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Hitch can relate to Spammy cause they have something in common. They are both number two. Number One is the only thing that matters...I ain't trying to start crap with you Hitch... I have seen your name around here alot, just usually not on threads where I am reading/posting, and so I have nothing personal going on...but I do have a few comments to share.
First Kudos to you, Thank you for getting Sarge to reopen this site. This site is great. And so on and so forth...
Unrelated, but to your post elsewhere about wanting to be called Doug. First time I met Dave he was using the name Doug... but that was in '77 and is of no importance here. Just found it interesting, thats all. And yes I did read your followup post that is really your name.
Negativity is not allowed here? I thought it was what fueled the place. My bad. When I first started visiting this site, I was repeatedly slammed for even admmitting I liked Ed, Alex and Mike, in addition to Dave. And at that time, my respect for Van Hager actually amounted to something worth getting my ass chewed for. For various reasons that respect declines more every day, and I feel this is an appropriate place to convene with others who feel the same and release those feelings. WTF?
Next. When I read your praise about the new release-I am one of those people who thought it was sarcasm-honestly. If you like that song, its your perogative....listen to it a million times... I won't criticize you for it (I will feel sorry for you-but I don't judge). Hell, I even love the song Dreams, and think Right Now is not only an awsome song, but that the vidoe has mucho merit as well. Party with Dave...Party with Spam and Ed...invite Dave to party with you, Spam and Ed. (he might even be there anyway, though those chances are looking pretty slim these days) 1992 was a long time ago, and things change. I hope you are not dissappointed. Spam is the only one of the five that I have not met and conversed with in person...Back in 1983 I thought they were pretty fucking alright too. Then shit happens. But lets cease with the sensless rambling and get back on track.
Now lets talk about the song, shall we? I would have liked to heard the uncut version. Maybe that would have "worked" better. My honest opinion of that song, it that it is sooo much less than what I was hoping for, even if it were a halfway decent song I wouldn't like it. Could be that whatever they did when they "reworked" it to make it radio friendly (or tried to transform a Dave song into Spam material, or whatever they did) completely fucked it up. But here are the depressing facts about that.
What we are left dealing with is a compromised version of Van Halen. What the boys did back in the late 70's early 80's was amazing. When you are new like they were then, its acceptable to "sell out". You do covers, play for the public, basically you do what you need to do to make the record companies happy, your producers happy, the fans happy, and to get your name out there and make your buck. When you are celebrating your 25th anniversary-you dont. By now the almight dollar should have lost its allure. By this time, you should be so well established that if people don't like what you are doing, fuck 'em. By the time you have been in the music industry for 25 years you should know what you want, what you like, what works for you, and you should just play the shit out of it cause it feels good. I dont sense that "feeling good" in this music. We keep hearing about Ed's 10 albums worth of material...Where the hell is it? I'll tell ya what... I don't really want to hear stuff that has been in the "vault" for 8 -10 years. Ed's art is creating and that is what I expect from him. Its not what we are getting.
Classic Van Halen was at that point in 1984. They could have put out anything they wanted-and fans would have (did) bought (buy) the shit out of it. But you can't screw with your fans the way these people have. Heres what I think about this new song: Heres what I want to play (the original)-heres what you want to hear (the remix)-heres where we compromise. Fuck that. Artistic Expression is not a compromise. Once you compromise, you loose any qualitative value it may have had at one point in time. Fans who have been loyal to these guys for 25 years deserve more than a 2 cd set of songs that have already been reproduced to death. And with only three new songs-those songs really need to kick ass. You can't bull shit your way into the hall of fame...you gotta earn it.
Now, about the album, whats the name of that again. The Very Best of...no wait... The Best of Both Worlds...think again. That name would fit if it did feature the best of both worlds...but so far it doesn't, and apparently is not going to. I personally am all for a full reunion including David and Spam. Would find it quite fitting. However, producing live versions of Dave music with Spam singing is just not cool... Not kosher at all. Why not just stick with live versions of spam music if they are going to stick with spam? Or better yet...why not throw another new song or two on their. After all those three songs are already on the album once...
Whatever dude. Turn this place into a Sammy Roy Hagar Army. It will then by my choice to avoid it like the plague. Until then, lay off of people who call the shit like they see it and try not to take it so personal. I think for the most part, its all in fun.
YOUR GIRLFRIEND = OWNED
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