Doesn't even matter if Sheehan was technically a better bass player than Mike Anthony, or if Vai was better than Eddie, etc.
Ed, Dave, Mike and Al are Van Halen. Those four, and more specifically Ed and Dave at the core, had the chemistry that none of the other abberations and solo lineups have quite been able to match.
That being said, it would be interesting to see, say, Roth, Ed, Sheehan and Bissonette on the road. Not billed as Van Halen, per se. Would just be interesting to see Ed play with a drummer other than his brother to a paying audience (1985 Farm Aid, Sammy's Cabo Wabo jams and Saturday Night Live appearances don't count). Would be willing to bet Bissonette could push Ed a little harder, and having Sheehan breathing down your back door would light a fire under Mr. Finger's ass.
As for Mike Anthony's nuts-in-a-vice background vocals (and those annoying shrieks he used to do live)....not really ever one of my favortie points of the classic lineup, but hard to imagine the songs without them.
Ed, Dave, Mike and Al are Van Halen. Those four, and more specifically Ed and Dave at the core, had the chemistry that none of the other abberations and solo lineups have quite been able to match.
That being said, it would be interesting to see, say, Roth, Ed, Sheehan and Bissonette on the road. Not billed as Van Halen, per se. Would just be interesting to see Ed play with a drummer other than his brother to a paying audience (1985 Farm Aid, Sammy's Cabo Wabo jams and Saturday Night Live appearances don't count). Would be willing to bet Bissonette could push Ed a little harder, and having Sheehan breathing down your back door would light a fire under Mr. Finger's ass.
As for Mike Anthony's nuts-in-a-vice background vocals (and those annoying shrieks he used to do live)....not really ever one of my favortie points of the classic lineup, but hard to imagine the songs without them.
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