"guitar'd" documentary

[Terry]

It's just a weird thing with Van Halen since 1996 for me.

I tend to discount 1985 through 1995. Not solely because of the musical direction of Van Halen during that period, but because regardless of who was (more) at fault for the CVH split, Roth and the band weren't together anymore. It was what it was.

For me, it just keeps coming back to the CVH albums, when Ed was at his best and coming up with what to my ears amounted to his best stuff. I still get enjoyment out of listening to that stuff. When I hear it, it sounds like the band, whatever their personal differences, was kicking ass and having fun playing the music.

Post-1996, Van Halen has been Van Halen minus the fun. This is perhaps why I was so excited for the Roth/CVH reunion in 1996 and still clung to the hope of a CVH reunion even after the 1996 attempt ended in acrimony: I want to get some of that kick-ass fun back.

Realistically, the band is too old and doesn't have the...drive or desire they did decades ago. Which is understandable. Roth seems to have his sense of fun - or at least his own appreciation of his sense of humor, at any rate - intact. I'd be hard-pressed to imagine Ed doesn't enjoy playing guitar any more. I dunno. Over the last ten years, it kind of seems at times like Roth is back with the band more because all concerned know it is Roth in Van Halen that remains a draw for concert tickets, rather than the band actually really enjoying what they have been doing. Doubtless Ed enjoys playing with his kid, but that's not quite the same thing as enjoying having Dave back.

That fantastic era of 1978 to 1984...it's...just gone forever. I don't even think a CVH reunion can really bring it back, even in terms of replicating a memory that will really do justice to the Real Deal, as CVH were back in the day.

Can't Get That Stuff No More.

[ZahZoo]

I realize everyone ages differently and their mileage varies based on lifestyle... but then you also compare similar characters in this realm...

Take Joe Walsh for example. His career spans from 1964 to present, turns 72 in November and could've given EVH & Dave a run for their money in the partying department for as many or more decades. He's cleaned up... still writes, releases music and performs live both solo and with the Eagles.

There's a lot of Ed's fellow 6-stringers still active with more years and more empty bottles out there keeping it fun...

[Terry]

I think the thing of it is...what Van Halen has left that is saleable is going out and playing their greatest hits. Perhaps a majority of the general concertgoing audience out there now would prefer to hear the CVH era greatest hits than the Van Hagar years, although I'd tend to imagine a Van Hagar reunion could still pull in a decent amount of folks willing to pay money to see it. Speaking in terms of the broad section of people willing to pay money to see Van Halen live today, many of whom probably don't particularly care if Roth is singing or if Hagar is singing regarding that being a deal-breaker one way or the other.

I understand that nostalgia sells. And sells well.

The problem from where I sit is that while I wanted Roth to rejoin the band for years, part of the reason was that I wanted to see what Roth and the band were capable of coming up with in terms of new music. Sure, I wanted to hear the CVH stuff performed live again, and to their credit the band did incorporate different deep CVH tracks into their setlists for each tour from 2007 on. ADKOT was bit of a mixed bag. Even strictly in terms of the new stuff. Chinatown was good. As Is was good. You And Your Blues, not so much. The Trouble With Never, not so much. But I liked the fact that the band was willing to give making a new record a shot, and even with the re-recording of the old CVH demos one could hear the band making an effort.

Seems like that adventurous spirit lasted for that one 2012 tour. By 2015, it was back to the oldies. And I understand that, because apparently that's what people want to hear. It's just...part of what appealed to me when CVH was active is that nearly every year they were moving forward with a new album, and they were playing new things on tour, and weren't merely rehashing what they had already done.

These greatest hits tours just aren't really doing much for me anymore. The first one in 2007 was perhaps necessary in terms of the greatest hits template. The 2012 tour saw the band at least putting a new record out and doing some new stuff live. That felt like a band that was looking forward in addition to essaying the past. 2015, it was back to recreating the past. I'm not sure why this is. I dunno if Roth and the Van Halens are on different musical wavelengths and simply can't agree on what type of new material they could create in terms of style, or if Roth and the Van Halens simply can't work together anymore beyond getting up onstage for 120 minutes and bashing out the oldies and having that be the only time where they can be in the same proximity together.

The last 12 years have seen Van Halen become something to me that they never were during the CVH period, which (I'm honestly a bit saddened to say) is stale.

[private parts]

Yeah...5 guitarists I'd want to hear from, and 65 other interview subjects that hold no interest for me whatsoever...

Don't get me wrong: I'd love to watch an engaging EVH-centric documentary.

Judging from the majority of the 70 person list - along with the amateurish way it was produced in terms of having their shit hard-wired - I'd hazard a guess this documentary isn't it.

I see 10 or so I'd like to hear from. These guys are indie film makers and probably a bit green. I don't think there is a huge demand for guitar-centric documentaries, as in this is probably the only and last one.
You would think Ed would like to talk guitar for a few minutes with these guys. His two EVH/Fender builders are in on it. Got to be another reason they're not getting access. Mental or physical, right?

[Terry]

I see 10 or so I'd like to hear from. These guys are indie film makers and probably a bit green. I don't think there is a huge demand for guitar-centric documentaries, as in this is probably the only and last one.
You would think Ed would like to talk guitar for a few minutes with these guys. His two EVH/Fender builders are in on it. Got to be another reason they're not getting access. Mental or physical, right?

I think you do have a point in that, if nothing else, Ed would participate even just to promote the EVH signature gear.

I mean, admittedly I was being a bit of dick calling these guys out for not having their ducks in a row (assuming that even was the case), and I also assumed Ed didn't want to do it because these guys were indie film makers. I mean, Ed is still stuck in the mentality of a band needing to be on a major label to sell records/music, so in that vein possibly the term "indie" connotates something Ed thinks he is above or beyond commenting for, or whatever.

Possibly, Ed just never got the interview request, or it was mentioned to him in passing by his...handler(?) manager (?) person whose job it is to pass along messages to Ed (?) gardener (?) and Ed shrugged, forgot about it and went about his day.

Maybe Ed can't be bothered giving interviews unless it is for GW. Or has an exclusivity interview deal with GW.

Who the fuck knows?

[private parts]

Who the fuck knows?

Sounds like a good title for the next VH album or the biography of Eddie Van Halen.