‘Van Halen: The Studio Albums 1978-1984′ Due For Release March 26th!

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Might as well make its own thread:

Courtesy VHND:


http://www.vhnd.com/2013/02/06/van-halen-the-studio-albums-1978-1984/

[Va Beach VH Fan]

And pasting from the other thread, here's Jeff's response to my question about these "remasters".....

I've emailed Warner Bros. to try to find out if the remastering is any different than it was in 2000. I figure it probably is not any different. I will email you as soon as I know.

The CDs are housed in cardboard slipcases instead of jewel cases. The cardboard slipcases have the all the album's front and back artwork on them. The CDs are made to look like the sticker that is on the middle of all of vinyl LPs, with the Warner Bros. logo, too.

Warner Bros. is making very similar box sets for several other artists. This is definitely not the "box set" that we have all been dreaming of, but I think that's okay because it's not supposed to be that. I'm going to be optimistic and think that this release does not diminish whatever chance we have of still getting the box set of our dreams someday.

I think that the only purpose of this box that is to speed up the selling of the first 6 CDs, and I think it will do that. It's cheaper, and much lighter weight, which will save customers on shipping costs.

I'll let you know on the remastering as soon as I hear. Thanks,

[FORD]

If they would sell this box set for $30 bucks like Garth Brooks did with his "six pack", I'd buy it.

But then, Garth put at least one "previously unreleased" track on each of those discs too, which was more of an incentive for his fans to buy it.

WB is obviously kicking themselves for letting Van HALEN go to another label. Granted, after the failures of VDIII and the 2004 compilation with those godawful three Hagar tracks, it looked like a bad business decision on paper to keep them on the roster. Guess they should have had a little more faith in the band that gave them 6 multi-platinum albums, two of which exceeded 10 million.

[VHscraps]

I suppose it is a fair enough price for anyone who doesn't already have all the albums - £23.99 UK on Amazon.

As far as the original Dave-era goes, I have all the original vinyl albums, the singles from all the albums - including UK, US, Japanese, Belgian, Dutch, German, Spanish, etc., variations of many of those singles, 12" promos, picture discs, and the CD remasters and 180g vinyl reissue of VHI ...

And you know, amongst that veritable flora and fauna of VH single releases there is not a single fucking B-side featuring a non-album cut, nor any additional tracks (as we all know).

Name one other rock band, one other recording artist ... that you can say THAT about ??

I really can't think of any.

I'm sure Warners would love to put out unreleased stuff to give the rest of the catalogue a boost, so I don't think they are holding stuff back. They could at the very fucking least, however, commission a booklet to go with the fucking thing.

[ELVIS]

No way will this repackaged bullshit sell...

The current "remasters" are all over the Walmart bins for $5.00 each...

How 'bout they "remaster" the crappy sounding new album and give it a proper sounding bottom end ??

And then what's next, the Cheese years repackaged in cardboard and "remastered" ??

Fuck that...


:mad2:

[Zing!]

It does seem like WB is drifting into Stones territory with endless repackaging of the same songs. We've already had remasters, BOV1, BOBW, and now the Box Set. How many different ways can they find to sell us Jump?

[Dave's Bitch]

They have been taking lessons from Kiss

[FORD]

They have been taking lessons from Kiss

Not really... at least Chaim will whore out the stuff in the vault, along with repackaging the official catalog. :biggrin:

[Zing!]

Do you suppose this is Ed's big 'February surprise' he was talking about at the end of last year?

Surprise.

:shiznit:

[ZahZoo]

No way will this repackaged bullshit sell...

The current "remasters" are all over the Walmart bins for $5.00 each...


I checked BestBuy... they all the remasters ranging from $7.99 to $4.99. So you could pick up the Remastered 6 pack there for $36.94 or pre-order the same thing for $39.95 from the VHstore and wait until late March...

Not exactly marketing genius... But hey I'm sure we could all use our 23rd copy of Jump in a new paper sleeve...

[Kristy]

They have been taking lessons from Kiss

And the Rolling Stones. Just sell the same old shit in a new package.

[Zing!]

And the Rolling Stones. Just sell the same old shit in a new package.

The Stones have cornered that market: New Album, Live Album, Hits Package, hiatus... New Album, Live Album, Hits Package, hiatus... rinse, repeat, count stacks of cash. The only variation is when they do the sneaky end-around play and forgo the new album and tour in support of a Hits Package, scamming the mindless masses into buying something 'new' because it has a couple of new tunes on it.

[Kristy]

What's sad is the fans keep on buying this shit.

[WARF]

The six pack is the greatest work of any bands in music history!

[Kristy]

As usual, you are wrong, WARF.

[Cato]

I heard that a member of this site posting from Japan already ordered it!

[DLR Bridge]

I wonder if the volume will be upped on these. So annoying when Little Guitars follows something more recently recorded in shuffle mode on the I Pod and it sounds all puny. If these new CDs blast, I may cuntsider picking it up. Sans bonus tracks dang it.

[Girth]

I checked BestBuy... they all the remasters ranging from $7.99 to $4.99. So you could pick up the Remastered 6 pack there for $36.94 or pre-order the same thing for $39.95 from the VHstore and wait until late March...

Not exactly marketing genius... But hey I'm sure we could all use our 23rd copy of Jump in a new paper sleeve...

...And you would get the inside cover art and each cd would be housed in its own jewel case if you bought them separately. You are getting quite less by buying the six pack this way.
IF these aren't new re-masters, no reason to buy. I have all the original remasters on CD and they were certainly an upgrade over the original CD's, but no reason to buy this unless they are truly new remasters or you have to have that box.
I do agree with Elvis that they should remaster the new album.

Girth

[Terry]

No way will this repackaged bullshit sell...

The current "remasters" are all over the Walmart bins for $5.00 each...

How 'bout they "remaster" the crappy sounding new album and give it a proper sounding bottom end ??

And then what's next, the Cheese years repackaged in cardboard and "remastered" ??

Fuck that...


:mad2:

Elvis is right.

You can find the 6-pack remasters that already exist in any Walmart, Target or Best Buy, usually for $6 a pop regardless of album.

I mean, shit, I love Van Halen but I ain't repaying for another "remaster" that consists of no bonus tracks and has had the eq fiddled around with.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck THAT shit...

