Is Eddie Van Halen washed up?

[Nitro Express]

I saw their tour this summer and conclude Eddie Van Halen is indeed washed up as a guitar great. He no longer can come remotely close to his past brilliance and the guy is playing sloppy as hell these days.

I'll still give Eddie credit for being on of the great innovators of the electric guitar. No matter how bad he fucks up, he still can't rob himself of his past accomplishments.

For me though, watching Eddie Van Halen play these days is like watching an old, drunk, sloppy Michael Jordan trying to play basketball again. I think many of us wanted to see Babe Ruth hit his last ball out of the park but Babe doesn't even know where he is or who he's playing for these days.

[kcmusician]

I have to disagree.... I saw the tour this year too, and I was impressed. Eddie has always been kind of sloppy live, just like everyone else.... I've seen him in '95, '98, and '04 and he can still play circles around most guitarists of the day, I promise you that!

Shaun

[Cathedral]

100% Yes, he finally pickled himself.

If i had spent half of what the tickets cost for this tour and got a show like he is giving after 6 years off?

I'd have been far more pissed than i can ever imagine being. I talked my nephews out of going and their friends came back bitching that it sucked.

Thank God i was lucky enough to have been a die-hard when they started and saw them in their prime.

Um, where's the fork?

[Cathedral]

Originally posted by kcmusician
I have to disagree.... I saw the tour this year too, and I was impressed. Eddie has always been kind of sloppy live, just like everyone else.... I've seen him in '95, '98, and '04 and he can still play circles around most guitarists of the day, I promise you that!

Shaun

And i respectfully disagree with your disagreement, lol.
Yes, Ed has always been sloppy, but sloppy is not what he is doing now. I'd welcome sloppy compared to what i have heard from this tour.

But, maybe you saw him on a good night, in which case i am glad you feel you got your moneys worth from the band.

Spammy kept my ass far away from this train wreck.

[kcmusician]

All I know is that the band was in semi top form here in Kansas City, and in East Rutherford.... I've got the DVD's to prove it.

Shaun

[kcmusician]

Originally posted by Cathedral
And i respectfully disagree with your disagreement, lol.
Yes, Ed has always been sloppy, but sloppy is not what he is doing now. I'd welcome sloppy compared to what i have heard from this tour.

But, maybe you saw him on a good night, in which case i am glad you feel you got your moneys worth from the band.

Spammy kept my ass far away from this train wreck.

Exactly.... I'm not saying that Eddie is worth his weight in gold everynight, but the show I was at was good, and the dvd's I have are good too....

Shaun

[lms2]

I don't have any dvds..but I have my memories. Denver rocked!

I don't know that Ed is as good as he used to be, and I don't agree with all that he is doing right now... but the funny thing is the negativity on this site regarding Ed is what made me decide to shell out the money to see him "one last time". Dick or not, he will always be Eddie Van Halen.

[kcmusician]

Right on! EVH is still "Da man" to me when it comes to guitar heroes! If you want a copy of the dvd, shoot me an e-mail. KramerKid@kc.rr.com

Shaun

[lms2]

Thanks... I will do that.

Muscially speaking, I am just a very passive listener. I don't play guitar, or drums... I don't have any behind the scenes contacts. I am just a lucky fan that got to meet all four of them after a concert back in the early 80s and will never EVER forget them!

Dave or the Grave... but I hope before it gets to that point, I will see Dave with Van Halen, live, one more time.

[kcmusician]

I agree with ya... I have access to the 1984 concert video, and here's the link to the site.... This guy is running everything from a personal server, so it takes time to get the stuff. http://www.steveowabo.com/vhvideos.htm

Shaun

[kcmusician]

By the way, what happened to the hot photo? The monkey is hot too I guess, but damn! lol.... Check yo mail!

Shaun

[Panamark]

you guys are not the same dudes that were saying how great
Ed ia playing Running with the Devil and Unchained at the moment ??

He totally fucks these songs up, from the clips I have seen.
He should be able to nail these in his sleep.. Yet I seem
to remember some here, saying, whats wrong ?? It sounds
great ?? Thats when I thought, Ok.. Obviously there are
Van Hagar fans out there that dont care when Ed is fucking
up. (Or dont realize it, when he does)

[Matt White]

"Washed" and EVH are seldom used in the same sentance these days.

[light 'em up!]

Ed's been washed up.

