Why are there so many Dave haters and Van Halen haters?

[dave_is_vh]

Why are there so many Dave haters and Van Halen haters?

I consider Roth era Van Halen to be right up there with The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin in terms of the greatest bands of all time.

I consider Dave to be right up there with Mick Jagger and Robert Plant in terms of the greatest rock frontmen of all time.

To me bands and people at this level deserve a certain amount of respect. On Amazon and other review sites you see people saying things about Dave and Van Halen that they would never say in a million years about Jagger and the Stones or McCartney and The Beatles.

I think Dave and Van Halen deserve a hell of a lot more respect from people.

Perhaps the Dave hating has to do with his over the top behavior and sense of humor. But what is wrong with combining music and humor? Rock is supposed to be fun after all.

[Jetstream]

everyone hates #1 and most importantly a person like Roth and what Van Halen becomes with him is a threat to what the current society deems as safe and politically correct in the music industry. As Roth said in a recent interview, that they never were considered the 'cool' band because they bucked the norm. A group like Van Halen causes a ripple effect, and people are scared of change. Some hacks are saying that this new lp is just Van Halen resurrecting some demos and waddling in the past. Well, they have always done this with demos and like fashion if you wait long enough a fashion once out of popularity comes back again...that qualifies as change as much as something completely new (and hell, they were the innovators of this unique style of theirs in the past that started it, so they are legit). People get uneasy with Roth because the dude is not scared to point out the virtues and vices of popular culture and will then even will throw himself in the parody of life and say I'm just as guilty and their is sincerity when one does not exclude themselves...hey sinners, let's swing. Dave has fun being cynical and most people treat cynicism as something serious for their own intellectual aims devoid of humor. A guy like Dave exposes a lot of people's insecurities, and what really gets people upset is that he has a sounding board on the radio in the expression of a song that they cannot ignore when he does it. And on a lesser note of appearances, removed from the message and music, sure some are laughing in frustration at his new persona of overalls, derby cap and show tune inspired dancing...but watch, before you know it, there will be clones just as when he walked out spandex , buttless chaps (did not include the martial arts stuff because a guy like Vince Neil or Brett Michaels would kill themselves attempting it) and bleached blonde long hair.

[VHscraps]

Yeah, I've seen some of those slammin' Amazon reviews, clearly people who have just gone on to give the album a low rating. I mean, if I think something is really crummy, I just kinda ignore it. It's the Hagaritas, I'd guess - largely. Or folks who have caught the buzz on the album when they are online, and they start posting without having listened.

We live in the age when everyone thinks their opinion counts, which is fair enough, and they have adequate means to express it online. When 'Tattoo' came out they played it here on Planet Rock radio station - I heard it on the Nicky Horne show. By and by I had picked up that he didn't like VH with Dave, because anytime he played them it was clearly because they were on the station playlist, and not his choice. While he would praise to the hilt absolute turd rockers who traffic in the most mundane rock cliches (like UK band Thunder - their limited appeal always escaped me, cliche upon cliche) he would never say anything after playing VH, unless it was with Spammy.

Anyway, he asked listeners to post their opinions to Facebook on 'Tattoo', and I swear all he did was read out the negative comments. Bored twits sitting listening to the radio and spewing out their assessment after half a listen, or less.

Interesting to look at Henry Rollins' book Black Coffee Blues - he writes about being a Dave and VH fan in the late 70s, and says at one point he was astonished how many people hated Dave's guts - probably 'cos Dave looked great, and could sail through the air like a samurai warrior - yet be the kind of guy who got wasted most of the time ... and seemed to get serious female action:

"People I knew who didn't usually voice their opinions, always had an opinion about that guy. Either they were into Dave, or they wanted to punch that grin right off his face."

And didn't Dave once say himself, 'if someone really, really hates you to the extent that they actually love to hate you, then at least they're paying attention - and in a way, they kind of love you, too.'

I think a lot of rock fans who don't like Dave just don't get him - he's too smart for them, or something.

Dave is a jive-ass motherfo, and long may he rule.

