DLR/Vai Split??

[spmusicplyr]

I was wondering if anyone knows the reason that Roth, Vai and sheehan split after scyscraper, and why bissonette and his brother left after ALAE.

Someone told me that Vai and Sheehan were unhappy with Skyscraper because it was a pop album and not as hard rockin of music that they'd originally signed up for. Whatever the reason, fuck 'em because if they didnt leave, DLR wouldn't have gotten becker. And jason becker, man that kid rocked.

So sad...really it is. I think he'd be making EVH look like a bitch if he were able to play today.

[Snoo]

Vai was pissed because it was too poppy, yes. He's also a dumbass, because he CO-PRODUCED IT.

[tobinentinc]

I always thought that too, because as a producer, you are supposed to set the sound the way you want it to be heard. If Steve didn't like the style, he should have changed it instead of leave it, then bitch.

[guwapo_rocker]

Three words...Just Like Paradise.

[squib]

this is what Vai says on his official site about EEAS:
Some people believe this to be one of the great rock records of the decade. It was a ground-breaking event for a skinny kid from Long Island. It actually made me a guitar hero overnight thanks to the steady eye of all the Edward Van Halen fans that were waiting to see what the guitar under the voice of David Lee Roth was going to sound like.

We rehearsed long and hard on it. Great memories of this record are of hanging out with Billy, Dave and Gregg, especially in New York. Dave and I went jogging through Central Park almost every day and sometimes late at night (with security). It's a grand memory, a mighty record with a glorious band. I'm fiercely proud of that record and grateful that I had the chance to be part of such a gig at such an early age.

The tour is what notorious rock and roll gossip is made out of. It was not uncommon to have naked women dancing on the dinner table and then having oral sex with each other over a bottle of white wine, or with a bottle of white wine.


AND this is what he says about Skyscraper:
Dave made a conscious effort to move in a different direction and wanted to try his hand at producing, with me as co-producer. Although it's very different from the previous record, Eat 'Em And Smile, there are some fine nuggets here.

probably just time to move on at that point, BUT NOW MIGHT NOT BE SUCH A BAD TIME TO GET BACK TOGETHER

[Matt White]

I think STEVE VAI left to follow his muse and become a world class GUITAR HERO!!!! Billy couldn't have HATED the ccommercialism of SKYSCRAPER...I'm mean come on, HE WAS IN MR.BIG!!!!!!

[degüello]

I've never heard Sheehan say he disliked the commercial or pop nature of Skyscraper, just that he felt it was WAY overproduced. His exacts words were something like, "What the fuck happened?"

[degüello]

Here's the Sludge 20Q quote:

14. Did you leave David Lee Roth’s band because:

A: Dave’s voice started to go

(Believe it or not I like Dave's voice!)

B: Dave’s hair started to go

(Hey! How come all the alternative bands are bald as a queball and they don't get shit on! Who's that dork with the Smashing whatever's?)

C: Your hair started to go

(It's still here! I cover the gray though. Better gray than gone!!)

D: Your a band wagon jumper

(Hey! I jumped into NO BAND after that! "Hey Billy! We got a great idea! Jump into unemployment! It'll be an experience!!")

E. Other

OK I admit it---I HATED Skyscraper!!!!!!!!!! A BILLION OVERDUBS!!!!! All of it poo poo. You should hear the original demo's with just me, Steve, Brett, and Greg. I think I'll post them on my site someday---sounded great! What the fuck happened!!

[Dave's Dradle]

I agree with Sheehan, Skyscraper is WAY overproduced and sounds really dated today. My least favorite Dave album, only like maybe three songs on it, Knucklebones, JLP, and Damn Good, that's about it.

[Warham]

Billy Sheehan has no room to talk. He left Dave to join Mr. Big, Japan's superband of the 90's.

[Leo VanNewhouse]

There's nothing wrong with Mr. Big. Addicted to that Rush is a great song. Its's just too bad that they had to split after Skyscraper, and not just give it one more try.

[Warham]

May I present exhibit #1:

"To Be With You"

[DLR_EngineRoom]

Originally posted by spmusicplyr
I was wondering if anyone knows the reason that Roth, Vai and sheehan split after scyscraper, and why bissonette and his brother left after ALAE.

Someone told me that Vai and Sheehan were unhappy with Skyscraper because it was a pop album and not as hard rockin of music that they'd originally signed up for. Whatever the reason, fuck 'em because if they didnt leave, DLR wouldn't have gotten becker. And jason becker, man that kid rocked.

So sad...really it is. I think he'd be making EVH look like a bitch if he were able to play today.

As per Roth's book, Vai was looking for something different, he wanted to play without 'shape or form', and Dave was looking for something that obviously had structure, so as to form actual songs.
Despite Alex Van Halen's opinions, there's no anger or negativity coming from Dave's camp, just musical differences.

[lms]

In Crazy From the Heat Dave discusses what it was like working with new band members who would sign on under one deal, then halfway through a tour-or album, or whatever, get greedy about thier cut and decide to double what they wanted. Could be a reason for the turn over. Dave is known for picking talent...but did he feel like they were asking for more than they were worth?

[degüello]

Originally posted by Warham
Billy Sheehan has no room to talk. He left Dave to join Mr. Big, Japan's superband of the 90's.

I don't about that; it's not really related to the point.

Sheehan's complaints were that Skycrapper was overproduced, which is not the same as saying it was too commercial or too pop.

Sheehan's always loved pop, has said so in many interviews, including when he's describing what made VH great, saying, "VH always balanced their hard side with great pop abilities too, look at 'Dance the Night Away,' among other comments.


So, while Mr. Big (whom I'm no fan of) were at times a pop-oriented band, they weren't a mega-produced band. Their records were pretty straight ahead rock albums with pop aspects, not big 40 billion track overproduction opuses like, say, Skycrapper.

Sheehan's comments are in perfect alignment with his later musical endeavours.