Why Van Hagar Pales In Comparison

[Rikk]

Templeman did produce the first Montrose album, so I could see a technical case for him making that argument.... but it's also a fact that when VH split, Ted went with Dave and did not produce 5150. And while he's listed as producer on "FUCK", he really didn't do much on that album. Andy Johns & Eddie were probably the "real" producers, from what I've read over the years.

So if Ted Templeman considered Spam as a singer for VH in 1977, he damn sure didn't keep the opinion that he was better than DLR.

I read Ted saying this. He's pretty much straight up in his opinion that the band was extra special with Dave and then they lost something. He doesn't say that in one sentence...but he definitely comes across as if that's how he feels.

[Terry]

I read Ted saying this. He's pretty much straight up in his opinion that the band was extra special with Dave and then they lost something. He doesn't say that in one sentence...but he definitely comes across as if that's how he feels.

Ted didn't think the band should be called Van Halen after Dave left. I think [Templeman] said in his book, if memory serves, the name change (or lack thereof) was the main sticking point for him not wanting to produce 5150. That 'Van Halen' was Dave, Ed, Al and Mike. It wasn't anything regarding Hagar per se, but that ANY other lead singer changed the chemistry.

I think in the book Templeman mentioned he was brought in on FUCK because Hagar wasn't getting along with Andy Johns, so Templeman came in to basically produce some of the vocal tracks on the album.

[silverfish]

Maybe once you hear the upcoming vinyl ressues you'll change your tune...

Van Halen Launches Sammy Hagar-Era Vinyl Remaster Campaign
Van Halen will begin revisiting their Sammy Hagar years by releasing the first-ever vinyl edition
of Live: Right Here, Right Now on April 22 for Record Store Day.

Bernie Grundman has freshly remastered the band's 1993 live album from the master tapes. Other
vinyl reissues from the Hagar period will follow shortly, with the group's longtime engineer, Donn
Landee, supervising the work.

Full story at:

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/van-halen-sammy-hagar-reissues/

[twonabomber]

I think the story should read "Warner Brothers Launches..."

Here comes more Hagar lies.

[Terry]

The only thing I can remember about the LRHRN album is that their 'live' (apparently much of the album was re-recorded in the studio post-performance...then again, we all know lots of 'live' albums had this same treatment) version of The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again got a decent amount of airplay on the primary local terrestrial rock radio station where I was living at the time [the live album] was initially released, and I remember thinking at the time Van Hagar's version wasn't anything that the world needed to hear. I don't think I've listened to anything else off that album.

I do remember renting the live home video release from the FUCK tour around that same period, watching it once and not being able to get to the end of it because it was boring.

It was right around that point, somewhere between FUCK and Balance, that I finally gave up on Van Halen coming up with the goods while Hagar was in the band. I had given the first three studio albums with Hagar each a fair listen, because I figured even with Dave gone 3/4's of the band SHOULD be able to come up with something on an instrumental level that moved me as much as what the band did on those first 6 classic albums. When I was so huge into the band when Dave was in it, probably 75% of that was due to what Eddie was doing.

The whole band got lazy after Dave left. Ed didn't have anybody to push him anymore. Thus, the reasons why Van Hagar didn't work...it wasn't entirely Sammy's fault. Not to me. Often, people say that they'd be interested in hearing what Dave could have done with the Van Hagar instrumental tracks as recorded. Not me. I'd be interested in some of those instrumental tracks being through a rehearsal/production process with Roth and Ted and refined.

But, yeah, when Balance rolled around, I think I heard the album once from start-to-finish...heard the singles off it once or twice. No longer gave a shit. Van Halen for me had tanked...well, really, they had tanked for me when Dave left. Commercially, they tanked when Cherone joined, but that Sam Halen stuff seems even more of it's time (as opposed to timeless) these days than it did when it was initially released.

CVH resonates more strongly with me as the years go by.

Only test that matters: the test of time.

[Seshmeister]

CVH resonates more strongly with me as the years go by.

Only test that matters: the test of time.

And not just you. The general impression is that the Roth era accounts for about 80% of streaming listens, plays in the media, playlists and top 10 lists of Van Halen these days.

That it isn't 100% is weird to me but it's moving in the right direction.

[twonabomber]

The live album is a limited edition of 7500. Watch Hagar claim it's a million seller.

[Terry]

And not just you. The general impression is that the Roth era accounts for about 80% of streaming listens, plays in the media, playlists and top 10 lists of Van Halen these days.

That it isn't 100% is weird to me but it's moving in the right direction.

Really, the sole Van Hagar track that resonates with me these days is 5150, which I've always thought guitar-wise was brilliant. It's also the only Van Hagar track I sought out the tab to and futzed around with: even other Van Hagar tracks like Pleasuredome where I liked the guitar work, I never liked them enough to bother with wanting to learn how to play them.

[Seshmeister]

Really, the sole Van Hagar track that resonates with me these days is 5150, which I've always thought guitar-wise was brilliant.

The vocal 'melody' is a complete failure. It's barely a song. Being as super kind as I can to Hagar it would have been quite challenging to write a good melody to it and as a lazy mediocre talent there wasn't a prayer he was ever going to manage it. They should have just left it as an instrumental. Roth probably could have managed because that was his real super talent that is rarely mentioned - the super experienced producer on ADKOT did but most people miss it.

A Van Hagar version of Hot For Teacher, I'm The One, Romeo Delight any of those songs would just have been guitar demonstrations not great songs that people still love 40 years later.

[Silexxx]

Yeah 5150 sounds like one of those youtube mashup songs where the vocals kinda fits with the music but not really.

[Vinnie Velvet]

I think the story should read "Warner Brothers Launches..."

Here comes more Hagar lies.

True. But I think Al would've had to greenlight this in order for WB/Rhino to re-release it. Not sure.

[Vinnie Velvet]

I was actually surprised that RHRN was getting a rerelease remaster and then the other Van Hagar albums getting the same treatment.

I think Alex still hates Sam which is why I find this remaster campaign of Van Hagar surprising.

Perhaps this is all WB/Rhino that is pushing it. But one would think Alex would still have to give the go ahead.

[twonabomber]

I dunno if WB/Rhino owns the rights and if they do, it allows them to put out whatever. Kind of like when an act moves to a different label and scores a hit, then the former label puts out a greatest hits without any input from the band.

Odd that Al would sign off on red vinyl being red is Hagarelli's favorite color.

[Vinnie Velvet]

I dunno if WB/Rhino owns the rights and if they do, it allows them to put out whatever. Kind of like when an act moves to a different label and scores a hit, then the former label puts out a greatest hits without any input from the band.

Odd that Al would sign off on red vinyl being red is Hagarelli's favorite color.

Yes, very odd.

Perhaps WB/Rhino do in fact own the rights. But they waited this long to start releasing them? Who knows what the story is.

[twonabomber]

Maybe it was planned and Ed's death delayed the release. It's been 2 1/2 years, if they put it out that first year it would scream cash grab. It still might.