Results 1 to 17 of 17

Thread: Scott Ian nails it

  1. #1
    ∞ SHEEP PEN GYPSY
    Matt White's Avatar
    Member No
    5688
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Last Online
    01-25-2024 @ 06:27 PM
    Location
    ON THE ROAD
    Age
    56
    Posts
    20,446
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    1,512
    Thanked 1,031 Times in 685 Posts


    Rep Power
    0

    Scott Ian nails it

    Scott Ian absolutely nails my feelings of The Mighty Van Halen. I know his love for the bands of the 70's...he pays Edward the highest compliment...just fucking perfect.

    ANTHRAX's SCOTT IAN: EDDIE VAN HALEN Was 'The JOHN LENNON And PAUL MCCARTNEY Of Hard Rock'

    ANTHRAX's Scott Ian has reflected on the passing of Eddie Van Halen, saying the VAN HALEN axeman was "the complete package in every way."

    Ian discussed his appreciation for the groundbreaking musician, who died from cancer on October 6 at age 65, during an appearance on Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast.

    He said : "There's not a bad song from 'Van Halen I' to '1984' — for me, there's nothing that I don't love. Every song, for me, is as important as the big songs. Every song. I love 'You Really Got Me' — of course I do. But for me, on the first record, my favorite song is 'I'm The One'… His solo on 'So This Is Love?' Oh my God. He cleaned the tone up. And just the feeling in that solo and the way he moves around. 'Top Jimmy'… You can go and on. Every song is a fucking masterpiece."

    "He was the complete package in every way — in every way," Ian continued. "He was the [John] Lennon and [Paul] McCartney of hard rock, or heavy metal. They were metal before people were saying metal. 'I'm The One', 'Romeo Delight', 'Light Up The Sky' — those are metal tunes. 'Atomic Punk' — it's fucking metal. Unbelievable songwriter and arranger and just overall musician. Just a fucking master.


    "I think you could argue that he was the greatest overall talent, he was the biggest talent of the last… from 1975 on," Scott added. "To me, there's nobody more talented in any field of entertainment. For me, Eddie Van Halen would be the biggest talent of all. And where does that go?
    What a void that leaves."


    https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/an...-of-hard-rock/
    Hey Jackass! You need to [Register] or log in to view signatures on ROTHARMY.COM!

  2. 6 users say thank you to Matt White for this KICKASS post:

    Figs (11-29-2020),Nickdfresh (10-30-2020),riggodrill44 (11-25-2020),Rikk (10-30-2020),Seshmeister (10-30-2020),ZahZoo (10-30-2020)


  3. #2
    Rock God
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Hardrock69's Avatar
    Member No
    11017
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Last Online
    03-03-2024 @ 04:13 AM
    Location
    A Small Dive in a trashy neighborhood somewhere on Fornax 9
    Posts
    21,833
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    1,570
    Thanked 2,616 Times in 1,647 Posts


    Rep Power
    68
    Yep. I saw that. Absolutely correct. Goddam.
    Hey Jackass! You need to [Register] or log in to view signatures on ROTHARMY.COM!

  4. #3
    Foot Soldier
    Jetstream's Avatar
    Member No
    27731
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Last Online
    09-30-2022 @ 04:07 PM
    Location
    Texas
    Age
    55
    Posts
    609
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    455
    Thanked 343 Times in 181 Posts


    Rep Power
    16
    The two greatest talent loses in popular music since 1975 are Prince and Ed... and they both appear to have a magic vault
    Hey Jackass! You need to [Register] or log in to view signatures on ROTHARMY.COM!

  5. #4
    Lick me
    TOASTMASTER GENERAL
    Terry's Avatar
    Member No
    181
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Last Online
    Yesterday @ 08:15 PM
    Location
    USA! USA! USA!
    Posts
    11,902
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    4,579
    Thanked 2,267 Times in 1,488 Posts


    Blog Entries
    1
    Rep Power
    55
    Quote Originally Posted by Matt White View Post
    Scott Ian absolutely nails my feelings of The Mighty Van Halen. I know his love for the bands of the 70's...he pays Edward the highest compliment...just fucking perfect.

