Rolling Stone Review of Van Hagar show 7/3/04

[Matt White]

I was just looking back at the review in the Aug 5th issue of Rolling Stone to check back on the review of the Van Hagar show in Toronto....And to my suprise J.D. Considine had written the review!!!
I hadn't NOTICED that the first time I read the review. NO WONDER its got a dig at DAVE in it. This FUCKER did one of the EARLIEST interviews with VAN HAGAR back in the mid-'80's, and it was the biggest hatchet job of DAVE on record. He's been strokin' the Lying Dutchmen off at every opportunity for almost 20 years!!!!
I've seen the guy review Dave's solo material for various publications(A GUITARWORLD hatchet piece comes to mind for the DLR band release!!!) and he NEVER misses an opportunity to try and deminish DAVEs contribution to the MIGHTY VAN HALEN.
This SORRY fucker is second only to STEVE(can he give Eddie ANOTHER rim job )Rosen, the offical KING of ASSLICKIN' journalist!!!
So, its now NO suprise that the reviewe in RS was complimentary to the SHAM HALEN TOUR. Probably one of the ONLY officaly recognized media types the band still talks to WHEN SOBER!!! :bottle:
And, if you've ever SEEN mr. Considine, its no WONDER he hates DAVE so much. His resemblance to a certain Elvis Costello is incredible!!!!!!

[guwapo_rocker]

Thanks for clearing that up bro!

[RogueHorseman]

I saw the review and it is a classic shill piece, and I know one when I see it having written hundreds myself...

Thing is, its not even thinly veiled.

Can't imagine too many people taking that one completely to heart witn an IQ above 75.

[POJO_Risin]

He actually wrote a bio on VH as well...I haven't read it in a few years...but remember picking it up in a Barnes and Noble a few years back...I'll see if I can find any info on it....

[POJO_Risin]

Here's an article from 1996 on VH...

you'll get who's crank he sucks from the start...

Review: Who's the better ex, David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar. Who cares? They're just singers. Guitarist Eddie has been and always will be the best of Van Halen. Need proof? Just listen.

Most fans don't know this, but it was actually David Lee Roth who came up with the notion of using Van Halen as a band name. What was his thinking? "More syllables than 'Roth,'" went the practiced answer, which he invariably followed with guffaws.

A good joke, sure, but if you want to hear the real reason the band has the name it does, forget the old stories and turn your attention to the new album, Van Halen's "Best Of Volume 1" (Warner Bros. 46332, arriving in stores today). And all you have to do is hit "play," and as "Eruption" explodes from the speakers, the answer becomes obvious: It's called "Van Halen" because "Edward Van Halen" had too many syllables.

Simply put, Van Halen is and always has been Edward's band. It isn't just that he is one of the most virtuosic and inventive- not to mention widely imitated -guitarists in rock; he's also a songwriter of unusual brillance, as adept at soaring, sentimental ballads as screaming, full-tilt rockers. It would hardly be an exaggeration to call him one of rock and roll's true originals.

But you wouldn't know that from the controversy currently swirling around the band. First Roth rejoined in order to record a tune or two after Sammy Hagar -who had been Van HAlen's singer since its acrimonious split with Roth in 1985 -either quit or was fired (stories vary). Then, after inspiring a standing ovation during an unexpected walk-on at the MTV Video Music Awards, the original lineup was once again history, leaving even more bad feelings than before.

Since then, it has been fan-demonium. Online, Sammy supporters moan that their masn didn't deserve the bum's rush, while Rothophiles are outraged that their dreams of a Van Halen reunion have been shattered. About the only thing uniting the two sides is disdain for frontman-apparent Gary Cherone, who until recently sang with Extreme.

Of course, the irony in all of this is that the Hagar/Roth/Cherone controversy treats Van Halen as if the singer -whoever he might be -is the band's real star.

But after spending some time with this "Best of," it becomes clear that Van Halen's singer always has played second fiddle to its lead guitarist.

