Thoughts from an Old School VH'er

[Firebrand]

Been a while since I wandered over to these pages, since there's been little reason to do otherwise for Lord knows how long.

I hadn't heard a word about the VH reunion until I came on here about 20 minutes ago. I had heard about the Hall of Fame thing, and I did wonder what would come of it.

First, let me just say that God works in mysterious ways. For whatever reason, it just wasn't meant to be for Eddie and Dave to work together until now. Unlike a lot of folks here, I ain't gonna question it in the slightest, because most of us understand that most of the time in this life things happen when they are supposed to happen.

The first time I heard Van Halen in 1979 I was totally blown away, and as a guitar player I was challenged to expand the way I even looked at a six-string. Everything, and I mean everything was rewritten and retooled with one album.

For five years, I ate, breathed, and slept Van Halen. The boys walked on water in my mind. Even when their Jacksonville show in 1982 was cancelled because of Dave throwing his back out, which would have been my first chance to see them live, I understood and still worshipped them.

They had the perfect, and I mean PERFECT rock band. The bass was solid as an underpinning, all anchored with the fantastic drums, great vocal harmony, and intergalactic vocal and guitar interaction. Combine it with the show I saw when they opened the 1984 tour in Jacksonville with and it was the rock and roll equivalent to orgasm.

I supported the bros when Dave split and Hagar came on board. I thought 5150 was a good record - but it wasn't Van Halen. I bought 0U812 and FUCK, but it didn't take long to get tired of it.

I saw Dave play with Vai and Sheehan in '86, and felt like I had watched a VH copy band. Yeah, it was good, but it wasn't Van Halen.

1996 could have been magic, sure, but again, for whatever reason, it didn't happen. Will 2007 be as good?

I don't know, but I do know this much - this is one Van Halen fan that has patiently waited for the greatest American rock and roll band of all time to come back together, and I for one am very excited about seeing what the ying and yang of Dave and Ed can produce again.

If you're not, then you didn't have your life changed by these idiots. I did, and you can bet your sweet bippy I'll be there when they come near here.

I've had a void in my life the last 20 or so years. I'm thrilled about it, even though yeah, it might be 10 years later than it should've could've been. Hell, I'm not as young as I was a minute ago either, but that don't mean I'm not worth a crap. I might not be as good as I once was, but I can damn sure guarantee I'm as good as I was once.

Here's hoping my boys can say the same one more time.

[Dave's PA Rental]

Almost an hour, and no reply.

Brother, let me be the first.

I could have written this post.

If I was born 10 years sooner.

Thank you for sharing. Made my night.

[Panamark]

Congrats Firebrand !

You are one of the lucky ones that havent agonized over
these boards, day in, day out waiting for this to happen...
Many people think Mike should be in. (Me included)

Glad you will get a chance to see the two most important
components of Van Halen live, together again !!

[Firebrand]

I agree with you, Mark, that Mike should be in. Why not? What has he done in reality that Ed or Alex haven't? He played with Sammy - ok. Well guess what? If Ed hadn't brought Sammy into the fold and made him the frontman for 10 years then that would have never happened. I blame Ed as much for Mike's loyalties being tested as I do Sammy. Put it this way - if you are a professional musician, would you rather be playing with someone, especially someone you've already had a successful musical collaboration with, or sitting on your butt cheeks rotting away like roadkill?

Easy one to answer there.

Bring Mike in and make it complete.

[PHOENIX]

That was a really excellent post Firebrand.

BTW what style of guitar playing did you have before you discovered Eddie?

[Firebrand]

I was all into Ted Nugent, Gary Richrath, and KISS, mostly. Don't get me wrong - Ted is still one of the greats, Richrath had a reckless abandon to him that I loved, and KISS did their share of shaping things as well. They each had a big influence on me.

But when you are a guitarist - and not a bad one either, mind you - and you hear something that is so alien, so completely different than anyone or anything else you've ever heard but that still works almost perfectly, it has a way of making you stop and re-evaluate what you are doing with the instrument.

