1986. One can only imagine how painful that was for MA to do that tour with Cherone and no Spamella? Seriously, that 2004 Velveetapalooza flop... MA did it for the "fans" my ass. He did it so he could be side by side with his "other half" and YES pun fucking intended!!! The jaws of life obviously can't pry those two reddi whip loving, cheddar balladeers apart.

[Vinnie Velvet]

Fuck, that pic is GAY.

[Hummarstra]

I'm still a fan of Mike's playing. He played with a lot of feeling and soul.

Drummers don't talk about Alex either and he's great.

[MUSICMANN]

It's kinda hard to see the talent in VH, when you had Ed on stage everynight right next to you. It was very easy For Dave, becaue he was the singer, doing his thing and being the great frontman that he is. When it came to Al and MA, i would say, Al is a truly gifted drummer, that is a notch behind some of the really greats. MA on the other hand is just a straight forward steady player. His contributions to anything CVH, is his backing vocals, that avctually had him singing the highs and alot of the time, Ed singing in the low parts.

Everyone seems to over look that the backing vocals were Ed and MA, so with him gone, we still have 50% of those backing vocals, throw in wofgang and if the kid has a high range, i don't think there will be much of a differance.

MA is just a steady player, nothing more, who ended up in one of the greatest bands on the planet.

[Fuct Jup]

:confused:

[Fuct Jup]

Originally posted by MAX
Sorry but I disagree cos MA's a great musician IMO, just not any virtuoso, which was also fine in VH. Having a Billy Sheehan or a Jeff Berlin would've been overkill. MA was great in his role. Regardless, he's definitely the most replacable member of the core four. I know certain fuckbrained sheep will disagree regarding the certain commercial SUCKcess they had replacing Roth when he bailed... However, that's a different story cos the entire vibe and sound of the band changed. It was no longer Van Halen.

I think MA is average talent wise, his greatest contribution was the backing vocals. I think the reason DLR had such great success with EEAS was because of Sheehan, because Vai was as good as, if not better in someways, than Ed. It wasn't just a guitarist's band, it was a whole band of great musicians. And from what I have read, it seems that MA wasn't a great contributor in the writing department.

[bastardog]

Poor MA.........nobody respect him

I would not care been called an less than average bass player while I'm having fun in a group........that also happens to be a real great group, pays me well ang bring me a lot of girls.
Maybe I would be also on my "confort zone" while playing because the rest of the group is so grate that I don't need to prove I can play to get the things mentioned before........and also those other guys are my friends.

[bastardog]

that could be the case

[MAX]

Originally posted by Hummarstra
I'm still a fan of Mike's playing. He played with a lot of feeling and soul.

Agreed 1000%!!! MA's a decent enough player, just nothing to write home about. However, he filled his role within the band perfectly. It's just these fucking maroooooons overglorifying both his importance and overall role within VH that gives me a collective tummyache. Seriously, my dick can play RWTD, ATBL, etc. or fucking ANY of the classics on bass whilst I'm asleep. Yet these windbags say the kid "can't" do it? Seriously, I don't even play bass as my primary but it only takes a cupla runthroughs on any given VH tune on bass. No joke.

Drummers don't talk about Alex either and he's great.

Not true. I've played with several drummers over the years, none of them have cited AVH as an influence per say. However, they've all complimented his drumming. I'm not saying that's the norm but AVH is a stellar drummer.

[MAX]

Originally posted by Vinnie Velvet
Fuck, that pic is GAY.

You think? lol :p

[lonnieg5]

Mike's always overshadowed by Eddie's guitar playing. He was still perfect for CVH.

Gene Simmons is never mentioned as a great bass player, but where would Kiss be without him?

[Dave2007]

because he sucks