[bantonelli]

I think we're pretty used to hearing such pessimism. It's laughable - and all the way to the bank for Dave & the Bros. This is no different than the crapola spread in the media regarding his Radio gig. Stern put it down because Dave was entertaining, thought-provoking and full of great Rothisms.
As JetStream says, Dave exposes alot of people's insecurities about themselves, making them uneasy, like Bette and the naysayers. Got intimidation?

[ELVIS]

Fuck 'em...

Van Halen is ridin' high in the charts...

[ashstralia]

the Tiger Woods effect circa 2000;

he knows he's the best, he knows you know he's the best. even on a bad day he'll make you look a right fucking pillock.

[Yount]

"I can tell you don't like me. Do me a favor. Spread it around."

[ODShowtime]

There are millions of internet haters in the world who hate for the sake of hating. Many are robots.

[ELVIS]

Who gives a fuck about the internet ??

[Chong Li]

Its cool to hate classic rock. If you are a hipster douchebag, you can only like it in an "ironic" way. Artsy faggot bands like Franz Ferdinand, The Strokes, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Elvis Costello etc are way cooler.

ITS ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY. There were VH haters 30 years ago. They called it "dinosaur rock" back then.

FUCK THE LITTLE DICKED CRITICS. I fucked their current wives back in high school.

[ELVIS]

No, one reviewer called it "dinosaur rock" and now we have all this...

[78/84 guy]

Dave, I thing rubs people the wrong way with his sense of humor. Thats because they don't have one !! Fuck em' ! They were always their own thing anyway.

[ELVIS]

You're drunk!

[hain23x]

I get into it with a couple of friends of mine from time to time over Van Halen. Hell, even my wife hates Dave. She hates the "scream' he does, she hates the fact that he sings about banging chicks.

A couple of other friends of mine think they're just a mullethead band and are in the same category as Poison.

I think it's been so long since Van Halen were world champions and they were just too young and all they know is the Sammy bullshit and all the fighting and then they know they hate "hair bands" and they like Depeche Mode and Erasure.

One guy drives me nuts. He's a big Dead head (I like the Dead too, but I like a lot of other music) and he puts Van Halen into the "they had one year 1978 after that they're just a hair band".

Van Halen and Roth did themselves no favors when they broke up

[Hardrock69]

This thread needs to be retitled "Why Are There So Many Stupid People In The World?".

Sure....everyone is entitled to their own opinion.....but some people are just fucking tools, that's all. They have been sucking the Spamulus pin-dick for so long they have become permanently brain-dead when it comes to recognizing (or even caring about) musical integrity.

That is why they are retarded sheeple motherfuckers. They take up valuable oxygen that could better be used by earthworms.

[Zing!]

Easier for people (and critics) to nervously fawn over acts like Kelly Clarkson or LMFAO - which are about as musically legitimate as the latest Kidz Bop cd - than to think for themselves and go against the grain praising a band like Van Halen that has done the unthinkable and risen from the ashes with the best rock album in a generation.

Damn, that was one long run-on sentence.

[Seshmeister]

Inexplicable reviews are the ones that drive me nuts.

Rock music is the most diverse subjective thing going, I may shake my head a bit at other peoples choices but there are some things that just fucking bug me. Like this on UK Amazon.

HAVING BEEN A VAN HALEN FAN SINCE THE FIRST ALBUM CAME OUT THEY WILL ALWAYS HOLD A PLACE IN MY MUSICAL HEART.BUT THIS TIME FOR ME, THE SONGS THE PERFORMANCES THE PRODUCTION JUST DIDN'T WORK TOGETHER TO PRODUCE THE VAN HALEN CLASSIC THAT WAS NEEDED.PERHAPS I HAD A PRE-CONCEPTION IN MY MIND THAT I WAS GOING TO BE BLOWN AWAY,SORRY I WASN'T.YOU MAY ALL LOVE IT, IT JUST DIDN'T WORK FOR ME.

Fucking ridiculous.