[ZahZoo]

I wonder if the volume will be upped on these. So annoying when Little Guitars follows something more recently recorded in shuffle mode on the I Pod and it sounds all puny. If these new CDs blast, I may cuntsider picking it up. Sans bonus tracks dang it.

No, no and no...

Please don't encourage the current dipshit engineers into ruining perfectly fine, mastered music anymore. Little Guitars is NOT a wall of sound composition and it doesn't need any boosting nor frequency packing to make it "blast" like most of the crap mixes available today.

It ain't broke so let's not try to fix anything. There's a reason your pathetic iPod has a volume control.

Seriously... we don't need classic music remastered to lowest common denominator... fucking iPods, ear-buds and crap electronics. Go invest in a real stereo system with real speakers. Move some gawd-damned air... for Christ's sake!! You might just be surprised at what you are missing!!!

[DLR Bridge]

No, no and no...

Please don't encourage the current dipshit engineers into ruining perfectly fine, mastered music anymore. Little Guitars is NOT a wall of sound composition and it doesn't need any boosting nor frequency packing to make it "blast" like most of the crap mixes available today.

It ain't broke so let's not try to fix anything. There's a reason your pathetic iPod has a volume control.

Seriously... we don't need classic music remastered to lowest common denominator... fucking iPods, ear-buds and crap electronics. Go invest in a real stereo system with real speakers. Move some gawd-damned air... for Christ's sake!! You might just be surprised at what you are missing!!!

My dear friend Mr. Zoo. I take no pleasure in stating that a good deal of my time spent enjoying music is during my grueling, shitty, train-hopping (3 damn times) commute from NJ to NYC 5 times a week. The 6 pack make the jump to I-pod format with less oomf than Led Zeppelin CDs. Realistically, the brainiacs who invented the dang device should come up with a way to level the volumes automatically or something.

[TJMKID]

How much would a professionally-edited DVD of the complete Oakland '81 show fetch?

I'd easily pay $50 for that shit and it'd probably be one of the best-selling concert DVDs of all time, but instead we get re-hashed stuff that sells for $3.99 in the discount bins.

Just more proof of how retarded the Halen sisters really are ..... FUCK 'EM TO HELL, I say.


:anal:

[Zing!]

How much would a professionally-edited DVD of the complete Oakland '81 show fetch?

I'd easily pay $50 for that shit and it'd probably be one of the best-selling concert DVDs of all time:

I'd pay that.

[Hardrock69]

So would me.

[Fairwrning]

This is sad actually...The very least they should release an official 30th anniversary US festival DVD..Coincide with the Japan tour very nicely..followed by the summer North American tour...

[jhale667]

How much would a professionally-edited DVD of the complete Oakland '81 show fetch?

I'd easily pay $50 for that shit and it'd probably be one of the best-selling concert DVDs of all time, but instead we get re-hashed stuff that sells for $3.99 in the discount bins.





Yep, I'd buy it.

[Droomer5150]

There's enough squares to have pictures of all 12 of the studio album covers and make it a full discography boxset...then again the Hagar and Cherone eras have been erased from existence since 2006 in the band...risky mentioning those eras on the Rotharmy haha but they are all albums released under the Van Halen name. Not that I care, I already own all 12!...now what I would care about is 3 blu rays, 81 and 84 and the 2008 show... :D...then maybe a boxset of the "early years 1972-1979" later on...and that documentary of the 1980 tour they said they filmed...and maybe another studio album...and an australian tour...and a meet and greet with van halen...and then a reunion with michael anthony... each with lots of promotion; tv interviews/appearances and all for everything... Then I will die a very, very happy man ahaha

[FORD]

Eddie never played a single song from VDIII aside from the one tour with Cherone, and the Velveetapalooza 2004 tour was a complete fucking trainwreck. So I can say with a fair amount of confidence that Eddie doesn't want to hear that shit any more than we do. Van Hagar and Van Danniels are best left in the past, and completely forgotten, if at all possible.

If you need help killing brain cells to help you forget, please consult FORD's Beercyclopedia for tools to help you with that goal. :gulp:

[ELVIS]

Nah, at some point Edwad will be sharing a casino stage with Mayor McCheese playing for the Seniors...

[ashstralia]

Nah, at some point Edwad will be sharing a casino stage with Mayor McCheese playing for the Seniors...

that's about as likely as you ever posting some of your guitar 'noodlings'. :D

[twonabomber]

that's about as likely as you ever posting some of your guitar 'noodlings'. :D

Elvis...the next GAR? :D

[ELVIS]

twinkabomber...the next dumb fuck ?? :mad2:

[ashstralia]

Elvis...the next GAR? :D

well i know he loves yngwank cumsteen... we might organise a tribute where the lyrics reflect this...;)

[ELVIS]

I don't love Yngwie that much...

[ashstralia]

yeah you do. :bigwink:

[Terry]

No, no and no...

Please don't encourage the current dipshit engineers into ruining perfectly fine, mastered music anymore. Little Guitars is NOT a wall of sound composition and it doesn't need any boosting nor frequency packing to make it "blast" like most of the crap mixes available today.

It ain't broke so let's not try to fix anything. There's a reason your pathetic iPod has a volume control.

Seriously... we don't need classic music remastered to lowest common denominator... fucking iPods, ear-buds and crap electronics. Go invest in a real stereo system with real speakers. Move some gawd-damned air... for Christ's sake!! You might just be surprised at what you are missing!!!

Perfection doesn't need to be fucked around with.

I mean, offer "remastered" versions of albums, but also keep stock onhand of original recordings...to be honest, even the initial cd releases of albums that were originally put out in vinyl or cassette sound too darned clean to my ears at times...that was part of the charm of the albums when they first came out: the mix resulting in instruments and vocals bleeding and overlapping.

Same deal with Exile On Main Street, for example. With each subsequent cd re-release the mix is fiddled around with to the point where all the sonic muddiness that was part of the album's appeal has been cleaned up.