    ANTHRAX's SCOTT IAN: EDDIE VAN HALEN Was 'The JOHN LENNON And PAUL MCCARTNEY Of Hard Rock'

    ANTHRAX's Scott Ian has reflected on the passing of Eddie Van Halen, saying the VAN HALEN axeman was "the complete package in every way."

    Ian discussed his appreciation for the groundbreaking musician, who died from cancer on October 6 at age 65, during an appearance on Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast.

    He said : "There's not a bad song from 'Van Halen I' to '1984' — for me, there's nothing that I don't love. Every song, for me, is as important as the big songs. Every song. I love 'You Really Got Me' — of course I do. But for me, on the first record, my favorite song is 'I'm The One'… His solo on 'So This Is Love?' Oh my God. He cleaned the tone up. And just the feeling in that solo and the way he moves around. 'Top Jimmy'… You can go and on. Every song is a fucking masterpiece."

    "He was the complete package in every way — in every way," Ian continued. "He was the [John] Lennon and [Paul] McCartney of hard rock, or heavy metal. They were metal before people were saying metal. 'I'm The One', 'Romeo Delight', 'Light Up The Sky' — those are metal tunes. 'Atomic Punk' — it's fucking metal. Unbelievable songwriter and arranger and just overall musician. Just a fucking master.


    "I think you could argue that he was the greatest overall talent, he was the biggest talent of the last… from 1975 on," Scott added. "To me, there's nobody more talented in any field of entertainment. For me, Eddie Van Halen would be the biggest talent of all. And where does that go?
    What a void that leaves."


    https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/an...-of-hard-rock/

    I mean, you really can't oversell or overestimate Ed's impact on rock music in terms of guitar playing.

    Dunno quite about the Lennon/McCartney comparison...like, not to be too technical, but Lennon and McCartney were both adept at writing instrumentation and lyrics as well as singing. It's hardly being overly critical to point out that Ed didn't write lyrics and couldn't sing particularly well...certainly not on a level even approaching Lennon and McCartney.

    In terms of rock guitar, though? Shit. For me, in terms of big time game changers it was Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen. Which isn't to say there weren't many, many other great rock guitarists because obviously there were. But Hendrix and Van Halen were the two biggest ones. Far as I can tell, anyway.
    Hey Jackass! You need to [Register] or log in to view signatures on ROTHARMY.COM!

  6. 2 users say thank you to Terry for this KICKASS post:

    Matt White (10-31-2020),sonrisa salvaje (11-27-2020)


  7. #5
    ROTH ARMY WEBMASTER

    Seshmeister's Avatar
    Member No
    11
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Last Online
    Today @ 12:43 AM
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    35,078
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    2,815
    Thanked 9,347 Times in 6,031 Posts


    Rep Power
    10
    Fuck off Terry the Beatles were just the first boy band, you can't compare that shit to Van Halen!
    Hey Jackass! You need to [Register] or log in to view signatures on ROTHARMY.COM!

  8. 2 users say thank you to Seshmeister for this KICKASS post:

    Nickdfresh (10-30-2020),Vinnie Velvet (11-02-2020)


  9. #6
    ROTH ARMY WEBMASTER

    Seshmeister's Avatar
    Member No
    11
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Last Online
    Today @ 12:43 AM
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    35,078
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    2,815
    Thanked 9,347 Times in 6,031 Posts


    Rep Power
    10
    I can't put smiley after that statement because it's kind of completely true.

