David Lee Roth's FIVE biggest career blunders?

[Unchainme]

Originally posted by WARF
4) The Slam Dunk Controversy - The Producers of the 1998 Smash hit film Armeggedon wanted David Lee Roth song "Slam Dunk" on the soundtrack to this film. Dave rejected it, and it was later replaced with Aerosmith's "I don't wanna miss a thing" ... which became a #1 single.
Bad career move, considering he spent nearly a million on the BBQ DVD!

When was this? Like is there is a link?

It wouldn't have been In "I don't want a miss a things" spot...It would be in this songs spot...It would be in place of this one.."What Kind of Love Are You?"

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No doubt it would've been a success though..

[sonrisa salvaje]

I don't have a problem with the BBQ video. Hell, except for DLR- The Videos and the VH BEST DVD, it was great to have something to watch again.
I would say the biggest blunder, short of leaving VH was releasing Skyscraper - period.
If he had done a ALAE type cd right after EAS he would have probably kept his momentum. However, he released Just Like Paradise, which did go high on the charts, but it was considered a sell out by a lot of fans and critics. Then, he had no viable (no pun intended) follow up release. Stand Up got little attention and by the time Damn Good was released it was over.

[jonnypop]

I can't remember the interview, but Dave said something like "it's over once you start producing yourself".

Should have took his own advice and stuck with Ted T.

Wasn't Skyscaper also the end of the Fabulous Picasso Bros?

[Rizla]

I would say the biggest blunder, short of leaving VH was releasing Skyscraper - period.
If he had done a ALAE type cd right after EAS he would have probably kept his momentum. However, he released Just Like Paradise, which did go high on the charts, but it was considered a sell out by a lot of fans and critics.

Gotta agree 100%. It was certainly when I stopped caring. I remember some big event at Tower Records in L.A. where he was rock climbing, and the press really started to dig into him, like the tides had turned.

The production on that album is hideous. When "grunge" came along a few years later, thigs like "Skyscraper" seemed hopelessly dated. Whereas an EEAS-type album could have kicked the ass of grunge.

Lots of really dated mistakes in late 80's recordings.

Any rock star is gonna make egomaniacal mistakes, but Vai and Sheenan were probably the best band, post VH, that Dave was gonna get.

[Loons The Great]

SkysCRAPer

[binnie]

Originally posted by Loons The Great
SkysCRAPer

Ha ha!

C'mon the tunes ain't bad, it's just the production wasn't the best...

[Revan]

Let's see.

Skyscraper had really shitty production and was pretty weak as far as albums go - that's been mentioned and I have to agree.

Your Filthy Little Mouth tried to cover too much ground musically, too many different fields, and it just sounds directionless. Doesn't rock enough, essentially, and sounds very tired.

1996 - nobody will probably ever know for sure EVERYTHING that happened, but I'm willing to bet that he probably shot himself in the foot a little bit on that deal, which Alex and Eddie were ready to pounce on.

DLR Band coming out on a crap label, sounding like crap, and being virtually unavailable in stores - needed better production, more songs like Little Texas, etc; needed a better label, better promotion (most people I knew didn't even know it was out), all that, he really could have capitalized on the Van Halen III disaster with a great album and good promotion and a big tour to go with, and he didn't.

I never thought his touring casinos and state fairs was a good idea. Pays well, but it looks to the general public like he's just another washed out has-been. I think anybody that plays state fairs and casinos in this day and age looks that way, even to the people who are going to see said acts.

Diamond Dave was an ugly album at an ugly time. Only two songs on that thing worth listening to and the rest of it's a complete loss.

Disassociating from/quitting/getting fired/whatever from Van Halen in 1985 probably wasn't the greatest thing to happen, either.

He probably should have left Warner Brothers after Skyscraper - a different label probably would have done more with A Little Aint Enough. DEFINITELY should have left the label after A Little Aint Enough.

There, that's 8.

[DooMer87]

5. Skyscraper. It's poppy sound and just all around pawnage by EEAS.

4. BBQ. I heard it was terrible but never watched it though.

3. 1996. The time was so perfect. All the people around the world thought they reunited, and Eddie and Alex probably said screw it, we don't want to tour with Dave. Those 2 songs on Best of volume 1 were very, very awesome.