[DrGrafenberg]

Ok over here in the UK we have a TV programme
Where they take some filthy toe-rag and run microbiological tests on the victim
& rake through their hair for bugs etc, then show the person what sort of bacteria are living on them.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/DrGrafenberg/wash.bmp
Then the ladies scrub the victim 'til clean

This duo went to the Osbournes house (I not seen it yet) but should imagine
they found a lot of dog poo!
Anyway the point is, I am thinking of putting EVH's name forward as the next "guest"
http://www.rotharmy.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=249327

[Don Corleone]

.

[kcmusician]

Originally posted by Panamark
you guys are not the same dudes that were saying how great
Ed ia playing Running with the Devil and Unchained at the moment ??

He totally fucks these songs up, from the clips I have seen.
He should be able to nail these in his sleep.. Yet I seem
to remember some here, saying, whats wrong ?? It sounds
great ?? Thats when I thought, Ok.. Obviously there are
Van Hagar fans out there that dont care when Ed is fucking
up. (Or dont realize it, when he does)

I haven't heard them play Running With The Devil, so I can't judge.... Unchained was pretty good, even though Ed did screw up here and there.... It's a fairly simple song, being in drop D and all.... So I don't know what he can't nail that one.... I can understand why he has trouble play The Seventh Seal, 'cause there are some wicked riffs in that one, but Unchained is kinda basic.

Shaun

[kcmusician]

Originally posted by Don Corleone
.

Why must he go shirtless? I'm about ready to lose my lunch here!

Shaun

[bueno bob]

Well...I'd say that Ed's in a tremendous slump, myself. Do I think he's washed up and unrecoverable? Yes...and no. There are a lot of guitar greats who have been down the same road Ed's currently going (Eric Clapton comes to mind immediately).

I think Ed's in a tremendous career slump right now, as far as performance and ability is concerned, but I don't think it's entirely impossible for him to recover. Basically, he has to want to do it for himself and for the fans.

I'm not trying to play apologist for Ed at this point, not at all; I think he's wasted a lot of time and a lot of potential by wrecking his health, but I think with divine inspiration of some sort, he could recover. I don't think he's entirely gone yet...Van Halen 3 (say what you will about it) had a LOT of interesting things going on guitar-wise, but with the hip surgery, cancer, the booze, Valerie beating a trail out the door...it's probably all added up.

Most of this, of course, has been brought on by his own doing, but I do think that there's a real potential for Ed to pick himself up, dust himself off and amaze us once again.

The thing about it is that he has to WANT to do it...and I don't think he does...

...But anything can happen; this IS Van Halen we're talking about, after all. With the way things happen in this band, we could see Ed going into Betty Ford's tomorrow, swearing off booze permanently (and sticking to it), David coming back and the best album out of them since 1984.

ANYTHING's possible with these dudes.

Unfortunately, "possible" doesn't translate into "probable" in any language I'm familiar with.

[Thetruthbaby]

VH are done. I've seen a very significant number of reviews for this tour where EVH's playing is mentioned as being shaky and hagar's voice being referred to as unable to hit the high's any longer. These things coupled with disappointing numbers in attendance and the lack of excitement generated by the 3 new tracks have marked them as dead men walking. If you think attendance was weak on this tour (a "reunion" no less) wait and see what happens if they attempt another tour with hagar. EVH should have swallowed his pride and toured with Roth in 96' then hang it up. It would have been huge and VH's legacy would have been cemented forever. Instead they've.........you know the rest.

[Big Troubles]

I suppose if we compare Ed today of Ed 20 years ago, yeah, he's finished. But a shitty Ed is still a pretty good fuckin' guitar player. Lets not kid ourselves here folks.

[CROWBAR]

Originally posted by Thetruthbaby
VH are done. I've seen a very significant number of reviews for this tour where EVH's playing is mentioned as being shaky and hagar's voice being referred to as unable to hit the high's any longer. These things coupled with disappointing numbers in attendance and the lack of excitement generated by the 3 new tracks have marked them as dead men walking. If you think attendance was weak on this tour (a "reunion" no less) wait and see what happens if they attempt another tour with hagar. EVH should have swallowed his pride and toured with Roth in 96' then hang it up. It would have been huge and VH's legacy would have been cemented forever. Instead they've.........you know the rest.

Amen brutha!