  10. Thanked Seshmeister for this KICKASS post:

    ZahZoo (11-01-2020)


  11. #7
    Lick me
    TOASTMASTER GENERAL
    Terry's Avatar
    Member No
    181
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Last Online
    Yesterday @ 08:15 PM
    Location
    USA! USA! USA!
    Posts
    11,902
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    4,579
    Thanked 2,267 Times in 1,488 Posts


    Blog Entries
    1
    Rep Power
    55
    Yeah, well, that was precisely what I was illustrating about the Beatles/Van Halen comparison that Scott Ian was making...

    You're very hurtful, Sesh.

  12. Thanked Terry for this KICKASS post:

    Seshmeister (10-31-2020)


  13. #8
    ROTH ARMY WEBMASTER

    Seshmeister's Avatar
    Member No
    11
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Last Online
    Today @ 12:43 AM
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    35,078
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    2,815
    Thanked 9,347 Times in 6,031 Posts


    Rep Power
    10
    Soz only half read that.

  14. Thanked Seshmeister for this KICKASS post:

    Terry (11-01-2020)


  15. #9
    THE SHEEP PEN
    DIAMOND STATUS
    Rikk's Avatar
    Member No
    182
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Last Online
    Yesterday @ 09:52 AM
    Location
    Southfork
    Age
    18
    Posts
    16,289
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    579
    Thanked 962 Times in 438 Posts


    Rep Power
    47
    By the way, guys, I don't know if you know this...but it's been 3,189 days since Kristy's been laid.
    Hey Jackass! You need to [Register] or log in to view signatures on ROTHARMY.COM!

  16. #10
    Atomic Drunk
    Roadie
    riggodrill44's Avatar
    Member No
    9721
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Last Online
    02-10-2022 @ 02:47 PM
    Location
    Annapolis, MD
    Posts
    117
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    215
    Thanked 43 Times in 27 Posts


    Rep Power
    20
    I think the correct analogy is Edward Van Halen/David Lee Roth were the Lennon/McCartney of their era. EVH has the lightning... but the Diamond One was the thunder. Unchained rocks... but it's incomplete without "Blue eyed murder in a size five dress." "I'm the One" IS metal guitar that lights your hair on fire... but... ba ba ba... shooby doo wah. It's a shame that pride/ego wrecked it... but I guess it was inevitable. I'm thankful that my formative years were during their time together. #gratitude Younger people can't possibly comprehend what happened and older people didn't experience it the same way as someone born in 1965.
    Hey Jackass! You need to [Register] or log in to view signatures on ROTHARMY.COM!

  17. 2 users say thank you to riggodrill44 for this KICKASS post:

    Matt White (11-26-2020),Von Halen (11-27-2020)


  18. #11
    Lick me
    TOASTMASTER GENERAL
    Terry's Avatar
    Member No
    181
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Last Online
    Yesterday @ 08:15 PM
    Location
    USA! USA! USA!
    Posts
    11,902
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    4,579
    Thanked 2,267 Times in 1,488 Posts


    Blog Entries
    1
    Rep Power
    55
    Quote Originally Posted by riggodrill44 View Post
    I think the correct analogy is Edward Van Halen/David Lee Roth were the Lennon/McCartney of their era. EVH has the lightning... but the Diamond One was the thunder. Unchained rocks... but it's incomplete without "Blue eyed murder in a size five dress." "I'm the One" IS metal guitar that lights your hair on fire... but... ba ba ba... shooby doo wah. It's a shame that pride/ego wrecked it... but I guess it was inevitable. I'm thankful that my formative years were during their time together. #gratitude Younger people can't possibly comprehend what happened and older people didn't experience it the same way as someone born in 1965.

    I mean, for me, it always took what Roth brought to the table to make Van Halen work...that Dave and Eddie for me were always the nucleus of the band in terms of the creative aspects.

    None of which negates what Alex and Mike were doing, either.

    Put it this way...when CVH were active, I listened to the band largely for what Eddie was doing...back then, I probably would have said without hesitation that Eddie's playing was the key factor that made the band special. However, I didn't take the stance that a lot of people - mostly rock music critics - did re: Roth was just a showoff clown who was actually holding Eddie and the band back. It became apparent rather quickly after Dave left that whatever personality/musical differences Ed and Roth had...they complimented each other musically.