[loucap81]

What a joke. Who is the market for this anyway? It's just the same CD's with different, but still not particularly impressive packaging. If they weren't able to put out new songs, or something live, or anything that hasn't been sold in some form yet, then why not re-master it to high quality Blu-Ray audio and enclose a special 100 page booklet or something. Some people on VHND were suggesting vinyl re-releases as well. But you have to give us something more than just regular CD's. Incredibly lame. If they sell 100 copies of this I'll be shocked.

[sadaist]

Will Michael Anthony get royalties on the sales of this?

[vaijuju]

in Nov 2010

Warner/Chappell recently inked deals with legendary rockers Sammy Hagar, David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony, all of Van Halen fame.



As part of the new agreement, Warner/Chappell acquired the entire catalog of songs written by Sammy Hagar—songwriter guitarist, and former lead singer of Van Halen (1986 through 1996)—including his work with the bands Van Halen, Montrose and Chickenfoot, as well as his music as a solo artist.



Additionally, Warner/Chappell extended and expanded its worldwide administration agreements with songwriters David Lee Roth, original lead singer for Van Halen (1978 through 1984), and Michael Anthony, bassist for Van Halen and Chickenfoot. Roth’s existing catalog, including his Van Halen and solo work, as well as Anthony’s work with Van Halen and Chickenfoot’s debut self-titled album, are part of the agreements.



“Sammy Hagar, David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony have not only each co-written hit songs recorded by Van Halen on some of the highest-selling albums of all time, but each had success on other solo or band recording projects as well,” said Scott Francis, President, Warner/Chappell Music, and Chairman and CEO, Warner/Chappell Music U.S. “Their work is classic, timeless and adored around the world. The entire Warner/Chappell staff is excited to be working with such revered musicians who we know will continue to thrill fans for years to come.”

[DLR Bridge]

Perfection doesn't need to be fucked around with.

I mean, offer "remastered" versions of albums, but also keep stock onhand of original recordings...to be honest, even the initial cd releases of albums that were originally put out in vinyl or cassette sound too darned clean to my ears at times...that was part of the charm of the albums when they first came out: the mix resulting in instruments and vocals bleeding and overlapping.

Same deal with Exile On Main Street, for example. With each subsequent cd re-release the mix is fiddled around with to the point where all the sonic muddiness that was part of the album's appeal has been cleaned up.

I may have been misunderstood up above. I don't want tinkering with the mix. I just want more built in volume without altering the dynamics. I know the approach these days in recording is quite different from 1982. ADKOT has a bombastic sound that some here like and some do not. I find it to sound a bit compressed and I look forward to checking it out on vinyl some day. I love the sound of Diver Down as is. I'd just like it to be a bit more on level with other things that I listen to on the pod, which I have to use frequently. I don't think a built in volume adjustment would hurt the original presentation.

[chefcraig]

I wouldn't get too excited about this release, as Warner Bros/Rhino have been pumping out similar sets in Europe for the past two or three years. LINK (http://theseconddisc.com/2011/10/18/rhino-unleashes-original-album-series-in-europe/)
What sucks is they sound kind of iffy. I have the Foghat set, and apparently it uses the same mixes from when these albums were initially dumped on an unsuspecting public years ago. In fact, many are comprised of the masters used to create cassette tapes. Even worse, the artwork is comprised of crummy cardboard slip cases, with no attention to detail. In fact, you'll need a magnifying glass just to read 'em. Needless to say, no bonus tracks or liner notes are included, either.

If you already have at least three versions of these albums, save your money.

[POJO_Risin]

lol...who cares...

I need new albums though...

I'm going that route...

[ZahZoo]

Will Michael Anthony get royalties on the sales of this?

Yes. As with anything sold from the VH catalog with the exception of ADKOT.

[chi-town324]

No interest in buying it...come on thrown something else in with it

[78/84 guy]

I might pick it up only because I don't have the last remasters. Never had much interest until Elvis said somewhere that they sound louder than the originals or something to that effect. I will take a louder 6 pack.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

True story:

I have never bought VH's "The Best of Volume I" either.....

Just didn't see the need.....

[ThatArtGuy]

I might pick it up only because I don't have the last remasters. Never had much interest until Elvis said somewhere that they sound louder than the originals or something to that effect. I will take a louder 6 pack.

The remasters are worth it. If you have a good setup you'll notice new things that were muddled before and they support HDCD. So, no, they aren't "simply louder."

[ThatArtGuy]

I used to have a review of them on here way back when I was a webbie and they were new.

[sonrisa salvaje]

True story:

I have never bought VH's "The Best of Volume I" either.....

Just didn't see the need.....

You didn't like the 2 bonus tracks enough to want to own it?

[ThatArtGuy]

You didn't like the 2 bonus tracks enough to want to own it?

Get the CD single and you'll never have to hear anyone but DLR. 500th post! Whoo hoo!

[Va Beach VH Fan]

You didn't like the 2 bonus tracks enough to want to own it?

I thought, in all honesty, they were both highly overrated....

It was the "Eddie Murphy Ritz cracker" syndrome....

[ThrillsNSpills]

How 'bout they "remaster" the crappy sounding new album and give it a proper sounding bottom end ??



Other than that it's a different label, hell yeah.
I take it the vinyl version wasn't much improved then...?

[ELVIS]

I still don't know...

I've yet to get a new cartridge and make a comparable copy...

I've only sampled the vinyl so far...

It is nice to look at, though...

I do get the sense that Dave is much more than a hired singer when I caress and gaze upon the artfully done album...


:elvis:

[DLR Bridge]

I do get the sense that Dave is much more than a hired singer when I caress and gaze upon the artfully done album...

Your absolutely right. This comment in conjunction with VH Scraps in the other thread serve as a decent reminder that Dave is not simply sitting in the back seat of the Halenmobile.

[ELVIS]

After reading it again, I think Dave is trying to light a fire under Edwad's ass and get some healthy conflict brewing...


:elvis:

[vaijuju]

I bought it Today ! 23,99 Euros (31 Dollars) ... simple package ! Like the CD 2000, They add Michael McDonald for I'll wait !

[FORD]

True story:

I have never bought VH's "The Best of Volume I" either.....

Just didn't see the need.....

I only bought it used. $5 seemed appropriate for just 2 songs. (Well, technically three, if you want to count that really fucked up remix of RWTD)

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I bought it Today ! 23,99 Euros (31 Dollars) ... simple package ! Like the CD 2000, They add Michael McDonald for I'll wait !