[Blacklisted]

I saw Van Hagar this summer and let me tell you this my friends. No matter how bad you thought Eddie plays... Its nothing compared to that fat fuck Sammy bouncing around on stage.... His solo shit... Fuck, dont even get me started on that.

DLR fucking RULES!

[JCOOK]

Eds' still my hero and always will be,not washed up... but he does look like he needs to "wash up"

[kcmusician]

Originally posted by Thetruthbaby
VH are done. I've seen a very significant number of reviews for this tour where EVH's playing is mentioned as being shaky and hagar's voice being referred to as unable to hit the high's any longer. These things coupled with disappointing numbers in attendance and the lack of excitement generated by the 3 new tracks have marked them as dead men walking. If you think attendance was weak on this tour (a "reunion" no less) wait and see what happens if they attempt another tour with hagar. EVH should have swallowed his pride and toured with Roth in 96' then hang it up. It would have been huge and VH's legacy would have been cemented forever. Instead they've.........you know the rest.

Did you attend a show on this tour? Didn't think so.... You don't know unless you were actually there, like me.

Shaun

[Halen High]

As long as he's working with Sammy, or any other singer he has no chemistry with, he will never produce anything approaching the halcyon days of 1974-85. He needs to sort himself out personally, get out of the comfort zone in the studio where he and Alex make all the rules, and be challenged again.

I don't think he respects Sammy as an artist and therefore 'can't be bothered' with how he plays or what he writes. The whole things an Alex-inspired sham.

I have not seen him play since the ill-fated VH3 days, but the reviews of his playing on this tour have been, for the most part, scathing.

[rustoffa]

I won't bother re-hashing my stance on a certain someone needing another certain someone to ignite the ol' "fury".

It might be the seventh inning stretch or the bottom of the ninth at this point.

Anyway, check the mirror stinky.....are ya reelin' in the years?

http://img82.exs.cx/img82/9884/littleguitarspic.jpg

[kcmusician]

I agree that Ed might not respect Sammy, that may be some of the problem.... But I don't think he respects Dave either..... Besides, we all know that Alex is running things, that's obvious.... Eddie is Al's yes man these days.

Shaun

[Blacklisted]

Well put yourself in that position how the FUCK are you going to respect a fat fucking loser like Spammy.

DLR fucking rules and no matter what Van Hagar does there is no comparing the two. Best of Both Worlds should have been titled One World Conquering the Other.

[kcmusician]

Dave is the best singer for Van Halen, but I think Sammy writes some good songs in his own right.... He's written songs for many bands as well, he's not Dave but he's still ok with me.

Shaun

[JCOOK]

Name one

[kcmusician]

Originally posted by DrGrafenberg
Ok over here in the UK we have a TV programme
Where they take some filthy toe-rag and run microbiological tests on the victim
& rake through their hair for bugs etc, then show the person what sort of bacteria are living on them.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/DrGrafenberg/wash.bmp
Then the ladies scrub the victim 'til clean

This duo went to the Osbournes house (I not seen it yet) but should imagine
they found a lot of dog poo!
Anyway the point is, I am thinking of putting EVH's name forward as the next "guest"
http://www.rotharmy.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=249327


Well this photo was taken while Eddie had cancer, so that's kind of a cheap shot.

Shaun

[bueno bob]

Ed, I think, is quickly coming to a point where he's going to have to make a choice, and it's going to affect his life, his career and his very being...he's either going to have to take control of himself and do what needs to be done (and let's face it, all that remains for him to really accomplish at this point is to sober up, get Roth back, do a BAD ASS album, and go on the biggest fuckin' reunion tour this world has ever seen or ever WILL).

His other choice is to push forward with Hagar, fade into obscurity with mediocre album sales & low public interest, and tour to half-ass audiences with half-assed attendances...and, of course, keep the booze fresh and cold and drink himself into an early grave.

Let me get one thing straight - I DO NOT WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.

Call it wishful thinking or the hope springs eternal mentality, but I really want to watch Van Halen go out on a high note, and I do believe that a reunion album/tour with Roth is NOT an impossibility - not yet.

The fact of the matter is, it's all in Ed's hands, so...it's going to work out depending on how he plays his cards over the next year, maybe two.

Any longer than that, if he fence-sits again, if Alex simply WON'T allow any work or contact with David and Eddie stalls out...this is over already.

I believe the phrase "Dead Men Walking" was used...Van Halen could use that as their next album title if they push on with Spam...