2. Strumming with the devil. Sure, it had a good sound to it, but why not do all the tracks and make it an official DLR release? And why not do a new album of new material?

1. 1985. ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND. Leaving the greatest band in the world to take a risk at a solo career and having Sammy Hagar replace him was Nuts with a capital N. They had 6 great albums, and in they stayed together and if Ed could just hold on they would have easily sold 2 more albums over 10 million and would have been declared the band with the best catalog.

Here's to the Van Halen 2007 Reunion Tour! And here's to the rumors that hopefully are true!

[spmusicplyr]

1985, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2006.... no explaination needed

[Fairwrning]

Roth's biggest blunder....Getting big-headed..Don't bite the hand that feeds

[MAPRamone]

Originally posted by Fairwrning
Roth's biggest blunder....Getting big-headed..Don't bite the hand that feeds

Absolutely, Roth is THE number one culprit in the break up of CVH.

[bueno bob]

Well, nobody really knows WHAT went down...

I'm sure there's enough blame to go around in all directions...Dave has his share, Ed, Al and Mike have theirs...

[bueno bob]

01. Keyboard washes over classic Van Halen songs.
02. Skyscraper (nuff said)
03. Vegas
04. Not keeping a steady band together
05. 1985, 1996, and 2000 for whatever role he had in those NOT working....

[bueno bob]

Originally posted by bueno bob
01. Keyboard washes over classic Van Halen songs.
02. Skyscraper (nuff said)
03. Vegas
04. Not keeping a steady band together
05. 1985, 1996, and 2000 for whatever role he had in those NOT working....

I think Dave's biggest problem was trying to re-create himself too often. ALAE went virtually unrecognized because WB didn't give it any promotion to speak of, so he tried to cut an album with something for everybody with YFLM, which was just all over the board musically and didn't really appeal to anybody because of that...the live band on that tour sucked, just a boring show by all reports (the one I caught wasn't good, and reports of others said they were about as boring), so that didn't help...

Since he really hadn't done any good business in the '90's to speak of, Vegas was the worst possible step, it's where washed up musicians go to die, honestly; certainly didn't do anything to help his credibility in the eyes of the general public and whoever told him it was a good idea should be shot on sheer principle...

The iron was hot for him to strike in '98 and DLR Band just didn't cut it. Van Halen was failing, he was in the public eye, and if he'd had a real label with real production, a REALLY good album in '98 could have leap-frogged him MILES ahead; frankly, the iron was hot, he just didn't really strike it for whatever reason.

Diamond Dave was ill-advised at best; Strummin with the Devil, while I do enjoy it, just didn't go over with the public (tribute albums never do), but selling 4000 copies (or whatever it was) with all of the push that it got...well, there ya go.

What he needed was new management or representation (or something) after Skyscraper's fallout and a good, steady band of rock-solid musicians who were in it for the long haul, not the paycheck. I think he absolutely could have done business on par with Van Hagar in the late 80's/early 90's if he'd done those things.

In a nutshell, he's just tried to recreate himself so many times, the general public has lost track of the "rock star" DLR and kinda sees him as...I don't know, eccentric I guess...

There's not really any way to deny it, he allowed a lot of shit to happen that should not have happened and pursued a lot of avenues that were best left untread, I think.

Well, with any luck, a classic Van Halen tour can do a little to erase all that damage, but at this point, who the fuck knows? Even an all original Van Halen reunion tour may not be enoutgh to save any of them.

Not to piss on the parade, but reality's reality, you know...

[binnie]

Originally posted by bueno bob




What he needed was new management or representation (or something) after Skyscraper's fallout and a good, steady band of rock-solid musicians who were in it for the long haul, not the paycheck. I think he absolutely could have done business on par with Van Hagar in the late 80's/early 90's if he'd done those things.

I've said that many time - Dave needs to work with management and labels, going against the grain just makes things 20 times harder.

However, I disagree with you on the DLR band Bob, I think it's a stella record all the way through, probably my fave after EEAS. True, with a record label behind it, it could have done much, much better.

You can make the best record in the world, but if no-one hears it, so what?