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Originally posted by ZahZoo
The perspective element was the point of my questions... not weather anyone can identify with good music or let's make it great music.
I was born in 58, so I saw VH w/ Dave in 78 as a 20 year old. At that age I could discern the true impact Van Halen had on the entire rock industry at the time. Plus I was working in that industry at the time... While Edward's guitar work had musicians going nuts cause that was ground breaking... the band's overall impact was not as huge as most of you youngsters either were led to believe or are trying to sell. At the time rock was taking a back seat to Pop, Disco and Punk from a popular perspective.
Van Halen and the big name rock acts were still selling albums and filling venues but seriously there were NOT the big show of the time. In all honesty, they were the side show and a lot of the rock world were frankly laughing their asses off at Dave's schtick, dress and lack of pipes/singing ability. The only factor that kept the VH factor afloat at the time, was the musical aspects (Ed, Al & Mike). Which kept the audience in the game and Dave was the entertainment. But as the rock bands of the time went... the Dave factor was actually more of an embarrasment than the thing legends being built were perceived. Note: that was attitude among adult rockers... To be honest it was the teenagers that were cutting their teeth on Kiss, Alice Cooper and the freak show acts that really started embracing the Dave element. But most of that scene was just on the rise towards Glam rock coming out of Southern California... the rest of the nation was elsewhere.
It really wasn't until the tide of Hair bands hit it's stride that Rock took the front stage again in popularity. By that time VH was on it's last breath but managed to throw out 1984 which was really the bridge that shifted the overall scene from pop back to guitar oriented rock. Then Dave bails... bad timing IMO. Van Halen's rebirth with Hagar was bigger in the sense that rock over all was bigger and VH did draw top bill on much bigger venues than ever before. Plus initial rather than sustained sales were bigger too... That make it better... not necesarrily. But you have to put it in perspective of the times.
Dave was bigger too... and his 1st phase of his solo career was actually pretty stellar... but it was more a reflection of the times and the industry because when the "hair band" era faltered... so went Dave in the popularity aspects.
So this all sounds like a history lesson and it is... but if at times I question some of you about just how stellar Dave is/was. Understand it from someone who rode the waves as an adult at the time with a much differing perspective than someone who bought the albums, traded the boots and saw the videos... after they grew up.
Doesn't make you wrong cause you were too young to have been there... just a question of perspective when you kids get on a soapbox...
Peace.
The perspective element was the point of my questions... not weather anyone can identify with good music or let's make it great music.
I was born in 58, so I saw VH w/ Dave in 78 as a 20 year old. At that age I could discern the true impact Van Halen had on the entire rock industry at the time. Plus I was working in that industry at the time... While Edward's guitar work had musicians going nuts cause that was ground breaking... the band's overall impact was not as huge as most of you youngsters either were led to believe or are trying to sell. At the time rock was taking a back seat to Pop, Disco and Punk from a popular perspective.
Van Halen and the big name rock acts were still selling albums and filling venues but seriously there were NOT the big show of the time. In all honesty, they were the side show and a lot of the rock world were frankly laughing their asses off at Dave's schtick, dress and lack of pipes/singing ability. The only factor that kept the VH factor afloat at the time, was the musical aspects (Ed, Al & Mike). Which kept the audience in the game and Dave was the entertainment. But as the rock bands of the time went... the Dave factor was actually more of an embarrasment than the thing legends being built were perceived. Note: that was attitude among adult rockers... To be honest it was the teenagers that were cutting their teeth on Kiss, Alice Cooper and the freak show acts that really started embracing the Dave element. But most of that scene was just on the rise towards Glam rock coming out of Southern California... the rest of the nation was elsewhere.
It really wasn't until the tide of Hair bands hit it's stride that Rock took the front stage again in popularity. By that time VH was on it's last breath but managed to throw out 1984 which was really the bridge that shifted the overall scene from pop back to guitar oriented rock. Then Dave bails... bad timing IMO. Van Halen's rebirth with Hagar was bigger in the sense that rock over all was bigger and VH did draw top bill on much bigger venues than ever before. Plus initial rather than sustained sales were bigger too... That make it better... not necesarrily. But you have to put it in perspective of the times.
Dave was bigger too... and his 1st phase of his solo career was actually pretty stellar... but it was more a reflection of the times and the industry because when the "hair band" era faltered... so went Dave in the popularity aspects.
So this all sounds like a history lesson and it is... but if at times I question some of you about just how stellar Dave is/was. Understand it from someone who rode the waves as an adult at the time with a much differing perspective than someone who bought the albums, traded the boots and saw the videos... after they grew up.
Doesn't make you wrong cause you were too young to have been there... just a question of perspective when you kids get on a soapbox...
Peace.
Disco was on the way down.
Punk was not "popular".
Your opinion on Dave Roth's viability at the time is nothing more than subjective.
I had KISS Destroyer,Rock and Roll Over,and Alive II,but I didn't chew on them.
Glam rock coming out of southern california?
Hair bands taking rock to the front stage again?
Did Fleetwood Mac spark the rise of southern california glam rock?
Did The Eagles inspire a bandwagon full of spandex wearing hair metal bands?
I forgot about Missing Persons.
I don't buy your theory.
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