Rolling Stone - Wolf & Ed

[Nitro Express]

I will give Wolf some credit. He doesn’t drink or do drugs. Smart when you have a dad, an uncle and a grandfather that struggled with substance abuse. Diabetes or heart disease is going to get him though if he doesn’t get the weight off and take better care of himself. He can afford the best personal trainers and there are plenty in LA. Take care of yourself kid and congrats on the engagement. You are marring up.

[chuckjitsu]

Just throwing it out there, but was Ed a victim of his own success? After Hagar was out and before or after Cherone, could he have started a new band with 3 new members and done something that way? Seems like it got to the point where Ed and the band "Van Halen" had gotten so iconic that it ended up being a boulder chained to Ed's ankle and he felt there was no way for him to create new music outside the Van Halen brand. Was that even true? If word had gotten out about that, dudes would've lined up around the block to be part of playing with Ed. As has been mentioned, it seems like it got to the point where he just resigned himself to the fact that his only path forward was with Roth. But was it? Could he have done a solo album or formed another group? I'm not sure he ever would've considered playing without Al, but he certainly had no problem playing without Mike and Roth/Hagar. How would you guys have felt about an Ed solo album or Ed playing guitar in another band, with or without Al, but with a different bass player and singer at a minimum? And maybe Ed had no interest in doing anything outside of "Van Halen", but it sure seems like he had opportunities to do other things, but he chose the path that limited what he could do, at least in his own mind.

[Vinnie Velvet]

I will give Wolf some credit. He doesn’t drink or do drugs. Smart when you have a dad, an uncle and a grandfather that struggled with substance abuse. Diabetes or heart disease is going to get him though if he doesn’t get the weight off and take better care of himself. He can afford the best personal trainers and there are plenty in LA. Take care of yourself kid and congrats on the engagement. You are marring up.

He has ZERO excuse to look like that. To be a slob.

Yeah because as you say he can get the best personal trainers. Money ain't an issue.

Oh and he doesn't get a gal who is more than half his weight if his last name ain't Van Halen.

[Vinnie Velvet]

Just throwing it out there, but was Ed a victim of his own success? After Hagar was out and before or after Cherone, could he have started a new band with 3 new members and done something that way? Seems like it got to the point where Ed and the band "Van Halen" had gotten so iconic that it ended up being a boulder chained to Ed's ankle and he felt there was no way for him to create new music outside the Van Halen brand. Was that even true? If word had gotten out about that, dudes would've lined up around the block to be part of playing with Ed. As has been mentioned, it seems like it got to the point where he just resigned himself to the fact that his only path forward was with Roth. But was it? Could he have done a solo album or formed another group? I'm not sure he ever would've considered playing without Al, but he certainly had no problem playing without Mike and Roth/Hagar. How would you guys have felt about an Ed solo album or Ed playing guitar in another band, with or without Al, but with a different bass player and singer at a minimum? And maybe Ed had no interest in doing anything outside of "Van Halen", but it sure seems like he had opportunities to do other things, but he chose the path that limited what he could do, at least in his own mind.

Ed should've done that in 1985. 5150 shouldve been his solo album without Al or Mike. Maybe Sam sings some songs. Throw in Patty Smyth etc.

Get all that gay shit music out of his system and reconvene as CVH a little later.

But again, he didn't do that. I believe Ed just wasn't as confident on his own. Especially without his brother. Heck, I don't think he was confident to do an album without Dave.

Which is also why they kept the name. Ed would've been scared shitless if they went out under a different banner and not Van Halen. As the VH brand was solidified as a top selling recording and touring act.

[FORD]

The ironic thing is that Eddie was making "solo" recordings around that time that he played drums on himself, and not Al. Like the infamous "Donut City" which sounded like Loverboy with a better guitarist....