    So, in that sense, yeah, I'd say Ed and Dave were the Lennon/McCartney or perhaps more apt Jagger/Richards or Plant/Page of their era.

  19. 3 users say thank you to Terry for this KICKASS post:

    Matt White (11-26-2020),riggodrill44 (11-26-2020),Von Halen (11-27-2020)


  20. #12
    ∞ SHEEP PEN GYPSY
    Matt White's Avatar
    Member No
    5688
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Last Online
    01-25-2024 @ 06:27 PM
    Location
    ON THE ROAD
    Age
    56
    Posts
    20,446
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    1,512
    Thanked 1,031 Times in 685 Posts


    Rep Power
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Terry View Post
    I mean, for me, it always took what Roth brought to the table to make Van Halen work...that Dave and Eddie for me were always the nucleus of the band in terms of the creative aspects.
    I've been saying it for years...especially since it really fires up the Hagar sheep...VAN HALEN without DAVID LEE ROTH would have been Quiet Riot: Band with an Ace guitar player, but mediocre songs. Van Hagar proved that point. Dave, for all his braggadocious ways, had an undeniable influence on EVH's music. Maybe he did have a hand in arranging the music...with the vocal melody. The combination of the 2 of them was without peer in American Hard rock.

  21. 3 users say thank you to Matt White for this KICKASS post:

    riggodrill44 (11-26-2020),Terry (11-26-2020),Von Halen (11-27-2020)


  22. #13
    Lick me
    TOASTMASTER GENERAL
    Terry's Avatar
    Member No
    181
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Last Online
    Yesterday @ 08:15 PM
    Location
    USA! USA! USA!
    Posts
    11,902
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    4,579
    Thanked 2,267 Times in 1,488 Posts


    Blog Entries
    1
    Rep Power
    55
    Quote Originally Posted by Matt White View Post
    I've been saying it for years...especially since it really fires up the Hagar sheep...VAN HALEN without DAVID LEE ROTH would have been Quiet Riot: Band with an Ace guitar player, but mediocre songs. Van Hagar proved that point. Dave, for all his braggadocious ways, had an undeniable influence on EVH's music. Maybe he did have a hand in arranging the music...with the vocal melody. The combination of the 2 of them was without peer in American Hard rock.
    More than a bit after Dave left, Van Halen WAS an average rock band with an ace guitar player, in that after Dave left the only interesting parts of the music - for me, anyway - specifically involved what Ed was doing. And even then it wasn't a case of Eddie coming up with great ideas on a consistent basis after Dave left. Van Hagar had more than a few tracks that weren't even interesting in terms of what the guitar was doing. A track like Best Of Both Worlds was pretty mediocre all around. Same with Black And Blue.

  23. #14
    THE SHOWSTOPPA
    Full Member Status

    Vinnie Velvet's Avatar
    Member No
    1201
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Last Online
    03-18-2024 @ 11:26 AM
    Location
    Hard Rock City
    Age
    50
    Posts
    4,572
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    336
    Thanked 508 Times in 324 Posts


    Rep Power
    30
    Quote Originally Posted by Terry View Post
    More than a bit after Dave left, Van Halen WAS an average rock band with an ace guitar player, in that after Dave left the only interesting parts of the music - for me, anyway - specifically involved what Ed was doing. And even then it wasn't a case of Eddie coming up with great ideas on a consistent basis after Dave left. Van Hagar had more than a few tracks that weren't even interesting in terms of what the guitar was doing. A track like Best Of Both Worlds was pretty mediocre all around. Same with Black And Blue.
    Yes all true.

    I once read somewhere that Dave and Ed's musical relationship was like a tug-o-war.

    And that resulted in them bringing out their best each time.

