Dave makes a good point about getting closure and movin' on...

[rustoffa]

Originally posted by light 'em up!
Do you all remember when the split happened in 1985?

The majority of fans jumped on the VH/Sammy bandwagon. The sentiment that Dave was not a serious musician emerged and the 'down-with-Dave' banners became a staple of that first 5150 tour.

I remember it! As far as the majority of fans jumping on the van hagar bandwagon goes? That's a pretty complex statement. The old Van Halen fan base included basically every manner of hard rock fan, and alot of hard-rockin' fuckers' that didn't give a fuck. What you're basically stating is the obvious. Van Halen turned into a more "popularly" acceptable product. We're talking about millions of fucking people. Are the majority of people more likely to stick with a product that caters to more of a majority? I don't have to answer that one.

The band never sounded the same post-DLR. That's a fact.

I think in retrospect, it's alot more of a heated cuntroversy....everyone I knew back in those days was like, "that new Van Halen song ain't worth a fuck."

The immoral majority.

Nothin' but yeah.

[J-Axe]

I wasn't even born when Roth and VH split so I never had to 'choose sides'. I love every Van Halen record made, because I love Eds, Alexs & Mikes creativity, musical expression, artistry & excellent musicianship. Van Halen were great from Runnin' With The Devil right through to How Many Say I, in my ears. There are songs you might not personally enjoy, but because of their raw talent and 2nd-to-none musical expression I love anything those guys produce.

Sammy as much as you all hate him, for me is a powerful & talented singer. I can't think of a better guy who could have sang a DLR song and not been totally laughed at (well not by me). So I love Van Halen, Van Hagar & even Van Cher-Oh-No!?. The first album I heard was F.U.C.K and it's an amazing record. From song #1 til the CD finishes.

Van Halen got better as musicians and became maturer as they grew. Eddie's guitar playing is awesome on Runnin' With The Devil, but I think it's more awesome on for e.g. Poundcake. Roth is my idol, I'll never diss him, but I do love anything VH.

I'm so glad I wasn't around when Roth left. It would have been worse than my parents splitting up. Although I wish I was around to see VH grow.

[bru87tr]

alex and mike arent shit.

it was all ed and dave. yu can stick any bass player and drummer in the place of those other 2 and its still the ed and dave show.

creativity, musical expression, artistry and excellent musicianship! lol

to add mike and alex to that is like saying I am eddie van halen.

[bru87tr]

BTW: "how many say I" sucked donkey balls!

[J-Axe]

BTW, that's your opinion. How Many Say I is certainly near the bottom of my list of VH tunes although I will listen and enjoy because it's music produced by the genius that is Van Halen.

Who said Alex and Mikey were shit? They are as good and as valuable to the group as any other musician. Eddie helped get the band known with his great rhythms, riffs, licks, melodies and crazy, emotional & unique guitar lines. Roth's persona, style and fronting ability was 2nd to none in my books. Mikeys solid grooving basslines & excellent backing singing filled in all the gaps and his and Alex's talent and solidness held VH together.

[Shaun Ponsonby]

Dave has to be the bigger man-go to the sisters and say "Lets put everything behind us, everything was my fault, I can admit that (although, it wasn't, but if he can make thesisters believe he really means it), I'm not looking for work, I just want to make peace, we've been at each others throats for too long. Remember when we ruled the world together? Remember all those good times? Lets just be friends again."

If he says, "I'm n ot looking for work", hey will probably think "He genuinely wants to make peace", and, in time, the reunion will happen. Dave just happens to pop by whilst Eddie is playing guitar, they start jamming, Alex shows up, they remember how great it felt to play together-and there you have it...

[J-Axe]

Originally posted by Shaun Ponsonby
Dave has to be the bigger man-go to the sisters and say "Lets put everything behind us, everything was my fault, I can admit that (although, it wasn't, but if he can make thesisters believe he really means it), I'm not looking for work, I just want to make peace, we've been at each others throats for too long. Remember when we ruled the world together? Remember all those good times? Lets just be friends again."

If he says, "I'm n ot looking for work", hey will probably think "He genuinely wants to make peace", and, in time, the reunion will happen. Dave just happens to pop by whilst Eddie is playing guitar, they start jamming, Alex shows up, they remember how great it felt to play together-and there you have it...

Just hearing that and imagining it happening makes me sad. You just know it isn't going to happen.

[Terry]

Fuck it.

Let Dave keep calling Ed and Co. out to play.

Obviously Dave is aware there will be a huge payday, and yes, money is an incentive for reuniting. Fuck, money's pretty much an incentive for doing ANYTHING far as ANYBODY goes. Probably half the reason people gtet bands together and try to get singed by a major label is to make some money...and this includes Eddie, you cock-gobbling wandering sheep naysayers who claim the ONLY reason Dave wants to reunite with CVH is for cash. What the fuck do you think motivated Eddie to get back with Sam in 2004? A sincere belief that the world needed to hear Dreams live one more time?

And yes, more people bought Van Hagar records than Roth solo records after the 1985 split...so fucking what? Proves nothing to me, other than there are a lot of people out there who like their 'rock music' soft, formulaic, predictable and commericalized. It'd be interesting to see how many people who ended up comprising the Van Hagar fan-base were fans of CVH, Hagar solo fans, people who couldn't handle the band when Dave was in it and wanna-be guitarists still dazzled by Eruption and hoping Ed would do something as good with Sammy onboard (hint: 316 wasn't it)...

