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VAN HALEN
Many purists with too much time on their hands to think about these things will tell you that the massively influential American rock act really died when its chaps-loving frontman David Lee Roth exited stage left with a flying roundhouse kick in 1985. But Eddie and band mates brought former Montrose singer and guitarist Sammy Hagar into the fold and enjoyed the band's most commercially successful period. Huh??!
Verdict: Commercial success is nice and all, but Hagar's arrival seemed to coincide with the band losing its raucous edge and Eddie getting way, waaaay too into the whole keyboard thing, losing the creative fire that fueled such classic guitar wankery as "Eruption."
VAN HAGAR
With Sammy Hagar manning the mic, Van Halen churned out a string of hits, such as "Dreams" and "When It's Love," that appealed to fans far beyond the group's hard rock roots. Escalating tension between Eddie and Sammy, however, led to the latter's firing (or quitting, depending on whom you believe) in 1996. This time, Van Halen reached out to former Extreme singer Gary Cherone, who was lacking more than just Roth and Hagar's blond hair. Cherone showed little personality and less stage presence and was largely blamed both for the poor sales of "Van Halen III" and spotty attendance by fans at live shows.
Verdict: Love him or hate him, Hagar brought the band big bucks. Replacing him with Cherone is seen almost universally as one of the dumbest moves in rock. Ever.
VAN HAS-BEEN
Gary Cherone was fired from the band in 1999, and Van Halen itself went on extended hiatus while its eponymous guitarist battled cancer. Despite rumors of a Roth reunion, when the band finally went back on the road, it was with Sammy Hagar once again - and with virtually none of the magic that once made the band synonymous with American hard rock.
Verdict: During the band's 2004 show at the Bradley Center, entire sections of fans were heard booing during one of Eddie's formless and uninspired "solos." Enough said.
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VAN HALEN
Many purists with too much time on their hands to think about these things will tell you that the massively influential American rock act really died when its chaps-loving frontman David Lee Roth exited stage left with a flying roundhouse kick in 1985. But Eddie and band mates brought former Montrose singer and guitarist Sammy Hagar into the fold and enjoyed the band's most commercially successful period. Huh??!
Verdict: Commercial success is nice and all, but Hagar's arrival seemed to coincide with the band losing its raucous edge and Eddie getting way, waaaay too into the whole keyboard thing, losing the creative fire that fueled such classic guitar wankery as "Eruption."
VAN HAGAR
With Sammy Hagar manning the mic, Van Halen churned out a string of hits, such as "Dreams" and "When It's Love," that appealed to fans far beyond the group's hard rock roots. Escalating tension between Eddie and Sammy, however, led to the latter's firing (or quitting, depending on whom you believe) in 1996. This time, Van Halen reached out to former Extreme singer Gary Cherone, who was lacking more than just Roth and Hagar's blond hair. Cherone showed little personality and less stage presence and was largely blamed both for the poor sales of "Van Halen III" and spotty attendance by fans at live shows.
Verdict: Love him or hate him, Hagar brought the band big bucks. Replacing him with Cherone is seen almost universally as one of the dumbest moves in rock. Ever.
VAN HAS-BEEN
Gary Cherone was fired from the band in 1999, and Van Halen itself went on extended hiatus while its eponymous guitarist battled cancer. Despite rumors of a Roth reunion, when the band finally went back on the road, it was with Sammy Hagar once again - and with virtually none of the magic that once made the band synonymous with American hard rock.
Verdict: During the band's 2004 show at the Bradley Center, entire sections of fans were heard booing during one of Eddie's formless and uninspired "solos." Enough said.
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"Most commercially successful period?" How can one sell less albums and be more commercially successful? I just e-mailed this author on his factual errors...
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