[Seshmeister]

I'm with you on Honeybabysweetiedoll and would go further by saying it's trying too hard to be an ex-Rage Against the Machine demo let alone VH - they must've got the wrong box outta storage :-) And the trouble with The Trouble with Never is it's verse is way too friendly with Hendrix's Cross Town Traffic and just Hendrix in general. I skip both those tracks now. This is getting a bit out there now but I'm starting to have trouble with the breakdown in Beats Workin' as well now - Wolf's bass riff just reminds me too much of The Beatles Day Tripper seguing into the outro solo from you Ain't Seen Nothing Yet when Eddie joins in.

I now understand these artists that say they had to stop reading reviews because of the dumb ones. At least pre internet there was a certain dumb fuck bar the journalists had to jump.

[dave_is_vh]

I read reviews like that and think "what the fuck is this person thinking?" It is not 1984. People change. An album can be good without being a carbon copy of Van Halen I. Dave sings a little different. Ed plays a little different. People evolve. But good music is good music.

I also wonder what some of these people were expecting. This is a completely kicks ass album. You can't ask for much more that what we got.

But I think Hardrock hit the nail on the head. There are too many stupid people in this world.

In a world where horrible music, horrible movies, and horrible TV shows are incredibly popular, why should we be surprised if so many people can't recognize gold when they see it.

The only thing that really pisses me off is people not giving Dave and Van Halen the respect they deserve. Roth era Van Halen - the only music that can come close is Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin. People don't go on the internet and talk shit about Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin. And they shouldn't go on the internet and talk shit about Dave and Van Halen. But I guess we are just oversupplied with dumb fucks on this planet.

[3xwives]

Any press is good press. Right? It's the folks who can't do things well who always claw away at those who can. And hey, some of the lyrics on this new record are truly above most listeners heads. How can average folks even come close to getting what our favorite genius is saying? How many people recognize more than just "chill out" or "be cool, stay cool" in "Stay Fosty"? It can be heard as a song about detachment. Very few people are getting that yet. Some are.. but who cares? Dude writes on lots of levels. The stuff so rocks that there's something for everyone. And when everyone is concerned there's gonna be opinions and haters. As far as musicans go...real musicians who have worked hard in a studio to get good vocals?..there's no recording artist in the world who at least privately doesn't respect DLR. In my heart of hearts I'm actually very proud of him. Sounds lame to say it, but I am.

[Seshmeister]

I read reviews like that and think "what the fuck is this person thinking?" It is not 1984. People change. An album can be good without being a carbon copy of Van Halen I. Dave sings a little different. Ed plays a little different. People evolve. But good music is good music.

I don't think its about the band one little bit in those cases.

It's about the listener...

[Seshmeister]

Anyhoo I looked at the UK Amazon reviews this morning and it had 2 five star reviews, 2 one star reviews and a couple in between.

It's now got 21 five star reviews 2 one star reviews and a couple in between.

[dave_is_vh]

I don't think its about the band one little bit in those cases.

It's about the listener...

Good point. I was reading a book today by a famous author and he said that book reviews say more about the person writing the review than the book. Definitely true.

[Luke D]

Trolls. Dirty, useless trolls.

[Hummarstra]

I think a lot of the haters are coming from a Old Dave vs. the New Dave mentality. Just about everybody loves classic VH but may not like the new stuff. Oh well.

[K-tuna]

Who gives a fuck about the internet ??

you do because youre posting on it ?

[Rikk]

Why are there so many people who watch AMERICAN IDOL?

Why are the needs of homophobic Christian-right morons still wasting debate time for an America that is in severe need of fixing?

Why did so many people pay money to see TRANSFORMERS 3?

There are a plethora of stupid people with stupid opinions in this world. We can't do anything about it. We can just be ourselves.

Dimebag's final words to his brother before the show started and he was killed: "Van fuckin' Halen."

[vandeleur]

Am kinda torn by reviews half of me doesn't give a shit what others think I know this is gold dust so Fuck em .. But half wants them to get good reviews have all the hits, totally blow the past away sales wise.

[Unchainme]

Why are there so many people who watch AMERICAN IDOL?

Why are the needs of homophobic Christian-right morons still wasting debate time for an America that is in severe need of fixing?