Um, no thanks.....

[Zing!]

A credit to Michael McDonald isn't enough enticement to get me to buy this.

Pass.

[DLR Bridge]

I only bought it used. $5 seemed appropriate for just 2 songs. (Well, technically three, if you want to count that really fucked up remix of RWTD)

Waitaminute. Are you talking about the one with Me Wise & Stuff? WTF did they do to RWTD? Don't think I ever listened to anything but the 2 new (at the time) songs.

[vaijuju]

In 2009 a French fan bought this ! Japanese pressage 23 Dollars each !
it was much better !!!
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/7928/p1020706vb0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/8020/p1020707gs4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/4295/p1020708ts6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/2455/p1020710zf8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[VHscraps]

Waitaminute. Are you talking about the one with Me Wise & Stuff? WTF did they do to RWTD? Don't think I ever listened to anything but the 2 new (at the time) songs.

All I remember is that a bit of the song was missing - edited probably, rather than remixed.

With that, and it's lamer beyond lame cover, you have to sometimes despair at the sheer negligence towards what is one of the most stellar catalogues of any American rock band.

You don't see the remaining members of The Doors being so disrespectful to their legacy. For me, in terms of the core output (6 pack) that's the strata Van Halen occupy - one of a very few bands of the 60s / 70s who could be said to be greatest American band of that period.

You gotta envy the way the Doors do things. Alright, probably motivated by the fact the the Morrison years is their income, but the care that goes into re-releases, compilations, box sets, 'official' bootlegs, video/DVD etc. is light years beyond the VH organisation.

'Cos Ed is in fuckin charge.

The Doors - 40-odd years after Jimbo died, are about to bring out what has been called one of the most advanced iPad Apps. It will sync with all the songs in your iTunes, and be the way that generations of new listeners will keep discovering their albums.

Ed, meanwhile, continues to let his legacy go to ruin with slipshod re-issues and compilations with some of the worst mystique-destroying artwork in rock history. That Best Of Vol2 with his stupid stripes on the cover is gotta be the worst, most lame, presentation of a legendary band in the history of rock'n'roll.

[ZahZoo]

Waitaminute. Are you talking about the one with Me Wise & Stuff? WTF did they do to RWTD? Don't think I ever listened to anything but the 2 new (at the time) songs.

I think some of the first batch pressed they used a version of RWTD that had the verses in the wrong order... caught it and pulled the remaining product with the proper mix.

[DLR Bridge]

Ed, meanwhile, continues to let his legacy go to ruin with slipshod re-issues and compilations with some of thd worst mystique-destroying artwork in rock history. That Best Of Vol2 with his stupid stripes on the cover is gotta be the worst, most lame, presentation of a legendary band in the history of rock'n'roll.

Totally. The stripes and color scheme at undeniably his signature, but not the whole bands. Granted, the bulk of AC/DC covers are based on Angus' appearance, but that's different. What Dave said about VH BOV 1 was depressingly perfect.

[DLR Bridge]

I think some of the first batch pressed they used a version of RWTD that had the verses in the wrong order... caught it and pulled the remaining product with the proper mix.

Wow, that's nuts. I'll have to check mine out when I get home. This endless day has to fucking end first.

[VHscraps]

Forgive me for derailing the thread ... about that Doors iPad app - here's how you keep your music relevant to a new generation. From UK magazine, MOJO, January 2013. The App is not out yet, but here's the ideas behind it. Particularly interesting is what he says about the future of the album - the third question / answer.

Jac Holzman Outlines Doors iPad App

The latest catalogue to experience the iPad upgrade is that of The Doors, a move driven by Elektra Records supremo Jac Holzman, a man who's always kept a weather eye on advances in music technology. Holzman spoke to MOJO about the Doors app, expanding on the possibilities of the music experience in 2013 and what's next for the good ol' long player. When the music's over, turn out the light? Not a bit of it, learns Ross Bennett

Let's start with the Doors app. How did that start?
Well, I've been in involved with a whole bunch of technology stuff over the years. I was chief technologist of Warner Communications, I did the CD implementation for the music group Cable and was one of three directors at Atari. I'm always interested in the point where the arts meet technology and how one can advance the other. I was looking at apps and the story you can tell through them. I thought that this would be great for The Doors 40th anniversary edition of L.A Woman so I got the go-ahead and started to work on the project. Then, as I got into it, I realized that this thing was much, much bigger.

What can we expect?
There are 12 sections: one devoted to each of The Doors' albums, one devoted to the 1968 European tour, there's a chapter on Jim and one devoted to the aftermath of his death. I also found wonderful Doors articles from Patti Smith and Hunter S. Thompson. We then asked 'how do you tell the story of the Miami incident [where Morrison was arrested onstage in March 1969 for alleged indecent exposure]?' We came up with the idea of doing it as an in-app graphic novel. We have the FBI files, Jim's testimony and reams of legal documents. You can also hear audio from the incident itself. In total, there are over 1400 items - 44 short videos, tickets, memorabilia, lots of photographs, all The Doors' lyrics. You can play 90 seconds of every track and if you have the song in your iTunes library you play the whole thing through the app. Then, of course, there are the social networking opportunities as well. All created by a team of six.

What does the proliferation of the app mean for the future of the album?
This process changed my view of the album. I'm a guy who has made albums from 1950 until the late '90s. As a result of the development of digital, the whole business has skewed towards the singles market and a number of people, some of whom I respect, think the album is irrelevant. I don't. A single tells you about the song, but it does not tell you a lot about the artist. When you begin to hear the motifs that weave in and out of an album you begin to see the shape of that person's approach to music. A lot of people have tried to emulate what an album is digitally. iTunes made a noble try at it. I don't think anybody has got it right, but the experiments we conducted while creating this app have led me to believe that we can now approach a piece of music from many different angles.

What's the most important thing you've learnt from creating The Doors iPad app?
Most people have a primary portal through which they acquire information and music. That may be predominantly auditory, but they will always want supplementary audio and visual cues. Which means you can really approach an album from any of these directions. If you put an album on shuffle, you'll hear it differently. You may hear bad juxtapositions, but then you'll also hear magical ones. I'm looking to offer as many perspectives as possible. I think multiple perspectives are the key. This app is a real experience.