    With Hagar, that was no longer the case with Ed. So he relaxed into a somewhat mundane and mediocre songwriting style. Sure there were still some good moments on the guitar but by and large the magic was gone.

    I would also attribute to Ed's somewhat declining nature to his alcoholism as well. Which was one of the reasons for Dave to bail in the first place.
    Hey Jackass! You need to [Register] or log in to view signatures on ROTHARMY.COM!

  24. Thanked Vinnie Velvet for this KICKASS post:

    Terry (11-27-2020)


  25. #15
    Lick me
    TOASTMASTER GENERAL
    Terry's Avatar
    Member No
    181
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Last Online
    Yesterday @ 08:15 PM
    Location
    USA! USA! USA!
    Posts
    11,902
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    4,579
    Thanked 2,267 Times in 1,488 Posts


    Blog Entries
    1
    Rep Power
    55
    Quote Originally Posted by Vinnie Velvet View Post
    Yes all true.

    I once read somewhere that Dave and Ed's musical relationship was like a tug-o-war.

    And that resulted in them bringing out their best each time.

    With Hagar, that was no longer the case with Ed. So he relaxed into a somewhat mundane and mediocre songwriting style. Sure there were still some good moments on the guitar but by and large the magic was gone.

    I would also attribute to Ed's somewhat declining nature to his alcoholism as well. Which was one of the reasons for Dave to bail in the first place.
    Possibly it had to do with Ed having more control after Dave left with the production of the recordings, in that with Hagar in the band and Ted Templeman gone Ed wasn't having to compromise or listen to Roth/Ted saying a song idea wasn't working or needed more work or rearranging or whatever. I can't imagine Hagar was ever going to be the critical foil for Ed during the songwriting process that Roth or Ted had been. Clearly, he wasn't, if the lackluster quality of more than a few of the tunes Van Hagar came up with is taken into account.

    It could also have to do with Ed's writing style having...I hesitate to use the word 'evolved' when contrasting the CVH songs to a tune like Can't Stop Loving You...changed from the 1970s/early 1980s. Certainly, a case can be made post-Roth that Ed wasn't consistently going out of his way to demonstrate his guitar hero prowess when Hagar was in the band...in part because Ed was no longer constantly coming up with material where bitchin' guitar solos were either needed or appropriate, Can't Stop Loving You a case in point. I'd agree that by the time Hagar joined the band, Ed had earned the right as a successful musician in commercial terms to do as he pleased. While the Hagar records only sold about half of what the Roth records did, it should be said that the Hagar records DID sell, so clearly there were people out there who liked what Ed was coming up with post-Roth.

    It was just...as often said by many others, once Roth left Van Halen became a different band. By the time Roth left, Van Halen as a band/brand name had an enormous amount of success attached to it. It should also be said that by the time Hagar joined, the remaining members of Van Halen were in their 30s, so in addition to Ed's alcohol/drug use the fact was that the band was no longer this young bunch of guys in their late teens or twenties with everything to prove, nothing to lose and endless bounds of physical energy to do it.

  26. #16
    Atomic Drunk
    Roadie
    riggodrill44's Avatar
    Member No
    9721
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Last Online
    02-10-2022 @ 02:47 PM
    Location
    Annapolis, MD
    Posts
    117
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    215
    Thanked 43 Times in 27 Posts


    Rep Power
    20
    Quote Originally Posted by riggodrill44 View Post
    I think the correct analogy is Edward Van Halen/David Lee Roth were the Lennon/McCartney of their era. EVH has the lightning... but the Diamond One was the thunder. Unchained rocks... but it's incomplete without "Blue eyed murder in a size five dress." "I'm the One" IS metal guitar that lights your hair on fire... but... ba ba ba... shooby doo wah. It's a shame that pride/ego wrecked it... but I guess it was inevitable. I'm thankful that my formative years were during their time together. #gratitude Younger people can't possibly comprehend what happened and older people didn't experience it the same way as someone born in 1965.
    I'm back. Ha. My dudes... I got a lot of feelings (ha) and this place, the Roth Army Forum, is the only place where I can share them and be understood. But, I was thinking about what I wrote above and it reminded me of something I posted here back in 2012. Based on a review of ADKOT. I'm re-posting it here as it has a Lennon/McCartney reference. I know I shouldn't care so much about this anymore... but.. Eddie and Diamond Dave... they obviously mean a lot to me. Eddie's passing and then Wolf's arrival have stirred up a lot of thoughts.

