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It's just...see, by the time 1995 rolled around, I had pretty much stopped even caring about what Van Halen did. And, truth be told, I hadn't really been keeping up with what Roth was doing, either. I wasn't bowled over with YFLM (it took a long time to grow on me, and even THEN I only REALLY enjoyed about half the tracks, with the other half falling along the lines of 'well, I guess I'll give Dave points for trying something unexpected even if the results weren't so great).
Then a year later I hear the Humans Being track and it kinda demonstrated some of the spirit and sonics that I liked so much when CVH was around - even with Hagar on vocals, the track conjured up some of old magic in a way that precious few tracks released after Roth left managed to.
Then the band is back in the studio with Roth, then they all make an appearance at the VMAs, and I'm just fucking stoked. I dug the two new BOV1 tracks they did with Dave: they sounded like a great starting point for a new era of CVH. Was anticipating a new album, new tour, then...kaput. But the whole pathetic biz of the 1996 Roth debacle rekindled my interest in Dave's career.
Like many, from 1997 on I hoped Roth would rejoin the band. But I gotta tell you, ten years is a long time to wait, and by the time he finally came back in 2006 it wasn't really the same feeling of ten years prior. It was more like "about fucking time." And in those ten years, while I lost not one iota of appreciation for what CVH did back in the day, 3/4s of of a reconstituted CVH was no longer like the Second Coming for me. Yeah, it's good they finally got back together and toured and I got to see 'em in 2008 and 2012. Yeah, ADKOT is a good album. However, nothing they've done since 2006 is on the level of what the band did from 1978 to 1984. I suppose there was really no reason to think it would be, aside from my own overblown expectations ("Man, if Dave rejoins the band, it'll be like 1981 all over again!"...um, not quite). I'm not even thinking that Mike Anthony rejoining is the missing piece that's gonna somehow return the band to their halcyon days. Those days are gone forever. They were probably gone forever back in 1996 even when Roth was in the studio working on the BOV1 tracks.
If Van Halen keeps on putting out records, I'll probably keep buying them, but even if they keep touring I can easily envision not even being bothered enough to go see 'em. In 2008 Ed was too fucked up to play well. In 2012 Dave seemingly couldn't be bothered (or was unable) to sing well half the time he was onstage. You know, how many tours do I need to see to confirm that the band ain't what it used to be, and is never gonna be what it used to be? I'd rather remember them when they were kings than keep shelling out premium prices every few years to witness a band in a steady decline. All of this isn't necessarily a slam against the band, but...it's just age, you know?
Then a year later I hear the Humans Being track and it kinda demonstrated some of the spirit and sonics that I liked so much when CVH was around - even with Hagar on vocals, the track conjured up some of old magic in a way that precious few tracks released after Roth left managed to.
Then the band is back in the studio with Roth, then they all make an appearance at the VMAs, and I'm just fucking stoked. I dug the two new BOV1 tracks they did with Dave: they sounded like a great starting point for a new era of CVH. Was anticipating a new album, new tour, then...kaput. But the whole pathetic biz of the 1996 Roth debacle rekindled my interest in Dave's career.
Like many, from 1997 on I hoped Roth would rejoin the band. But I gotta tell you, ten years is a long time to wait, and by the time he finally came back in 2006 it wasn't really the same feeling of ten years prior. It was more like "about fucking time." And in those ten years, while I lost not one iota of appreciation for what CVH did back in the day, 3/4s of of a reconstituted CVH was no longer like the Second Coming for me. Yeah, it's good they finally got back together and toured and I got to see 'em in 2008 and 2012. Yeah, ADKOT is a good album. However, nothing they've done since 2006 is on the level of what the band did from 1978 to 1984. I suppose there was really no reason to think it would be, aside from my own overblown expectations ("Man, if Dave rejoins the band, it'll be like 1981 all over again!"...um, not quite). I'm not even thinking that Mike Anthony rejoining is the missing piece that's gonna somehow return the band to their halcyon days. Those days are gone forever. They were probably gone forever back in 1996 even when Roth was in the studio working on the BOV1 tracks.
If Van Halen keeps on putting out records, I'll probably keep buying them, but even if they keep touring I can easily envision not even being bothered enough to go see 'em. In 2008 Ed was too fucked up to play well. In 2012 Dave seemingly couldn't be bothered (or was unable) to sing well half the time he was onstage. You know, how many tours do I need to see to confirm that the band ain't what it used to be, and is never gonna be what it used to be? I'd rather remember them when they were kings than keep shelling out premium prices every few years to witness a band in a steady decline. All of this isn't necessarily a slam against the band, but...it's just age, you know?
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