Interview: Ross Bennett

[DLR Bridge]

Please Scraps. Have you seen the Kristy thread? Seriously, it's all good I'm sure.:thumb:

[Zing!]

Never happen in VH land, but a VH App would be the shit! (As long as Haggar was left on the digital sideline).

[VHscraps]

Please Scraps. Have you seen the Kristy thread? Seriously, it's all good I'm sure.:thumb:

I have been checking it out every day, but I think my view echoes Thrills'N'Spills - don't post in it and it will exit the dump down some invisible hole and land in Hell.

Where is Satan when you need him anyway ...

[78/84 guy]

Waitaminute. Are you talking about the one with Me Wise & Stuff? WTF did they do to RWTD? Don't think I ever listened to anything but the 2 new (at the time) songs.

They put the verses in the wrong places in R.W.T.D. if I remember correctly. Whoever remastered it.

[78/84 guy]

I have been checking it out every day, but I think my view echoes Thrills'N'Spills - don't post in it and it will exit the dump down some invisible hole and land in Hell.

Where is Satan when you need him anyway ...

There's a reason I considered you the godfather around here. BRILLIANT advice. I did just post how stupid it was in there myself.

[Cato]

In 2009 a French fan bought this ! Japanese pressage 23 Dollars each !
it was much better !!!
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/7928/p1020706vb0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/8020/p1020707gs4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/4295/p1020708ts6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/2455/p1020710zf8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
I have those mini LP's too. Warner Japan did a great job.

hey, if any of you guys want something from Japan(CDs Mags, Books etc..), contact me.
total costs would be cheaper than buying straight from Japanese net store

[twonabomber]

hey, if any of you guys want something from Japan(CDs Mags, Books etc..), contact me.
total costs would be cheaper than buying straight from Japanese net store

Can you find me a clean Yamaha DX7II for under $400? :D

[Cato]

Can you find me a clean Yamaha DX7II for under $400? :D

ok I'll look for it.
is it heavy?

[twonabomber]

ok I'll look for it.
is it heavy?

Yeah, they're heavy. Shipping would probably be a killer.

It was kind of a joke. I found this guy from Nagano who finds all these synths for under $100 in second hand shops, and there is nowhere here with deals like that.

I just looked on ebay and found an original DX7 within driving distance, may grab that one later.

What does vintage gear go for near you? Say pre-1995 rack synths and guitar processors?

[Cato]

I will look for anything if you give me exact model names

remember, I'm a man who has bought a Fender Custom Shop Strat for 250 bucks!

[Nickdfresh]

I don't love Yngwie that much...

Oh please. You'd rim that guy's fat asshole if you could!

[Diamondjimi]

I do get the sense that Dave is much more than a hired singer when I caress and gaze upon the artfully done album...


:elvis:

That sounds a tad ghey .....

[Fairwrning]

I'd buy an Iron Maiden set like this...I only have a couple of their cds...the artwork alone is great

[Hardrock69]

What? A version of I'll Wait with Michael McDonald?

NO FUCKING WAY!

That is a load of fucking shit!

America's greatest hard rock party band reduced to recording one of their keyboard tracks with the King Of Lame?

That is fucking BEYOND disgusting.........that is almost as bad as Metallica being so creatively bankrupt they had to do a cover of that Bob Seger song Turn The Page. :mad:

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Seems apropos....

[FORD]

What? A version of I'll Wait with Michael McDonald?

NO FUCKING WAY!

That is a load of fucking shit!

America's greatest hard rock party band reduced to recording one of their keyboard tracks with the King Of Lame?

That is fucking BEYOND disgusting.........that is almost as bad as Metallica being so creatively bankrupt they had to do a cover of that Bob Seger song Turn The Page. :mad:

Considering Michael McDonald was the Sammy Hagar of the Doobie Brothers, and considering that lameassed song was the first sign of the cheese-fest that was to follow, it's actually not all that surprising.

[Diamondjimi]

Fuck the remasters, open up the fuckin vault!

[Terry]

Considering Michael McDonald was the Sammy Hagar of the Doobie Brothers, and considering that lameassed song was the first sign of the cheese-fest that was to follow, it's actually not all that surprising.

Yeah...I just plain never liked that song. It just felt all wrong for Van Halen when Roth was at the helm...honestly, having McDonald guesting on it in whatever vocal capacity really couldn't make me like it much less.

[VHscraps]

Fellas, I like it!! Pelt me with eggs, but I REALLY like it, but it wasn't always that way.

But, for many a year, I would not listen to it - I would skip it, etc. But, one day a couple of years ago I decided I was gonna give it a chance. I had gotten back into the habit of playing the 6 Pack on vinyl ONLY - so my mantra with all the albums I played by whoever was: 'no fucking skipping - play the album as it was made, and intended to be listened to.' So, I would play '1984' at full pelt, and I just got more and more into it.

It is driven along by low and rather nasty sounding bass notes played on a synthesizer – same sound as Madonna's ‘Like A Virgin’, but different notes and at a slightly slower tempo than that tune. Still, more of a dance beat than a rock beat. I think if you are playing the whole album, rather than picking it out as an isolated song to play - or it coming on at random on iTunes, or something - you will definitely experience it differently.

I think that it's a song that with repeated listens becomes much more impressive than the unpromising opening bars, where Eddie seems to fumble a bit too long before getting a hold of things. That opening is probably what will make you first want to skip it - but resist. Give it another chance, and then another chance. Alex punctuates the rhythm that the synth is beating out with some booming toms and the occasional big cymbal splash. As it gets to the end - if you have it LOUD enough - it sounds like he is kicking fuck out of those drums.

In a sense it seems to me more of a departure than ‘Jump’. For a long time it was a song that seemed to me to be not quite there, but returning to it after twenty-odd years it now sounds like a great tune. And ... keeping in mind this was recorded in '83, I hear echoes of it in Madonna's 'Like a Virgin'. Particularly the bass line. That tune was produced by Nile Rodgers, friend of Dave, and came out in '84. Maybe he thought - 'hey, I'll steal / adapt that nasty bass line'.