[kcmusician]

Well I agree and disagree.... I don't want to see Eddie pass on, he's still young and has a lot to offer. But here's my point/question.... We all know that all 4 studio albums with Sammy were #1 on the charts, and were really popular. Now this is my question.... Is it entirely IMPOSSIBLE for Van Hagar to pull off another #1 album after all that has been said and done? I mean, we know Eddie can still write some good riffs.... For Unlawful was full of good riffs in my opinion.... So, if they write one of the best albums of all times musically speaking ofcourse, could it still sell? Or have Eddie & Alex tarnished the name so bad with 1996, and VH III that it is going to take a David Lee Roth album and tour to pull this band out of the slump? I know that this is a Roth site, and most views are biased.... So please REALLY think about this before you reply because I'm really curious as to your honest opinions while taking in consideration past Van Halen sales with Sammy.

Shaun

[bueno bob]

Originally posted by kcmusician
Well I agree and disagree.... I don't want to see Eddie pass on, he's still young and has a lot to offer. But here's my point/question.... We all know that all 4 studio albums with Sammy were #1 on the charts, and were really popular. Now this is my question.... Is it entirely IMPOSSIBLE for Van Hagar to pull off another #1 album after all that has been said and done? I mean, we know Eddie can still write some good riffs.... For Unlawful was full of good riffs in my opinion.... So, if they write one of the best albums of all times musically speaking ofcourse, could it still sell? Or have Eddie & Alex tarnished the name so bad with 1996, and VH III that it is going to take a David Lee Roth album and tour to pull this band out of the slump? I know that this is a Roth site, and most views are biased.... So please REALLY think about this before you reply because I'm really curious as to your honest opinions while taking in consideration past Van Halen sales with Sammy.

Shaun

OK, man, fair enough.

On a really SERIOUS note, I don't think it's impossible, but I think I've got a better chance of dying in quicksand. 1996 hurt this band in so many ways, we're only just NOW starting to see the totality of it.

As far as to doing a #1 album with another lead singer? I don't see it happening. The best chance of that happening was Van Halen 3, but Ed took so much control over that project it deteriorated into a pile of morass. Plus, anybody they might happen to bring in would have zero voice in the decision making (and probably songwriting, outside of lyrics), so the ball just goes back into Eddie's court and we've seen from experience what that gets us. Furthermore, it solidifies Van Halen as a band with a "Revolving Door for Lead Singer Policy", and that hurts public opinion of them even more.

I just look around at the album sales and the tour revenue and it just seems apparent that the majority of the American public, and the casual Van Halen fan, is not interested in a Sammy Hagar fronted VH. It's just the truth. The radio has avoided the new tracks like the black death and I don't see how that's going to change...Hagar's got his lyrical "Up for Breakfast" niche of intelligence and I don't see him elevating his wit or wisdom with words any time in the near future.

This is just a band that's not working well together anymore. I remain convinced that this is a tour that Alex has forced to get Van Halen back on the world radar again (to whatever extent)...the three new tracks are obviously one of two things - either throwaway tracks they didn't try to work on or just simply a case of kicking a dead horse, this thing just isn't working.

Based on those reasons, I don't think it's going to work in the future without Roth at the helm of this band.

Could you imagine this? You're watching VH1 or something one night, and some awards show starts up. They announce there will be performances that evening by Beyonce, Jessica Simson, Britney Spears, Hillary Duff, Aerosmith, Jay Z and a "Surprise Guest". The only other thing on TV is a Stargate SG1 repeat, so you think "What the fuck" and take your chances with the VH1 ceremony.

The surprise guests come up, and they announce "Van Halen". "Oh fuckin' great", you think, "Ya the fuck Hoo".

Then Mike walks out...oh joy...here's Alex...what a bitch...here comes Ed...bottle of booze having just been ripped from his hands, you imagine...

AND THEN, DAVID LEE ROTH WALKS ON STAGE WITH THEM!

He walks up to the mic..."Hey America! How in the hell are ya, I say!!"

Would you get a little bit excited?

I'd bet dollars to donuts that A LOT of people would get excited.

Maybe not front page news, but in your Entertainment section of your local newspaper, I guarantee you it'll dominate the whole front page.

[kcmusician]

Well just the image of VH going on stage to perform with Roth gave me chills, so you are right.... Damn the man!