As always, Van Halen in hands of Eddie
Some might argue that it was the singers who articulated the band's attitude. According to this theory, it was Roth's cocky irreverance that gave the band its sense of cool, and Hagar's blustery conservatism that made Van Halen safe for the mainstream.

But neither singer ever came up with words suggesting anything that wasn't already spelled out in the music.

For all the hormonal posturing Roth poured into "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love," nothing he sang was wuite as lustful as the growls Van Halen coaxed from his guitar, nor did the motorcycle fantasy Roth spun in "Panama" convey quite as much locomotion as Van Halen's turbo-charged riffing. Even Roth's most memorable punchlines, such as the brilliant "Have you seen junior's grades?" from "And the Cradle Will Rock," worked largely because of the setup provided by the music.

Lacking Roth's flair for theater, Hagar was seldom considered as quotable. Then again, he didn't have to be; the music, as ever, did most of the work. After all, it wasn't the sentimental power of the words that made "Dreams" such a convincing love song, but the way the music shifted from minor-chord urgency in the verse to exultant, major-chord joy in the chorus. In a sense, all Hagar had to do was follow the lead of Van Halen's melody -which may explain why "Humans Being," which finds Hagar working against the grain of the arrangement, is one of the least satisfying tracks on this "Best of."

Satisfaction, though, is a relative term, and many longtime listeners may gripe that these 17 songs hardly count as the band's best. Among the missing are such fan faves as "You Really Got Me," "(Oh) Pretty Woman" and "Dancing in the Sreets," omissions that may leave some wondering if their non-inclusion has anything to do with the fact that none were written by Van Halen. (In fairness, the collection also overlooks such well-known originals as "Finish What Ya Started" and "Top of the World.")

But the real question "Best of" raises has to do with the two new tracks cut with Roth, and whether or not the band made a mistake in ditching him. Short Answer: They didn't.

That's not to say the new songs are a waste. "Can't Get This Stuff No More" is a bit of a disappointment, as the vocals never quite get in synch with the rest of the band, leaving Roth sounding like he hadn't quite found his groove.

"Me Wise Magic," though, is brilliant. Opening with a swirl of guitar and cymbals, it quickly erupts into a nasty boogie riff that finds Roth ricocheting from demonic growl to trademark howl and back again. It's as exciting as a rollercoster ride, but mainly because Roth is strapped in tight, riding the guitars, bass and drums for all he's worth.

Listen close, and you'll also notice that the vocals have been flanged and distorted, making them more like the instrumental parts -and leaving them even more in Van Halen's hands.

In other words, it's still very much Edward's band. And if he continues to write and play this well, how much can it matter who he has singing?

© Baltimore Sun

[POJO_Risin]

Man is this guy full of shit...

[POJO_Risin]

Here's his top 10 lists from 1996...

Albums

1. Cibo Matto, Viva! La Woman (Warner Bros. 45989). Arch and playful, Cibo Matto conjures a world of gustatory delights and aural gratification that kept me coming back for seconds all year.

2. Everything But the Girl, Walking Wounded (Atlantic 82912). Between Ben Thorn's throbbing, drum 'n' bass-driven soundscapes and Tracey Thorn's bruised plum of a voice, heartbreak has never seemed as addictive.

3. Dave Matthews Band, Crash (RCA 66904). Mr. Matthew's band may include some of the best players in pop music today, but what makes this album work is that Mr. Matthews' songs always give them something to play.

4. BT, Ima (Perfecto/Kinetic/Reprise 46356). By paying as much attention to melody and texture as he does to rhythm, BT creates dance music that's intellectually engaging and physically rewarding.

5. Aimee Mann, I'm with Stupid (DGC 24951). A prodigiously gifted songwriter, Ms. Mann's songs are as tuneful as Difford & Tilbrook's, as witty as Elvis Costello's and as heartfelt as Chrissie Hynde's.

6. Rage Against the Machine, Evil Empire (Epic 57523). Never mind the band's left-leaning politics; what matters isn't its belief in collectivist economics, but its collective musical approach.