[VAiN]

Yeah...I just plain never liked that song. It just felt all wrong for Van Halen when Roth was at the helm...honestly, having McDonald guesting on it in whatever vocal capacity really couldn't make me like it much less.

I got that a writing credit to given to McDonald on this pressing unlike previous pressings and not an actual vocal performance... Right?

[VHscraps]

I got that a writing credit to given to McDonald on this pressing unlike previous pressings and not an actual vocal performance... Right?

Yeah - he wrote the lyrics / vocal part with Dave. Dave was at a loss as to what to do with the tune, and Ted Templeman hooked him up with Michael McDonald - who he produced as well. He never sang on it.

He was credited on the 7" single version released in 1984, but not on the original 1984 vinyl album. I think that was probably just a mistake that he got left off - he's credited on the CD remasters from 2000 (and maybe earlier versions), etc.

[Hardrock69]

Ah I see. Being a writer is a slightly different take. I was under the impression he had performed on it.

I can see the connection though...as Ted produced all the Doobies albums.

I never got to see the Doobies as a real rock band. I only saw them twice....both times on the same tour in summer of 1977. By then MM was in the band, and they were doing stuff that was more Adult Contemporary than AOR.

Glad I got to see them back then though.

[VHscraps]

Not to fear, HR - I guess it would sound like Michael McDonald if he sang it with VH, 'cos when he started singing with the Doobies, it didn't sound like the Doobies anymore ... it sounded like HIM.

This is from an interview with Michael McDonald on The Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ragogna/emdukes-of-september-mcca_b_698583.html) site, where he briefly talks about it:


Mike Ragogna (interviewer): You are also the co-writer of Van Halen's "I'll Wait." Is there a story behind that?

Michael McDonald: Not really other than it involved Ted Templeman who put me together with David Lee Roth. The track was cut and they were kind of stymied on the lyric on this one, so Ted had recommended that they work with me. I got together with David in Ted's office, and I had put some ideas down. David had sent me the track and so I went over them with him and he seemed to like them. He may have made some changes at that point, I'm not sure.

Van Halen went and cut the song, and it's probably one of the more lucrative things I have ever done in my entire career because, as the Doobies, we did great with records. But Van Halen was the inception of mega-platinum record sales. We were platinum-selling artists, but to us, that was a huge deal to go platinum. Then these young bands came along and went quadruple-platinum which was unheard of at that point.

[ZahZoo]

Now being reported this thing has been permanently cancelled and will not be released in the US...

http://www.bravewords.com/news/201148

[ELVIS]

Good!!!!

[ZahZoo]

It was a dumb idea to begin with... you could buy all the same albums via Amazon for less than they wanted for this repackaging... the only thing you miss is the lame paper CD sleeves.

I'm still inclined to think Ed nixed this with WB just to minimize Sobolewski getting any additional royalty payments...

[ELVIS]

Either that or our influence nixed it...:biggrin:

[ZahZoo]

Either that or our influence nixed it...:biggrin:

Nice thought... actual marketing people paying attention to real consumers!!!

No way though... if that had occurred someone would have issued Roth Army Tampons a long time ago... :)

[VHscraps]

It was a dumb idea to begin with... you could buy all the same albums via Amazon for less than they wanted for this repackaging... the only thing you miss is the lame paper CD sleeves.

I'm still inclined to think Ed nixed this with WB just to minimize Sobolewski getting any additional royalty payments...

I actually bought it - but I'm a sap. It looks quite nice, in a dinky kind of miniature way, but it baffles me how they ever expected to sell these to anyone who is not a diehard fan.

The set actually got reviewed in one of the UK's biggest 'serious' newspapers, The Daily Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/9894457/Van-Halen-The-Studio-Albums-1978-1984-album-review.html). There's a real chance to reach new listeners of more mature years via media outlets like this (as opposed to just being covered by niche music magazines / websites), but as ever, opportunities to make new converts let down by the comparable lack of goodies compared to the kind of box sets that most music fans who go for impulse buys on such things have been led to expect.

Given the reviewer's very positive comments about the music content, you can only imagine that the 3.5/5 it was given is to do with the packaging - or lack of.

The review ends: "After the release of last year’s critical hit, A Different Kind of Truth, the band’s first studio album with Roth in 28 years, and the use of their classic tracks on the soundtrack for the Oscar-winning film Argo, there’s certainly an appetite for this Van Halen revival. But, in this era of easily accessible digital music, it’s a shame that the box set itself is a no-frills one, with no new artwork or liner notes as an incentive to make the purchase."

[ZahZoo]

Starting to wonder if this is more indicative of Van Halen rather than the record companies...

It's not that much work to package a decent box set and the record companies do nice work for several other artists under the same labels. WTF? Is it just the band is happy sitting on their asses, occasionally running their mouths off in the press to promote a tour paycheck and that's it?

Maybe Dave is 100% correct... run by idiots.

[Mushroom]

True story:

I have never bought VH's "The Best of Volume I" either.....

Just didn't see the need.....



Not even for MWM or CGTSNM? Incidentally my copy includes the accidental release of Running with the Devil mixed with the rearranged chorus-verse structure.

[VHscraps]

I wonder if VH own the masters to those albums? You'd think if they did that they would be more willing to co-operate with repackaged sets like this.

just read another short review in a round-up of re-releases in Mojo magazine (not online). Gave it 4/5, and again the short review highlighted the "no notes, no frills, no extras" angle.

I just bought a reissue of the Robert Johnson recordings, which has been re-released by Sony Legacy as 'The Centennial Collection'. It's just a 2 CD Jewel Case thing, but it has 26 pages of new notes, and all sorts of interesting stuff (for those who are interested ...) about the sessions and master tapes, etc.

It doesn't take much effort. There was a nice essay written by Deborah Frost (music journo of long-standing and wife of Blue Oyster Cult ex-drummer, Albert Bouchard) for the RRHF induction (presumably it went into a book / program that was produced for those attending), and something like that would do just fine to go along with one of those box sets.

You'd think someone at Rhino might've scoped out the possibilities of that - seeing if there was a well-written career-retrospective that could be appreciated by the fans, and a good introduction to the new listener maybe exploring the six-pack for the first time.