Shaun

[bueno bob]

Originally posted by kcmusician
Well just the image of VH going on stage to perform with Roth gave me chills, so you are right.... Damn the man!

Shaun

You see what I mean? :D

Van Halen, with Roth, if timed right, could bring the fucking universe to it's KNEES yet!!

No question at all...now imagine if they kicked off after David's announcement right into "Panama", maybe "Unchained"....

OH HELL YEAH!! Now THAT'S a visual!!

[kcmusician]

Yeah, that would be awesome.... I just hope if Dave ever re-joins, he sings all the words durring the show.... That's my only beef with him.

Shaun

[DavidLeeNatra]

Originally posted by kcmusician
Dave is the best singer for Van Halen, but I think Sammy writes some good songs in his own right.... He's written songs for many bands as well, he's not Dave but he's still ok with me.

Shaun

watch out, dude...the pen is closer than you think...rikk?

[kcmusician]

Nah, I've said many times that I'm a recovering Van Hagar fan.... I like a solo Sammy, but that's just my opinion.

Shaun

[bueno bob]

Well, yes, Rikk gets the final word, but I do think that Shaun makes some good points at times...he's not entirely without hope, and I'm not opposed to working on subjectives...Tom Vu's looking like the most likely SOTW this morning, alias or not...still waiting for Rikk to PM me... :)

[kcmusician]

Thanks for the kind words man.... What is the deal with the sheep pen anyway? All I know is that you get labeled, what else happens? I'm really not sheep worthy, not anymore.

Shaun

[bueno bob]

Basically, I verbally abuse the sheep of the week (SOTW) for being a brainless Hagar-Lover until they cry in submission and beg for my mercy. For further reference, you can ask Scubaa, he felt my wrath last week, lol...

[kcmusician]

Gotcha.... lol. I started listening to Van Halen with Sammy Hagar, so it's how I found the band. It's just one of those things, your taste matures with age I guess.... I have to be honest, I still like Sammy.... It's probably because I grew up on Van Hagar..... But over the past couple of months, I've realized that Van Halen was much stronger with Dave in the band..... I think that Van Halen still made some killer music durring the Hagar years, but Dave had an energy that the band is missing.... I caught VH live in '98 with Gary Cherone, and it was so cool hearing all the old Dave stuff live.... I can only imagine what kind of vibe it would be if Dave was on stage with VH singing all his old stuff.... It would be un-real!


Shaun

[DavidLeeNatra]

shaun...you sound like a cool guy and you are not responsible for growing up in the wrong era...it must be like a kid discovering that his parents are serial killers...the kid will always feel some kind of love for them anyway...

[hard rock]

i saw him here in toronto and he played great. the whole band (sorry hagar haters ) were ok they sounded tight. The only piss off was that during unchained hagar sang very little and got a fan to do most of it. So much for him respecting the legacy

[bueno bob]

Originally posted by hard rock
i saw him here in toronto and he played great. the whole band (sorry hagar haters ) were ok they sounded tight. The only piss off was that during unchained hagar sang very little and got a fan to do most of it. So much for him respecting the legacy

Which is exactly the problem. Hagar's rants of "Oh, I respect the catalog, we've got a GREAT set list, I'm doing more classic VH material than ever" is bullshit. Generally speaking, he lets somebody in the audience sing David's stuff and Mike handles everything else...more over, they're actually covering about the same amount of classics they always have...

Just another Fag Halen world tour for ya! :)

[Nitro Express]

I saw Van Halen in San Jose this summer. The show was an absolute train wreck. I first saw Eddie play live in 1980. I've seen the guy play live for many years and he has been suprisingly on. He was drunk at the US Festival but managed to pull it off still. He played a little sloppy the night I saw him on the 1984 tour. Ed played right on the money during the VH3 tour. They played a lot of old classic VH songs and eventhough Gary the fairy was prancing around and I didn't care for the tone of Eddie's 5150 amps, the songs were right on the money and flawless. In San Jose, California this summer, Eddie was just making noise and butchering his own songs. It was ugly.

[DLRdelight!]

Either way, he is still one of the most innovative and greatest guitaris there ever was and still is

[kcmusician]

Originally posted by DavidLeeNatra
shaun...you sound like a cool guy and you are not responsible for growing up in the wrong era...it must be like a kid discovering that his parents are serial killers...the kid will always feel some kind of love for them anyway...