7. Cardigans, First Band on the Moon (Mercury 314 533 117). Like the booby-trapped chocolates in that Monty Python routine, the Cardigans are sweet and gooey on the outside, but sharp and dangerous beneath the surface.

8. Tomomi Kahala, Love Brace (Pioneer Japan PICX 1004). Ms. Kahala may be a Japanese idoru kashu (idol singer), but there's nothing lightweight about her material.

9. Norma Waterson, Norma Waterson (Hannibal 1393). Ms. Waterson's resonant voice and flawless delivery make this the best English folk album since Fairport Convention's Liege and Lief.

10. The Blue Nile, Peace at Last (Warner Bros. 45848). Despite his classic Scots tenor, Paul Buchanan is a soul singer in the most genuine sense.

Singles

1. Donna Lewis, I Love You Always Forever (Atlantic). A cute lyric, sure, but the kind of chorus you hear once and hum all day.

2. Tomomi Kahala, I'm Proud (Pioneer Japan). One of the best-written songs I've heard in years.

3. Quad City DJs, Come On and Ride It (The Train) (Big Beat). Forget the Macarena - this was the year's killer dance track.

4. Coolio, 1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New) (Tommy Boy). Actually, the sound really isn't all that new, but the execution is flawlessly funky.

5. 311, Down (Capricorn). Heavy metal dance hall? You bet.

6. L.L. Cool J, Doin' It (Def Jam). Between the My Jamaican Guy sample and L.L.'s masterfully laid-back rap, the summer's sexiest single.

7. Van Halen, Me Wise Magic (Warner Bros.). Sure, David Lee Roth was back, but it was Eddie Van Halen's writing (especially on the chorus) that made this soar.

8. Beck, Devil's Haircut (Geffen). No, I don't know what it means, either, but I sure like the way it sounds.

9. Kula Shaker, Tattva (Columbia). Who'd have thought Indian-flavored psychedelia would make such a comeback?

10. Chemical Brothers, Setting Sun (Astrawerks). With a vocal by Noel Gallagher of Oasis and a rhythm loop sampled from Tomorrow Never Knows, this is proof that trip-hop is as much rock as it is dance music.

[rustoffa]

Arrgh....marginal at best.
Decent composition, but it reads like a fucking "form review".
It's a critic's job and he phoned it in.
Panama was about a car, BTW.

[POJO_Risin]

Here's another quote from Mr. Considine...

That lack of respect didn't stop Sabbath from inspiring an entire generation of metal bands. After setting the tone for heavy rock with 1970's Black Sabbath, the group spawned literally thousands of imitators. In addition to blazing a path for such contemporaries as Judas Priest and Deep Purple, Sabbath inspired such second-generation metal gods as Van Halen (guitarist Edward Van Halen originally wanted to name his band after the Black Sabbath song Rat Salad), Iron Maiden and Metallica.

[POJO_Risin]

Considine moved his family in 1999 to Canada...now lives in Toronto...not that it has to do with anything...

[pete]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Considine moved his family in 1999 to Canada...now lives in Toronto...not that it has to do with anything...

BLAME CANADA!!!

[POJO_Risin]

Don't we all?

[pete]

Bryan Adams, Celine Dion and the list goes on.

[Terry]

Haven't even bothered with Rolling Stone in over a decade.

Just looking at the covers, they're too busy chasing down the pop flavor of the month in an attempt to boost sales.

How seriously am I gonna take a review from a magazine that does in depth profiles of Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake?

Bout the only mag out there I bother with is Classic Rock, and sometimes Blender for shits and giggles.

Rolling Stone never got Van Halen when they were riding high in the classic era, only gave Roth a cover story in 1984 because he was too big to ignore at that point, then showed their true colors by endorsing Van Hagar in 1986.

[POJO_Risin]

Yeah, I used to subscribe...and they were big into the Hagar era...

but more into that flava of the month...

hip hop...pop culture...

trying to figure out if they are a pop culture magazine...or a serious music mag...

They certainly aren't the latter...