Why did so many people pay money to see TRANSFORMERS 3?

There are a plethora of stupid people with stupid opinions in this world. We can't do anything about it. We can just be ourselves.

[Panamark]

You guys familiar with "The Tall Poppy" Syndrome ?

[dave_is_vh]

You guys familiar with "The Tall Poppy" Syndrome ?

Are people jealous of Dave's tall poppy?

[Hardrock69]

Anyone see Kelly Clarkson on Super Bowl?

She is SMOKING HOT! Man, her mouth was just made for sucking my dick!

[Panamark]

Are people jealous of Dave's tall poppy?

Tall Poppy Syndrome is where people cant stand the fact that someone or "thing"
is doing great ("the tall poppy")

So.....
They have to cut it down......

[Panamark]

Anyone see Kelly Clarkson on Super Bowl?

She is SMOKING HOT! Man, her mouth was just made for sucking my dick!

Yes !! I can picture your avatar opening the door
for Ms Clarkson with your "Lurch" Horse
Schlong hanging out and saying "You Rang" ?

[dave_is_vh]

Tall Poppy Syndrome is where people cant stand the fact that someone or "thing"
is doing great ("the tall poppy")

So.....
They have to cut it down......

I never really understood why some people take Dave's cockiness, attitude, fancy vocabulary, and sense of humor as a threat to their self esteem. The guy is a fucking entertainer. He is not your boss or your big brother. If he doesn't entertain you find another entertainer. But don't attack him just because he is cooler, funnier, more articulate, and more charismatic than you and your friends are.

[FORD]

Anyone see Kelly Clarkson on Super Bowl?

She is SMOKING HOT! Man, her mouth was just made for sucking my dick!

Her girlfriend might not like that.

[RedEye]

I think so many are so brainless that they let others do their thinking for them. On Tuesday our local rock radio station does "two fer Tuesday" and they lead off with tattoo... What was the second half of the two fer? Fucking Finish What You Started. An entire catalog of classic VH at their disposal and the DJ plays Van Hagar to fisish the two fer.... Obviously is a Hagar Dan and had to play Tattoo first and get his fav in second.

Those not hearing the new album hear things like this and aren't educated about the real VH... Those not on the fanatical side follow the rest of the sheep and like what they are told to like by radio. And criticize not because they really have an opinion, but because that is what THEY hear and spew the same drivel so as no to rock the boat and appear 'smart' like the others.

[VHscraps]

I think so many are so brainless that they let others do their thinking for them. On Tuesday our local rock radio station does "two fer Tuesday" and they lead off with tattoo... What was the second half of the two fer? Fucking Finish What You Started. An entire catalog of classic VH at their disposal and the DJ plays Van Hagar to fisish the two fer.... Obviously is a Hagar Dan and had to play Tattoo first and get his fav in second.

Those not hearing the new album hear things like this and aren't educated about the real VH... Those not on the fanatical side follow the rest of the sheep and like what they are told to like by radio. And criticize not because they really have an opinion, but because that is what THEY hear and spew the same drivel so as no to rock the boat and appear 'smart' like the others.

That's just one of many reasons why they should never have kept using the Van Halen name for the band in those years.

Isn't Finish What Ya Started just a totally lame tune. Stating the obvious, I know, but I mean - isn't it a totally crap vocal melody? A downright bad piece of songwriting ? ... it tries to be a sing-a-longa kind of tune, but the chorus is just so pedestrian and the Mike backing-vocals-by-numbers sound totally formulaic as well.

[VHscraps]

Forgot to say - the lyrics suck as well.

[Zing!]

I think so many are so brainless that they let others do their thinking for them. On Tuesday our local rock radio station does "two fer Tuesday" and they lead off with tattoo... What was the second half of the two fer? Fucking Finish What You Started. An entire catalog of classic VH at their disposal and the DJ plays Van Hagar to fisish the two fer.... Obviously is a Hagar Dan and had to play Tattoo first and get his fav in second.

Jesus - I would have had that station on speed-dial telling the DJ to take his earphones off his hips and pull his head out of his ass.