[Terry]

Just throwing it out there, but was Ed a victim of his own success? After Hagar was out and before or after Cherone, could he have started a new band with 3 new members and done something that way? Seems like it got to the point where Ed and the band "Van Halen" had gotten so iconic that it ended up being a boulder chained to Ed's ankle and he felt there was no way for him to create new music outside the Van Halen brand. Was that even true? If word had gotten out about that, dudes would've lined up around the block to be part of playing with Ed. As has been mentioned, it seems like it got to the point where he just resigned himself to the fact that his only path forward was with Roth. But was it? Could he have done a solo album or formed another group? I'm not sure he ever would've considered playing without Al, but he certainly had no problem playing without Mike and Roth/Hagar. How would you guys have felt about an Ed solo album or Ed playing guitar in another band, with or without Al, but with a different bass player and singer at a minimum? And maybe Ed had no interest in doing anything outside of "Van Halen", but it sure seems like he had opportunities to do other things, but he chose the path that limited what he could do, at least in his own mind.

I dunno about Ed being a victim of his own success.

Whatever misgivings he had about his lack of control over the way some of the 6-pack stuff was produced or the choices made about some of the material recorded during the Roth years, Ed certainly had his way creatively throughout the Sam Hagar years. Ditto for the Van Halen III album.

I always thought it had been a mistake to bring Dave back in 1996 and not go all the way with it. THAT to me was a demarcation point, career-wise. I wonder if Ed just thought because Roth in solo commercial terms was basically a has-been in 1996 therefore there wasn't a strong yearning anymore on part of the Van Halen fans to see Dave reunite with the band. That perhaps it was this mindset that led the Van Halens to think they could just do a couple of bonus tracks with Dave for the BOV1 album as a...what? A dry run for possibly doing an album and tour with Roth in 1997. And if that didn't pan out, it wouldn't be any big deal to then get another singer, because the reaction to the band NOT doing an album and tour with Roth wouldn't be what it ended up being. I mean, to be frank about it, in early 1996 the general public at large had virtually zero interest in what Roth was doing as a solo act.

It was a bad mistake to whet the public appetite with those two 1996 tracks and that VMA appearance. Especially to pull a bait and switch with Gary Cherone. I mean, Gary Cherone circa 1996 was a step down from Hagar, never mind a CVH reunion. It isn't to say that there wouldn't have been resistance to Cherone anyway, but to stoke the embers of a CVH reunion and then announce your new lead singer is Gary Cherone...shit, the band would have been better off plodding on with Hagar.

No, once the Pandora's Box of a CVH reunion was cracked open slightly, by and large the fanbase wasn't going to accept anything else short of Roth rejoining full on. Because the fanbase knew what the Van Halens had forgotten: Van Halen was never all about Eddie Van Halen. And what Eddie Van Halen brought to Van Halen went beyond the 'guitar god' shredding of Eruption.

It was the songs. Included in that was the lyrics and vocals. And drums. And bass.

Could Eddie have released a solo album? I suppose he could have, but wasn't Van Halen III pretty much an Eddie Van Halen solo album? In terms of Eddie doing what he wanted to do, it sure seemed like he had complete control over Van Halen III.

[Nitro Express]

I think Ed had anxiety. His son was diagnosed with it. I have a friend who was as well. The part of his brain that produces anxiety never completely shuts off and he had some of the behaviors Ed showed. Once they got him on the right medication he was much better. But when you have anxiety, cigarettes and alcohol help quell it and if you are dealing with it and are a very famous guitar slinger who has to live up to people's expectations that's got to be hell.

I know Alex did say it was easier for him to quit drinking because he's not the guitar god. Alex didn't have the pressures on him, his brother did.

[Nitro Express]

He has ZERO excuse to look like that. To be a slob.

Yeah because as you say he can get the best personal trainers. Money ain't an issue.

Oh and he doesn't get a gal who is more than half his weight if his last name ain't Van Halen.

He's been fat his whole life. Val and Ed should have never let him get that fat as a kid but they did. Again I had different parents. I didn't get much junk food and I had to eat my vegetables and do a lot of physical work. My parents were not into lounging around doing nothing. Nobody in my family are fat. We ski, we climb mountains and that sort of stuff. It's why I live where I live.

[Von Halen]

Well, I have been chewing on this article for a few days now. I thought maybe a cooler head would prevail. It hasn't. This kid acts like a spoiled cunt. He fucking antagonizes VH fans, then snivels like a bitch when he hears the backlash.

I have no doubt the shit he says about Dave is accurate. However, as we have heard recently, Dave has been dealing with health issues. You'd think this punk would be sympathetic to this, after what his Dad went through. For all of Dave's idiosyncracies, I believe he respected what Van Halen had when it went into a studio, and went onstage. That mashing and gnashing of personalities, made VH what they were. Well, that and a lot of talent.