...I just have a hard time believing that everyone who went out and bought a Van Hagar record was someone who had really dug CVH. See, CVH got a lotta new fans with the 1984 album.willing to bet plenty of people in 1984 bought that album as their first introduction to the band, mostly based on the strength of Jump...

anyway, as usual, I digress.

Nothing wrong with Dave wanting to reunite with the band and letting everyone know it.

Not like Ed's got anything better to do or anything musically more promising on the horizon than getting back with Dave, either, so I really don't see WHAT the linkers are bitching about when Dave lets his feelings be known on the radio.

Worst think that'll happen for the linkers is that Ed will reunite Dave and he'll actually go out and PLAY SOME FUCKING GUITAR live! How often has that happened in the last decade? And how soon would they think Ed would be hitting the road otherwise?

Linkers don't care who is singing with the band, anyway. Whatever Ed does is fine for them, and you damn well know if CVH reunites they'll be in line to get tickets along with the rest of us. Not ONE of them will say, "Oh, well, I didn't care for what Dave said on the radio in 2006, so I'm not going!"

[J-Axe]

Come on!! I understand your strong rothismatic blood, but DLR's band didn't have a touch musician for musician in Van Halen..

That doesn't matter? Yes it does.. Sheehan & Vai's overproduced emotion-lacking sounds and solo's were overrated & poxy. I love nothing more than listening to the DLR solo stuff, but compared to anything Van Halen did with Hagar musically, it doesn't touch.

I don't want to debate the fact.. It's an opinion. But seriously have a close listen to the likes of Balance, FUCK, 5150.. they're amazing, pumping, rock tunes with so much uniqueness about them. Ah.. I'm wasting my time on here.

[bru87tr]

sorry and yes its my opinion but I would pick any DLR solo stuff over anything Van Hagar did.


DLR is pure party rock! spammy was love songs to dance at your school dance music. no comparison.

BTW: how many say I....... is not even at the bottom of the barrel. I dont even consider it a VH tune. its embarrassing.

[EddieIsadouche]

World wide more CVH records sold than Van Hagar

[Plexi Head]

Originally posted by rustoffa

The band never sounded the same post-DLR. That's a fact.

They did for two songs in 96-97, they actually sounded exactly like DLR Van Halen should sound.

[Plexi Head]

Originally posted by J-Axe
Balance, FUCK, 5150.. they're amazing, pumping, rock tunes with so much uniqueness about them. Ah.. I'm wasting my time on here.

I am still amazed by fans that quote Balance as being a good album. I just don't get it. Please explain? 5150 had some great playing on it except for the fact that Ed discovered a Harmonizer(shit that CD sounds dated now)
Fuck again had some good riffage but in general weak, weak songs but Balance was a complete fucking disaster. I remember when I brought that CD put it in the player and it threw my wife into fits of laughter. When the wife starts laughing at your favourite band you know things aint right with the world.

[Shaun Ponsonby]

A similar thing happened with my cactus.

[Halen High]

Originally posted by bru87tr
when dave said it about him and not the hip.... it may sound rude but it was about him. what makes dave mad is ed knows how to birng down a reunion high. nothing could kill a reunion buzz more than ed talking about his stupid hip! dave knows the media and it was he wrong direction to go for the band if it was infact a reunion. not to mention ed will do anything to gain attention over dave and the hip thing was perfect, get sympathy...etc

if sam walked on that stage no one would care and its not ed and al or mike they are cheering for. sure they are a part of the package but it was daves presence with the band that brought on a standing O. it was about dave and everyone in that building were chanting daves name. it was about them being brought together and dave was the highlight and the band was the side show. hate to say it but it was true.

tell ya what. I watched Largo 82' for the first time compliments of my buddy carmine and dave has not changed. his voice a bit but his voice sounds the best it has in years. dave is in great shape, takes care of himself. he may need some pinters on the way he uses his voice now like trying to hit to high of notes. his voice is low and he should use that to his advantage like the old days. but dave still has it and has the fire. after watching the largo 82' show its so obvious and pathetic and badly how ed has lost that fire. he just does not care and I think it would be him that would make the tour suck! dig his grave and throw him in. eds still better than most out there but very very far away from what he use to be. once the fire is gone you look like a has been.

no one is gonna give ed a chance without closure to the CVH. dave is right. he has screwed the people that have supported him and ed really needs to put it to rest. not to mention the 70's retro thing is still in high gear and an act like CVH would really attract alot of old and new fans.


thing is dave could take over VH again today and lead it to the top. I beleive this. dave made VH with the boys and dave put in most of the effort that got them to the top. he was the brains behind the marketing machine VH was. you watch the old stuff there is no doubt dave was very dedicated to what the band was then. he still is now. dave knows the value of the last classic band to come out of the 70's . he knows how big that machine is. only a fool like ed would not take advantage. personally i am suprised ed doesnt want to go back to the top. its obvious in the old concert footage how much he enjoyed it.

why bring back sam and do that whole thing and not dave ?

Great post!

I particularly liked your point about 70s retro rock. By the mid-90s, the interest in 70s and 80s bands began to rise again, which was probably best exploited by Kiss. And look at all the reunions we've had since then!

In my home town, I often see teenagers walking around in Def Leppard, Ozzy, Kiss, Motley Crue, GnR and Led Zep tops, but never VH. I haven't seen a VH top in years.

It's so frustrating that the coolest band of the lot won't do a reunion.

And the reason they brought back Sam was out of desperation He represents no threat to Eddie's fragile ego. He does as he's told even if he knows it sucks (hence recording the three new songs on BOBW and the farce of a tour), and for a lot less money I bet.