Don't know if this has been posted/discussed before, but I came across it the other day and there were several amusing bits in the interview, which was apparently conducted right before they started their cockup of a tour in '04. Some highlights:
Sammy on the timing of his reunion with Van Halen:
"If we had tried it maybe two years ago, it could have blown up or anything or maybe two years from now it might be too late, who knows, it just feels right. Sometimes by accident you do things at the right time and it works out for you and I think we've all been pretty lucky in our whole careers in that respect."
(it just feels right- this from the guy who was concerned about ed's condition prior to the tour and would have bailed if not for that "deep contract")
Alex on what he and Eddie did during their six-year hiatus:
"Well first of all there never really was any hiatus. We're very fortunate of having the luxury of Ed having his own studio, so we're in there every day making some kind of music. Some of it's useable, some of it's not. The idea with creativity is it doesn't stop. I think it really was a test for Ed and I to see when we were out of the loop, so to speak, because of Ed's health situation, whether or not we really were the creative types or whether it was all of the bells and whistles or explosions that drew us to what we do. But being in the studio and having no other purpose than creativity itself was actually kind of a profound experience. It was great."
(i guess ed walking around dressing and acting like an out of it hobo was part of the creative studio process)
Alex on the Van Halen III album made with Gary Cherone on vocals:
"You know, I think creativity's about taking chances, and it's allowing yourself to make mistakes and without passing judgment on any of it. ... Sometimes you make a mistake, and it's nobody's fault. It just is. It just wasn't right. You can't undo it. You know, we're human. We make mistakes. That's all I can say."
Alex, after realizing that he had more to say on the subject aft ser all:
"If I just may add one last thing in respect to that last question of the record that we made in 1998 ... I didn't want to prejudge it, because you've got to remember Ed's got to read this, too, and he'll hammer me over the head if I don't say something of how he saw the picture. And that is when you make music, you know, you try to be true to what comes from your heart. And once it leaves, once it's been recorded and it leaves your hands, it's anybody's guess what happens to it, and I think that's probably the best way to answer that question."
(way to cover your ass, al. don't blame that p.o.s. on ed, blame it on the guy who mastered the album)
Alex on his thoughts about Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony playing select dates with Sammy Hagar's band over the past couple years:
"You know, I think at the time when Sam and Mike went out on tours, it's, you know, musicians go out and play, and that's what they do, and my brother and I were doing something different. So you know, as adults, you make your own choices, and it was neither here nor there, as far as we're concerned.
(why would you care? you didn't even want him in the band at that point, or for this tour)
Darby has some advice for Van Halen fans still holding out for a Roth sequel.
"Get a life ... and a girlfriend," he said.
Besides, he said, the band is better off these days with Hagar.
"Dave was a great frontman," Darby said. "Every singer in a hair band in the '80s wanted to be him. I love the stuff they did with Dave."
But...
"Dave is now a joke," he said. "He's a parody of himself. How many boze-de-boze-de-bops do we need to hear? Sammy is still a great frontman, and on top of that is an excellent musician. He can play more than a mic stand. He can pull it off live, too. Even in his prime, Dave was questionable live. I prefer Sammy ... did that come across?"
("darby" is some local radio clown. hopefully the prick still works there so i can contact him and ask him how that van hagar shit is working out)
full article here.
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