    Posted on Roth Army site back on February 5, 2012.

    I agree with this part of the Music Radar review and some of the observations about the songs. "The Van Halen of 2012 comes off as age-proof, confident monsters, chewing up the scenery with the top down and flipping the bird to anyone who's got a problem with that."

    I, like others who have posted on this thread, have been taking turns with "my favorite song" on the record. As I write this, it's "Outta Space". Jesus H. Christ!

    Some other quick thoughts... this is the kick in the ass that hard rock needed... again. Similar in style to the kick it received in 1978. I mean, this is a blowout. Nothing else in rock has been close to this in many years... wall to wall... first song to last song. As a musician, I sense this record having an influence for the next 10 years. No more looking at your shoes, whining that you're a loser baby so why don't you kill me, tuning down lower than the last guy, stale safe rock anthems that don't really mean anything.... and fucking let the guitar player melt faces, for christ sakes. Swagger is a word I read used here before. This record definitely has swagger. Not some pimp, jive ass bullshit. But real swagger. You gotta walk the walk swagger. James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley swagger. You know... "We got paid $1.5 Million to headline the US Festival 30 years ago and we're selling out every arena across North America in 2012" swagger.

    I guess we know now why it took so long to get this record. Them dudes have been practicing. Wolfie is fucking KILLING IT. Ed deserves "Comeback Player of the Year", Diamond Dave is "MVP"... but Wolfie has got to be "Rookie of the Year". This is like Gale Sayers or Randy Moss in their rookie year. "Here I am, I DESERVE to be here, get out of my fucking way and there is no way you can stop me." Listen on your headphones to he and Alex behind the solo's... they are locked in the pocket and cooking with grease... then listen to he and Ed shred and match runs note for note... and then he is singing back ups, too. It really is ridiculous. This is like "Eat 'em and Smile" territory... they've laid a marker by which all other guitarists/bassists/drummers will be judged. I can hear people saying this over the next five years, "yeah, he's good... but he doesn't play like Wolfie." People will be saying that. He's that fucking good, dude. Remember when Dave opened the EEAS tour with "Shyboy"? I would love to hear them open with "China Town".

    Dave expresses a lot of ideas on this record. I think it'll take me a few months to get all of them. And there is a passion in his delivery that is very pronounced. I read a review where a guy panned "Blood and Fire". The reviewer didn't mention the spoken part in the middle of the song. You CANNOT talk about that song and not mention that part. The way he says "SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT" is spine tingling. Yeah, I'm drinking the Kool Aid... but you cannot listen to that song and not FEEL his meaning. Or on "Bullethead" when he spits out "yeah I'm rolling slowly... but I'm ahead of you"... can you feel it? I do. I think it's clear that this record means EVERYTHING to him and he reached way deep down inside... to places that only some people know about... and delivered this work of art.

    But, it's not just him. It's the band, too. And the point/counterpoint between those two cats (Dave and Ed) is on a different level. It's organic and real and just can't be duplicated. It's like Lennon/McCartney. Great individually... but really special together. It makes sense that Ed has always played with his brother on drums and now his son on bass. The same flesh and blood with a sense of timing and rhythm that perhaps dudes with different genes just can't lock in on the same level. Then pour the best storyteller and world's most confident performer on top and you get "A Different Kind of Truth".

