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September 5, 2004
Van Halen reunion concert disappoints in A.C.
By SCOTT CRONICK For The Press, (609) 272-7017
ATLANTIC CITY - The biggest summer concert in the city this year outside Boardwalk Hall definitely wasn't the best.
The long-awaited return of Van Halen on Friday night at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa's Outdoor Stage offered an uneven night of entertainment from a band that couldn't live up to its legendary status.
Sure, it's great to see Van Halen back together with Sammy Hagar rocking out to "Panama" in front of 6,000 people. But it wasn't great to see the remnants of a band whose best times have clearly passed them by.
Marred by muddled sound that should land the band's sound crew in the unemployment line, the reunited quartet offered plenty of hits mixed with plenty of bad decisions. Making a right one by opening with the stellar "Jump," it took a verse or two to get used to Hagar singing a David Lee Roth tune.
Since Hagar's a far better singer than Roth at this point, it didn't take long to realize the band is better off without Diamond Dave. In fact, the band's best moments Friday mostly came from Roth-era songs, including "Somebody Get Me a Doctor," "Unchained," "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" and the encores "You Really Got Me" and "Panama."
Aside from the sound, there were other serious problems - particularly the set list. Hagar classics "Runaround," "Why Can't This Be Love?" "Dreams," "Right Now" and the great closer "When It's Love" were fine choices, but the awful "Humans Being," "Poundcake" and the mediocre "Top of the World" have no business being played on a long-awaited reunion tour where a band is playing only 20 songs. How about "Finish What Ya Started" and "Can't Stop Loving You?"
The band also decided to play two of the band's new songs - "Up for Breakfast" and "It's About Time" - which really aren't that great
To make matters worse, Van Halen is full of egomaniacs. Each member had to bow for overlong solos, with Hagar singing two relatively unknown songs from his solo collection, drummer Alex Van Halen bashing his kit and Michael Anthony playing what may be the worse bass solo in the history of rock.
That brings us to Eddie Van Halen - the "guitar god" every guitarist admires and every rock fan worships - the one person you look forward to hearing a solo from. Shirtless with trademark bright cargo pants, Eddie didn't look too bad despite battling bouts of mouth cancer and alcohol abuse. Although he had some nice moments, particularly his solo in which he weaved in and out of some of his famous riffs, including "Eruption," the guitarist has clearly lost some of his skills. Making sloppy mistakes and generally overplaying during songs, it was disheartening to realize that Eddie no longer masters the frets like he used to.
All that said, the boisterous crowd seemed to enjoy the long-awaited rock reunion, even if Van Halen isn't the great band it once was.
Van Halen reunion concert disappoints in A.C.
By SCOTT CRONICK For The Press, (609) 272-7017
ATLANTIC CITY - The biggest summer concert in the city this year outside Boardwalk Hall definitely wasn't the best.
The long-awaited return of Van Halen on Friday night at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa's Outdoor Stage offered an uneven night of entertainment from a band that couldn't live up to its legendary status.
Sure, it's great to see Van Halen back together with Sammy Hagar rocking out to "Panama" in front of 6,000 people. But it wasn't great to see the remnants of a band whose best times have clearly passed them by.
Marred by muddled sound that should land the band's sound crew in the unemployment line, the reunited quartet offered plenty of hits mixed with plenty of bad decisions. Making a right one by opening with the stellar "Jump," it took a verse or two to get used to Hagar singing a David Lee Roth tune.
Since Hagar's a far better singer than Roth at this point, it didn't take long to realize the band is better off without Diamond Dave. In fact, the band's best moments Friday mostly came from Roth-era songs, including "Somebody Get Me a Doctor," "Unchained," "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" and the encores "You Really Got Me" and "Panama."
Aside from the sound, there were other serious problems - particularly the set list. Hagar classics "Runaround," "Why Can't This Be Love?" "Dreams," "Right Now" and the great closer "When It's Love" were fine choices, but the awful "Humans Being," "Poundcake" and the mediocre "Top of the World" have no business being played on a long-awaited reunion tour where a band is playing only 20 songs. How about "Finish What Ya Started" and "Can't Stop Loving You?"
The band also decided to play two of the band's new songs - "Up for Breakfast" and "It's About Time" - which really aren't that great
To make matters worse, Van Halen is full of egomaniacs. Each member had to bow for overlong solos, with Hagar singing two relatively unknown songs from his solo collection, drummer Alex Van Halen bashing his kit and Michael Anthony playing what may be the worse bass solo in the history of rock.
That brings us to Eddie Van Halen - the "guitar god" every guitarist admires and every rock fan worships - the one person you look forward to hearing a solo from. Shirtless with trademark bright cargo pants, Eddie didn't look too bad despite battling bouts of mouth cancer and alcohol abuse. Although he had some nice moments, particularly his solo in which he weaved in and out of some of his famous riffs, including "Eruption," the guitarist has clearly lost some of his skills. Making sloppy mistakes and generally overplaying during songs, it was disheartening to realize that Eddie no longer masters the frets like he used to.
All that said, the boisterous crowd seemed to enjoy the long-awaited rock reunion, even if Van Halen isn't the great band it once was.
" a great closer?
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