Van Hagar's biggest mistake IMO.

[CVHfan]

When Eddie, Alex and Mike teamed up with Hagar, the music sounded totally different than the first six albums with Roth. The fire was gone and the unrelenting energy that defined Classic Van Halen was totally absent. But more to the point, they were just way too different from the first six albums. And yet they insisted that they were still the same band. Fuck no. You ain't even close to the same band. That being said, I would have had more respect for Ed, Al, Mike and Sammy if they went by a different band name. At least that would have shown integrity. It would have preserved the legacy that the original Van Halen left behind. If they were going to fire Roth, they could have at least done that. What they did instead was more like a 20 year necrophilia on a band that was dead. When Rage Against The Machine broke up, they did so because their lead singer Zack De La Rocha left the band. The other three guys stayed together and then Chris Cornell joined them. Chris Cornell said that he did not want to be the next lead singer of Rage Against The Machine. And even though 3/4 of Rage was still together, they along with Cornell became Audioslave. Audioslave is a good band. However Rage was better than Audioslave. But at least Tom Morello and the boys were fine acknowledging that this band was not Rage and they would not trade on the name. Unlike Van Hagar, who insisted that this was still Van Halen and traded on that name. Personally it makes me kind of sick. Kind of like Hagar saying that VH sold more albums with him than with Roth. Bullshit. Sammy, your albums with Roth did not go Diamond. None of them did. Two of the Roth albums went diamond.

On another note, I can't wait for the new Audioslave album that comes out this year.

[academic punk]

Valid...

... but then again if the guitarist from RATM's name was "Tom RageAgainsttheMachinestein" (rather than "morello"), I could see where he'd find it appropriate to maintain the name.

Also, are you aware the reason Roth got rid of the drummer and bass player from his Skyscraper tour was because they wanted to change the name of the band to "Bissonette"?

I shit you not.

[CVHfan]

Originally posted by academic punk
Valid...

... but then again if the guitarist from RATM's name was "Tom RageAgainsttheMachinestein" (rather than "morello"), I could see where he'd find it appropriate to maintain the name.

Also, are you aware the reason Roth got rid of the drummer and bass player from his Skyscraper tour was because they wanted to change the name of the band to "Bissonette"?

I shit you not.

I did not know that. That's fucked up.
But what about Tony Iommi. His name ain't Tony McSabbath.
Yet he did what Eddie did when Ozzy left and Ronnie James Dio came on board. Though I actually think that "Heaven and Hell" was a good album. But same problem.

[academic punk]

words fail me

[Mezro]

Originally posted by CVHfan
His name ain't Tony McSabbath.

Tony fucking McSabbath..LOL...ROTFLMFMEZROAO!

Mezro...fuck that was funny...

[CVHfan]

I'm glad you liked that.

[Tiger Roth]

Originally posted by academic punk
Also, are you aware the reason Roth got rid of the drummer and bass player from his Skyscraper tour was because they wanted to change the name of the band to "Bissonette"?

You are joking aren't you?

[academic punk]

I think the biggest trangression is Dave Gilmour maintaining the Pink Floyd name.

that was clearly for the EXCLUSIVE reason of the cash cow that the franchise name brought with it.

(and if you don't believe that, look at the number of albums adn tix that a solo roger waters - the real brains and architect of Floyd)(if you avoid mentioning Syd Barret, natch) would sell, as opposed to the dave Gilmour solo projects which just happened to use the Floyd name.

p.s. i've never fucking liked that band. but i think it's the worst, most crass example of destroying the legacy and name of a mega-band out there.

[academic punk]

Originally posted by Tiger Roth
You are joking aren't you?

Completely. Thank you for recognizing that. I was beginning to worry.

[UGS]

Keeping the VH name was the SMARTEST thing Ed and Al have ever done. Like I've said before, the only reason 5150 did as well as it did was because it was riding the wave of 1984's greatness. Changing the name would have killed the momentum. Without that name, they would have lasted one album, extremely limitted comercial success.

[CVHfan]

Originally posted by UGS
Keeping the VH name was the SMARTEST thing Ed and Al have ever done. Like I've said before, the only reason 5150 did as well as it did was because it was riding the wave of 1984's greatness. Changing the name would have killed the momentum. Without that name, they would have lasted one album, extremely limitted comercial success.

You're right. It bought them time. 10 years to be sure. But now people are wise to the fact that Ed, Sam and Al have shit all over the legacy that is the true Van Halen and that was my point.

[kcmusician]

I can see what you are saying, I really can.... But if I am correct, Sammy pushed to change the name because he knew it was a different band. Alex convinced Eddie that it was still infact Van Halen because they were still in the band.... I blame the drummer.... Besides, most problems in the world of VH have come from Alex.... I mean we all know he runs Eddie's life.

Shaun

[kcmusician]

Originally posted by UGS
Keeping the VH name was the SMARTEST thing Ed and Al have ever done. Like I've said before, the only reason 5150 did as well as it did was because it was riding the wave of 1984's greatness. Changing the name would have killed the momentum. Without that name, they would have lasted one album, extremely limitted comercial success.

Well I don't know that I agree 100%... I mean, all Van Hagar albums were number 1 and platinum.... So there was a pretty large fan base.... I know alot of that fan base was infact old VH fans, but it obviously didn't make the majority or we wouldn't have this site. lol

Shaun

[BIG GOOSE]

Originally posted by kcmusician
Well I don't know that I agree 100%... I mean, all Van Hagar albums were number 1 and platinum.... So there was a pretty large fan base.... I know alot of that fan base was infact old VH fans, but it obviously didn't make the majority or we wouldn't have this site. lol

Shaun

Errr maybe in America but outside VHagar were a dead issue after '87.
In Australia it ain't Van Halen without David Lee Roth baybeeeeee !!

[Carmine]

I guess I'll sit on the fence on this one. I do agree that keeping the Van Halen name was a smart move, and that the bands success-post Dave- has been largely based on the name alone. There is some Van hagar that I have liked, largely due to Ed, but, it is NOT Van Halen! It never has been, nor will it ever be! It all falls way short of everything 1978-1984! I would have also had more respect for them had they changed the name, even to call it Van Halen with Sammy Hagar would have seperated it from the true Van Halen! It may have kept a few more Dave era fans around too...