    Other people have written what I'm about to write. This (new record, tour dates, etc.) means a lot to me. I have a connection to Van Halen that I can't explain to other people who don't have the same connection. It's like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"... we gotta get to Devils Tower... but we don't really know why. Hearing this record...coming to the place in time we're at right now (new record, tour dates, etc.)... it is up there with getting married, having a kid, completing Ironman (4 times!) and work world success. It has made me very happy. I knew it was going to be great when it happened. But I didn't know it would be this great.

  27. 2 users say thank you to riggodrill44 for this KICKASS post:

    Terry (12-05-2020),ZahZoo (12-02-2020)


  28. #17
    Lick me
    TOASTMASTER GENERAL
    Terry's Avatar
    Member No
    181
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Last Online
    Yesterday @ 08:15 PM
    Location
    USA! USA! USA!
    Posts
    11,902
    Status
    Offline
    Thanks
    4,579
    Thanked 2,267 Times in 1,488 Posts


    Blog Entries
    1
    Rep Power
    55
    Quote Originally Posted by riggodrill44 View Post
    I'm back. Ha. My dudes... I got a lot of feelings (ha) and this place, the Roth Army Forum, is the only place where I can share them and be understood. But, I was thinking about what I wrote above and it reminded me of something I posted here back in 2012. Based on a review of ADKOT. I'm re-posting it here as it has a Lennon/McCartney reference. I know I shouldn't care so much about this anymore... but.. Eddie and Diamond Dave... they obviously mean a lot to me. Eddie's passing and then Wolf's arrival have stirred up a lot of thoughts.

    Posted on Roth Army site back on February 5, 2012.

    I agree with this part of the Music Radar review and some of the observations about the songs. "The Van Halen of 2012 comes off as age-proof, confident monsters, chewing up the scenery with the top down and flipping the bird to anyone who's got a problem with that."

    I, like others who have posted on this thread, have been taking turns with "my favorite song" on the record. As I write this, it's "Outta Space". Jesus H. Christ!

    Some other quick thoughts... this is the kick in the ass that hard rock needed... again. Similar in style to the kick it received in 1978. I mean, this is a blowout. Nothing else in rock has been close to this in many years... wall to wall... first song to last song. As a musician, I sense this record having an influence for the next 10 years. No more looking at your shoes, whining that you're a loser baby so why don't you kill me, tuning down lower than the last guy, stale safe rock anthems that don't really mean anything.... and fucking let the guitar player melt faces, for christ sakes. Swagger is a word I read used here before. This record definitely has swagger. Not some pimp, jive ass bullshit. But real swagger. You gotta walk the walk swagger. James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley swagger. You know... "We got paid $1.5 Million to headline the US Festival 30 years ago and we're selling out every arena across North America in 2012" swagger.

    I guess we know now why it took so long to get this record. Them dudes have been practicing. Wolfie is fucking KILLING IT. Ed deserves "Comeback Player of the Year", Diamond Dave is "MVP"... but Wolfie has got to be "Rookie of the Year". This is like Gale Sayers or Randy Moss in their rookie year. "Here I am, I DESERVE to be here, get out of my fucking way and there is no way you can stop me." Listen on your headphones to he and Alex behind the solo's... they are locked in the pocket and cooking with grease... then listen to he and Ed shred and match runs note for note... and then he is singing back ups, too. It really is ridiculous. This is like "Eat 'em and Smile" territory... they've laid a marker by which all other guitarists/bassists/drummers will be judged. I can hear people saying this over the next five years, "yeah, he's good... but he doesn't play like Wolfie." People will be saying that. He's that fucking good, dude. Remember when Dave opened the EEAS tour with "Shyboy"? I would love to hear them open with "China Town".