Thanks man, glad someone understands my problem! lol

Shaun

[kcmusician]

Originally posted by DLRdelight!
Either way, he is still one of the most innovative and greatest guitaris there ever was and still is

That's a fact....

Shaun

[Halen High]

Originally posted by kcmusician
Gotcha.... lol. I started listening to Van Halen with Sammy Hagar, so it's how I found the band. It's just one of those things, your taste matures with age I guess.... I have to be honest, I still like Sammy.... It's probably because I grew up on Van Hagar..... But over the past couple of months, I've realized that Van Halen was much stronger with Dave in the band..... I think that Van Halen still made some killer music durring the Hagar years, but Dave had an energy that the band is missing.... I caught VH live in '98 with Gary Cherone, and it was so cool hearing all the old Dave stuff live.... I can only imagine what kind of vibe it would be if Dave was on stage with VH singing all his old stuff.... It would be un-real!


Shaun

I can understand why you feel a sense of loyalty to Van Hagar. I've got a couple of mates here who grew up on that era. I think they started high school when 5150 came out. They defend the Van Hagar years because 'it's their band'. But even these guys would get sick of the ballads and often say to me that they wished Van Hagar would rock harder like they did with Dave.

The more people listen to the Dave-era, the worse Van Hagar sounds. Van Hagar sounds too much like its come off a production line. Classic VH is eclectic and diverse. When you listen to it you can always pick up things you didn't hear before. Amazing stuff!

[Halen High]

"Dave had an energy that the band is missing"

Exactly! On tour and in the studio.

[LickMyCream]

I heard that the reason Eddie sucked early on in the tour, was because he got rear ended by a car while in a car in Las Vegas, and hurt his back.

The fact that it was his first tour in a while couldn't have helped much


Which is why they started to get better later on..

[Matt White]

EVH bundled up for the Fall leg of the SHAM HALEN tour.

[RogueHorseman]

Originally posted by Halen High
The more people listen to the Dave-era, the worse Van Hagar sounds. Van Hagar sounds too much like its come off a production line. Classic VH is eclectic and diverse. When you listen to it you can always pick up things you didn't hear before. Amazing stuff!

You just picked up a 5'er vote and today's Tip Of The Ten Gallon Hat^TM my friend!!

[Kristy]

I saw them last August and, not being a big fan of theirs, Ed did have his flashes of brilliance but they were ony that - flashes. Most of the time he looked sad, you know, lost like he was no longer enjoying what he was doing.

I mean, there he was knocking out these solos that sounded to dull and panned. It was like you're really pulling for the guy then something slaps you across the face and tells you this guy has no respect for you as a fan.

[jcook11]

Oh no here we go.................. "Sammy has written some good songs"
Name one ?

[Halen High]

Originally posted by RogueHorseman
You just picked up a 5'er vote and today's Tip Of The Ten Gallon Hat^TM my friend!!

Cheers mate!

[Halen High]

Originally posted by Kristy
I saw them last August and, not being a big fan of theirs, Ed did have his flashes of brilliance but they were ony that - flashes. Most of the time he looked sad, you know, lost like he was no longer enjoying what he was doing.

I mean, there he was knocking out these solos that sounded to dull and panned. It was like you're really pulling for the guy then something slaps you across the face and tells you this guy has no respect for you as a fan.

I saw Van Cherone when they toured Down Under. Sadly, that's my only live experience of any version of this band. I thought Eddie was solid that night, although I was probably just thrilled to actually see him play for the first time.

But like you I thought he looked 'sad' and 'lost'. He was distant, as if he didn't really want to be there. As if he resented the fact that we made him come down to play for us. Definately not enjoying himself.

I've wanted a Classic VH reunion since 5150 came out, but unless Eddie can sort himself out what's the point? His depressive behaviour would ruin it.

[bueno bob]

Originally posted by Kristy
...It was like you're really pulling for the guy then something slaps you across the face and tells you this guy has no respect for you as a fan.

I think that something slapping you across the face was reality... :)

[Terry]

Originally posted by Halen High
He needs to get out of the comfort zone in the studio where he and Alex make all the rules, and be challenged again.



Pretty much sums it up!

[Terry]

Comes down to what that band was when Roth was in it (not necessarily saying "Roth was Van Halen" either), and what it represented to me.