I have zero doubt in my mind this kid is very calculated in everything he says and does. In fact, I will go so far as to say, I believe he waited for his Dad to die to release his album, on purpose. If he had released it before Ed died and it flopped, it would have been a major disappointment to both of them. By releasing it after, he was able to use the sympathy card to his advantage. There is no other reason this album wasn't released before Ed passed.

He seems to want VH fan to accept and love him, but he wants to shit on us at the same time. Ignoring "the vault". Ignoring the old live shows. Publicly stating he doesn't give a fuck what VH fan wants. Well fuck you. Any fleeting thought I had about attending his show here, that sold for shit, went out the window with his shitty attitude.

Fuck a "Tribute" concert. I don't give one fuck about other musicians butchering Ed's great work, as a "tribute" to Ed. Fuck that. How about releasing some old shows when he was on top of his game? Hell, release them from every era.

I think the failure of VH III was a massive blow to Ed. Up to that point he thought he was invincible and the singer didn't matter. He got lucky with lightning striking twice. A third time wasn't to be. That was a big reality check for him. You'd think Wolfgang would have enough sense to see that Ed recording mostly everything on VH III himself, didn't allow any chemistry in. Now this fucknut is recording albums the same way. He's already stating that is the way he does it, and will do it again for the next album. His band is basically hired hands to play the stuff live. If there were any way possible for this kid to do it like he did in that one video that is all him, I'm sure he'd do that. Fucker should just hologram himself playing the other instruments for his live shows. Couldn't sell any worse than his last tour.

At least all the Van Halen's are consistent. They don't give one fuck about their fans. They seemingly get away with doing just about everything outside of the albums and live shows, wrong. This kids time in the spotlight is going to be short lived.

[Seshmeister]

I think there is a very good chance that the reason Roth vetoed the memorial gig if which is what we are talking about was it was going to be shit most likely because Hagar was going to be involved.

It's not like this is situation where the family needs money and I don't think the Van Halen's are super famous for their charity work. The only one that I've heard about was the local cops benevolent fund and lets be honest an alcoholic with a bunch of sports cars would be pretty stupid not to throw a few bucks and occasional charity golf game with the cops.

Maybe I'm getting very cynical in my old age but I'm not sure how Taylor Hawkins or his family is helped by Wolf now covering one of their songs but I could see how it could help the set list of pretty samey songs from an artist without much stage charisma and his hired backing band...

[Fairwrning]

I give Wolf credit for a last run of CVH..A nice big FU to Sammy in doing that..and getting rid of the bass solo...I went to the 12 show but had zero interest in 15...its over..

[Terry]

Well, I have been chewing on this article for a few days now. I thought maybe a cooler head would prevail. It hasn't. This kid acts like a spoiled cunt. He fucking antagonizes VH fans, then snivels like a bitch when he hears the backlash.

I have no doubt the shit he says about Dave is accurate. However, as we have heard recently, Dave has been dealing with health issues. You'd think this punk would be sympathetic to this, after what his Dad went through. For all of Dave's idiosyncracies, I believe he respected what Van Halen had when it went into a studio, and went onstage. That mashing and gnashing of personalities, made VH what they were. Well, that and a lot of talent.

I have zero doubt in my mind this kid is very calculated in everything he says and does. In fact, I will go so far as to say, I believe he waited for his Dad to die to release his album, on purpose. If he had released it before Ed died and it flopped, it would have been a major disappointment to both of them. By releasing it after, he was able to use the sympathy card to his advantage. There is no other reason this album wasn't released before Ed passed.

He seems to want VH fan to accept and love him, but he wants to shit on us at the same time. Ignoring "the vault". Ignoring the old live shows. Publicly stating he doesn't give a fuck what VH fan wants. Well fuck you. Any fleeting thought I had about attending his show here, that sold for shit, went out the window with his shitty attitude.

Fuck a "Tribute" concert. I don't give one fuck about other musicians butchering Ed's great work, as a "tribute" to Ed. Fuck that. How about releasing some old shows when he was on top of his game? Hell, release them from every era.

