VH live album - OFFICIAL

[ZahZoo]

I don't get the mix.

I'm starting to think it's a generation and device thing to degree. To my ear the drums are way too low and the guitar needs more bottom end but that's just listening on headphones on my phone.

Beautiful Girls is a keeper...

I don't think it's a generational thing... drums dominate the front the mix in a lot of popular music today. Device maybe... but those low frequencies are there in the digital soup. I just think it's a crappy mix and mastering.

[Jérôme Frenchise]

Was it me, or does Ed do a little "Smoke On The Water" riff towards the end of Cradle? Speaking of Cradle, I think Ed took major liberties with the intro leads on Cradle. I'm not sure if I'm just not used to hearing it that way, or if I really don't like it.

It wasn't you, he does it.
As for the "liberties" Ed may take on the leads, it seems he may take them... Damn, if HE can't get his own kicks on his own songs (which Dave does a lot, BTW), what's the use, then? The man can riff, riff and play lead combined, play hair-raising solos... What's wrong with him taking any lliberties, really??

[Jérôme Frenchise]

Throw it on a proper system...

ELVIS, you play Van Halen Live at the Tokyo Dome CDs on a "proper system"...

Why can't you spare 18 bucks to get a live album from the band that's supposed to be your fave, seeing how long you spend posting here?

[fraroc]

Okay, I'l gonna say it right now. This live album is really good and I think that the DLR haters really exacerbated this thing to be worse than it really is. They prepared me to be dissapointed, but in the end, I found it to be decent. Dave sounded good on some songs, and really rough on other songs, but musically I mean....It sounds like Van Halen live.


I only wish that Van Halen would have released a live DVD of this show.

[Dave's Bitch]

So it's not as bad as the definitive version of Panama made it out to be?. Eh, I might pirate it when I'm drunk and check it out.

[clarathecarrot]

I believe this is why they placed the one second breaks in between each trac on the live CD.

The this I am talking about is grabbing a full show video compilation off YouTube and just edit it yourself to overlay the live CD.

Probably why they didn't issue a DVD of the show too easy at this point to just do it at home on your PC.

If the video is at the same speed as the CD and a simple video editing program...people have already done it with individual tracs.

Someone will doit and have it for download somewhere

[ELVIS]

I don't mean to pull rank on the Ultimate Bedroom Guitarist Warrior but you said this week you haven't been in a recording studio as yet and you are a middle aged man. I'm no expert and my first week in one was when I was 17. You have to know a bit to know how much you don't know and that's your problem.

Shaddup...

[ELVIS]

Why can't you spare 18 bucks to get a live album from the band that's supposed to be your fave, seeing how long you spend posting here?

Because I don't want sub-par crap, and Van Wolfie isn't my fave...

[ELVIS]

Why???

So you can hear what it really sounds like...

But if you're content with a phone, earbuds and a bottle, that's fine too I guess...

[lesfunk]

Ok, I listened to the entire album last night and came up with some basic observations. The drums are a little low in the mix for my taste, mostly the kick. Daves vocal performance ranges from adequate to unforgivable.
Eddies performance on guitar is actually amazing and makes the album worthwhile. His reemergence as a 20th century master of the electric guitar is complete.
My problem with the vocal performance isn't that Dave doesn't stick to the script. He never has. My issue is that at times he takes such bizarre liberties with the rhythm and melodies that it becomes unmusical and an unnecessary distraction from the music.
Alex's performance is rock solid. I wish his drums were more present in the mix. Wolfgang is a great player and brings interesting take on the bass. I find his sound a little fuzzy and saturated but he's playing some cool shit.

[Romeo Delight]

My biggest complaint is the sound overall isn't as multidimensional as it could have been. Similar to previous comments...not capturing the room dynamics.

It has some gems for sure though. Not remembering lyrics for China Town after all these shows is so crazy.

[ELVIS]

It's unacceptably bad...

[78/84 guy]

It's unacceptably bad...

Dave is for sure on at least 5 songs. And that's why I and others keep saying why this show ???!!!! I don't get it. A ballsy move sure. But a smart one ? Hardly. I enjoyed it. I will play it a few times a year out in the back yard because it's louder than my bootlegs and piss of the local cats, but I think it will be a forgettable live album in a few years. If not sooner ! A lot of diehards will love it because it is a pure live recording. But so what ! Only half of it is really good.

[Romeo Delight]

I was skipping over the first disk trying to see what I liked.

Now that I have had a little patience and listen to the songs in full. I can say I am really happy with the offering as a whole.

For example, in HAIL...in the beginning I thought Dave was off vocaly a bit and was dissapointed. But now after a full listen there are parts later in the song where I think he nailed it better than any performance I have heard. Overall its a great live version of the song.

I really dont think you can critique a 2 hour concert by listening to 3 minutes here or there. Dave's vocal performances were never that exacting. Hard to all of a sudden hold him to a standard that never existed.

[ELVIS]

Well, I'll make myself a compilation of the acceptable stuff like I always do...