do not overextend Dave's contribution to VH

[MUSICMANN]

I'll give you that one, vh without dave or post 1984 the boys were riding on what they had accoplished and are still doing that. it pisses me off.

[Big Troubles]

Originally posted by MUSICMANN
Couldn't agree more Davidleenatra, but dave showed he could not make it as big without being in vh. It is just to bad these guys can't get their head out of there asses at 50 yrs. old and make right for the true vh fans.

Tears from a bunch of clowns. Man o man. Dave showed he could not make it big without Van Halen??? You dont seriously think Sam made it big without VH do you? I think Dave did just fine without Ed's drunken slobber on the mixing boards, and Al's sore neck fucking up the upbeats, and turning to the higher percussions of 5150. I think Dave possibly showed too much sense of humour in his music that followed the split in 84. That's probably the only reason he didn't keep breaking the top 10 with every album. But then again, I'll take his "Hot Dog and a Shake" over "Right Here Right Now" crap any day of the week. But that's just me. Im silly that way.

[DavidLeeNatra]

you're welcome...

[MUSICMANN]

It is not a dave versus sammy thing with me dudes. it never was. It is all about chemistry. Ed without dave and vice versa is just a shadow of their once greatness. Any legendary band where there is a guitar and lead singer combo would not be the same if one of them left. and that holds true about vh and dave,

[Terry]

The only version of Van Halen that mattered, the classic version, was powered by a combination of Eddie's guitar playing and Dave's lyrics/vocals.

Alex and Mike had an important part, but the interaction between Roth and Eddie was what wrote the songs.

That is in no way overestimating Roth's importance to the band.

If Ed and Al were thebackbone and driving force, then they could swap frontmen at will without missing a beat. As we all know, the music changed direction and the fan base slowly dwindled after Dave left.

Was Roth the be-all, end-all that made Van Halen legendary? Not at all.

But he sure didn't take no second place to Alex in terms of what made the band one of the all time greats.

[dave_is_vh]

Song writers (i.e. Ed VH) are a dime a dozen. Dave is one in a billion.

[DavidLeeNatra]

and dave's personality made the songs classics...even his covers...does anyone concider "gigolo" as a louis prima song anymore? or california girls as a beach boy tune?

[MUSICMANN]

Yea dave-is-vh, that's why ed is one of the greatest songwriters in music then and now. And ed and al is the backbone and was the backbone in classic vh. You guys are getting the music confused with the lyrics. togeither thats what made vh rock. The over the top lyrics and musical prowess of the band, was and still is greatness.

[MUSICMANN]

I don't think you could look back on any of the covers they did and say it was dave who made them all the more greater. It is easy to look at gigalo and california girls and say who remembers the origanals. That was dave alone promoting dave. All the other tunes they did was vh ripping up old songs and turning them into classics.

[DavidLeeNatra]

Originally posted by MUSICMANN
You guys are getting the music confused with the lyrics.

you don't get it, brother...dave also co-wrote the music...he got a demo...wrote the lyrics and arranged the song together with ed (read the interview when he said that in his days a band meeting was him and ed)...so he had a big influence to the music...not only to the lyrics...coming to the studio and singing over a pre-produced song was 5150 time...

[dave_is_vh]

MusicMann - what are you talking about Al being the "backbone". Al is a talentless fool who is arguably the main reason Dave left VH in the first place. Drummers are a dime a dozen. There is only one Dave.

If it wasn't for Dave and Ed, Al would be a pennyless alcoholic living in the slums of LA.

Of course, with his four divorces, Al may still be a pennyless alcoholic despite what Dave and Ed did for him.

[MUSICMANN]

I am just saying it was a team effort that's all.

[dave_is_vh]

Team = Dave + Ed

[DavidLeeNatra]

Originally posted by MUSICMANN
I am just saying it was a team effort that's all.

right...but the team had a leader...and he was not only playing, he was also giving the tactic, the team name, the dresses and filled the stadiums...accept it...

[dave_is_vh]

Stadiums. That is a very important word. Stadiums are what VH would be playing in if it was a real reunion.