New Michael Anthony pic with "Van Halen"

[chuckjitsu]

I think it's like Von, 78/84, Va Beach, Sesh and twona said.

By the time 1984 rolled around, the rest of Van Halen were just sick of Dave and Dave was just tired of dealing with them.

If you read and watch interviews Dave and Ed gave as the band became more and more successful, a lot of the remarks each gave about the other were sort of diplomatically complimentary while at times barely masking a thinly concealed contempt. The whole making of the 1984 album was a disjointed experience in terms of how the band was interacting. And now you read in Van Halen Rising how while the Van Halens had a grudging respect for Roth's abilities as an entertainer and performer, they had nowhere near that level of respect for Roth's abilities as a singer from the beginning. And it wouldn't be a shot in the dark to suggest that by the time 1984 rolled around, Ed was plain tired of being told where the band had to record, what songs to play (a la Diver Down's multiple cover tunes), what type of music to play ("hey, man, nobody wants to hear you play keyboards"), when to tour and how long, when and what type of music videos to do, and on and on. And by the time 1984 rolled around Ed had won every music magazine poll in the world for top rock guitarist and had doubtless read more than a few critiques of the band which flatly stated that Roth was a goofball clown showoff and him fronting the band would always relegate Van Halen to little more than a party rock band with a great guitarist.

And I'll bet by the time 1984 and 1985 rolled around, Roth was getting tired of dealing with the Van Halens and feeling like he was the only one pulling the load in terms of designing the stage sets, designing the wardrobe, designing the tour programs, designing the t-shirts, choreographing Mike Anthony's bass solo, giving the bulk of the interviews to non-guitar mag outlets all the while having to play with these guys who he doesn't even get along with and never did. Once the CFTH vids started getting heavy rotation and he was at the peak of his own personal celebrity with a potential movie deal in hand, probably the thought of having to continue dealing with the rest of Van Halen and all the tension that entailed was less than appealing. Maybe all of that could have been surmounted if the 5150 rehearsals were heralding promising new music, but even the musical direction was no longer satisfying to Roth at that point.

Roth bailed in 1985. He quit. No doubt about that.

I mean, back in 1985 it felt like a shame the band was breaking up because it felt like there was still plenty of good music left to come. The reality, looking back now, is perhaps a bit different in that it feels like the band were lucky to have lasted as long as they did. They had 6 productive years together from the release of their first album, and that life span is pretty much what a lot of rock bands have in terms of the definitive lineup(s) producing really exceptional music that defines the best of a band's career, give or take a few years.

I think that's basically it. They were just sick of each other and probably had been for a while. 10+ years of slogging through the clubs and the album/tour treadmill. I wonder if Dave would've been so eager to leave if CFTH had tanked and the movie deal had fallen through earlier or had never happened. Those weren't the only reasons why Dave left, but I do think they were big factors.

I've been meaning to throw this one out there for a while: when was peak Van Halen as a live act? It seems like the '84 tour was as much about the spectacle as the music. Did that manifest itself on that tour, or were the seeds at least planted earlier than that? When I look at it, it seems like the Fair Warning tour was peak ass kicking. Thoughts?

[Terry]

I think that's basically it. They were just sick of each other and probably had been for a while. 10+ years of slogging through the clubs and the album/tour treadmill. I wonder if Dave would've been so eager to leave if CFTH had tanked and the movie deal had fallen through earlier or had never happened. Those weren't the only reasons why Dave left, but I do think they were big factors.

I've been meaning to throw this one out there for a while: when was peak Van Halen as a live act? It seems like the '84 tour was as much about the spectacle as the music. Did that manifest itself on that tour, or were the seeds at least planted earlier than that? When I look at it, it seems like the Fair Warning tour was peak ass kicking. Thoughts?

I probably enjoy listening to boots from the time period immediately leading up to and then supporting the first album, performance-wise.

Overall, I think the Fair Warning tour would have been the one I really would have liked to have seen, though. The Diver Down/Hide Your Sheep tour was pretty good, too. The thing with the FW/DD tours is that the band was perhaps not QUITE as intense as they were on the tours supporting the first two albums, but they had a much wider range of material to essay live.

[ZahZoo]

Ok, I shall.

Hippies stink. They're unwashed and refuse to bathe. They sit around and smoke cheap weed and pontificate about nothing. They refuse to acknowledge the sacrifices our men and women have made for our country. And they stink.

Every single Hippie in this country should be put on a big ass jet that allows dope smoking and flown to Syria. Then they can see what their protests and drum circles can accomplish.

So you hate old people..?

Most "real" hippies would be well into their 60's, 70's and pushing into their 80's. Of course they stink... they are all past their "Best used by..." date!!

Stay away from retirement communities and nursing homes... you'll avoid more hippies that way.

[Jérôme Frenchise]

Hippies stink. They're unwashed and refuse to bathe.

I protest. Not all of them are French.

[Anonymous]

So you hate old people..?

Most "real" hippies would be well into their 60's, 70's and pushing into their 80's. Of course they stink... they are all past their "Best used by..." date!!

Stay away from retirement communities and nursing homes... you'll avoid more hippies that way.

I think Donaldo may be referring to the hippies that came after.

You know how it is, you start a cool movement & then all the kids want in on the action & inevitably they fag up the whole thing, turning it into an unrecognisable parody of what it used to be.

Remember when being a rock star was cool & then Kunt Splatterbrains wanted in?

Same shit.

[PETE'S BROTHER]

You know how it is, you start a cool movement & then all the kids want in on the action & inevitably they fag up the whole thing, turning it into an unrecognisable parody of what it used to be.

does sound familiar

[Anonymous]

does sound familiar

Yeah, the up-an'-comer staff of 2006 really fagged up the site.

[ZahZoo]

I think Donaldo may be referring to the hippies that came after.

You know how it is, you start a cool movement & then all the kids want in on the action & inevitably they fag up the whole thing, turning it into an unrecognisable parody of what it used to be.

Remember when being a rock star was cool & then Kunt Splatterbrains wanted in?

Same shit.

Those are called hipsters today...

[Anonymous]

Those are called hipsters today...

Which you, of course, agree that they are douchebags.

See? The problem with the world is that most people think the exact same way, but express themselves in a way that others don't understand.

Like you & Donnie, in this instance. Hipsters, Hippies, Douchebags...

Same shit.

[ZahZoo]

I forego the fancy names in most cases and just refer to them as jackasses...

[Angel]

Those are called hipsters today...

Hipsters are NOT hippies, not even close.

[DavidLeeNatra]

You know how it is, you start a cool movement & then all the kids want in on the action & inevitably they fag up the whole thing, turning it into an unrecognisable parody of what it used to be.

And then you get Chucky Manson as the icing on the cake to REALLY fuck it up...coming down fast...

[ZahZoo]

Hipsters are NOT hippies, not even close.

I suppose so...

Although hippies are NOT hippies any more either... A more accurate term would be elderly!!

[Angel]

I suppose so...

Although hippies are NOT hippies any more either... A more accurate term would be elderly!!

Exactly. We had tons of hippies in my town when I was a little kid. Our central park was Canada's "Hait-Ashbury" (sp?). The hare krishna's used to scare the shit out of me. They faded out by the mid-70's.

My oldest cousin was a hippy. Now she's just an old crazy lady, lol...but she's still my favourite!

[Satan]