EVH was one of my primary influences when I first began to play guitar, and when I was into classic VH it would be fair to say EVH was the focal point of the band for me.

Maybe all the success and accolades EVH got in the early 1980s (what he brought to rock guitar was responsible for launching numerous guitar magazines and even more EVH clones) in some way caused the man to go on autopilot. Maybe it's just the fact that he has stuck around for so many years and been subject to career pitfalls due to the sheer passage of time (how many bands were consistently hot on EVERY album? how would rock immortals like Hendrix have fared if they had lived?).

However, it's just painful to see what the band and Eddie have "matured" into when I compare it with the band I was (and still am) such a huge fan of in the late 1970s/early 1980s, and as for longtime fans who've stuck with the band through all it's lineups and continue to profess that the band is as good as ever.............it's just beyond me to comprehend how they even ARRIVE at that conclusion, never mind agree with it. I think what turns somebody on is subjective to a degree, but do these people have shit in their ears? Or is it just a case of being content/learning to acceot and live with lowered expectations?

From what I've read, Ed has said that he's a private person who doesn't go out much, and this was in interviews given before the 1980s. He said that's the way it's always been for him. His success enabled him to build his own studio and become more insular, and his brother strikes me these days as someone who (out of what I think is legitimate concern on his part) is sheltering EVH from reality.

We can only hope this year that Ed was able to see beyond the spotlights shining in his eyes, look out upon some of the half-filled venues Van Halen played to in 2004 and perhaps come to the conclusion that a change is in order.

[RogueHorseman]

Originally posted by Terry
Comes down to what that band was when Roth was in it (not necessarily saying "Roth was Van Halen" either), and what it represented to me.

EVH was one of my primary influences when I first began to play guitar, and when I was into classic VH it would be fair to say EVH was the focal point of the band for me.

Maybe all the success and accolades EVH got in the early 1980s (what he brought to rock guitar was responsible for launching numerous guitar magazines and even more EVH clones) in some way caused the man to go on autopilot. Maybe it's just the fact that he has stuck around for so many years and been subject to career pitfalls due to the sheer passage of time (how many bands were consistently hot on EVERY album? how would rock immortals like Hendrix have fared if they had lived?).

However, it's just painful to see what the band and Eddie have "matured" into when I compare it with the band I was (and still am) such a huge fan of in the late 1970s/early 1980s, and as for longtime fans who've stuck with the band through all it's lineups and continue to profess that the band is as good as ever.............it's just beyond me to comprehend how they even ARRIVE at that conclusion, never mind agree with it. I think what turns somebody on is subjective to a degree, but do these people have shit in their ears? Or is it just a case of being content/learning to acceot and live with lowered expectations?

From what I've read, Ed has said that he's a private person who doesn't go out much, and this was in interviews given before the 1980s. He said that's the way it's always been for him. His success enabled him to build his own studio and become more insular, and his brother strikes me these days as someone who (out of what I think is legitimate concern on his part) is sheltering EVH from reality.

We can only hope this year that Ed was able to see beyond the spotlights shining in his eyes, look out upon some of the half-filled venues Van Halen played to in 2004 and perhaps come to the conclusion that a change is in order.

Excellent post and insight, Terry.

[Blacklisted]

Most definitely. The change that needs to happen is getting the Diamond one back on stage.


DLR fucking RULES!

[BIG GOOSE]

Originally posted by Halen High
I saw Van Cherone when they toured Down Under. Sadly, that's my only live experience of any version of this band. I thought Eddie was solid that night, although I was probably just thrilled to actually see him play for the first time.

But like you I thought he looked 'sad' and 'lost'. He was distant, as if he didn't really want to be there. As if he resented the fact that we made him come down to play for us. Definately not enjoying himself.

I've wanted a Classic VH reunion since 5150 came out, but unless Eddie can sort himself out what's the point? His depressive behaviour would ruin it.


What a cunt he is.He and his fucking gorilla brother were too fucking lazy to tour Australia when Roth was in the band.Roth was saying back in 86 that one of the problems for him with those bastards were they were so fucking lazy they wouldn't tour overseas markets.He said he wanted to play other places than North America and little dabbles into Europe.When the VH brothers come to OZ it's on the back of an album that tanked in their home country.You know when a band of the calibre of Van Halen doesn't tour Australia until 20 yrs after the release of their debut album,I knew we were gonna eat a SHIT SANDWICH.