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Kind of along the lines of what Dave said in his book, about not wanting to remember what the band turned into after he left because it made him question what the band was when he was a member. Would be willing to bet a lot of classic era fans felt the same way when Van Hagar began fobbing off power ballads with lyrics by Hallmark.
Hell, I was beginning to question what the band was turning into as far back as Diver Down and tunes like Dancing In The Streets were released, never mind the pop sheen of 1984.
Eddie can still blaze on his axe. No doubt. And I doubt the current 'Van Halen' shows will have a lack of attendance. No escaping the facts that a lot of people will pay money to see Ed, Sam, Mike and Al play.
Yep, Dave's current shows are less than record breaking in terms of ticket sales. And Diamond Dave was not a strong release. 1998's the DLR Band was a great return to form, but Roth has become too repetitive in his setlists since 1999. No matter what Dave does, he's never gonna enjoy the kind of sales he would with a reunited classic Van Halen.
And his 2002 tour with Sammy did draw a lot of people out, and I'm sure many of them were Hagar fans. Along with the novelty factor.
But Halen with Hagar will never get close to the sales they could with Roth out front. Kind of throws a monkey wrench into the works of putting Dave down for playing for 500 in a club vs Van Hagar playing in front of 15,000.
In the end, I think Dave wants to get back with the band for a bunch of reasons. Money for sure. To get back into the big time spotlight again (let's face it, he's just a blip in most magazines now and in terms of the national consciousness).
But with Van Halen splitting in 1985 there was always the sense of unfinished business. Sure, the music was getting soft, but they split for the most petty reasons. And 1996 was a teaser. The memories of what Halen did with Roth at the helm loom large and have assumed a legendary status in the minds of those who were lucky enough to have seen it. Ever hear of anybody talking about those legendary concerts Van Hagar did in 1986? Of course not. No amount of musical chairs was ever gonna recapture that magic of the original lineup. Me Wise Magic and Can't Get This Stuff No More were tantalizing tastes of a band that COULD go on to add to the legacy.
Roth wants to get back with Van Halen to add to the legacy of the band and possibly put the cap and finishing touches on a great career. Roth was one of the main templates for a lot of frontmen, mostly American, in the 1980s rock scene. Sure, a lot of them got it wrong (Vince Neil, Mike Tramp, Janie Lane and on and on) because they only grasped half of what he did. Shit, even Hagar fronting Van Halen resorted to half-assed Roth routines live in a way he doesn't when he's solo.
And let's face it, Roth, for all his exuberance and enthusiasm, isn't getting any younger. We all heard Ed and Al say how washed up Dave was in 1996. Well, Dave's been touring steady since 1999. Puts that bullshit to rest.
How long are Ed and Al gonna let Dave fry and deny us what we want? Or are they just too chickenshit to get together with Dave, who wants to roll the dice and see if he can still live up to the past, and have it turn out that Mr.Fingers and his brother are the ones who can't cut the mustard anymore?
The real question you should be asking isn't why Dave wants to get back together with Van Halen, but why Ed and Al are preventing it.
Cowardice.
Hell, I was beginning to question what the band was turning into as far back as Diver Down and tunes like Dancing In The Streets were released, never mind the pop sheen of 1984.
Eddie can still blaze on his axe. No doubt. And I doubt the current 'Van Halen' shows will have a lack of attendance. No escaping the facts that a lot of people will pay money to see Ed, Sam, Mike and Al play.
Yep, Dave's current shows are less than record breaking in terms of ticket sales. And Diamond Dave was not a strong release. 1998's the DLR Band was a great return to form, but Roth has become too repetitive in his setlists since 1999. No matter what Dave does, he's never gonna enjoy the kind of sales he would with a reunited classic Van Halen.
And his 2002 tour with Sammy did draw a lot of people out, and I'm sure many of them were Hagar fans. Along with the novelty factor.
But Halen with Hagar will never get close to the sales they could with Roth out front. Kind of throws a monkey wrench into the works of putting Dave down for playing for 500 in a club vs Van Hagar playing in front of 15,000.
In the end, I think Dave wants to get back with the band for a bunch of reasons. Money for sure. To get back into the big time spotlight again (let's face it, he's just a blip in most magazines now and in terms of the national consciousness).
But with Van Halen splitting in 1985 there was always the sense of unfinished business. Sure, the music was getting soft, but they split for the most petty reasons. And 1996 was a teaser. The memories of what Halen did with Roth at the helm loom large and have assumed a legendary status in the minds of those who were lucky enough to have seen it. Ever hear of anybody talking about those legendary concerts Van Hagar did in 1986? Of course not. No amount of musical chairs was ever gonna recapture that magic of the original lineup. Me Wise Magic and Can't Get This Stuff No More were tantalizing tastes of a band that COULD go on to add to the legacy.
Roth wants to get back with Van Halen to add to the legacy of the band and possibly put the cap and finishing touches on a great career. Roth was one of the main templates for a lot of frontmen, mostly American, in the 1980s rock scene. Sure, a lot of them got it wrong (Vince Neil, Mike Tramp, Janie Lane and on and on) because they only grasped half of what he did. Shit, even Hagar fronting Van Halen resorted to half-assed Roth routines live in a way he doesn't when he's solo.
And let's face it, Roth, for all his exuberance and enthusiasm, isn't getting any younger. We all heard Ed and Al say how washed up Dave was in 1996. Well, Dave's been touring steady since 1999. Puts that bullshit to rest.
How long are Ed and Al gonna let Dave fry and deny us what we want? Or are they just too chickenshit to get together with Dave, who wants to roll the dice and see if he can still live up to the past, and have it turn out that Mr.Fingers and his brother are the ones who can't cut the mustard anymore?
The real question you should be asking isn't why Dave wants to get back together with Van Halen, but why Ed and Al are preventing it.
Cowardice.
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