    Dave expresses a lot of ideas on this record. I think it'll take me a few months to get all of them. And there is a passion in his delivery that is very pronounced. I read a review where a guy panned "Blood and Fire". The reviewer didn't mention the spoken part in the middle of the song. You CANNOT talk about that song and not mention that part. The way he says "SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT" is spine tingling. Yeah, I'm drinking the Kool Aid... but you cannot listen to that song and not FEEL his meaning. Or on "Bullethead" when he spits out "yeah I'm rolling slowly... but I'm ahead of you"... can you feel it? I do. I think it's clear that this record means EVERYTHING to him and he reached way deep down inside... to places that only some people know about... and delivered this work of art.

    But, it's not just him. It's the band, too. And the point/counterpoint between those two cats (Dave and Ed) is on a different level. It's organic and real and just can't be duplicated. It's like Lennon/McCartney. Great individually... but really special together. It makes sense that Ed has always played with his brother on drums and now his son on bass. The same flesh and blood with a sense of timing and rhythm that perhaps dudes with different genes just can't lock in on the same level. Then pour the best storyteller and world's most confident performer on top and you get "A Different Kind of Truth".

    Other people have written what I'm about to write. This (new record, tour dates, etc.) means a lot to me. I have a connection to Van Halen that I can't explain to other people who don't have the same connection. It's like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"... we gotta get to Devils Tower... but we don't really know why. Hearing this record...coming to the place in time we're at right now (new record, tour dates, etc.)... it is up there with getting married, having a kid, completing Ironman (4 times!) and work world success. It has made me very happy. I knew it was going to be great when it happened. But I didn't know it would be this great.
    For me, perhaps more today than closer to the initial release date, ADKOT...it was like harkening back to a point in time that is...obviously - because it was Van Halen - particular to the style of rock that only Van Halen could do, or did...

    Van Halen with Roth at the helm...it was...is...remains...a very, very special band for me...special to the point that what was created between 1977 and 1984 still keeps resonating and survived all the missteps and misfires that were served up under the Van Halen name post-1984. If I'm being honest, the majority of what transpired under the Van Halen name post-1984 hasn't meant that much to me.

    When Roth left the band in 1985, to me it always felt like something was being cut short when there was still more juice in the tank in terms of creating excellent music goes. In reality, that may not have been the case: it could well be that the band with Roth fronting was defying the odds lasting as long as it did to begin with. However, regardless of the truth of that, it always felt like CVH concluded with unfinished business.

    The two BOV1 tracks and the ADKOT album were kind of like glimpses of what the band could have went on to do if Roth hadn't quit in 1985. I mean, obviously they WERE what the band went on to with Roth after he quit in 1985, but you know what I mean.

    And by the time ADKOT came out...bands just weren't making that kind of rock music anymore. At least none that I've heard, although to be fair I haven't kept up with much of anything in contemporary rock in 20 years, and what I HAVE heard sounds...posed, forced and uninspired. CVH may have been posed in part, but it was forceful over forced and certainly wasn't lacking in the inspiration department.

    So whatever criticisms I have re: ADKOT (a totally disposable track like The Trouble With Never which, to be frank, sounds like a lesser track off of one of Dave's solo albums) are sort of eclipsed by being thankful for having the band making the effort at such a late date as ADKOT was and managing to conjure up the magic again.

  29. Thanked Terry for this KICKASS post:

    riggodrill44 (03-26-2021)


Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Sorkin on West Wing Return Nails Trump
    By Seshmeister in forum The Front Line
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 12-04-2017, 07:45 PM
  2. Jon Stewart Nails O'Reilly on Right to Privacy
    By Sarge in forum The Front Line
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 02-10-2009, 09:58 PM
  3. FBI Nails Blackwater
    By LoungeMachine in forum The Front Line
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 11-14-2007, 02:51 PM
  4. New Nine Inch Nails on the Way in Spring?
    By Nickdfresh in forum House of Music
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 05-16-2005, 01:12 AM
  5. Ashcroft nails Clintonite in setting blame for 9-11
    By lucky wilbury in forum The Front Line
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 04-15-2004, 07:52 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •