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As for that other old joke, diehard Roth fans can officially give up that lounge lizard ghost. Explains Van Halen with a laugh, ``An idiot is somebody who does the same thing over and over and expects a different outcome.''
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Sammy must have improved his oral skills since 95............... -
"And in another sign of the bands current success, Ed has been contacted about playing the Crypt Keeper in an upcoming live action Tales From The Crypt stage show.........no makeup will be required."Comment
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Nice find, Flappo. Alex is a cunt.
You might have thought a Van Halen reunion would require the services of, say, ``Sopranos'' therapist Dr. Melfi. So problematic have the relationships been with two of the band's three lead singers during the past 25 years, the California hard rockers recently topped VH1's list of ``Best Rock and Roll Feuds.''
But when singer Sammy Hagar resumed his fractious relationship with the brothers Van Halen, they decided to skip the touchy-feely stuff.
``We decided rather than going to therapy like some of these other bands and dig in the dirt, we're going to pretend like it never happened,'' says Hagar with a laugh, referencing Metallica's recent stint in rock group therapy.
He says band members are glad they decided not to hash out old problems such as Roth's short-lived return to the band for a 1996 hits album or Hagar's old reluctance to sing Roth-era material in concert.
``Lovefest'' is the word that former and current lead singer Hagar - the Richard Burton of VH - uses repeatedly to describe his first reunion with guitar hero Eddie Van Halen and his drumming brother Alex last winter.
And lovefest is the image evoked by Hagar and Alex Van Halen as the two yukked it up during a recent phone conference with reporters.
After 6 years of silence, ``not even one conversation,'' says Hagar, the Red Rocker rang up Alex for a chat.
``But it was not in any business sense, it wasn't like `Hey, let's get back together,' '' says Hagar. He just
missed his old friend. So, he rang up VH bassist Michael Anthony, with whom he had remained friendly and occasionally jammed, for the brothers' numbers.
One very long phone call to Alex led to a dinner, which led to a call to Eddie that Hagar describes as getting ``heavy and deep fast.''
``Sammy and I got together and it was like we hadn't missed a beat,'' says Alex Van Halen. ``We picked up right where we left off and the moment we hit the studio and started making music, which for us is where it always began, that kind of solidified it. Making music is the center of this band, that and the friendship, so it was a no-brainer.''
``The Best of Both Worlds,'' a 35-track greatest hits album covering the years with original lead singer David Lee Roth and Hagar - but ignoring post-Hagar vocalist and Malden native Gary Cherone - is due July 20 and will feature three new tracks. Van Halen 4.0 hits the Worcester Centrum Centre for shows tomorrow night and Sunday.
If its members did hit the psychiatrist's couch pre-tour, there'd be plenty to talk about in the band's history, one of the best soap operas in rock and roll.
Emerging in 1978 at the height of the disco era, Van Halen cut through on the strength of Eddie's virtuosic guitar work and Roth's wildman charisma on such songs as ``Runnin' With the Devil'' and ``Jump.'' When Roth split to go solo, the band recruited the leather-lunged, speed-limit rebel Hagar and kicked off another decade of more traditional hard rock hits such as ``When It's Love'' and ``Right Now.''
Tension with the band's manager and road weariness, as well as Roth's brief resurfacing, sent Hagar packing in 1996. Highly underrated former Extreme singer Cherone lasted for but one album, 1998's hitless ``Van Halen III.'' In 2001, Roth reconvened with the band, but Alex says, ``it was ill-fated, it never materialized and it just went away.''
That same year Eddie Van Halen announced he had throat cancer, from which he has since recovered. Then, in a turn of events no one could have predicted, Hagar and Roth teamed up for the oddly conceived but highly popular Sans Halen co-headlining tour in 2002.
``It seemed like a good idea at the time,'' says Hagar with another laugh.
``If I had known we were going to have this, what we have now, I would've never done it,'' he adds. ``It wasn't an enjoyable thing, because he wasn't an enjoyable guy. I'm not sorry I did it, but I certainly wouldn't do it again.''
Hagar may not want to hang out with Roth but the 56-year-old tequila merchant is more sanguine about singing Diamond Dave-era songs in concert these days. ``I think it would be cheating them (the fans) for me or any other person in this band to say, `No, I won't play that song.' ''
Now he admits to really ``digging'' belting out such songs as ``Jump'' and ``Unchained.'' Because of this new willingness, Hagar promises fans ``the set list will kill you.''
Luckily, that will be the only killing going on as Van Halen and Hagar revisit the lovefest theme repeatedly in the 90-minute interview.
As far as the future is concerned, however, they're taking it one day at a time. ``I think it can last and I really hope it can,'' says Hagar. But with four different personalities he says, ``anything can happen. I might come in with the wrong color shirt on one day and the whole thing could blow out.'' At this the men cackle wildly at an old inside joke.
As for that other old joke, diehard Roth fans can officially give up that lounge lizard ghost. Explains Van Halen with a laugh, ``An idiot is somebody who does the same thing over and over and expects a different outcome.''
In the midst of the laughter, Hagar takes umbrage at that comment, asking, ``Hey Al, are you talking to me?''BABY PANA 2 IS Coming !! All across the land, let the love and beer flow !
Love ya Mary Frances!Comment
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So the smack is starting again?
Maybe it will get Dave started saying something-anything. I am tired of not hearing from him.Comment
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I can't believe they are still so insecure without their leader...........I'm being completely serious here, they are still scared SHITLESS of Dave........they must think about him 24 hours a fuckin' day!Comment
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In the midst of the laughter, Hagar takes umbrage at that comment, asking, ``Hey Al, are you talking to me?''
Al retorts in uncompromising fashion: "Naw bro, the first part was
directed at Dave, the idiot part was for my handicapped sibling."Comment
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As bad as this tour is going for them, they need to do more than just think about Dave 24/7. They need to get their pathetic asses on the phone and start begging him to come save them.Comment
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Al: "And Sam when I want to talk to you, I'll ring the fuckin' bell okay?! Now string Ed's corpse up on the wires so we can get the show started.........."Originally posted by rustoffa
In the midst of the laughter, Hagar takes umbrage at that comment, asking, ``Hey Al, are you talking to me?''
Al retorts in uncompromising fashion: "Naw bro, the first part was
directed at Dave, the idiot part was for my handicapped sibling."Comment
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"Oh god help me, I didn't want this to come out, but.........Al is actually talking about his skills in the bedroom. He would climb on top of me, and attempt to enter but could only get the head in. But he would try it night after night on the 5150 tour, thinking he could "get in this time" when it was obviously not gonna happen........."Comment
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Al is nothing more than a stage prop. Starwood couldn't care less what he says.Comment
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Hey, and the people on the Titanic were kicking and screaming before they went floating down in the abyss never to be seen or heard from again.
Eddie, your band has hit an iceburg, buddy...
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Dave don't care either, but it pisses me off.Comment
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Valerie may be a tad chubby these days... But i'd pork rind her ass into next week cause she is just a total babe, period.Originally posted by Bill Lumbergh
"Oh god help me, I didn't want this to come out, but.........Al is actually talking about his skills in the bedroom. He would climb on top of me, and attempt to enter but could only get the head in. But he would try it night after night on the 5150 tour, thinking he could "get in this time" when it was obviously not gonna happen........."
Damn, after all these years i still love that woman.Comment
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did you see the pics gslinger posted of her at page 7 of the nude celebs thread?
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