I read that RRHF piece on www.rocksbackpages.com years ago ... I must see if I downloaded it before they put a ridiculous paywall up.

[FORD]

Now being reported this thing has been permanently cancelled and will not be released in the US...

http://www.bravewords.com/news/201148

Irony here is that there will still be those who just "have" to own this thing, and they'll pay 3 times what it would have cost them for the US version to get a Japanese import copy. Or whatever other country already has it available.

[Zing!]

Wonder if this means they canceled the Van Haggar box set of 5150, OU812, FUCK, and Balance that was supposed to come in a McDonalds big breakfast tray?

[FORD]

Wonder if this means they canceled the Van Haggar box set of 5150, OU812, FUCK, and Balance that was supposed to come in a McDonalds big breakfast tray?

The only way to "remaster" that period would be to take the few songs off of each record that were decent, instrumentally, strip Hagar's screeching and crap lyrics from them entirely, and let Dave turn them into proper songs.

Actually, with the songs from 5150 and OuBlowsGoats2, you would probably have to rebuild the whole rhythm section from scratch, as there was no bottom end on either of those sorry assed records.

Out of those 4 albums though, you could probably make one proper record. I still think there's gotta be some 5150 era songs in the vault with the proper singer on them.

[Headly1984]

If these phuggers weren't the best at what they did I would probably hate them ..lol!

They cancelled a show I had tics for in rocha NY, Dave & Sam tour cancelled only 1 show on their entire tour - my city

they put out remasters and box sets with no new material & even tried gary cheron for lead singer cause Ed aint Hendrix or Dylan and can't do it all himself
- & they fire their bassist and co-singer M.A. and tour with a kid on Bass out of nepotism and call it CVH

If I didn't love Van Fuckin' Halen as the best of all ROCK music - they would piss me off more than they already do ..

but they are the best at what they do - so I just have to wait and put up with the shenanigans

Any other band would love to trade places with them, Even Jimmy Page is stuck remastering records & would love to have Plant sign on for a tour or something again ....

- people are just waiting anxiously to give them money to put out more material and play more live gigs or sell a live DVD from way back and let us have it for our enjoyment

- no one is getting any younger - just release it already :hippie:

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Not even for MWM or CGTSNM? Incidentally my copy includes the accidental release of Running with the Devil mixed with the rearranged chorus-verse structure.

Nope, I downloaded them online eventually...

Besides, I've always said that those two songs were mediocre as hell, and the only reason VH fans like them was due to the "Eddie Murphy Ritz Cracker" syndrome....

[78/84 guy]

Not that good ? I thought they were great songs. A little sterile. But what newer music isn't ? I put them at the end of my 1984 c.d. They sound good there. They are recorded better than anything on the new album. And Dave's voice is good on them.

[DLR Bridge]

The most Van Haleny thing to come from those two songs was the chorus to Me Wise Magic:

Do ya belieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeve?

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Not that good ? I thought they were great songs. A little sterile. But what newer music isn't ? I put them at the end of my 1984 c.d. They sound good there. They are recorded better than anything on the new album. And Dave's voice is good on them.

To each his own...

They were obviously rush jobs... The melodies forced Dave to sing out of his normal range....

I just didn't dig them at all...

[VAiN]

To each his own...

They were obviously rush jobs... The melodies forced Dave to sing out of his normal range....

I just didn't dig them at all...

Agreed. But like you said.. Them ain't no regular crackers, are they?? We were starved!

[Mushroom]

I uploaded all the =VH= to my iPod, sandwiched Me Wise Magic and Cant' Get This Stuff... between the 6-pack and ADKOT and realized they are shallow efforts. Nonetheless, I am the guy those record companies love. But WB is not fooling me this time! I just purchased a new record player, so it's time to pull out the =VH= vinyl and compare to the CDs!

[BITEYOASS]

Unless they crack open the vaults and put some unreleased songs and outtakes on the re-released albums, no one will buy them! Mainly because EVERYONE HAS THEM OR CAN JUST BUY IT USED ONLINE, SO THEY DON'T GET FUCKED BY THE BIG WABBIT KNOWN AS FUCKIN' WARNER BROS.

:bigwink:

[Zing!]

Not that good ? I thought they were great songs. A little sterile. But what newer music isn't ? I put them at the end of my 1984 c.d. They sound good there. They are recorded better than anything on the new album. And Dave's voice is good on them.

I still love Me Wise Magic, but CGTSNM hasn't aged quite as well. Maybe it's the sentiment in the lyrics considering what went down that year with the band, or maybe it's EVH's horrible tone, but I routinely skip past that track now.

[Monkeeman]

I love Me Wise Magic. Can't get................ is OK. A decent album track in my opinion.

[DLR Bridge]

I think That's Amore by Dean Martin and CGTSNM are the only two songs I've ever heard in my life with the words pizza pie in them. Just thought I'd put that out there.

[Zing!]

The same thing occurred to me. Hearing the word "pizza" in an Italian love song is one thing. Hearing the word "pizza" in a rock song is off-setting. Not too many could get away with it and make it work.

[DLR Bridge]

Those lyrics were a little corny.....I always thought Dave didn't have too much to do with the lyrics for those two songs...could be wrong. I think the whole structure of cgtsnm always sounded more like a cvh tune than me wise magic. I like mwm but it always seemed a little too busy.

Here's a DLR vs. VH wound ripping open fact for ya 4th. Dave had everything to do with those lyrics. They are a metaphorical bitch slap at the brothers. Look up the Popsmear interview with Dave from the late 90's. DLR definitely got the last laugh that time around.

[DLR Bridge]

You're not imagining things. You probably read it in Dave's book. He mentioned that they tried to bring in Desmond Child to write lyrics. Dave wasn't having any of that thank God. Could you imagine? No one would say shit about I'll Wait's words if that ever came to fruition.

[VHscraps]

Those lyrics were a little corny.....I always thought Dave didn't have too much to do with the lyrics for those two songs...could be wrong. I think the whole structure of cgtsnm always sounded more like a cvh tune than me wise magic. I like mwm but it always seemed a little too busy.

I quite like MWM. Thought the other tune was fairly mediocre - can't even remember what it goes like. Dave was doing far better stuff on YFLM.