Eddie did that with me.

Now I've aged, and I've come to appreciate folks like Hendrix, Stevie Ray, and Duane Allman so much more because they weren't concerned about seeing how many words they could fit into their musical sentences, but moreso with what words they chose. It's like a friend of mine told me one night after one of our shows - you don't try to get a chick in bed with you by talking like an auctioneer...you choose your words carefully and deliver them with feeling. I think that's the secret to really soulful and emotional guitar playing. Maybe making someone feel something with your playing becomes more important with the years over trying to dazzle them with technicality, I don't know.

But Ed is still the best, in my opinion, because he single-handedly redefined what an entire generation of guitar players did with their instruments. No one else can say that.

[fryingdutchman]

Now THIS is a cool thread.

Well written, thoughtful, and insightful.

I hope you find what you're looking for in the 2007 incarnation of Van Halen, Firebrand!

[Firebrand]

I hope it will be something all of us who have waited and waited and waited some more on this will be able to feel good about when all is said and done.

If Ed - or Dave, for that matter - can't keep hostilities in check long enough to give the fans this one last shot, then to hell with both of them. That would be a pitiful, sad statement indeed. In the end, they are human beings who are fallible and weak like the rest of us, I guess, and we shouldn't expect too much - should we??

We know it's not 1984 anymore. I just hope 2007 has even a glimmer of what I saw 23 years ago, and I'll be happy.

[katie]

Originally posted by fryingdutchman
Now THIS is a cool thread.

Well written, thoughtful, and insightful.

I hope you find what you're looking for in the 2007 incarnation of Van Halen, Firebrand!

fryingidiot hoping to get laid! LOL

[fryingdutchman]

Originally posted by katie
fryingidiot hoping to get laid! LOL

Now, now....cunt.

Don't be jealous because this guy accomplished in a single post what you haven't been able to in 984.

And that is to actually formulate coherent thoughts, and link them together in a series of sentences to which others wish to reply.

Now run along and go back to swatting the flies that are congregating on your dimple-riddled, cottage cheese thighs.

[Susie Q]

I like firebrand, don't you all? We need posters like you on this board to refresh some of the tired posts we have had. Welcome aboard if you haven't been welcomed yet.

[PHOENIX]

Originally posted by Susie Q
I like firebrand, don't you all? We need posters like you on this board to refresh some of the tired posts we have had. Welcome aboard if you haven't been welcomed yet.

Now now Susie.

We did away with the Fan Intro forum cause it was cheesy.

:D

[sunburst]

Nice post firebrand. I relate to your fellings about the band very much. First heard them in 78 and had my mind blown. It was just so different. Saw them in August of both 81 and 82 at the St. Paul Civic Center. Tried to be loyal after Dave and just lost the passion. I hope that they can regain the magic. Hope it has the feel of meeting an old lover after so many years and seeing what it was that made you fall in love with them so long ago.

[Atomic Dyver]

Re: Thoughts from an Old School VH'er

Originally posted by Firebrand


The first time I heard Van Halen in 1979 I was totally blown away, and as a guitar player I was challenged to expand the way I even looked at a six-string. Everything, and I mean everything was rewritten and retooled with one album.
.

As a guitarist I grew up with Eddie, its hard to imagine what it was like without him. He's the reason I(and many others) picked up a guitar and got into a rock band. Classic Van Halen wrote the book and showed us how it was supposed to be done.

[katie]

Originally posted by fryingdutchman
Now, now....cunt.

Don't be jealous because this guy accomplished in a single post what you haven't been able to in 984.

And that is to actually formulate coherent thoughts, and link them together in a series of sentences to which others wish to reply.

Now run along and go back to swatting the flies that are congregating on your dimple-riddled, cottage cheese thighs.

fryingidiot trying to be hardcore LMFAO!!!!!!!

Nevermind kid

Katie still loves ya!
x