I think the failure of VH III was a massive blow to Ed. Up to that point he thought he was invincible and the singer didn't matter. He got lucky with lightning striking twice. A third time wasn't to be. That was a big reality check for him. You'd think Wolfgang would have enough sense to see that Ed recording mostly everything on VH III himself, didn't allow any chemistry in. Now this fucknut is recording albums the same way. He's already stating that is the way he does it, and will do it again for the next album. His band is basically hired hands to play the stuff live. If there were any way possible for this kid to do it like he did in that one video that is all him, I'm sure he'd do that. Fucker should just hologram himself playing the other instruments for his live shows. Couldn't sell any worse than his last tour.

At least all the Van Halen's are consistent. They don't give one fuck about their fans. They seemingly get away with doing just about everything outside of the albums and live shows, wrong. This kids time in the spotlight is going to be short lived.

Yeah, well, doubtless the kid has led a privileged life. He certainly didn't have to work at all to get the bass slot in Van Halen. Irrespective of what Eddie said, there wasn't anything exceptional to the slightest degree with Wolfgang's bass playing. It was competent, and nothing beyond that.

I dunno where the majority of the blame lies for the remaining members of Van Halen not doing a live tribute to Ed. Honestly, even if Wolfgang were more responsible than Dave or Al or Hagar or whoever it matters not. Once Eddie died, it was game over anyway.

Yeah, maybe the kid is that cynical regarding the timing of the Mammoth album release. It could be that he didn't want to release the album because Ed was still alive (but in failing health) for no other reason than wanting to spend as much time with his father as he could. I dunno. I don't know the kid. It seems like he's fucked with various segments of Van Halen fans no matter what he does or doesn't say or do. I wouldn't bother seeing Mammoth live because the music does nothing for me on record. In addition, Wolfgang had virtually no stage presence when he was in Van Halen. It's not like that's gonna improve any with Mammoth.

I couldn't say if Wolfgang has unilateral control over "the vault" re: releasing whatever is in it whenever he wants to. Who knows what the contractual obligations are with such a release?

I would agree the most fitting tribute to Ed and Van Halen WOULD be putting out some old Van Halen shows when Ed and the band were at the top of their game. Then again, THAT was something that should have been undertaken at the very least ten years ago, if not sooner. Instead, we got Tokyo Dome.

Mammoth long term will ultimately rise or fall on the strength of what it does musically. Being 'the kid of' Eddie was enough to get Mammoth a release and some publicity, but that nepotism won't be enough on its own to sustain a wide level of interest over time. I don't blame Wolfgang for using his family name to get his foot in the door of the music business. You use whatever leverage you have. Plus, it's not like he can disavow who he is, what his last name is or who his father was. Once the foot is in the door, it'll be his talent that takes him the rest of the way. From what I've seen and heard, there's not much by way of talent there. Others may disagree. Whatever.

[nick500]

Yeah, well, doubtless the kid has led a privileged life. He certainly didn't have to work at all to get the bass slot in Van Halen. Irrespective of what Eddie said, there wasn't anything exceptional to the slightest degree with Wolfgang's bass playing. It was competent, and nothing beyond that.

I dunno where the majority of the blame lies for the remaining members of Van Halen not doing a live tribute to Ed. Honestly, even if Wolfgang were more responsible than Dave or Al or Hagar or whoever it matters not. Once Eddie died, it was game over anyway.

Yeah, maybe the kid is that cynical regarding the timing of the Mammoth album release. It could be that he didn't want to release the album because Ed was still alive (but in failing health) for no other reason than wanting to spend as much time with his father as he could. I dunno. I don't know the kid. It seems like he's fucked with various segments of Van Halen fans no matter what he does or doesn't say or do. I wouldn't bother seeing Mammoth live because the music does nothing for me on record. In addition, Wolfgang had virtually no stage presence when he was in Van Halen. It's not like that's gonna improve any with Mammoth.

I couldn't say if Wolfgang has unilateral control over "the vault" re: releasing whatever is in it whenever he wants to. Who knows what the contractual obligations are with such a release?

I would agree the most fitting tribute to Ed and Van Halen WOULD be putting out some old Van Halen shows when Ed and the band were at the top of their game. Then again, THAT was something that should have been undertaken at the very least ten years ago, if not sooner. Instead, we got Tokyo Dome.