But MWM, for me, is one of those late-Hagar era / Cherone era guitar parts where Ed seems to take a minute or two to get to the point. On Human's Being, the last song with Spam, it works. I only listened to VHIII once (in 2011 - hadn't heard a lick of it before) but it seemed to have quite a lot of those aimless guitar intros.

In the CVH days, I bet Ted - or maybe even Dave - would have told him just to ditch the intro and outro and cut it down to 3 mins.

[DLR Bridge]

Yeah 4th, he's the D-nozzle that wrote Living On A Prayer and a host of other nauseating things.

"...maybe that works out great for Bon Jovi. For Van Halen, it's syphilis." - D L fuckin' R

[VHscraps]

That's exactly who it was....Desomd childs.....didn't that tool write rediculously lame tunes for/with Kiss at one point? I have to re-read dave's book. I usually read it every summer on the beach....my memory isn't what it used to be.

That's one of the reason's Spam left. Ed didn't think his lyrics were serious enough and was bringing in other writers to do 'treatments' (like movie producers who bring in new writers to fo script treatments). That guy who produced Alanis Morrissette's first album was one name I heard mentioned. He produced dome of those songs .. name escapes me.

[VHscraps]

That's one of the reason's Spam left.

Shocking butcher's apostrophe there ... I swear it is this fcking tapatalk.

[DLR Bridge]

In the CVH days, I bet Ted - or maybe even Dave - would have told him just to ditch the intro and outro and cut it down to 3 mins.

And they would be right, but make no mistake, the long version of Believe Me / Take It Back is a stellar long composition. Songs like that deserved a spot on the second side of any of the first three LPs. God, I hope that song sees official light of day some time down the road.

[twonabomber]

That's one of the reason's Spam left. Ed didn't think his lyrics were serious enough and was bringing in other writers to do 'treatments' (like movie producers who bring in new writers to fo script treatments). That guy who produced Alanis Morrissette's first album was one name I heard mentioned. He produced dome of those songs .. name escapes me.

Russ Ballard. He wrote New York Groove, too.

[chefcraig]

Yeah 4th, he's the D-nozzle that wrote Living On A Prayer and a host of other nauseating things.

"...maybe that works out great for Bon Jovi. For Van Halen, it's syphilis." - D L fuckin' R

To continue that quote, from the Reunion Blues chapter of Dave's book: "Any amount kills the engine, OK? Those sanguine, sissified, grew-up-way-too-close-to-mommy lyrics. It sounded awful but even then I tried to sing some of it".



That guy who produced Alanis Morrissette's first album was one name I heard mentioned. He produced dome of those songs .. name escapes me.

The guy was Glenn Ballard. More from Roth: "They had written a whole song, lyrically and melodically, over the telephone; the producer Glenn Ballard, Eddie Van Halen and Desmond Childs."

[ELVIS]

Russ Ballard. He wrote New York Groove, too.


There's a credential...:rolleyes:

[twonabomber]

The guy was Glenn Ballard. More from Roth: "They had written a whole song, lyrically and melodically, over the telephone; the producer Glenn Ballard, Eddie Van Halen and Desmond Childs."

I had the wrong Ballard. Forgot about Glenn.

I was reading the Wiki article on Russ thinking damn, this guy's old!

[Halen High]

I quite like MWM. Thought the other tune was fairly mediocre - can't even remember what it goes like. Dave was doing far better stuff on YFLM.

But MWM, for me, is one of those late-Hagar era / Cherone era guitar parts where Ed seems to take a minute or two to get to the point. On Human's Being, the last song with Spam, it works. I only listened to VHIII once (in 2011 - hadn't heard a lick of it before) but it seemed to have quite a lot of those aimless guitar intros.

In the CVH days, I bet Ted - or maybe even Dave - would have told him just to ditch the intro and outro and cut it down to 3 mins.

I like Me Wise Magic but I always thought Eddie's solo was too long. When he switches to the outro, it doesn't seem to fit with the earlier part of the solo. It wasn't necessary and just drags it out when we should have been returning to the chorus. Humans Being is another example of perhaps Eddie dominating the recording process - the solo stretches out to almost 1.40 - way too long for a track of this type. The song loses momentum and then builds up into a generic sounding outro.

[Halen High]

And they would be right, but make no mistake, the long version of Believe Me / Take It Back is a stellar long composition. Songs like that deserved a spot on the second side of any of the first three LPs. God, I hope that song sees official light of day some time down the road.

You know I can't recall ever hearing that track - thanks DLR Bridge! Just listened to the 1977 Starwood version, if that's the one you were referring to. Love it...I hope a reworked version of this ends up on the next album - at least the one that has been hinted at.

That's an example of a longer solo composition that engages you from start to finish, and it fits perfectly with this kind of track.

[Zing!]

But MWM, for me, is one of those late-Hagar era / Cherone era guitar parts where Ed seems to take a minute or two to get to the point. On Human's Being, the last song with Spam, it works. I only listened to VHIII once (in 2011 - hadn't heard a lick of it before) but it seemed to have quite a lot of those aimless guitar intros.

I agree. This time period was the height of Ed's self importance, where he thought every note he played was gold. He started believing his own press and you can hear it in the music. MWM and CGTSNM don't have the structure or brown sound of classic VH songs. They sound like reworked Van Haggar tracks that Sam couldn't figure out (although he might have tried his own pizza pie lyric).

[VHscraps]

This new box set was reviewed in the new issue of Classic Rock - by Pat Cash ... yes, Pat Cash the ex-tennis player.

A kinda 'this is why I love VH' review. He gave it 9/10.

I guess VH musta been the band of choice for 80s tennis players (although Pat Cash is probably a bit later) - it reminded me of that Kramer guitar ad with Ed sandwiched between Vitus Gerulaitis and John McEnroe ...

http://www.halen.com/images/uploads/ad61.jpg

[Halen High]

Cheers mate! I just read Pat's review. Of course it's no surprise that the really cool, interesting, edgy and full of attitude kind of tennis players such as Cash and McEnroe prefer Classic Van Halen, although I didn't realise Pat was such a big VH fan until now.

That photo is featured in McEnroe's autobiography, 'Serious', which I highly recommend.