Mammoth long term will ultimately rise or fall on the strength of what it does musically. Being 'the kid of' Eddie was enough to get Mammoth a release and some publicity, but that nepotism won't be enough on its own to sustain a wide level of interest over time. I don't blame Wolfgang for using his family name to get his foot in the door of the music business. You use whatever leverage you have. Plus, it's not like he can disavow who he is, what his last name is or who his father was. Once the foot is in the door, it'll be his talent that takes him the rest of the way. From what I've seen and heard, there's not much by way of talent there. Others may disagree. Whatever.

Not sure if those text emails are true, but whoever wrote it does get it right about Hagar:

Then they blame Roth for leaving the band originally in 1985 and lament the decision to bring Sammy Hagar in to replace him later that year: “Once Hagar joined it was never the same.”

[twonabomber]

Yeah, but this part of the email article made me think the guy was dumb:

And this is a bit of a reach, but twice the writer uses double-exclamation points — the same way Van Halen does on the song “Everybody Wants Some!!” That’s always annoyed the shit out of me and, quite frankly, makes me enjoy the song less.

Over the song title? That's dumb.

[Nitro Express]

Well, I have been chewing on this article for a few days now. I thought maybe a cooler head would prevail. It hasn't. This kid acts like a spoiled cunt. He fucking antagonizes VH fans, then snivels like a bitch when he hears the backlash.

I have no doubt the shit he says about Dave is accurate. However, as we have heard recently, Dave has been dealing with health issues. You'd think this punk would be sympathetic to this, after what his Dad went through. For all of Dave's idiosyncracies, I believe he respected what Van Halen had when it went into a studio, and went onstage. That mashing and gnashing of personalities, made VH what they were. Well, that and a lot of talent.

I have zero doubt in my mind this kid is very calculated in everything he says and does. In fact, I will go so far as to say, I believe he waited for his Dad to die to release his album, on purpose. If he had released it before Ed died and it flopped, it would have been a major disappointment to both of them. By releasing it after, he was able to use the sympathy card to his advantage. There is no other reason this album wasn't released before Ed passed.

He seems to want VH fan to accept and love him, but he wants to shit on us at the same time. Ignoring "the vault". Ignoring the old live shows. Publicly stating he doesn't give a fuck what VH fan wants. Well fuck you. Any fleeting thought I had about attending his show here, that sold for shit, went out the window with his shitty attitude.

Fuck a "Tribute" concert. I don't give one fuck about other musicians butchering Ed's great work, as a "tribute" to Ed. Fuck that. How about releasing some old shows when he was on top of his game? Hell, release them from every era.

I think the failure of VH III was a massive blow to Ed. Up to that point he thought he was invincible and the singer didn't matter. He got lucky with lightning striking twice. A third time wasn't to be. That was a big reality check for him. You'd think Wolfgang would have enough sense to see that Ed recording mostly everything on VH III himself, didn't allow any chemistry in. Now this fucknut is recording albums the same way. He's already stating that is the way he does it, and will do it again for the next album. His band is basically hired hands to play the stuff live. If there were any way possible for this kid to do it like he did in that one video that is all him, I'm sure he'd do that. Fucker should just hologram himself playing the other instruments for his live shows. Couldn't sell any worse than his last tour.

At least all the Van Halen's are consistent. They don't give one fuck about their fans. They seemingly get away with doing just about everything outside of the albums and live shows, wrong. This kids time in the spotlight is going to be short lived.

The last time I was in China we were having dinner at a pretty nice restaurant and the family at the next table had this spoiled brat. That kid was owning the situation and his parents were enabling the bad behavior. It’s a direct result of the one child policy. The parents spoil their only child and they become brats. The situation is so bad it’s called little emperor syndrome. Wolfing is a little emperor who grew up.

Yeah man. I’m seeing some red flags in his behavior and I’m afraid it’s going to bite him on the ass. People are seeing his shows because they are curious but I don’t think Mammoth WVH has any legs. He acts like a brat on social media using the fan base as a punching bag and urnal. It’s going to come back and bite him.

You don’t make it long-term in show business without any charisma and as far as the public goes, always show them your best side. I mean the guy lost his dad and there was a huge amount of sympathy for him but he managed to shit all over that and make people hate him.